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winter 07 highlights
Flock of Dodos, Children of Men, Go Mama, Sustainable Style in Toronto...
plans
1/30-31...sustainable style in Toronto
sean was in...
atlanta
chicago
grenoble
los angeles
miami
new york
sonoita
seattle
steilacoom
toronto
turin
old sslog
2007: winter, spring, summer, fall
2006: winter, spring, summer, fall
2005: winter, spring, summer, fall
2004: winter, spring, summer, fall
2003: winter, spring, summer, fall
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February 1, 2007 - Sustainable Style in Toronto
 So I am fresh back from my quick trip to Toronto to catch Green Carpet Series' fashion show An Evening of Sustainable Style. After offsetting my air travel emissions with Native Energy (of course), I set out for a two day trip to Toronto. My Canadian eco-experience began at the Customs desk. The agent asked the usual "why are you visiting Canada" to which I replied "business". He then asked "what kind of business", I said "nonprofit". He then asked what kind of nonprofit, I said environmental. "What sort of environmental stuff", he said. So I explained a little about SSF. Then, for about 10 minutes - really - the agent told me all sort of things that he'd been doing to be more 'sustainable'. He went into some politics, some celebrity stuff, etc. Pretty funny actually.
I chose to stay at the Fairmont Royal York since I had noticed a pretty impressive environmental effort underway at Fairmont Hotels when I stayed at the Empress in Victoria recently. Once again I was very impressed as their environmental efforts go far beyond the usual hotel activities (e.g. not changing the sheets and towels everyday) and their environemtnal committment was actually pretty prominent. I recall from my Victoria stay that they chose to use all LED holiday lights for example.
 I had to rush off pretty quicky to the event. I got a chance to speak to Green Carpet Series' Leslie Domenico for a bit before the show and then found some Toronto friends to hang out with. The event was a HUGE success, tons of people, and some great fashions. There was also a big Canadian Celebrity turnout, including hosts Gill Deacon and George Stroumboulopoulis, as well as Sarah Richardson, Kim D'Eon, and more. Most of the designs were pretty typical eco-design (yoga wear, repurposed, active wear, etc.) but a line called Preloved really stood out and was certainly my favorite (picture to left is from a earlier show).
The next day, wanting to make the most of my trip, I went out for a little touring. I paid a visit to Preloved, of course, and another great green lifestyle store called Grassroots. Grassroots recommended a great little place down the street for lunch, Fresh. YUMMIE!!! I had the vegan mushroom burger and an absolutely perfect double chocolate chip cookie.
February 2, 2007 - Go Mama
 Tonight I attended the Hazel Wolf Environmental Film Network's Monthly Green Film Series. The film tonight was Leslie Bloom's Mama Earth. While it was by no means a Hollywood budget blockbuster, it was a wonderful film. The content was superb, the format charming, and the message loud and clear. I think the film hit pretty much every major environmental issue, including some controversal topics like using taxes to create change. The experts in the film were very accessible and the humor throughout the film was perfect since the topics presented could be heavy if not balanced well with some lightheartedness.
February 7, 2007 - Children of Men
 Whoa! I just saw the film adaptation of P. D. James' Children of Men. WHOA! This is an amazing flick. And, I'm very pleased that an environmental issue other than global warming has made it into the media. The basic storyline is that, among many other major social and environmental problems the world is facing in 2027, women have become infertile...so the human race is literally doomed to extinction. England is the last bastion of civil society but has chosen to deport foreigners and even stooped to internment camps to facilitate the process. In the book, I believe it is male fertility that has been lost, even scarier since scientists are already seeing this very situation starting to happen today.
I want to read the book to get more insight on how the world spirals downward so quickly and disastrously, but the fact that chemicals in the environment have affected the human endocrine system resulting in infertility is incredible bold and timely. True, global warming threatens to change the world as we know it, making human life not so fun anymore in many ways, but chances are we will still go on somehow. Lose fertility and we could really be in trouble. The movie is completely depressing but does provide moments of hope along the way. Again...whoa. This movie is a must see.
February 8, 2007 - My new offset addiction
 I just received my certificate from Native Energy for offsetting my carbon emissions from my Toronto trip. I know it's a little crazy getting all excited about receiving it but yes, was quite happy to find the pdf in my inbox this morning. I've done carbon offsets before but all you get is a receipt so this fancy certificate is quite nice. I'm addicted. Now I want to offset EVERYTHING, maybe even double offset by buying tree-plantings too. More offsets, give me MORE OFFSETS!
February 9, 2007 - Flock of Dodos - ID vs. Evolution
 I Went to a screening of Flock of Dodos last night. LOVED IT! The movie explores the 'circus' around the intelligent design vs. evolution debate going on in America these days...and a circus it is indeed. The movie was directed by Randy Olson, a former marine biologist now turned filmmaker (see also Shifting Baselines for another example of his work). Randy does a great job treating both sides of the intelligent design vs. evolution debate fairly and pointing out the strengths and weaknesses on both sides of the debate, but he has no issue making it clear which side he comes out on.
 Having degrees in behavioral ecology and conservation biology myself, I'm pretty much right there with him. But I also fall in line with biologists like Jane Goodall that find studying the natural world IS like studying the mind of god, the creater, a designer or whatever. Physicists have long said you don't get organization from chaos so the fact that we have a very organized universe means 'something' somehow has caused the universe to be so organized. In addition, the fact that you have things like the Fibonacci sequence that appears throughout nature in plants, animals, crystals, the curve of waves, etc. makes one wonder sometimes. Furthermore, being a bit of an animist and having a keen interest in Eastern and First Nations spirituality keeps things interesting for me too. Which takes me back to the movie. Perhaps the biggest star of Flock of Dodos is Randy's outspoken 83 year-old Mom, Muffy Moose (aka Muffy Olson). She was by far the most interesting character as she seemed the most open to hearing both sides, the most curious about both sides, and the most interested in the crossroads of her own personal spirituality and beliefs. You go girl!
February 13, 2007 - Genre's green issue
 The library of green magazine issues just got bigger. Genre, a US magazine for gay men recently published their very own 'green issue'. Not many people get to say they bought a gay magazine for the articles, but I just did. I have to say, I'm really impressed. The green theme actually shows up throughout the magazine (unlike some of the other green issue contenders in which a couple articles and a page on green styles seems to suffice). For instance, did you know that C-N2 offers a line of bamboo underwear, including briefs, tanks, boxer briefs and trunks? Finally, some cool stuff for guys. Lots of other green products, feature articles, and even some humorous green bashing to round things out a bit. Kudos to the good green gays!
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