To call Zem Joaquin a Jane of all trades is an understatement; the founder of a sustainable style blog, Ecofabulous, is a certified BuildItGreen design consultant, a sought-after eco expert, a contributing editor for House & Garden, Architectural Digest and 7Ã-7 Magazine, and last but not least a mother of two. At any given point her blog features gotta-have products and services for green gals in the know. Today we wrap up our Sheltered Life interview series with Zem and learn, among other things, the energy-sucks that lurk in your laundry room!

Ecofabulous is setting out to prove that sustainability can be sexy. What makes an eco-product sexy in your eyes?

Sexy is sexy, period. I am a designophile. I love beautiful lines and good proportion, complimented by appealing colors. Functionality is a must but if something looks good and works well – yet it makes you sick – how can that be hot?

What was the most surprising thing you learned about sustainable design while compiling posts for Ecofabulous?

I was astonished to learn that so many people have been duped into believing that cork trees are endangered and so few understand the benefits of this rapidly renewable bark. One of the most thrilling things on the ecofabulous horizon is a tour of the Portuguese cork forests this month. We will be documenting the annual harvest and exploring the myriad uses for the extremely versatile, durable, insulating material.

In your opinion, what’s the most important room of the house? And the most over-looked?

Maybe the laundry room. Sixty percent of the carbon footprint of a pair of jeans actually occurs after you purchase it, since the way you care for your clothing not only affects you, but your clothes and the environment as well!

Ideally use a high efficiency, front-loading machine like Electrolux’s (you can do an entire load in 18 minutes) with a concentrated, non-toxic detergent (Method’s new pump requires a 1/4 of the dose of the leading national detergent brand). Cold water loads are less damaging to your clothes, save energy and thus save you moolah! And line drying takes that one step further. If you end up taking your duds for a tumble, you’ll want to ditch plastic dryer sheets that have a combination of beef tallow (lard) and chemicals. There are plenty of biodegradable, more appetizing alternatives. I also suggest skipping chlorinated bleach and opting for peroxide brighteners that won’t yellow your whites or change the ph level of the ocean. After all, cleaning should be clean!

What is your personal favorite flea-market find?

I have a weakness for gorgeous bar carts, so when I found my solid brass ’20s stunner for under a $100 (I’ve seen similar for just shy of a $1,000), I had to pop a cork.

What does “home” mean to you?

A healthy, safe place that my family and friends know they can always go back to for centering.

What’s the simplest tweak you can make to a room that has the biggest impact (other than a can of paint)?

Throw pillows can be an inexpensive way to add drama and glamor to any room. There are numerous stylish and sustainable versions now available. Look for ones with with an organic fabric and a eco-friendly fill, like organic wool or kapok.

What are your five favorite eco resources?

Ebay
Green With Glamour
Ekla Home
VivaTerra
Eco Haus

The post A Sheltered Life Interview with Zem Joaquin of EcoFabulous appeared first on EcoSalon.

Green media has exploded in the past few years. Want to completely lose track of time? Take to your Twitter account and try to retweet all the green out there. (I am recently convinced that my own green Twitter account is determined to transport me through a space time continuum.) We decided to make it a little easier for you and go behind the scenes with a few of our favorite eco bloggers.

Katherine Goldstein

Katherine Goldstein is the editor of the Green section of the Huffington Post, a one stop shop for breaking news and commentary on climate, food, policy, design, green DIY and animal fun. Her projects for the Green page have been featured in places such as the LA Times and The Weekly Standard. Before joining the Huffington Post in April 2008, she contributed to books and news publications such as BUST, AM New York, and New York Press. She is a graduate of Vassar College and lives in Brooklyn, New York. Katherine likes bike riding and secret underground supper clubs. She also has had snowball fights with Daryl Hannah in Copenhagen. Follow her on Twitter @kgeee.

Chris Baskind

Last June, eco-blogger Chris Baskind parked his minivan to begin a one-month experiment in carefree living. He hasn’t driven since. Now a committed utility cyclist, Chris writes from the perceptive that we’ll finding new ways to live and work in the “Minimalist Century,” whether we like it or not. In fact, The Minimalist Century is the name of a new website Chris will be launching soon. In the meantime, you can find Chris on the green living website Lighter Footstep, on More Minimal, and sharing lots of eco and lifestyle information via Twitter.

Kurt Kohlstedt

Kurt Kohlstedt is the Founder of Webist and Misnamed Media, publishing WebEcoist, WebUrbanist, Dornob and more on subjects from green and urban living to home design and scientific innovation. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from Carleton College and received his Master of Architecture from the College of Architecture & Urban Planning at the University of Washington, Seattle. Kurt believes that ‘going green’ is not a special interest or one-time strategy, but a critical component of responsible and innovative design of all kinds and at all times – less of a movement than an necessary and integrated way of thinking and living. Catch Kurt’s green and design tweets here.

Ariel Schwartz

Ariel Schwartz is a daily contributor at FastCompany.com, the Technology Editor at Inhabitat, and a freelancer for websites including SF Weekly, NBC Bay Area, and Triple Pundit. A graduate of Vassar College, she has previously worked in publishing, organic farming and documentary film. Her interests include permaculture, hiking, skiing, and live music. She currently resides in San Francisco, CA. Check out Ariel’s tweets for great green and tech links.

Shea Gunther

Shea Gunther has been bouncing around the green blogosphere for almost as long as there has been one to bounce around in. He covers climate change, green politics, and renewable energy for the Mother Nature Network. Shea started a blog in 2002 and drew his first paycheck as an environmental blogger in 2006 when he co-founded the blog network Green Options. He currently lives in the small city of Portland, Maine and loves getting around town on his electric bike. When he’s not trying to save the world, he can be found playing ultimate Frisbee, rock climbing, or running along the ocean. Don’t miss Shea’s tweets for plenty of humor, opinion and information.

Starre Vartan

Starre Vartan is the founder and editor of EcoChick, one of the smartest blogs out there for hip, environmentally savvy young women. Eco Chick has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Shape Magazine, Glamour, the Christian Science Monitor, and many other print and blog publications. Starre’s book, entitled The Eco Chick Guide to Life: How to Be Fabulously Green was published Fall, 2008. This green girl grew up in the Hudson Valley of New York and Sydney, Australia; both environments instilled in her a deep love and appreciation for the natural world. She lives and writes from her home on the Connecticut shore that she shares with two rescued cats and a crazy cocker spaniel. You can follow her on Twitter at ecochickie.

Chris Ingham Brooke

Chris Ingham Brooke founded the Environmental Graffiti Network in 2007. Environmental Graffiti is an eclectic mix of the most bizarre, funny and interesting environmental news on the planet. The idea behind the blog has been to search the vast realms of the internet on behalf of all environmentalists who don’t take themselves too seriously and compile it into a daily blog. Recently, the site re-launched as a collaborative magazine about the intersection of culture, nature, environmentalism and art, where anyone can write and earn a substantial portion of the ad revenue. When he’s not working, Chris can be found in his bedroom playing guitar, hanging out with his mates at the pub or simply roaming the streets of London wearing a dark cape and pretending to be Batman.

Stephanie Rogers

Stephanie Rogers blogs from Asheville, North Carolina, covering a myriad of green issues. From sharing recipes for natural homemade beauty products at Eco-Chick.com to writing articles about conservation and wildlife at The Mother Nature Network (MNN), she considers herself truly lucky to combine so many of her passions as a green living and environmental writer. Stephanie was lead writer at Earthfirst.com for nearly two years and contributes weekly articles to WebEcoist and our own EcoSalon. Currently, Stephanie is working on her first novel. She’s an active green tweep, so be sure to follow her on Twitter.

Rob Reed

Rob Reed is the voice behind Max Gladwell, an independent blog about social media strategy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship. Last year, Rob organized the first distributed, simultaneous blog post entitled “10 Ways to Change the World Through Social Media.” It was published on more than 85 blogs including Mashable, The Huffington Post, and more. Both the story headline and #10Ways hashtag became trending topics on Twitter, driving additional traffic to each of the participating blogs. Rob also started the #EcoMonday Twitter meme. By day, he is Vice President of Marketing and Government Relations for Zumbox, the first paperless postal system. An essential read and Twitter follow for any greenie.

Brian Clark Howard

Brian has been an environmental journalist for almost ten years and serves as a web editor for The Daily Green. He was previously managing editor of E/The Environmental Magazine and has written for Popular Mechanics Online, Men’s Health, Miller-McCune, Plenty, The Green Guide, Connecticut Magazine, AlterNet and elsewhere. Brian grew up in the Midwest and has a Masters in journalism from Columbia University. He spends a lot of time on the Internet, is addicted to social media, and blogs as the URTH Guy.

Get to know these fantastic green folks more by following their blogs and Twitter feeds – you won’t be disappointed!

Image: Meanest Indian

The post Eco Bloggers We Love appeared first on EcoSalon.