If you’ve ever used the iPhone app for Groupon — or enviously watched the app get used by a friend who owns an iPhone, as was the case for me — then you may have wondered why all coupons and gift certificates can’t be redeemed this way. Instead of dealing with losable plastic or paper gift cards, I should just be able to pull up a code on my phone for my discount or freebie!

That’s the idea behind Giiv.com, which lets you send a friend everything from a dozen donuts to a yoga class via text message to redeem at his or her leisure. Unfortunately, while Giiv.com’s idea is certainly one for which the time has come, Giiv.com doesn’t actually make waste-free giving giving easy.

First of all, most of Giiv.com’s gift certificate options are for e-tailers, not brick-and-mortar establishments. If your friend has to go online to shop anyway, doesn’t it make more sense to send an e-gift certificate by email that lets the recipient click directly to the e-tailer’s site? This feature’s especially odd for the Amazon.com gift certificates; buying and sending one via text message not only forces your friend to manually copy the gift certificate code from the text message on a phone to Amazon’s website, it also forces you to pay more because Giiv.com tacks on a 99-cent “convenience fee.”

But I had high hopes for Giiv.com’s gift certificates for brick-and-mortar establishments. (more…)

0 Comments

Lots of closet-cleansing challenges exist for the would-be wardrobe minimalist — but what if your clutter problem’s in the garage. Or kitchen? Or bookshelves? And worse, what if you’re so overwhelmed by the clutter in your place that you can’t get yourself to tackle it?

If you find yourself in this clutter conundrum, consider joining A Thing A Day: A basic uncluttering challenge that requires you to get rid of one thing a day.

This simple challenge was started simply — by a forum member at clutter-busting blog Unclutterer who just posted the challenge as a forum topic. The no-frills idea already has 59 people participating! They’ve gotten rid of everything from a “labor saving” tub scrubber (“It never worked very well-pads wouldn’t stay attached to velcro handle and it smelled funny”) to a too-heavy blanket (“once under it, you were pinned to the mattress”).

So try this reducing and reusing challenge for greener, leaner living this summer. Getting started is simple — Just start getting rid of one thing a day. You decide how many days you want to get rid of things. If you’re feeling generous, you might want to combine this with the 29 Day Giving Challenge and give away something useful or helpful for the next 29 days.

Earlier: Radical uncluttering: Getting rid of stuff in search of new adventures

Photo by chris.corwin

0 Comments

The iPhone may not be on Environmental Working Group’s “Best Phones” list for avoiding cell phone radiation, but EWG’s still targeting iPhone users with its other consumer health initiatives. Not too long ago, EWG turned its Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides into an iPhone app, making it easier for produce shoppers to avoid the most contaminated fruits and veggies. This week, EWG’s out with a new app — that helps shoppers pick safer sunscreens.

Called the EWG Sunscreen Buyer’s Guide, this new iPhone app lets you quickly look up a sunscreen brand you’re considering to get an overall score, as well as details on the type of protections it offers. Found a sunscreen that isn’t in EWG’s database? Then pull up EWG’s sun safety tips on the app to make sure the ingredients in the product aren’t dangerous or ineffective.

If, like me, you don’t have an iPhone, you’ll need to settle for the web version of EWG’s sunscreen guide — or donate $10 to the nonprofit to get a comparatively jankier bag tag with sunscreen information.

Of course, even the interactive iPhone app won’t be able to tell you how well the sunscreen works in real life. To find out whether a safer sunscreen will be too thick to rub on easily, too greasy for daily use, or too whitish, you’ll need to rely on the tester tubes in store — or my sunscreen reviews!

Earlier:
>> Sunumbra: A Safer sunscreen that won’t leave you looking pale
>> California Baby: Safe, effective, and pricy sunscreen
>> Caribbean Solutions Natural/Biodegradable SolGuard
>> Elemental Herbs Sunscreen Sport: Safe sun protection for the pinkish

Screenshots via EWG/iTunes

0 Comments

A good sunscreen’s hard to find. Only eight percent of sunscreens on the market are safe and effective, according to Environmental Working Group — and many of the sunscreens that make up the minuscule eight percent leave behind a white pallor, making you look ghostly when enjoying the summer sun.

If avoiding that pallid hue has you avoiding better-for-you sunscreens, try Sunumbra sunscreen. This micronised zinc oxide sunscreen offers SPF 30+ protection and will not leave you any paler than you already may be. Plus, the sweetish-smelling lotion smooths on easily, unlike some of the thicker sunscreens that require a lot of work to spread over your skin.

Sunumbra sunscreen isn’t listed on Environmental Working Group’s sunscreen guide yet, but other micronized zinc oxide sunscreens are on EWG’s “Best Sunscreens” list — so long as their other ingredients are also safe. All of Sunumbra’s inactive ingredients get a “low hazard” score on EWG’s cosmetic safety database Skin Deep. In fact, many of the ingredients in Sunumbra are derived from antioxidant rich plants. The green rooibos extract i organic certified, while the kigelia and aloe ferox extracts are wild-sourced.

The one downside of Sunumbra sunscreen: The stuff goes on greasy — and gets absorbed by the skin rather slowly. This feature makes the sunscreen easy to put on, but also leaves the now-sunscreened person feeling a bit oily for a while.

I plan to use Sunumbra for times when a little greasiness isn’t an issue, like when I’m laying out reading a book on the beach. A 3.5-ounce tube costs $29.70 on Sunumbra’s website.

Earlier:
>> When SPFs lie: Only 8% of sunscreens are safe and effective
>> California Baby: Safe, effective, and pricy sunscreen
>> Caribbean Solutions Natural/Biodegradable SolGuard
>> Elemental Herbs Sunscreen Sport: Safe sun protection for the pinkish

0 Comments

Fair trade shea butter, organic jojoba oil, and organic green tea leaves sound like ingredients to an eco-luxe beauty concoction, but those are just some of the natural ingredients that make up Elemental Herbs’ sunscreens. This green-minded company offers sunscreens that get a “low hazard” score of 2 on Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep cosmetic safety database — made by combining organic and fair trade ingredients with non-nanoparticle zinc oxide.

Zinc oxide sunscreens tend to always leave me looking freakishly white — so I was eager to try out the tinted Elemental Herbs Sunscreen Sport with SPF 22. I slathered on the pinkish goo before heading out — for a 12 hour urban hike around Los Angeles, no less — one of the many practice walks planned by Dan Koppel for the then-upcoming Big Parade LA.

The long hike took all day, so I kept putting more sunscreen on every few hours — and turning curiously pinker. “Do I look human?” I finally asked Dan, to get a not particularly reassuring “We can tell you’re still Siel” reply. Hmmm….

Turns out, I was putting on a little too much sunscreen, using my usual slather on liberally technique. I read Elemental Herbs’ 3-part how-to-use info a little belatedly, post hike, to find out that I should have shaken the bottle more vigorously, started with just a dab, then rubbed it in well before adding more. I followed these instructions today, and do look a lot less like a pallid, pink extraterrestrial.

Which is to say that like most zinc oxide sunscreens with a good safety rating, Elemental Herbs does take more work to use, with all the shaking, rubbing, and incremental dabbing on. Since I sunscreen most every day for a run, the daily sunscreening can seem a bit of a chore. And even after all the work, the sunscreen still feels a bit greasy, sitting more on top of the skin and leaving me afraid of leaving faint pinkish streaks on everything I might brush by.

On the upside, I do really like Elemental Herbs’ commitment to using safe, effective sunscreen ingredients, as well as to organic and fair trade ingredients. The company’s also a member of 1% For the Planet and of Green America. A 3-ounce tube costs $19.39 at Elemental Herbs’ web store.

While Elemental Herbs’ sunscreen didn’t quite make it onto my sunscreen list, the company’s All Good Lips lip balms did. You may already be familiar with the original organic certified All Good Lips; now that balm’s available in SPF 12. Pick from Original, Cool Spearmint, or — my favorite — Sweet Tangerine. Each tube costs $3.50.

Earlier:
>> When SPFs lie: Only 8% of sunscreens are safe and effective
>> California Baby: Safe, effective, and pricy sunscreen
>> Caribbean Solutions Natural/Biodegradable SolGuard

1 Comments

Use a bad sunscreen and you’ll not only get burned, literally, but also tainted with weird chemicals and other sketchy ingredients. That’s why every year, the green health nonprofit Environmental Working Group updates its Sunscreen Guide. And near the top of the list every year’s California Baby, whose sunscreen products always get a “low hazard” score of 0 or 1.

Luckily, this greener sunscreen’s both effective and easy to use. While many greener sunscreens have a reputation for turning users a slightly sickly, pallid hue, California Baby’s micronized titanium dioxide formula goes on quite clear and doesn’t leave you feeling sticky, making the product a good everyday sunscreen.

I recommend California Baby’s SPF 30+ Sunscreen with no fragrance, which, true to its word, has pretty much no scent. Once I made the mistake of grabbing the Citronella scent — The smell of this naturally fragranced sunscreen was so strong and only seemed to get stronger when I ran with it on — enough so that I got to the point where I’d actually cringe before putting the stuff on. Now, I read labels more carefully before buying a tube.

The one major downside of California Baby — while these sunscreens are conveniently available at my local co-op and Whole Foods stores, the tubes are pretty expensive — and since I sunscreen most every day before going for a run, I go through the stuff pretty fast. At my co-op, a mere 2.9-ounce tube goes for $21.39 — which is why I waited until the members’ 10 percent discount month before snagging my latest tube.

Next time, I’ll probably shop California Baby’s online store. A 2.9-ounce tube is a little more affordable at $19.99, but more importantly, bigger tubes and even 19-oz pump bottles are available for heavy sunscreen users. Get a bigger bottle and cut down on waste while saving a little money too.

Earlier:
>> My review of Caribbean Solutions Natural/Biodegradable SolGuard, one of EWG’s recommended sunscreens
>> DIY sunscreen: Not a cool green idea

0 Comments

Think your expensive sunscreen will protect your skin? Unlikely. Put on a hat and shirt and sit in the shade instead. That, basically, is the latest sunny advice from Environmental Working Group, a green health nonprofit that released its latest Sunscreen Guide earlier this week.

Store shelves may be crowded with numerous sunscreen brands boasting high SPF ratings, but most of those promises are bunk, according to EWG. In fact, only 8 percent beach and sport sunscreens on the market this season actually do what they claim.

What’s wrong with the other 92 percent? The issues range from creating consumer confusion to using ineffective or even dangerous ingredients. According to EWG, many sunscreens that list high SPF protection don’t protect against UVA radiation. Many people, however, look just at the SPF number and assume they’re good to go out — and stay out longer too, getting burned. People also put on only about a quarter of the sunscreen necessary to get full SPF benefits, leading to more burned skin. “In everyday practice, a product labeled SPF 100 really performs like SPF 3.2, an SPF 30 rating equates to a 2.3 and an SPF 15 translates to 2,” reports EWG.

If that’s not bad enough, some sunscreens may be downright dangerous. EWG’s warned about the use of oxybenzone — a hormone disruptor — in sunscreens in previous years. But this year, additional new concerns are being raised about a vitamin A compound called retinyl palmitate — found in a whopping 41 percent of sunscreens — because it’s suspected that the stuff may actually elevate skin cancer risk when used in sunscreens. Studies are as of yet inconclusive and an FDA investigation’s underway, but EWG’s recommending people opt for Vitamin A-free sunscreens to be on the safe side.

What’s a sun-loving environmentalist to do? The FDA’s supposed to revamp its regulations for sunscreens, with new rules planned to be issued next October. In the meantime, opt for one of the 39 greener and safer sunscreens recommended by EWG — and look for some eco-friendly hats and beachwear to wear while relaxing under the shade of your favorite palm tree.

Earlier:
>> My review of Caribbean Solutions Natural/Biodegradable SolGuard, one of EWG’s recommended sunscreens
>> DIY sunscreen: Not a cool green idea
>> EWG’s more sanguine 2009 Sunscreen Guide

Photo by Robert S. Donovan

4 Comments

Tired of celebrating Earth Day? You’re not alone. While many excited eco-newbies are participating in Earth Day this year, many not-so-new hardcore environmentalists may be feeling rather jaded. After all, Earth has not been “saved” in these last 40 years since the first Earth Day. We still burn lots of fossil fuels, create massive amounts of plastic waste, and continue to pollute our air and water. What’s the point of celebrating Earth Day yet another year?

In fact, The Farmer’s Wife at Simply Sustainable says she doesn’t even acknowledge Earth Day any more. “Back in the 70′s, I was a little hippie chickie with granny glasses and flowers in my hair and I cared about EVERYTHING!” she writes. Now, the Farmer’s Wife’s more jaded — especially after hearing about a local Earth Day festival at a water/amusement park — an event that’ll encourage people to drive, consume, and pollute. “I guess, as with every other holiday we have in this country, somebody has found a way to make money from Earth Day, so the true meaning has pretty much flown out the window for most Americans. ”

Not every old timer’s so jaded about Earth Day, however. And even the Farmer’s Wife isn’t advocating an end to Earth Day; she simply wants a better reflection of the original intent of Earth Day in today’s celebrations. The great thing about environmentalists is their endless optimism — or at least a willingness to keep trying. And serious eco-bloggers are still keeping Earth Day and every green day meaningful for them, with inspiring posts about how environmentalists are taking green living and activism to a higher level.

Take Leslie Richard at The Oko Box blog, for example. This Earth Month, she’s done everything from make Rabbit Poo & Earth Clay Pottery to instruct her readers on how exactly to set up and use a composting toilet — with some very specific “don’t do as I did” tips! Leslie’s adventurous eco-posts aren’t specifically written for Earth Month. She’s an environmentalist who really does make Earth Day everyday, who’s been making rural green living sound fun and adventurous before “ruralpolitans” got profiled in Wall Street Journal (via Ecosalon).

Other eco-bloggers are challenging themselves to go greener right where they are. Erin Peters at The Conscious Shopper sets an extreme green challenge for herself — and her readers — every month. This Earth Month, Erin’s going “No ‘Poo” — or shampoo-free. The idea’s to save money, reduce packaging, and avoid chemicals — all while living more naturally by opting to wash up with baking soda and cider. These challenges aren’t simply about sacrificing comfort for the environment’s sake. Erin’s monthly challenges basically push her try out hardcore challenges — then decide after that trial period whether the change is something she wants to adopt permanently. You can sign up to take the challenge yourself — and share your thoughts about the No ‘Poo experiment on the Go Green Without Going Broke Facebook group page.

Both Leslie and Erin are basically making Earth Day everyday — a tactic that’s perhaps at the heart of making Earth Day or Earth Month meaningful. Beth Terry certainly reflects this eco-spirit. On her blog Fake Plastic Fish, Beth documents her efforts to reduce plastic packaging every day — and has been posting her plastic tallies for years now!

And I suppose I too try to make every day green with my posts here — though I still feel I should be doing more for this Earth Day. How about you? What will you do to make this Earth Day meaningful this year — and how will you make Earth Day every day for the rest of 2010?

[crossposted on Blogher]

Photo by CARCA MAN

6 Comments

In his book Ecological Intelligence, Daniel Goleman argues that even organic cotton T-shirts aren’t necessarily very eco-friendly, since they can still be shipped all around the world to be sewn together in sweatshop conditions before being chemically-dyed in a polluting facility. Of course, conventionally-grown cotton T-shirts still fare much worse under eco-scruitiny — especially those grown and made in China.

Just how ecologically damaging those “all-natural” T-shirts are has been laid bare, thanks to a feature article in the latest issue of Miller-McCune magazine. In “Can China Turn Cotton Green?” Chris Wood takes a close look at a study conducted by the International Institute for Sustainable Development in Winnipeg, Canada, that drew from an international network of experts to look at the whole cotton T-shirt manufacturing process.

As you may have expected, environmental problems caused by the common cotton T-shirt ranges widely, from irrigation-based farming practices that strain water supplies and damage ecosystems, to overuse of chemical fertilizers, to water pollution from dye wastes:

Only about 10 percent of dye wastes are recycled, and about a third of the rest flows directly to the environment. In provinces like Xinjiang, this waste is a major contributor to industrial and municipal pollution so severe that nearly 1 in 4 of China’s 1.3 billion people drink contaminated water every day.

Beyond China, the article gives some broader insights into the international cotton market. For example, did you know that conventional cotton from Africa’s made with a lot less chemical fertilizer and pesticides than that from China?

The researchers found that the use of agrichemicals differed widely among major supply regions, with China’s own farmers dosing their fields with six times more fertilizer and pesticide than growers in sub-Saharan Africa. American farmers and others in Brazil fell somewhere in the middle.

And did you know that because of corporate consolidation, “the power to influence change” in the cotton-textile chain lies with a “relatively small number of increasingly global participants”? For example, Wal-Mart and Kmart account for a quarter of all the clothing sold in the U.S.! Combine the power of those big players with the many challenges of enforcing environmental policies and guidelines through “local governments whose incentives are dominated by economic development,” and green concerns can get pushed aside. In addition, government subsidies given to cotton farmers in the U.S., China, and European countries tends to harm small producers by lowering cotton prices, giving little incentive to invest in greener practices.

The news isn’t all doom and gloom. Chris’ article also points to some suggestions from the study — ranging from shifting to less-irrigation-based, more rain-fed farming and downsizing cotton farm subsidies to consumer pressures for greener trade and greener products — that could help green up cotton T-shirts, whether grown and made in China or elsewhere.

If you’re a would-be conscious consumers, read “Can China Turn Cotton Green?” for a great primer on cotton and the cotton trade — that’ll help you make better purchasing decisions by learning to ask better, more meaningful questions instead of simply buying a cheap T-shirt on a whim.

Photo by Johnnie Utah

0 Comments

The day after Thanksgiving’s Black Friday to most Americans — who’ll hit the malls and shopping centers to shop for the holidays, taking the retail industry out of the red and into a profitable black. But for many environmentalists, anti-consumerists, and Adbusters fans, that Friday’s known as Buy Nothing Day — a 24-hour fast from consumer culture.

A day-long moratorium won’t make up for binge shopping all the other days of the year, of course, but the intent of Buy Nothing Day’s to get people thinking about their general shopping habits — or protesting them, if they’re already unhappy with runaway capitalism that leads to waste, pollution, and stressful holidays.

This year, the organizers at Adbusters are calling not just for a break from shopping, but a “Wildcat General Strike” that’ll get even more attention:

We want you to not only stop buying for 24 hours, but to shut off your lights, televisions and other nonessential appliances. We want you to park your car, turn off your phones and log off of your computer for the day.

We’re calling for a Ramadan-like fast. From sunrise to sunset we’ll abstain en masse, not only from holiday shopping, but from all the temptations of our five-planet lifestyles.

Think of it as a Buy Nothing Day plus Earth Hour plus World Carfree Day, all in one — then get excited for the big green challenge! Among the challenges: How will activists use the recommended #bnd09 hashtag when they’ve turned all their electronics off? Hmmm….. A mystery….

Can’t turn off everything? Neither can I, because I do have to work that day, which means turning on my computer. But I do really plan to keep my car parked, my wallet undisturbed, and my TV black on Nov. 27. And if I get in the habit of doing those things more often the rest of the year, I’ll be doing a lot of good for the planet — and my bank account — and my general stress levels….

Buy Nothing Day are happening in locations around the world, so if you’d like company to spend no money with, sign up for those events or plan your own! And if you’re already ready for a bigger challenge, some Adbusters are gearing up for a whole Buy Nothing Christmas.

Earlier: Buy Nothing Day 2005 and 2006. Not sure what I did the last couple years….

Update: I found last year’s post — and unfortunately it’s not a buy-nothing one.

Image via Adbusters

2 Comments