Green: Now and Then

A friend of mine in her 50s posted this great perspective about being green on Facebook, which was written by a friend of hers. Definitely worth a read and would love to hear your reactions.

From photographer Jackie King:

Checking out at the supermarket recently, the young cashier suggested I should bring my own bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment. I apologized and explained, "We didn't have this green thing back in my earlier days". The clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations". She was right about one thing--our generation didn't have the green thing in “Our” day. So what did we have back then? After some reflection and soul-searching on "Our" day here's what I remembered we did have....

Video: How To Turn Black Friday Green

Black Friday is right around the corner. Some people prefer to call it "Buy Nothing Day". While I try not to consume too much, it is a good day to save money on holiday gifts. So why not look for deals on  eco-friendly presents (or items for yourself that you can't normally afford)? Here are some tips for greening the whole day, in video and bullet point form:

Video: Organic Delivery, Best Indian Food Ever, Funny YouTube Videos, Vegan Advice, VegFest and More!

The title kinda speaks for itself - aren't you curious where I had the best Indian food EVER?!

Video: MSG in Doritos, Cooking with a Vegan Zombie, How to Compost, Mind Upgrade and Free Organic Clothing!

You know what time it is: healthy and sustainable weekly roundup time! Learn what superfoods you should eat everyday, how to compost, what chips to ditch MSG-soaked Doritos for, how to make almond milk, where to get a mind upgrade, and enter to win $50 worth of organic clothing! Are You Ready For Dis?!

Eco-Vegan On TV: Infomercial for Neat Co.

A few months back I tapped a video testimonial for Neat Co. explaining how their products have helped me go paperless, and the informercial is finally airing on TV! Let me know if you see it because I don't have TV. Here is my clip:

You can learn more about Neat Co and their amazing products by clicking here. A few people have asked if they paid me to say such great things about them and I can assure you that they don't! They did however give me a Neat Desk to review, but I was already in love with their products before that.

Q&A: Eco & Vegan Flip Flops

Question:
What source do you recommend for good vegan flip flops?

Answer:

Video: Natural to Eat Meat? Bras Cause Cancer? Vegans Can Be Bodybuilders? Organic Mexican Food? Another Giveaway?!!

It's Weekly Roundup video day!! As usual I had a ton of things to share, but there one ran a little longer than I had hoped - but don't worry, it's worth your time (though I'm biased)!

Video: Eco-Vegan on the Cheap: Interview with the Groupon Deal Site of the Cruelty-Free World

One thing that often gets in the way of people going vegan or having a healthy vegan diet is money. I've been there too, but someone I always get great organic food in my life (sometimes it's just more basic than other times!). It's no wonder deal sites like Groupon have taken off - everyone wants to save money! And fortunately, there has also been an explosion of green offerings, like GatherGreen, WinWinLiving, Blissmo and Daily Gourmet. Unfortunately, as great as these eco-friendly deals are, they're not always vegan friendly, so when they pile up in the inbox or social media feeds it can become a little frustrating for vegans who want to save too. In comes VeganCuts, a deal site that is exclusively vegan, featuring discounts on beauty products, clothing, shoes, food, etc. and is the subject of today's video.

Video: Vida Vegan Con, Seed Bistro, Dancing Bodybuilder, Natural Allergy Relief, Giveaway & More!

Time for another weekly roundup (I love doing these!)!

Video: Eco Bags for Dog Poop - Biodegradable, Compostable, & Flushable Options

Did you know that there are over 70 million dogs in the United States? And each one creates up to 300 lbs of waste a year on average! It's the law to pick up after dogs to prevent pollution and water contamination, but many people use plastic bags to do this. These bags end up in landfills where they may never degrade, and the waste inside can't decompose naturally. With dog waste taking up about the same space in landfills as baby diapers, this is a problem.

Luckily, there's a solution. Check out the post and video at Eco-Vegan Dog to learn more about companies BioBag and Flushdoggy, who are helping make the world a cleaner, healthier place...and preventing people from stepping in dog shit (hate that!)

Video Review: The Cinnamon Snail Organic, Vegan Food Truck in NJ

Food trucks are all the rage - somewhere between take-out and dining in at a restaurant, it's a fun and convenient way to eat. Unfortunately, vegan options are often lacking at these meals on wheels, aside from the occasional veggie burger, chili fries, dosa, or gourmet popsicle. However, there are a few saving graces (i.e. vegan food trucks) across the country - there's Seabirds Truck in the Orange County/LA area, Sunny Vibrations up in San Francisco, GMonkey in Connecticut and The Cinnamon Snail in Hoboken New Jersey (and perhaps others I don't know yet). Today I'm excited to feature the latter, a truck I didn't think I'd get to try due to it's seemingly random East Coast location - but taking a little detour on my way to NYC this summer was beyond worth it.

Good Gossip: Bill Clinton Goes Fully Vegan (!!!!), PETA Launches a PORN site, & Leonardo DiCaprio is an Eco Baller

Ahhh! The eco news just keeps getting better and better, and the ecorazzi Good Gossip episodes are a blast as a result. This week, get the scoop on Bill Clinton's vegan proclamation (finally!), learn about PETA's upcoming porn site (finally proof that vegetarians are better in bed), witness Adrian Grenier being even more awkward than he was talking about veganism when EVG interviewed him (poor guy), and see how the the sexy Leo is changing the world one electric car at a time (I wish I was his girlfriend!). Check out this video to learn more:

Video: Eco Sex, How to Get Rid of Cellulite Naturally, Hot Rich and Green Woman, Blissful Food, & Ecolissa Giveaway Winner!

Weekly roundup day! The video says it all, and below it are links to all the amazing people and products I mention in it. Congrats to the Ecolissa winner!

Video Interview: Plastic Water Bottles Suck! Go Completely Stainless with Klean Kanteen!

The most memorable company I met at Expo West 2011 was hands down Klean Kanteen. I had heard about their new plastic-free reusable bottle and I couldn't wait to see it in person. They call it the  Reflect and it literally took my breath away (I'm such an eco nerd!). Of course this bottle is BPA-free because no plastic is involved, but it also has no paint or glue, and no welding is used. Klean Kanteen figured out a way to make this bottle super simple (less is more), and even put sustainably harvested bamboo on the top of the lid for a little some'n some'n.

Good Gossip: Roseanne Barr's Organic Food & Yoga DVD, Mark Ruffalo Fed Up with Fracking, & Food Network Spares Sharks

Time for another episode of ecorazzi's Good Gossip! I think my favorite story this week is Roseanne Barr -  check out the video to find out why.

Video: Fashion Giveaway, New Vegan Movie, Man = Meat, Gluten-Free Bagels & More!

What better way to beat the Monday blues than with a weekly roundup?! Here's what I share in this week's video (hint - I'm giving something away worth $50!!):

ecorazzi's Good Gossip - Episode #3: Tofurky News, PETA Praises Planet of the Apes, & Amazing New Whale Documentary

It's Wednesday and hopefully by now you know what that means - a new episode of ecorazzi's Good Gossip is live! I have so much fun with these! Enjoy this weeks eco entertainment news! 

Video: Vegan Zombie, Healthy Meals Under $4 A Day, Gluten-Free Advice, Sugar-Free Ice Cream, & More!

Time for another healthy and sustainable weekly roundup video!

Video Review: 118 Degrees - Raw, Organic Restaurant. Plus Interview w/ Jenny Ross

I'm a little behind on some videos...OK, a LOT behind. But I'm catching up fast - if you haven't noticed I'm on a video making roll! I've had a lot of great content that you deserve to see, and this is a great example.

In 2005, brand new in LA, I applied to a job ad on Craigslist for a vegan cafe called Taste of the Goddess in West Hollywood, and I was thrilled when I got an interview. But this wasn't any vegan establishment - they made raw food, which was pretty foreign to me. I'm not sure if I ever had raw food before this time - it wasn't really a big deal back in Boston. Well, I got the job and worked there part-time for about 6 months until I got too busy to keep it up - I learned so much about raw food and health from the owners Jenny & Nwenna, I even did a month long cleanse (Ejuva). Sadly, Taste of the Goddess didn't remain open much longer, but the ladies behind it went on to do bigger and better things.

ecorazzi's Good Gossip - Episode #2: Anne Hathaway Loves Vegan Desserts (and more)!

My second episode as host of ecorazzi's new entertainment roundup show, Good Gossip, is live! I'm really excited about it because of all the progress I made with the format - certainly putting my filmmaking skills to use! Give me a few more episodes and it will be right up there with E! ; )

This week's episode features stories on: