Archive for the ‘Outdoor + Environment’ Category
New Nau: Spring Line 2010 is Out
Portland-based eco clothier Nau finally has their new Spring 2010 line out. As usual, the line incorporates sustainable materials like recycled polyester, merino wool and organic cotton.
And sticking with the Nau aesthetic, the Spring 2010 has the classic urban chic look to it; the pictures speak for themselves. Check out the full men’s and women’s lines here.
Greening Your Kitchen: Cocoon
Bringing fresh herbs into your kitchen not only means you’ll have a delectable choice of seasonings, but it also allows you to bring some greenery inside. In fact, I’ve got overflowing pots of thyme, basil and rosemary surrounding my cooking space. But they could probably use a sleek organization system like this one.
Swedish designer Måns Salomonsen has created this ingenious design, called Cocoon, that puts a focus on healthy eating, placing your fruits and herbs all in the same place. Check out more pictures of the design here.
Of course until this beautiful design becomes available, you can still make your own herb garden, and all it entails is a nice looking pot, a few herb plants and some planting soil. Here are some easy to follow directions on re-nest.
Snowshoeing Mt. Rainier
Fresh snow crunches under your feet. Along the trail, paw prints of a small forest creature lead the way. The sun shines. You take a break to drink tea from your thermos and slice of a piece of brie cheese that’s your one gourmet indulgence in the backcountry. You continue along, excited about the prospect of an evening in front of a warm stove in a cozy ski hut. You contemplate to yourself how a winter trip doesn’t get much better than this.
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Earlier this winter I was craving some snow time, and decided to check out the Mount Tahoma Trails Association hut-to-hut ski trail system, a collection of groomed trails used by the Forest Service in the summer and snowshoers and cross country skiers in the winter. A common obstacle to pursuing winter backcountry adventures is of course that it’s cold and gets dark early, not the optimal tent conditions for most. Fortunately the MTTA maintains several different backcountry accommodations, including a yurt, all complete with propane stoves, sleeping pads and complete kitchens. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it ‘glamping,’ but high end backcountry digs is certainly a fitting definition.
Save Wild Salmon, Nature and Our Future
Courtesy of Save Our Wild Salmon
Excited for my article that was posted this week on Planet Green. Here’s an excerpt:
When was the last time you thought about salmon? Sure, it’s a common food, but this one fish is a key link in the chain between environment, recreation, jobs and the economy. In the Pacific Northwest salmon fishing brings tens of millions of dollars into the regional economy each year, representing thousands of jobs.
But salmon runs are in decline, and that hurts the economy and the environment. In fact, this decline is severely affecting the local environment; including another endangered species — Puget Sound Southern Resident orca whales. Scientists say that these fish are the largest single change to the whale’s food supplies and are directly linked to their decline in recent decades. Endangered salmon runs mean that everything that these fish are linked to or have an impact on, from other species to our own economy, is threatened as well. Still think of salmon as just a dinner dish?
In a recent L.A. Times Opinion piece, scientist and author Carl Safina outlined the importance of salmon to the environment and to human beings in general. Safina, the author of Songs for the Blue Ocean and Eye of the Albatross, as well as a well-respected scientist, conservationist and the president of the Blue Ocean Institute, holds that the Obama administration isn’t doing enough to protect these fish, saying that the administration “should embrace salmon abundance as the beating heart of the Pacific Northwest — the flow of energy that connects and sustains people, fishing towns, bears, wolves, orcas, forests and the rivers and seas we all love and use.”
You can read the whole article here, as well as check out 5 simple ways you can take action to save wild salmon.
What I Learned on Vacation, or, Thoughts for 2010
I was asked to post something that I had thought about during vakay… so I came up with this:
The one thing they don’t teach you in school is that when you’re out of school, there’s no such thing as a Christmas vacation… at least not the two week kind. Which is exactly why I upped my nose at the real world, co-founded my own business and set out on a venture that let me plan my own schedule that has very little to do with 9-5. Hence the reason that I actually had a Christmas vacation.
That vacation kicked off with a four day backcountry snowshoe trip, during which I had a lot of time to think (you’re forced to come up with inspiring thoughts when you’re sludging through pouring rain and ice). 2009 was a year filled with many negatives — recession, climate change, reality shows — but the goal is of course to pull ourselves from the ashes and hit the new decade with a renewed sense of energy. So from the snowy slopes of backcountry snowshoes trails, here are my life conclusions that I’m taking into 2010.
1. Spend more time outside, and drag someone else along while you’re at it. Taking off on a four day backcountry adventure seemed like no big deal. Why? Because I grew up with a father that encouraged and inspired outdoor pursuits at an early age. Take a child, a cousin, a friend — hell, even an enemy — on an outdoor adventure and see where it takes them. We could all use a little more fresh air in our lives.
2. Watch at least one sunset and one sunrise every week. Experiencing this fantastic part of the daily natural rhythm is inspiring. And it doesn’t cost anything. (P.S. That’s my 62 year-old mother doing a Christmas Day warrior on a very rocky beach…)
A Garden Friendly Calendar
It’s that time of year when people stock up on paper calendars, most likely in the hopes of keeping their year organized. But think of all the calendars that hundreds of thousands of stores will be selling in the next few weeks… that adds up to a lot of paper, and you can be sure that much of it isn’t recycled content.
Albeit beautiful, calendars are certainly on the “eco unlist,” which is why I’m digging these Bloomin’ Calendars. Made with seed paper, as each month ends, you can plant the page, keeping you organized and waste-free and your garden happy.
Winter Sunset
Frost covered the ground for the larger part of the day, a white dusting remaining in cold corners protected by the shade of trees. Typical Pacific Northwest gray rain clouds were traded for clear winter skies, a brisk nip in the air. On beautiful days like this, it’s clear that the evening landscape shouldn’t be missed, and we packed up a thermos of tea and headed for one of the many rocky beaches of the Puget Sound.
Quiet and clear, as afternoon turned into dusk, the seasonal sun set, with warm colors reflecting off of soft clouds, turning the sky into a winter painting. With the setting sun, the air turned colder, and steam rose from our tea cups as we looked out over the calm waters and breathed in the winds of the season.
That’s how you should spend Christmas Day…
Copenhagen Bike Share
Digging the new bike share designs that won a contest sponsored by the city of Copenhagen. Good looking and functional; definitely a combination that should get more people riding.
We’ve posted more pictures over at Under Solen — go take a look!
Coca Cola at Copenhagen
I was a little appalled when I found out the mega-multinational Coca Cola was a key sponsor of the Hopenhagen campaign. But it raises the question: can a multinational work in the environment’s best interest? An excerpt from my post over on EcoSalon:
All eyes are on Copenhagen this month as the drama events of the UN Climate Change Conference play out. But those eyes aren’t just the ones of climate change activists and greenies. Multinationals are just as involved – even global beverage giant, Coca Cola, is descending on the Danish capital.
Working with other media, marketing, tech and creative partners, including DuPont and Gap Inc., Coca Cola was instrumental in launching the Hopenhagen campaign. The result? An interactive online campaign as well as lots of exposure on the ground in Copenhagen. Known for its creative advertising and branding, Coca Cola released a special Hopenhagen set of posters, seen all over town for the duration of the conference.
On Coca Cola’s Hopenhagen website, the company encourages visitors to take action against climate change and learn more about recycling and water as well as Coca Cola’s plant bottle, a soda bottle made form 30% plant-based materials (that means it’s still 70% plastic!). But supporting a good cause shouldn’t come without questions.
Read the whole article here.
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