dump the pump

Ahhhh yes! The 3rd Annual National Dump the Pump Day is coming up! June 19th, to be exact! This means free public transportation for all!

Save money and help the environment. Click here for more info on the free rides

Happy Bike-To-Work Week!

May is National Bike Month and this week (May 12th to 16th) is National Bike to Work Week so saddle up and start peddlin', folks! Thankfully I bought my bike on time and have been riding to work as much as I can and I am loving every minute of it! I'm becoming an addict...5-6 miles each way...and I'm starting to brave traffic more and more. My co-worker has even started biking to work now, too! We should really start a bike gang now...him dressing in sharp riding knickers and shoes that click into his pedals; me with my matching bike helmet, stylish cape, and basket lined with flowers.

Reasons why you should bike to work this week (and everyday for that matter):

• It’s Healthy! Great exercise without setting foot in a gym! Think of all the calories you'll burn...and how much happier your heart will be.

• It’s Economical! With gas prices rising towards the $5 mark, think about the money you'll be saving.

• It’s Environmentally Friendly! Mounting your bicycle to work reduces your carbon emissions. Did you know that if you drove a Toyota Camry and lived 9 miles from work, you would reduce emissions pollutants by 908 lbs year by biking one day a week?

Left Coast Greenin'

Interested in attending some environmental panels? Well, you're in luck! Design Green Now is currently on a West Coast Tour. First stop was Western Washington University on April 1st and they make their way down to Portland, San Francisco, and Long Beach. Visit the site and register for one of the events in a city near you.

But wait, what is Design Green Now exactly? It's a lovely series of free panels discussing various ways to build a sustainable lifestyle and future! Panels range from green design to green products made of sustainable materials. (You might even get to meet the masterminds behind Nau sportswear!) I've been to a few green design events here in LA and they are really fun and interesting. Lovely to meet various vendors and have little Q&As. Definitely worthwhile and you'll meet others who are as passionate about the environment as you are. You'll definitely learn something new and feel totally inspired once you see how these people want to make an impact...or less of an impact...you know what I mean.

Register here

Frock Swap

Got a closet full of clothes that you want to get rid of? I sure do. I would show you my actual clothes piles in my bedroom but I am too embarrassed! Rather than chucking your threads into the trash think about the pounds and pounds of clothing that is already in landfills! I read somewhere that clothing/textile waste makes up 4.5% of residential waste created. Each American is responsible for approximately 35 pounds, totaling 8.75 billion pounds per year. Crazy! Plus, many of our clothes are made of synthetic fibers derived from oil. Don't want that leaching into our ground now do we?

My natural impulse is to donate clothes to charities and 90% of my wardrobe was bought used. But why not mix it up a little and make a little event out of your former fashion?

On one of my flights to/from San Francisco I was lucky enough to watch a segment on Current TV about Swap-O-Rama, an event where you pay about $5 at the door, bring in your bag of old clothing, and swap with strangers. There are also sewing machines at these events brought in by volunteers so that you can create new clothes along the way. Cool idea right?

You can check out the site for any upcoming events near you or why not create your own little frock swap? Invite a few of your friends over, serve lovely organic refreshments, and have them bring a few items from their closet that they want to do away with. Set them out and rummage away! Accessories like bags, hats, belts and scarves are also perfect one-size-fits-all items! You're bound to leave with something new and you'll be giving garments a new lease on life!

It should be fun. Who can say no to a theme party! I am planning one in the near future so I will keep you posted for those friends in the area who are interested in stopping by.

Got leftovers from the party? You can donate the orphaned clothing to a charity of your choice!

Check out a video of some gals who partook in a frock swap of their own

Lights Out

Tomorrow (March 29th) @ 8pm (your local time), everyone is encouraged to join in on Earth Hour and turn off your lights and non-essential appliances for ONE HOUR in solidarity for electricity conservation (households and businesses alike)!

Last year's Earth Hour (created by the World Wildlife Fund) was held in Sydney, Australia where more than 2 million people flipped the switch. They even got 48,000 cars off the road for that hour. Can you believe it? Hooray for lower carbon emissions!

Need to light the way during Earth Hour? Light up some beeswax candles (they swell oh-so-sweet) and make shadow puppets, read a cook by candlelight like in the olden days, have conversation...or just have a makeout session...you know, whatever floats your boat.