Eco-Chick · The modern girl's guide to living green & fabulous.

Haley Chats with Lauren Conrad: Sustainable Resolutions, What’s Blue Avocado, and More

I love Lauren Conrad, so I was thrilled to have the chance to interview her a second time! Most known for her chic fashion line, Paper Crown, as well as famed books Style, LA Candy and Sugar and Spice, Conrad recently collaborated with BlueAvocado on an eco accessories line that’s due out this summer. You can follow Conrad @LaurenConrad and keep up to date on laurenconrad.com. Below she dishes all about her new eco accessories line and how she lives a sustainable life.

Haley Sherif:  It’s such a treat to be interviewing you again! How were your holidays? Did you get some time for well-deserved rest and relaxation?

Lauren Conrad: Thank you! This holiday my family did something fun and went on a cruise. We try, every holiday season to spend time as a family. My mom, dad, brother, sister and I all get together and just spent quality time. It is the best.

Haley Sherif: Tell me about your “green” resolutions.

Lauren Conrad: For me it is about starting small and inspiring others to do the same. I think that people should find resolutions that are right for them. It isn’t about changing your entire life in one day, but taking steps daily to make better choices.

HS:  I love Blue Avocado. It looks adorable. When did this collaboration come about?

LC: I was first introduced to them last Spring when I went down to Texas to meet the founders. For me, the partnership represents a synergy of all the things I love to do—design great products and do something cause related.  I just loved BlueAvocado’s mission of inspiring a reusable lifestyle where looking good and doing good can co-exist. I was also really inspired by the company as a whole. It is founded by women and it has always been important to me to teach young girls that as females we can come together and live out our dreams.

HS: What’s your favorite thing about your new eco line?

LC: In general, I love the idea that the entire collection is made from reclaimed plastic bottles, so we are keeping them out of landfills and oceans. I am also excited about some of the beauty carrier products, which is an entirely new line I helped inspire. Each of the products will include an impact label so people can see the carbon footprint of the product, how many plastic bottles were upcycled, and the waste avoided with each use.  It is the ultimate in reuse and recycle. Plus the bags are super cute!

HS:  Why did you decide to do a green accessories line? What inspired you?

LC: Growing up in California, I grew up with an appreciation for the natural beauty of our beaches, which were my playground. It is heartbreaking to learn about how the build up of garbage in oceans is compromising marine animals and their habitats. I really wanted to make it easy for people to do something without sacrificing style or function and understanding the impact of conscious design. Taking just the smallest first step can create a ripple of awareness where greater change can take place. I think that lifestyle accessories are a great way to take that first step.

HS: How does this line differ from Paper Crown?

LC: This line is accessories and mainly bags. Paper Crown is clothing.

HS: How do you live a healthy green life? 

LC: I start by first and foremost being aware of the environment. Recycling is a first step that really is easy. I also use recyclable materials such as reusable bags rather than plastic.

HS: Do you have any favorite eco lines?

LC: I think it is still such a new space that I am learning about, but I am fascinated by all the innovative options available.

 HS: Any other green collaborations or projects on the horizon?

LC: We definitely have some great new collaborations in the works. I am learning so much from my collaboration with BlueAvocado regarding everything from sustainable fabrics, to micro-enterprise, to the importance of social impact businesses and entrepreneurs. I am just excited to launch our first collaborative line this summer!

Thanks Lauren! For more dishes check out the fashion dish!

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Eco Chick Giveaway: Adrian Grenier’s Nautica T-Shirt for Oceana

Adrian Grenier at the Tribeca Film Festival: Image by David Shankbone

You might be familiar with this hot hunk from Entourage, however Adrian Grenier has a new agenda: saving the ocean.  Grenier claims his passion for the environment turns the paparazzi and media off (not us!) but no matter what he is determined to make a difference.  He believes his responsibilities on a “human level” are to “give and contribute”.  In fact, in 2008 assisted by a team of green experts, Grenier’s Alter Eco TV show premiered on Planet Green. The show is about better, sustainable, and more ecological methods to transform living space using eco-lovable products. 

We see celebrities talking about saving the environment, but Grenier takes it one step further and has made it a passion of his to see what he can do to change the environment.  He believes it is most important to, “….see first hand what is happening”.  
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Dive into Google Earth's New Ocean Exploration Features (Sans Snorkel)!

Image via Flickr user Leafbug

Like many other little girls who grew up with a love of animals and a talent for swimming, I wanted to be a marine biologist; what could be better than a day filled with swimming, snorkeling, diving, and playing with sea creatures? (hmmm…still a good question!) Though I started studying biology when I entered college, I finished with a BS in geology and my swimming is limited to summers and indoor pools (I live in New England).

So it was with plenty of excitement for the revival of my inner marine biologist-girl that I read through the NYTimes’ coverage of Google Earth’s new application, that not only maps, but lets you explore the 2/3 of the planet that’s covered in ocean (this just debuted February 2nd). And I’m not kidding about the exploration part.

A cute video with Dr. Sylvia Earle, formerly a chief scientist at NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and John Henke, developer of Google Earth, explains all the ways you can explore using version 5.0 (the one that’s got the ocean additions in it). Check out integrated videos, fave surfing spots, old Jacques Cousteau film clips, and logs of sea temps.

I took it for a spin in the Pacific as I’m considering spending some time in the near future on the southern tip of the Big Island of Hawaii. I encountered photos of the shore from the water, watched a movie of lava flowing from Kilauea Volcano into the ocean, and took a National Geographic quiz about how the Polynesians likely first navigated to Hawaii (I got the wrong answer! But now I know the right one). I also learned about ‘unmanned wind powered sentry vessels,’ which are experimental robotic marine monitoring stations that float off the coast of the Big Island. Who knew?

I LOVED that one of the options that popped up was info from the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program; the pop-up box told me that Yellowfin and Skipjack tuna from Hawaii are on their ‘good alternatives’ list. Though I avoid eating fish in general due to overharvesting, it’s a great tool for those who do eat fish and want to do it carefully- plus it’s fun to see where these fish live before they make it to your plate. This would be a great dinnertime education for kids if you eat fish at home.

I also took a tour of the geography throughout the Long Island Sound (which is very sadly marked as a seasonal marine ‘dead zone’ with a fish skeleton icon!) right off the coast of my home in South Norwalk, Connecticut. It definitely made me feel more connected to the waters just down the hill from my house; I could really get a good vantage point on how the Norwalk River, which I like to take runs along, flows into the Sound, and I could see what the underwater features off the coast were like (not terribly interesting).

Certainly there will be unthought-of creative ways that artists, scientists, educators (and bloggers) will utilize this information in unique applications. (Want to bring awareness to overfished seafood? How about a mashup wherein celebrities and their fave seafish are tracked Gawker Stalker-style? Brad Pitt could be teamed up with the endangered shark populations since he he’s expressed interest in becoming shark dinner. Where are the sharks? Where’s Brad? Let’s make sure they don’t get too close!)

Besides being damn cool, Google hopes to inspire with its information (whether it will or not is up for debate). Quoting from the NYTimes article: “With only 5 percent of the ocean floor mapped in detail, and 1 percent of the oceans protected, Google executives and the marine scientists who helped build the digital oceans said they hoped the result would inspire the public to support more marine exploration and conservation.”

As an ocean lover, I do what I can to make sure I keep our waterways alive and kicking; I don’t eat fish or endangered seafood, I don’t pour anything toxic down any drain (particularly storm drains, the contents of which flush directly into our rivers and oceans without benefit of filtration), and I pick up litter- especially plastic- on or near beaches and rivers. And now I can be a deskchair marine explorer too, and learn more about our watery ecosystems. My inner marine biologist-girl says: Thanks Google.

Greenpeace Rates Seafood Sustainability at Supermarkets

This week Greenpeace released the second edition of a seafood sustainability report rating North American supermarkets. The initial report gave a failing grade to every single market, including the modern green mecca of Whole Foods. At the time of the first report, not one of the markets had policies in place that guaranteed environmentally conscious practices. In this recent report, four markets received passing scores, indicating a minor shift in purchasing.

Whole Foods made it back up the list to the number one spot, with Trader Joe’s coming in almost dead last at number seventeen. Many stores continue to stock “red list” seafood such as Chilean sea bass and swordfish. Some companies have made strides, but not one supermarket cited in the report has made a solid commitment to avoid seafood from fisheries that harm other sea creatures such as dolphins, sea turtles, and seals. All supermarkets rated still sell destructively fished and over-fished species, although some are faster to improve sustainability by refusing to sell certain items, including shark and orange roughy. Seafood sales currently amount to approximately $16 billion annually.

“While many supermarkets seek to green their image, the bottom line is that they are contributing to the crisis facing our oceans,” said Greenpeace’s Oceans Campaign Director John Hocevar, a marine biologist. “The initial steps being taken to implement sustainability policies and practices are the right ones but bigger strides are needed to prevent the collapse of our marine ecosystems.”

To help ensure the long-term sustainability of fisheries and marine ecosystems, Greenpeace advocates the creation of a worldwide network of marine reserves and fisheries management based on a precautionary, ecosystem-based approach. Today, supermarkets can help the oceans and meet consumer demand for sustainable products by refusing to sell seafood from fisheries that:

- exploit endangered, vulnerable and/or protected species, or species with poor stock status;
- cause habitat destruction and/or lead to ecosystem alterations;
- cause negative impacts on other, non-target species;
- are unregulated, unreported, illegal or managed poorly, and
- cause negative impacts on local, fishing dependent communities.

And what can you do? Many feel that eating fish is no longer a viable option since various species are being depleted at such an alarming rate. If you do eat fish, you can print out one of these wallet cards from the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and reference it when making seafood and fish choices. Also, shop at a local fishmonger rather than the supermarket, if you can. There you’ll be able to cultivate a relationship with the fish-sellers and you can work with them to make sure you’re getting locally-caught, sustainable seafood and fish. Ask questions.

Ocean Nitrogen on the Rise

A new study released by Nasa’s Earth Observatory focuses on the impact of anthropogenic nitrogen on our oceans. Up to one-third of the nitrogen entering the oceans is man-made, according to recent findings. The nitrogen increases biological activity in the sea, which, in turn, produces the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O.) These findings are some of the first, compiled by scientists, that actually quantify the environmental impact industrialized nations are having on the nitrogen cycle and how this is affecting open ocean. The increase in biological activity has a beneficial effect in drawing down CO2 from the atmosphere, but researchers found that two-thirds of this is offset by the increase in harmful N2O emissions.

There are ways we can minimize the nitrogen levels:
-Drive less
-Drive a hybrid
-Golf on environmentally friendly golf courses or encourage your local courses to practice sound and sustainable ways to maintain their lovely “greens”
-Next time you see that brown spot on the lawn, think twice before using fertilizer
-Buy local!

“Anyone concerned about climate change will be alarmed at the scale of man’s impact on the world’s oceans, as revealed by our new study,” said Prof Peter Liss, an environmental scientist at the University of East Anglia.

“The natural nitrogen cycle has been very heavily influenced by human activity over the last century – perhaps even more so than the carbon cycle – and we expect the damaging effects to continue to grow. It is vital that policy makers take action now to arrest this.

“The solution lies in controlling the use of nitrogen fertilizer and tackling pollution from the rapidly increasing numbers of cars, particularly in the developing world.”