I went on a bunch of shopping outings today and bought way more than your usual amount.
First, it was at Costco, with 14 gallons of milk, 7 gallons of creamer, 9 lbs of sugar, 3000 packs of Splenda, and 3 gallons of soy milk.
Then at Home Depot we took the entire display of buckets and then tracked down 4 more for a total of 30. Countless zip ties, nails, tape, and cords later, it was time to check out. Thankfully it all fit in my car ok.
Original Gangsters or Opportunity Green? 😛
Well, it’s that time of year again and I took a few days off from work to volunteer for Opportunity Green! Here’s a peek at what we were up to tonight…
We put plastic sleeves into the lanyard key rings.
We soon had a pile of plastic pieces that fell from the hole cutouts on the sleeves. Kind of a cool look, but don't worry, we cleaned it up. 🙂
The various ribbons we have to stick on the badges.
It's kind of like confetti static noise...
Would you have guessed it was a pattern on an AdVinylize bag? The lucky attendees get these lovely swag bags filled with goodies!
When I was up in Ojai for a lovely weekend away, my boss from the internship with Opportunity Green called me “Technolo-Mary” during dinner, which struck something in me. He had been referring to how I seem to know all the newest gadgets and services out there. It made me realize that I really am a great resource for many new technologies that have come about in the past couple of years. I liked that someone as techy as he (he got a degree in engineering and is awesome at all things related to building and maintaining websites) found my knowledge useful enough to consider me a valuable go-to person.
I do like to stay on top of things, whether it’s things like Google Voice, Dropbox, and reQall or more of things like new social media forums, mobile technologies, and many more. I’ve always loved to learn more about technology, so anything new captures my attention and I like to spend time learning more about it. If I like what I see, I’ll usually go on to become an adopter and even spread the word. That’s what I’ve been doing with CauseWorld, which is a great app for your smartphone that allows you to choose where sponsors’ money is donated.
I really enjoy troubleshooting (for the most part) and solving problems through logic and trial and error. Also, it’s rewarding to discover the best technical solutions for everyday issues, like streamlining processes. Whether it’s organization, documentation, or retrieval, there’s probably a better way to do it than the one you’re doing now. I’m all about efficiency and effectiveness, which is probably also why technology fascinates me so much – it solves a lot of our problems and saves us a lot of time and effort!
Perhaps I should start a help line called “Technomary” – not “techno Mary,” but “tech-nom-ary.” A play on technology and Mary AND -ary as a suffix that means “having to do with.” It’d be a fun name for a tech blog, if I were to ever write one. It could be a cool place to get answers for your “Dear Abby” type tech questions like how to convert a scanned JPEG into a PDF or what type of free phone services there are. Hmm, now there’s a thought…
How often do you replace your toothbrushes? If you listen to your dentist, you probably do every three months or so, which means you go through three or four a year. At that rate, Americans would be producing far more than the 50 million pounds of waste per year we already do from throwing those little guys away. Since toothbrushes are inherently in need of replacing periodically, how do you avoid the waste issue?
Well, why not try Recycline’s Preserve toothbrush?
First of all, their handles are entirely made from recycled yogurt cups saved from ending up in landfills. It’s free of BPA and the bristles are brand new, so you can rest assured it is safe to put in your mouth. They consulted dentists to come up with the curved handle to help you reach those tricky places at just the right angles. The tiered bristles are designed to fit around your teeth and gently massage your gums. You have a choice of Ultra Soft, Soft, and Medium stiffness for the bristles, depending on your sensitivity. Preserve toothbrushes also come in delicious colors such as Berry Red, Eggplant, and Pear Green.
Besides that, they come in a reusable travel case, complete with ventilation holes! The case is made from wood-based plastic from renewable forests so you can feel good about using them too. Once your toothbrush has reached the end of its effectiveness, you can send it back to Recycline in a postage-paid envelope. Their partner company will recycle it for you and make plastic lumber for park benches, picnic tables, and boardwalks. Rest assured that your environmental impact is minimized and every effort is made to keep plastic out of landfills! If you like, you can even purchase a subscription to their toothbrushes and get a new one sent to you every three months, along with an envelope to send back your used one.
So, the next time you’re looking for a replacement toothbrush, think Preserve. You’ll responsibly minimize your environmental impact associated with dental hygiene and even enjoy a better clean! It’s truly “Nothing wasted. Everything gained.™” What’s not to love?
[written for OppGreen Insights]
A few nights ago, I went to a screening of HOME, a film by Yann Arthus-Bertrand. It’s a film that brings to light many environmental issues surrounding the planet. It has such spectacular graphics that sometimes it doesn’t feel real. Plus, you’re seeing things from a bird’s eye view (or, more accurately, a hot air balloon’s eye view), which is rather unique in itself. Such images are striking possibly purely because of the difference in perspective you get. Whatever the case, the beauty of the film is undeniable and the message it spreads is powerful. In fact, you should go see it yourself – it’s free to the world!
The bit that struck me the most was when it said that Dubai has just about as much sunlight as you can ever hope for, yet not a single solar panel. It’s not really something that I had thought of before, but it’s ironic, isn’t it? The great thing about films like these is that they not only inform you and teach you, they make you think. They don’t always have the answers for you, but they bring about certain issues that are important to consider. Just by starting conversations and getting people aware of things they should consider, they’re making a vital contribution towards the betterment of this world. In addition to learning that tidbit, the film also showed me an area (I believe it was in Germany) that has solar panels covering the rooftops. If a place like that with less sunlight can take advantage of the energy provided by the sun, why aren’t the countries closer to the equator and with far stronger sunshine following suit?
It’s truly a fantastic film that should be shared with the world. By making it free, what better way to spread it far and wide? That is his goal, and he has been traveling all over the planet to promote the film, answer questions at screenings, and generate the sort of momentum we must gather to turn the environmental movement into something that will truly change the world. We are changing for the better, but not fast enough. It’s not too late to right some of the many wrongs that have happened, but all too soon it could be. Hence, it’s important that we take action now, in a way that we haven’t been. Copenhagen was disappointing in the lack of unity between countries and that NEEDS to change. We’re the first and only species that has ever done so much harm to the very environment we live in. Are we set on self-destruction?!
I hope not. Which is why I appreciate efforts like these to get people to take charge of the future and make this world better, not worse. And for those who laugh and make fun of the environmentalists out there… well, you can be the ones to blame when our progeny no longer have a safe planet to live on. That’s just a lose-lose situation for us all. It’d be pitiful for a “great” population such as ours to contribute to our own undoing. So much for being superior. Ultimately, the film ended by saying that “it’s too late not to be optimistic” and I think that’s true. If we give up hope, all is lost and we destroy so much beauty and wonder. So, we have no choice but to put our hearts and souls into saving the future of the planet and believe that we can. I certainly believe we can. Now, will we?
The past week has been really hard on me, as the pressure to get a job grew and my parents and I had a tiff over my sleeping pattern and job search, among other things. So, it was an absolute blessing that Opportunity Green was holding a retreat over the weekend. One of the Board Members owns Casa Barranca, a fabulous estate out in Ojai. People who had contributed to the Opportunity Green Conference back in November were invited to either stay the weekend or swing by on Saturday or Sunday to hang out. Tucked in the hills of Ventura County, in a gorgeously maintained house from the early 1900s, I got to spend my weekend relaxing, enjoying nature, and chatting with some really amazing people.
Delicious potluck to start off the weekend.
That yoga studio was to die for!
A cute little shop in the middle of town!
Can you believe it was only her first time teaching? She did a fantastic job and should totally be a yogi.
We came across some great vantage points and learned to be grateful for every bit of shade we got.
And for more pictures of the weekend… I’m quite proud that some came out looking nearly like a DSLR took them, or so I think!
I went to have some fun on the springy surface.
They tried to get a shot of me in the air, but the timing just wasn’t right. I had a blast anyway!
Artistic pieces sit by the doors that open out to the view over the hillside.
The view that we saw as we did yoga in the studio.
The statue that sits to the left of the yoga studio entrance.
The fire pit situated right outside the yoga studio doors.
I wonder if the tree was shot at or got infected with bugs?
This pathway led up to one end of the house, where the kitchen is located.
Looking the other way down the path, you see more fruits that you could possibly eat!
Hidden amongst the green, orange, and yellow is this little gem, just barely clinging on.
These plants grew in a patch just outside the kitchen.
I love the colors of the Bird of Paradise.
It kind of looks like those 8-prong head massagers.
Take a look at that freshness!
There’s something really fun about the dimpled texture of citrus fruits.
What a beautiful shade of purple! Absolutely gorgeous.
Jack, one of the dogs with us for the weekend.
Jazzy, the other dog hanging out with us.
One of the bungalows/teahouses scattered around the property.
Inside each were two single beds, a little desk, a fan, and heater.
A hammock was put at the edge of the hill, with a great view of the land below.
It was a hazy day and the sun began to sink slowly.
It soon became a brilliantly beautiful sunset. I love the details of the rocks in the distance.
It was so cozy, warm, and welcoming.
Everyone squeezed in to the bar for their share of the wine being sampled.
Many of these were tasted that night, as Casa Barranca generously shared their products.
Check out these awesome coasters recycling paper into a great new use! I think I remember reading they were from Vietman or Thailand or something.
Along the trail path were these funky leaves, complete with curling tendrils.
The kind of fence you used to hand make with an axe and nails.
Now that house is situated in a place with views in nearly every angle!
A random sculpture tucked away along the trail.
Such a pretty little puppy!
I was trying to capture how there was a perfect little paw print on her leggings, but the angle isn’t quite right.
So many layers of hills!
We seriously expected some sheep to be grazing here. I thought we were continuing over this hill, but thankfully we cut down the mountain before then.
You can see part of downtown Ojai now.
Now that’s an imposing wall to have for your driveway.
Back inside and we are made some fresh guacamole! I learned that putting bananas and avocados together makes them ripen faster.
There’s nothing quite like freshly-made, is there?
There was this cool rooftop patio complete with lounge chairs for resting in!
The view of part of the backyard from the rooftop.
You can sleep here and feel like you’re outdoors without the bugs!
Lines of vines of wine grapes! That’s just too fun to say.
Jealous much? 😉
Some of the cool things that were at the 2009 Opportunity Green Conference! (Images linked to the website of the maker, if known.)
Made from 100% certified organic cotton by Topo Ranch. They're so soft!
AdVinylize saves billboards from the dumps by making useful bags out of them! Plus you can get straps made of seat belts, which is oh so comfortable.
KOR "hydration vessel" made from BPA-free plastic and designed to make drinking water a better experience.
Organic cookies in a very zen display.
So peaceful.
A very green type of centerpiece.
The MINI E electric car, ready for its test drives!
A cornboard chair... you really can do anything with corn!
Beautiful wooden bench and playful tree stumps.
Eastman is the company that produces the type of plastic that KOR and Y Water are made of.
With Greenbox, when you get a pizza you can take the lid, split it into four plates, then take the bottom and fold it in half to create a smaller box to store leftovers! Just follow the dotted lines.
Veeery comfortable, ergonomically-designed office chairs.
Last week, the battery in my car key was dying and it chose to give out when I needed to unlock my car to get to a lecture. Though I could open the car manually, it would set off the car alarm time and time again, which did me no good. I tried to get in and just start my car, but it didn’t work and the engine wouldn’t react. I called up Panda to try to figure out a solution and eventually decided to go back to my internship to see if the guys there had suggestions (or could possibly take me to a local shop to buy a battery).
I got a screwdriver to open up the casing and at least see what size the battery was. One of the guys took it and decided he’d try something radical – he started to rub it vigorously on the carpet! Trying to work on the static electricity generated to create a charge strong enough for it to work for just one more push, he went on for a few seconds, then quickly replaced the battery. I pressed a button and the red light lit to indicate it was working, so he and the other intern started to yell at me to run to my car to unlock it. Nervous and anticipatory, I ran out as fast as I could and cautiously pressed it when I felt close enough for it to work.
Miraculously, I heard the double-beeping that indicated my car was unlocked! What a genius move! I was really excited about it, since it was such a great application of the physical sciences! It’s like when you take a potato to power something and it’s a really cool science experiment because it works and it’s so simple too. In this day and age of technology, it’s great to see that there are still some less high-tech ways of solving problems. It took a certain creativity to even consider the idea (which was borne of desperation). As my tagline says, “because inspiration doesn’t wait,” after all. Crazy, huh? 🙂
