Naturally Earth Friendly

The Environmental Defense Fund just sent out this e-mail to inform everyone about some wonderful news. In it we were asked to forward the information for everyone to see, what better way than posting it up here. Enjoy.

“My presidency will mark a new chapter in America’s leadership on climate change that will strengthen our security and create millions of new jobs in the process.”

– President-elect Barack Obama, November 18, 2008

Today has been a big day in the fight against global warming.

President-elect Barack Obama gave his strongest public commitment to date in support of a national cap-and-trade system to reduce America’s global warming pollution and unleash a clean energy revolution.

The President-elect told the Bi-Partisan Governors Global Climate Summit, underway this week in Los Angeles, CA:

I promise you this: When I am president, any governor who’s willing to promote clean energy will have a partner in the White House. Any company that’s willing to invest in clean energy will have an ally in Washington. And any nation that’s willing to join the cause of combating climate change will have an ally in the United States of America.

He went on to call for a national cap-and-trade system that will “establish strong annual targets that set us on a course to reduce emissions to their 1990 levels by 2020 and reduce them an additional 80% by 2050.”

What makes this statement momentous is that it signals President-elect Obama’s intention to make global warming a central priority for his first term.

EDF President Fred Krupp issued the following statement in response:

President-elect Obama got it exactly right. His plan… will jump-start job creation in new energy industries, and take a huge step toward solving climate change. We strongly applaud President-elect Obama’s statement today, and his leadership on this issue.

Meanwhile, at a news conference back in Washington, DC, EDF joined a diverse coalition of 32 leading corporations and environmental groups in calling for national legislation to limit the release of global warming pollution.

EDF was a founding member last year of the coalition—the United States Climate Action Partnership, or US-CAP for short—which was established to add powerful support for effective national climate legislation.

Taken together, these announcements represent a truly historic day in our fight against global warming.

It is important to remember, however, we haven’t won anything yet.

These words, while encouraging, won’t mean a thing if we can’t move legislation through both the House and the Senate starting January 20th.

This gets us in the game, but we’ve got a lot of work ahead.

We’ll keep you posted through regular Transition Report emails.

In the meantime, please forward this to friends, family, colleagues, and anyone else interested in joining our global warming fight.

Encourage them to sign onto our 2009 Green Energy Petition: http://action.edf.org/campaign/green_energy_petition

And, please keep your comments coming into our Green Room.

Thanks for all you do,
Sam Parry
Director, Online Membership and Activism

Anja. Launched in 2007, this ethical fashion collection is deeply connected with nature. Nature is the inspiration for Anja. You’ll see it in the organic shapes, natural fabrics and earthy shades. Designer Beryl Man wants to promote global fair trade and emphasize a sustainable lifestyle. She envisioned a shift towards a healthier lifestyle and saw that fashion was a reflection of our era. With the movement towards eco-friendly, environmentally-friendly, Earth friendly, “going green,” whatever you wish to call the world’s decision to move towards more natural practices - Beryl Man made it happen with organic and sustainable materials, unique shapes and textures, and inspiration from our planet Earth.

Organic materials abound in every collection. Not only will you find certified organic cotton, bamboo organic cotton, and bamboo cashmere but also see lyocell, blue nankeen, free range alpaca, Himalayan cashmere, Ahimsa silk, and Vermont organic wool. Naturally colored with vegetable dyes, these fabrics are soft, luxurious, and environmentally-friendly. The Ahimsa silk is cultivated from wild silk worms after they become moths and fly out of the cocoon. The silk thread has an uneven, natural look because of this “non violent” method of retrieving silk. You can see the passion behind every design. It’s not for the penny pincher, but has been created to last and treasured.

Eco-Artware.com specializes in unique and Earth friendly gifts - all from recycled, reused or natural materials. Take one look at this unique, and eco-friendly, Recycled Magazine Cuff bracelet by Brazilian artists and you can see why it’s a perfect place to find interesting fashion, accessories, and more. The beads used to separate the pieces of wood are leftover from other projects, the wood scraps are leftover from a carpenter’s workshop (only from sustainable forests), and the artists are underemployed Brazilian craftsmen. When designer Claudia Garzesi, with Recycled Planet Store, creates something new from “waste” she always likes to create new jobs. This is one accessory you can feel good about buying and when “eco-friendly” is involved for only $30 - it’s a steal!

Olympus for Women, shown below in Plum, are perfect for running errands. They are a stylish choice for any outing and with the elastic strap you’ll stay comfortable all day. Also available in Grey, Hickory (shade of brown), and Mallard (shade of green).

A pioneer in the industry since 1973, Chicago based ShoreBank focused on economically helping those communities that other banks avoided – whether based on race or income, they were discriminated against. ShoreBank found a niche in helping to revitalize forgotten communities, becoming profitable after only 2 years in operation. In 2000, they realized the world was not as they hoped it would be. Instead of accepting this ShoreBank decided to expand their focus to help environmental issues. They realized that these communities could not fully achieve economic prosperity without simultaneously building strong sustainable communities.

Mission: ShoreBank invests in people and their communities to create economic equity and a healthy environment.

Specifically the ShoreBank Pacific, a partnership between ShoreBank Corporation and EcoTrust, was the first commercial bank to support environmentally sustainable development in our nation. Not only are they contributing jobs to their local communities, the science staff will help their business customers identify sustainable business practices while often helping that client redirect more resources to continue and grow their business.

Dedicated to preserving our communities and environment, ShoreBank has announced they will be making a $25 donation to Green For All for each person who funds a ShoreBank Direct Online High Yield Savings Account through the end of November.

“That’s why we are pleased to work with businesses like ShoreBank who stand up for people and the planet. They will be key partners in the work ahead.” - Green For All

Bottom line: ShoreBank has a compelling mission, is socially responsible, and is environmentally friendly. These are things one would not normally associate with a bank. But that’s just our point. ShoreBank is unlike every other bank out there. With a 35 year history, its’ mission-based and morally conscious ways of being have helped it stand out above the rest. ShoreBank will continue to be a forward thinker in helping to rebuild the planet sustainably and economically.

* Special thanks to Tracy for informing Naturally Earth Friendly about this amazing opportunity to bank with those that believe in protecting our nation’s underserved urban communities while protecting our environment.

Solar panels. Wind power. Geothermal energy. These are some of the great options for Earth friendly electricity, but they leave little to be desired for your wallet in these economic hard times. So what are we to do? Many of us want to do our part in going green at home, but when we can’t afford the solar panels, the wind turbines, or other ways of retrieving environmentally friendly electricity we need to purchase it from green power programs.

The easiest way to start is call up your local electricity provider and ask them if they offer any green options. You might be required to pay a premium over and above your current rate. It might be as high as 20 cents so you’ll probably want to shop around. With the eco-friendly trend gathering more popularity, prices are starting to drop.

The most Earth friendly sources don’t require the burning of any fuel to create the steam most turbines require. This will prevent more greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere. You’ll want to choose wind, solar, wave, tidal and geothermal to be the most environmentally friendly.

Something to watch for is that some governments require so much of electricity be from renewable sources already. If this is the case you’ll be paying more for something you’re already getting to an extent.

Here are websites that let you know who provides green electricity in your area:
United States (USA)
Canada
United Kingdom (UK)
Australia

If you’re looking for a way to let others know you’re Organic and want to share the message while at home or at work, then check out these Magnets from I’m Organic. Perfect for the car or the fridge, these magnets are made with at least 10% recycled materials. At 4″ by 4″ they are a fun and colorful way to spread the “I’m Organic” message - and they’re only $1.99!!! Perfect for any stocking this eco-holiday season.

These Silver Filigree Snowflake ornaments are beautiful accessories for any Holiday tree. Available for $44 from VivaTerra, you’ll get 13 snowflakes. The designs are photo-etched onto silvery metal sheets and shipped flat ready for you to build these shiny 3-D ornaments.

The Hempest just released their newest finds of sweaters for this colder season. All things hemp; hemp clothing, hemp accessories, hemp paper, hemp food, and more can be found at The Hempest.

Shown in Navy, this Whambam sweater is made of 55% Hemp and 45% Cotton.

This hemp yarn dyed sweater is made of 55% Hemp and 45% Cotton.

Brown with a pink contrast snowflake, this sweater is made of 40% Hemp, 40 Bamboo, and 20% Soy.

Handmade in Brooklyn, New York, these simple designs by Domestic Aesthetic (2008) are environmentally friendly too! BranchHome.com makes them out of reclaimed wood; the salt shaker is reclaimed poplar wood painted with a low-VOC milk paint, while the pepper shaker is reclaimed walnut wood. The stopper at the bottom is made from cork, a renewable wood source. So if you’re looking for a unique and Earth friendly gift this holiday, this beautiful handmade salt and pepper shaker set will be packaged in a recycled-paper gift box to keep your gift environmentally friendly and chic. The simple design will complement any decor.