A green life starts with a green morning. Without a routine to set the eco-friendly vibe, it’s difficult for me to stay in a green state of mind. To that end, my next logical step toward a greener existence is reforming my morning routine, from my bedding to my breakfast. These are some ways in which I hope to improve, or have already.

Morning routines are important for setting the tone for your whole day, and starting your day with these green tips in mind can help you stay on the right path. Photo by ewanr/Courtesy Flickr.

-Buying organic bedding is an investment in your health. Organic bedding and mattresses offer many advantages over conventional options, including reduced allergies and chemical sensitivities, as well as the joy of knowing that you’re supporting businesses that care about the earth as much as you do. After graduation I’ll be moving into a new home, which provides the perfect situation for buying all new bedding (which I will be taking full advantage of). Organic bedding companies abound, but I’ve been looking into Gaiam and CozyPure products. Ralph Lauren’s new “Spa” collection also offers a variety of bedding and home décor made with organic cotton.

-If you take your showers in the morning (which I rarely do because I never get up early enough), limit your water waste by closely monitoring your time. A quick 5- to 10-minute shower provides plenty of time to wash the sleep away without unnecessarily draining resources. Another way to conserve water in the shower is to install a showerhead shutoff button so you can shave or lather without wasting a ton of water. You can also opt to take a bath if you prefer to bathe longer. This way, the amount of water you use is not contingent upon how long you’re in the tub.

-When you’re washing up at the sink, turn off the water when you aren’t using it. This may seem a small task, but about two to four gallons of water go down the drain every minute. So if you’re brushing your teeth for the recommended two minutes, you’re wasting between four and eight gallons every time you leave the water on while you brush. This rule is also applicable to shaving and washing your hands and face. If you must warm up the water before you get into the shower, collect the wasted water for watering your plants.

-To avoid harmful chemicals and unnatural ingredients in your morning routine, try homemade recipes for toothpaste and mouthwash. I’ve heard that natural toothpaste tastes a little funny at first (it’s not as sweet because it doesn’t contain as many sweeteners), but after a month or so of consistent use, conventional toothpaste tastes unnaturally sweet. As far as products go, I’ve heard of a company called Preserve that makes a variety of products, such as razors and toothbrushes, out of 100 percent recycled plastic, including Stonyfield Farm yogurt cups. When you’re ready to replace your razor or toothbrush, you can send them back with a postage-paid label from Preserve to be recycled yet again into plastic lumber for decks, park benches and more. These can also be recycled anywhere #5 plastic is accepted.

Preserve products are made from 100 percent recycled plastic, and can be recycled wherever #5 plastic is accepted. You can also send them back to Preserve, and they’ll recycle them for you. Photo Courtesy Preserve.

-Finally, a green morning routine isn’t complete without a healthy breakfast. Buying local produce is one of the easiest and most enjoyable ways to start eating green. This helps support local businesses and farms, and also cuts down on carbon emissions necessary to ship fruits and vegetables from farther away. Another way to stay eco-conscious is to purchase fair trade and organic coffees and teas. I prefer Mother Earth News Conscientious Coffees and Teas because they are organic and triple-certified fair trade, and I like supporting a magazine that cares about the environment.

Mother Earth News Conscientious Coffees and Teas are triple-certified fair trade and organic (which is good for the farmers and the planet), and are affordable (which is good for your wallet.) Photo Courtesy CuppaJane.

Getting myself around in the morning is a daunting task at times, but keeping these tips in mind helps me stay focused on what’s really important: my health and the health of my planet.

Since my first Green Artist Spotlight with David Trubridge, I’ve sought out artists that have transformed their materials, their specific industries and their methods in order to push sustainable art to new grounds. The creativity, unique flare and eco-consciousness of each featured artist have struck me as remarkable and truly moving.

Although I’ve enjoyed writing about each artist, I’m tickled to dedicate today’s Green Artist Spotlight to the inventive and genius mind of the Brooklyn, New York, designer and author David Stark. The eco-artist creates playful, stunning and intricate works. Collectively, his work sets the tone for the function of the space. If his work doesn’t stop you in your tracks, I’m not sure what will.

I was first introduced to his work a year ago in my modern and contemporary art history class at the University of Denver, Colorado, and since then I’ve been following his work online.

Earlier this month, Alex Bates, Senior Vice President and Creative Director for West Elm, and Stark collaborated to create a silent auction of Starks’ work at West Elm’s newest store in Manhattan, New York. West Elm is a modern and contemporary home furnishing store. Stark created innovative furniture and room decorations, which reflected his artistic style as well as the image of West Elm. The two saw the store’s opening as an opportunity to reuse and transform the store’s discarded packing materials into works of attractive art.

The silent auction raised about $8,000, all of which went to the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York City.

The window display at West Elm. Photo Courtesy David Stark.

At the silent auction, the window display was illuminated with a 10-foot tall lamp that was accompanied by an oversized cardboard plug. One of my favorite aspects of the works, besides that they were eco-friendly and a creative use of discarded objects, was Stark’s tribute to artists that affected his work.

Perfect Lovers by Felix Gonzalez-Torrez is two simple white clocks placed next to each other that are set for the same time, down to the second. The clocks reflect two lovers who are completely in sync with one another. Starks homage to Gonzalez-Torrez captures the simplicity of the clocks by using two sheets of plain cardboard.

Perfect Lovers. Photo Courtesy David Stark.

The artist takes creative liberty by not matching up the second’s hands of the cardboard clocks. A clock series developed from his Gonzalez-Torrez based clocks.

Another piece that paid tribute to an artist was a cardboard pipe based on Magritte’s This is Not a Pipe. His furniture is reminiscent of Frank Gehry’s 1972 cardboard furniture series.

I’m attracted to Starks’ work because he builds on previous artists’ works, honors the past and makes these works uniquely his own. With more than 13 years experience creating and perfecting magnificent works, I’m excited to see what he comes up with next.

Last week was spring break, and I had a blast. I also realized that while breaks are a great time to kick back and relax, that doesn’t mean you have to take a break from your eco-friendly lifestyle. Here is how I lived it up while keeping the planet in mind.

First, I drove up to Des Moines, Iowa, to see my boyfriend. My new car gets a little better gas mileage than my old one, but it’s still no hybrid. However, what made this trip particularly green was that I took on another passenger that was headed my way. A friend of mine needed a lift up there, so we went together instead of taking separate cars.

In Des Moines, my boyfriend and I spent much of the time doing things that required little to no external energy sources. We spent two afternoons feeding geese and ducks by a cemetery pond. This was a nice way to spend some time outside in the beautiful weather and to interact with nature. We walked to the grocery store and rode our bikes together just for fun. We watched Netflix movies that were shipped to my apartment instead of having to drive all over town looking for movies we wanted to watch. (While I understand that it still takes energy to ship these movies, we didn’t have to waste gas or time on our end, so I still think the effect is positive overall.) We also cooked outside on the grill a few times, alleviating the need to power up any electric appliances. And, when we weren’t doing any of those things, we were mostly just spending time together at home.

We drove back to Kansas mid-break to see his parents, and to chill out in Lawrence at my apartment. While in Lawrence, we spent two afternoons riding the tandem bicycle he bought us for our three-year anniversary. I like to call it “bike-pooling.”

Although this isn’t our exact tandem bicycle, this is what it looks like. Riding a tandem bicycle is an awesome way for two people to get somewhere and have fun in the process. By bert_m_b/Courtesy Flickr

To save gas, we stayed in to watch basketball (instead of venturing to a bar).. The fantastic weather also afforded me the luxury of finally turning off my heating unit in my apartment, and I even opened the windows to feel the breeze.

On Sunday, when my boyfriend finally had to travel back to Des Moines, he took a Greyhound bus from downtown Kansas City, Missouri, instead of both of us driving our cars to Kansas from Des Moines, and then him driving back.

This may not seem like the most exciting spring break, but I am more than content with how it turned out. Not only did I get to spend time with someone I love, but I also found ways to stay green while still having fun.

Most of us look at used shopping bags, empty toilet paper rolls, old to-go bags and discarded pizza boxes as trash. However, Yuken Teruya sees these common, every day objects as potentially beautiful and insightful art. Teruya cuts out delicate trees from these discarded objects, manipulates them and gives them another meaning that touches upon our culture and society’s disposable nature.

 
Notice. Photo courtesy of Yuken Teruya.

Teruya’s piece, Notice, is part of a forest series that draws attention to our depleted natural resources. Constructed from discarded shopping bags, he cuts out one tree per bag. In this series, Teruya uses bags from McDonald’s, as seen in the picture, to the distinctive teal Tiffany’s jewelry bag. The piece is lit from above and Teruya recommends viewing the piece in natural lighting.

 
Rain Forest. Photo courtesy of Yuken Teruya.

Rain Forest is a series of old toilet paper rolls strung vertically to appear as a forest. Delicately cut out from the roll, the branches can support their own weight without folding. “There is a moment when the hanging cut-out parts start holding their branches and leaves on their own strength. It is as if I’m helping the paper awakens its ability to be an individual tree,” Teruya says.

The Japanese artist meticulously cuts out trees to create a miniature world out of post-consumer goods. Although these are beautiful pieces to admire, Teruya’s work highlights consumerism, fleeting natural resources and the issues associated with globalism, through his material choice and philosophical approach towards his art. I am drawn to his work for multiple reasons; first, he creates pieces that discuss these pressing issues, and second, he embodies what his art reflects by constructing pieces that don’t add or remove any material from the original object.

The young artist recently finished the group exhibition “Second Lives” at the Arts & Design Museum , New York. Regardless of where you live, expect to see this renowned eco-artist as his work is shown in museums and galleries around the world.

Taking a vacation doesn’t have to mean taking a break from a green lifestyle. Swap your own green home for equally eco-friendly lodging. 

Many hotels use environmentally conscious practices. They’re no longer delivering newspapers to each room. They’re composting to get rid of waste. Some even use solar or hydro energy systems. 

Traveling away from home doesn’t have to mean giving up sustainable practices. Many hotels offer eco-friendly aspects, from recycling to solar-powered energy. Photo Courtesy Shell Vacations Hospitality.

When researching hotels, be sure to ask questions. Some things to ask: 

• Does the hotel have a recycling program? 

• Will you have the option to reuse towels and sheets? 

• Does the hotel use energy-efficient lighting, alternative energy sources or low-flow toilets and showers? 

• Do you use nontoxic cleaners? 

• Is the hotel close to public transportation? 

If you’re unsure where to start, check out Environmentally Friendly Hotels. This website lets you search for green hotels by location, hotel name and specific environmental issues such as towel and sheet programs, graywater recycling, alternative energy use and many other options. With more than 3,000 listed hotels, you’re sure to find something where you’re going. 

Green Hotels Association and Green Hotel Reviews also offer a list of eco-friendly hotels in the United States, although their selection is somewhat limited in comparison to Environmentally Friendly Hotels. 

You can also take steps to ensure your stay is eco-friendly: 

• Bring own soap and shampoo so you don’t have to use the plastic hotel toiletries. 

• Be sure to hang your towels up so the cleaning staff knows you want to reuse them. 

• Take along solar chargers for your portable appliances. 

• Stick to your green habits! 

Have you stayed in an eco-friendly hotel? Leave a comment describing your experience and how you discovered your green lodging.

Beyond Green: Towards a Sustainable Art is an exhibition centered around sustainable design philosophies from national and international artists. The exhibition has traveled to various university art museums as well as art centers across America and in London, Ontario. Now at the DeVos Art Museum at Northern Michigan University, its final destination, the show will extend through March 30, 2009.  

Beyond Green connects environmental needs with social justice practices to show various cultures’, generations’ and societies’ approaches to sustainability. Stephanie Smith, curator of the exhibition, says, “Sustainability involves the attempt to meet the development needs of current society without sacrificing the capacity of future generations to meet their own needs.” This definition of the often broad term set the tone of the work selected and now serves as a guide to the exhibition space.

Smith thematically grouped the show into three parts: objects, structures and processes and networks. Some pieces are practical and stem from a specific need in our culture, where others are fanciful and rhetorical based. The objects category focuses on smaller items that employ a wide range of sustainable design practices. The structure section discusses sustainability within modern city environments. Last, the processes and networks grouping covers sustainability in daily routines.

 
ParaSITE. Photo Courtesy Beyond Green

Michael Rakowitz’s ParaSITE series is one of the first pieces to open the exhibition space as it an inviting and sets the social and environmental tone for the rest of the show. ParaSITE is a multi-layered piece that addresses the lack of affordable housing, homelessness, the environment and class structures. Rakowitz collaborated with individuals from the homeless community to create a practical space that was customized around their needs and desires. The piece inflates with recycled warm vented air from a near by building.

ParaSITE is as artistically dense as it is rich in social meanings. I’m not sure if it is the plastic windows, the dome-like shape or the marshmallow appearance that makes this piece oddly welcoming. The small windows that surround the shelter connect the interior space with the outer environment, while also creating a rhythmic pattern of an organic shape. The dome shape mimics a tent form, however the marshmallow quality evokes a sense of stability and comfort, essential for his target audience. The inflated form is practical, eco-friendly and artistically attractive.

In case you missed Beyond Green, or you can’t make it to the DeVos Art Museum in the next couple of weeks, iCI and Smart Museum of Art have released a catalog to accompany the exhibition.

I’ve only had one cat, and that was when I was about 8 years old. He was a black cat named Spooky, which was fitting because he used to hide under the bed and attack my feet when I would walk by. This scared the compost right out of me.

I’ve never really been a cat person, but cats are the only other animal after a dog that I’d want to own, so I’m considering not only how I could own a green dog, but also how I could own a green cat.

Creating a garden with cat-friendly herbs and plants for your feline friend is a safe way for him to spend time outside. Photo By OiMax/Courtesy Flickr

-Just as with dogs, adopting a cat from your local shelter or Humane Society is one of the greenest things you can do. This way, you can help decrease the growing number of unwanted pets while finding a new best friend. Spaying or neutering your cat is another important step in green pet ownership. This will help cut down on potentially unwanted kittens, thus preventing them from filling up the shelters.

-Use green products as often as you can, which includes what kind of litter you buy. Yesterday’s News is made from recycled newspaper and is not toxic if ingested. World’s Best Cat Litter is another option that is made from all-natural whole-kernel corn, which absorbs odors without the need for extra chemicals. Feline Pine is another all-natural litter that I hear is really good. Their website even offers tips on how to transition your cat to a new litter. Regardless of which litter is your match, do not dump the entire box every time you scoop. Don’t leave the litter in there forever, but dumping the entire box instead of scooping is extremely wasteful, no matter how eco-friendly the litter itself is.

-Instead of buying expensive and potentially harmful toys, amuse your cat with safe items from around your house. Simply tie some fabric strips to the end of a stick with a long string and watch the hilarity ensue. Cats love to play, and they don’t care how much a toy costs as long as it’s fun to bat around. You can also plant a garden for your cat to play in, and fill it with cat-safe herbs and flowers. Catnip (or cat mint) is a favorite, and planting wheatgrass can give your friend something healthy to chew on outside. Just make sure to designate a spot for your cat to relieve himself. While this is a great idea, some plants are not safe for cats to ingest. The ASPCA provides lists of toxic and nontoxic.

-Treats are a great way to show your love, and making them at home can ensure you’re only feeding your feline friend the best. Here are some recipes I found that I might want to try.

I haven’t found nearly as many helpful sites about raising a green cat as I found about raising a green dog, but they’re out there. I hope these tips, along with the first installation about dogs, has helped you focus on the simple things each pet owner can do in order to keep your furry friend—and the planet—healthy and happy.

Seeing the world and protecting the environment don’t exactly go hand in hand. The farther from home you travel, the more fuel and energy you burn and the greater the carbon footprint is that you leave behind. 

Because they emit less carbon dioxide per passenger, train and bus travel is generally seen as being more environmentally friendly than flying or driving. But trains and buses don’t go everywhere you need to – or as fast as you need them to – and sometimes that cross-country or international flight is your only option. 

Concerned about air pollution from flying? Some airline companies offer carbon offsets. Photo By  Martynr/Courtesy Flickr  

Don’t be disheartened. Traveling by plane doesn’t mean you can’t help the environment. If you can’t reduce your pollution, at least you can make up for it. 

Although there’s no way to reduce your plane’s carbon emissions, some airlines and travel companies offer offsets, or donations to projects that produce energy without burning fossil fuels or emitting greenhouse gases. In other words, the donation to the project is supposed to “offset” the greenhouse gases the plane will emit. The best part? It doesn’t cost that much. 

Expedia offers its customers the opportunity to buy carbon offsets through TerraPass, which funds wind farms, landfill gas capture and farm power. A round-trip flight of up to 2,200 miles costs travelers only $5.99 to offset 1,000 pounds of CO2. A cross country flight of 6,500 costs $16.99, and offsets for an international flight (up to 13,000 miles) cost $29.99. 

Expedia isn’t the only company partnering up for a greener globe. Orbitz offers its travelers offsets through Carbonfund.org. Offsets for a 6,000-mile trip through Carbonfund.org costs about $11.50, and offsets for an international flight of 20,000 miles costs about $38. 

Is this just a way to make amends for feeling guilty about flying? Maybe. But if you can’t avoid flying, buying offsets certainly can’t hurt. 

What do you think about carbon offsets? Have you or would you ever purchase them, and why? Leave a comment to discuss.

Green isn’t a just a color or a trend for Michelle Brand; it is the British designer’s personal and artist philosophy. Brand creates sustainable lampshades, window screens, decorative LED indoor lights and room dividers out of used plastic bottles. Brand’s pieces are eco-friendly for numerous reasons, such as her material selection, how the piece is made and most importantly, why it’s made.

Brand’s labor intensive process of collecting enough materials, washing and sanding them, and assembling them by hand reflects her philosophy of slow design. She says the process contrasts today’s fast pace consumer mentality.

She gives ordinary, overlooked and mass-produced objects a second life by creatively diverting materials from landfills. Brand’s collective work serves as a social commentary, highlighting our disposable mentality towards objects. She achieves this through an unmistakable material choice and a natural fluidity of pattern, rhythm and line.

 
Light Chandelier. Photo Courtesy of Michelle Brand.

Brand impeccably constructs forms like her light chandelier. This repetitive shape is engraved in the viewer’s mind to think about our own disposable attitudes. Brand takes a common object, transforms it and in the process she alters the way we see and think of discarded materials.

Although the enthralling effect works like her chandelier piece have on people, Brand’s underlining message is the environmental and the problems we have caused to it. This eco-artist views her work and her process as part of a solution. Brand works closely with Emerge Recycling in East Manchester as its research designer in residence. Brand says her relationship with the recycling company is a mini ecosystem.

 
Photo Courtesy of Michelle Brand.

All I can think about lately is the day I’ll finally have a dog again. I grew up with dogs (often more than one at a time) constantly around me until about 8^th grade, so I have been living with an ever-growing a dog-shaped hole in my life, and once I graduate that dream will finally be realized. However, I understand that there is a lot to consider with this kind of choice, and having worked at Natural Home now for a while, I have even more to consider than just which breed and names I like.

You don't have to dye your dog green to have a green dog. Follow these tips to get started on greening your dog ownership. Photo by  Beau B /Courtesy of Flickr

While my boyfriend and I may bicker about the fine points, what we both agree on is that we will be as green in our pet ownership as possible. Even though we won’t have to make any big decisions for a few months still, we’ve already come up with some guidelines to follow:

-First and foremost, we want to adopt a “recycled” dog if at all possible. Adopting from a local shelter or Humane Society is important because those animals need homes, and there is limited space for all of them. I’ve volunteered at the Lawrence Humane Society, and I can attest that the people who work there take good care of the animals there, and they only want what’s best for them. Going to a shelter can feel overwhelming and tiresome, especially if there is a particular breed you are searching for, but at least consider checking out your local shelter before you contact a breeder.

-The next important step to green pet ownership is spaying or neutering. We both know this is important because it prevents unwanted puppies, and thus more animals in shelters. We don’t want to add to the problem of animal overpopulation—we want to be part of the solution.

-I’ve been really interested in making my own green products lately, and I plan on continuing that into the future. I’ve found some great dog treat recipes lately, like this one for homemade frosty paws, and I want to try them all out. This way, I can be sure that only the best ingredients go into our pup’s treats. Another way I can be sure this is to feed it organic food.

-Making toys is another venture that can save you money and can ensure that your dog isn’t coming in contact with dangerous substances. One or two knots + a cotton towel or wool sock = hours of fun for your best friend.

Enough sites exist with information about owning a green pet to make your head spin, and it can be overwhelming sifting through everything. I’ve found the Raise a Green Dog blog extremely helpful and entertaining. It features products and tips that I never would have thought about (like using dog- and eco-friendly melting salt to help keep your pet and your rivers healthy and chemical-free), plus an engaging blog to help you through the green transition.