Movie to see: “Food Inc”

One of my top movies for 2009 has to be Food Inc.  If you haven’t seen it, buy or rent the DVD. The film explores how modern developments in food production are posing grave risks to our health and environment. The writers aren’t radicals or even vegetarians but they are crusaders when it comes to exposing problems and naming offenders. It points out how the cozy relationships between huge agriculture corporations and government have become. If nothing else, this film makes you think even more about where your food is coming from. One thing we can all do is to support our family farms and buy local at your farmers market.
 
http://www.foodincmovie.com

Joining forces with Toyota in the Farm to Table Tour

I am so excited to be joining forces with Toyota in the Farm to Table Tour. As the long time founder of California Certified Farmers Markets and Jennifer McColm Certified I feel that this is a great opportunity to further educate our community about conscious living and bring together great like-minded representatives from Toyota and Jennifer McColm Certified to benefit the community. Jennifer McColm certifies products that meet our rigorous criteria and are proud to announce that the Toyota Highlander and Prius meet those standards.

Jennifer McColm partners with Whole Foods Markets

Jennifer McColm, Whole Foods Markets, Inc. and farmers’ market operator, Raw Inspiration, are opening their first farmers market in a joint venture between the three parties and developer Comstock Cosser Properties, the owners of El Segundo Plaza.

The market is located adjacent to the Whole Foods Market store at the El Segundo Plaza and the Grand Opening is set for Wednesday, September 23. The Whole Foods Farmers Market will be open every Wednesday between the hours of 10 am and 2 pm.

For further information, please call 818-591-8286

Tuning In

Keeping up with the most recent updates on environmental issues has never been easier. The latest eco-news, your local political report, new gadgets and tips for living la vida verde – all of this and more is just a click away. Many websites are offering free podcasts that you can listen to online at your computer or from anywhere via your mp3 player.

For example, iTunes has a large selection on a variety of topics such as:

• “Living Green” is a videocast hosted by Meredith Medland. Medland is an executive coach and journalist who focuses on the psychology and spirituality of ecology. Each video runs 30 to 45 minutes and covers items such as socially-responsible investing, clean tech, alternative healthcare, tourism and lots more.
• “America the Green” is a radio show that features 30 to 60-minute interviews with industry leaders on subjects from organic food to biofuels to policy making.
• Sierra Club Radio offers weekly, 30-minute podcasts of green news plus interviews with politicians, activists, journalists and other experts.

Short on time?

• “Planet Green” is a fun, 3 to 5-minute videocast featuring creative ideas and the newest eco-friendly products.
• “Our Changing Planet” is a series of 90-second videos by the Upper Midwest Aerospace Consortium at the University of North Dakota. As you probably have guessed, these videos are more scientific in nature than most podcasts, but still easily understood. Hosts explain both natural and man-made processes constantly in play on planet Earth.
• “Green Dirt” gives you a tip a day in just under a minute, like this gem: “instead of turning up the heat and walking around in a T-shirt, buy a wool sweater.”

My personal favorite is “Greentime”. This video blog documents the sustainable living efforts of a South Florida couple. In 15-minute segments, Rhett and Amy show and tell their attempts to be greener. Subjects include revealing research on renewable energy certificates to homemade body and face scrubs and everything in between. It’s inspiring to see real people actually trying the products and concepts that others just talk about.

These are just a few samples of what is available on the web today. Two words of caution: Surf Smart. Just because a “fact” is online, doesn’t mean it’s true. Cross-reference, find out who funded a study or a documentary, research the credentials of experts – in other words, know your source.

No matter what shade of green you are, there is a podcast to help you go greener.

Just stay tuned!

Green Celebrity: Ringo Starr

No more fan mail for Ringo Starr, the legendary drummer for one of my favorite groups of all time, the Beatles.  Now before you begin to think that he is not grateful for his fame and his fans, his decision is two folded.  First of all, can you imagine how many letters Starr receives on a weekly basis? And not just letters, but items that fans would like for him to sign for them – where do you suppose the majority of those items appear for sale? On eBay of course!  I’m sure it doesn’t make you feel good to have your “fans” use you as a profit making machine.  The former Beatle explains his 40 second video posted on his website by insisting the ‘ban’ on fan mail was “in direct response to an inordinate amount of items which have recently appeared for sale on eBay, and to those that repeatedly send cards and items to be signed.”

He also adds, “(It’s) a waste of paper and we all should be mindful of our carbon footprint.”

Quick Fact: the average American uses more than 730 pounds of paper each year, which ends up making close to 40% of our garbage.

Starr adds the video was not aimed at his “real fans” who have recognized that he “has always signed items and is in fact the only Beatle to have been doing so.”

The drummer says he is “amazed” by the reaction to his video message, and urges fans to “read this in a mellow way.”

So perhaps we could still send our “peace and love” to Richard Starkey via email or text message? Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, it’s always a step in the right direction when attention gets pointed to the importance of being aware of our carbon footprint.

Planet Green is the Place to Be

Amidst the ocean of infomercials you float through during insomnious nights rolls a new, refreshing wave which ebbs into daytime, as well– Planet Green. The Discovery Channel’s innovative companion airs 24 hours a day.

Planet Green hopes to show the young audience how they can start living a more natural life, and the older audience how to erase some of the heavy tracks they made on this world over the years. The station boasts programs that will teach you what it means to be green.

Greenovate, an environmentally-friendly spin-off of regular home renovation shows, couples homeowners with designers and consultants who specialize in green style. Renewable energy and sustainable products are key, as homeowners shop for the likes of solar panels and bamboo flooring to cut their home’s energy costs. For the viewers, Greenovate will compare the cost and effectiveness of these items to those traditionally used in order to prove that going green is not just beneficial for the environment, but for the user, too.

Mean Green Machines calls all motor enthusiasts. The action-packed half-hour showcase and competition matches an eco-friendly vehicle against its traditional gas-driven counterpart, examining the power, speed, endurance, and agility of both. An ATV, Land Rover, motocross bike, and snowmobile are just some of the contenders you will watch battle it out for the title of “Mean Green Machine.”

A cross between reality TV and ABC’s Extreme Home Makeover, Greensburg is not just a play on words. This Kansas town was devastated by an EF-5 tornado that stormed through in May 2007. Co-produced by Craig Piligian and Leonardo DiCaprio, Greensburg, a 13-episode series, follows citizens as they choose to not just rebuild, but construct a green community.

G Word offers a trendy look at green living, hosted by SuChin Pak, reporter and host for MTV, and Daniel Sieberg, science and technology correspondent for CBS news. This candid show covers hot topics on everything from simple recycling to eco “bedroom toys”.

Watching all of these shows and wondering just what you can do? Then, Wa$ted! is for you. Annabelle Gurtwitch and Holter Graham host this series that takes them into an environmentally-unfriendly home to point out what can be done to go green and reduce the wastefulness taking place each day. At the end of 21 days, those brief savings are figured for what they would bring throughout an entire year’s time, and that extra cash is given to the household as a prize.

If these informative programs do not offer up enough green knowledge, check out the Planet Green web site at http://planetgreen.discovery.com. Sign up for the newsletter and read daily blogs, green buying guides, and how-to’s. With Planet Green, sustainable living becomes simple.

Green Celebrity: Adrian Grenier

I’m glad to see that young Hollywood is embracing the green movement because it definitely furthers the cause. Especially when HBO hottie Adrian Greiner is leading the way! His new show, “Alter Eco”, will follow him and his “entourage” as they show all kinds of folks how to take small steps to live more eco-friendly lifestyles. According to the press release, the “new series shows viewers how easy it is to embrace the green life and reduce their carbon footprint — all with a sense of sustainable style.”

Grenier’s projects will range from an environmental home makeover to a complete eco-friendly renovation of a popular Los Angeles hotspot, formerly Tokio Lounge, now being renamed as ECCO. This new ECCO-lounge is expected to open in July and will feature an organic menu, environmentally-friendly cement (where waste materials are added to pack cement), waterless urinals and air pressure toilets. Even the city of Los Angeles is getting into the act as the DWP’s Green Power Resources will provide sustainable power for the club.
The 13-part series premiered on Monday, June 9, at 9 PM (ET/PT) on Planet Green, Discovery Channel’s brand new sister station.