April 2, 2010 Issue 56    
Mrs. Green's World

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Reflections on Earth Day
April 22nd will mark the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. Great, right? Upon reflection, I had to honestly ask myself where I was for the first 35-36 years since Earth Day was founded. Fast forward: Thoughts are literally flooding my brain as I look back on the last three explosive years of my life - since the conception and birth of Mrs. Green (metaphorically speaking.) Take a deep breath...

Five years ago, I guarantee you that I had no clue what GMO, CFL, nor LED stood for. I left the water on when I brushed my teeth, I used regular commercial brand everything - toothpaste, laundry soap, dish washing detergent, shampoo, deodorant, house cleaning products - you name it. I never gave a thought to how many times I flushed the toilet nor to how long my shower was. Our house had plastic bags shoved in every corner of the pantry; I used baggies like there were no tomorrow, bought two cases of bottled water every month and went through at least one roll of paper towels per week. And, yes, I confess - my idea of heaven was a particular fast food breakfast complete with a diet coke. Carbon footprint? Greenhouse gas? Not a clue. Lead in my lipstick? Parabens in my make-up? I thought an energy calculator was something solar powered, and I threw batteries in the garbage without another thought. What the heck was dirty gold? Weren't blood diamonds the subject of a Hollywood movie in some warring, greedy country, far away and with no connection to me? Energy Star was a cute label, and I am quite certain I didn't know that air conditioners had a SEER rating. Eco-travel meant saving money and carbon emissions were something nice people just didn't talk about. (Well, maybe that one is a bit of an exaggeration.) The smell of Clorox? That meant things were really clean even though my nostrils were on fire. And why in the world would anyone join a Clean Cities coalition? Afterall, we all want clean cities - right? Enough already - you get the picture.

As of this Earth Day, 2010, I am awake, I am alive, I am on a mission, and I have changed more things in my life than I can remember. All those things I wrote about in the last paragraph? I know what all the initials stand for, I never waste water, I watch movies like Food Inc. and blog about the evils of Monsanto. I read things like The Daily Green, Grist, Greenbuzz, Green Biz, Earth 911, the Wall Street Journal, Sustainable Brands, and Earth Justice. I have an all-green talk radio show, Tweet, and spread the green word on my Facebook Fan page. We just renamed my website because the WORLD is our green oyster. I am a member of the Clean Cities Coalition, the Southern Arizona Homebuilders Green Building Council, the Southern Arizona Green Chamber of Commerce and the USGBC - local chapter. I always check Bookmans before I buy a book and we take anything we are getting rid of to the Habistore, Goodwill or the landfills operated by the Fairfax Companies. I get my hair dyed at VerVe - an Aveda salon, buy organic at The Farmers Market, and live deeply troubled by the knowledge that 1.5 billion people don't have clean water today and what more could I be doing to help change that. I proudly travel about town in a Honda Insight that can be spotted a mile away. Some people at Chapman Tucson think my name is Mrs. Green and people call my house and ask my husband if he is Mr. Green.  I like that (so does he.) I believe that I AM another TEP bright solution.

But I am supposed to be writing a newsletter not a book. Sooooo, this Earth Day in the year 2010, I am Mrs. Green. I live in a world filled with hope, possibility and change and know how blessed I am to be surrounded by people like you. Happy Earth Day!

Did You Know?
Did you know that Elastek was founded in 1993 in Tucson, AZ and has experienced phenomenal growth and recognition within the entire roofing industry and the communities it serves since it opened its doors? Did you know that Elastek� elastomeric cool roof coatings and repair materials are among the most energy-saving products available in the desert Southwest market? Did you know that Elastek leads the industry in cool roof technology? Did you know that ENERGY STAR qualified roof coatings like Elastek can help reduce the amount of air conditioning needed in buildings, reducing peak cooling demand by 10-15%? Did you know that Elastek is offering their biggest discount ever on their Solar Tek Extreme at Ace Hardware Stores? And last but certainly not least, did you know that owners Rick and Janice Ulrich are just really nice people with great products, a great company and who give back to their community in ways too numerous to mention? You do now!

Welcome to Mrs. Green's Newest Business Advertiser
The Mrs. Green team proudly welcomes Marilyn Day from the SPARTAN Promotional Group of Arizona. Marilyn has been in the promotional products industry since 1992 and works from her office in Tucson - another successful home-based business. Marilyn provides quality products and service to each of her customers and takes special pride in her knowledge of items made from recycled materials. As a matter of fact, I don't think I have ever seen Marilyn promote anything that isn't environmentally friendly AND safe. Every month, at our Women in Waste meetings, I look forward to seeing what fun, interesting "goodie" Marilyn has brought to gift us with - from cool biodegradable pens to even cooler reusable bags, to safe, BPA free water bottles. You name it, Marilyn either knows about good, green products or will find them for you. As with almost every person I have met since my Mrs. Green journey began, Marilyn also cares about her community and gives back. She is active in various organizations, including Southern Arizona Employee Services Management Association, Pima Early Rising Executives, and Women in Waste. And ya know what else? I really, really like her.

Upcoming Shows

I would have to say that water is the single issue about which Mrs. Green is most passionate. I so look forward to interviewing Lisa because this group envisions residents and communities capable of actively managing natural resources on their own property or within their local watershed. Through their progressive outlook, they perceive opportunities instead of obstacles and human potential instead of human failure. They look for long-term resource solutions to ensure the prosperity of people and protect the ecological integrity of the land. What a positive, wonderful, what we can do attitude. Join me!
 
Tucson Children's Museum4/10

Mrs. Green Live at the Tucson Children's Museum (TCM) -
Sponsored by Tucson Electric Power (TEP). Mrs. Green is going on the road this month and this is the first stop. We will be at the Tucson Children's Museum for a day of fun with the kids AND learn quite a bit about the mission and vision of the Museum, what they are doing that's green and what their vision is for our sustainable future. Mrs. Green will also be interviewing Betsy Bolding from TEP about why they are so supportive of the TCM. TEP is truly committed to exploring every avenue of alternative energy and Betsy will speak to TEP's leadership role in that exploration. Bring the entire family to this fun, free event. It's all part of Mrs. Green's message for the Spring - get going, get outside, have some family fun! 
 
Biosphere 24/17
Biosphere 2
Mrs. Green, sponsored by The Fairfax Companies,
on the road again. Please come out and join the celebration of Earth Month at Biosphere 2! How fitting is it that Mrs. Green will interview previous guest and one of the Biosphereans Jane Poynter on this special day? Jane has just released her new book:  Champions for Change, about athletes making a world of difference. Also on the show will be Travis Huxman, Director, Biosphere 2 and B2 Earthscience Associate Professor, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at The University of Arizona. Phew... Huxman is a broadly trained biologist who is interested in the evolution of plant traits and the impacts of climate change on ecosystems. Guests who enjoy an international reputation in their specialty areas - of which there are many? You bet!  
 
Green Fest4/24
Mrs. Green is on the road AGAIN for GreenFest 2010,
sponsored by Bookmans! Bob Oldfather, founder of Bookmans Entertainment Exchange and visionary for Tucson - The Solar City, will join Mrs. Green at the Tucson Botantical Gardens to talk about his vision for branding Tucson as The Solar City. GreenFest 2010 (sponsored by Bookmans and the Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona) is a free community event that will be filled with eco-conscious family fun and green living know-how! There will be interactive, hands-on workshops and activities for kids and adults. Tune in to hear Mrs. Green so you can hear about all of them. So come early and stay til the end. 8:30 to 2 p.m. Admission to GreenFest is FREE and a good time will be had by all!
 
Viva La Vida Verde5/1
Are you ready for Viva La Vida Verde - Livin' the Green Life from the Inside Out?  We hope so! Doucette Homes, Clean Cities and Mrs. Green are heading out to Doucette Homes at Civano Orchards for our first in a series of green business market!  Instead of selling produce or organic goat cheese like the Farmers Market, our dream is to gather businesses committed to selling tried and true green products and to show case them. We will have vendors with products for your home and/or who provide services that improve the quality of all of our lives - the first model in the country? We hope. Solar companies, eco-friendly deck tiles, green plumbing, green cleaning products - just color it green! We need you to help create the buzz and to successfully put the spotlight on Tucson! 

Michael Shuman5/8
Michael Shuman - author, activist, brainiac. When I heard Michael Shuman speak at the University of Arizona several months ago, I couldn't stop talking about his message and actually, I still haven't. Author of The Small-Mart Revolution, Michael shared story after story about how local businesses are beating the global competition. He knows that bigger isn't always better and that in many cases, small locally owned businesses often outperform their "big box" competition. Michael will share with us dozens of specific examples that prove that small businesses are still the backbone of our Country's economic foundation. He is fun, he is informative and inspirational. You will love this show and Michael's message. 

Mrs. Green Goes Mainstream's All Green Talk Radio Show
Please remember to tune in to Mrs. Green Goes Mainstream every Saturday at 12:05 p.m. PST on NEWSTALK KNST 790 AM or live, streaming on the internet at www.790knst.com.
 
 

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Mrs. Green welcomes your comments and feedback:
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