Green Goodness: a Grounded Look at Being Green

Please pardon me for cheering yet another business, but I’m going to toot Winston’s Grille’s horn for their efforts in water reuse and conservation. 

Lately, I feel like a cheerleader for businesses that have greened up their efforts a couple notches, and I apologize if you find it annoying.  I promise my roots are in skepticism and interrogation, but I find myself feeling the need to share truly interesting information shared with me.

My pal Raleigh Native (I know him as Doug) called me a couple days ago, blown away with a little something he stumbled upon while visiting Winston’s Grille in Sutton Station in Raleigh.  I like that he shares Raleigh efforts with me, as I don’t tend to stumble onto anything except neat Durham stuff.

Doug was so excited by Winston’s efforts to reuse and conserve water that he posted it on MyNC.com too.

More and more companies are “going green” (a phrase that frankly makes me ill deep in my gut) in the Triangle, and of course, not everyone is living up to their hype. 

Winston’s, on the otherhand, seems to be proceeding quietly when it comes to their cistern, which collects rainwater from their 8,000 sq. ft. rooftop.  After the cistern is complete, it will look like a giant cedar wine barrel, which is pretty neat.  I have to say, I’m genuinely thrilled about the step they’ve taken toward conserving in an area riddled with drought concerns.

While I have no intentions in making this the one-stop resource to hear or showcase how a local business is getting with the program, being grounded in the Green movement requires cheering on proactive solutions and initiatives in our community.  Cheering on those who take on more than the minimum requirements (ie, most of the local restaurants and chains) is an important step in letting businesses know that our dollars will support business practices we believe in. 

And with the way money flows in the Triangle, not to mention the muriad of competitors in the Triangle food scene, it’s more important than ever to bypass the Crapplebee’s and head for a place with a sense of spirit, vivaciousness and community. 

Locally-owned restaurants are important in supporting sustainability.  But locally-owned options are not necessarily the answer either.  We ate at one of a five-restaurant Raleigh chain, and there is *nothing* sustainable or vegetarian about it… and we won’t be going back.  Sheerly because it’s locally-owned and I’m not into bashing any small business owner, I won’t mention the name.

But next time we dine in Raleigh, I’ll be suggesting Winston’s (hoping I can cheer them for vegetarian options beyond “house salad” as well). 

Sustainably yours,  Ashley Sue

A press release today told me a giant shopping cart with a Chevy engine on it is back, racing around the Triangle this month.  It’s the “Got to Be NC Big Cart”, which I remember seeing at the 2007 N.C. State Fair.

This cart is showing off for the NC Dept of Ag “Got to Be NC” campaign, which is the first official marketing campaign of “Goodness Grows in North Carolina” (like the pretty sign at the Fairgrounds animates).

Apparently, this giant Chevy-powered cart is “an effort to support NC farmers and food producers by increasing consumer awareness about the availability and benefits of buying locally grown or produced foods”.

Is anyone else as confused by the sponsorship as I am?

What in the world does Chevy have to do with locally grown foods?  I mean, I know they have all their commercials about having the first hybrid SUV and longer running electric cars, but is this all about the money of sponsorship, or am I missing a link somewhere (which is possible)?

Just humored, and honestly, slightly annoyed.  But aren’t most of us “treehuggin’ liberals” considered cranky pants cynics anyhow? 

Well, in case you’re in need of seeing a gigundo shopping cart with a big honkin’ car engine, check it here and then.  If you want to question the sponsorship tie-in, email the NC Dept of Ag.

May 9 - Wal-Mart in Zebulon @ 11:00 am
May 12 - Durham Bulls @ 10:00 am
May 16 - Kroger in Apex @ 11:00 am
May 23 - Whole Foods in Raleigh @ 11:00 am
May 24 - Carolina Railhawks @ 4:00 pm
May 30 - Food Lion in Garner @ 11:00 am

Sustainably yours, Ashley Sue

So, last year when I found out that Raleigh (nor anywhere else in the Triangle) recycles yogurt cups despite being #1 in the little recycling triangle, I was skeeved.

Yes, it seems that much of NC will not recycle recyclable plastic ~ not unless it is shaped like a bottle and thus has a “neck” smaller than the body.  Not even plastic peanut butter jars will be recycled.

But, thanks to We Love Durham NC, I just found out that the Museum of Life + Science IS taking yogurt containers, drink pouches (remember Capri Sun) and even energy bar wrappers.

So, get an extra container or bag and chuck your washed out yogurt cups, foil drink pouches and empty wrappers in it.  Then you can drop them off (or mail them) at the Museum of Life + Science who in turn will send them to Terracycle who will donate money to the museum in return!  Now if only I could find WholeSoy big containers of yogurt again… Silk yogurt bites, and I hate buying a bunch of teeny yogurt containers.

Everyone wins!  I am so excited to recycle my yogurt cups again… no thanks to NC government.

I just wanted to drop off some AWESOME Saturday greenery for those of you in Hillsborough, Durham (Parkwood) or Orange County at all!

NEW Farmers Market Openings, Flea Market Awesomeness and a Rockstar Green Tour ~ oh my!

Hence, you better hit up Orange and Durham Counties this Saturday!

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NEW SOUTH ESTES FARMERS MARKET GRAND OPENING MAY 3

Chapel Hill/Hillsborough, NC - The Grand Opening of the new South Estes Farmers Market located at University Mall will take place Saturday, May 3, 2008 from 8am-12pm. The new market is presented by The Farmers of Orange and is sponsored by A Southern Season. 

The Market, which has enjoyed steady traffic since its soft opening on April 3, is located Read the rest of this entry »

Planning a wedding can be difficult, but if you want to be a bit more eco-friendly and have a “green” wedding, your headache in finetuning the details may just be starting.

The Green Life has a whole slew of tips for your big day…  Some suggestions are reasonable, and some are a bit too… er… “granola” for me. 

Cheers to choosing locally grown, organic flowers for your day, and everyone can find beautiful vintage jewelry for the day, but I’m not down with lab-created diamonds (though that’s better than conflict diamonds, no doubt), and I think wooden wedding rings are a complete joke (aren’t the rings symbolizing “forever”?).

Hemp wedding dresses or borrowing a friend’s dress is lousy (sorry, just not my thing), and in all honestly, not many guests are going to understand (or bother) to Read the rest of this entry »

I spent yesterday at Herbfest in Wake Forest before heading out to downtown Raleigh for the last half of their Earth Day celebrations. 

Let me just say, Herbfest ~ you are cool.  No wonder Sierra Club named Wake Forest one of America’s coolest cities!

Further, Raleigh, I got there at 530 for an event that was supposed to be jamming till 7 or after, and you were LAME!  Most the booths were already empty, the crowd was gone, my favorite band (The Rosebuds) had come and gone (and you never bothered to list the line up so fans like myself knew until we got there), and all that was left was a bluegrass band and children running around in garbage bags.  Bah! All I can say is I hope it was rocking the first hours (and it seemed mostly geared toward kids).

Regardless, here’s a bit from my Herbfest experience, and I hear next weekend (April 26th and 27th) is when it’s going to ROCK with Bull City Syndicate jamming the crowd! That will only add to the awesome herbs, plants, community, music, presentations, beekeepers and such that are already making Herbfest a LOT of fun ~ trust me!

After having quite a debate in a recent post (see comments) about the importance of third-party testing of products, we can all conclude that companies must be accountable for their products and actions. 

Green Daily (a while back) shared The Six Sins of Greenwashing… and in my opinion, it works two ways.  The comments section is pretty alive with one poster on a more than self-righteous ground, feeling that if you don’t move into use only a bus, stop buying anything at all and make your own food, cleaner and clothing, then you can’t make a difference.  She says some relevant stuff but then follows it by saying that only a select few actually care about the environment. 

That, to me, is greenwashing ~ the type that SCARES off people from making any difference in altering things along the way in their everyday lives; the type that teaches people that no matter what they do, they are irrelevant in the big picture ~ unless they foresake everything they know, as they have known it. 

I, inspired by those that lead in this movement of social and environmental responsibility, believe that positive encouragement leads to great change.  On the flip, gloom and doom motivates very few.

Mark Twain said (and I’m not the only one who LOVES this quote): 

Keep away from those who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you believe that you too can become great.

The sin she (the aforementioned commenter) commits is as bad as driving a 1985 Suburban and throwing your cigarette butts and Mickey D wrappers out of your window ~ she implies ‘You are not good enough and your difference Read the rest of this entry »

So last weekend was a (super much needed) three-day weekend for Marc and myself, and we visited our best friends whom live in Virginia.  Sara and Jason treated us to all sorts of coolness, including a visit to their local “eco-bistro”, Croc’s.

The food was good.  The ambiance was neat.  The company was amazing.

They served an organic, vegan beer that both Marc and Jason ordered.  I have to say Sara described it perfect with the word Read the rest of this entry »

This week (and not because it’s Black History Month) I shall celebrate George Washington Carver, whom I now dub the Grandfather of Green.  Without this man’s contributions to science, I would have no tasty vegan substitutes like the Gimme Lean sausage I had with mashed potatoes last night.

Cheers to you, Mr. Carver, whom the History Channel informed me is the true beginning to a revolution in Read the rest of this entry »

So, I’m desperate to dye my hair, and I’d go purple if I worked a different industry right now, but as I’ve got to keep a “professional” look, I’m searching for something less… well, drastic.  But the dye I choose has to be natural.

What does “natural” hair dye mean, actually?  After a simple google search, I found out the FDA doesn’t have any regulations on hair dye at all.  All chemicals are fair game ~ and so is the terminology that the company chooses to market its dye.  (None of that was actual news, but OK)

So “natural” can actually mean Read the rest of this entry »