They’ve picked up 37,000 pounds of garbage so far, and they’re just getting started.

When most people see a fast-food bag fluttering on the corner of the highway, they probably shake their heads and keep on driving.

The Pick Up Artists aren’t most people. These four young environmentalists are driving across America, conducting roadside cleanups and spreading the word about reducing waste.

After just three months on the road, the Pick Up America project has already collected more than 37,000 pounds of garbage. And they’re only 340 miles into their 2-year, cross-country trip.

The project began March 20 at Assateague Island, MD. They aim to arrive in their final destination, San Francisco Bay, CA, around August 2011.

The team knew what they were getting into when they launched their quest, but the amount of trash they have encountered has already surprised them. “I had no concept there was that much garbage out there,” says Kelly Klein, Pick Up America’s director of community outreach. “That was a big shocker for me.”

Most of the garbage is what you’d expect: beer bottles, soda cans, cigarette packs and fast-food wrappers. “We can tell what the most popular beers and restaurants are in each area,” says Klein. There are also plastic bags – lots and lots of plastic bags – as well as more distressing items like rusting appliances, smelly diapers and the weirdest thing they’ve encountered so far: a dead chicken lovingly taped up into an old shoebox.

A lot of the garbage has been there a long time. “It’s amazing how many years some of this has obviously been sitting on the sides of our roads and in ditches,” says Klein.

The Mission

Pick Up America isn’t just about collecting garbage. “We’re trying to promote the transition into a zero-waste society,” says Klein. “We’re hoping to raise awareness and show people a few things that they can do, and raise issues about the broader consumption stream and habits that make a difference in the long term.”

As they move from town to town, the team spreads the word about their mission and their goals, including holding zero-waste workshops and other events. “We promote reusable products as the first step we can take to stop making and producing as much plastic,” says Klein. “That plastic ends up sticking around forever. It’s doing a lot of damage to our environment.”

“There’s been great support from the communities we’ve gone through,” says Klein. “Many people have helped us already.” In addition to showing up for roadside cleanup projects, people have offered meals or opened up their homes so the team can shower or sleep. “They also help us connect with others in their community,” says Klein. “That’s been wonderful to see.”

Every day is a new adventure, Klein says. “It’s very rare that we know where we’re sleeping that night. We almost always find a place. With a very few exceptions we’ve found couches and floors to sleep on.” So far, they have only had to spend a few nights in their brightly painted RV, nick-named Rosie (above).

Not as many people have been willing to help pick up trash so far, but every volunteer makes a difference, says Klein.

5-7 Miles A Day

The pick-up process is slow work. “If it’s just the four of us, we can cover 5 to 7 miles a day,” says Klein. “That’s a bit slower than we expected.” If volunteers show up, they can move a bit faster.

The team had also hoped to do more community clean-up projects, but the roads are their top priority. “The roads are so dirty that in order for us to keep moving we haven’t been able to do as many other projects as we’d thought,” says Klein. But, she says they know they are already making a difference, so the effort is worth it.

How You Can Help

Pick Up America will roll into Covington, Va., on July 10 for its next big cleanup project, the first leg of its next wave of stops. “Look along our route on our tour page,” says Klein. “If you know somebody or an organization close by, let them know we’re coming. We need as many people as possible.”

Manpower for pick-up days is essential, but there are many other ways you can help. “Take photos, write a blog, talk about what we’re doing. It all helps,” says Klein.

You can also buy Pick Up America T-shirts and reusable water bottles, or make donations to the cause (Pick up America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit) through their website. “Right now, we’re trying to raise enough money to afford health insurance for our team,” says Klein.

And of course, you can take a few steps to reduce your own waste. “Number one, stop using plastic bags,” says Klein. “Get a reusable bag and take it to the grocery store.” Reuse your water bottles, and avoid fast food, since it comes with so many wrappers that end up in the trash. “Fast food is cheap, but it’s not worth the price,” says Klein. Also, be more aware of what you’re throwing away, in case it can be reused.

You can also organize your own cleanup event in your area, and the Pick Up Artists can give you some tips to get you started, says Klein.

An Amazing Experience

“One thing that’s been really inspiring is that we’ve put our faith in the country and these communities to help get us across the country and keep us moving. It’s been such an amazing experience to see these people stepping up to support us,” says Klein. “That’s been refreshing and heartening. We’re getting more and more hopeful and positive as this goes along.”

Editor’s note: Article by John R. Platt. Originally published by our friends at Tonic.com. Tonic is a digital media company and news source dedicated to promoting the good that happens each day around the world. Tonic tells the stories of people and organizations who are working to make a difference, by inspiring good in themselves and others. Be sure to visit them and say hi, and follow Tonic on Twitter, too!

Images courtesy of Pick Up America

The post Pick Up Artists: Driving Across America, Picking Up Garbage appeared first on EcoSalon.

One man’s quest for vegetarianism and a cleaner planet

Millions of gallons of oil are spreading across the Gulf of Mexico, killing wildlife and threatening coastal communities. This environmental disaster makes it clear that there are costs associated with our dependency on fossil fuel. These costs are usually well-hidden and often seem out of our hands. We assume these are challenges for businesses and governments to take on, but too large and unseemly for one person to make a real impact.

I am reminded of The New York Times’ 2008 article, “Rethinking the Meat-Guzzler,” in which the author Mark Bittman compares oil to meat.

He writes, “Like oil, meat is subsidized by the federal government. Like oil, meat is subject to accelerating demand as nations become wealthier, and this, in turn, sends prices higher. Finally – like oil – meat is something people are encouraged to consume less of, as the toll exacted by industrial production increases, and becomes increasingly visible.”

Bittman’s piece compares the amount of fossil fuels needed to produce a meat meal versus fossil fuels needed for a plant-based meal and illustrates that the meat meal requires 16 times more!

Although the negative consequences of excessive oil and meat consumption are usually tucked away, a growing bed of evidence is making these issues harder and harder to ignore. In 2006, the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization released a report called “Livestock’s Long Shadow.” The report states that animal agriculture is a major contributor to climate change and “emerges as one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global.”

It didn’t take long for industry to challenge that report in attempts to debunk the conclusion that animal agriculture contributes more to climate change than transportation. In April of this year, James McWilliams wrote a piece for The Atlantic challenging the rash of media reports that jumped on this industry-led PR campaign. McWilliams rightly concluded, “No matter what the exact figure, the environmental case against industrial meat production remains powerfully convincing.”

Now, the United Nations’ Environment Programme has published a new report called “Assessing the Environmental Impacts of Production and Consumption: Priority Products and Materials.” It identifies the largest contributors to environmental impacts and pressures, citing “food” and “agricultural materials, especially animal products” as priority areas of concern. Referring to this report, The Guardian newspaper published an article under the heading “UN Urges Global Move to Meat and Dairy-Free Diet,” that states, “A global shift towards a vegan diet is vital to save the world from hunger, fuel poverty and the worst impacts of climate change.”

There are many things in this world that are out of our control and where we may feel helpless to make a difference. But, that’s not the case with food. We can each exercise a large degree of control over what we eat, and by making food choices that are consistent with our own values and interests, we can make the world a better place. Choosing to eat plants instead of animals lightens our environmental footprint, including our dependency on oil, and it improves and saves lives, both human and non-human. Of that, we can be certain.

Editor’s note: Article by Gene Baur. Originally published by our friends at Tonic.com. Tonic is a digital media company and news source dedicated to promoting the good that happens each day around the world. Tonic tells the stories of people and organizations who are working to make a difference, by inspiring good in themselves and others. Be sure to visit them and say hi, and follow Tonic on Twitter, too!

Image: flikr

The post The Power on Your Plate appeared first on EcoSalon.

If current trends are any indication, the change will be shocking as some 4,600 electric vehicle charging stations are built in the US by next fall.

In just a very few short years, we’ve gone from collectively bemoaning the demise of the electric car to now being presented almost daily with road sign after road sign that clearly indicates its imminence.

Tonic has been following the fast-moving developments in electric vehicle (EV) technology over the past year, and by all indications given by the automotive world tea leaves, car makers are finally primed to take the notion of moving away from internal combustion very seriously. General Motors, who a decade ago made the biggest and loudest moves in the electric car realm first with the launch of the EV1, and second with the vehicle’s quick and puzzling discontinuation, is poised to reenter the market this fall with the Chevy Volt. Nissan’s Leaf is expected to enter the market mere weeks after the Volt. And Toyota, not in the least content to cede the EV lead to its competitors, recently purchased upstart Tesla, signaling its earnest intent to be a powerful force in the market sector.

And in the latest indicator of change’s steady march, the Los Angeles Times reports that in several US locations, we’re poised to see the neighborhood gas station take on an entirely new look and function. According to the Times, some 4,600 EV recharging stations are slated to be built across the country. Approximately 1,000 of them will be up and running by the end of this year and the rest will be in place by September of next year. This represents a sincere implementation of new generation vehicle support infrastructure, and reflects a collective expectation that while the electric vehicle is untold years away from dominance on the roads we’re poised to see a real shift in how we drive.

The new recharging infrastructure initiative is being led by California-based Coulomb Technologies, whose home state is perhaps not surprisingly slated to be home to about one third of the new stations. In addition to building the charging stations in the Los Angeles, Sacramento and San Francisco bay area regions, Coulomb’s plans include new infrastructure for the Austin, Detroit, New York, Orlando, Seattle and Washington, D.C. metropolitan areas.

According to the Times, the move arises through the ChargePoint America program which is supported by partnerships with Ford, GM and Smart and funded in part by a federal grant from the Department of Energy. Once the stations are in place and operational, scientists from Purdue University and Idaho National Labs will collect and analyze data on usage patterns.

Editor’s note: Article by David Bois. Originally published by our friends at Tonic.com. Tonic is a digital media company and news source dedicated to promoting the good that happens each day around the world. Tonic tells the stories of people and organizations who are working to make a difference, by inspiring good in themselves and others. Be sure to visit them and say hi, and follow Tonic on Twitter, too!

Image: felixkramer

The post Coming Soon to a Fueling Station Near You: A Plug appeared first on EcoSalon.

The Gentle Barn Foundation needs our help to save 60 malnourished cows – many of which are pregnant – from a dilapidated California dairy farm. Will readers step up to save the day?

In recent weeks, animal lover Ellen DeGeneres has been trying to bring attention to a deplorable situation: Dozens of black-and-white cows, many of them pregnant and sick with pneumonia, pinkeye and skin fungus, are living – barely – on a dilapidated dairy farm in Santa Clarita, Calif.

The farm itself is in the process of being shut down, and the animals would normally be destined for the slaughterhouse. And yet, these gentle animals that have spent their lives providing nourishing milk to so many humans are now so sick and malnourished themselves that even the slaughterhouse won’t take them. The dairy farm’s owner does not have the money to care for the cows, nor to nurture the animals back to health in order to take them to the auction house.

So without intervention, these 60 cows will be left to die of dehydration, starvation and disease.

Click Here to Make a $10 Donation Now.

The tragic scenario was first revealed to the public by The Gentle Barn Foundation on April 26. Since then, the animal rescue and rehabilitation facility, miraculously located in the very same town and already home to 120 rescued farm animals, has successfully negotiated to take the cows off the owners’ hands and nurse them back to health – to give the cows and their calves whole new lives.

There’s just one problem: The Gentle Barn Foundation has no place to house them. The Foundation needs to build two new barns in order to give the cows a proper home. And building barns isn’t cheap.

The Gentle Barn needs funding. They need it now. And readers can make it happen.

Yesterday on her talk show, DeGeneres announced that Tonic is launching a major fundraising initiative in order to build the barns these cows so desperately need.

Tonic has committed to matching your donations, dollar-for-dollar, up to $50,000, for a grand total of $100,000 – enough for the Gentle Barn Foundation to build an entire barn.

And as if doubling your donation isn’t enough, there’s another layer of goodness that comes along with giving to save these California cows: A private benefactor has agreed to match every dollar The Gentle Barn earns, up to $100,000. So if Tonic readers accomplish this goal, and donate at least $50,000, the Gentle Barn Foundation will have all the money they need to build both barns!

Before Tonic’s initiative was announced, Ellie Laks, who founded and operates The Gentle Barn with her husband, Jay Weiner, gave an interview to The Signal of Santa Clarita Valley. Of their efforts to save these malnourished cows, Laks said, “This is cool because we can save their lives and give them the opportunity to raise their babies. It’ll be something the community can sink their teeth into – be part of their birth and their lives.”

More than just an animal rescue organization, The Gentle Barn brings at-risk youth and special needs children who have suffered physical, mental or emotional trauma of their own to their facilities to interact with the animals and take a hands-on role in their welfare. As described on their website: “[T]hose who undergo treatment at The Gentle Barn learn empathy, kindness, strength, trust, forgiveness and leadership.”

They’re the human qualities we try to spotlight here on Tonic every day. The qualities we’ve helped DeGeneres celebrate on her talk show, by giving scholarship money to Constance McMillen and helping to cover Alyson Myatt’s health care costs.

They’re the qualities we hope our readers will show by making donations to The Gentle Barn Foundation today.

Click Here to Make a $10 Donation Now!

Editor’s note: Article by Mark Dagostino. Originally published by our friends at Tonic.com. Tonic is a digital media company and news source dedicated to promoting the good that happens each day around the world. Tonic tells the stories of people and organizations who are working to make a difference, by inspiring good in themselves and others. Be sure to visit them and say hi, and follow Tonic on Twitter, too!

Image: Dave Young

The post Ellen and Tonic: Giving Dairy Cows a Second Chance at Life appeared first on EcoSalon.

Guayakí Yerba Mate could be your cup of tea.

In 1996, five men fresh out of college believed that they could help to re-forest the South American rainforest and positively effect the indigenous people by drinking tea. Crazy? Maybe not. Fourteen years later, Guayakí Yerba Mate has a core team of 28 flip-flop wearing, life-loving, idealists that are making a difference one sip at a time. Guayaki grows its products sustainably within the South America’s Atlantic rainforest and currently sustains and/or restores nearly 20,000 acres of rainforest, 34 indigenous families and over 300 bird and mammal species. What was nothing more than a crazy idea back in 1996 is now a full-blown reality.

Chris Mann is one of the five seeding founders and has been dubbed the “Chairman of the Gourd” of Guayakí Yerba Mate. Chris earned a BA in Economics from Harvard University, but quickly realized that economists often overlooked sustaining the environment and protecting people. Through his experience with Guayakí, and previously with Natural Flavors, a 100 percent organic, vegan restaurant that employed 25 people and 60 local farmers, Chris is finding that by recognizing common purpose, seemingly disparate groups can integrate social justice, environmental restoration and economic success.

Chris takes a break from sippin’ the good stuff to sit In The Hot Seat for Tonic:

What’s your mantra?

A motto I live by is “May you live all the days of your life,” a quote from Jonathan Swift. It reminds me that life truly is a gift. When I live in that reality, I feel alive, inspired and compelled to contribute my energy towards creating a beneficial presence. Getting sidetracked by fear drives complacency and withdrawal. It happens to us all. For me it’s a matter of how quickly can I recognize that I am stuck and get past it. If we are feeling low, it is very difficult to contribute to something bigger than ourselves, but when we truly feel alive that is all we want to do!

How are your business goals tied to your mission?

Guayakí’s mission in itself a business goal – to sustain and restore 200,000 acres of South American Atlantic rainforest and provide 1,000 living wage jobs. This mission is funded by the sustainable harvest of yerba mate beneath the South American Atlantic rainforest canopy. In order to accomplish our mission, we will need sales of approximately $125 million. The amount of forest we restore and living-wage jobs we create are directly proportional to the amount of shade-grown organic yerba mate we sell. That is the essence of Market-Driven Restoration.

What is the CSR program implemented in your company that you are most proud of?

Our entire business model is a CSR program. We call our model Market-Driven Restoration, whereby we internalize the environmental and social costs of our products. This ‘true cost’ enables our customers to vote with their dollars. In turn, we invest in growers who are committed to high quality, integrity and restoration. By purchasing Guayakí’s organic and fair trade certified yerba mate, our customers become a driving force for rainforest restoration and the creation of living wage jobs.

This model of Market-Driven Restoration acknowledges that we are all in this together and we must all work and play together in order to create solutions. We cannot separate east and west, north and south and we cannot separate social justice and cultural diversity from ecological restoration. Specifically, we pay two to three times the market price for our yerba mate, and in turn, the growers we work with adopt a work plan for improving the diversity of their rainforest and engage in life-affirming relationships with the people they directly work with-whether they are family members, cooperative members or migrant harvesters.

One way that we have measured the success of this program is by conducting a life-cycle study on our loose-leaf yerba mate products. This study demonstrated that the amount of carbon sequestered by the rainforests in which it grows is twice the amount of carbon that is emitted through the harvesting, processing, packaging and transportation. In other words, Guayaki Yerba Mate was shown to be carbon-subtracting – not just carbon-neutral, but carbon-subtracting. The subtraction does not result from offsetting, but is embedded in the entire Market-Driven Restoration business model. To top it off, the packaging of this product is all biodegradable and home compostable which means that it is one of the most sustainable consumer products available on the market. This is incredibly exciting because it demonstrates that it can be done and we are all learning that it must be done.

What area of CSR do you still think your company can improve in and what are the steps you will take to make that change?

The main area for us to improve in is in our reporting. We are doing amazing work on many fronts, but we do not have a consistent formal reporting program. As a result, our efforts are not as coordinated as they could be and not everyone is aware of the successes we have had and the challenges we face. The reporting is vitally important because it serves as a platform for sharing the information with our stakeholders and engaging in more direct dialogues around the issues so we can more effectively develop and implement best practices at Guayaki and inspire others to implement the same. Ultimately, we face tremendous challenges in implementing the massive environmental and social justice programs that we all need to engage in and clear communication, transparency and reporting are crucial to expanding these programs quickly and deeply.

Where do you see your company in 5 years?

In ten years we will have sustained and restored at least 200,000 acres of rainforest and provided at least 1,000 living-wage jobs. In 5 years we will be well on our way to accomplishing these goals. What will this look like? In the marketplace, our products will be distributed almost everywhere that beverages are sold and Guayaki will be recognized as a leader in creating healthy products that inspire people to vote with their dollars for products and services that sustain and restore degraded ecosystems and promote social justice. We plan to stay on the cutting edge of restorative business development and believe that five years from now, the work that we are doing now will be commonplace in all businesses. So we envision a constant cycle of innovation and product improvement. Can we help change the conversation from minimizing the bad to maximizing the good?

Read more Dollars & Sense.

Editor’s note: Article by Nadia Hosni. Originally published by our friends at Tonic.com. Tonic is a digital media company and news source dedicated to promoting the good that happens each day around the world. Tonic tells the stories of people and organizations who are working to make a difference, by inspiring good in themselves and others. Be sure to visit them and say hi, and follow Tonic on Twitter, too!

Image: juanpol

The post In the Hot Seat: Chris Mann appeared first on EcoSalon.

When you’ve been out of work for a while, grooming is usually one of the first things to go. Also pants with waistbands and your hopes and dreams, but that’s another post for another day. Now that Maurice Tidy has launched Hair Care, a charity providing free, professional hairstyles to the unemployed, at least your head can look professional. You’ll probably want to put on pants afterward. One step at a time.

One of the most renowned hair stylists in the world, Maurice Tidy, and his partner, Gina Caruso, have launched a campaign to help those who’ve been let go turn a bad loss into a great hair gain.

Gail Michalak was engaged and had just turned 50 when she thought to herself, “Boy, it’s going to be a good year.” But instead, on that Monday, her fiancé called to end the relationship and on Friday, she got laid off from the administrative assistant job she had held for 31 years.

That was a year and half ago. She’s still single and still unemployed, but Monday, thanks to the initiative of Hair Care, a charity that provides free haircuts to people who are out of work, she has a new look – and a new outlook.

“I hadn’t gotten it cut in almost a year so I really needed some styling,” says Michalak (below, sitting), who lives in a Detroit suburb and worked in the auto industry. “It gives you new motivation. It’s like a breath of fresh air. You get your second wind. It makes you feel just so much better. It puts a smile on your face.”

Hair Care was launched about 10 months ago by Maurice Tidy (at right), who was Vidal Sassoon’s first artistic director, and his partner Gina Caruso after she lost her job consulting for medical spa businesses. She realized how important something as simple as a haircut can be for one’s sense of self – and for one’s job search.

“I got involved with Hair Care 10 months ago because I became unemployed and wanted to give back knowing the pain and sacrifices that have to be made when you lose the financial security of a regular paycheck. Most individuals lose self confidence and regular maintenance of a haircut is usually put on the back burner, but it is imperative to look great and give the best first impression at an interview,” says Caruso.

Tidy, a Brit known around the world as the go-to hair stylist for celebs ranging from the Beatles and Rene Russo to Patti Smith and Isabella Rosellini, was able to tap his hair salon network and recruit friends as volunteer stylists. Caruso posted on Tidy’s Facebook page an announcement about the Hair Care campaign and within 20 minutes, 20 salons were interested nationwide. And both Tidy and Caruso were surprised by the response to the first event last June held at Sassoon colleague Daniel Rizzardi’s Salon Secrets – 30 people were lined up before the doors opened at 9 a.m. and more than 700 people showed up during the two-day event in Charlotte, N.C., a hub in the banking industry which had been hard hit by layoffs.

“As the national unemployment rate has risen, so, too, has the competition for existing jobs. Staying well groomed and appropriately dressed is critical for job hunters,” says Tidy.

So far, there have been nine Hair Care events at which 4,500 people have had their hair cut and styled for free by 225 volunteer hair stylists. The most recent Hair Care event held Sunday and Monday at Hair Designs North owned by Alan O’Sada and Kimberly Briffa in Dearborn, Mich., an area of the country where automotive industry layoffs have been widespread, attracted 250 people in need of a cut and blow dry – not to mention a job. Twenty-two stylists volunteered to give haircuts, an area florist gave flowers to everyone who came in for a haircut, local community volunteers swept the floor, restaurants donated food and hotel rooms were discounted for out of town hair stylist volunteers.

Beverly Grau, 54, was among those who received a haircut, flowers and an emotional boost. A program manager in IT, she had worked for the same company for 24 years and had survived several workforce reductions since Hewlett Packard acquired the company. But, last Friday was her final day of employment. It was an emotional shock and although she realizes it’s just business, she says you can’t help but take it personally.

“This means everything to me. It’s extremely helpful to look your best. And it’s wonderful that these people have taken the time to do things for people in this situation. It’s a fun haircut for me and I think it makes me feel better and look good,” says Grau. “This has really been heartwarming that folks have done this. It is very much appreciated. It gives me a boost to go out and find that job.”

The first person to show up Sunday at the Dearborn event for a hair cut and styling was Dawn Bucko, a single mother who lost her job last June and hadn’t had a haircut since. “It really is amazing how just a simple haircut changed my mood. I know they said I would feel more confident, and it was the truth, as everyone is already saying I have a little extra swing in my step. And knowing there are great people willing to do something so great also makes me see the future with a brighter, more positive view.”

Editor’s note: Article by Anne Driscoll. Originally published by our friends at Tonic.com. Tonic is a digital media company and news source dedicated to promoting the good that happens each day around the world. Tonic tells the stories of people and organizations who are working to make a difference, by inspiring good in themselves and others. Be sure to visit them and say hi, and follow Tonic on Twitter, too!

Image: bzmillerboy

The post Shear Genius: Free Haircuts for the Unemployed appeared first on EcoSalon.

Projected to launch in Africa mid-summer, the Solar Pebble will quite possibly prove to be a life-changer for rural African communities.

Created by three university students in the UK, the industrial design and sustainable strategist consultancy, Plus Minus Design, will shed light on some of Africa’s most rural and isolated communities. The innovative, and cost effective, solar-powered LED light will hopefully replace most of the kerosene lanterns currently in use by most of these societies.

The light, otherwise known as the Solar Pebble, costs under $3 to manufacture and will stay lit for 22.5 hours when fully charged. In addition to being eco-friendly, replacing the need for kerosene will help reduce fires and respiratory health conditions, as well as save money. Currently, the average family in Malawi spends 20 percent of their income on the fuel.

In addition to lighting, the Solar Pebble will also charge mobile phones and portable radios. While these items are common in the villages, places to charge them are not. By increasing radio power, the design team hopes to increase awareness in the rural communities about HIV/AIDS education through radio programs.

Plus Minus Design was guided by the organization Solar Aid, which works to reduce climate change and poverty around the world by providing sustainable, renewable power to poverty-stricken communities.

The designers believe that design, sustainability and humanitarian efforts can, together, provide a profitable business solution. In an article for the University of Leeds, Adam Robinson one of the founders said, “We believe that sustainability doesn’t need to be a financial burden for companies. It’s an opportunity to increase market share, sales and profits. What we offer is a design service that not only creates new products, but also takes the whole production process into account.”

Editor’s note: Article by Katie Leavitt. Originally published by our friends at Tonic.com. Tonic is a digital media company and news source dedicated to promoting the good that happens each day around the world. Tonic tells the stories of people and organizations who are working to make a difference, by inspiring good in themselves and others. Be sure to visit them and say hi, and follow Tonic on Twitter, too!

The post University Students Design for Good appeared first on EcoSalon.

Spain’s Alta Velocidad Espanola train is destined to win the race against carbon emissions.

Spain’s Alta Velocidad Española (AVE) high-speed rail service is providing a greener, and more enjoyable way to travel short distances. For example, approximately six million people travel the 325 miles between Barcelona and Madrid each year. In previous years, 90 percent of those people have been taking it to the skies to do so. The number of jet-setters is lower these days, with frequent short-distance travelers choosing the speedy train.

According to analysts, rail travel emits one-fourth of the carbon dioxide emissions created by flying or driving. With such large numbers of people regularly taking the train instead of flying, it should really help toward reaching the country’s goal of reducing its carbon emissions by 20 percent in the next decade.

Although the rail service will generously aid in environmental efforts, most passengers on the AVE do not choose the service because it’s greener, they choose it because they like it better. The trains are comfortable, offer numerous amenities and don’t require passengers to check in early. The last point is particularly important to business travelers who frequently journey back and forth between cities.

Soon all of Europe’s short-distance routes may be dominated by high-speed trains rather than airplanes. The shift is considered a huge advancement toward the EU’s fight against harmful emissions. In this matter, the US is still lagging behind. Spain alone is expecting to budget $80 billion for rail travel, while $8 billion has been set aside for the entire United States. The good news is that steps are in place for greener, easier and more enjoyable travel for everyone.

Editor’s note: Article by Katie Leavitt. Originally published by our friends at Tonic.com. Tonic is a digital media company and news source dedicated to promoting the good that happens each day around the world. Tonic tells the stories of people and organizations who are working to make a difference, by inspiring good in themselves and others. Be sure to visit them and say hi, and follow Tonic on Twitter, too!

Image: dominguin

The post Speedy, Green Travel Favored in Spain appeared first on EcoSalon.

Christie’s auction house bets big on the environment.

Green. It means go. It’s the color of money. And, naturally, it’s the cause that’s bringing power players together to save Planet Earth. In response, Christie’s, one of the world’s biggest auction houses, dug deep into its mega-rolodex of artists, celebrities and collectors to produce A Bid to Save the Earth, the first-of-its-kind “Green Auction” in honor of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day.

Prior to their celeb-filled “Green Carpet” live auction scheduled for April 22 at Rockefeller Center, a companion silent auction in conjunction with leading online charity benefit auctioneers Charitybuzz, launched April 8. It runs through Thursday, May 6, at ABidtoSavetheEarth.org. Christie’s is waiving its commissions and fees and divvying the proceeds between four top-rated nonprofits: Conservation International, Oceana, Natural Resources Defense Council and the Central Park Conservancy. As the event’s official media partner, NBC Universal is giving the auction airtime during “Earth Week” from April 19-25, as part of their ongoing Green is Universal campaign.

What’s up on the (online) block? For starters, plenty of earth-centric pieces from some of the art world’s biggest players, such as a panoramic photograph of Central Park by Michael Doven and a no-GMO farmscape oil painting by Karen Klimnik alongside works by Olafur Eliasson, Damien Hirst, Keith Tyson, Zeng Fanzhi and Subodh Gupta created exclusively for the auction. “Science and art are the most powerful forces in the world for changing perception and behavior. It’s a game changer to have the world’s most significant artists coming together in support of these leading environmental NGOs,” says arts patron and event co-chair Susan Cohn Rockefeller. “This is the kind of collective action that will help us meet the tremendous challenges our Earth faces.”

Also on offer in the online auction are a slew of once-in-a-lifetime experiences. “People don’t always want more stuff, but they do want experiences and access,” says Toby Usnik, VP and international head of corporate communications for Christie’s. With luxury vacations to Bali and Belize, a walk through Central Park with Candice Bergen, a tennis lesson with John McEnroe, lunch with Vera Wang followed by a shopping spree at her boutique, guitars autographed by Emmylou Harris, Kid Rock and other country music celebrities, a Star Wars collector’s item signed by Natalie Portman, exclusive outfits from Gucci plus tickets to its Milan runway show, a culinary outing with Alice Waters, a day on-set with Hugh Jackman, and many more packages up for auction – all going for tens of thousands – one bid can make a huge difference for the environment.

“Two years ago we tried to do this and the recession happened and it just didn’t seem like the best time, so we set it aside,” says Usnik. “Almost exactly a year ago, we revisited it and felt passionately that if we didn’t do it someone else was going to.”

Sure, Christie’s, like many other auction houses, regularly sends out its auctioneers to preside over other groups’ charity auctions, but it has never organized a wholly charitable endeavor by itself. “For the first time in our 250-year history, we created a charity and got our 501c3 designation, so we’re now able to legally process charity funds,” says Usnik. “Now we have the infrastructure which really lays the foundation for future charity endeavors for things that come up like Haiti and Chile, instead of having an ad hoc response.”

Don’t think you can afford VIP tickets to a Christina Aguilera concert or falconry lessons with Bobby Kennedy? There are lots of ways to get involved. Visit the site and learn how you can donate directly to the organizations, volunteer at a site near you and “Green Your Routine” with tips from eco-guru Elizabeth Rogers. Or, if you’re more fashionably inclined, purchase a special-edition Loomstate sustainable organic cotton tee at Barneys New York and at Loomstate, priced at $40 in honor of Earth Day’s 40th, with a percentage of proceeds going to green causes.

Check back here for Tonic’s coverage of the big event and visit Christie’s LIVE to follow the auction in real time.

Editor’s note: Article by Angela Gaimari. Originally published by our friends at Tonic.com. Tonic is a digital media company and news source dedicated to promoting the good that happens each day around the world. Tonic tells the stories of people and organizations who are working to make a difference, by inspiring good in themselves and others. Be sure to visit them and say hi, and follow Tonic on Twitter, too!

Image: FlyingSinger

The post Going, Going…Green! appeared first on EcoSalon.

Finland’s new mail program hopes to cut costs and decrease pollution.

According to the Telegraph, a new system launched in Finland may have snail mail sliding even further from our fingertips. On April 12, Itella, which runs the country’s postal system, will begin a pilot program in which mail is scanned, digitized, and then emailed to recipients. Once in action, it is anticipated that this plan will reduce carbon emissions, paper waste and cut costs by limiting the number of mail carriers on the road.

So far, 126 households and 20 businesses have volunteered to take part in the project. Once mail is scanned, participants receive a text message or email that their mail is ready to view. Some skeptics are worried about privacy issues and have likened this new mail system to tactics used by the KGB. But advocates of the program insist that mail is not read nor is it kept once it has been copied. When it comes to security, Itella’s director, Tommy Tikka, compares the approach not to e-mail but to web banking, insisting the program is safe and secure.

But what about things that can’t be scanned? Replacement credit cards, the feel of embossed fonts, the smell of perfume-scented love letters? For this trial, hard copies of scanned mail (including any additional non-scannable pieces) will still be delivered twice weekly to homes and offices. It’s unclear as to whether this will continue on a regular basis after the trial period has concluded. The trial will run through the end of the year, and if the feedback is positive, the result will be a more widespread program.

With America appearing to move towards cutting Saturday mail deliveries, will this new mail system be next for us, too? Here’s hoping!

But, in the meantime, if you want to eliminate your junk mail right now, check out Tonic’s own Precycle!

Editor’s note: Article by Sophie Rosenblum. Originally published by our friends at Tonic.com. Tonic is a digital media company and news source dedicated to promoting the good that happens each day around the world. Tonic tells the stories of people and organizations who are working to make a difference, by inspiring good in themselves and others. Be sure to visit them and say hi, and follow Tonic on Twitter, too!

Image: uzvards

The post Want to Save the Planet? Have Your (Snail) Mail Scanned appeared first on EcoSalon.