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	<title>environmental issues &#8211; EcoSalon</title>
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		<title>5 Sustainability Projects that Promise a Brighter Future</title>
		<link>https://ecosalon.com/5-sustainability-projects-that-promise-a-brighter-future/</link>
		<comments>https://ecosalon.com/5-sustainability-projects-that-promise-a-brighter-future/#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 04 Aug 2015 14:53:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Aylin Erman]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[current environmental issues]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environmental issues]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environmental problems]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sustainability]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://ecosalon.com/?p=152657</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>With so much news circulating about our doomed ecosystem and the decreasing quality of our lives because of it, it&#8217;s both exciting and relieving to learn about projects taking place all around the world in the realm of sustainability. These sustainability projects promise a brighter future for us all, taking current environmental issues inherent in&#8230;</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://ecosalon.com/5-sustainability-projects-that-promise-a-brighter-future/">5 Sustainability Projects that Promise a Brighter Future</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://ecosalon.com">EcoSalon</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://ecosalon.com/5-sustainability-projects-that-promise-a-brighter-future/"><img src="http://ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/solarimpulse.jpg" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-152657 wp-post-image" alt="solarimpulse" /></a></p>
<p><em>With so much news circulating about our <a href="http://ecosalon.com/daryl-hannahs-top-5-ways-to-stop-global-warming/">doomed ecosystem</a> and the decreasing quality of our lives because of it, it&#8217;s both exciting and relieving to learn about projects taking place all around the world in the realm of sustainability. These sustainability projects promise a brighter future for us all, taking current environmental issues inherent in a variety of industries and proposing creative, unique and mind-boggling solutions.</em></p>
<p>Tackling issues as vast and pressing as our polluted oceans and as individual as prostate cancer, get inspired and motivated by these ideas to make your own change in the world!</p>
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<p><strong>1. Ocean Cleanup Array</strong></p>
<p>When he was just 17, Dutch inventor Boyan Slat made headlines for developing a system that can catch plastic debris driven by ocean currents. The <a href="http://www.theoceancleanup.com/" target="_blank">Ocean Cleanup</a> array system involves a static platform that passively collects plastic as wind and ocean currents push debris through 2000-meter booms. In June 2015, Slat announced that the structure, which will be the world’s first ocean-cleaning system, is set to deploy in 2015 near the Tsushima island in Japan, where there is a build up of some one cubic meter of plastic pollution per person. The island will discern whether the plastic captured can be used as an alternative energy source.</p>
<p><iframe frameborder="0" height="352" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9uvyTTLxP9I" width="625"></iframe></p>
<p><strong>2. Two Fingers Brewing Co.</strong></p>
<p>This beer company’s name may seem random and overall inconsequential, until you learn about the “man-kind” beer’s oath: to donate 100 percent of its profits to Prostate Cancer UK. The 7-strong team based in the UK is determined to give back to the men who drink their beer. Men are 35 percent more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer than women with breast cancer, but prostate cancer gets far less attention than breast cancer. One in eight men (and one in four black men) in the UK are affected by prostate cancer, which sheds light on the severity of the disease and how ventures like the microbrewery <a href="http://twofingersbrewing.co/" target="_blank">Two Fingers</a> are necessary and should be celebrated. Despite its overall higher conscience, Two Fingers founders are committed to not letting its higher purpose deflect from the quality and taste of the beer itself and they are keen on raising money for a good cause by selling good beer.</p>
<p><iframe frameborder="0" height="352" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Wf3qn2Tu6Ik" width="625"></iframe></p>
<p><strong>3. Solar Impulse 2</strong></p>
<p>In July 2015, Swiss pilot André Borschberg flew over the Pacific, <a href="http://ecosalon.com/solar-impulse-2-to-take-its-first-flight-around-the-world/">from Japan to Hawaii</a>, but not in any old plane – with a solar-powered plane called <a href="http://www.solarimpulse.com/" target="_blank">Solar Impulse 2</a>. The flight took 118 hours and the cockpit was so small, Borschberg couldn’t stand, let alone walk around. The Solar Impulse 2 is the brainchild of Swiss scientists Bertrand Piccard and Borschberg himself. It took the two 12 years to build the aircraft, which has a 72-meter wingspan and weighs as much as a car. Some 17,000 solar cells are built into the wings, which harness the sun’s energy.</p>
<p><iframe frameborder="0" height="352" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kvBM_wHtqAs" width="625"></iframe></p>
<p><strong>4. Pasona Group</strong></p>
<p>In Tokyo, Japan, the staffing company <a href="http://konodesigns.com/portfolio/Urban-Farm/" target="_blank">Pasona Group’s headquarters</a> is decked out with plants. Tomatoes dangle from the ceilings of meeting rooms and rice paddy is in the lobby centerpiece. The urban farm design is meant to encourage employees’ innovating thinking about agriculture as well as to create a sense of community among them. The crops grown are used to prepare food served in the company cafeteria.</p>
<p><iframe frameborder="0" height="352" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/43gOAZ_mGmg" width="625"></iframe></p>
<p><strong>5. Kombucha Clothing</strong></p>
<p>Fashion designer turned biological conjurer Suzanne Lee uses kombucha to grow clothing. That’s right, <a href="http://ecosalon.com/kombucha-beer/">kombucha</a>. The fashion industry is a dirty business – the second-largest biggest polluter in the world, in fact. Lee approaches the future of fashion with radical ideas, including growing kombucha-based material that can be used like a fabric. She currently directs the <a href="http://www.biocouture.co.uk/" target="_blank">BioCouture</a> research project, which is the world’s first biocreative design consultancy that explores Nature’s sustainable materials for future consumer products.</p>
<p><strong>Related on EcoSalon</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://ecosalon.com/7-awesome-influential-women-in-sustainable-fashion">7 Awesome, Influential Women in Sustainable Fashion</a></p>
<p><a href="http://ecosalon.com/10-ocean-conservation-groups-making-a-difference/">10 Ocean Conservation Groups Making a Difference</a></p>
<p><a href="http://ecosalon.com/green-office-products">5 Green Office Products We Love</a></p>
<p><em>Photo Credit: <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/cat.mhtml?lang=en&amp;language=en&amp;ref_site=photo&amp;search_source=search_form&amp;version=llv1&amp;anyorall=all&amp;safesearch=1&amp;use_local_boost=1&amp;autocomplete_id=&amp;searchterm=solar%20impulse&amp;show_color_wheel=1&amp;orient=&amp;commercial_ok=&amp;media_type=images&amp;search_cat=&amp;searchtermx=&amp;photographer_name=&amp;people_gender=&amp;people_age=&amp;people_ethnicity=&amp;people_number=&amp;color=&amp;page=1&amp;inline=183567077" target="_blank">Solar Impulse from Shutterstock</a></em></p>
</p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://ecosalon.com/5-sustainability-projects-that-promise-a-brighter-future/">5 Sustainability Projects that Promise a Brighter Future</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://ecosalon.com">EcoSalon</a>.</p>
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		<title>Lastbutnotleast&#8217;s Upcycled Clothing Ideas Will Have You Thinking Twice About Cheap Fashion</title>
		<link>https://ecosalon.com/lastbutnotleasts-upcycled-clothing-ideas-will-have-you-thinking-twice-about-cheap-fashion/</link>
		<comments>https://ecosalon.com/lastbutnotleasts-upcycled-clothing-ideas-will-have-you-thinking-twice-about-cheap-fashion/#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Jul 2014 16:15:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Lauren Carfagno]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Look Fabulous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environmental issues]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fashion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fast fashion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[repurposed]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[upcycle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[upcycled clothes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[upcycled design]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://ecosalon.com/?p=146304</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Hong Kong based upcycling brand, Lastbutnotleast, is stepping up to the plate to take a swing against mass production, inferior quality, and unethical working conditions with their inventive upcycled clothing ideas. Today it’s almost too easy to go to a chain retail store and find an article of clothing for super cheap. You can find&#8230;</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://ecosalon.com/lastbutnotleasts-upcycled-clothing-ideas-will-have-you-thinking-twice-about-cheap-fashion/">Lastbutnotleast&#8217;s Upcycled Clothing Ideas Will Have You Thinking Twice About Cheap Fashion</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://ecosalon.com">EcoSalon</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Lastbutnotleast.jpg"><a href="https://ecosalon.com/lastbutnotleasts-upcycled-clothing-ideas-will-have-you-thinking-twice-about-cheap-fashion/"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-146305" src="http://ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Lastbutnotleast-415x415.jpg" alt="Mannequin wearing Lastbutnotleast design" width="415" height="415" /></a></a></p>
<p><em>Hong Kong based upcycling brand, Lastbutnotleast, is stepping up to the plate to take a swing against mass production, inferior quality, and unethical working conditions with their inventive upcycled clothing ideas.</em></p>
<p>Today it’s almost too easy to go to a chain retail store and find an article of clothing for super cheap. You can find an item such as a shirt for as little as five or ten dollars. Fast fashion is an obscene epidemic the industry and more upcycled clothing ideas like Lastbutnotleast are changing the way we view fashion.</p>
<p>The dedicated enthusiast behind this movement is fashion designer, Toby Lam, who has observed the fashion industry first hand with all of its skeletons hiding in the closet. Lam’s dream of a happy marriage between style and sustainability became a reality in 2013 with <a title="Lastbutnotleast" href="http://llastbutnotleastt.wordpress.com" target="_blank">Lastbutnotleast</a>. The purpose of Lastbutnotleast is to not only present fun, new upcycled clothing ideas, but to also raise awareness of how dangerous <a title="The Ultimate Fast Fashion Detox: Six Items Challenge Comes to the U.S." href="http://ecosalon.com/the-ultimate-fast-fashion-detox-six-items-challenge-comes-to-the-u-s/">fast fashion</a> is to us and our environment and shed light on the unfortunate practices in the industry. There must be a better way to handle clothing that’s either old, no longer a trend, or damaged, and Lastbutnotleast is showing us how.</p><div id="inContentContiner"><!-- /4450967/ES-In-Content -->
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<p>Clothing items that no longer serve a current purpose can be sent to Lastbutnotleast with the person’s new and refreshed idea for the garment. Lastbutnotleast will offer design sources and then go through the brainstorming process. With a deposit, a sketch of the new look is made and once the client gives consent, alterations can begin. Then VOILA! Just like that, you have a top that was formerly a pair of pants!</p>
<p>Lastbutnotleast’s <a title="Our 5 Favorite Upcycled Fashion Designers from the USA" href="http://ecosalon.com/our-5-favorite-upcycled-fashion-designers-from-the-usa/">upcycled</a> clothing ideas are always unconventional and uncommon, in the coolest ways of course. It can take anything and transform it into something completely unfathomable. Shirts become pants, pants become a dress, you name it and it can be done just like magic. No fabric or material is ever wasted either. Any leftover scraps are constructed into added details on a garment.</p>
<p>Bringing the attention back to the concept of fast fashion for a moment, mass produced items that come at a cost of enslaving human beings, torturing our animal friends, and trashing our planet is outright inconceivable and unacceptable. Is there really even a point to buying a $9.99 top that will be worn once and then tossed in the garbage to sit in a landfill for years? Is it okay to force someone against their will to stitch labels for over half the day with just a few coins as compensation? Why are beautiful, innocent animals being abused or killed for human vanity? Think about it.</p>
<p>Through the efforts of Lastbutnotleast, we are given an opportunity to start turning things around for our earth and our future while supporting a small business. We need to start considering the fact that if we don’t stand up for the sustainability of our world, we will exist in a very dim factory-like environment. Lastbutnotleast has come to us at the perfect time to help us protect our surroundings, our animals, and our people.</p>
<p><strong>Related on EcoSalon</strong></p>
<p><a title="From Rags to Riches: Upcycled T-Shirts Go Couture" href="http://ecosalon.com/from-rags-to-riches-upcycled-t-shirts-couture/">From Rags to Riches: Upcycled T-Shirts Go Couture</a></p>
<p><a title="The Unbelievable Value of Upcycling Clothes 7 Ways: On Trend" href="http://ecosalon.com/on-trend-upcycling-clothes-value/">The Unbelievable Value of Upcycling Clothes 7 Ways: On Trend</a></p>
<p><a title="Jake &amp; Maya Launch Upcycling Denim Challenge" href="http://ecosalon.com/jake-maya-launch-upcycling-denim-challenge/">Jake &amp; Maya Launch Upcycling Denim Challenge</a></p>
<p><em>Image via Lastbutnotleast</em></p>
</p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://ecosalon.com/lastbutnotleasts-upcycled-clothing-ideas-will-have-you-thinking-twice-about-cheap-fashion/">Lastbutnotleast&#8217;s Upcycled Clothing Ideas Will Have You Thinking Twice About Cheap Fashion</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://ecosalon.com">EcoSalon</a>.</p>
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		<title>Eco-Gal Kristina Wong: Living Sustainably with a Lot of Laughs</title>
		<link>https://ecosalon.com/eco-gal-kristina-wong-living-sustainably-with-a-lot-of-laughs/</link>
		<comments>https://ecosalon.com/eco-gal-kristina-wong-living-sustainably-with-a-lot-of-laughs/#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 11 Jun 2014 10:00:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Abbie Stutzer]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DIY culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[eco lifestyle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environmental issues]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[female in comedy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[living sustainably]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sustainable life]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://ecosalon.com/?p=145705</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Kristina Wong knows that environmental issues are no laughing matter, but she still manages to crack us up whenever she tells tales of living sustainably. Wong has made a name for herself in the performance art/comedy world with her quirky, one-woman show about living sustainably. Wong’s successful 2010 show, “Going Green the Wong Way,” details&#8230;</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://ecosalon.com/eco-gal-kristina-wong-living-sustainably-with-a-lot-of-laughs/">Eco-Gal Kristina Wong: Living Sustainably with a Lot of Laughs</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://ecosalon.com">EcoSalon</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/goinggreenwong_Facebookprofile.jpg"><a href="https://ecosalon.com/eco-gal-kristina-wong-living-sustainably-with-a-lot-of-laughs/"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-145706" src="http://ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/goinggreenwong_Facebookprofile-311x415.jpg" alt="'Going Green' press" width="311" height="415" /></a></a></p>
<p><em>Kristina Wong knows that environmental issues are no laughing matter, but she still manages to crack us up whenever she tells tales of living sustainably. </em></p>
<p>Wong has made a name for herself in the performance art/comedy world with her quirky, one-woman show about living sustainably. Wong’s successful 2010 show, “Going Green the Wong Way,” details how the artist tries oh so very hard to live sustainably in Los Angeles, Calif.</p>
<p>In the article, <a title="Grist interview" href="http://grist.org/living/eco-comedian-kristina-wong/?utm_source=syndication&amp;utm_medium=rss&amp;utm_campaign=feed&amp;utm_reader=feedly%20" target="_blank">“The Misadventures of Eco-Comedian Kristina Wong Will Make You LOL,”</a> Grist interviews the funny lady and got some pretty spectacular bon mots about Wong’s eco-lifestyle.</p><div id="inContentContiner"><!-- /4450967/ES-In-Content -->
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<ul>
<li>Wong owned a vegetable oil-powered 1981 Mercedes, even though it was incredibly difficult to find veggie oil for her ride. In fact, it was <em>so</em> difficult to find oil for her veggie-oil-mobile, she met someone in an alley to attain oil. Now, that’s dedication!</li>
<li>She has, on occasion, used other people’s recycling bins for her recyclables. Sure that may seem terrible, but she doesn’t have recycling in her building! (I feel you, Wong. My building doesn’t have recycling either, and I have used various methods to make certain my recyclables don’t end up in the trash.)</li>
</ul>
<p>Overall, Wong <a title="Amy Schumer" href="http://ecosalon.com/amy-schumer-of-comedy-central-are-offensive-female-performers-ever-really-good/">wants her comedy </a>to help people understand that living a sustainable life is important.</p>
<p>In conjunction with performing shows that detail living sustainably, Wong also is a proud proponent of DIY culture (she digs knitting, crocheting and sewing). She also decided to<a title="Wong goes car-free" href="http://kristinawong.com/blog/2008/08/16/care-free-los-angeles-the-wong-sans-wheels-chronicles-1/" target="_blank"> give up using a car</a> once her vehicle kicked the bucket. (Her ’81 Mercedes caught fire on the freeway &#8212; what a way to go out!) Wong also is a big supporter of biking, and in 2007, she embarked on a personal project she dubbed her <a title="Don't buy a thing" href="http://kristinawong.com/blog/category/buy-nothing-year/" target="_blank">“Buy Nothing Year.” </a></p>
<p>Besides being a <a title="Tina Fey on comedy " href="http://ecosalon.com/women-on-film-tina-fey-makes-the-screams-go-away/">female in comedy</a>, Wong also pens poignant and hilarious word storms on topics that tackle <a title="Come on, guys" href="http://www.xojane.com/issues/asian-fetish" target="_blank">guys with an Asian fetish</a>, and <a title="On depression" href="%20http://www.xojane.com/issues/i-thought-being-miserable-was-just-part-of-being-chinese-american" target="_blank">depression in the Chinese-American community</a>. (In 2006, Wong toured a show called, “Wong Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” that examined the high rates of suicide and depression among Asian-American women.)</p>
<p>No matter what Wong is working on, she aims to <a title="On Wong's comedy" href="http://kristinawong.com/about/" target="_blank">make invisible problems visible</a> – and funny – while creating space for public discussion.</p>
<p>Look for Wong’s upcoming show, “The Wong Street Journal,” which will tackle topics, such as global poverty, in 2015.</p>
<p><em>Follow Abbie on <a title="Abbie Stutzer on Twitter" href="https://twitter.com/AbbieStutzer" target="_blank">Twitter</a> or <a title="Abbie Stutzer on Instagram" href="http://instagram.com/abbiestutzer" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, or read more about her on <a title="ginchy!" href="http://abbiestutzer.wordpress.com/about/" target="_blank">ginchy</a>.</em></p>
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<p><a title="Smith cares" href="%20http://ecosalon.com/the-blackfish-effect-kevin-smith-was-haunted-by-suffering-orcas/">The ‘Blackfish’ Effect: Kevin Smith Was ‘Haunted’ by Suffering Orcas</a></p>
<p><a title="SNL does it again" href="%20http://ecosalon.com/snl-blasts-jos-a-bank-fast-fashion-and-crummy-suits-in-spoof/">‘SNL’ Blasts Jos A. Bank, Fast Fashion and Crummy Suits in Hilarious Spoof</a></p>
<p><em>Image:</em><a title="Image of Wong Facebook" href="%20https://www.facebook.com/ilovekristinawong/photos/pb.13597459996.-2207520000.1402365012./10150248360849997/?type=3&amp;src=https%3A%2F%2Ffbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net%2Fhphotos-ak-xfa1%2Ft1.0-9%2F486261_10150248360849997_746238897_n.jpg&amp;size=720%2C960&amp;fbid=10150248360849997" target="_blank"><em> Kristina Wong</em></a></p>
</p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://ecosalon.com/eco-gal-kristina-wong-living-sustainably-with-a-lot-of-laughs/">Eco-Gal Kristina Wong: Living Sustainably with a Lot of Laughs</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://ecosalon.com">EcoSalon</a>.</p>
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		<title>China&#8217;s Synthetic Natural Gas: Is It Really Clean Energy?</title>
		<link>https://ecosalon.com/chinas-synthetic-natural-gas-really-clean-energy/</link>
		<comments>https://ecosalon.com/chinas-synthetic-natural-gas-really-clean-energy/#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Oct 2013 07:00:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Juliette Donatelli]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[air pollution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[china]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[clean energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environmental issues]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[global issues]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[natural gas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pollution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[smog]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[<p>China is doubling-down on synthetic natural gas in hopes of reducing air pollution. But is this new natural gas any cleaner? A study published in Nature last month investigated the finer details of China&#8217;s recent approval of nine synthetic natural gas power plants (with plans to build 4o more). As you may know, China is facing an&#8230;</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://ecosalon.com/chinas-synthetic-natural-gas-really-clean-energy/">China&#8217;s Synthetic Natural Gas: Is It Really Clean Energy?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://ecosalon.com">EcoSalon</a>.</p>
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				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/6230917584_72e5ec1975-e1382741730112.jpg"><a href="https://ecosalon.com/chinas-synthetic-natural-gas-really-clean-energy/"><img class="alignnone  wp-image-141675" alt="synthetic natural gas" src="http://ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/6230917584_72e5ec1975-e1382741730112.jpg" width="455" height="256" /></a></a></p>
<p><i>China is doubling-down on synthetic natural gas in hopes of reducing air pollution. But is this new natural gas any cleaner?</i></p>
<p>A <a href="http://people.duke.edu/~cy42/SNG.pdf" target="_blank">study</a> published in <em>Nature</em> last month investigated the finer details of China&#8217;s recent approval of nine synthetic natural gas power plants (with plans to build 4o more).</p>
<p>As you may know, China is facing an extreme air pollution problem. Government officials say the large-scale synthetic natural gas plants will curb the countries air pollution issues, but the claim is under scrutiny by the scientific community.</p><div id="inContentContiner"><!-- /4450967/ES-In-Content -->
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<p>To create synthetic natural gas one must essentially turn coal into a liquid energy source.  Extreme heat and steam used to convert mined coal to synthetic gas that can essentially be transported through pipelines, much like traditional natural gas and oil.</p>
<p>Synthetic natural gas is nothing new, as of 2010 China already had <a href="http://www.netl.doe.gov/technologies/coalpower/gasification/worlddatabase/currentworld/region.html" target="_blank">56 plants</a> in operation.  The United State has one too. It&#8217;s called the Great Plains Synfuels Plant in North Dakota, and it began operating in 1984 (yes, the date is creepy).</p>
<p>China has often pointed to the North Dakota plant as a success story and claim to have modeled their synthetic natural gas on its production. What they don&#8217;t mention, however, is the drastically different scale. China&#8217;s plants will fabricate a total capacity of 37.1 billion cubic meters synthetic natural gas each year. By comparison, the Great Plains Synfuels Plant produces just 1.5 billions cubic meters a year.</p>
<p><b>Transforming coal into synthetic natural gas is extremely energy and water intensive, so why would China be investing in this energy resource? </b></p>
<p>It actually takes more energy and water to make synthetic natural gas than simply burning coal itself. In fact, the previously mentioned study reported using synthetic natural gas to create electricity will lead to 36 percent to 82 percent more greenhouse-gas emissions than simply burning coal. The report concludes China&#8217;s plants would &#8220;produce seven times more greenhouse gas emissions than conventional natural gas plants and will use up to 100 times the water as shale gas production.&#8221;</p>
<p>Although it&#8217;s more energy intensive, using synthetic natural gas to create electricity doesn&#8217;t emit as much smog and particulate matter as burning coal. Chinese cities has been under extreme attack by environmental organizations and citizens alike to address the sickeningly dense and ever present air pollution.</p>
<p>All the new synthetic natural gas power plants will be built in far west regions of China around inner Mongolia and Xinjiang. These locations are far enough away from the major that cities that, at least in theory, the plants closer to the cities could shut down, and reducing smog and air pollution in urban areas. These plants might create conditions for less particulate matter being pumped into the atmosphere but the energy and water demands only continue to rise.</p>
<p>Synthetic natural gas might be fixing one issue, but it is undoubtedly creating more. How effective can this patchwork approach be?</p>
<p>Robert B. Jackson, second author on the <a href="http://people.duke.edu/~cy42/SNG.pdf" target="_blank">recent study</a>, Nicholas Professor of Environmental Sciences, and director of the Duke Center on Global Change, says, &#8220;Using coal to make natural gas may be good for China’s energy security, but it’s an environmental disaster in the making.”</p>
<p><em> Image: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/47223993@N03/6230917584/" target="_blank">Jonathan Kos-Read</a></em></p>
</p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://ecosalon.com/chinas-synthetic-natural-gas-really-clean-energy/">China&#8217;s Synthetic Natural Gas: Is It Really Clean Energy?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://ecosalon.com">EcoSalon</a>.</p>
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		<title>The Story of Stuff: A Conversation with Annie Leonard</title>
		<link>https://ecosalon.com/the-story-of-stuff-a-conversation-with-annie-leonard-343/</link>
		<comments>https://ecosalon.com/the-story-of-stuff-a-conversation-with-annie-leonard-343/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 Nov 2011 14:41:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Andrea Newell]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Andrea Newell]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Annie Leonard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[eco]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[EcoSalon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environmental issues]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[free range studios]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[garbage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[green]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[materialism]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Planned obsolescence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pollution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Story of Stuff]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[<p>Annie Leonard talks about the path to a healthy community, taking back our democracy and the three things that make people happy. Annie Leonard has spent twenty years investigating where our stuff comes from, how we use it and where it goes. She is the creator of The Story of Stuff project, a series of films that&#8230;</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://ecosalon.com/the-story-of-stuff-a-conversation-with-annie-leonard-343/">The Story of Stuff: A Conversation with Annie Leonard</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://ecosalon.com">EcoSalon</a>.</p>
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				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/annie2.jpg"><a href="https://ecosalon.com/the-story-of-stuff-a-conversation-with-annie-leonard-343/"><img class="size-full wp-image-102166 alignnone" title="annie" src="http://ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/annie2.jpg" alt="" width="455" height="307" /></a></a></p>
<p><em>Annie Leonard talks about the path to a healthy community, taking back our democracy and the three things that make people happy.</em></p>
<p>Annie Leonard has spent twenty years investigating where our stuff comes from, how we use it and where it goes. She is the creator of <em><a title="The Story of Stuff" href="http://www.storyofstuff.com/" target="_blank">The Story of Stuff </a></em>project, a series of films that discuss democracy, water bottles, cap and trade, electronics and cosmetics. She has traveled to 40 countries and visited hundreds of factories and dumps. Leonard has observed the effects of over and under-consumption all over the world, and is dedicated to building a clean, green, healthy, safe community for everyone.</p>
<p>We caught up with her recently to talk about how the Staten Island dump, Pacific Northwestern clear cuts and planned obsolescence helped fuel the passion that is now her career.</p><div id="inContentContiner"><!-- /4450967/ES-In-Content -->
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<p><strong>How did you start down this road of activism? What influenced you and when?</strong></p>
<p>I grew up in the Pacific Northwest and I went camping a lot as a kid. I loved the feeling of being in forests. There was something about it that felt so grounded and so good. So, when I saw these vicious, huge clear cuts, I remember feeling that something is wrong, so I planned to be a forest activist when I grew up. I went to college in New York City, which is a funny place to go to be a forest activist, but it turned out to be really smart.</p>
<p>I would walk to school every day, and there would be these huge, literally shoulder-high, piles of garbage. And I started wondering, what was in all those bags? So I started looking in garbage and I was amazed to see that it was almost all paper. My beloved forests are being chopped down to be made into paper, and the paper is going into the garbage, but where does it go afterward? So I took a field trip to the dump on Staten Island where New York City’s garbage goes. I really recommend everyone go visit the dump. It’s a fascinating thing to see the back end of where all our stuff comes out.</p>
<p>I’ll never forget this moment. I stood there as a sophomore in college looking out at this pile of waste. As far as I could see there were shoes and appliances and books and food and everything you could imagine, and I thought, “My God, we have a real problem. We have built our economy on the unsustainable flow of materials from resources to waste.”</p>
<p>So I decided to figure it out. I studied garbage and waste management in school. I went to Washington DC, worked for environmental groups and spent the next twenty years traveling around the world visiting factories where our stuff is made, visiting dumps, and interviewing people about toxins and chemicals and pollution and garbage and consumption and figuring out how to put the pieces together to understand what was going on. And that’s what I summarized in <em>The Story of Stuff</em> film and book.</p>
<p><a href="http://ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/DrinkingWater.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-102162 alignnone" title="DrinkingWater" src="http://ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/DrinkingWater.jpg" alt="" width="455" height="368" srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/wpesc/1/DrinkingWater.jpg 455w, https://storage.googleapis.com/wpesc/1/DrinkingWater-300x242.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 455px) 100vw, 455px" /></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>When did you create <em>The Story of Stuff</em> and what was your goal?</strong></p>
<p>For about ten years, I had been practicing different ways of talking about where our stuff comes from and where it goes, and I was finding that the more that I learned about it and the more my expertise grew, the less I could communicate with people in a way that they found accessible and relevant.</p>
<p>I tried to figure out if there was a way we could talk about environmental issues that’s fun and easy and welcoming and not all science, charts and graphs, and not all about guilt and fear and shame. Guilt and fear and shame are not powerful places to hang out, yet so many environmentalists bombard the public with those things.</p>
<p>So I developed this talk and turned it into The Story of Stuff film. I must have given that talk a hundred times, and every time, someone would say, can you make a movie of this? So, after three years of resisting, I did the talk one last time and a friend of mine filmed it. We took the film to <a title="Free Range Studios" href="http://www.freerange.com/" target="_blank">Free Range Studios</a>, who are these absolute geniuses at capturing different issues in these do-gooder films online.</p>
<p>We put it online free in December 2007. Our goal – our dream – was that 50,000 people would watch it. We thought if we could get 50,000 people to watch this film, then we could really get people talking about this stuff. To our utter amazement, we got 50,000 people in one day. We are now at over 12 million views of the original film and we’ve made additional films and now we’ve had 20 million views total. All of our films are these short, fun films that look at really serious issues about what’s wrong with our materials economy.</p>
<p>I have been so excited about the response, because these are difficult issues to talk about, everything from planned obsolescence (where product designers make stuff designed to break) to corporate influence in democracy. We’ve found a fun way to talk about it and people are watching and having these amazing conversations all over the world. The films have been watched in over 200 countries, shown in schools and churches and synagogues and festivals and conferences – it’s so cool to see all the ways people are using them to spark much-needed conversation.</p>
<p><a href="http://ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/annie21.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-102172 alignnone" title="annie2" src="http://ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/annie21.jpg" alt="" width="455" height="316" /></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Where do your ideas for topics come from?</strong></p>
<p>I have been looking at how we make, use and throw away stuff for a long time, so I have lots of things I’d love to talk to people about, but first we pick issues we feel are big chunks of the problem, things we need to be talking about. We also pick things that tend to be technical or there’s just not a lot of discussion about it – things like manufactured demand or planned obsolescence or corporate hijacking of our democracy. We also focus on what our viewers want to hear. We get hundreds and hundreds of emails every week and I really like to get a sense of what people really want to understand more about.</p>
<p>I would talk about how it is absolutely possible to build a safe, healthy, fair society – I am absolutely convinced of it. The technology exists, the research exists, we absolutely could do it, but people would raise their hands and say, yes, but we can’t because we are butting up against the coal industry and the oil industry and corporations have too much control of Congress and we can’t get good laws passed because corporations get mad. So we made a film about corporate power and some steps we can take to reign in corporate power in our democracy so we can take our democracy back.</p>
<p>Our next film is called <em>The Story of Broke</em>. Wherever I go and talk about how we can make a safe, healthy, fair and fun society, people write back and say, “There’s no money for that. It’s a nice idea, safe products and clean energy – but there’s no money for that.” But the truth is – there IS money for it. There’s a lot of money for it. It’s actually our money, because it’s our government and we’re giving that money right now to nuclear reactors, loan guarantees, and enormous subsidies for incredibly profitable oil and gas companies. So we should get involved with what’s happening to it. And right now it’s being used to prop up the dinosaur economy and what we should use it for instead is to build a healthy, fair future.</p>
<p>We have more ideas and requests that we can possibly do. We want to watch the response to each film and pay attention to what’s happening in society, and we really want to respond to our viewers. We’re trying to provide the information that they need to engage in the conversation. One of the things we definitely want to look at in one of the next couple of films is solutions. We want to really focus on how many solutions are out there – there are so many, it’s just incredible how possible it is to make clean, green, safe, healthy stuff.</p>
<p><strong>What direct impact has <em>The Story of Stuff</em> had?</strong></p>
<p>It’s interesting with online work is that you don’t really know what direct impact it has really had. Part of what we do know is anecdotal. We hear lots and lots of stories from people who say, &#8220;I never thought about where our stuff comes from and where it goes until I saw your films. And because of that film, I am rethinking the role of stuff in my life. I am looking for ways to buy stuff used, to share things, to find happiness through other ways than going shopping.” Thousands and thousands of incredibly heartwarming stories like that make us really happy.</p>
<p>We can track how many people watch it online and people have watched it in every single country except one in the middle of Africa. We can track what resources they download and those materials have been downloaded tens of thousands of times. So we absolutely know that we are contributing to thinking and talking about these issues. The only way we’ll really know if it’s working is if we can build up enough power in this country to demand a clean, green and healthy economy. Then we’ll know that we’ve won.</p>
<p><a href="http://ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/annie3.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-102176 alignnone" title="annie3" src="http://ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/annie3.jpg" alt="" width="455" height="234" srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/wpesc/1/annie3.jpg 455w, https://storage.googleapis.com/wpesc/1/annie3-370x190.jpg 370w" sizes="(max-width: 455px) 100vw, 455px" /></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>If you could tell everyone in the world (or just the U.S.) to make one change in their lives to make the biggest impact, what would it be?</strong></p>
<p>I think if I could just pick one, what I would say is to develop the infrastructure and culture for sharing. There are lots of solutions to the problems we face that are very complex and technical, but there are also some that are very simple, and bringing back sharing is one.</p>
<p>As we’re in tough economic times and as we’re bumping up against the planet’s limits, we are going to have to learn how to live well with less stuff. It’s crazy in this country for EVERY single house to have a wheelbarrow, a power drill and a lawn mower and a cupcake tin and all these things that you only use a few times a year. So if we share, it means we have to mine less metals, cut less trees, we can make our resources go further if one lawn mower or power drill can serve six families instead of just one.</p>
<p>Perhaps the most important part of sharing is that it’s better for our happiness. Because if you’re going to share something, you have to talk to people, you have to have friends, you have to have community. And the more we can develop friends and community and get out of our social isolation that this country is experiencing, the less we’re going to feel the need to go out and go shopping because we can find fun and meaning in our sense of community. It’s better for the planet, better for our economy, and way more fun.</p>
<p><strong>Speaking of possessions, what is your most cherished possession?</strong></p>
<p>You know what I really love? I love my clothesline. Because I’m often so busy, having a clothesline in my backyard makes me pause twice a day, in the morning and in the afternoon, to just spend ten minutes standing in my garden. It makes me feel connected to the natural environment because the sun is drying my clothes. It just makes me slow down and take a breath and just have a moment to reflect on my day and have gratitude for all that I have. When I travel, I even take a little clothesline with me.</p>
<p><strong>Who are your real-life heroes?</strong></p>
<p>People often ask how I remain so hopeful and it’s because there are so many people helping to make the world better in so many ways. But for me, the real heroes are the everyday moms who are just trying to get dinner on the table and get their kids to do well in school, who are standing up and taking a stand against corporate polluters. People like Lois Gibbs. She was the mother at Love Canal (a town near Niagra Falls, New York).</p>
<p>For decades, a chemical company had poured their toxic waste into a canal and covered it up with dirt. Then they sold it to a school district for some nominal fee. Lois Gibbs and the other moms began noticing a very high rate of rare and very serious diseases, a lot of miscarriages, and kids getting really sick. She figured it out, about this toxic waste that was seeping into the school as well as into a bunch of the basements in this town.</p>
<p>She was a mom without a college degree in any of these issues, and no scientific training. She started putting together the data and faced enormous ostracism from the community. She risked threats of violence and she still demanded that the government come and clean up the mess, and move the people out of there whose houses were built on this toxic waste site.</p>
<p>It’s people like that, who, when life is hard enough, are able to still find the strength to stand up to the forces against us, and demand something better. They inspire me so much. I just feel like if they can do it, I can certainly do it.</p>
<p><a href="http://ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/annie5.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-102180 alignnone" title="annie5" src="http://ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/annie5.jpg" alt="" width="455" height="309" /></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>What accomplishment are you most proud of?</strong></p>
<p>Two things. I am very proud that <em>The Story of Stuff</em> has been so well-received. I am enormously happy that we figured out a way to talk about complex issues in a fun way.</p>
<p>I am also happy about how I have been able to integrate many of the lessons I’ve learned into my own life. So that my life, while far from perfect, has been made better by changes I’ve made because of the things I’ve learned from doing this research. For example, there are six households on my block that are very, very good friends and we share everything from childcare to cutting each other’s hair to a pickup truck.</p>
<p>When people ask me how do I know sharing and having community is better than having massive credit card debit and going to the mall, I know because I live it. I can speak with a real authenticity, that sharing, that taking meaning through community and making the world better is just way more fun than being on this hyper-consumption, consumer mania treadmill. I’m happy with my work and I’m happy with my community.</p>
<p><strong>I watched Citizens United v. FEC. It is particularly relevant since we are facing an election in the next year. Do you think that people will stand up and demand change, or are they so discouraged that they won’t try, and no change will happen for a long time?</strong></p>
<p>I think, both. I think people are already starting to speak up, like this amazing protest in front of the White House last month about the Tar Sands pipeline. I watched it feeling so hopeful, because they weren’t just Greenpeacers and Rainforest Action Network types, there were people who said they never attended a protest before, but they just couldn’t take it any longer. They realized that corporations all over Capitol Hill are making their voices heard, and if we are going to make our voices heard, it is time for really dire action. I saw one interview with a rancher who said he’d just had it with the government’s inability to act on climate change. I saw a grandmother from Texas. It was just so inspiring to see regular folks saying “I’ve just had enough. I’m ready to put my body on the line to have my concern for the climate be heard.”</p>
<p>I feel very hopeful about that kind of things that’s happening all over the world – people getting involved. I also think people are frustrated, especially after this last presidential election when people volunteered and donated money and knocked on doors and did all this work for change, and there hasn’t been enough change. And so I’m worried that people are going to choose to check out of the political process and I appeal to them – this is NOT the time to do that. The most important battle that we will ever face in our lifetime is wrestling back our democracy from the corporate interests. We have got to stay engaged, we have got to not hand over our democracy.</p>
<p>We have to really encourage people we know to get involved in making our voices heard. It is absolutely true that these super-rich, big companies are controlling the dialogue right now, but there are more of us, than of them. So every day that we do not voice our opinions, we’re actually voting for the status quo to continue. We’ve simply got to engage.</p>
<p>This country is way too incredible and wonderful and valuable to just hand off to people who don’t actually care about it. So we need to take our country back. And then, once we’ve done that, we can deal with the kinds of issues that I talked about in <em>The Story of Stuff</em>. We can make our products safe and our schools good and our environment clean. But we’ve got to get the power so our government is working for us, instead of the big companies.</p>
<p><strong>What is your idea of true happiness?</strong></p>
<p>It’s hard for me to separate my own ideas and thoughts from all the data that I’ve read. I’ve done a huge amount of looking into what actually makes people happy. I was very interested in the fact that we have more, better, cooler stuff than at any time throughout history, but our happiness levels are actually going down.</p>
<p>It turns out that there are three things that make people happy. The first one is the quality of our social relationships and having friends and family and community. The second thing is having leisure time and not working around the clock. We work so many hours in this country. We work about 300 hours more per year than our counterparts in Europe do. So we’re exhausted and socially isolated. The third big one is having meaning in life.</p>
<p>That resonated so much with me. For me, true happiness is if everyone on the whole planet has those things. A healthy, strong community, some leisure time, so we can invest in art, in community, in family, the environment, civic activities, and having a purpose in life.</p>
<p>Visit <em><a title="The Story of Stuff" href="http://www.storyofstuff.com/" target="_blank">The Story of Stuff </a></em>to view the videos and be notified about new topics.</p>
<p>Images: <em><a href="http://www.storyofstuff.org/">The Story of Stuff Project</a></em></p>
</p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://ecosalon.com/the-story-of-stuff-a-conversation-with-annie-leonard-343/">The Story of Stuff: A Conversation with Annie Leonard</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://ecosalon.com">EcoSalon</a>.</p>
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		<title>EcoSalon Shops! Presents: Ryann</title>
		<link>https://ecosalon.com/ecosalon-shops-presents-ryann/</link>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 20 May 2010 17:38:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Amy DuFault]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Look Fabulous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Amy DuFault]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[eco fashion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ecosalon shops]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environmental issues]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fashion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Raina Blyer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ryann]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sustainable fabrics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://ecosalon.com/?p=42889</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Raina Blyer launched her line, Ryann, in the summer of 2005, with the idea to use fashion as a platform for environmental and social issues. On her site she says: &#8220;I was not a scientist, but could use what I knew and loved to help make a difference and get a conversation going with issues&#8230;</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://ecosalon.com/ecosalon-shops-presents-ryann/">EcoSalon Shops! Presents: Ryann</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://ecosalon.com">EcoSalon</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/ryann.jpg"><a href="https://ecosalon.com/ecosalon-shops-presents-ryann/"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-42887" title="ryann" src="http://ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/ryann.jpg" alt=- width="455" height="366" /></a></a></p>
<p>Raina Blyer launched her line, <a href="http://iloveryann.com/">Ryann</a>, in the summer of 2005, with the idea to use fashion as a platform for environmental and social issues.</p>
<p>On her site she says: &#8220;I was not a scientist, but could use what I knew and loved to help make a difference and get a conversation going with issues that were so important to me. I wanted Ryann to be an example of a business run with love, creativity, responsibility and integrity that would hopefully inspire others to do the same.&#8221;</p>
<p><strong>Designer Raina Blyer</strong></p><div id="inContentContiner"><!-- /4450967/ES-In-Content -->
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<p>Five years later, Blyer is consciously evolving with her line creating feminine tops tailored skirts and luscious summer frocks out of sustainable fabrics like organic cotton, <a href="http://iloveryann.com/new/about_our_fabrics">soy and peace silk</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/raina.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-42902" title="raina" src="http://ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/raina.jpg" alt=- width="305" height="305" /></a></p>
<p>And because she believes in timeless pieces that you&#8217;ll love to wear more times than humanly necessary, designs by Ryann are made to comfortably fit you and your lifestyle so that you feel, says Blyer, &#8220;like a true fashion warrior.&#8221;</p>
<p>Waahoo! That&#8217;s my fashion warrior call I&#8217;ll use when I see you at <a href="http://ecosalon.com/join-us-for-ecosalon-shops/">EcoSalon Shops! on June 4th</a>. </p>
</p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://ecosalon.com/ecosalon-shops-presents-ryann/">EcoSalon Shops! Presents: Ryann</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://ecosalon.com">EcoSalon</a>.</p>
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		<title>I Love Ryann Farragut Top Giveaway</title>
		<link>https://ecosalon.com/i-love-ryann-farragut-top-giveaway/</link>
		<comments>https://ecosalon.com/i-love-ryann-farragut-top-giveaway/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 30 Jan 2010 16:00:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Amy DuFault]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Look Fabulous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Amy DuFault]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bamboo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[David Farragut]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environmental issues]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fashion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gene Roddenberry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[I Love Ryann]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[organic cotton]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Raina Blyer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social issues]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[<p>I love Ryann. I really do. I love the line because the designer loves what she does. So says her site: &#8220;I began Ryann in the summer of 2005, with the idea to use fashion as a platform for environmental and social issues. I was not a scientist, but could use what I knew and&#8230;</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://ecosalon.com/i-love-ryann-farragut-top-giveaway/">I Love Ryann Farragut Top Giveaway</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://ecosalon.com">EcoSalon</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/farraguttop-1-1.jpg"><a href="https://ecosalon.com/i-love-ryann-farragut-top-giveaway/"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-32271" title="farraguttop-1-1" src="http://ecosalon.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/farraguttop-1-1.jpg" alt="farraguttop-1-1" width="290" height="450" /></a></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.iloveryann.com/new/about_ryann">I love Ryann</a>. I really do.</p>
<p>I love the line because the designer loves what she does. So says <a href="http://www.iloveryann.com/new/about_designer">her site</a>:</p>
<p><em>&#8220;I began Ryann in the summer of 2005, with the idea to use fashion as a platform for environmental and social issues. I was not a scientist, but could use what I knew and loved to help make a difference and get a conversation going with issues that were so important to me. I wanted Ryann to be an example of a business run with love, creativity, responsibility and integrity that would hopefully inspire others to do the same. Ryann is an investment in yourself, your community, and the planet as a whole. That is one trend we can believe in.&#8221;</em></p><div id="inContentContiner"><!-- /4450967/ES-In-Content -->
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<p>Here, here!</p>
<p>Raina Blyer, designer and founder of I Love Ryann has graciously donated her Farragut Top for this week&#8217;s giveaway. Soft bamboo/organic cotton jersey guarantees you&#8217;ll be feeling sustainable love in this.</p>
<p>What does Farragut mean? Not sure, but when Googled, I came across a few ideas:</p>
<p>1. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Farragut">David Glasgow Farragut</a> (July 5, 1801 &#8211; August 14, 1870) was a flag officer of the United States Navy during the American Civil War. Farragut was made famous for his order at the Battle of Mobile Bay, usually paraphrased: &#8220;Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!&#8221;</p>
<p>2. <a href="http://www.townoffarragut.org/">Farragut, Tennesee</a>, suburb of Knoxville and once home of, you guessed it, David Farragut.</p>
<p>3. <a href="http://www.starshipfarragut.com/"> Starship Farragut</a>, one of the many homes to Gene Roddenberry&#8217;s Star Trek legacy with his first Crew Log release, &#8220;A Rock and a Hard Place.&#8221;</p>
<p>Who knew one top could inspire such range? We&#8217;ll consult with the designer and get the answer regarding inspiration when we announce the winner.</p>
<p>Although shown in a lovely hue of blue, this top is offered in forest green or black.</p>
<p>Leave a comment below to be entered. (For official rules click here.)</p>
</p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://ecosalon.com/i-love-ryann-farragut-top-giveaway/">I Love Ryann Farragut Top Giveaway</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://ecosalon.com">EcoSalon</a>.</p>
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