Local

For you LA-ers out there...listen up!

The other night, while roaming the streets of Silver Lake, my friend Robin and I stumbled (not the drunk kind...at least not at that point in the night) on Local, a new healthy and delicious restaurant.  Like the name implies, all the food is sourced locally.  And even better yet, their food is sustainable, seasonable, AND organic!  Oh boy...

While their menu may look small, they have a diverse selection of carnivore and vegetarian selections.  And for those of you in the mood for something light or to go...there is a well stocked salad bar (think Whole Foods...and yes, then also have those biodegradable take-home boxes).

And the drinks...all the kombucha you can drink!  Or, bring a bottle of your own wine.

Overall, great place to grab a bite with friends and soak up the laid-back Silver Lake vibe.

Local 

2943 W Sunset Blvd.

LA, 90026

Between N Vendome St. and Reno St.

323.662.4740

Recycled Light Has Never Been So Beautiful...

Ladies and gentleman, I give you Heath Nash. 

South African native, Heath Nash, uses recycled plastic bottles along with other "rubbish" to produce his creative light fixtures, sculptures, chairs, tables, walls...  At the University of Cape Town, Nash studied sculpture.  After completing University, Nash began his career sculpting and selling...well, trash.

In 2006, Nash was named Elle Decoration South African Designer of the Year.  Later, Nash was appointed SA Creative Entrepreneur of the Year by the British Council.  

While his designs range in color, shape, size, and function, they all share a common modern, beautiful vibe.  This is one of my favorites: 

Keep a look out for Mr. Nash. 

I love presents...

The holidays are coming...and it's about time!

So for those of you who want to give eco-friendly gifts, I've got the place for you!

Join Arianna Huffington, Blake Mycoskie from Toms Shoes, Linda Loudermilk  and others at Ecogift Festival in Santa Monica December 12-14th.  The weekend festival will include great eco gifts, organic food, speakers, and live music.

Day passes are $10.00 and weekend passes are $20.00.  Personally, I do not think you will need more than one day.  

Hope to see you all there!

Tweeting Green

Sometime in the beginning of summer I was convinced to set up a twitter account.  I explored the social network and quickly lost interest.  Twitters' distinguishing feature is that the site is a platform for members to type a 140 character-long message.  For you Facebook users, think of it as the status space. 

Initially, I found twitter intrusive.  I didn't want to tell friends, none the less strangers, what I was doing from moment to moment.  And so I closed my twitter tab and returned to Facebook.  

Months later, I was compelled to give twitter another try.  This time I came to twitter with a purpose; to exist in the green space.  First, I changed my twitter account name from a monotonous name (H_R_N) to a green-themed name (ecowarriorr).  Second, I looked for green companies that I admired (Ideal Bite, Grist) and "followed" or in Facebook terms, "friended" them.  I scanned these companies' friend lists for people who were also interested in green...things.  Slowly, I began following more people. 

Meanwhile, I was posting about relevant and interesting eco-news, environmentally friendly tips, and thoughts.  To my surprise, people started to follow me.  

Today, my fellow twitters range from companies, experts, friends, family, peers--all of which are making constant updates.  Tweets range from status updates to interesting leads, blogs, and interesting products.  

Twitter is great when you have an interest you identify with.  Chances are, there are people on twitter who share your interest.  

So, join twitter.  Check it out.  Go ahead, give it a go!  

Toronto Green Fashion Show

I love fashion.  

I love it SO, SO much.  Now, I know it is not the most environmentally friendly industry out there.  As a matter of fact, it contributes a lot of detrimental impact.

But hear me out: fashion is a powerful medium.  That is why I am a supporter of eco-fashion.  A few years ago, while studying in London, I fused my love for fashion with my interest in sustainability and dove head first into the eco-fashion scene.  Since then, I have been following eco-fashion...obsessively.

Carrie Hayes featured green designs at Fashion Takes Action, a night dedicated to sustainable fashion in Toronto. Carrie, along with several other talented designers like, Thieves, Amie Luxury, and Eugenia Designs, designed three outfits using sustainable fabrics.  

I applaud these designers for experimenting with alternative fabrics. Thanks for leading the way...

Book List

Just finished The China Study by Joel Furhman.  I was originally turned on to the book by Michael Beseancon, VP of Whole Foods.  Beseancon explained that this book not only changed his life but helped shape his work at Whole Foods.   

The China Study compares and contrasts general diet trends in China vs. America.  American diets include about 15% to 25% more animal-based protein.  Furhman, along with other notable scientists found startling correlations between animal-based proteins and diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes...(and the list goes on).

Furham claims that the American perspective on diet is screwed and ultimately unhealthy.  The China Study is a comprehensive and fascinating book on modern health.  

In my opinion, a must-read.  

Green Festival San Fran 2008

Greetings from SF...Like a true eco warrior, I carpooled up to San Francisco on Friday to visit my twin brother and take part in Green Festival.  

My time with Jordan, my twin brother, has been great!  We went hiking in Berkeley, explored the bar scene and took advantage of this city's great food.  Jordan has been working at Google for the past few months.  Today, I finally visited him-what a crazy place!  We lunched (yum), toured, and even went down the google colored slide.  Yes, google has a slide!

Green Festival was great!  For those of you who are unfamiliar with Green Festival, it is an overwhelmingly large expo put on by Co-op America and Global Exchange.  Green businesses come from all over America to showcase their products and services.  It is a great place to network and learn about what is going on the in the green space.  I made Jordan meet me at Green Fest.  He was a fan of the organic chocolate...obviously.