Many celebrities use their fame to help promote the greater good, but their
efforts are often overlooked. Ecorazzie is a way for people to learn about
the great things their favorite celebrities are doing to promote important
environmental, humanitarian, animal rights, and vegetarian issues.
Ecorazzie promises to keep their readers up to date with 'green gossip' and
the latest in green fashion, music, events, and shopping!
Missy Higgins Wants You to Be Part of the 2% Solution
The world's scientists agree: Global warming is real, here, and happening faster than anyone predicted. But scientists also say we can curb global warming and its consequences -- if we take bold, comprehensive action now that adds up to an 80 percent cut in carbon emissions by 2050, or 2 percent a year.
Singer/songwriter Missy Higgins, named one of Billboard Magazine's top 10 "green" artists of 2008, speaks out about the need for us all to be part of the 2% Solution to global warming:
For more info on the Sierra Club and the 2% solution, click here.
How to Host a Green Event
Having a party? Follow these simple steps and find out how you can achieve the triple goals of saving money, serving better food and taking care of the planet. Just because you want to go "green", it doesn't mean you need to cut back on the good times. Green events still enable you to enjoy events and be healthy and environmentally-friendly at the same time.
Use washable plates and utensils. It is always best to use what can be reused again and again, so prefer crockery over disposables. Alternatively, many stores now carry recycled, compostable plates that will go right into your composter or can be thrown away. They biodegrade quickly so they won't take up landfill space. You can find sturdy plastic cutlery made from corn or other plant sources everywhere, or visit a thrift store and buy up big on old metallic cutlery just for your green events. Whether you use plastic or metallic cutlery, be sure to tell guests to put the cutlery in the wash and not the bin so that they can be reused many times. It helps to leave a container with water and suds in it for people to put their used cutlery straight in.
Go organic. Preservatives and substitutes like high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated oils aren't doing your body any good. Find certified organic food at most grocery stores. Better yet, find a farmer's market where you can talk to the farmer directly and ask questions about where your food came from. You can complement your fresh, organic food with a little organic wine! These days you don't need to be a sommelier to find a good bottle of organic vino. If you don't want to cater yourself, hire a local caterer who is well versed in using local, organic produce and supports the concept of sustainable dining.
Use cloth. Prefer cloth items instead of paper napkins. They last a long time, are easy to wash and guests enjoy them a lot more than paper napkins. There is also a natural tendency to be territorial about one's cloth napkin and use it throughout the night, whereas paper napkins are considered used up with one wipe and people have a tendency to reach for extra ones, thereby encouraging waste.
Use natural gas-powered grills. Unfortunately charcoal adds more than flavor to your food - charcoal could contain coal dust and sodium nitrate. The lighting fluid can make your food taste funny. The chemical effects of these products on your body and the environment are nothing to laugh about. Natural gas is the cleanest and the most energy-efficient method to barbecue. For an authentic wood flavor, soak a few hickory chips in water and throw them on the grill right before your food.
Rely on natural light. Go outdoors and leave the lights off for as long as possible. Rely on sunlight and beeswax candles for lighting.
Avoid theming a party. Unless you can theme your party creatively using items around the house already, it is a good idea to avoid purchasing extra items to make a theme, as these will be disposed of at the end of the event and will add to landfill.[2] If you have items in your home that can create a theme, however, by all means use these to decorate and then put them back in their place after the event.
Get the guests sorting. Leave recycling bins next to the garbage bin. That way, guests are obliged to consider their throwaway choices carefully. This also saves you from having to comb the garbage bin afterwards!
Jimmy Buffett’s number one selling album of all time, “Songs You Know By Heart” is going green. As part of Wal-Mart’s “Earth Month” promotion, you can purchase a copy of Buffett’s greatest hits album that is environmentally friendly:
All of the albums from Universal Music Enterprises (UMe), the U.S. catalog and special markets entity for UMG, will be offered in the new REPAK(R) CD package, an all paperboard option containing third-party certified, renewable recycled board and recyclable paper. The REPAK’s design features a unique recessed cavity to hold the disc snugly and safely in place, completely eliminating the need for a plastic hub or tray.
The “Songs You Know By Heart” package is 100% recyclable and biodegradable. It also includes a blow in card containing seeds for planting and allows you to get three free MP3 downloads from a selection of 30 titles. These free songs will be downloaded to your computer - they are yours to keep courtesy of Wal-Mart Music!
Chefs Challenge Wisdon of Bottled Water
Minneapolis city officials and leading restaurant chefs are combining forces today against bottled water.
A news conference is scheduled for 10 a.m. today at Corner Table Restaurant at 43rd St. and Nicollet Avenue South in Minneapolis, where more will be said about the need to avoid buying bottled water.
Bottled water has been criticized for being too expensive -- more than a gallon of gasoline -- unfriendly to the environment and failing to outperform tap water for taste.
A national corporate accountability group called on Minnesotans last fall to pledge to boycott bottled water in favor of municipal water.
Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak endorsed the push, noting that his city's water often tops commercial bottled water in blind taste tests.
Jeremy Hanson, an aide to Rybak, said the mayor's office has stopped serving bottled water.
RezHub.com: The First Ever Integrated Green Travel Search
RezHub.com, an online travel agency who became both a pioneer and leader in Green Travel with the launch of their Green Travel Hub website, breaks ground again today with the integration of a revolutionary green travel search. With the kick-off of their new travel search, RezHub.com becomes the first travel site in history to incorporate Green Score ratings and information in every hotel search. Travelers now have a quick and easy way to learn about environmentally friendly lodging options, without having to spend extra time researching and reserving their trips at multiple websites.
Jack Johnson Helps Carpool
Jack Johnson wants to make his summer tour as 'green' as possible. When you purchase tickets to his shows, you'll have the option of tossing in an extra $0.50 to help offset the carbon footprint you would create getting to the show. Plus, he'll also set up an online community where you can coordinate carpools to the gig. For more information, visit jackjohnsonmusic.com/allatonce.
$200,000 Solar Cities Grant for Minneapolis/St. Paul
The U.S. Department of Energy will award Minneapolis and St. Paul a $200,000 grant for development of plan to make solar energy affordable for area homes and businesses by the year 2015.
The Minnesota Department of Commerce said the grants were made under the federal government's Solar America Initiative, a $12.1 million program which aims to find new ways to make electricity from solar photovoltaic cells competitive with other forms of power. The Twin Cities was one of 12 metropolitan areas to receive such awards.
Minneapolis plans to build a 600-kilowatt solar array on the roof of the city's Public Works Currie Maintenance Facility.
The city has also received a $2 million grant from Minneapolis-based Xcel (NYSE: XEL) Energy's Renewable Development Fund.
Shopping Made Easy (As Seen on SherylCrow.com)
Hey everybody! I have something really cool to tell you about. It is a canvas shopping bag that's really different. You know how I love to avoid using plastic knowing that it will more than likely wind up in a landfill somewhere.
The grocery bag is a canvas bag that cleverly latches onto your shopping cart to hold it open while you shop, and holds up to 3 paper or plastic bags of groceries. I like it because it holds so much but it is still so easy to handle. After you unload your groceries at home, the bag folds flat, held by a velcro strap. Really convenient.
Metro Transit Go green with public transportation. Plan your metro route at metrotransit.org.
US Green Building Council Learn out to build green (LEED) at usgbc.org.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Waste prevention, recycling, reusing and donating hourhold goods. Find out more here.
Composting & Yard Care Rain barrel and compost bin sale events, composting, yardwaste drop off sites, sustainable landscaping classes, and more! Click here for info.
How to Get Rid of It Guide Find the safest and most acceptable way to dispose of your household trash here.
Household Hazardous Waste Reduce the amount of toxicity of household hazardous waste in your home.
Tips For Green Lawn Care
There are ways to make that suburban green space a little more green at howto.wired.com.
10 Things You Never Thought You Could Recycle
You can probably recycle more than you think. Here are some specific ways to recycle 10 surprising items.
Having a party? Follow these simple steps and find out how you can achieve the triple goals of saving money, serving better food and taking care of the planet. Just because you want to go "green", it doesn't mean you need to cut back on the good times. Green events still enable you to enjoy events and be healthy and environmentally-friendly at the same time. 
© 2012
