New Adventures of The Green House Cat

Last summer, The Green House Cat went west for a friend's wedding in Santa Fe, NM. Passing through the Texas panhandle, we saw a forest of great beautiful windmills! Oh, and they also have the "world's largest cross", but windmills way cooler!

Are you ready to Rock Green People?

Guster guitarist/vocalist Adam Gardner and his wife Lauren Sullivan statrted a non-profit group which both encourages bands to find ways to make their tours more eco-friendly and gives other green business and non-profits a chance to get their messages out to college students.

Look for them at a college near you.

Reverb

In 1980, the year I was born, the EPA started the Superfund program. The goal of the program was to create a pool of money to help clean up some of the most toxic sites in the United States. Unfortunately, twenty eight years later these sites still exist.
Artist, Brooke Singer created a website of her journey across America visiting each of the Superfund sites and chronicling them on her website in hopes of raising awareness about the program and the problems that still exist.

Superfund365.org

Ugh, Dog Stuff, I hates the dogs....

Ok, no really, but my co-editor Toby does (kitten-hood trauma you understand).

Never the less, Treehugger has featured called Harry Barker, a company making practical, colorful and organic dog stuff. Luckily they have a page of cute organic stuff for us cats too, so we'll let them live.

Finding that Great Green Home

So you want an ecologically sensitive home, but you don't want to have to do a messy remodel or go out to the middle of nowhere and build things out of clay of straw. Well, maybe an "Ecobroker" is for you. Ecobroker.com is a real estate industry web site devoted to listing green homes and promoting the products of ecologically friendly home products manufactures.

Ecobroker.com

Your New Greenwashed Government

According to two different articles from today's Treehugger, both the U.S. Capitol and the CIA Headquarters are trying to be more environmentally friendly.

Now speaking as someone who had to work at the Capitol (a few years ago) the move towards sustainability was way overdue. I mean, where do I start?

• Every staffer gets takeout from the cafeteria in plastic containers (no. 7 or No. 4..if I remember correctly)- All non-recyclable.
• The lighting fixtures date from the 1930s to the 1970s when the last significant building and renovations were done.
• Oh, yeah and the mini-power plant that generates power for the Hill (including the Library of Congress and the the Supreme Court) is a coal fire system thanks to the lasting political power of Sen. Byrd (D-WV).

Well now the Pelosi led congress is trying to do something about it, which is great and they seem to be off to a good start. But the CAO (which is in charge of the project) needs to remember that there are a lot of deep changes to the system to be made up there, both in terms of infrastructure and human behavior (including breaking a habit of waste).

Now in terms of the CIA, I really don't know much about their system or their culture. But it seems like a pretty unambitious plan.

[Treehugger.com]

Cats' Eating Junk Food

The nice people over at Discovery Channel's Planet Green

have an article on additives in cat food. According to Discovery, most commercial supermarket pet foods are largely made from fillers and waste products from the commercial meat industry.

"In fact, the animals used to make many pet foods are classified as “4-D,” which is really a polite way of saying “Dead, Dying, Diseased, or Down (Disabled)” when they line up at the slaughterhouse. Unless that can of Chicken ‘N Liver Delite explicitly states that it contains FDA-certified, food-grade meat, you should know that its contents are considered unfit for human consumption—but apparently good enough for your cat or pooch."

Not surprising that given last year's pet food additives scare many more people are switching to organically certified pet foods.

BTW: Toby our editor in chief eats Innova feline diet*

*when not enjoying the occasional stolen goldfish cracker

In Exile

"Oklahoma, where the wind goes whipping down the plane....."

Unfortunately, I have been in exile here in Oklahoma since May. I've been busy, what can I say.

Let's see "green wise" I've:

• Started a compost bin in the back yard
• Tuned a barren front yard into a verdant paradise of lawny goodness (organic, 'natch)
• Planted flowers
• Gathered seeds for a local Oklahoma wildflower garden
• Got started on next year's vegetable garden
• Strung a clothesline--and used it (well until the weather got cold)
• Uprooted the large patch of Ivy under the trees in front garden to plant next year's wildflower garden and took out all the black landscaping plastic underneath it.
  
• Joined a local food co-op

So yeah, lots of stuff. Oh, and also:

• Applied to law school (and got rejected)
• Started studying for the LSAT (again)
• Helped boyfriend with boyfriend stuff
• Lots and lots of research (on Green-stuff)

So sorry, blog for neglecting you. I promise to take better care of you in the future.





..

Here in Oklahoma there is a yearly film festival called the Dead Center Film Festival. The festival featured a film called, Gimmie Green, about the American love affair with the lawn.

Here in Oklahoma, it is hot, shade-less and dry in the summertime, yet everybody seems to aspire to golf course style lawns. Seeing all those people sodding and mowing and sweating in the blazing heat seems like the entire state is suffering from some grass seed induced mass psychosis.

Gimmie Green attempts to answer some of the questions I have about this phenomenon. I seriously think that it needs to be included in the schedule of the next Greefestival.


More information:

"Gimmie Green", DeadCenter Film Festival

Ok so i've been away for a while. I spend every summer in Oklahoma with my boyfriend so I have been busy, busy, busy working on his house and garden. OMG! So much work. I've started a compost pile but it's going...err.. rather badly. I'll keep you abreast of any new developments.

Want to learn about alternative transportation? Sure, we all do.

Alternative Transportation Expo.

When - Tuesday, May 15, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Where - Walter Reed Community Center, 2909 16th Street S., Arlington, Virginia 22204.
(near Columbia Pike)

This event is organized by Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment (ACE) in partnership with the Mount Vernon Group of the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club and is sponsored by Flexcar.

Participating organizations/companies include Flexcar, Arlington Transportation Partners, Bike Arlington, WALKArlington, the Commuter Store, Arlington Transit, Arlington County Fresh AIRE, Nuride.com, Zipcar, and Telework Exchange. The free event will also include refreshments and door prizes.

The Alternative Transportation Expo is part of ACE's 2007 Green Living Challenge, a ten-month campaign to make Arlington a healthier, more sustainable community through personal actions. more information, contact ACE at http://www.arlingtonenvironment.org or 703-228-6427.

Cat Event

Homeward Trails-"PawCasso"
Charity Art Auction
PetMAC is a proud sponsor of the Homeward Trails 2nd Annual PawCasso Charity Art Auction!

Please join us for a wonderful evening of art and fun to support Homeward Trails Animal Rescue!

Saturday, May 19th, 2007
6 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Event and Ticket Info:
This exciting event features professional, beautiful framed art and sculpture in all sizes and price ranges courtesy of Marlin Art.

Join us for complimentary wine, beer, hors d'oeuvres, dessert, coffee and a fantastic silent auction.

The Executive Conference Center
3601 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA
Building entrance on 850 N. Monroe St.

**Parking available
**Accessible via Virginia Square Metro Stop

Preview: 6:00 p.m.
Auction: 7:00 p.m.
Cocktail Attire

Tickets: $30 per person/$50 per couple

Learn More and Purchase Tickets:

All proceeds from this event will go directly towards the rescue of homeless dogs, cats and small animals.

Enjoy an evening out while helping to save lives!

Exciting Silent Auction Items: Potomac river cruise, private airplane ride, sculputured art, theater tickets, weekend get-aways, Old Towne Pet Resort packages, NYC theater tickets, and much, much more!

email: sueb@homewardtrails.org
web: http://www.homewardtrails.org
Homeward Trails is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that rescues homeless dogs, cats and small animals from rural and local shelters. Without our help, these animals would face euthanasia. We give them a second chance at life! Open your heart today to a homeless animal by supporting Homeward Trails!

Love my Luna

Way Number 31-Use Green Products

I thought about this last month during my period. I had read about reusable washable pads and tampons and had thought about them, but had always put off buying them. I thought that making the switch would be hard. But in keeping with my 51 ways effort, I thought I'd give them a try.

I was surprised that they were actually very pleasant and easy to wear. I had ordered a dark pad with two black liners. The way the Luna system works is that there is a pad which snaps onto your underwear and then there are two small pieces of ric rack (cotton strips) which hold the changeable pads in place. I used the first liner and soaked it with my soiled under ware from the day before. I rinsed them out and put the pad and liners into an lingerie bag and toted them off to the laundry mat with everything else. I finished washing them this afternoon and they came out as good as new.

I'm officially now a Luna convert! See their website here: Lunapads

Vegan Chocolate Muffins

I love springtime. Yesterday I bought the most beautiful basket of strawberries. What is better than strawberries and chocolate.

Start by combining day ingredients:

1 1/2 Cups Flour
2 teaspoons Baking powder
1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup coco powder (vegan)
1 cup chocolate chips (vegan)

Combine with the wet ingredients:

1 cup rice/soy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Add additional soy milk if the batter is a little thick

Bake at 350 degrees

D.C. E-Cycling Event Today

When: today, Sunday April 22, 11:00 am- 3:00 pm
Where: Freedom Plaza (13th and E St NW)

What: bring computers and peripherals for safe recycling

More information:: EPA E-cycling

D.C. Learn-a-palooza

D.C.'s Learn-a-palooza is a collection of community workshops run by members of the Washington D.C. community across the city. The "festival" features a panoply of interesting and green options including, "How to Green your Home" and "Think local first". They are also still taking volunteers to help run workshops.

Events: April 28

Learn more about it here: D.C. Learn-a-palooza

Bike-in Movie

What: Open air screening of the 80s classic "Breaking Away"
Where:Marie Reed Field in Adams Morgan.
When: Saturday, May 12, 7-10pm

Sponsored by the Washington City Paper and Washington Area Bicyclists Association

There will also be giveaways of goodies like VIP Improv passes and a Bike and much more.

For Additional Details: Washington citypaper

Bi-annual Arlington Household Hazardous Wastes Collection Event --TOMORROW

Held at Thomas Jefferson Middle School on S. 2nd Street and Glebe.

The collection covers:

Household Hazardous Wastes (paints, cleaners, ect.)
Computer equipment and peripherals
Bicycles
Rechargeable Batteries

See the complete list: Arlington County

Sierra Club Showing of Kilowatt Ours at the Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse (on Columbia Pike, S. Arlington)

According to the website,

"When: Sunday, April 22nd (EARTH DAY!) at 6:30PM
How Much?: Suggested Donation of $5 to Sierra Club

Kilowatt Ours Reveals the Consequences of Our Coal Powered Economy. The film opens with Vice President Dick Cheney's energy policy speech in which Cheney makes the claim that America needs nearly 1900 new power plants in the next 20 years to meet projected electricity demands.

From here, filmmaker Jeff Barrie takes viewers on a journey from the coal mines of West Virginia to the solar panel fields of Florida, as he discovers solutions to America's energy related problems."

Official Website: kilowattours.org

Showtime is at 6:30 PM on Sunday, April 22 (Earth Day itself!), followed by a panel discussion, with a $5 suggested donation.

Talk with the Treehuggers Tomorrow


Tomorrow Treehugger.com writters will be participating with a live chat on Washington Post.com tomorrow at 2PM. See Details here: WaPo