Monthly Archives: April 2009
Get Off The Bottle
| April 30, 2009 | Posted by Lisa Sharp under Uncategorized |
So why do we buy it? I have gotten all kinds of answers.
“It tastes better.” In almost all blind taste studies people can’t taste the difference or even pick tap water as their favorite. My town has a lot of chlorine in our water, so much you can smell it and taste it so a filter is a must but with a filter it’s better than bottled!
“It’s safer.” Wrong again. Tap water has stronger regulations than bottled. Bottled water has been found to contain everything from acetaminophen to bromodichloromethane.
When so many people can’t get clean water why do we feel the need to have it in our homes and buy it in plastic bottles? Feels a bit selfish to me. But it’s all about the mind set.
We have been programed by big companies to think it’s normal and better. They don’t want us to know the true cost of that bottled water. The fuel to make, the fuel to ship it, the waste when they harvest it, the waste when they make it, and the waste when we are done with it.
The cost is huge and your impact can be huge if you just say no to bottled water.
If you don’t like the taste of your tap water get a filter, Brita will take theirs back so that would be my choice. Then buy a non-toxic water bottle like Sigg or Klean Kanteen. And then all you have to do is use it!
Live Green Expo
| April 26, 2009 | Posted by Lisa Sharp under Uncategorized |
My mom and I went to Plano, TX’s Live Green Expo last weekend. We live about 3 hours away so my wonderful husband booked us a hotel room for the night before which meant we had time to go to Whole Foods the Friday before the expo!
The closest Whole Foods to us is about 2 and 1/2 hours from us so we don’t go often. Since we didn’t have the guys with us we went down every row (other than vitamins). We spent about an hour and a half.
I was going to take pictures for this blog and because my friend Christi really wanted to go with us so I was taking pictures so she could “be with us in spirit” haha. Well I guess Whole Foods is scared we will steal some idea though I have no idea what that would be. So I got in trouble for taking pictures. Was a bit funny.
After Whole Foods we went to our beautiful hotel! We each had our own bedroom and bathroom, there was a full kitchen and a living room area. We also had free internet which is a huge plus for me. We did have three tv’s. We thought we should turned all the lights on and all three tv’s but forgot to.
After the hotel we went to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. It was very yummy. We both got sandwiches I guess thinking it would make up for the cheesecake but they were huge so not sure they really did haha. We took our cheesecake back to the hotel and while both came in plastic I did ask for no plastic bag after seeing everyone leaving with them. I carried them out in a reusable bag. Sorry Beth, I meant to take my container but forgot. 
When we got back to the hotel we ate our cheesecake with real forks and cloth napkins I brought with me.
The Expo Saturday morning was packed! It was raining a bit so they couldn’t park people on the grass like they had planned so we had to park at the near by college and they had buses going back and forth.
We were both impressed by the fact that the Plano Centre had dual flush toliets in the bathrooms. I hope I’m not the only person that takes pictures in public bathrooms haha.
The Expo was full of great booths. We started looking at all of them but didn’t come close to seeing half of them and it was time for the eco fashion show which was really neat. There were student designers that upcycled clothes and local professional designers with eco-friendly fabric clothing. The students were my favorite.
Next in that room was Ed Begley Jr. and we had good seats so we decided to stay put. We were glad we did because the room ended up packed. There wasn’t even standing room left. They opened the big glass doors that lined the outside so people could listen from outside. We were only a few sits away from Ed!
After we were able to meet him which was amazing! I had him sign my book and my mom got a picture of me with him. He was a WONDERFUL speaker. Really knows how to speak to his crowd. He talked about T. Boone Pickens (being we were in Texas haha) and was very up on what was going on in Plano (more so than me!). He also was very down to earth and so nice.
Of course that was the highlight of the day! I called my friend Christi as soon as we left the room to tell her about it, of course she is a big fan and had been asking all day if I had seen him yet.
We then got lunch which was not so green. It wasn’t good food, I had a hotdog (oh the nitrates!) and it was in a paper box and wrapped in foil. I think I’m going to e-mail the Live Green Expo about how they can green that next year. I will update you on that.
We did watch a bit of a food demonstration by Iron Chef Kent Rathbun. We couldn’t see very well so we didn’t stay long. After checking out the other booths we got to see Ed Begley Jr. again speaking on a panel about green building. We really enjoyed that as well.
We left soon after Ed’s last speech. We then went to Whole Food’s again to drop off #5 plastic and spent about 30 more minutes in there.
It was a wonderful trip and I hope to go again next year. My picks for keynote speakers are Sara Snow, Bill Nye or Ed Begley Jr. again!
Happy Earth Day!
| April 22, 2009 | Posted by Lisa Sharp under Uncategorized |
This is a video from last year but it is a good one.
We have done a lot for the environment. Many things that people said couldn’t be done. At the Live Green Expo in Plano, TX on Saturday, Ed Begley Jr. talked about that in California the air quality may not be great but the smog has been decreased by around 50%, despite the fact that there are four times as many cars on the road.
The hole in the ozone is not only not getting bigger, it’s smaller! We can solve this, if we work together!
Do it for your family, do it for the children, do it for the animals, do it for yourself. This Earth Day I urge you to pick one thing that will make you a little greener.
Ride your bike in place of driving, pick up trash in the park, start recycling, use a reusable bag, change a light bulb to a CFL, plant a garden, plant a tree, there are so many things you can do.
Stand up for our future and the planets future! Celebrate the earth today.
This post is for the Green Moms Carnival,
hosted by A Passion For Green Business.
Quick Update
| April 19, 2009 | Posted by Lisa Sharp under Uncategorized |
The trip to Plano, TX was amazing! We got to hear Ed Begley Jr. speak twice, he signed my book, and I got my picture with him!!! I will post more about it later. I’m very tired, it was a long day.
Who Started The Tea Parties???
| April 15, 2009 | Posted by Lisa Sharp under Uncategorized |
We started this! I won’t be at one because it’s been taken over and not about what it should have been about.
The Many Uses Of Hemp
| April 13, 2009 | Posted by Lisa Sharp under Uncategorized |
Hemp has been a big part of US history yet we can’t grow it anymore. You can buy hemp in the US. I have hemp powder in my kitchen right now. It’s high in protein and very good for you.
Hemp is in the same family as cannabis but to get high off of hemp you would have to smoke a telephone pole size joint in a short amount of time.
As Ford showed we can build cars from hemp! We can eat it, put it in clothing, keep our house warm with it, fuel our cars, and so much more.
With our economy in the toilet wouldn’t it make sense to legalize hemp? A crop that helped us through WWII. With Victory Gardens back why not Victory Hemp?!
Hemp really is an amazing plant. It uses few resources, draws in more c02 than other plants and needs no pesticides.
Eight states allow hemp farmer according to state laws: Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Montana, North Dakota, Vermont, and West Virginia but federal laws are stopping them.
“Since 1970, the federal Controlled Substances Act’s inclusion of industrial hemp in the schedule one definition of marijuana has prohibited American farmers from growing industrial hemp despite the fact that industrial hemp has such a low content of THC (the psychoactive chemical in the related marijuana plant) that nobody can be psychologically affected by consuming hemp. Federal law concedes the safety of industrial hemp by allowing it to be legally imported for use as food.”- Congressman Ron Paul
Thankfully some in Washington are listening. Representatives Barney Frank (D-MA) and Ron Paul (R-TX) have introduced the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2009, HR 1866.
Please contact your representative and urge him or her to support the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2009, HR 1866.
Friend In Need
| April 13, 2009 | Posted by Lisa Sharp under Uncategorized |
A friend of mine, Jessica, just lost her home in the Murfreesboro, TN tornado on the 10th. Thankfully she and her family were out of town when it hit so they aren’t hurt but they have lost everything.
If you can send anything to help them out that would be wonderful! Anything they can’t use will be shared with others in the area that have lost homes. They are very loving and wonderful people that are always helping others so they really deserve this help now as they try and rebuild.
They have two small boys and a baby girl. So if you have anything please let me know and I can get you the address and sizes for the kids. You can e-mail me at love_cats05@yahoo.com
If you can’t send anything please send your thoughts and prayers!
Happy Easter!
| April 12, 2009 | Posted by Lisa Sharp under Uncategorized |
I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter. For everyone that observed Lent, I hope you are enjoying what you gave up. I will be back on Facebook.com today! I also hope you keep your Easter green! Here are some ways to do that:
Save those plastic eggs! Either use them next year or use them for crafts.
Save Easter baskets. You can reuse them next year.
If any of the candy came in recyclable wrappers remember to recycle them.
If you are having a get together use real dishes if you can. Remember to recycle everything you can.
Count eggs before you hide them to be sure you pick them all up! That candy can be toxic for animals and plastic egg is for sure.
Most of all if you are a Christian remember the true meaning of this day! Happy Easter to you all!
Christians & The Green Movement…
| April 11, 2009 | Posted by Lisa Sharp under Uncategorized |
“All things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things and in Him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:16-17
I often wonder why aren’t Christians at the forefront of the “green movement.” God told us to be the stewards of the earth. Yet the “bible belt” seems the most behind in “going green.”
To be fair it seems to mostly be the conservative Christians dragging their feet. For some reason some conservative Christians seem sure I’m really a liberal or something because I can’t be a registered Republican Christian and an environmentalist.
But why not? Most conservative Christians say the Christian part comes first and my God said to take care of the earth not trash it. This isn’t a political issue, how to deal with it maybe but the issues at hand are real and nothing political.
Slowly I’m seeing Christians getting it. Seeing that this isn’t about politics, it doesn’t matter if climate change is real. Anyway you look at it we are in trouble.
I just hope Christians, including conservative Christians will ask themselves if this is really how we should be treating our gift from God? We need to look past our differences and work together.
Fabkins Is Making Green Fun For Kids!
| April 10, 2009 | Posted by Lisa Sharp under Uncategorized |
Just in time for Earth Day Fabkins has announced new napkin designs, an educational “green kit” for schools, and new partner promotions.
Fabkins are super cute napkins designed for kids. They feature cute designs and are the perfect size for your kids. Between you and me these are also great for adults lunches!
In honor of Earth Day they have just added some beautiful new polar bear napkins! These napkins come in two packs and are blue with a soft polar bear on each napkin. A portion of the revenue will go to a Polar Bear conservation fund.
They also have new Earth Day toolkits for schools. They feature step-by-step guides, classroom activities, tips and more.
Fabkins has also partnered with other eco-friendly companies to offer specials just for Earth Day, such as, a complimentary Let’s Go Green Kids CD and a discount with waste-free lunch product provider Kids Konserve.
Check out Fabkins today and start on your way to a waste free life!
