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Greetings!
Green Schizophrenia
I think the world may truly be suffering from a new acute condition called green schizophrenia. People want green/they don't want green. People want to save water/people want pretty lawns. People want less waste/people care less about less waste. To support my theory, two articles caught my attention today when I was reading the Wall Street Journal and thinking about the content for this newsletter.
First one, front page: Snack Attack: Chip Eaters Make Noise about a Crunchy Bag. I couldn't make this up. People are complaining how much noise it makes to open the new, 100% compostable Frito Lay Sun Chips bag. It gets worse. Someone started a Facebook page about it called "Sorry but I can't hear you over this Sun Chips bag." It has 29,949 fans. Brace yourself. There is a VIDEO on the WSJ's video page which likens the noise to a plane exploding and to a real bomb going off. Not funny at all. ( www.wsj.com/PageOne and search for article) Loved Frito Lay's response. They attached signs to shelves that read: "Yes, the bag is loud, that's what change sounds like." OMG - ingenious! My take? Kudos to Frito Lay. It had to take lots of time, money & effort to make this happen. It's a good thing. To the people with no life who have made videos about it? Get a scissor, volunteer, write about something that matters or something that is really funny. And turn your iPod down when you are sitting next to me on the plane. It's annoying. Second one, front page Personal Journal Section: Gardening Without a Sprinkler. ( www.wsj.com/PageOne). The short version? More and more people around the country are either tired of spending lots of time, water and money to have the perfect lawn or they are simply wanting to move in a more eco r-friendly direction. Some of them are creating beautiful, dry gardens, some moving to xeriscape, and some just letting nature do its thing. Enter the dreaded HOAs (Home Owners Associations) and City Ordinances. Case in point: One couple actually went to the trouble to have their yard receive a "certified wildlife habitat" designation from the National Wildlife Federation. (Did you know about that?). The owners said they were tired of fighting an uphill battle with nature to keep their lawn picture perfect. They put up a sign saying their new garden provides food, water and shelter for birds and other pollinators. What a concept! Unimpressed, City Hall in Hurst, Texas, sent them a letter calling their property a nuisance. They received one citation that called the yard "offensive to neighborhood." What would Mother Nature have to say about that? Sigh. My take and the truth? A natural lawn would stick out in a neighborhood with pristine, manicured lawns (that require time, water, fertilizer and are NOT natural). And it would take some getting used to but it's an idea whose time has come - rather urgently if you read about the water shortages in our country. The article gave me pause and helped me to recalibrate my thoughts about those beautiful lawns and the smell of fresh cut grass - I'm trying to imagine birds chirping and those other pollinators as the "natural norm."
Mrs. Green is on the hunt for companies and workplaces that are miles ahead of the pack when it comes to keeping it green and making conscious efforts to be more eco-friendly.
Do you work for (or know of) a company that takes great steps to save energy, reduce waste, and provide a nontoxic work environment? We want to hear about it and feature them in the challenge!
We're taking submissions for green workplaces during August and September. And, starting September 7th, anyone can visit our website to vote for which workplace they think is the greenest! Is this fun AND a call to action or what?
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Did You Know?
Did you know that Tucson Electric Power Company (TEP) has a section of their website (Green Energy) that will help you find programs and services to assist you in conserving energy through renewable resources? Did you know that it has a myriad of subjects on this one page covering everything from residential solar water heaters to Energy Star lighting to energy saving tips? Did you know that they have Energy Calculators which include how to measure your carbon footprint to explaining and measuring phantom energy to how to count kilowatts? Did you know that TEP has something called the GreenWatts program and that when you join, 100 percent of your contribution goes toward installing solar power systems at community schools and nonprofit organizations in their area? Did you know TEP also has something called the Energy Advisor which provides online energy tools to help you understand and manage your energy use and control your energy costs? And the list goes on. Bright Solutions? Yes, indeed! |
Upcoming Shows
 8/21Robert Glennon, author of Unquenchable: America's Water Crisis and What To Do About It. I have heard Robert speak on two different occasions and have read his book. After you listen to what he has to say, the research he has done and the facts he presents us with, I doubt you will ever feel the same about water again. Robert's official title is Morris K. Udall Professor of Law & Public Policy. It sounds impressive and Robert will impress you even more. His book really is both frightening and wickedly funny. Be ready to hear some of Robert's shocking stories of extravagance and waste that are sucking the nation dry. Get ready with your questions. Robert has the answers.  8/28
Lon Huber & Mark Sholin - University of Arizona: Spotlight on Sustainability. This show will be a hoot! Mark and Lon are two young men that give me hope for the future and I guarantee you will feel the same way. They don't see problems, they don't see us "running out" - they see innovation, creativity and change. They invent "things" and solutions. They want to solve our nation's dependency on foreign oil. They are smart, intelligent and fun to be around. At this point I am not even sure everything we will talk about but I promise you a fun, action packed, thought provoking show covering topics we all care about!  9/4
The Best of Mrs. Green - Mrs. Green will be out of town living green this weekend and we will be broadcasting a best of Mrs. Green show. Due to popular demand, we will re-broadcast Paul Bonavia's interview. Paul is the CEO/President of UniSource/Tucson Electric Power. He is a visionary whose message about the world's energy options is important, on-point and honest. People loved this show so we are bringing it back in case you were not able to tune in.
9/11
Stevie Mack - The Future of Print for the Small Business Owner with guest host Scott Caddow from Legendary World! Going green/greener can present tremendous challenges to the small business owner who is committed to more sustainable practices. How do you convert your advertizing from a proven, snail mail, catalogue format to a greener, web-based one without losing business? How do you know your clients are ready for that and that you won't lose them? Stevie will share with us some of the things she had to consider when she wanted to move her company in a greener direction and how her customers are adapting to the change. Stevie and Scott are two business owners with challenges, solutions and commitment to change.
 9/18
Phillip Greene - author of Running on Empty: A Handbook for Understanding and Surviving the Energy Crisis. Phillip was moved to write this book because of the lack of leadership and action by the past four Federal Administrations to break the stranglehold of a few oil producing countries, large oil companies and auto manufacturers on our supplies of energy and our very way of life. His search of information in books and on the Internet revealed that there was no single book that explained what was happening today in the field of energy in a clear, understandable way, and how the energy crisis came to be. So he wrote one! Please join Phillip Greene and me as we discuss how he answers the questions concerning our energy supply and a look at what the future might bring. Solar powered crystal ball?
 9/25
Travis Huxman and Bob Logan: Biosphere 2. Biosphere 2's mission is to serve as a center for research, outreach, teaching and life-long learning about Earth, its living systems and its place in the universe. How do they operate? What are they studying? What kind of impact does it have for us and for the planet? And what kinds of things are they finding out? Mrs. Green will have lots of questions ready for these two amazing, informative guests who have the answers. And, yes, we will have some fun. |
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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 790 KNST AM or live, streaming on the internet at www.790knst.com.
Spread the Green Word!
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Mrs. Green welcomes your comments and feedback: [email protected]
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