Hemp on my Pizza, Oh Yesssir

GSpotting Foodie Dion took the team to Cafe Viva yesterday in the East Village for some Ganja Pizza. Who would have known that hemp pizza could be sooo bomb.

Cuban Jewish Music Project- Recylce CDs, Build Listening Libraries

The Cuban Jewish Music Project is collecting gently used CDs and music playing devices to send to Cuba to create listening libraries all over the country. While this story isn't traditionally "green", it is a great example of recycling.

Check out the article GSpotter Margaret wrote for The Forward.

Also, to donate to the project, send materials to:

Aroeste Music LLC
Attn: Cuba-Jewish Music Project
255 W. 108th St., #5B
New York, NY 10025

Financial contributions can be made on-line through the project’s
fiscal sponsor, Deep Listening Institute:
http://www.deeplistening.org/site/donate or via check written out to
“Deep Listening Institute” with ‘Cuba-Jewish Music Project’ in the
memo line and sent to address above.

NYC Bioheat Mandate (Coolest bill name EVER)

Biodiesel - yes to the NYC mandate! And sexy bio truck, homey!

Peter F Vallone Jr - My local city council person that I contacted about biodiesel. So can you.

Biodiesel is up for debate in a possible NYC area bioheat mandate to reduce carbon emissions by 3.4 billion pounds/year. That is the equivalent of removing about 280,000 cars from the road. To ensure the mandate passes you can do any of the following:

1) Check out to http://nyc.tristatebiodiesel.com/involved2.htm and send an email to the Mayors office supporting the bill.

2) Send a support letter to your Council Member as well. Sample letters, and Council Member locator at http://nyc.tristatebiodiesel.com/involved2.htm

3) Come to the biodeisel hearing tomorrow, Wednesday, February 25, 10:00 AM at 250 Broadway, 16th Floor hearing room. The Mayor's office will be deciding whether or not to support the bill based partially on information presented at this hearing.

Biodiesel will make our air healthier to breathe and will not make food more expensive. Biodiesel is not corn ethanol. Biodiesel is the only low carbon fuel available for diesel equipment and home heating boilers and this mandate would be a huge step in the fight for better air quality and against global warming!

Public Citizen Wants YOU (finger point through screen) To Be Skinny!

Yesterday the NY Federal Appeals Court upheld the recently created public health law requiring all caloric information be listed on every item in every menu in each restaurant in NYC. Since 2007, National Non-Profit Public Interest Organization Public Citizen has been working with former FDA Commissioner David Kessler, the American Medical Association, and Rep Henry Waxman who sponsored the 1990 Nutrition Labeling and Education Act, to ensure that consumers know what they are eating when they order out at NYC restaurants.

Knowledge is power. If knowing that there are 450 calories in a box of small popcorn at the movie theatre keeps someone from eating the whole box; that is power. And that actually happened to us last night at Coraline. Had the cals not been listed, we'd have taken in those 450 calories AFTER we'd just had large dinner at Souen, and then just sat on our arses while the cals turned to fat. Thank you movie menu board with listed calories!


Also, thanks to our GSpotting homeboy Jonas who works for Public Citizen and keeps us in the loop.

My President Thinks in 3D! Green Recovery Act and the new Coraline movie.

Obama signs the bill

So this is what it feels like to have a President do his job. It's like, like, wonderful. Yesterday, President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in Denver. In doing so, the President allocated a record breaking $87 Billion (of the $787 Billion total) to green investments. Gone are the days when tag-along funds were given to green energy and alternative technology, as per our last president. (GWB: "Oh, and here is 5 million bucks to spend on research and development on your green stuff. Don't spend it all in one place.") The bill focuses on public transit, weatherization, a smart electric grid, and tax breaks for renewable energy. To thank President Obama, email him here.

On another note, the GSpotting team saw Coraline yesterday, which is a visually thrilling, little bit scary, must see fantasy animated flick. It is especially awesome because they provide 3D glasses (that look like Bob Dylan RayBan wayfarers) so that the entire flick is experienced in 3D! However, wtf, the 3D wayfarers come in some monster plastic packaging that's excessive as all hell, and rendered us pissed for most of the picture just marinating on the sheer resource use. Think about it: there were probably 350 people in the theatre, and each had the plastic glasses which came in a plastic baggie. If the Union Square Regal Cinema shows the movie 8 times a day- well that's just a lot of freaking plastic.

GSpotter Margaret in her 3D Coraline glasses showing the excess packaging.

Glasses for the experience are a must. The heavy duty plastic bag that appears to be fire retardent and could be used to protect yourself from chemical warfare and/or nuclear fall out (it's that sturdy) - that is a bit too much. Hey reaL D, aka the company that makes the glasses, take a hint from folks like Dr Bronner's who use 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles or Primo Water who use Ingeo Corn for their packaging.

Accessorized Puppies and Such

Check out the article G Spotter Margaret wrote for Strawberry Earth about funny winter time puppy gear:

Four Footed Fashion Victims

Also, we had to do some serious dog stalking to get these photos of dogs-n-boots, so enjoy that!

Alexander McQueen: Not Eco At All...

But hella cool none-the-less. In bringing edgy avant-garde punk fashion to the masses, we shall salute him with a blog entry. However, it should just be noted that the most successful Target-high fashion designer collaboration was Rogan Gregory with his sustainable collection.

<-------------GSpotters Kora, Nicole, and Margaret pose for the cameras.






We G Spotters hit up Alexander McQueen for Target's opening party (?), rock concert (?), shopping event(?), before advancing to a Mexican inspired Valentine's Dinner on Saturday night. Two observations from the evening: 1. Alexander McQueen is a total badass, and in his collection limited his color pallette to pink grey and black and utterly rocks out with with runaway zippers and one shouldered shapes on tops, dresses, and bathing suits. 2. Gorging oneself on guacamole, fajitas, AND sopapilla with homegirls isn't so much a romantic Valentine's Dinner as cause for alarm.

Eco Fashion and Eve Ensler

Yesterday was a fabulous GSpotting afternoon and evening. First we saw this kick ass woman Alyssa at the Goodwill on the Upper East side (on 89th and 3rd) with her Voltaic Systems backpack, and snapped a photo.



<-----------Alyssa



Then we attended attended an evening with Eve Ensler (Author of The Vagina Monologues) and Dr. Denis Mukwege who runs the PANZI Hospital in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo called "Stop Raping Our Greatest Resource: Power To Women And Girls Of Democratic Republic Of Congo" GSpotter Margaret was in the Vagina Monologues in college as were her two companions for the event, homegirls Kathryn and Nicole. Ensler and Mukwege's Pain-to-Power tour is traveling around the country and is not to be missed. Check the website to find it in a city near you.

<------Dr Mukwege and young friend

Thank You Weleda: My Pimples Are Gone

Move over Proactiv with your crazy burning ingredients and super-charged chemicals. There is a new effective face cleansing brand in town, and they work with the bodies natural ability to foster good skin. Oh, and they use healthy, paraben/pthlate free ingredients. The company is Weleda and recently we had the fortune of being led through a do-it-yourself facial at the US Weleda headquarters in New Jersey.

Here is the article GSpotter Margaret published in The Daily Green about the facial!

Eco Fashion at Amsterdam Fashion Week - Thanks Strawberry Earth

Strawberry Earth Video Report - Amsterdam Fashion Week from Strawberry Earth on Vimeo.

Gotta love Mette and the whole Strawberry Earth gang for beautiful videos presenting the sweetest side of sustainability and fashion.

New Organic Beverage Alert: Honey Drop

"I'd drink this over Vitamin Water," said our friend Nick as we sipped Honey Drop, an organic honey-centric water beverage. "I mean I like a Vitamin Water, but I don't do any action."

Nick's point is well taken; who really needs the electrolytes and high performance ingredients when you are just lounging around the house or reading a book?

Honey Drop is the perfect book reading beverage. It tastes like a yummy spot of tea, but chilled and in a plastic bottle. The company has made a concerted effort to use USDA certified organic honey and keep the calorie count down (80 calories per bottle), so that's pretty neat.

Speaking of neat, we've heard through the rumor mill that Peak Organic Beer is coming out with a sparkling water, Source, also good to enjoy while performing low impact activities. Between Honey Drop and Source, the future of water substitutes is looking pretty good.

IT'S OFFICIAL: Hello Kitty Is The Best Kitty, Ever

Gratuitous Kitty Pics!











Just in case you weren't as sure as you outta be, Hello Kitty is THAT KITTY. Like, it's official. Don't believe us? Check the NY Times!

If the NY Times style section had an ultimate fighting team, writer Eric Wilson would be the champion. This hard hitting style journalist has criticized green fashion in the past, questioning the idea of consuming to help solve environmental woes. While we disagree and strongly believe that ethical/eco shopping is part of the solution, we respect his tough stance and journalistic integrity.

And now, with this Hello Kitty piece published today in the NY Times, Eric Wilson, you are legit. Hello Kitty is the coolest cat for the coolest gals. Real feels real.

Hello Kitty Myspace Group
Hello Kitty Fan Club
Hello Kitty Sigg Water Bottle (Thanks Kim!)

Artists and Fleas say, "Brooklyn We Go Hard"

With a name like Artists and Fleas, how could we not trek out to this weekly Brooklyn market to peep the wares. Looking at the website, it seems that only the quirkiest, most original jewelry, fashion, home decor, and doll makers are allowed to sell their stuff. Must see booths we GSpotters are hitting up include but aren't limited to: the Kreepy Doll Factory, Sparc: Semi-Precious, organic jewelry, Leslie Lynch African Ethnic Fashions for Women, Jeni Jaques Jewelry... Aw hell, they all look great! Even in this cold weather, in Brooklyn we must go hard!

LMAO Syndrome - Laughing My Ass Off Is No Joke

NBC - LMAO Syndrome | Viral | SPIKE.com

"What happened to your butt?"

This is the opening line one of the most brilliant SuperBowl ads of the evening, the LMAO Syndrome commercial advertising NBC's sitcoms. Watching the commercial, you realize the real danger of laughing your ass off and the traumatic reattachment procedure that would follow. So, be careful, friends.















Keeping in mind that babies could potentially laugh their baby butts off too, eco-friendly baby clothiers, Text Message Baby has spun the LMAO phrase into a phrase for a onesie: LMDO or Laughing My Diaper Off. Gear from Text Message Baby is made from certified organic cotton and simply TDF!*





*To Die For