Summer · Eco-Chick

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Reyka Vodka!

I will admit that I’m a tried-and-true Russian vodka fan, though I’ve not been able to find one In that’s organic, and it kinda sucks that it comes all the way from Russia, of course. Every time a make a drink I can’t help but think of how far my favorite spirit has come to greet my thirsty lips. Now I’ve found one that’s at least a little closer to my East Coast home.

Reyka vodka is (quite proudly) from Iceland, as they note, land of puffins, volcanoes and a female president. For a country of just 300,000 people, I have to report that they make a great distilled drink. Very clean tasting, yet still has that pleasant vodka taste. You can drink it straight out of a chilled shot glass or mix it up with your favorite ingredients (see martini recipe below). Either way, it’s a delicious experience.

So, you’re probably wondering what makes this a “green” vodka seeing as it does have to be flown from Iceland. Reyka is the only vodka distilled using geothermal energy, which is abundant in Iceland due to the prevalence of volcanic activity there. Steam from the Earth’s interior powers 100% of the distillery’s processes, and emits absolutely no CO2.

In celebration of Iceland’s 63rd birthday, Reyka’s also offering a trip for you (and nine friends!) to go to Iceland. Now that’s a party. You can enter here.

Also, check out their extremely cute ad on YouTube…

Starre’s Waterberry Martini

1.5 shots of vodka
2 cups of chunked and chilled watermelon
1/4 cup strawberry juice (pomagranate would be delicious too)
juice of one whole lime
Fresh strawberry and lime garnish

Put all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Makes one large, frothy summer cocktail (tastes excellent with tequila instead of vodka too). Garnish with lime wedge and thinly sliced strawberries.

Energy, farm, Home, Organic, party, recipe, spa, summer, Tea, water

Dresses and Coyotes in the Great Smoky Mountains

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by Starre Vartan · 06/05/07

Come on, isn’t this better than a shot of yet another European monument or church? And it’s right here in the U.S.!

Trying to figure out a fun Summer trip? Feeling guilty about jetting to Europe because of how much CO2 your ride would produce? Wanting to try something different, that’s low-impact on your wallet and creates a minimum of stress?

Taken while lying on the ground, contemplating the mountains’ geology

Consider visiting one of our nation’s national parks. After all, you’re already paying for them with your tax dollars! (Hey, I know I sound like an ad for our parks system, but they’re really important ecosystems that are more than worth supporting, I say.) Over Spring Break I drove down with one of my best friends to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, which straddles the border between Tennessee and North Carolina. (I know, to be super eco-friendly, I should have gone to a park closer to my Connecticut home, but I’ve been to most of them, and I was saving Vermont for the Summer.)

Who knew you could find old-growth trees this size on the East Coast? I felt like I was in California as I hiked through the Smokies. And yes, I am wearing a dress! Very comfortable and great to hike in. Eco Chicks should all try it sometime (thanks to Brianne for the suggestion)!

While some of the park was crowded, and it will probably be more so during the warm season (this park is THE most visited park in the United States), once you get on the beaten trail, you will have plenty of room. Most folks who visit this and other parks only ever check out the edges of the woods, at best going on short day hikes.

All-natural cool-down time at a waterfall

Try camping out for just a night or two if it’s not something you haven’t had much practice in. Or stay in a campground and use it as a home-base for extra-long day excursions. Ask park personnel about hikes that will be your speed. We got some really good advice and suggestions from all the park employees that we asked. I’ve found this is generally true in national and state parks.

Rain can turn everything into a gorgeous wet wonderland as long as you’re prepared with the right gear.

We camped out in two different sections of the park, really getting to see a variety of ecosystems within a small area, and spotting some wildlife. Remember, it’s always smart to hang your food up in a tree to keep bears away; in the Smokies many campsites have pulley-systems already set up for this purpose, which makes it easy to keep the bears away. After all, you’re in their home now, but they’ll still want to chow on your treats.

A not-so-shy coyote I caught on camera on evening

Needs no caption

bears, car, dress, epa, Europe, fall, farm, Food, Home, MPG, north carolina, produce, spring, summer, trees, water, Wildlife, wood

Eco Chick Summer Rayne Oakes in Vanity Fair

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by Starre Vartan · 04/19/07

If you haven’t checked out the second annual green issue of Vanity Fair, you should! Not just because Leo is on the cover, or because there’s some kick-ass coverage inside, but because Eco Chick Summer Rayne Oakes is featured in a two-page spread. Congrats Summer, you look great tailgating in that Tango! (For Summer’s perspective on the shoot, and the car, check out her post from a couple weeks back.)

car, Eco-Chick, farm, summer, Summer Rayne Oakes, Vanity Fair

It's a Nice Day for a Green(er) Wedding

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by Starre Vartan · 04/11/07

Do you know someone getting married this Spring or Summer? Even if they’re completely eco-unconscious, you can still help them make their wedding green (whether they like it or not, dammit!!) Especially if you still have to buy a gift for them, you might want to consider offsetting the carbon created by their celebration.

The always-fabulously green Portovert Magazine has a carbon calculator specifically for weddings. You just need to know a few details about the wedding (number of attendees, number of nights spent at hotels, square footage of wedding and reception areas, etc., which you can always estimate) to plug into the calculator. Then, you can decide whether you want your offset money to go to wind energy, a biofuel, or a mix of the two. The site even explains exactly how carbon offsets work (in case you need a primer) so you can explain it to your soon-happily-to-be-married friends or family what the heck your gift actually means. (Check out the ‘Still Confused?’ button on the right side of this page.)

Now if only they would create an online tool like this that would enable us to find the perfect, re-wearable bridesmaid dress in a flattering color…..

car, carbon, dress, Energy, farm, magazine, spring, summer, wedding

IPCC Report

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by Katie Kish · 04/07/07

Map

Well, IPCC’s (intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) 2nd report of four came out Friday (thats a pdf link…) It is by far the most comprehensive and heavily reviewed word on climate change. They don’t conduct experiments or get funded by companies… It is a collaborative effort put together in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization and the U.N Environmental Program to combine and summarize the absolute best information that we have on climate change and what will happen in the coming years. There are three working groups that put together different aspects of the information; Group 1 – the relevant science Group 2 – the potential negative and positive effects climate change will have on nature and the economy and how to adapt Group 3 – options for change. In other words, this is the report to trump all other reports on climate change. And this year they’re releasing another assessment… If you missed it, the report on relevant science was released in February.

As for the newly released report – The future does not look so bright. The report given by hundreds of scientists says that there will be big problems in Asia, Sub-Africa and Small Islands, but that North America and Europe are not off the hook either. Increases in heat waves, loss of food production and water resources, more severe storms and erosion are all already happening. It is the poorest of the poor countries that will be getting hit the hardest, but also the poorest of the poor in affluent countries will also feel the extremely detrimental effects. Those who can’t afford health care, or water to be shipped to them. Those whose houses can’t stand up against extreme storms and can’t afford to pay a lot of money for groceries.

Some scientists have criticized the report saying that it was too watered down and not “striking” enough – so really, if what you’re about to read is the “watered down” version… imagine how catastrophic the …properly watered (?) version would be.

“We’re no longer arm waving with models,” said Dr. Parry, who identified areas most affected as the Arctic, Sub-Saharan Africa, small islands and Asia’s sprawling, crowded, flood-prone river deltas. “This is empirical information on the ground.”

The report said that climate patterns were shifting in ways that would bring benefits in some places — including more rainfall and longer growing seasons in high latitudes, opening Arctic seaways, and reduced deaths from cold — but significant human hardship and ecological losses in others. (NYT)
…
“These impacts have been known for many years, and are now seen with greater clarity in this report,” he said. “That clarity is perhaps the last warning we’re going to get before we actually have to report in the next IPCC review that we’re seeing the disaster unfolding.”

What sort of impacts? I’ll do a recap…