Victoria Klein is a green mover and shaker who knows just about all there is to know about going green – and in her new book 48 Things To Know About Sustainable Living, she proves that.

Written as an open introduction to an audience just ready to start getting greened up, Klein paints the sustainable picture to be a comfortable place where we can all, most certainly improve.

I caught up with her recently on her blog tour where today, EcoSalon was slotted to host.

Here’s what she had to say.

Why 48? If you had to throw out 47, what would be your top tip for sustainable living?

The 48 number of things is arbitrary, it doesn’t have any sort of special eco-meaning. 48 is simply how many things the publisher wanted. If I had to throw out 47 Things from the book, my #1 tip would be the very first tip in the book: learning the difference between a “want” and a “need.” There are so few things that we need, and when given the opportunity to live with littler more than we truly need, our lives are not only more sustainable, but also more enjoyable.

Talk about moving around so much since the age of 9 and how that helped cultivate an appreciation for planet.

Oh wow – all that moving had a major impact! In fact, the moving isn’t over; my husband joined the Marine Corps this year & we’ll be moving around for the next 20 years while he is in the service. If you’ve ever moved even once, you know how much of a huge affair it can be and how quickly you realize just how much junk you have (shocker). Moving every year or two has not only forced me to live with less (both materially and financially), but I’ve come to have a great appreciation for the few things that I do have. Own less, live more.

What do you think is the hardest challenge for most people when it comes to living sustainably?

One word: change. In our culture, change is the ultimate fear. In terms of sustainable living, many people fear that they are going to have to significantly alter their entire lifestyle – which is total bull-honky. Big changes are great, but small changes matter too. Drinking tap water & turning down your thermostat (among the many other simple, small changes) have a noteworthy impact over time. It’s akin to simply living a healthier lifestyle. Some folks try to change their entire diet & work out every day. Instead, start by drinking more water, eating fruit after every meal and taking a walk after dinner. Starting small can help you gain confidence and a new found comfort in not only benefiting your family, but also the entire planet.

Your first book was about yoga and concentrating on self. Do you feel like after a person takes care of themselves emotionally and physically then they can be ready for what real sustainability means in their lives?

Exactly – I couldn’t have said it better myself. When you take control of your own emotional and physical health, you are learning to truly appreciate the amazing experience of being human. This is the body and the soul you have, make the best of it. Many people are often introduced to sustainable living through their food choices, which have not only an overall environmental impact but also a direct impact on your individual health. Could I walk to Washington D.C. and force the government to make 50 MPG the minimum standard for all automobiles? No, but I can do my part as an individual by eating local and organic foods, eating less meat, drinking more tap water – and that’s just the beginning! As you improve your own health (emotionally, physically), you naturally influence others via your conscious actions.

In your book you offer tips for everything from energy efficient appliances to clothing to make people’s lives easier while making the transition but people will still make excuses why this change will be too hard to do. What do you think the tipping point is to make people think differently of themselves and their role on our planet?

It’s financial, money is the tipping point. People have the strongest reaction when they are impacted financially. Why pay more when I can get the “same” product for less money? There has to be a monetary benefit to living a sustainable life, whether it is saving money on utilities, tax breaks, or simply spending less at the grocery store. Of course, since the sustainable “market” is still young (compared to the rest of the industrial-driven world), some things cost more. Convincing people to spend more money for a long-term positive impact (instead of instant benefits/savings) is a tough sell in our culture.

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Charlotta Ward is an artist; you can see it in the way she finesses the words and images on her blog as though she is delicately finessing the last details of an intricate painting. Everything at Space for Inspiration is thoughtful and gorgeous with a layer of spontaneity that always excites my palate. Brace yourself to meet a design blog that knows no restrictions of style and the only inhibition is stunning aesthetic, whether served modern, Scandinavian, industrial, mid-century, etc. You will discover homes with pallid palettes lounging next to vivid bohemian interiors. Variety is the spice of life and the secret of Space for Inspiration.

I have set up a delicious little five course meal to tease your senses. Each morsel comes garnished with a link leading to the full entrée (tour) with a side dish of Charlotta’s words (and sources) at Space for Inspiration. Bon appetit!

The scintillating amuse-bouche (above) is a taste of a Barcelona home, “fused together with the cliff it is built on.”

The next course includes a plate of leafy greens from Spain.

This tropical hotel, “tucked away in the lush and authentic Bahian fishing village of Trancoso, Brazil,” will cleanse your palate (and refresh your soul).

A converted farmhouse from South Africa will serve as the main attraction, simple in color and texture – but complex in effect. (Don’t miss the gorgeous, “guest room in the converted barn,” with a gable headboard that will romance you!)

For dessert, a rich three-part sequence of Swedish bliss, architectural structure from a Swedish ski resort and a living room in Stockholm trimmed with a vibrant taste of Denmark.

You can pop over and thank Charlotta Ward for designing such a beautiful menu. By the way, Mrs. Ward really is an artist (on many levels) who creates whimsical paintings for wee ones.

(All images and quotations from Space For Inspiration.)

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Design for Mankind is a daily design blog from writer Erin Loechner. Ms. Loechner promises to be “always quirky, never reverent.” There are handfuls of reasons to swoon for this blog, I’ll give you my top three.

1: There is something enticing about a designer who is also a writer, it means you can expect gorgeous visuals laced with clever little words and sentiments that are as delicious to ingest as the visuals are to gaze upon.

2: Erin is reliable and loyal. Leave a comment on her blog (or one of the many blogs she writes for) and you will hear back from her personally (or someone cleverly disguised as her?) almost every single time. I swear. It’s infuriatingly charming.

3: Inspiration. Simple, intangible, priceless inspiration. Design for Mankind isn’t the type of design blog I typically fall for; it’s less furnishings and interior design (my true weaknesses) and more general relishment in the creativity lingering around the globe. Erin is forever sharing things I never knew my life was lacking – like the website that posts an ampersand a day (which I suddenly check compulsively) or this charming site that features random collections of whimsical things, or the sky project, or a life list. See? Pure inspiration.

(All images from Design for Mankind: 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5.)

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One hundred and twenty bicycles mounted on the external facade of a New York City building is just one of the lovely things that will take your breath away at Lushlee, a luscious little place of beauty created by Ange May. Ms. May has created a space in the blogosphere that balances ideas, inspiration, and aesthetics and offers endless inspiration. No matter your vice, Lushlee has something to satisfy your cravings for anything handmade, photography, fashion, inspiration, culture, vintage charms, product design, and interiors styled to perfection.

From the eclectic envelope collection of Andrew Bush to the Ribbonesia art project by Baku Maeda, there have been many, many things on Lushlee that make my heart flutter. Just a simple search for “˜mustache’ pops up graphic mustache band-aids (yes, please!), a wooden necklace to swoon over, and an alluring mustache salt and pepper shaker. Lushlee is an amalgamation of adjectives – indie, crisp, gorgeous, creative, hipster, modern – all sprinkled with bits of perfection hidden amongst the archives.

(All images from Lushlee.)

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Each week here at EcoSalon, I beg my favorite bloggers and designers to hand select a beloved green product, whether it’s a finish, furnishing, or accessory. The end result? An endless anthology of aesthetically perfect products for your perusal.

This week we are graced with the presence of Rachel Winokur, founder of eTTa designs; this gracious and talented designer is a qualified wealth of sustainable knowledge (just follow her Facebook for ample and consistently lovely product finds and inspirational industry updates). Ms. Winokur has selected the Acacia Chair from Cisco Brothers‘ Basal Living Collection. This chair is as environmentally friendly “from seed to shelf” as it is gorgeous – with, -¦a beautiful silhouette which adapts to different room styles and is extremely comfortable.” 

If you need a little extra validation, just look how stunning the chair is resting in the Sea Wellness Spa at Hotel Casa del Mar. By the way, this feast of texture and light is the design work of none other than eTTa designs. Don’t miss the great story or blog behind this innovative design firm.

(Photograph courtesy of Schnyggt.)

(Photographs courtesy of Herve Grison and Schnyggt).

If Cisco Brothers still has you swooning, you will drool for these tufted beauties, too.

The post Handpicked: eTTa designs appeared first on EcoSalon.

As most of us linger in blogland, the paper-free platform makes it easy to forget the footprint left behind; even if the footprint is a tiny computer mouse-shaped print, it is still brimming with carbon emissions. Luckily for us, there is an effortless way to offset a blog’s dent in the environment.

An initiative started in Germany, the Make it Green program reaches right into the United States to help you square up with Mother Earth. The My Blog is Carbon Neutral initiative has partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation to plant a sapling in Plumas National Forest on behalf of your little piece of online real estate. Your blog and/or website can be responsible for a fir or pine sapling planted in Northern California, offsetting your site’s carbon footprint for fifty years. Now you can use “˜ecologically conscious’ as an adjective for your website in addition to the rest of your life.

The preservation of forests is a great compensation toward excess carbon dioxide (and thus global warming); take it one step past forest preservation toward forest creation by participating in this program. Isn’t it poetic for the intangible cellulose-free online demographic to collaborate for a tangible change in oxygen production?!

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The major problem with biofuel production is that it often takes over land used to grow food crops – take palm oil, for example. But that’s thinking terrestrially…and we live on a planet that is two-thirds sea water. As reported by The Energy Roadmap, algae biofuel production is currently ramping up – so could this be the answer to the biofuel question?

The cities of tomorrow will not only have to meet our functional needs and make the most of clean energy-saving technologies – they’ll have to deeply satisfy us as well. The Nurture vs. Nature issue is a permanently controversial one, but it’s a fact that we thrive in surroundings that send the right emotional and cognitive messages to us. Malcolm Gladwell (author of The Tipping Point) has a new book out on this very topic, and Jamie Waugh has the details over at Dwell. (For further reading, British author Alain de Botton also tackles this subject in The Architecture of Happiness).

The new President-Elect is going to be a busy man for the next few weeks. How will he pack everything in? By getting the most from his health and fitness routine, for starters. To feel even more inspired by Mr. Obama, have a read of this Men’s Health article on the lessons we can learn from how he manages his day.

The season of giving green is almost upon us – and Daily Green has a whole Santa’s Grotto of Christmas gift suggestions (including my favourite gadget, the Hymini).

Stretching before exercise is vital if you don’t want to end up hobbling around for the next week. The problem is that many people do it all wrong – even the athletes. Static stretching (where you hold a stretch for 20-30 seconds) can actually decrease muscular strength, as Gretchen Reynolds writes in the New York Times Play magazine.

Feeling lost with the incredible number of green sites out there? What you need is a map. Design Sprout has a list of 50 must-visit online destinations for the conscientious blogger. But which one to choose first? Oh dear.

You’ll remember Luanne’s article on the proposal to name a wastewater treatment facility after the current President of the United States. (It’s the sort of story that sticks in the mind). Now this bizarre tale of anger and effluent has drawn to a close – the voters have spoken. Read the results over at SF Weekly.

Explore your spirituality online (and practice like your hair is on fire). This is nowhere near as crazy as it sounds, and it’s the suggestion of social media big wig (or rather, mullet) Gwen Bell. So, what are you waiting for?

Grafitti. It’s creative – thumbs up – but it’s also usually potty-mouthed and offensive: thumbs down. What’s needed is something nicer…and here it is. When the law isn’t looking, out come the knitting needles. If you have a spare 500 hours, why not make a tree cozy where you live?

And finally, a breakthrough that could turn back the clock for extinct animals. After managing to clone mice from bodies frozen for 6 years, Japanese scientists have tentatively announced that it may be possible to grow new animals from frozen yet damaged cells – theoretically opening the way for the return, via cloning, of the mammoth. Truly astonishing.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Image: alexdecarvalho

The post Eco Links to Green Your Weekend appeared first on EcoSalon.

Starre Vartan, founder and editor of the green lifestyle website Eco Chick, is one of our favorite go-to girls for sustainable practices. She offers a wealth of information and presents her knowledge in a fun, practical way. Starre has recently taken her duties one step further to create a book of tips called The Eco Chick Guide to Life: How to be Fabulously Green. Inside, she walks us through ways to be ecologically smart without sacrificing style and happiness. We caught up with Starre from her home in Connecticut to dish about the book. Here’s what she had to say.

EcoSalon: What inspired you to translate the information on your site into a book? (Don’t worry, greenies – it’s printed on recycled paper.)

Starre Vartan: I really wanted to write something that was a companion to my site, which is for young women who want something cool and accessible. My blog is all about being current and following trends, but I was constantly getting questions about the basics – what is a sustainable fabric? What kinds of cleaning products can I use without breaking the bank? The book answers these questions and isn’t about ‘news’ like the blog is.

ES: You dedicated this book to your grandmother, the original Eco Chick. Did she bestow her traditional green ways upon you? Was she your inspiration for creating Eco Chick?

SV: My grandmother was the major inspiration for the book. She raised me in the Hudson Valley of New York, where I grew up growing and eating organic veggies from our gigantic garden, enjoying meat and eggs from a farm about two miles from my house, and using only non-toxic cleaning products. Being a kid, I thought all these things were normal.

It was only later that I realized she consciously made these choices both because she was attuned to preserving her local environment and because she believed that conservation made sense for a sustainable world.

ES: We love the “My Green Shopping Basket” lists at the end of each section, in which you suggest specific products/services for each topic. Have you really tried them all?

SV: I’ve definitely tried pretty much all of them, or my friends have, sometimes both! I’ve been an official greenie (writing about environmental science and sustainable living topics) for about nine years now, and was raised in a very open, progressive way, so some of these companies – Kiss My Face, Nature’s Gate, Morningstar Farms, The Body Shop, Under the Canopy, Patagonia – have been part of my life for many, many years now.

ES: You talk about sharing eco-friendly practices with family, friends, and colleagues. Do you believe this will help convert others around us to going green?

SV: It’s ONLY by talking to each other that habits change on a large scale. Doing things in a bubble with like-minded people is comfortable and reassuring, but ‘ghettoizing’ a sustainable lifestyle will not lead to change; only consensus, collaboration, and compromise (not to mention creativity!) will.

ES: This guide is so comprehensive and the perfect carry-along resource. Are there plans for additional books in the future?

SV: I’m working on a more literary endeavor based on a project I started as part of the thesis for my MFA (in nonfiction writing) from Columbia. It’s about the five senses and humanity’s relationship with the environment; basically how modernization and mechanization have changed the way we understand the world. I’m using the lenses of history, culture and science, including many scientific studies, to look at how we have fundamentally changed the way we live so rapidly; and how that has negative (disconnection from the natural world) and positive (the Internet!) impacts.

ES: Thanks for stopping by, Starre! We’re eagerly awaiting your next project.

Editor’s note: To learn more about Starre, visit Eco Chick. You can also hear her talking green fashion at GreenTalkRadio. And be sure to check out her book. Go on, shoo!

The post The Starre Behind Eco Chick appeared first on EcoSalon.

This week in the fashion blogosphere, be sure to check out:

Fashion Pulse has a terrific interview with fashion subversive – jewelry and lighting designer and painter – Justin Giunta.

Comfortable, cute, artisan-made Mary Janes? They exist. Read up and check out at Barking Dog Shoes.

Fashion Fille blogs her recent penny-saving shoe trip to Payless – what is with all the booties around this season? Don’t miss our favorite booties (eco, of course).

Image: maxedaperture

We aren’t even in winter and the spring fashion lines are rolling out. Check out Viktor and Rolf’s line and get the Fashion Tribes analysis.

In NYC? Love Project Runway? Don’t miss this special show.

The post Week in Chic #2 appeared first on EcoSalon.

Sara, your editor, here. Something I have neglected to share with everyone is that I frequently spend time hanging out with some really terrific fashion bloggers talking design and style (well, “hanging out” in the digital sense). I’m going to share some links from these ladies that I think you’ll enjoy. Now, I’m the greenie of the bunch, so while the links I’m sharing from my blogging pals are not always green, they do offer interesting trends, looks, and creative insights. I’ll suggest a green alternative when appropriate, but I thought it would be fun to give you a little peek into the percolator.

The stylish Sarah-Jean of the Fashionable Housewife wants you all to know about a contest to win a piece of jewelry you’ll cherish: a simple and elegant infinity twist necklace. Though it’s not recycled, it’s a versatile piece that converts from necklace to bracelet, doubling your possibilities.

Stylista Yuli of My It Things wants to get us all trying out the latest trend: colorblock clothing. She has some great looks to share. For an eco colorblock choice, I recommend this striking dress by Viridis.

Lesley of Fashion Tribes is a girl after my own heart – she blurs the line between decor and fashion in such an inspired way. I don’t watch much television so I haven’t seen Gossip Girl, but I love how Lesley translates a chic apartment into great wardrobe ideas.

At Fashion Pulse you can get an advanced look at the Spring 2009 Collection from Zac Posen. Love him or hate him (hey, at least he’s designed a Sigg bottle), he’s one of the young leaders in fashion right now. What do you think?

The fashion-addicted and always unique Fashion Fille has just written her 100th post. Check it out! Some interesting personal musings on fashion and style at the intersection of blogging.

Now, dear reader, if you’re new to reading blogs, you’re in for a good time. The great thing about a blog is that you can comment on posts, which is sort of like gossiping around the water cooler only without the weird guy who picks his ear trying to crash the conversation. Remember the frustration of hunting around websites for an email address to ask a question? These days you just type right onto the page and a conversation is born. In fact, I hope you’ll go visit all these bloggers and say hello, right now. How often does an editor actually ask you to leave her page? Scoot!

Image: maxedaperture

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