Green is the New Black

These days, everywhere we go, the concept of “going green” nearly hits us in the face: re-useable shopping bags, eco-friendly designers, vegan beauty products and diesel cars, it’s hard not to feel guilty about NOT making “greener” choices. Also, living in NYC or what I call the “concrete jungle” makes things a little tougher. I am plagued with more pollution than fresh air and more hot dog stands then green markets.

Day to day activity becomes much more about convenience than making a difference - sometimes you are just way too tired to schlep 12 blocks to be green. But thankfully, I’ve caught the eco-friendly bug and my life is adapting slowly but surely. And oh, it feels so good!

As a child, sustainable living never played an important role in my upbringing which may be why I am only starting now (in my early thirties) to make greener choices. My parents urged us not  to waste things but were only referring to “things” that carried monetary consequences. For example, we often heard, “don’t leave the lights on, this isn’t a department store” or “don’t leave the hot water running, money doesn’t grow on trees” - it was always about conserving dollars and never about being mindful of our surroundings in an effort to be green. My friend’s parents never seemed to press the green topic either which is why for years we all drove around in SUV's and used half a roll of paper towels to clean up a spill! I believe now is the time for my generation and every generation to make a conscious lifestyle change.

So, with excitement and a hunger to learn WITH you, I am on a journey to become green, green and greener! I will be sharing important information as well as tips and trends about natural/sustainable living. From the best and worst trends, to myths, to discoveries in technology, fashion, home décor, health, architecture, beauty and kids, I hope to inspire you with new ideas so that together we can reach our greenest potential. I am super thrilled to be joining the Spirited Woman Blogger Team and look forward to hearing your thoughts and feedback about going green!

- Elaine La Personerie - www.winkpr.com
Click here for more of Elaine's posts. 

Comments

[elaine lapersonerie]

Susan, all good points. I totally agree! However at least in the suburbs you have the power of choosing what kind of suppliers you use, water, electric, etc. In an apt, you are limited to that of the building owners, etc. There are lots of new green buildings but there is a hefty price tag for renting in one.

[Susan Roth]

Living in NYC is green! Look at it from this perspective, if every family in NYC lived in the suburbs on half an acre in a single family home, we would not have the beautiful forests in NY, we would have a lot more sprawl and the air quality would be much worse with all the driving around. Apartments provide more bang for your ecological buck when it comes to water and utility usage per family, although I will be glad when the day comes that all NYC apartment buildings no longer burn low grade heating oil in their furnaces. NYC is in the process of legislating air quality emmissions...Just ask any taxi driver.

[Jan Geraghty]

I tried going green and bought four of the re-usable grocery bags. However, they have discovered that bacteria will collect in them if packaged with unwrapped food or leaking meat packs. So now we have to wash these bags or go with the paper. So, if the bags don't hold up in the wash, it's back to paper for me..anything I can do to help the eco :)

[elaine lapersonerie]

Love all the comments! I did a story on the Anya Hindmarch frenzy for Shiny Style, another blog I write for. There are a ton of great eco-friendly labels. I will get some together and post.

Lynne, I will definitely go get your book--sounds like such a fun adventure. I am working my way up to your lifestyle-- starting this weekend with a camping trip to Lake George. No running water or electricity! Woo Hoo!

[Lynne Farr]

In 2003 my boyfriend-for-life and I went about as green as you can get: we bought an off-grid home in a Hawaiian rain forest (buzzword, buzzword). This was after living for 20 years in L. A.'s Downtown loft district. As you might imagine there was a certain amount of culture shock as we learned how to live with solar panels for electricity, a propane powered refrigerator and stove, wood stoves for heat, and "catchment" water (which means rainwater off the roof, caught in a big container and later pumped into the house - don't worry, you can heat it and take a nice bath, provided, of course, that it rains enough). Oh, and did I mention that there's no mail delivery (go to the post office), no phone lines (use a cell-phone), no sewer system (have a septic tank), no garbage collection (go to the dump), and no county road maintenance (hack back the jungle and fill the potholes yourself). The learning curve for our hi-tech, low-tech, no-tech green existence was steep and hilarious - so much so that I wrote a book about it called OFF THE GRID WITHOUT A PADDLE. You can preview it, read reviews, and buy it at Amazon.com, which I hope you will. Even if you have no plans to go as green as we have, you'll get a laugh or two, perhaps a tear, and maybe even some useful information. Meanwhile, we'll be muddling through here in Paradise, and loving every minute!

[Teri Breier]

I am delighted to pass along the Spirited Woman's Going Green baton from the West Coast to my eco-sister in NYC. Have fun blogging, Elaine!

[TheCluelessCrafter]

I've been going greener,but have yet to translate that to fashion. After I was unable to score the Anya Hindmarch "I am Not a Plastic Bag" tote, I've been gearing up to green.

I'm ready now;-)