Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Lori Hill Honored by SmartCEO Magazine

Lori was honored by Baltimore’s SmartCEO Magazine as an ECO-CEO in their December 2009 issue. Read more about Lori and her fellow ECO-CEO’s.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Greening Your Wintery Wedding


On a very snowy December 5th, lori hill event productions served as the event producer for the wedding of Diana and Arthur at the James Rouse Visionary Center at the American Visionary Arts Museum in Baltimore. Here are some of the easy green initiatives that we incorporated into their special day:

 Centerpieces - because Diana and Arthur hated the idea of having centerpieces that would be used for just a few hours and then tossed (in the compost bin of course!), they had Crimson and Clover design 10” wreaths made from vertical crystallized white branches. These were given away to guests at the conclusion of the reception. The head table was adorned with the bridesmaids’ bouquets placed in vases filled with gems and wrapped in satin ribbon


 Because we were in one large room, we utilized 7’ fresh cut Frasier Firs decorated in lights from Plants Alive! Afterwards, the trees were used for other events and then recycled into mulch

 The couple’s travel-themed wedding inspired them to replace traditional escort cards with customized luggage tags that contained guests’ table assignment which was the name of one of the many cities the couple have traveled to during their courtship

 Instead of handing guests a paper program before the ceremony, the couple opted to not offer one and nobody seemed to notice or mind

 Both the ceremony and the reception were held in the same event space, saving on having guests drive to two different locations (all that gas and all those carbon emissions add up quickly!)

 Since most guests were from out of town, we transported them via mini coach bus instead of having them take separate taxis

 Because weddings generate so much waste, we contracted with Waste Neutral Group to take away not only food waste that could be composted, but also recycling. The cost was only a $1/person.


Monday, December 14, 2009

Eco Holiday Shopping and Eating

If you are still looking for some original, fair trade, earth-friendly gifts by local companies – and I’m sure you are – check out the following retailers that participated in the December holiday party for the Chesapeake Sustainable Business Alliance held at Clementine Restaurant in the Hamilton neighborhood of Baltimore.

earth alley is located in Baltimore’s Hampden neighborhood and was voted by Baltimore Magazine as having the Best Eco Gifts in 2008, earth alley has one of the largest selections of eco-friendly handicrafts in the Baltimore region. Items include jewelry, purses, massage oil candles and fair trade cards from Rwanda, children’s toys, home décor items and personal accessories. I just purchased a fabulous, fair-trade purse made in Cambodia.

Local artist Heather Shreve is now offering limited edition eco friendly holiday cards. All the 5 x 7 cards come in bundles of 25 and are printed on New Lead eco-friendly paper and come with 100% red recycled envelopes. Of course, the designs are original and quite frankly, instilled a sense of calm in me when I received my supply. That is something we can all use during this crazy season.

Part of the Conscious Corner community in Clarksville, Maryland, that also includes organic vegetarian restaurant Great Sage, independent natural and organic Roots Market and Bark, a natural pet products store, nest (Natural Elements Selected Thoughtfully) offers products that support independent artists, fair-trade importing, organic farming, and recycling, as well as items that promote a healthy and conscious lifestyle. Quite frankly, I can never get out of there empty handed! Since it is a mere 15 minutes away from me, I often make a quick jaunt there to purchase casual as well as business casual work clothes, Sigg water bottles, music, jewelry and books to give as gifts.

If you are tired of those unoriginal, metal pet ID tags, check out Pet Tag Creations which offers unique, handcrafted pet identification tags. A portion of their profits are donated to rescues and shelters. Their artists handcraft each one with care and the tag can list your pet's name and phone number or simply be worn as pet flair. My cat Grits sports one of these original creations and always gets favorable comments at the Vet’s.

Portable Rainbows Glass Art Gallery features beautiful glass sculpture, tableware, beaded and fused glass jewelry, and mobiles by these amazing and talented artists! They are 100% wind powered and Frances Aubrey, the gallery’s owner, donates 5% of Portable Rainbow’s profits to the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, a nonprofit that she works with regularly to pass global warming legislation. When you see Frances, ask her about CCAN’s Polar Bear Plunge.

After you are done shopping, check out Clementine restaurant. They do fancy pants comfort food with a cross cultural twist at a reasonable price. They change their menu daily, but you usually find their amazing mac and cheese. Clementine is comfy and spacious and also offers free Wi-Fi.

Finally, don't go empty handed to those holiday celebrations. Be sure to bring along a bottle -- or three -- of Black Ankle wine. Not only is it local, but it is also biodynamic and REALLY GOOD!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Coffee That is Good for You AND the Environment

I went to the ISES DC (International Special Events Society, Washington, DC Chapter) meeting yesterday at Longview Gallery. I saw cool artwork in a new event space and learned a bit more about social media. I think I’ve actually started to change my mind about Twitter…

Since it was a breakfast meeting, Travelling Bean – The Espresso Catering Company, was there to give us our morning fix of java. They are a small, family-owned company and really care about preserving the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River. In fact, in addition to using glassware whenever possible at events, or paper goods from recycled paper, they dispose of their espresso grounds in their flower beds!

They use local suppliers whenever possible and one of those is the Chesapeake Bay Roasting Company (CBRC). I first met CBRC when I was helping the Chesapeake Climate Action Network turn their annual Polar Bear Plunge green. What a cool company. Their coffee beans are Fair Trade Certified and USDA organic. They purchase and use 100% wind power and pledge 2% of gross sales to support community organizations and groups that make a measurable impact to the health of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. We all need to support companies like this. In 2010, CBRC coffee will be hitting more stores in our area. Look out for it and buy it!

Both Traveling Bean and the Chesapeake Bay Roasting Company will be at the Mid-Atlantic Green Wedding Showcase on Sunday, February 21, 2010 at the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center at the University of Maryland and serving complimentary coffee and espresso to attendees.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Baltimore's First LEED Certified Green Hotel

I recently had the opportunity to view Baltimore’s first LEED Certified green hotel -- the Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Baltimore Downtown/Inner Harbor. I realize your experience with a Fairfield Inn may be a brief stay in a small town off of an interstate highway. This ain’t your typical Fairfield Inn!

First of all, it is located right in heart of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor – at Harbor East – in the former home of the Baltimore Brewing Company and DeGroens Micro Brewery (I just got thirsty!) and was purchased by Brewmasters, LLC. It is a 100% smoke-free environment and has countless green features including increased use of natural light, 100% green power and use of eco friendly cleaning products. Every product they use is evaluated for sustainability, environmental impact and origin.

Guest Rooms
The contemporary rooms feature all the traditional amenities as well as FREE high speed internet access, 42” LCD HDTVs, and motion sensors for climate control when the room is vacant. There are also allergy-free studio suites with a bike and bike rack.

Rain Barrel

The site is full of reusable materials that have been incorporated into the design elements of the hotel. My favorite feature is the corrugated steel vessel used by DeGroens for holding grains to brew beer. The Fairfield Inn designers converted the vessel into a large rain barrel that traps and stores rainwater runoff from the roof to supply all irrigation needs of their landscape design.

Courtyard
An urban courtyard features outdoor seating and beautiful landscaping featuring native and adapted plants and trees. Their turf grass lawn is made from 100% recycled tires and has less environmental impact than real grass.

Green Roof
I can’t tell you how nice it was to look out a window and instead of seeing an ugly black rooftop, a saw a beautiful, lush, colorful green roof. Not only is it pretty to look at, but it provides insulation for the building while reducing the radiant heat that impacts the city from traditional rooftops. It also reduces storm water runoff, filters pollutants from storm water, reduces energy needs and minimizes heat island effects.

Waste Reduction and Recycling

Construction materials included the use of recycled materials and environmentally certified rapidly renewable wood products. Furthermore, the hotel is committed to recycling 75% or more of the waste generated during daily operations.

Monday, November 9, 2009

November 15 is America Recycles Day

While we should ALL recycle each and every day, this Sunday, November 15th is the only nationally recognized day dedicated to encouraging Americans to recycle AND buy recycled products.

I’m sure you have heard of the term REDUCE-REUSE-RECYCLE. But in the hustle and bustle of your life, have you thought HARD about what those words REALLY mean? To explain this concept, I’ll use paper – a commonly recycled product – as an example.

Reduce – this means reduce the amount you consume. For example, if you email your weekly staff meeting agenda, do you REALLY need to print out 10 extra copies for staffers who MAY have forgotten to print out their own version? Ask them to bring their own copy because there WON’T be extras, or better yet, have them load the agenda to their laptop and bring THAT to the meeting.

Reuse – if you printed out those agendas and there are extras with a blank side and no critical information on the printed side, reuse them by putting them back in your printer. Here at lori hill event productions, we can safely say that we try to minimize the use of our printer, but when we do print, close to 99% of the paper we print out is for office use only. Accordingly, we only place re-used paper in our printer. IF we need to print out on clean, unused paper, we only use 100% recycled paper.

Recycle – so you reduced the number of agendas you printed out and reused the extras by placing them in your printer. The final step is to take any paper that can’t be re-used and recycle it! Never EVER put anything in the trash (which goes to the landfill) if it can be recycled into something else. The landfill should ALWAYS be your last option. Unfortunately, it is the first option for too many. If there isn’t a paper recycling program in your office building, START ONE!

To find out more about American Recycles Day, click HERE to visit the site which includes lots of helpful information including recycling 101.

Have an object that you don’t know how to recycle? Visit one of my favorite web sites: Earth911.com. Just enter the item you are looking to recycle and the zip code of where you live or work and it will tell you where you can recycle. I will admit that sometimes I have not gotten any results for odd items (those evil petroleum-based candles), but just the other day, I directed my sister in Pennsylvania to a laundry list of places where she could recycle an old iron.

Remember, before you EVER throw ANYTHING into the landfill, always try to recycle it. The generations that come after us will be grateful.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Thank You Governor O’Malley

On Wednesday night, I attended a Climate Victory Celebration hosted by the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN). lori hill event productions was honored to serve on the host committee. Since we strive to make all our events sustainable (and any events we partner in producing), we provided eco friendly name badges (which we of course collected at the end to reuse again!) and asked our friends at Geppetto Catering to donate corn-based cups, napkins made of recycled content and plates made of bamboo. The bamboo plates were a huge hit! I was surprised that many of the guests in this room full of environmentalists had not yet seen this product which has been on the market for years.

The caterer at the venue offered plastic cups and plates that would be recycled, but we couldn’t stand the thought of CCAN using plastic -- even if it would be recycled. We just need to get away from plastic PERIOD, but that is a topic for another blog.

The purpose of the event was to honor climate heroes who helped Maryland pass the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Act--the strongest climate action protection bill ever adopted by a U.S. state. Go Maryland! Governor O’Malley was one of those heroes. His speech was incredibly moving. You can tell he really cares about our future and protecting not only our shores – but our entire environment -- so that his kids and their kids and the generations that come after us have a beautiful planet that they can live on and enjoy. He even read some incredibly thoughtful and beautiful poetry. After he spoke, he stepped down into the audience and since I was standing by the stage, he came over, shook my hand, and said sincerely, “I really loved giving those remarks!” and I replied, “We really loved HEARING you give those remarks!”

We needed to pass this bill. Climate change is making Maryland one of the top 3 states (next to Louisiana and Florida) at risk of coastal flooding (basically, it’s going to happen). We MUST do something NOW and we have, but we still have a lot of changes to make. We need to change the way we conduct our business and our personal lives to cut down on green house gases which cause climate change that leads to flooding.

Read more about the others who were honored that night.

Monday, November 2, 2009

The End of Suburbia

I just had the opportunity to see a movie that came out in 2004 called The End of Suburbia. It is a very educational -- and disturbing – movie about what will happen now that we have reached peak oil. It discusses how oil’s limited availability will affect our lives – how we work, where we live, how we eat, etc. You’ll realize after watching this that quite frankly EVERYTHING revolves around oil.

It is 78 minutes long and you can watch it online or purchase it to watch with your greenie friends (and to educate your brown friends so they turn green!). I beg of you – please check it out!

Monday, October 26, 2009

Report from International Day of Climate Action

Two days after the International Day of Climate Action, I think I have finally dried out. On Saturday, October 24th, 300-500 brave souls came out for the DC Rally and march down 16th Street to the White House. We were a site to see as a police escort, followed by a solar powered school bus and then a slew of cyclists led us to the White House in pouring, sometimes torrential, rain – all as we chanted, among other things, "Hey, Obama! Protect, your mamma!" (as in Mother Earth).

Check out some of my photos (Warning: I ain't no pro!).








But we weren't the only ones participating. People in 181 countries came together for the most widespread day of environmental action in the planet's history. At over 5200 events around the world, people gathered to call for strong action and bold leadership on the climate crisis. Check out over 15,000 photos at 350.org.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

International Day of Climate Action Saturday, October 24, 2009

This Saturday, October 24th, I’m joining thousands of other citizens of all ages and backgrounds who are concerned about the health of our planet. We are going to Rally in Malcolm X/Meridian Hill Park at 16th and Euclid Streets, NW. We will then march down 16th St. to Lafayette Park and form a Circle of Hope across from the White House.

Why?

According to Bill McKibben, co-founder and director of 350.org, “…350 is the most important number in the world…When Arctic ice melted so dramatically in the summer of 2007, scientists realized that global warming was no longer a future threat but a very present crisis. Within months our leading climatologists—especially the NASA team led by James Hansen—were giving us a stark new reality check. Above 350 parts per million carbon dioxide, they wrote, the atmosphere would begin to heat too much for us to have a planet “similar to the one on which civilization developed and to which life on earth is adapted.””

We are currently at 387 and climbing.

Those who I will be marching with want a strong, science-based, just and equitable international climate treaty that gets us on the path toward reducing world carbon emissions to 350 parts per million. This should come out of the United Nations Climate Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark in December. We will be there to support the passage of strong, science-based legislation by Congress and President Obama before that conference.

I hope you will join me. For more information and to register for the event (there is no fee, but they want to know how many people to expect!), click here.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Go Vegetarian. .. Even If Only for One Day

Thursday, October 1st is World Vegetarian Day and October is Vegetarian Awareness Month. Are you a vegetarian? If not, maybe you should try to become one, even if for just one day a week.

Why? A few years ago, I was sitting at Great Sage, my favorite vegetarian/vegan/organic/green/local restaurant in Clarksville, MD. I saw a statistic from the Worldwatch Institute that read:
It takes 25 gallons of water to produce one pound of wheat while it takes 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of meat.
If you haven't already heard, we are running low on water and the raising and slaughtering of meat wreaks havoc on our environment.

Compared to grain/pasta, red meat is responsible for:
  • 20 times the land use due to cattle grazing

  • 17 times the common water pollution due to animal wastes

  • 5 times the toxic water pollution and water use from chemicals applied to feed grains and water for irrigation and livestock and

  • 3 times the greenhouse gas emissions from greater energy use
The book Skinny Bitch says:
  • According to the EPA, animals are the largest polluters of U.S. waterways and

  • The amount of land, food, water and energy used to raise 10 billion animals a year for slaughter could be used to grow food for all the starving people in the world
I've been a vegetarian for nearly 6 years. I don't eat anything with a face, so that means no beef, chicken or seafood. I do occasionally eat eggs and I eat cheese daily. My family and friends back home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania - aka Amish County, aka Land of Cows - don't understand why I make such a sacrifice, but to me, it isn't a sacrifice at all. With heart disease and cancer running in my family, it was a logical decision. Vegetarians have few instances of both of these diseases. But another reason I made this decision was to protect the environment.

The switch for me was easy because I rarely ate red meat or seafood, so all I was giving up was the occasional chicken or turkey breast. If you think it might be too difficult for you, try for just one day a week. And then move to two and see how far you can go from there. If you are worried about how you will get your daily dose of protein, trust me, you can get plenty of protein with a diet of fruits, vegetables and legumes.

Try it. For a day.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Buy Local

The Buy Local Challenge is going on now through July 26th in the state of Maryland. It is a voluntary pledge to include locally grown products such as produce, eggs, meat, fruit and wine in your meals for one week. It was conceived and launched in 2007 by the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission (SMADC) to highlight the benefits of buying local to Maryland's economy and environment.

This year, SMADC extended the invitation to all states to participate in the annual Buy Local Challenge with the idea that a unified nationwide effort during the last full week in July will be a profound way to spotlight the need to support local farms.

If everyone across the country embraced the Buy Local Challenge, it would bring a positive and profound impact to our farms, our communities and our planet for generations to come.

Why buy local? First of all, you get fresh, nutritious food that supports your local economy and decreases pollution and green house gases because food travels a shorter distance. Why ship produce from California when you can find it in your own back yard?

According to the Buy Local Challenge, if every household in Maryland purchased just $12 worth of farm products for eight weeks (basically the summer season), over $200 million would be put back into the pockets of our farmers.

So buy local! Visit your local farmers' market, join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) or ask your local market to provide local produce if they aren't already.

Find out where to buy local in Maryland.

Find out about farmers' markets and CSA in Maryland and across the U.S.

Find out what fruits and vegetables are in season right now.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Take That Extra Step and Eliminate Bottled Water

The other day when I was walking out of my gym, a fellow member was walking about 10 feet in front of me. Suddenly, she stopped, took a final gulp of water from her PLASTIC water bottle and threw it in the trash can or, as I like to call it, the LAND FILL BIN.

I was shocked. I almost said something, but I was afraid if I did, I would sound angry, so I kept silent, stopped, and let her walk ahead of me. I then picked the bottle out of the can and walked the mere 35 feet back to the recycling bin she had passed on her way out of the gym.

ARE WE REALLY THAT LAZY?

Too many times I've seen recyclables placed in the land fill bin when a recycle bin is a mere 50 feet away. Are we that lazy? Why don't facilities set up waste centers where you can dispose of all your waste at the same time: compost, recycling of all kinds and finally, the smallest container should be the land fill bin because that should be our absolutely last option when disposing of waste.

But back to plastic bottles. Here are some scary statistics:
  • 1.5 MILLION barrels of oil are used each year to make plastic water bottles in the U.S.

  • EVERY SINGLE DAY, 40 MILLION plastic bottles go into landfills

  • Americans place 22 BILLION empty water bottles in the land fill EACH YEAR
You might say, "But I always recycle my bottle!" Clearly, you neighbor and his neighbor and the neighbor down the street DON'T! Furthermore, the last time I checked, oil was a scarce resource, so we really don't need to be using it up to make bottles for water! Finally, it takes 50 to 80 years for plastic containers to decompose. So that plastic bottle that you placed in the landfill today will still be around when you baby girl is a grandmother.

Why are we so hooked on bottled water? I'm glad we are drinking more water because it is good for our health; however, according to a UCLA study, tap water in the United States is at least as safe as, if not more than, bottled water. Furthermore, 25-40% of all bottled water in the U.S., including some major brands, is made from tap water. And since we are all hurting in the money department these days, did you know that you can drink 40,000 8-ounce glasses of tap water for the price of 3 $1.50 bottles of spring water???

So what are the alternatives?

I've been drinking from a Sigg water bottle for years. It's aluminum and fashionable and I don't travel anywhere without it. Really. It's like an appendage to me.

Klean Kanteen is another safe option.

When it comes to your special events, served filtered water in pitchers, or just use those large water dispenses like we keep in our offices. Many hotels and conference centers include these in their meeting rooms now. Finally, if you want something a bit more fashionable, use the Giraffe Beverage Tower.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Am I a Hypocrite?

Am I a Hypocrite?

It's been entirely too long since my last post (I sound like a Catholic going to confession!), but I've been busy planning green events and spreading the gospel of green!

Since my last post had to do with polystyrene, I figured it was apropos for me to resume my blogging habit with another story about its evils.

Thursday night I had the pleasure of appearing on Washington Business Tonight on the local cable station News Channel 8 to talk about green events. I "outed" the host Rebecca Cooper for drinking out of a polystyrene cup. Hopefully, they'll switch to mugs or Sigg bottles or good old glassware at the station.

On my way home, I decided to stop at a favorite Mexican restaurant in my neighborhood. Normally, since I was by myself, I would just get carryout, but I remembered that their takeout containers are made of polystyrene; therefore, I decided to eat in. It was nice to sit down and relax and enjoy dinner and catch up on newsletters from Green America. What I didn't anticipate was getting so full that I couldn't eat my entire meal. What to do? Waste the food? I'd hate to do that AND I needed some food for lunch the next day. I compromised by requesting "the smallest takeout container you have" from the waitress.

I FELT AWFUL for accepting that darn polystyrene container, but vowed to NEVER accept them again AND to keep containers in my car for such a purpose. Heck, I have about 20 cloth bags in my car, so adding in a few Tupperware-type containers won't hurt. I also sent an email to the restaurant expressing my disappointment that they use polystyrene and I provided a link to a green alternative.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Houses of Worship Can Green It Up, Too

Yesterday, I attended a monthly meeting called The Baltimore Green Forum which is a monthly environmental and discussion forum held usually on the last Sunday of each month at Maryland Presbyterian Church, an eco conscious house of worship. A few of the many EASY things they do is collect the paper church bulletins after the service for recycling and have mugs available for their coffee service. They have also made sure to use native plants for their landscaping. This church understands that we need to do all we can to preserve God's creation and the smallest of efforts add up.

On a related note, while I was visiting my parents the weekend before, I went to my old church. Since I was a child, it has been my church's tradition to have a coffee hour immediately after the service. It once featured coffee, tea and lots of desserts, so I was happy so see that they have added some cheese and wheat crackers to the menu. However, it bummed me out that the hot beverages were still served in polystyrene cups. It was no surprise to me that the church uses them since the Dart Container factory, maker of foam cups, is a mere 2 miles away from the church.

I realize the church might not be able to afford the ecotainer, so I suggested to my dad that at the very least, they choose paper instead. He said, "Some people complained that the paper cups didn't insulate the coffee and was too hot to hold." Then use ceramic coffee cups, place them in the dishwasher at the end of the coffee hour and they'll be clean in time for next week! He said, "That sounds like a lot of effort." Being green sometimes takes a little bit of effort, but it's going to be a heck of lot more effort to find a home for all the polystyrene cups that won't biodegrade, pile up in our landfills and leave a not-too-desirable Earth for the generations that come after us.

We are a society of convenience. It is too inconvenient to hold a coffee cup that is a little warm. It is too inconvenient to throw some mugs (less than 50?) into a dishwasher and delay your arrival at home by 20 minutes. What will the generations that come after us think of us? I'd prefer to be known as the generation that turned things around, not the one that made things worse.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Must-Read Book and Green Wedding Guide

While it is touted as "A no-nonsense, tough-love guide for savvy girls who want to stop eating crap and start looking fabulous" the book Skinny Bitch is also a great food and beverage guide for your green meetings and events. The most enlightening chapters are "Sugar is the Devil" which talks about the evils of artificial sweeteners and the wonder of Stevia. Do you really want to feed your guests poison? I think not.

As you may know, it takes 25 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of wheat, but 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of meat. If that doesn't convince you that a vegetarian diet is better for the Earth, "You Are What You Eat" outlines the evils of slaughterhouses. It was a tough chapter to read, but very enlightening. You'll never want to eat meat again when you hear what really happens to chickens, cows and other animals.

If you can't handle profanity, this book isn't for you (which means it was perfect for me!). Other favorite chapter titles include: The Dead, Rotting, Decomposing Flesh Diet; Pooping; and Have No Faith: Governmental Agencies Don't Give a Shit About Your Health.

While the title makes the book seem just for women, men should read it, too. In fact, I told my boyfriend to read it and he did. Unfortunately, he still hasn't kicked that diet Coke habit of his. One day at a time...

Green Tip:
Green Wedding Guide

Want to make your wedding green? Go to what Martha Stewart calls the #1 green wedding site - Portovert. It's your go to site for a sustainable wedding!

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

A Report from the Polar Bear Plunge and Eco Friendly Pens

I cannot thank you enough for supporting me in the Fourth Annual Polar Bear Plunge! It means the world to me. Attached are some photos. I'm the gal in the black bathing suit with the toboggan, the black boa and pink gloves.

I'm happy to announce that I raised over $1,305 thanks to the generous donations of 40 family, friends, colleagues and clients.

About 200 people and dogs of all ages plunged. Despite the call for rain or snow, we had great weather. It was sunny and in the mid 30s and the water temperature was about 35 degrees. Last year, the air and water temperature was in the 40s (we also held the plunge in December).

I have to confess that as soon as I got in the water this year, I felt immense pain as my feet went numb and started to tingle in a scary way! It was all I could do to run into the water and quickly turn around and head back to the beach. All I could thing about was getting OUT of the water and putting socks ON my feet which felt like a block of ice! The whole water experience lasted probably 30 seconds or less. This was much different compared to last year when I went back in a SECOND time since I felt I hadn't spent sufficient time in the water.

Nonetheless, this year I had a great time and plan to do it again next year! I'm eternally grateful to the following companies who helped me make this a green event!

Rick Erber from Chesapeake Bay Roasting Company provided the coffee and tea and all the fixings, including soy milk for the vegans! They are a local roaster (support your local economy and buy coffee that isn't shipped cross country) that offers fair trade/grown coffee/organic coffee (better for the Earth and the workers in the fields). They also contribute proceeds to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

Dale Ball from New Leaf Vegan Society got up at 4 a.m. to make vegan applesauce oat muffins, corn muffins and chocolate chip cookies. The food was a hit (there were no leftovers!) and she proved to us that vegan food can be tasty and not scary! My non vegan boyfriend Jeff, who is a chocoholic, ate about ½ dozen of the chocolate chip cookies!

Peter Grazzini from Perfecting Settings provided me with beautiful, ocean-water colored, shimmery linens for our food buffet as well as recycling bins. Yes, if you place an order with them, they'll rent you recycling bins, too! They also take back the hangers and plastic wrap that linens come with and reuse the hangers and then bale and recycle the plastic wrap as well as the shrink wrap that is wrapped around their rental items.

Keith Losoya from Waste Neutral Group is composting all of our waste. We were able to compost the food waste as well as cups, wooden stirrers, napkins, etc. We had 2 bags of compost, a small bag of waste for the landfill and 1 PLASTIC bottle was placed in the recycling bin (I guess everybody else knew better than to bring plastic to an environmental event!). By composting your waste, you reduce the amount of waste that ends up in our already over extended landfills.

Our after party was at The Rockfish Restaurant, a green restaurant in Annapolis which offsets its energy consumption with wind power. They also recycle, utilize sustainable seafood, and have an organic herb and vegetable garden on their roof!

I hope you'll support these folks who have gone green.

Thanks again for your help and I hope this inspires you to live and work green!

Lori

Hear Lori talk about her plunge experience on NPR affiliate WAMU! Click here and listen to "Environmentalists Participate in Polar Bear Plunge".



Green Tip:
Eco Friendly Pens

When purchasing disposable pens (I prefer non-disposable Cross pens and just purchase refills) for the office or a special event, use a brand that is made of recycled content. The ECOAdTMBio Pen is 95% biodegradable and will produce no toxic residue. The bio-polymers used in molding come from renewable U.S. grown resources such as soy proteins or starch from potatoes, corn, wheat, tapioca or beets (I just got hungry!) versus evil, traditional plastic. It is reinforced with less than 5% synthetic polymers and the plastics are 100% biodegradable.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Join Me at the Fourth Annual Polar Bear Plunge! and Green Scissors

I'm doing it again! I'm taking a cold plunge to fight global warming.

THIS SATURDAY, JANUARY 10th, I'm going to jump into the icy Chesapeake Bay for a cause I am extremely passionate about: the fight against global warming.

I'll join hundreds of other crazy folks in the Fourth Annual Polar Bear Plunge.

The event, organized by the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN), is meant to raise awareness about the growing crisis of global warming and to raise the funds needed to continue the fight against it.

The basics are right below.

The Basics
Last year, I had a blast plunging AND I raised over $1,200. My goal this year is $2,000, but I'm only at $980! Help me out! Last year, my friends and family pledged anywhere from $25-$100 each. I realize that with the current economy, you may not be able to pledge that much, so GIVE WHATEVER YOU CAN GIVE! $5, $10 or $20 is fine by me. Give up one of your vices for a week and put it towards a good cause! Contributions are tax-deductible.

Also, I'm donating my event planning services to ensure that the plunge is a green event!

How to Make a Pledge
It takes about TWO MINUTES to make a pledge! IF you pledge, I promise to email you photos of me plunging!

Credit Card
Donate via secure webpage.

If you pledged last year, you'll be happy to know that it is MUCH EASIER to pledge this year!

Check
Make your check out to "CCAN" and mail to

P.O. Box 11138
Takoma Park, MD 20912

On the memo line, write Plunge/Lori Hill on the memo line, so they know who your pledge is supporting.

Watch Me on the Video!
Watch the video of last year's plunge. That is me at the 1:40 mark – the gal with the toboggan.

Thanks in advance for your interest and support in the fight against global warming - and for supporting me while I turn a little blue in the process!

If you're not busy, please consider coming out to join me I the plunge or cheer me on this January 10th - it's a really fun event!

Thanks for helping CCAN save the world!

Warmly (but not in the global sense),

Lori

Green Tip:
Green Scissors

The folks at Ideal Bite sent me this tip about scissors from Klean Earth that have handles made of 70% recycled plastic and cost from $6-$14.