Archive for Sustainable Living
New cruse ship sewage ban for 2011
Posted by: | CommentsI’ve never been one who really enjoys an extended period of time in a confined space therefore going on a cruise has never held particular appeal to me. I’ve been on ferries crossing the Irish Sea and the North Sea to visit Ireland and Europe but always using the ship as a method of transport not as a holiday. Naturally without my participation the cruise industry is still huge and growing on an annual basis. While I lived in Los Angeles I marveled at the size of the magnificent ships harboured in San Pedro waiting like sentinels to take their cargo of two or three thousand holidaymakers down the Pacific Coast to various Mexican and Central American ports of call. I never realized until reading a recent article that sewage from these huge vessels was not previously restricted for dumping in coastal waters.
Happily new federal regulations will now ban all cruise ships and larger commercial ships from discharging their sewage within 3 miles of the California coastline according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. The laws come into play in 2011 and it is estimated that the results will keep approximately 20,000,000 gallons of sewage away from coastal waters annually. In addition to cruise ships commercial boats in excess of 300 tons will also be subject to the same rulings. The US Coast Guard will also have the authority to charge vessels with sewage violations. Naturally enough when a cruise ship with sometimes as many as 4000 passengers takes to the seas it becomes the equivalent of a small city offshore and all the resultant pollution that goes with that many residents.
Many cruise lines are stating that the ban will have little impact as they already have internal policies which reflect an earlier law that was passed in 2005 with many operators now keeping sewage in large tanks to either dump further out at sea or transferred to wastewater treatment facilities. Nevertheless the impact on commercial vessels should also help the water quality on the Pacific coast that has continued to deteriorate in recent decades. The law makes perfect sense especially when stringent laws have already been passed to reduce runoff from rivers and sewage centers and pipes that are onshore.
I still don’t think it’s enough to make me want to jump on a 10 day cruise and have dinner with strangers every evening but it’s good to see the EPA holding the cruise industry to task when it comes to environmental matters. Surely the best procedure of all would result in banning the discharge of sewage anywhere on the seas rather than just the coastal barrier that has now been more properly enforced. One step at a time but it’s most certainly a step in a positive direction.
Chrissie Hynde launches new eco clothing line that will be The Talk of The Town
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If you grew up in the same era as I did and music played a significant part of your life, you’ll already be very familiar with Chrissie Hynde the vocalist who founded the band The Pretenders in 1978. Since their first album in 1979 The Pretenders have remained a going concern for over 30 years now although there have been lineup changes Chrissie Hynde has always remained at the front of a band who were hugely popular in the 1980s. Hynde’s public profile has been high for many years and not just due to her music, as she has been an avid campaigner for animal rights groups and has been an active part of PETA and Viva! for many years. It’s always great when a musician has something to say about social issues of any sort especially when their time is also spent actively supporting groups that benefit the world as a whole. Hynde has long been a dedicated vegan and has even opened her own vegan restaurant back in her hometown of Akron, Ohio.
Chrissie has also had some high-profile romances including Ray Davies of The Kinks, Jim Kerr of Simple Minds and renowned artist Lucho Brieva. In fact her most recent relationship with producer/musician JP Jones has resulted in the two of them launching a brand-new eco-friendly line of clothing. As you would expect the new clothing line contains numerous items that are not just environmentally friendly but also stylish with more than a hint of rock ‘n roll.
The company is called Fairground Luck and will contain no animal skins and all products will be made in an eco-friendly fashion. While the high-end line is targeted towards musicians essentially anything could be worn by anyone such as stylish T-shirts, skinny jeans, faux leather jackets and cowboy boots. Chrissie believes not enough choice exists when one comes to choosing clothing with a rock sensibility. She adds:
“Like most women, I love fashion and clothes. I love handbags and shoes. Everybody will be able to find everything they love in a non-leather version, fashion should be fun. I’ve thought about this for years. How to get non-leather cool boots and stuff. Ask EmmyLou Harris what her favourite boots are, and get Todd Oldham to design them”
The product line will definitely have a certain amount of flair attached to it seeing as famed designers Todd Oldham and John Bartlett have worked with Hynde on the entire product catalog. Fairground Luck does not yet appear to have a website that is live but I’m sure that will follow in the weeks ahead. But in the meantime I suggest you stop your sobbing, keep your brass in pocket because these new clothes will be the talk of the town. If you’re a Pretenders fan you know what I’m saying!
Expedia.com help bring ‘green hotels’ into the marketplace
Posted by: | CommentsThe days of just booking a hotel by calling the chains toll free number have been greatly changed by large online travel agencies who have cornered the bookings part of the market by combining the best in selection, information and pricing - all key factors for someone planning a trip. Expedia.com® have emerged as the largest online travel agency but in addition to value and scope of selection they have also developed 
an online tool that is ideal for the environmentally conscious traveler. Via a very specific approval process hotels can be approved as green properties and customers can now search with that specific criteria in mind .
The Expedia.com Green hotel program has not been activated for very long but new properties keep getting added to the program which now boasts over 2,000 options for the well informed traveler which also is the largest such range of choices amongst online agencies. Tim MacDonald, senior vice president and general manager, Expedia.com adds:
“Expedia.com is committed to helping travelers find the broadest range of ‘green’ properties in the industry, the recent inclusion of Hilton Worldwide’s brands, that use the LightStay system, in Expedia.com’s Green Hotel Program helps fulfill that commitment.”
Expedia expect the choices to grow rapidly in the years ahead as the immportance of a hotel’s practices will soon be akin to their overall facilities and locations as travelers place this ever higher on their list of needs. The company are partnering with a non profit called Sustainable Travel International.org to build even more inroads within the marketplace. Expedia explain part of the approach more fully beneath:
Find green hotels that balance environmental protection and social responsibility—without sacrificing your comfort. Together with Sustainable Travel International, we’ve pinpointed the green hotels that are pioneering green travel practices. Green travel—also known as responsible travel, sustainable travel, eco-tourism, and geotourism—is redefining the travel industry. Hotels and other tourism companies are being challenged to do business in an increasingly environmentally friendly, socially responsible way. This growing demand has spurred many hotels, both large and small, to implement green business practices. To recognize these green hotels, each striving toward the three main areas of sustainability—environmental protection, socio-cultural responsibility, and local economic growth—we’ve compiled a list with the help of Sustainable Travel International!
The example of newly added Hilton’s measurements are a clear indicator of how individual proprerties will be assessed as over 200 operational practices are measured, including housekeeping, paper product usage, food waste, chemical storage, air quality and transportation. Expedia’s purchasing power also means that people who book green are also getting the best available deals for the hotels in question which makes the choice that much easier.
To learn much more about Expedia’s green hotel program please visit for the specific details on their site - or better still bookmark it and use it the next time you travel!!
My Organic Garden - Attacking Sicilian Zucchini
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Last week I painted a picture of a garden where even though the pickings were slim, it was serene and harmonious. Well, apparently I spoke too soon. That’s right my Zen scenario has turned into a full on war after just a few rainstorms. What happened to Kumbaya?
I mentioned previously that my Sicilian zucchini plants were attaching themselves to other plants in the immediate vicinity. What I didn’t know was that with a little rain this plant’s tentacles would Hulk out and start taking over my entire plot of land. You must be thinking I am exaggerating but this is actually what has transpired. These tentacles of the Sicilian zucchini plant have woven their way out of the zucchini section of the garden and into the main garden. They have not only attached themselves to the tomato plants that were two and half feet away but have made their way - as far as five feet away – over to my onions to put their stranglehold on them. Actually, I had left the wheelbarrow out on the law and the zucchini not only grew three feet across the law but also attached itself to the handle of the wheelbarrow and then decided to made a right turn into the bin.