Good Evening, I hope this post finds you in the middle of a very enjoyable weekend wherever you may be. The Green Gazette rolls on as I become Peter Pan in my youthful quest for news of a green variety. (not sure about the Peter Pan reference but he wore green and never got old…or climbed a beanstalk…or something). There are some good tales to share tonight so please read on.

Being eco-friendly has (usually) received positive press and almost all efforts are appreciated. Even if your neighbour doesn’t cheer on your daily decisions you can be safe in the knowledge that the planet will benefit and the generations to come will do the same. But (and there’s always a but) you have to be careful not to overdo things. Being eco-active has to stay within the laws of the land or you might end up in a situation like Jeffrey Luers. Remember his name? Back in 2001 he went to jail for being an ‘eco-sabateur’ more specifically he was an arsonist who lit various vehicles and a petroleum tanker on fire to protest on behalf of green issues. Needless to say that resulted in a stiff sentence of 22 years. Anyway, he is back in the news for being released from prison but then going straight back into confinement. An interesting story that’s worth a read. Moral of the story - be green, but not naive! Purchasing a stainless steel bottle is just as worthy and has no risk of jail time for you!

When I was recently in Southern California I was impressed with the number of hybrid cars, eco-initiatives and a general awareness of the environment. There’s a lot to be said for taking a stand and I see it now comes from more and more unlikely places. For example in gorgeous Santa Monica a pizza parlour is taking a stance that even the  classic pizza shop can be green. Pizza Fusion is the restaurant and if your slogan is:

“Saving The Earth One Pizza at a Time”

You had best be able to back it up….and they do. I’d love to see other pizza houses do this. All deliveries in hybrid vehicles, discounts for customers who return pizza boxes for recycling, LEED certified, providing employees with 100% organic clothing, an eco-class for children once a month and much much more (the list on the site is really impressive). Best of all the company is winning awards for the most important aspect, the pizza tastes brilliant. Better still they are opening franchises all over the USA.

From delicious food I have to make an uncomfortable transition to nappies, or as they are probably known to most reading the blog - diapers. Can diapers be green? (I don’t mean the contents). The answer is of course yes, they used to be back in the old days. Prior to 1961 (I did my homework) there was no such thing as disposable diapers and the waste (pun intended) that goes with them. In the UK a local government district is offering a free two week introduction and full supplies to get you started as well with a method that goes back many years - washable diapers. Eco-friendly fully organic cotton diapers are becoming very popular in the UK it seems and I wonder if this will spread? Read this and ask yourself if you would? (assuming you’ve a baby nearby)

A spokesman said: “Washable nappies are better for your baby, better for your finances and better for the environment.
“They are now even easier to use than ever and they don’t need safety pins.” (I need to understand this….*addendum Velcro, of course!!)

Finally here is a radical idea but I can see it taking shape in Europe though I’m not sure how well it would be greeted elsewhere. Richmond (in London) has introduced a parking charge that is directly linked to the emissions rating of your vehicle. The greener your car the lower your parking rates. Cynics will cite it as just another way to increase revenue streams (many countries already determine road tax based your road tax on engine size) but I applaud it. Considering fuel efficiency in North American has barely changed in 25 years although the technology is in place more needs to be done. So many engine improvements and efficiencies are offset by vehicles being 25-40% heavier than they were a generation ago. Some people won’t mind paying the extra taxes and surcharges but the true goal is reduction in emissions - and that has to be a good thing. Europe is also offering an advanced rebate program (similar to the US) to get vehicles more than 10 years old off of the roads entirely.

That’s all for now.

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Tags: carbon emissions, eco activisim, eco decisions, eco diapers, eco education, eco nappies, eco pizza, Eco-friendly organic cotton, eco-sabateur, green diapers, green pizza, jeffrey luers, LEED, LEED certification, organic clothing, pizza fusion, planet forward, recyling, reusable diapers, stainless steel bottle, stainless steel water bottles, sustainable product, vehicle emissions

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