Dedication to Green Above and Beyond

We all like to show our dedication to green values, but here's a method that takes it a step further, from JustCassa's blog. I thought at first this was a tattoo, but it may just be a body painting. Probably just as well. I was told tattoo removal is the 2nd largest growth industry in the U.S. I haven't been able to confirm that, but there's no question it's booming. It would seem the Tree of Life has less temporal liability than, say, your boyfriend's name in a rose. I heard of another unique way to be green: On Earth Day, I was told a young woman had her pubic hair trimmed to resemble the Tree of Life, as some sort of present to her boyfriend. I haven't been able to confirm that one, either, and probably never will. It will probably stay private, altho the way blogs go these days you never know!
-- Paul Andrews, GreenforGood

Wal-Mart Organics and Larry's Markets Demise

Intriguing juxtaposition of this story with the big news here in Seattle yesterday that Larry's Markets, a high-end local grocery chain, is closing its doors.

Larry's coulda shoulda woulda been fine if it had understood the movement to green and organic/natural produce. The affluent shoppers that made Larry's such a big hit early on evolved to a more holistic and healthy lifestyle. Larry's did not evolve with them and became a dinosaur. (Note there were management and economies of scale issues as well, but essentially Larry's lost its customer base.)

We just visited the big new Portland Oregon Whole Foods and it was the typical engaging, bustling, exciting experience. Whole Foods is just a fun place to go, besides offering healthy wholesome organic green products. It's turned grocery shopping into a cultural event, despite the fact everyone complains about "Whole Paycheck" pricing.

How will Wal-Mart fare? About the same as Larry's, as I've written before. Unless it shifts its core values to a green-based approach, it will simply help send customers to Whole Foods, Wild Oats, the Puget Consumers Co-op and others while flailing away half-baked on its own product lines in a market it does not understand and cannot cultivate.

-- Paul Andrews, GreenforGood

What Detroit Could Learn from the Prius

We recently returned from a two-week trip to California in our Prius, averaging between 50 and 55 miles per gallon. Which was fortunate, with gas prices nearing $4 a gallon in some places. (In Silicon Valley, where money flows like petroleum, no one seems to mind.)

I ran across this piece in the San Francisco Chronicle telling a brief history of the development of the Prius. But read between the lines, the article really is a long veiled tongue-lashing of Detroit. Imagine one of the Fat Bastards using words like humility and hard work to describe a GMC or Ford Motor initiative.

Then on CBS' "60 Minutes" the other night, car makers were shown downplaying the potential of ethanol. There are reasons to be skeptical about corn-based ethanol -- it takes a lot of energy to transport, make and distribute, among some -- but rejecting it simply because it doesn't come from underground reservoirs isn't one.

What's often overlooked in discussions about the Prius is how clever the car is in just about all ways, not just in fuel savings. I've written about this before, but it bears repeating. The Prius is a luxury car in an economy car's clothing.

-- Paul Andrews, GreenforGood

Organic Wine and Sulfites

If you're a wine lover the issue of sulfites is a tricky one, even if you only buy organic, as noted.

My wife is sensitive to sulfites so we've monitored this for some time. Bottom line is organic wine usually does contain naturally occuring sulfites, so from a health standpoint wine is pretty much off her list.

The real problem is sulfites being added to just about any fast food, much shellfish and a lot of grocery items, to preserve their cosmetics. The effect is to create sensitivity in people who ordinarily would be able to tolerate the amounts in wine.

As with salt, peanuts, sugar, gluten and a host of other food and substances which are perfectly healthy, overuse in packaged foods has created a host of allergens for Americans. Another reason to go green and buy organic.

-- Paul Andrews, GreenforGood

Whew! Back online!

Been traveling and learning a lot of new green stuff. More later but glad to be back!

-- Paul Andrews, GreenforGood