Heart of Green

Gorgeous & Green Party

Dust off your eco party clothes, fire up that Tesla and get ready because Global Green’s Gorgeous & Green 2008 will be taking the planet by storm on December 2. A raging, hip, glamorous, conscious, ridiculously fun storm.  Gorgeous & Green will be a star-studded event celebrating ecofabulous lifestyles featuring Kate Bosworth, the best organic foods and beverages, one rocking Eco-Chic Fashion Show, top eco-stylish products, and more with the who's who of green.

Global Green presents:
Gorgeous & Green 2008

WHEN:
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
6:00 pm Patron Reception
7:30 pm Cocktail Party with VIP Lounges
8:30 pm Eco-Chic Fashion Show

WHERE:
The historic LEED-certified Bently Reserve
301 Battery Street
San Francisco

FEATURING:

• Celebrity Guests
• Eco-Chic Fashion Show
• Musical performance by Elliott Yamin
• VIP Lounges
• Organic Cuisine by O Organics & Cavallo Point
• Eco-friendly Cocktails by VeeV & Square One Organic Vodka
• Wine by Newton Vineyard & Boisset Family Estates
• Iron Horse Sparkling Wine
• MateVeza Beer, FOUR, EcoloBlue Water & Bionade
• LIVE Energy Drink
• Numi Tea and Thanksgiving Coffee
• Spa by Juice Beauty, Epi Center, and International Orange
• Makeup by Jane Iredale Mineral Cosmetics
• Music by DJ Donovan
• Glamorous Green Decor by Blueprint Studios
• Chocolates by TCHO, Coracao Confections, Come Hither cupcakes, and Just Desserts
• Greening by Greenhome.com
• Hotels by Kimpton EarthCare and Fairmont SF Green Suite
• Transportation by PlanetTran hybrid car service
• Musical performance by the hot band Bag of Toys
• Ecofabulous VIP Eco-Gift Bags with Sigg, Rickshaw Bagworks, Duchess Marden, Pangea and much more.
• Special Thanks to PG&E, Rabobank, Wachovia, Liebherr, Google

DRESS:  Cocktail attire or Luxury Eco

HONORARY HOSTS:
Kate Bosworth, Daphne Zuniga, Entourage & Alter Eco stars, and other celebrity guests

HOST COMMITTEE:
Co-Chairs:  Zem Joaquin, Nadine Weil

Vice-Chairs:  Christopher & Amber Marie Bently

Host Committee:  Matt Petersen, Lily Achatz, Robyn Beavers, Andrew Beebe, Brian Bunch, Scott Claxon, Emilie Cowan, Amy Darland, Rachael Dorsey McGowen, Nellie Draganic, Mark Dwight, Matt Eastling, Justin Fichelson, Mike Freed, Alison Gelb Pincus, Anthony Gilmore, Joel Goodrich, Moira Hanes, Jordan Harris, Lucas Heldfond, Brandon Hernandez, Deirdre Holbrook, Marika Holmgren, Jonna Hunter, Bruce Katz, Marco Krapels, CR Lipton, Janet Macgillivray Wallace, Monica Maduro, Clarissa Nicosia, Carl Page, Gina Pell, Heidi Pettit, Claudia Ross, Michael Rubenstein, Mireille Schwartz, Bahar Shahpar, David Shearer, Steve Simon, Al Smyth, Lauren Sorof, Marla Steuer, Steve Teijeiro, Tara Trask, Joslin Van Arsdale, Akemi Tamaribuchi, Alyssa Warnock

ECO-CHIC FASHION SHOW:
Enjoy an amazing eco-fashion show featuring designers who blend high style and sustainability including Bahar Shahpar, Cari Borja, Del Forte Denim, Eco Citizen Boutique, EDUN, John Patrick Organic, Juleselin, Lara Miller, Larsen Grey, Linda Loudermilk, Loomstate, Loyale, Sara Shepherd, Stewart+Brown, Thomas-Ray Eccles.  Shoes by Charmone, Cri de Coeur, and Olsen Haus.  Jewelry by Amber Marie Bently.  Hair by DiPietro Todd.  Makeup by Jane Iredale.  Models by Stars Model Management.  Show Produced by Lily Achatz and Clarissa Nicosia. 

RSVP:
310-581-2700
Reserve your spot at www.globalgreen.org/sf

ABOUT GLOBAL GREEN:
Global Green's mission is to create a global value shift toward a more secure and sustainable future by working to mitigate global warming, expand green building and green schools, eliminate weapons of mass destruction, and ensure access to clean water.  Global Green is the national arm of Green Cross International, Mikhail Gorbachev's environmental organization.  Global Green hosts the Red Carpet Green Cars Campaign at the Oscars, and they are leading the green rebuilding of New Orleans with Brad Pitt.  Check out their Solar Energy and Green Schools programs too. www.globalgreen.org

Full Circle Forum

You are invited to Philanthropy Remixed, the latest in mad DJ skills, I mean, Full Circle Fund's signature annual Forum that is always the place to be. Join this rocking night of civic engagement featuring Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and showcasing bold models for sustainable social change. 

Full Circle Fund presents

Forum 2008

Philanthropy Remixed - A New Generation In Motion

 

WHERE:

Mark Hopkins Intercontinental Hotel

One Nob Hill, San Francisco

WHEN:
Thursday November 13, 2008

6:00 pm  VIP Reception

6:30 pm  Action Expo

7:30 pm  Main Program with Sheryl Sandberg Keynote

8:00 pm  Nobel Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus

8:30 pm  Networking Party to 11:00 pm

INVITATION:
View the full Forum Event Invitation

RSVP:
Reserve your spot here

FULL CIRCLE FUND:
The nonprofit Full Circle Fund is an engaged philanthropy organization cultivating the next generation of community leaders and driving lasting social change in the Bay Area. They offer the following Circles: Technology, Environment & Energy, Housing, Education, and the new Global Economic Opportunity Circle.

I serve as a member of the Environment & Energy Circle and have been working with Green For All and the Ella Baker Center on their green jobs program. Hope to see you at the Forum - it is always a bustling and inspiring night!   www.fullcirclefund.org

Amazon Watch Party

The Amazon rainforest is one of the most extraordinary places on earth. Did you know for example that rainclouds from the Amazon supply over half of the water for America's farmlands?  and that the Amazon basin stores over 85 billion metric tons of carbon? 

 

I am excited about the upcoming Amazon Watch event on October 30 in, where else, the Green Room in San Francisco. Enjoy a delicious luncheon, celebrate the recent victories in protecting the Amazon and the indigenous peoples who live there, and hear the always-astounding words of Luis Yanza - the Goldman Environmental Prize winner from Ecuador.

Amazon Watch Celebration Luncheon
October 30, 2008
12 noon - 1:30 pm
The Green Room, War Memorial Veterans Building
401 Van Ness Avenue, Second Floor
San Francisco

Space is limited. Complimentary entry. Donor's Choice.
Rsvp to 415-487-9600 or to rsvp at amazon watch dot org

Learn more about Amazon Watch at www.amazonwatch.org

Democracy 24

You are invited to the Democracy 24 Green Block Party starting Friday October 24 at 6:00 pm at the corner of Bay and Columbus in San Francisco (old Tower  Records location) to celebrate democracy and all things green.

This party, which runs a whopping 24 hours, features multiple djs, dancing, organic cocktails, art installations, spoken word performances, a giant 24-foot ice sculpture and much much more.

It is hosted by SFGreenClean - one the greenest dry cleaners in the nation, Democracy 24, and the fabulous eco-fashion boutique Eco Citizen. Speaking of fashion, enjoy a 24% discount off everything at Eco Citizen on Friday October 24 only.  24 hours on the 24th for democracy and the environment. Now that is hope personified!

Systematic Landscapes by Maya Lin

Maya Lin has always been a green maverick with a hammer. At only 21 years of age, she won the competition at Yale to design the Vietnam Veterans War Memorial in DC and has been raising eyebrows ever since.

See the new extraordinary Maya Lin exhibition entitled Systematic Landscapes at the de Young Museum in San Francisco opening this Saturday October 25 and running through January 18.  Step inside the earth and see her jaw-dropping 2x4 hill made from 60,000 sustainable wooden blocks that swell into a wave. And that is just the beginning.

As a famous environmental artist, Maya Lin honors the striking and beautiful patterns inherent in nature and geography – and helps us to see them and ourselves in a new light. Be awed, delighted, entertained, and inspired at Systematic Landscapes, which is presented by PG&E. You can even walk through Blue Lake Pass (pictured) and under Water Line. Then take a stroll through Golden Gate Park while you are there. If you are like me, you simply don’t get there enough!  De Young Museum

For more environmental art – both attractive and provoking – take a trip through the intriguing pictures at www.greenmuseum.org and you just might find some jewels like Chrysanne Stathacos. But then again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Brower Youth Awards

On October 21st, over 1,000 people will flock to San Francisco for the Brower Youth Awards, the top environmental prize for young green rising stars in North America. This year the amazing American Idol recording artist Elliott Yamin will be in the house performing two songs.

Brower Youth Awards
The top environmental prize for young people in North America

WHEN:
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
5:30 pm  VIP Opening Reception
7:30 pm  Awards Show
9:00 pm  Post Reception

WHERE:
Herbst Theatre & Green Room
401 Van Ness Avenue
San Francisco

FEATURING:

• Glamorous Awards Show
• Performances by American Idol Elliott Yamin
• Exclusive pre-show VIP Reception
• The six young BYA Winners and their inspiring words
• DJ Dojah
• Magnanimus Wines including Mendocino Farms and the new Talmage
• Multimedia videos
  
• Volute Wine
  
• An eco-friendly event

FAMOUS PAST WINNERS:

• Billy Parish (04) for Energy Action Coalition, Campus Climate Challenge
• Jon Warnow (07) for Step It Up
• Actress Q’orianka Kilcher (07) for success in the Amazon

HONORARY HOSTS:
Paul Hawken, Bill McKibben, Speaker Nancy Pelosi,  Q’orianka Kilcher, Carmen Chu, and other honorary guests.

HOST COMMITTEE:
Nadine Weil, Jennifer Snyder, John Knox and Carole Roberts, India Badiner, Josh Becker, Jared Blumenfeld, Shirley Richardson Brower,  Peter and Mimi Buckley, Martha Davis, Helen and Raj Desai, Larry Fahn, Josh Floum and Maggie O’Donnell, Annette and Fred Gellert, Michael Hathaway, Darian Rodriguez Heyman, Allan and Marion Hunt-Badiner, Cynthia Kang, Eric Kessler, David and Betty Kollen, Leslie and Jacques Leslie, Marianne Manilov, Anna and Rob McKay, Dave Phillips and Pam McCann, Kimberly Pinkso, Kelly Quirke and Stephanie Alston, Sudeep Rao, Adam Werbach

GUESTS:
1,000 guests including VIP entertainment, business, youth, environmental, community, and cultural leaders. Sponsored by Visa, Clif Bar, esurance, As You Sow, Back to Earth, Cavallo Point and Heart of Green.

RSVP:
The show is almost sold out.
Reserve your spot at www.broweryouthawards.org
All proceeds benefit the nonprofit Earth Island

DRESS:  Cocktail or Luxury-Eco

ABOUT:
The nonprofit Earth Island was founded in San Francisco in 1992 by legendary green pioneer David Brower who helped to save the Grand Canyon, King's Canyon, and Point Reyes; created the World Heritage System; and was nominated for the Nobel Piece Prize three times.  Earth Island is an environmental incubator with a proven model that develops environmental leaders for the future.  They support a green portfolio of 45 environmental entrepreneurs and projects in global warming, oceans, youth environmental leadership, conservation, restoration, organic farms, nature education in schools, and more.  Their New Green Leaders Initiative is the beneficiary of the Brower Youth Awards and has motivated thousands of young people to care for the planet.

This Old Bag Party

We all have old handbags stuffed into the closet – and new handbags we would love to buy that are either too expensive or not green enough or both. Enter the party to solve all of our handbag problems - This Old Bag: The Power of the Purse event on October 17 at the W San Francisco.

This not-to-be-missed party benefiting the Breast Cancer Emergency Fund features cocktails, appetizers, and 300 handbags including many donated and autographed by celebrities such as Ellen DeGeneres, Minnie Driver, Julianne Moore, Sharon Stone, and Oprah Winfrey. Most exciting for eco-fashionistas with a heart of green will be the new party section called Pink Goes Green featuring recycled purses.  

This Old Bag: The Power of the Purse Party
Friday October 17, 2008
6:30 pm – 9:00 pm
W San Francisco
181 Third Street, San Francisco

Don't let someone else snag your bag.  Reserve your spot at www.thisoldbag.org

    

Wild Conservation Expo

My favorite wild animal act is coming to town – and no, it is not a circus act. It is the annual Wildlife Conservation Expo featuring the top big animal trainers (read: conservationists) from all over the globe. 

 

What is your favorite endangered species – tigers, cheetahs, elephants, okapi, antelopes, snow leopards?  They are all here at the Wildlife Conservation Network Expo this weekend at the Mission Bay Conference Center in San Francisco on Saturday October 4 and then at the always-rocking Garden Party on Sunday at founder Charlie Knowles’ private home in the Los Altos Hills complete with live music and even livelier wild cat ambassadors.  www.wildlifeconservationnetwork.org

100 Million Trees Party to Stop Junk Mail

You are invited to the 100 Million Trees Party this September featuring celebrity guests, organic cocktails and the Do Not Mail campaign at the chic Spanish Suite.  All proceeds benefit the nonprofit organization ForestEthics and help to stop junk mail and save forests in North America.

100 Million Trees Party
Stopping Junk Mail from the Trunk

Goal:  To take back mailboxes and save 100 million trees per year

DATE:
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
5:00 pm  Press Conference
6:00 pm  VIP Reception with Honorary Hosts
7:00 pm  Doors open for Cocktail Party

PLACE:
CLIFT Hotel Spanish Suite
495 Geary Street, San Francisco

CELEBRITY HOSTS:
Shalom Harlow, actress/model Malin Akerman, Annabelle Gurwitch, Adrian Grenier (honorary), Planet Green stars Boise Thomas and Darren Moore, Lauren Gropper, Producer Peter Glatzer

Co-Chairs:
Nadine Weil, Marika Holmgren, Todd Paglia

Host Committee:
Lani Alo, Stephanie Alston, Murat Armbruster, Tzeporah Berman, Jessica Brittsan, Adam Browning, Scott Bryan, Sheryl Cohen, Stephen Fowler, Eric Corey Freed, Neal Gorenflo, Claire Greensfelder, Zem Joaquin, Michael Klein, Catherine Lerza, Idelisse Malave, Marianne Manilov, Melanie Nutter, Darian Rodriguez Heyman, David Rothschild, Andrea Rudominer, Stephanie Russell, Stuart Sender & Julie Bergman, Lauren Sorof, Michael Uehara, Francesca Vietor, Jill Waggonner, Nicole Ward, Mark Westlund, Angel Kyodo Williams

FEATURING:

• Honorary guests
• Eco-friendly cocktails by VeeV
• Top wines by Parducci, Honig & Organic Vintners
• Delicious hors d'oeuvres and sweets
• ForestEthics Do Not Mail
• Scenes from Planet Green’s Alter Eco show
• Academy of Art junk mail art and fashion
• BYOJ Bring a few junk mail pieces for shredding
• Trip to King Pacific Lodge in Great Bear Rainforest
• VIP eco-chic gift bag
• A Festive Celebration

RSVP:
General Cocktail:  $125
VIP Ticket:  $500 includes VIP Reception & Gift Bag
Sponsorship Opportunities
415-863-4563

THANK YOU TO:
World Forests:
Christopher & Amber Marie Bently of the Bently Reserve
King Pacific Lodge in the Great Bear Rainforest
Giant Sequoia:  VeeV and Parducci
Spirit Bear:  Organic Vintners, Honig, Ecofabulous, Heart of Green
Green Hero:  Epi Center MedSpa, Organic Events, ChicoBags, To Go Ware, PlanetTran hybrid car service, Numi Tea, Good on Paper notecards, Dagoba
Media Sponsor:  Reconcile Productions - Alter Eco
Special Thanks to CLIFT
Celebrity Jewelry by Amber Marie Bently

ABOUT:
ForestEthics is a modern nonprofit organization that works to save endangered forests in the US, Canada, and Chile.  Recently, ForestEthics helped Victoria’s Secret, Dell and Williams-Sonoma switch to recycled and sustainable paper in millions of catalogs. This fall, ForestEthics launched its campaign for a national Do Not Mail list that would be similar to the successful Do Not Call list and would help to stop junk mail from old-growth forests and give citizens control over their mailboxes. 100 million trees per year are at stake, and 65,000+ signatures have already been collected.  Founded in 1994 and based in San Francisco, ForestEthics has helped to save over 7 million acres of forests and just achieved a monumental 55 million acre protection agreement of the Boreal forest in Canada.  www.forestethics.org and www.donotmail.org

TIPS:
Click here to see some Tips for Stopping Junk Mail.

We hope you can join us at this glamorous green party to help stop junk mail.  www.forestethics.org/event

PHOTOS:
Click here to see the Party Photos by Drew Altizer

Cool Globes are Cool

Today I watched the fog finally roll out of San Francisco and made my move – a trip down to Crissy Field to see the public art exhibition Cool Globes:  Hot Ideas for a Cooler Planet.  It was truly a magnificent treat, a round feast for the eyes and an uplifting feast for the soul. And I knew that it would be more enjoyable without an Arctic wind blowing up my pants.

As you walk along the beach, you see a series of 37 globes, each designed by a local artist and portraying a theme in 3 dimensions. Each globe is 7 feet high, 5 feet in diameter, and 2,200 pounds in weight.  "Teenie Greenie!" shouts a green-colored globe from the parking lot.

Some globes are beautiful like Tree of Life with impressionist murals of nature. Others are wacky in a good way like the Consumer Recycling globe, which showcases just how attractive old cell phones can be. The Geothermal Energy globe is hot – look at all of those untapped spots on the West Coast. Still other globes are immensely creative like the We Are What We Eat globe, which contained a giant face made out of vegetables and a sign on the pear that said “Wet Paint.” I didn’t risk it.

There is even a globe about Idling, yes car idling, proving that everyone has a pet rock cause. Viewing the statue and school bus illustration, I found myself nodding in agreement, “Yes, let’s stop needless idling!” 

Against the beautiful backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge, you can witness patriotic globes, green roof globes, volunteering globes, and even whimsical globes with branches growing from their poles. I don’t want to spoil the experience and reveal them all because that would be uncool of me.

The marvelous thing about Cool Globes is that it emphasizes solutions in an enchanting way. At the end of viewing the spheres, it seems quite possible to solve global warming and other planetary ills. All we need is some paint and each other. The colorful installations will make you laugh, go “hmmm” and want to reach out and touch some globes and someone. I think that is the ultimate triumph of Cool Globes - in addition to providing useful green tips in a fun and accessible way, it makes you feel connected to the entire planet.

It is official. Cool Globes are cool and definitely worth checking out before they leave San Francisco on October 12 and proceed to other fortunate cities like San Diego and London.  www.coolglobes.com

Save The Dates

We may be experiencing a small break in eco parties, but don’t worry, they are coming back even better and greener than before.  Celebrities will be sparkling and composting bins will be overflowing.  Get those calendars and iPhones out because here are a few of the must save-the-date parties for the planet in the Bay Area.  Look forward to seeing you there!

 

West Coast Green
September 24 – 27, 2008
San Jose Convention Center
The amazing conference on green building & design
www.westcoastgreen.com

California Academy of Sciences
Opening Gala
Thursday, September 25, 2008

Public Opening
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Golden Gate Park
The night we have all been waiting for!
www.calacademy.org

 

ForestEthics
100 Million Trees Party
Stopping Junk Mail from the Trunk
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
CLIFT Hotel Spanish Suite
San Francisco
www.forestethics.org

  
Brower Youth Awards
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Herbst Theatre & Green Room
San Francisco
The top environmental prize for young people in North America
www.broweryouthawards.org

Amazon Watch Celebration Luncheon
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Green Room at the War Memorial
401 Van Ness Avenue, Second Floor
San Francisco
www.amazonwatch.org

   

Global Green
Gorgeous & Green
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Bently Reserve
San Francisco
The glamorous green party is back and better than ever
www.globalgreen.org

 

Why events?
On a personal note, why do I participate in so many events?  I often get asked this question. I believe that an event can be a wonderful and unparalleled catalyst to learn about a cause, an organization, an issue, a person, a solution and more that can help to save the planet. It is rare to fall out of bed in the morning and say, “Hmm, I think I will learn about the Amazon rainforest today.”  It just doesn’t happen. Life is too busy. Or maybe you do, but you are, um, different. An event is an opportunity to bring people together for a fun celebration.  Did I mention it has to be fun?  There have to be several wow factors that delight the crowd and make the party a worthwhile alternative to watching Planet Green at home.

I fell into the environmental event world by chance. When I first decided to give the cubicle the boot and replace the gray office with the gray whale, my question was “What do I care most about?” The answer at the time was tigers. Endangered tigers and lions. So I called WildAid and asked, “What can I do?”  They needed a launch party thrown in San Francisco, and the rest is history in the making as they say.

I like doing events that are complimentary. Free is always the right price!  Movie screenings and premieres are some of my favorite events because (almost) nothing surpasses the experience of watching a great film. Sometimes events are fundraisers and have a ticket price benefiting a charity.  I have a hard time asking for money. Between asking someone for funds or donating something myself, I will often do the latter much to the horror of my financial advisor who is always telling me to “pull back.”  Why should I when the planet needs help now?  If I wait until I am 80 to start trying to protect the forests for example, they might be all gone. I would rather help now. That is just my personal choice. It absolutely doesn’t have to be anyone else’s.

Over time, I have learned that many people actually want to donate money to causes they care about.  A shocking discovery I know!  Not everyone is passionate about every cause, and that is a good thing.  If everyone were passionate about the oceans above all else, then who would put education, global health, or climate change as their No. 1?   We need to divide and conquer. The oceans are probably a bad example because they need more champions. They are easy to forget about because they seem fine at the surface. 70% of our planet is remarkably covered by oceans. Anyway, when people become connected with opportunities to make a difference in areas they care deeply about, that is party nirvana. And it doesn’t have to be about money. There are so many ways to make a positive impact such as volunteering, writing a blog post, and spreading the word. Even just being aware and caring is huge.

Occasionally, I get to attend a party with absolutely no purpose where I have no role except to have fun. My friend and I overdosed on frosting at the last one.  Correction:  I OD’ed on frosting and she OD’ed on cake. If there is a dance floor and excellent music involved, I am the happiest guest there.  A green girl can let her hair down from time to time, but only when the planet isn’t looking.

Swim Away Home

This weekend at Moss Beach in Northern California, 4 rehabilitated baby harbor seals and 2 young sea lions made their way back into the ocean, after being nursed back to health by the Marine Mammal Center.

The cage doors opened and the sea lion pups made a direct line for the waves. Poof, they were gone!  The baby harbor seals, on the other hand, were far more timid. “Where are we?” they seemed to wonder.  “What do we do now?”  The bewildered look on their faces upon re-entering the ocean was priceless. They continued to swim, play, and dive around Moss Beach for hours.  Luckily, there is an established harbor seal colony nearby that will teach these wide-eyed creatures the ropes.

The four seal beauties had satellite tags on their heads, which explained their funny-looking hats. Scientists will be able to track where the harbor seals travel for one year and make sure that they are ok.

I highly recommend a visit to the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve near Half Moon Bay at low tide for some spectacular tide pooling.

Based on the vibrant health of this outgoing class, the Marine Mammal Center clearly does a wonderful job rehabilitating lost and injured seals, sea lions, and an occasional dolphin.  The staff feeds the rescued animals in a special way that does not domesticate them, thereby enabling them to rejoin wild ocean life. Based in the Marin Headlands in Sausalito with a new center, the organization has rescued and treated over 12,000 animals since 1975 and reached over 100,000 school children with their marine science education programs. I hope you will get to experience the magic of seeing a newly-healthy baby harbor seal swim away home to the sea.

Solarthon Race is On

The race will be on this weekend to install eight solar electric systems in one day at GRID Alternatives Solarthon 2008.  This will be an amazing event where teams will outfit Habitat for Humanity houses with solar panels, thereby enabling low-income families to experience the brightness of living off the sun.  Be there or be dim.

 

GRID Alternatives
Solarthon 2008

WHEN:
Saturday June 28, 2008
8:30 am - 4:30 pm

WHERE:
Habitat for Humanity East Bay
Please see Solarthon

These events fill up quickly, so if registration becomes full, don't despair. Another installation day will soon be in the air.

PG&E and its Solar Habitat Initiative have graciously stepped up to become the event’s flagship supporter.  The new solar systems will generate over $130,000 in clean renewable power over their expected lifespans, while offsetting 400 tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

Over 150 volunteers will participate in an uplifting and fun day in the sun for the community and the planet.  If it’s foggy in San Francisco, what better excuse to get out of town, get some rays and celebrate this great energy resource shining down on us every day. Bring a hat, sunscreen, and some friends. Can we do the installations in our bathing suits?  

Learn more about GRID Alternatives and their marvelous work bringing solar and energy efficiency to low-income families throughout California at www.gridalternatives.org

944 Launches in San Francisco

Welcome to San Francisco, 944 Magazine.  944 is one of the fastest growing lifestyle publications in the nation featuring local and national content. And it is beautiful.

944 began in Phoenix six years ago and now has custom books in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, Miami, San Diego, Las Vegas, and Orange County. Clearly, they have an affinity for sunny places. They must think San Francisco is sunny because we are in California. 

I know you are dying to know, like I was, what do the digits 944 stand for?  In addition to a nice Porsche, 944 is the address of the building where the magazine first got its start.  We are literal in the Bay Area and have to get to the bottom of things.

Flipping through the pages of 944’s inaugural San Francisco June issue, we see fashion, music, food and wine, art, design, eco-friendly resorts, celebrities, the social scene, and more. 944 seems to be filling a different niche than my other still-beloved SF magazines including 7x7 and San Francisco magazine. 944 is edgy, elegant, and inclusive. By covering all corners of San Francisco, it has the power to bring the city together.

Here are a few exciting things about 944.  It is complimentary at select high-end spots across the city including hotels, boutiques, salons, and restaurants. It is printed on Forest Stewardship Council (FSC-certified) sustainable paper with 10% recycled content every month, not just in April.  Kudos to 944 for being one of the first magazines in the country to take this important eco-friendly step. It also has an incredibly short lead time (2 days before printing) so the content is up-to-the-minute and true to month.  For example, the Black & White Ball photos from May 31 made it into the June issue. Amazing!

I am thrilled to be a contributing eco-editor for 944 San Francisco. My column is called the Green Spot, which somehow got shortened to g-spot in the first issue. I can’t imagine how.

This Thursday night June 19, 944 will celebrate its official Launch Party at the Bently Reserve in collaboration with Martel and Nabiel and Vintage 415 with performances by the Macy Gray, the Fugees, E! Entertainment Host Catt Sadler, Chris Clouse, DJ Vice, and DJ Solomon. Now that is a line-up, and thank goodness I don't have any 8:00 am meetings on Friday.  www.944.com/sanfrancisco/

In my new role as 944's Eco Editor, I was thrilled to be able to share a few tips for Eco-friendly Gift Ideas on ABC-7's View from the Bay show.  Video

Jurlique Beauty Party

Nature is beautiful so it makes sense to tap into nature to make us beautiful. Case in point is the new Biodynamic Beauty Skin Care by Jurlique, which includes a renewing serum, an eye cream, a skin polisher, and a pampering night cream.  I tried them this week and the results are nothing short of glowing skin. Thank you nature and thank you Jurlique. Their hand creams in Lavender, Rose, and Citrus are also very popular and will transform your hands from brillo pads to silky smooth gloves.

What does biodynamic actually mean?  It is a method of sustainable farming that goes beyond organic and incorporates the cycles of nature, super healthy soil, the calendar, the sun and the moon, and more.

Stop by the Jurlique Biodynamic Beauty Party this Thursday, June 19 from 6 pm - 9 pm at the San Francisco Jurlique store at 2136 Fillmore Street. Enjoy the celebration with chef-prepared organic delicacies, biodynamic wine and the sweetest of all desserts, product samples!  www.jurlique.com

Global Green Millennium Awards

You are invited to get back to your glamorous green roots and celebrate top environmental leaders at the always a blast and always moving Global Green Millennium Awards this weekend.

Global Green Millennium Awards Show

WHEN:
Saturday June 14, 2008

WHERE:
Fairmont Miramar Hotel
101 Wilshire Boulevard
Santa Monica

FEATURING:

• Celebrity guests
• Organic cocktail reception
• Delicious organic dinner
• Mingling with the green glitterati
• Awards to Lyn Lear, Van Jones, the LA Unified School District, and the South Group

Cocktail Attire or Luxury Eco

RSVP:
Reserve your spot online

GLOBAL GREEN:
Presented annually in Los Angeles, the Millennium Awards recognize and herald those whose lives and livelihood embody Global Green USA's mission of fostering a global value shift toward a sustainable and secure world.  www.globalgreen.org

Sustainable Brands or Bust

Tis green conference season – a quality problem to have!   

This week I will be at the Sustainable Brands 08 conference by Sustainable Life Media in Monterey, home of the famous Monterey Bay Aquarium. 

The SB08 lineup is jam-packed with major brands pushing the green envelope including Keen, Ideo, Autodesk, Earthbound Farm, Yahoo!, eBay, Umbria, Frey Vineyards, World of Good, IBM, OZOcar, HP, Seventh Generation, Lexus, Kimpton, Method, Fetzer, Steelcase, Yolo, Gap, MBDC’s Cradle to Cradle, and many more that I look forward to learning about and reporting on. Stay tuned for the best of Sustainable Brands or bust.  www.sustainablebrands08.com

In other breaking conference news, there is Dwell on Design in LA this week, and don’t miss the Greener by Design conference in Alexandria, VA happening June 12 - 13, 2008.  Hosted by the expert GreenBiz, Global Executive, and Greener World Media gangs, this rendezvous of top eco-focused minds is sure to lead to a brighter green future for all, and some wild new products. Can we make a building that acts like a tree?  What are the full intentions of one’s designs?  After all, our current troubles are mostly a design problem.  As William McDonough always says, redesigning the way we make things is the key to unlocking a sustainable and regenerative future. The result will be nothing short of a new green “industrial” revolution for the millennium. Hope reigns supreme.  Let the battle of the conferences begin. See you at the cocktail hour.

Dwell on Design

One of my favorite green design conferences - Dwell on Design - is coming up June 5th through 6th in Los Angeles, and they are offering Heart of Green readers an enticing invitation.

 

Not that you needed an incentive to go, but you can receive complimentary tickets to the Exhibition Hall (a fabulous place to see 200 cutting edge green exhibitors) and $50 off the entire conference. Dwell on Design is an eco-conscious design mecca with 50 top speakers, a Sustainable Pre-Fab Neighborhood built on site, 16 Home Tours of private green residences, and of course the infamous evening parties at the Dwell Ford Brady and the Museum of Contemporary Art.

Register here for the Dwell on Design conference. Use the code BDODEC for the complimentary Exhibition Hall pass and GRP22SP for the discounted conference ticket. If it stops working for some reason, I don’t want to hear about it. Just kidding.

If that wasn’t enough, you can also sign up for a free 1 month digital subscription to Dwell Magazine.

The place to be will undoubtedly be the Live Design Challenge Party at MoCA on Friday June 6 with an open bar hosted by 360 vodka and LA's top design rendering gurus producing 2D sustainable and modular dwellings, rooms and furniture in a live tournament. Watch the contestants' live sketches being brought to life and projected over the 578 square-foot walls in the Upper Sculpture Plaza and set to music by a live DJ. The Live Topiary Artist Creations sound pretty cool too for all of us garden geeks.  www.dwellondesign.com

Visionary Eco Boutique Party

Get your green party on in West Hollywood this Wednesday at the opening of the new eco-chic boutique Visionary.

Per the owners, “Visionary is a place where people can come in and learn about the green culture and get inspired to become part of the solution.” And I might add, have a fun time at a party for the planet.  Eco-fashion, jewelry, home accessories, gifts and children’s wear are all there for the browsing.

Visionary Launch Party

 

WHEN:
Wednesday May 21, 2008
7:00 pm - 10:00 pm

WHERE:
Visionary Eco Boutique by Wildchild Wear
8568 1/2 Melrose Avenue
West Hollywood, California
310.659.1177

Enjoy organic libations and light fare. Proceeds benefit Global Green USA. The world into stylish eco-conscious products?  Now that is a stirring vision of the future worth celebrating Hollywood-style.  www.visionaryboutique.com

Natural Legacies Gala

Call me a dork but I like to vote. Receiving my voter pamphlet in the mail this weekend reminded me how lucky we are to be able to vote and how much voting matters. Or rather, how much policy can matter. The right policy.

With the flip of a switch, elected officials can give tax breaks to oil companies, or rescind them. They can create incentives for solar power and spur whole new clean energy industries like Germany did. They can ban dangerous chemicals and toxins from our products, or turn a blind eye. They can raise fuel economy standards to 40 mpg levels so that we no longer have to import any oil from the Middle East and use associated military might. And they can pass bills like the Wilderness Act and create land and marine reserves for generations to come. We note that the Grand Canyon had to be saved from flooding by a proposed dam.

This is why I was so excited to receive an invitation to the upcoming California League of Conservation Voters annual Environmental Leadership Awards Gala. It is entitled Natural Legacies and will be a celebration of individuals and organizations who are true conservation heroes. Exploiting natural resources for profit is easy. Saving pristine places from sprawling development is hard work. I am thrilled to see a whole night dedicated to conservation legacies.

California League of Conservation Voters
26th Annual Environmental Leadership Awards Gala
Natural Legacies

WHEN:
Friday, May 9, 2008
6:00 pm Cocktail Reception
7:00 pm Dinner & Awards Program

WHERE:
Hyatt Regency
5 Embarcadero Center
San Francisco

FEATURING:

• Keynote Speaker: The Honorable Leon Panetta
• Steve McCormick, Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation and The Nature Conservancy
• Michael Mantell, Resources Law Group
• Julie Packard, Monterey Bay Aquarium, David and Lucile Packard Foundation 

RSVP:
800.755.3224, ext. 305
www.ecovote.org/conserve/

The gala will honor three visionary conservationists: Steve McCormick, Michael Mantell, and Julie Packard. These environmental leaders have preserved natural treasures across California and the world. This is sure to be an uplifting night filled with unrestrained applause and hope.

If I had a billion dollars, this would be my dream. To save and help restore forests, wetlands, river canyons, open spaces, and endangered animals for future generations to explore, enjoy, and cherish.

p.s. For time-strapped California voters, the CLCV recommends a No vote on Proposition 98 and a Yes vote on Proposition 99. When it comes to the always mind-binding eminent domain issues, I do what they say because the CLCV researches in depth and is the guru of all things green on the ballot. The out-of-state property rights extremists are at it again. They spend millions of dollars to put these dangerous eminent domain props on the ballot. They sound good in the one sentence, but in reality they would erode environmental protection for clean air and water, compromise local land planning, and eliminate rent control. Don’t these guys have anything else to do?  Imagine the land they could save if they put those millions into creating a natural legacy. Maybe we can invite them to the gala on May 9.  www.ecovote.org

There is a national League of Conservation Voters too!  www.lcv.org