Not sure who’s influencing Jennifer Aniston these days — some claim it’s Julia Roberts, whose $30 million California mansion underwent an extensive greenovation. Others say it’s her squeeze du jour John Mayer, who wrote in his blog last year that he takes in “a laid-back, panic free approach to environmentalism… a side free from the cry of hypocrisy, for it doesn’t make Continue Reading / See Additional Photos
Swimsuit season is almost upon us. And if — like Cliff Richard — you’re a Brit, you’ll be starting to think about where to spend your “Summer Holiday”. With the mighty pound and the short hop, skip and a jump to Europe (ahhh, I remember those days), it’s natural and realistic to start fantasizing about a vacay in Spain, Greece or Morocco. I mean what are the other options? Stay at home? Go to an over-priced, busy (and busy-body) B&B? Errr, no thanks. That option used to be as attractive as a cold English muffin. But now there’s something better.
Established in 2006, Natural Retreats is a network of sustainable yet super luxurious accommodations situated within close proximity of the UK’s 14 national parks. Founder Matt Spence said the idea came after a lifetime of working in luxury developments around the globe and having grown up on a farm. Currently, socially-conscious travelers can opt to escape to eco-retreats in Yorkshire Dales, Snowdonia, the Lake District and the North York Moors to experience English nature at its finest. And if none of these spots work for you, there are plans to acquire ten more sites by 2011.
When can celebrity endorsement hurt you? Okay, “hurt” isn’t the right word. But the Professional Travel Guide recently listed the Robert Redford-owned Sundance Resort in Provo Canyon, Utah, the number one celebrity-owned resort. And I think they might have done the Sundance a bit of a disservice.
Calling it a “5,000-acre showcase for the eco-conscious traveler”, PTG waxes beautifully poetic about the rustically chic resort located at the base of Mount Timpanogos. From the clean air and the beautiful scenery to the wildflowers in the summer and snow in the winter, the Sundance goes rungs beyond your usual resort in terms of its activities. There’s skiing, workshops with artists-in-residence, delicious mountain cuisine (with plenty of vegetarian options if that’s your pref), an indoor-outdoor theater where musicals are performed in the summertime (“Oklahoma!” anyone?), foreign films, art classes, trail rides, watersports and golf. Jeez, it sounds better than Disneyland. There’s also a small spa, a fitness center, a gift shop and meeting rooms in case you want to take along your entire office and call it a seminar.
Fashion is a wasteful industry. This statement doesn’t refer to the rivers of champagne that flow backstage at runway shows or the cans of aerosol required to set the models hair; it mostly refers to the enormous amount of excess fabric that’s a seemingly inevitable by-product of the production process. Did you know that 15% of the material in cut and sew garments are tossed out?
London-based designer and graduate of the prestigious Saint Martin’s College, Mark Liu, has come up with innovative solution to this sartorial dilemma — an imaginative cutting process that thumbs its nose at waste. By cutting pieces from a single roll of fabric (like you would cut a jigsaw puzzle), Liu’s Stique line of cutting edge fashions generates zero waste. After all, says Liu, “wasted materials are bad for the environment and a loss in potential profits.”
In the unlikelihood of Sandra Bullock losing her title as America’s Sweetheart (it could happen — look at Meg Ryan) and somehow blowing through the zillions of dollars she’s made, she might be able to jumpstart a new career as a green advisor.
You don’t believe me? You would if you’d seen her on Oprah promoting Earth Day. Sandra, who says she only uses organic or homemade cleaners, gave a terrifically informative walk-thru of ordinary household items that can be used in place of chemical-filled or pricey green cleaning products. And unlike a lot of celebrities, who always sound like they’re reciting from a script when they talk about global issues, Sandra seems to know her stuff.
Fridges. Their primary purpose is to keep leftover pizza from going bad. Or to rummage around in for hours in search of tomato ketchup. Or to stand in front of with the door ajar on a hot summer’s day. (Sorry ‘bout that one; I think I just had a “Freaky Friday” experience with a teenage boy).
In actual fact, the fridge is the biggest energy sucker in the kitchen.With that in mind, the good people at Hippyshopper have given us five tips to help us all to go green and reduce our carbon footprint.
I love hanging my clothes out to dry. It just feels right to let the sun and wind do the work rather than good old Mr. Electron. Unfortunately, considering where I live, I can only hang my clothes outside for about three months a year — unless I can figure out how to freeze-dry my wardrobe. Which means I’m destined to feel pangs of guilt in the winter when I fire up the dryer.
Modern? Luxury? Green? Wow. Sounds like a job for G Living! And send me, please. We’re excited to be invited to the first ever Wired LivingHome. Off to Brentwood, California, taking you (wherever you are) to a residence that promises to serve as the benchmark for how we can live NOW. The future is here. NOW. We may not be fulfilling upon my vision of the future: the Jetsons with flying cars and instant pill meals (just add water)… but iPhones and electric cars come pretty close, and if you’re a total construction/architecture slut like me, these homes (if you’ve never seen one) make me want to swear. They’re cool. And this one is open to the public. We can get in, and you can, too.
As of this writing, Vanity Fair’s Green Issue has yet to hit the newsstands. But seeing as how they’ve handily provided an (aptly eco) online version, here are some early highlights. The video introduction from editor Graydon Carter turns out to be harder to play than it is to justify their “green” cover girl Madonna. After 72 attempts, I finally gathered the wherewithal to seek it out on YouTube Continue Reading / See Additional Photos
BPM + G = BPM / G Living—the definitive voice for the modern urban human
I’m not intertwining my fingers in some clichéd gesture of synergy, but the newly formed BPM / G Living alliance is about as sleek as you can get. Like water off a duck’s ass, really. BPM + G = BPM / G Living—the definitive voice for the modern urban human navigating through life with a conscience. Continue Reading / See Additional Photos
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