Green Shoe Guide - Part 1

I’ve been trying to find cool green shoes for about a month. During this process I have learned more than anything that "green shoe" has many different meanings. So I've decided that over the coming weeks I'll post on different shoe brands like Nike, Timberland, Simple, Terra Plana, etc. and their efforts to go eco-friendly. If I could find out why it’s good for you, me, and the rest of the world I'll fill you in, but I will also pick out a few of my favorites in case you are just in the market for some cool shoes. I'm ashamed to say my last pair weren't "eco-friendly" and it's just not as fulfilling. I included a picture so you could see that they are in fact cool, but trust me everytime I look at my feet I think wasteful, environment killer, bain of corporate existence. Well maybe not that dramatic but I definitely feel some guilt in not supporting green products. In a do as I say not as I do moment, get green shoes!

Green, Chic, and Affordable Hotel

Green, chic, and affordable definitely sounds way to good to be true, but that's just what Alt Hotels is aiming for when they open their first of a kind hotel next year in Montreal. The hotel is designed to be trendy, comfortable, affordable, and most importantly green. It features some very innovative and sensible green technologies including geothermal heating and cooling, heat recovery of exhaust air, recovery of heat from water used in washers, energy efficient lighting, and much more. You can learn more about the Alt Hotel design here.

As a side note, I completely recommend a trip to Old Town Montreal. My wife and I went their on our minimoon last October and loved it. Stay at the Auberge Du Vieux for a truly luxury experience in a unique vintage hotel.

PepsiCo Gets Named Top of Greenest Energy Users by the EPA

Give it up for PepsiCo! They've announced a plan to puchase 1 billion kilowatt-hours of renewable energy over the next year. As a result they are at the top of the EPA's quarterly list for greenest energy using companies. Thanks Pepsi for supporting renewable energy.

Now I am fully supportive of investing in renewable energy, but truly believe that purchasing renewable energy is a cop out for major corporations. I want them to keep doing it, but I think it takes away from focusing on the overall impact the company has on the environment. They spend money to make up for the damage they are doing as opposed to investing that money in more sustainable practices for their business. Instead of making tough business choices and investing in reducing energy or reducing waste, they are taking the easy route. Lets be honest it would be ten times harder for Pepsi to figure out how to use less plastic or not spend so much on fuel for distribution than it is to spend a little more on energy. You can read more here about Pepsi.

Keep it Goin' California!

California's Utilities and Commerce Committee has passed a bill to prohibit the sale of incandescent light bulbs in stores by 2012. Although, it's still a long way from reality since it has to go through the Appropriations Committee and then the General Assembly. As happy as I am to see California taking steps to reduce the environmental impact of lighting this is just a date for the end of an already accelerating trend. The transition to CFL's is a logical switch for consumers and businesses alike over the next five years with increased energy savings. I am happy to see California cares but I doubt this bill will have a large impact on the adoption of CFL's. In contrast laws like these bring a lot of awareness to the market place and will likely drive consumers to start paying attention to their lighting needs. Thanks California for continuing to be forward thinking. You can read the full article here.

10 Best Green Buildings

The American Institute of Architects has compiled a list of the 10 Best Green Buildings in the United States. Surprisingly, this competition has been around for 11 years and is a testament to how long it has taken to bring green design to the forefront. The number of entrants has increased this year which suggests that people out there care just a bit more now (YEEEESSS!!!!!!). These buildings incorporate some amazing technologies from rain water irrigators for their courtyards to using seawater as a cooling system. Read the release here. For more information read up on the American Institute of Architects Web Page.

T's with Style and a Message

We've all seen highly offensive t-shirts that scream I have no shame. Most of us read them and wonder how that person can look at themselves in the mirror int that shirt, more or less leave their home in it. Despite my feelings that maybe t-shirts aren't the best way to bare your inner soul..... in this case I'm making an exception. Urban Outfitters has a few t-shirt designs that are supportive of environmental causes. I recently picked up a "the future is green" shirt locally, but its not listed online. Take a look at their selection and choose one that bares your inner environmental soul, preferrably with dignity.

Eco Options at Home Depot

It is great to see big business adopting big green initiatives. It seems that the green trend has finally made it to the board room and more importantly it has made it out in companies' strategic plans. One notable program is Home Depot's Eco Options Program. The Program's goal is to make it easy to identify products that have less of an impact on the environment than competing products. I encourage a visit to the website since it's informative, engaging, and most importantly simple.

In a quick summary the Eco Options website covers many topics including the differences between organic and non-organic fertilizers, methods to reduce water usage, and products that can save energy in your home. It is a great resource for anyone looking to reduce their environmental footprint. In particular check out the Eco Options Virtual Home! It allows you to go room to room through a virtual house and highlight items and products for green tips.

Last but not least to celebrate Earth Day Home Depot is giving away 1,000,000 n:vision Compact Flourescent Light (CFL) bulbs to customers. It's not hard to see this is a play to get us "greenies" in the door at Home Depot, but that being said I'm sitting here contemplating if I need anything at Home Depot right now. In addition, I'm counting how many light bulbs I still need to replace with energy efficient CFLs. Great job Home Depot. Hopefully other companies and industries will follow suit.

Solar Powered Purse

Now I know nobody ever sat around and said, "wouldn't it be cool if my purse had solar panels." I know I didn't largely cause I'm a guy, but I bet you girls never said such a thing either. However, that being said Solarjo's new Power Purse design does just that. I have to say it's very cool. The purse design incorporates 6 solar panels and a connection on the interior so that you can charge any of those 400+ electronic gadget you feel compelled by society to carry around these days. That includes, ipods, pdas, etc. The product isn't commercially ready yet so you can't buy one, but I am extremely excited about the integration of solar panels and products. I'm waiting on someone to come out with a solar heated jacket for here in Chicago. If you have one email me! Keep watching cause these products are only going to get cooler. Click here to learn more about the Power Purse.

My first attempt - Sigg Water Bottles

Carrying a reusable water bottle is a great way to get started on a path to greendom. It reduces landfill waste and in general avoiding plastics is a great way to begin thinking about being more green. I need to put in a plug for San Francisco and pushing an iniative to ban plastic bags in grocery stores as a testament to smarter thinking about our lifestyle.

Back to my water drinking, I initially started using a Nalgene bottle, however, have switched to Sigg Sports Bottles. They are not only made with recyclable aluminum, but look way more stylish. Despite the metal look, they are very lightweight. I recommend the 0.6L size for general use as it will work with most cup holders and will fit easily in most bags.

Ryan Goes Green

Today marks the beginning of both my blog and my attempts to "green" my life. From here on out I will be reporting on things that are great about green and easy ways to make life green. I have no intention of building my own log cabin and living off of hemp and soy, but I am definitely interested in ways that we all can maintain our lifestyle while minimizing our impact on the earth. Thanks for reading.