sustainable style foundation*

That's my boy. George Clooney has done it again...he stepped up and out to make a statement on an issue he is passionate about. At SSF, we're all about using the power of pop culture to make the world a better place and there are few things more effective than having a celebrity speak out to bring attention to an issue. In this case, George teamed up with Million Voices for Darfur in DC regarding the genecide situation in Darfur. You go George!

In keeping with our recent green mag theme around here, Wired has embraced green living with their latest issue. Al Gore graces the cover (they talk about his "resurrection" since nearly becoming President in 2000) and inside, among others, is an article by SSF pal Alex Steffen (head-honcho over at WorldChanging) about how technology is dragging environmentalism out of the anti-business, anti-consumer stone age, which is very worthwhile reading. Also included is a piece about the "emerging tribes of neo-green consumers" who are realizing the power of conscious consumption and "voting with your dollars," which, while not a revolutionary thought, (we've been preaching it here for almost three years) is good to see in a big publication like Wired.

Just ran across Greencar Magazine at the bookstore recently. Really impressed with how advanced the design of hybrids and other alternative fuel vehicles has come...even surprised me. Worth tracking down at your favorite book/magazine store.

So today's the big day, and lots of sites who aren't usually all over sustainability are celebrating out there in internet land. Here's a quick wrap-up of some of the Earth Day-inspired info.

Cool Hunting raises a glass to organic beer and spirits
Engadget tells you how and where to recycle your old computer.
Product Dose fills us in on Yahoo!'s Earth Day micro-site.
The New York Times has a double whammy: A chat with Laurie David about Too Hot Not to Handle, her upcoming documentary about climate change on HBO; and an article about Wal-Mart's burgeoning efforts at being green, referencing Grist's interview with chairman H. Lee Scott Jr.

Yep, blown away by another magazine. The most recent issue of Fast Company Magazine is chock full of sustainability. A couple items in "Feedback" regarding their March issue to begin with. In their "Fast Talk" section, one of the highlighted individuals is Patty Herrera, Director of Multicultural Initiatives for the Oakland Raiders. The team has had many diversity firsts, including the first Hispanic head coach and then later, Art Shell, the first African American head coach. What really got me was that they now broadcast the games in Navajo. AWESOME! Next there is of course Ford's hybrid add with Kermit the Frog. Move onto an article title "Deconstructing Wal-Mart's Wonder Truck" which evaluated their fleet's efforts to improve envrironmental performance. Followed by a short blurb on Lord Richard Rogers efforts to enrich the Queens waterfront in NYC which will include some environmentally efficient materials. Next a feature article by Charles Fishman titled "A Farming Fairy Tale" which exlpores what life on the farm would be like (actually what life would be like for all of us) if a switch to organic happened overnight. Also a great book review of "Organic, Inc.". And last but not least, a great back and forth in their column "Open Debate" on feeding the world with Billy Shore of Share Our Strength and William Easterly NYU Professor.

Speaking of Earth Day, I had the pleasure to hear Denis Hayes, founder of the first big day some 36 years ago, speak on Wednesday. As you can imagine, he's got some really good things to say about the environmental movement as a whole, and even though this time of year is extremely busy for him, he took time to stick around for dinner, and I was one of the lucky few who accompanied him.

Among his more poignant points are ideas that are near and dear to SSF's heart: we must sell hope, not fear, visualize our dreams rather than trumpeting our nightmares, and build a big, inclusive network of friends to help us achieve our goals. These are all things that we're working on every day: staying positive, encouraging proactive behavior and ballyhooing sustainability as something you can engage in every day by making a few small, easy, but important changes.

Over 30 of New York's premiere music venues are coming together to host the inaugural Green Apple Music & Arts Festival. It's the biggest Earth Day celebration in the United States, and it's happening now throughout New York City. Featuring music by Blues Traveler, Guster, Dweezil Zappa (why not?) and many, many more, it's a great way to celebrate the 36th Earth Day in New York; lots more info on their website. Find out what's happening in your city with Earth Day Network's handy search feature. We'll be back tomorrow with more ideas about how to best celebrate on Saturday.

Just attended the CleanMed conference here in Seattle in association with my position at the UW Medical Center. It is astounding how much sustainability is going on in the healthcare industry, from food and green building initiatives to waste reduction and organic cotton uniforms. One of my favorite people of all time is Yolanda Sinde of the Community Coalition for Environmental Justice.

I am SO loving that both Elle and Vanity Fair came out with green issues recently. AND - Elle is even printed on recycled content paper!!! Haven't made it all the way through both mags yet, but so far they are both blowing me away. Love that Elle was guest edited by Laurie David as well, she's one of my big eco-heroes. Both mags have some really great robust content, as well as some good glitz and glam to entice a whole new crowd of people into these topics. Environistas Unite!

Hello world! Welcome to SSF's all-new blog, dedicated to the discussion of all things sustainable style. We're just getting cranked up, so check back often as we'll be bringing you a handful of new posts each day; you can also subscribe to SSF's RSS feed with your software of choice over on the right-hand side of the page. You'll hear more from us soon!