The 39th celebration of Earth day is here. We marked it by attending the Go Green Expo in NYC.

We had a great time at the expo, meeting other people working hard to fulfill the American dream in a GREEN way. There were so many great innovative products, organically grown foods, and groups organizing & educating people. What a fantastic way to spend the day.

In the coming months we will introduce you to some great new products that we found and make them available on the web site.

One interesting product we learned about was the re-useable dry cleaning bag. There were at least 3 vendors with organic cotton bags, or bags made out of recycled plastic. We were happy to finally come across a dry cleaner in NYC who doesn’t use the typical toxic chemicals previously inherent in the process! (If you have to dry clean, use Google to find one in your area.)

A new publication/web site named Greenopia.com is useful if you live near a major metropolitan area. They publish local guides to help find what you may be looking for to alter your environmental impact.

We hope you are able to find some local events to celebrate the stewardship of the planet. Let us know what you did to mark the 39th anniversary of Earth Day.

Long before the current ‘green’ movement, conservationists loved the outdoors and knew that to enjoy it we need to care for it. So whenever you are camping, fishing, hunting or just out enjoying nature, make decisions that support a clean and healthy environment.

Tip 1: Leave No Trace

This is the first rule of the outdoors. Sometimes, it is a lot easier said then done. You have to pay attention and be aware of the impact you have on the world around you. We’re not talking ‘don’t break a blade of grass’ here. Walk gently on the grass and it will recover. But while swinging like a banshee on the new birch sapling may remind you of Robert Frost, the sapling won’t recover. Respect nature and keep it natural—the way you found it.

Be aware of ways you might impact your surroundings and tread lightly.

Tip 2: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Make this trio your mantra when camping and you will be well on your way to an environmentally friendly camping trip.

Reduce You’re going camping. Do you really need a ten course meal? Simplify. Avoid buying individually packaged snacks and bottled water. Prep your meals at home and package the servings in reusable containers. If you pre-peel your fruit or pre-prep your meals at home, you don’t have to worry about deposing of the waste in the wild.

Reuse: Package all your pre-prepared meals in containers that can be reused, use dishes that can be washed rather than flimsy plates that will be thrown away after your meal.

Recycle: Bring your recyclable containers home to recycle. (That doesn’t mean to leave your other trash behind. Bring that home as well.)

Tip 3: Buy Recycled

There is a long list of camping related products that include recycled content such as flash lights, fleece blankets, and jackets. You can play a role in reducing the items sent to the ever expanding landfills, by helping create the market for recycled products. For example, soda bottles are now being made into new materials that are used in fleece jackets?

Tip 4: Stay Close to Home

The great outdoors is probably not too far from where you live. Consider staying close to home to reduce your need to travel. That saves you money and reduces gas usage.

Tip 5: Stick to trails

Use nature, do not invade it. Much thought has gone into making and marking trails in parks and reservations. Stay on them. Planting experiments and plant recovery programs may also be happening around you. If you leave the trail, you risk disturbing those areas. Know the rules and guidelines for the area you are visiting before you venture out.

Tip 6: Regulate your water consumption

By all means, stay hydrated while out. But reuse and reduce your grey water whenever possible.

Tip 7: Have a Great Time

The natural world is a blessing for us all to care for and enjoy. Get away. Enjoy it. Respect it. Have a great time. And by all means teach your children to do the same.

Spring is almost here and your mind (hopefully) goes to hitting the trail. It won’t be long until we can all start hiking our local trails again. Those of you in warmer climates are not seeing the piles of dirty snow blocking the trail heads.

For both rural and urban outdoors people alike, there is a great resource available to learn the best ways to protect your favorite places. I first heard the phrase leave no trace behind as a college student 20 years ago. The concept has matured to an organization with core values and teacher/training support available nationwide.

You can learn more at Leave No Trace, www.lnt.org. They have several workshops and you can see if there is one near you.

If you’re ready to hit the trail in mind and spirit, but need a little extra support for the body, check out our great organic wool hiking socks ($15.95), and stainless steel water bottles ($9.95).

I think if I were asked to choose my favorite ‘element’ - earth, wind, fire, or water; it would be water.  I grew up on the shores of Lake Michigan, and was on a swim team from age 8 to 22.  Today, I found a great web site with information about the worlds oceans at www.oceana.org.  Take a minute to check it out and be inspired to re-connect with your favorite body of water.

Before you buy another article of clothing…before you acquire one more household item made from any fabric, there’s a few facts you should know. First, cotton is the most heavily pesticide-intensive crop grown in the United States. (Peanuts are second…but that’s a different topic!) Second, all synthetic fabrics are manufactured from petroleum derivatives. What this all adds up to is that most fabrics used for anything today are very earth-unfriendly…if not downright dangerous!

Cheap at what price?

While finished goods made from polyester, nylon, etc. are generally cheap, due to artificially maintained low petroleum prices, the actual cost to the environment of acquiring, transporting refining and manufacturing these materials is seldom taken into account by consumers. The amount of water and energy resources alone, if known, would turn off many buyers. Factor in the pollution these processes cause and most buyers would truly be shocked!

Pesticides kill more than pests!

Today’s pesticides are very effective. However, to be as effective as they are, they’re extraordinarily strong, and long lived. The havoc they wreak after they do their job is daunting. They pollute the ground for years, draining it of natural nutrients, forcing the use of more, and more dangerous, fertilizers and eventually making it unsuitable for farming use. This is the heart of “unsustainable” agriculture. The pesticides eventually leech into and pollute the groundwater, making its way to our faucets and causing everyone a myriad of health problems. The workers that use them, most are undereducated and unaware, are at extreme risk for cancer and many other diseases. And finally, do they stick to the fabric through the manufacturing process? If they don’t, it’s probably due to the bleaching process most cotton is subject to. The bleach is even WORSE than the pesticides! These are not short-term problems. Once these pesticides are introduced, they’ll be around for our grandchildren to deal with!

So why organic cotton?

Now you know why not other fabrics…but why Organic Cotton? First, buying Organic Cotton products helps you avoid all the problems mentioned above. Your clothing is safe for you or your children, AND the world’s a little cleaner and safer each time you make the Organic choice. Second, each time you buy Organic, you create demand. We all know how powerful the law of Supply & Demand is. If more people bought it, more would be more available…cheaper! Finally…

It’s good stuff!

Organic Cotton is buttery-soft, and gets even softer with each washing. It’s stronger and more durable than most other fabrics. Color-grown cotton (undyed) actually gets bolder in color over time. Organic Cotton is a better long-term value than other fabrics, and it’s an investment in our children’s future!

After a year of development we finally finished our new web site! Our goal was to make it easier to find what you need and easier to give you eco tips. We’ll be updating the blog and adding new products over the next few weeks. Keep coming back, subscribe to the RSS feed and to our newsletter. We hope you like it. Let us know.