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Greetings!
Right-doing, Wrong-doing and Ought-To-Be-Doing
I admit I can't quote too much poetry. I love to read it (sustains my soul) but only short, meaningful lines seem to stick with me, if that. I love the Persian poet Rumi because he has lots of two liners. My favorite: "Out beyond ideas of wrong-doing and right-doing, there is a field. I'll meet you there." How could that not grab you in these days of mud-slinging and blame gaming? It runs through my head constantly. Maybe it's because of those lines that another tape plays over and over again in my head about what I ought to be doing to sustain ME for a very long time.
You are about to hear my tape and please know that this one plays exclusively in my head and is no way a reflection of what I think YOU ought to be doing. Mrs. Green has honestly never been about that.
 I ought to be pursuing solar. I don't even have a solar water heater. What is up with that? Because I am coming clean, I am going to call this week and find out about what it will take and how much it will cost. Expect and hold me to an update. I believe what I write about and talk about - it doesn't make sense to spend money and energy keeping water hot all the time for a two-person house. So I ought to find out what it's going to take to make the change for this house - right? Mr. Green seems to think it's really complicated but is willing to explore. At the very least, I will be contacting my buddies at GeoInnovation to get their advice and direction.
I ought to be looking into rainwater harvesting. To know better is to do better and I know better. I read about it, interview people about it and have seen various rainwater harvesting systems in action. At least I ought to know what I am talking about from first-hand experience - even if it is only to explain the complications and how to overcome them. Putting that on the schedule for October! Baby "ought- to" steps.
 I ought to be eating even better. I am a nutcase when it comes to eating. The irony of being Mrs. Green is that my Mom told me I spit out anything green from my baby food days. (fyi - my siblings are all normal when it comes to eating.) I have made great progress since then but honestly cannot ever see myself chewing on broccoli or a celery stick in this life time. It's a texture thing. But since seeing Forks Over Knives, and knowing I want to live to be at least 100, I ought to make more changes - quickly. Less meat, more fruits and vegetables, less and less processed sugar. Enter the Ninja! My hope is that I can sneak things like spinach and kale into my smoothies without really tasting them. I can almost feel my cholesterol going down as I write this. Target date to launch the smoothie experiment? Monday, September 19th. I still have to get protein powder from my friend Amie Sue and get fresh ingredients from the Farmers Market next Sunday.
I ought to be doing weight resistance training. How come it's so easy to simply drop an exercise routine? At 60 years old, I know how important it is to add this to my almost daily 2 mile walk. Not to worry - I am on it! My friend Christina and I covered that on our walk this past Sunday. She is getting me the name of an affordable trainer and I am preparing to get my butt kicked and my muscles strengthened. I need to live long and prosper so that I can keep writing these newsletters and keep spreading the message of sustainability in every way possible.
And the tape plays on. I also think I ought to give myself a break. I have been making changes on a daily basis since Mrs. Green was born and I OUGHT to acknowledge this somewhere along the way. Stay tuned for "ought to" updates.
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A Big "OMG" for Arizona's Greenest Workplace Challenge
The challenge has begun and we are already thrilled at the response! Arizona's Greenest Workplace Challenge celebrates workplaces that are moving in a greener direction and who have committed to sustainable practices from the inside out. We hope you will consider entering your business, a business you support because of their commitment to our planet and/or at the very least - PLEASE VOTE EVERY DAY FOR YOUR FAVORITE! That can be your "just one thing" every day for a couple of weeks.
I cannot help but do a shout-out thank you to our contest sponsor and last year's winner Golden Eagle Distributors and to our prize sponsors: Whole Foods, Arjencia, Green Living Magazine, and S'well. Proud partners of Mrs. Green's world, indeed.
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Gardening Tips for Your Reading Pleasure!
The Deep Water Culture method of hydroponics is extremely easy to build and maintain, making it perfect for beginners and professionals alike. Win a free DWC system from Sea of Green here!
-- Brought to you by Sea of Green
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Green Eggs and Ham or Just A Green Ham?
 | | The Clean 15 and The Dirty Dozen |
Okay, so here is a video (with an important message) that will confirm all rumors about my being a ham. A ham I am! Hopefully, my attempt at bringing you a serious message in a humorous way will help get the seriousness of the topic across. Certain fruits and vegetables are essential to buy organic and then there are those that don't matter as much. Enjoy, and this ham would LOVE to know what you think.
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Three Things You Should Know About Clean Cities
I can assure you that I never heard of the Clean Cities Coalition four years ago. Enter: Colleen Crowninshield - a whirling dervish on steroids. Enough said. Since then, Mrs. Green has become an official and active member of the Pima Association of Governments' Clean Cities Coalition and life has never quite been the same. What you should know:
- Clean Cities is a program of the U.S. Department of Energy that promotes the use of alternatively fueled vehicles (including cooking oil!) to help reduce our nation's dependence on petroleum. Makes sense to me!
- Clean Cities advocates the use of biodiesel, ethanol, compressed natural gas (CNG) and the use of all-electric, hybrid and hydrogen vehicles. And guess what? It's working and entire fleets and school districts and government agencies throughout Pima County are making the switch! It amazes me.
- Clean Cities is rated as one of the Top Ten performing coalitions in the country. Trust me when I say it can be traced back to leadership - pace of the leader, pace of the team. Try keeping up with Colleen....
PS - Tucson is fast becoming a premier city for electric vehicle (EV) ownership. Clean Cities is working with DOE and ECOtality building infrastructure with great local partners like Bookmans and the Nature Conservancy to make sure owners have lots of charging opportunities. Again, it's all good!
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Upcoming Shows
 September 17
Dale LeMonds - owner, Aveda Institutes in Arizona, Colorado, and Utah When I was searching for a company whose hair and make-up products would not harm me, whose corporate values were those I could respect, whose commitment to global environmental stewardship were a cut above the rest, it didn't take Mrs. Green long to seek out an Aveda salon. VerVe has been my salon of choice ever since. I am very excited to be able to interview Dale so that we can explore Aveda's vision in action and maybe even find out what they will be up to next! This show sponsored by The Fairfax Companies.  September 24
Kim Jordan - CEO of New Belgium Brewing
I think New Belgium might have been green BEFORE it was a color. We are FINALLY getting to interview their CEO so we can share with the world New Belgium's commitment to a sustainable planet from the inside out. Here's a sampling of their corporate culture statements: We believe, to be environmental stewards, we need to: 1. Lovingly care for the planet that sustains us. 2. Honor natural resources by closing the loops between waste and input (GREAT ONE - yes?) 3. Minimize the environmental impact of shipping of our beer. And the green beat goes on in their hearts. There is just no downside to being Mrs. Green. This show sponsored by Chapman Tucson.
 October 1
Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona - Debbie Rich & Kristen Culliney Girl Scouting has been building girls of courage, confidence and leadership helping make our world a better place for almost 100 years. Some of our country's most outstanding women leaders were/are Girl Scouts. They teach girls about real connection - to each other, to their families, to their community and to the planet. Tune in to find out what national and local events are planned for Girl Scouts for their 100th Anniversary and how they engage the women leaders of tomorrow to think globally, act locally. This show sponsored by The Fairfax Companies.  October 8
Jason Tankersley - President and CEO of The Fairfax Companies
Jason is one of those people who walks the walk, who never stops thinking about ways to find solutions to global environmental challenges and who actually comes up with them. Under Jason's leadership, The Fairfax Companies is a well-respected leader in the construction waste industry, clearly demonstrating that it IS possible to implement sustainable business practices profitably. They continue to fulfill their mission to find or create markets for ALL waste disposal in construction and demolition landfills. Jason makes you want to talk about waste. Trust me and tune in to find out why. This show sponsored by Chapman Tucson.
 October 15
Colleen Crowninshield - Clean Cities Coalition
Colleen has been a regular on Mrs. Green from the start and knows more about alternative fuels, biodiesel and electric vehicles than I can articulate. Her program has won numerous national and local awards because of her team's commitment to making a difference. I will interview Colleen about Clean Cities' mission and its impact on the planet. We will make talking about diesel, ethanol and compressed natural gas vehicles fun and informative. Promise! This show sponsored by The Fairfax Companies.
 October 22
Scott Hamlin - CEO of Looptworks You are not going to believe this one. This U.S. based company makes 100% of their products from "abandoned" materials. They aim to rid the world of waste while inspiring a generation to reduce their impact on the planet. Looptworks has turned the way traditional apparel companies makes clothing inside out AND everything they make is, of course, eco-friendly. How are they doing it? You will have to tune in to find out. Let the questions begin! This show sponsored by Chapman Tucson.  October 29
Diana Dehm - Radio Green Talk Trust me when I say Diana Dehm is a one woman wonder whose intention is to create a global collective for a sustainable planet - one shared idea, one solution, one conversation AND one laugh at a time. Her show brings awareness around the green economy and Diana is right at the heart of all of it. You can imagine my delight when we first connected and she talked about "pumping up the volume." Heard that one before? I cannot wait for this interview and I know that we will all walk away with a greater understanding of her mission, her vision and her impact. Please join me. This show sponsored by The Fairfax Companies. |
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Mrs. Green's World GREEN TALK RADIO Show
Please remember to tune in to Mrs. Green's World every Saturday at 12:00 pm PST, live streaming on the Internet.
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