shock and awe

Wow. Just wow. The world does work in mysterious ways, let me tell ya! How so, you ask? Well, get this.

So uhm, remember this from April? Ok, well, specifically, this part:

"You know, recently I had a big disagreement (we won't call it an argument, though if it went on any longer, it definitely would have been. Possibly with fists?) with a friend's mother! (I know, his mother! And yes, friend, you know who you are! (Shakes fist in air!) I think his hidden goal was to get me all riled up, cause actually, well, he's evil. Ha ha! But in the end, all my talk of polar bears drowning, method lusting, helping the earth in small ways, and just say no to plastic bags was met with "well if we don't use plastic, what will we make everything out of?/global warming is a bunch of baloney/green cleaning products should be the exact same price as the crappy cleaning products that cost me nothing cause they're made of bad, nasty chemicals (but since they're not, I ain't buyin' them)/I'm not about to take any responsibility myself"-ness. And honestly, I'm still slightly erked."

Yeah, that post. Ha ha! So get this... said friend sends me an email a couple days ago. And the shorthand version is:

"Just wanted to let you know, my mom told me she finally went out and purchased a hand towel to use in the kitchen, instead of constantly using paper towels. And it was all because of the conversation we'd had during that drive (to Ikea.)"

My mouth dropped to the floor, I think literally, upon reading this. I mean (and yes, he's reading this - Hi, Sam!) if there was ever anyone I thought I simply couldn't crack when it came to this eco thing, it would have been his mother! Moral of this story is truly, you never know WHAT could come from a green conversation with someone, anyone! That little seed might actually get planted, and you may never know! So next time the opportunity arises, and you start thinking "Oh, why bother? What I say will never make a difference, big or small." Say it anyway, you just might be surprised.

- Even if it's three months later. Wow!

clean thoughts

A thought today as I was eating at Subway. When is that chain going to catch on that plastic bags are BAD! I eat there regularly, because it's (basically) healthy, and I ALWAYS say NO PLASTIC BAG when I get to the check out. Because, get this, they are literally making your sandwich, wrapping it up for you; uh, it's good to go at this point, then shoving it in a plastic bag with some napkins, all so you can walk five steps to your table (because to go or not to go, it hits the plastic bag), take your sandwich out, and throw the bag away. It's worse than grocery bags! At least they make trips! How wasteful is this? Imagine the amount of money Subway could save it they'd just stop with the plastic bags? And yes, you CAN carry your drink, chip bag, and wrapped up sandwich to the car, without a plastic bag. YES, you can. In fact, you can do a lot, if you just put your mind to it. So next time you're at Subway, just say NO to the plastic bag.

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Hmm. A friend of mine this weekend opened my eyes to something rather thought provoking! I was (of course) talking about saving the earth, going green, etc. and he said to me "You know, it really has nothing to do with saving the planet. I mean, more than likely, the planet will bounce back. We might take it to the brink, but when mankind is gone, it'll come back, and take over once more. What we're really talking about when we say saving the planet is saving mankind from extinction, because we'll have made the planet uninhabitable. That's what we're really trying to save here."

A very interesting point of view, don't you think? I mean, yeah, we know the reasons we do what we do is to make the planet a better place for man and animal; but I wonder if it'd have more or less impact if we started using "Save Mankind" instead of "Save The Planet." Would we get the same results (which as far as my jadedness is concerned, is fleeting disinterest from most people?) Curious...

earth day comes but once a year...

...and yet we can do so much to help out Mother Earth each and every day! Earth Day 2009 happens to be April 22 (Yeah, that'd be this Wednesday!) So let's all celebrate in style! So we'll have an earth to celebrate for zillions and zillions of years to come!

You know, recently I had a big disagreement (we won't call it an argument, though if it went on any longer, it definitely would have been. Possibly with fists?) with a friend's mother! (I know, his mother! And yes, friend, you know who you are! (Shakes fist in air!) I think his hidden goal was to get me all riled up, cause actually, well, he's evil. Ha ha! But in the end, all my talk of polar bears drowning, method lusting, helping the earth in small ways, and just say no to plastic bags was met with "well if we don't use plastic, what will we make everything out of?/global warming is a bunch of baloney/green cleaning products should be the exact same price as the crappy cleaning products that cost me nothing cause they're made of bad, nasty chemicals (but since they're not, I ain't buyin' them)/I'm not about to take any responsibility myself"-ness. And honestly, I'm still slightly erked. (But plenty of therapy will help me out on this one, let's hope? Ok?)

Which reminds me of an episode of The Simpsons that just ran this past weekend. Where Lisa had to do a report on her town, 50 years in the future. And when she went to research it, her information was full of earthly doom and gloom! It just gets worse and worse!" She exclaimed after doing some internet searching, which resulted in a doctor prescribing some happy pills in the name of Ignoritol! (Gotta lust that name!) And it was just so perfect. There are so many people out there just DANGED and DETERMINED to ignore it all! And if it doesn't fit into their plans, too bad. And you know what, I can take a lot from people; but when it comes to ignorance with either the subject of homosexuality, OR being green for the environment/saving the earth for us, and future generations; well, I lose my patience!

Yeah, you've been warned! LOL

So, with all that said, what are YOUR plans this Earth Day? What thing will you do to make this planet a better place for us all, animal, plant, and man? Remember, it doesn't have to be anything big. Small wins out, too. If everyone did something small, guess what, it'd become BIG! So bike to work, eat lunch at work (instead of driving somewhere to eat), buy organic food, go plastic bagless (word, what do I have to say to you to get this into your head? Seriously, where is my hammer? OH, there it is!), go paper towel-less, plant a tree, plant a garden, start using only method cleaning products (shameless plug, I know!) So, what will YOU be doing this Earth Day? Tell us!

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image: caglecartoons.com

virgin method

Did anyone hear about this (those sneaky quiet method folk!) because if you were flying Virgin America this earth day, you lucked out!

"This Earth Day, Virgin America, the new airline aimed at reinventing air travel and making flying good again, has launched a unique partnership with Method, the environmentally-friendly home and personal care product company that creates the hand soap provided on all Virgin America flights. Together, they are sponsoring California State Parks Foundation environmental restoration projects across Northern California and surprising Virgin America passengers with a special gift that offers travelers a few easy tools to go green at home.

Guests on every Virgin America flight this Earth Day (April 22) will be surprised by eco-chic "Plastic Bag Rehab" totes custom-designed for Virgin America fliers. The bags include Method's planet-friendly products (including new compostable cleaning surface wipes made from 100% bamboo) and a pledge that the two San Francisco-based companies will contribute $3 for every person flying on Earth Day for California State Parks Foundation environmental restoration projects. Guests on the Earth Day flights will also be able to tune into a number of Earth Day friendly custom-programming on Virgin America's seatback touch-screen in-flight entertainment system Red, from Al Gore's "Climate in Crisis" TED talk to cutting-edge content from Sundance Channel.

"As San Francisco-based companies who are committed to finding innovative, new solutions to old ways of doing things, we wanted to do something a little bit different to help give back this Earth Day and engage our employees and communities in the process," said David Cush, President and Chief Executive Officer of Virgin America. "California is known the world over for its spectacular natural beauty and for being the birthplace of the environmental movement, so it is only fitting that we pledge contributions for Californians and those visiting the state to help restore some of our most beautiful and scenic natural resources, especially those in underserved communities in our own backyard."

On April 19, Virgin America and Method kicked off the Earth Day partnership by "adopting" the community-based Candlestick Point State Recreation Area. Virgin America and Method employees and community residents joined forces for a day of environmental restoration projects aimed at expanding and improving the park's community garden. Candlestick Point State Recreation Area is the state's first "urban" park and includes a community garden, open wildlife areas and other public spaces that support a better way of life in this underserved San Francisco neighborhood. Without Virgin America and Method's support, the site would not otherwise have had funding for critical community-based environmental projects this Earth Day.

"Virgin America and Method are both committed to making a difference in our communities," said Alastair Dorward, Chief Executive Officer at Method. "We're thrilled that we could work together to give back locally to the Bay Area, while offering something special for travelers flying on Earth Day. We want to surprise passengers with a gift that encourages consumers to make smart green choices in everyday product use."

Too cool! And who knew method made soap specially for Virgin America's airlines! That just rocks! I wonder what the bottles look like? Or if they are in bottle form? Hmm, I'll have to look into this some more!

my life with dogs

Well, ok, not really MY life with dogs, cause uh, I don't own one. (And isn't it weird saying you "own" an animal, I mean, yes, you did buy it more than likely, but still... ok, enough of this odd conversation.)

It happens to be Greg's dog! AND his lust for method products (ok, from dogs to method products is a difficult transition! But wait, no it's not! Earth friendly cleaning products mean healthier pets, too!) During last weeks Earth Day, Greg had this to say. Check it out:

"Pop quiz hot shot... (taken from Method's "squeaky green")
1. Would you eat off your floor?

2. Can you safely wash out your (or your kids') mouth with your soup?

3. Do any of the bottles under your sink contain anything that's drinkable without having to go immediately to the emergency room afterward?

4. Is there anything under your sink you could water your plants with?

5. Do you like to inhale while you clean?

If you answered no to any of these questions, your home has a chemical dependency. (here ends the ripoff of the book)

My lovely wife Jen has allergies. Grass, pollen, dust are not her best friends. A couple of years ago, whenever Jen got to the point that her allerrgies were getting the best of her, we knew it was time to clean the house and get rid of the dust.

Out came the clorox cleaners, windex, wetjets, tub/tile cleaners, and we'd clean from the house from top to bottom. However, we started noticing that Jen's breathing would actually get worse during and after cleaning. At first we chalked it up to dust getting stirred up into the air. Then we realized that maybe the cleaners we used were more of a problem than a solution.

Ever thought about what's in your household cleaners? Bleach, ammonia, pesticides, etc... Chemicals that can be found in the bloodstreams of newborn babies, and have been connected to all sorts of health related problems. Why are we killing ourselves to keep our homes clean?

There are better options.

At the time of the story above, Jen discovered method. Through an ad in one of her magazines, we read about a company that was trying to change the way people think about clean. It's all about fighting what's dirty. Not just the dirty in our homes, but the dirty in the cleaning product industry. method has created the "greenest" cleaning products around. In addition to cleaning like a mother, smelling great, and being comparably priced, method products are completely biodegradable. Oh yeah, so is their packaging.

Plus, their stuff looks cool as hell."

Wanna read the rest? (Of course you do!) Ok, head on over to My Life With Dogs! (But please come on back. Ok? Thanks!)

we heart mother earth

Speaking of Earth Day, do you have any plans on celebrating April 22, 2008? What goals are you making to help out Mother Earth? I liked this one comment I found recently:

"If you only do ONE thing this Earth Day, register to VOTE." (And then, vote! This can be a surprisingly big thing!)

Let method lust know, what will you do April 22?