Good Evening, I think the (green) goblins will be at the door shortly looking for sugar this Halloween so I better get a quick Green Gazette written for your perusal. I’ve been keeping my eyes peeled for new eco-news and I’ve a few tasty treats for you.

Boo!

Actually that’s a boooo for CFO’s of large corporations based on this story. Despite green awareness being at an all time high and the public looking to their employer as well as their neighbour for green initiatives being enacted it’s not a good headline to read - “‘most CFOs don’t have eco changes planned” (for 2010). More than 2/3 of the executives surveyed announced that their company planned to make no eco changes for next year which is a resoundingly negative thing to report. Perhaps they don’t understand that customers and business partners are equally seeking suppliers that blend service/quality and a green commitment. We incorporate eco values in our daily business and feel others should step up and be counted too.

So often I focus on breaking news and inventions that I forget to share eco-resources. I must say this is one of the best I’ve come across recently. Eco-Rate is a site developed out of Seattle that provides independent reviews of a wealth of products (with links to purchase) and rates them based on an eco-scale. Each product is rated based on three factors: human health, environmental protection and financial feasibility. What adds value to the site is that most of the products are ‘normal’ household items that we both use frequently but will indeed find ourselves in the market for fairly often. From computers to paint, toilets to showerheads; the site allows you to do some homework and then use your informed decision to make a more environmentally friendly purchase. 3rd party reviews, product tests and energy saving statistics are all other features on the site that it worth bookmarking for your next shopping trip.

If you’re in Los Angeles here’s an event that will last the duration of November if you have time to visit. Hip and trendy Echo Park on the near West side of town is promoting the month long ‘Eco in Echo Park’ festival that will promote sustainable fashion art and design in a structured way. There’s a full guide right here so please take a look (you can always shop online if L.A. isn’t nearby). Organic clothing and recycled accessories are plentiful and the neighbourhood is a great place to visit at any time of year, unlike so much of the city you can actually walk from place to place. Check it out…it’s a good time of year for gift shopping plus you can make a difference to the planet at the same time. They should rename the park Eco-Park just for fun, it used to be an area that the only green was what the muggers would take out of your wallet so it’s nice to see the change now complete.

I wanted to close with a suggestion for a truly eco-holiday on the tiny Caribbean island of Dominica (not the Dominican Republic…different entirely). I just read about the island and found these wonderful eco-treehouses that you can stay in at the Three Rivers Eco Resort. The buildings look remarkable but naturally there’s so much more to it than that. The terraced cottages feature solar water heaters, self composting toilets, biodegradable furnishing and other special features. The entire resort (in the heart of a rain forest) was built from naturally fallen timber from the forest. The small island is winning awards and making headlines for it’s green initiatives and I’m sure it’s worthy of discovery….if only I had the time! Dominica is somewhere I’ve never been but would love to hear from anyone who has visited.

Back during the week, enjoy your all saints day.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Tags: corporate green programs, Corporate Responsibility, Dominica, Echo Park, eco echo park, eco hotel, eco product ratings, eco resort, eco-friendly clothing, green goblin, Los Angeles, planet forward, rain forest, three little pigs

Related Posts

1. Green Gazette (Issue 18) South Park, Eco-TV, Al Gore and Safeway
2. Green Gazette (Issue 8) Green(er)land, cremation and Costa Rica
3. Green Gazette (Issue 40) Eco-retailing, Plastiki and winning the lottery
4. Green Gazette (Issue 36) Teletubbies, Eco Golf Balls and Legoland
5. Yosemite National Park adds green store and hotel rooms