GLAZ Sept2010

greenliving

September 2010

Your conscious life

AZ • MAGAZINE

WATER greenliving Your conscious life

Our Connection AZ • MAGAZINE

greenliving Your conscious life

Urban Core

A Z • M A G A ZThe I N Energize E Phoenix Project

ALSO INSIDE:

Beyond the Blue Bin From Garden to Table Green Idea | Eco-Terminology Sedona Jazz Festival | 90 Days over 100 $4.95

Our Desert Candelabra A symbol of the American West

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FOR JUST $3 a mOnTh yOU can help ReFOReST aRizOna. Please support Trees for Change, an SRP EarthWise™ program. When you give, 100% of your contribution helps plant ponderosa pine seedlings in Arizona forests destroyed by fire. The $3 a month will be added right to your SRP bill. To help make a change, visit srpnet.com/trees.

features

10

September 2010

Water: our connection

34 Green Rail Corridor

44 2 greenliving az | September 2010

Saguaro Monument greenlivingaz.com

departments

September 2010 Live Green

4 Editor’s Note

Listening to Water

8 Letters

Greenwashing: Learn your Label

52 Recipes

Household Hazardous Waste

53 Good Deeds/

Beyond the Blue Bin

Green Heros

F.I.G.H.T. for Your Health

54 Green Scenes

Post-Summer Skin Check

55 Green Pages

Sleep Much?

56 Green Personalities

Dial Down the Stress

10 14 15 16 18 20 21 22

22 24 27 28 28 30 30

Fresh Fall Skin Green Kids Buddy’s Bad Breath The ABC’s of Back to School When Life Give You Lemons From Garden to Table in 60 Days Less Blue More Green

Work Green The Green Ideas Journal Urban Core: Green Rail Corridor Eco-Terminology The 3 Legs of Sustainability Employee Engagement: Sustainable Workplace Textiquette Fire Station No. 2 5 Ways to Green Up Your Office Kitchen

32 34 36 36 38 38 40 42

21

46 40

Play Green Our Desert Candelabra 90 Days Over 100 Petite Maison Book Review Cool/Outrageous Stuff

greenlivingaz.com

44 46 48 50 51 September 2010 | greenliving az 3

September 2010

Editor’s Note

H

ello, and welcome to Green Living AZ. I am Tishin Donkersley, M.A., Editorin-Chief. As an Arizona native (yes, we do actually exist), I have seen so many changes since my childhood. Despite change, I find there are still a few things you can count on here: hot summers, the ASU | U of A rivalry, celebrating every inch of snow during ski season, and the pressing need to conserve water.

Our inaugural issue focuses on water, its importance and encouraging an appreciation for the limited amounts we have. Yes, we’ve all heard of the drought. Truth be told, our watershed has been plagued by drought for over 10 years and freshwater supplies are being used up faster than they are being replenished.

Changing behavior toward our precious resources and toward a more sustainable lifestyle does not happen overnight. Here at Green Living AZ, we first want to celebrate what you are doing to preserve our Earth. You, whether large or small, have the power to make a difference. Being green doesn’t have to be a daunting or shameful task, in fact, it can be as inexpensive or as expensive as you’d like, and you don’t have to be a zealot to do it!

We divided our magazine into three sections, LIVE, WORK and PLAY, to help simplify the outwardly big green world into an easy and fun

Hair by Kelly O’connell Owner of Salon Intrigue Photography by photoexpozay.com

4 greenliving az | September 2010

lifestyle guide. In LIVE, you’ll find insightful tips and stories about greening our livable space, health & wellness, children, pets, outdoor living, food and environmental education. Our WORK section is devoted to our workspace, business practices, corporate responsibilities, community and interactions. You’ll find information about extracurricular activities, hobbies, travel, art, culture and entertainment in PLAY. Adopting green lifestyle practices can seem overwhelming at times, so we put our best and brightest heads together to form our exclusive GREEN PANEL. These local experts can answer your questions about going green.

We hope you will be inspired by the good deeds and practices our business owners and residents are undertaking to be sustainable.

We intend to bring communities together and promote collaborative thinking. We ask to support local businesses. Finally, we hope to educate, empower and entertain you about the many ways to live a more sustainable life. It is easy to be green.

Tishin Donkersley, M.A., Editor-in-Chief

p.s. I’d like to thank my team for their commitment to their training in sustainability by Bill Janhonen, LEED AP, and professor at Cornell University.

Huge love to the core: Jason, children, parents, friends, my assistant Heather, writing team, John, Dorie, Angela, Kate, Bill, Sigrid, Todd, Tina, Denise, Lisa, Michael, my writing partner Lilly for keeping my feet warm and taking me out for walks when I need a brain break, and all the blessings received today and to come. greenlivingaz.com

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Your conscious life

AZ

Congratulations Green Living We look forward to continued inspiration from your beautiful new magazine.

Your conscious life

•

MAg AZine

Publisher John B. Stacy

associate Publisher AZ • MAg Dorie Morales dorie@greenlivingaz.com

AZine

editor-in-chief Tishin Donkersley, M.A. tishin@greenlivingaz.com art director Kate Larson kate@greenlivingaz.com oPerations ManaGer Angela Sinagoga-Stacy angela@greenlivingaz.com G re e n L i v i n g M a g a z i n e

PhotoGraPhers Sigrid Velund-Miller Angela Rose

advisors Bill Janhonen, LEED AP Vickie Lynn assistant to the editor Heather Fulton heather@greenlivingaz.com Writers Dana Bjornsen Lesley Oliver Anthony Dewitt Cristen Pennington, M.S. Jeff Frost LEED AP Matt Personne Heather Fulton Doreen Pollack Abigail Gilmore Charlie Popeck LEED AP Ted Herbig Edward Ricciuti Derrick Mains Carrie Simmons Sarah McLean advertisinG sales Todd Beck todd@greenlivingaz.com Michael Burton michael@greenlivingaz.com Tina Connors tina@greenlivingaz.com Denise Gullickson denise@greenlivingaz.com Lisa Huber lisa@greenlivingaz.com Kathy Peterson kathy@greenlivingaz.com 15720 n Greenway hayden loop #9 scottsdale, aZ 85260 tel: 480.840.1589 email: info@greenlivingaz.com Web: greenlivingaz.com subscriPtions greenlivingaz.com/subscribe advertisinG dorie@greenlivingaz.com editorial submissions@greenlivingaz.com

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Green Living AZ magazine is a monthly publication by Traditional Media Group.

Periodical rate postage paid at Scottsdale, AZ. Publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited or contributed manuscripts, photographs, artwork or advertisements.

Entire contents © 2010 Traditional Media Group. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of content in any manner without permission by the publisher is strictly prohibited. Opinions expressed in signed columns and articles do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. Submissions will not be returned unless arranged to do so in writing. Single copy price is $4.95 or $39 per year. Bulk and/or corporate rates available. No representation is made as to the accuracy hereof and is printed subject to errors and omissions. Green Living AZ magazine is printed on recycled, post-consumer waste paper and use soy-based inks.

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Welcome Letters We couldn’t be more thrilled

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Green Living AZ is excited to join

those in Arizona making a difference for our

with TerraCycle to promote their “Brigades.”

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Listening to

Water

BY TED HERBIG

GLOBAL WATER

WATER IN THE BODY

•

•

•

•

•

• • •

There is the same amount of water on earth as there was when the earth was formed The water that came from your faucet could contain molecules that cavemen drank Frozen water is 9 percent lighter than liquid water, which is why ice floats on water Less than 1 percent of the water supply on earth can be used as drinking water 10 inches of snow equals one inch of rain

10 greenliving az | September 2010

A newborn baby is 75 percent water Human brains are 75 percent water An average person drinks more than 15,000 gallons of water in their lifetime

greenlivingaz.com

I

was recently given an assignment to write an article about water. I’ve written professionally for years, mostly about technology, so how tough could it be? I mean, water is the most common thing in the world. It’s everywhere. It’s in the air, in the soil, in our faucets, in our lakes, in our streams, in our plants, in our parks, in our veins—really, where is water not? I’ve been drinking water all my life. Bathing in it, washing clothes in it, cooking in it, splashing and boating in it. It’s not like I was asked to write about string theory or quantum physics, so I gladly accepted the challenge.

Water, you have humbled me.

I went at it in my usual fashion, launching an aggressive intellectual assault. I hit the Internet, scoured the library, sat through presentations and interviewed top people in the field. This topic of water would be no match for me. However, the more I researched, the more I realized the magnitude of the task. I just couldn’t get my mind around it. The topic of water and the current state of the planet, and humanity with respect to it, is more vast, more complex and more multi-dimensional than I ever imagined. I kept hearing the lyrics from Don Henley’s “Heart of the Matter” playing in my head—“The more I know, the less I understand.” That was true. That was me. And I was stuck.

As I sat at my desk, drowning in a sea of books, articles, charts, maps and printouts from the Internet, the thought came to me, “Why not try listening to water?” Huh? Listening to water? It sounded too simple, too New Agey, too weird for an urban guy like me. I started wondering, what would water have to say on this topic, if anything at all? Maybe water actually has some wisdom for our current situation, maybe some ideas or perspectives that we haven’t even considered. Would it share its opinion if asked? Perhaps water knows more about water than me or anyone else. Maybe instead of Googling water, I should have asked it for an interview.

Water, you have my attention.

The more I thought about it, the more I liked this approach—listening to water for wisdom about water.

There was a humility about it that seemed right. Perhaps the best way to approach anything as ancient and vast and mysterious as water was with great humility, not intellectual pride. As a city boy, I’ve always been a little fearful of nature. I doubted my ability to hear what water might have to say, and I needed help.

Come immerse yourself in me. I’ve been waiting.

I contacted James Endredy, author of “Ecoshamanism” and Arizona resident. He was a passionate guy and was kind enough to talk to me through my challenges of connecting with water.

“James, this is Ted. I’m stuck.”

“Right, dude.”

“I’ve done obsessive amounts of research on water, but something’s missing. I thought about listening to it, submitting to it, opening up to it and allowing it to teach, guide and express what it wants to, but…am I crazy?”

“Dude, if you want to write an article on water, the only thing you need to do is GET IN IT!” His advice, simple as it was, was my turning point.

Thank you for offering your time to me. Welcome.

greenlivingaz.com

September 2010 | greenliving az

11

I took James’ advice and headed north to Oak Creek for my first encounter with rushing water. I found a shady spot on the bank and parked it. I just sat, not making any physical contact with water, just sitting by its side. I was surprised at how nervous and uncomfortable I was in nature, especially near water. I felt like an outsider, even though I was made of water.

Relax. You’re my guest. I’ve been expecting you.

Slowly, gradually I took off my shoes and socks and dipped my feet in. The water was cold, but it felt good to make contact with its wild and rushing substance. What was it really? I call it “water,” but that hardly described this strange slippery stuff that was rushing all over and around and between my toes. My feet started tingling.

This was a small but significant act of trust for me. While the water felt good, I was waiting to receive profound insight… Nothing came. Nada. Maybe my theory of “listening to water” would be a total bust. Anxiety took over. I lost patience and quickly moved on to my next encounter with water, with James as my guide.

No worries, I’ve got your back.

James took me to a spot in Oak Creek where the water was deep. Unlike the previous spot, in which I could only submerse my feet, this spot invited total body immersion.

I hesitated at first, then slowly waded up to my waist. The water was cold, FREEZING cold. I didn’t know if I wanted to continue, but I came here to be with water, to learn from it and immerse myself in it. I knew I needed to take the plunge. And I did!

“Water, water, water, water, water, water, water!”

I screamed and pleaded over and over again.

The cold was shocking, more than I ever imagined. I felt panicked and helpless in water, and at its mercy. In this particular spot, I sensed a deep darkness that went on forever. I had been in deep swimming pools before, but this was totally different. As I hovered over the abyss, I dogpaddled frantically to stay afloat…then I realized it wasn’t my flailing that kept me off the bottom, it was water holding me safe.

Water… Thank you?

My experience at Oak Creek was dramatic. Fear was present, but it also opened me to experience something else—that water actually cared for me. That new perspective was a little out of the box for me. Oak Creek was like a stern parent who corrected my ways, taught me the truth of my dependency and the need for healthy respect.

12 greenliving az | September 2010

Author Ted at Oak Creek

Water, you are changing me.

After Oak Creek, I made several other trips to be with water, to sit in its presence, to immerse my body and hear its voice. I found myself actually desiring to be with water.

This was an unexpected gift, something I could never have gleaned from my heady research. I wanted to share this gift with my 3 ½-year-old son Owen, so he wouldn’t grow up as estranged, suspicious and fearful of nature as myself. We drove to Prescott and connected with two bodies of water, Granite Creek and Lynx Lake.

Owen and I sat by Granite Creek and ate lunch. Owen threw rocks in the creek and we watched and listened to each splash they made. After lunch, we got in the water up to our knees, and saw amphibian-like creatures trolling the sandy bottom. What were they? Did they know we were here? What was our relationship to them? We thanked them for allowing us to enjoy the cool water they called home. We thanked the tree for the marvelous shade it provided us during our brief lunchtime visit, then we journeyed to our primary destination, Lynx Lake.

I chose Lynx Lake because it had paddleboat rentals.

Honestly, I still would rather comfortably float on top of water without having to submerge.

As fate would have it, the paddleboat operation was closed. Owen took it better than I did and became eager to get into the water. That was not my first choice.

Nonetheless, we found several spots to get in, and like my other recent experiences, the water was cold. Owen was shivering and wanted me to hold him. He gripped me tight, and I squeezed his chest to mine. He was chattering away, as only a shivering 3 ½-year-old can, but I interrupted.

“Owen. Stop. Just listen. Look around.”

Amazingly, he did.

“Listen to the wind, feel it on your skin. Look at the little greenlivingaz.com

ripples our bodies make in the water and how the water spreads it out forever.”

There we were, father and son standing chest deep in Lynx Lake, silent, still, peaceful and in love. As I embraced him, I also felt embraced by the water, which was becoming a kindly and loving new friend to me. I looked around and saw the glory of the trees, something I had never really noticed before. I felt the wind and tasted the air. I felt alive. Whole. Complete.

Water, I think I’m falling in love.

It’s now been a week or so since my encounters with water, and strangely I feel sad. I’m back in the hustleand-bustle, and this part of our journey together is over.

Was I faithful to my task? Did you say what you needed to say? Did I even hear you correctly?

Water, I miss you and you’ve given me hope, great hope.

In a very short time, you have transformed me. You have opened my eyes and softened my heart, to you and to all living things, even things I never thought of as “living” before, like trees. If we’re ever going to solve this overwhelming water crisis—as well as other ecological and social perils—this is the type of inner transformation that is needed. Thank you for fueling me and for restoring in me the hope and goodwill that is the foundation to any further efforts. I don’t know what action I will take from here, but whatever I may do, it will be grounded in and informed by a more genuine love and intimacy with you.

I’m not a scientist, an ecologist, or any other type of expert on water or anything else for that matter. My recent experience with water tells me it has a deep wisdom, care and concern for us, more than we could ever return. It has the power, wisdom and desire to heal us, and in turn, to heal itself. Only if we will come.

My invitation to you is to visit water in the wild, not from the tap or in the pool. Come experience its beauty, its power, its mystery, its love. Come to be healed, refreshed and restored. Your encounter may be vastly different than mine, but water knows exactly what you need. I don’t think we can solve the water crisis with more technology. I believe it requires a fundamental and profound transformation of how we relate to ourselves, to each other and to the natural world. We have been in a long and bitter divorce with nature, one in which both sides have suffered greatly. It is now time to reconcile and heal. Won’t you come?

Ted Herbig is a freelance writer, screenwriter, father, and husband.

He lives in Phoenix.

greenlivingaz.com

Oil Spill Numbers Where is the respect?

219,135,875: Gallons of oil leaked.

553: Miles of Gulf shoreline contaminated by oil (313 miles in Louisiana, 99 miles in Mississippi, 66 miles in Alabama and 75 miles in Florida).

81,181:

Square miles of the Gulf of Mexico federal waters that have been closed to fishing – about one third of the total.

$3.5 Billion: Amount BP says it has spent so

far on the spill response, including containment, relief well drilling, grants to Gulf states, Gulf cleanup and compensation claim payouts.

6,850: Total number of vessels assisting in

containment and cleanup efforts, including skimmers, tugs, barges and recovery vessels.

580: Number of oil skimmers deployed to protect the Gulf coastline.

46:

Number of oil skimmers operating in the vicinity of the well.

117:

Number of aircraft in use, helping to track moving oil and assist ships below.

330: Number of controlled burns that have been

carried out to remove oil from the ocean surface.

1,525:

Number of National Guard troops from Gulf Coast states active in the response effort.

17,500: Number of National Guard troops

authorized by the Obama administration to be deployed in response to the crisis.

46,000:

Number of personnel currently working to protect and clean up the Gulf shoreline and wildlife.

6.16 Million: Gallons of oil-water mix that have

been recovered.

Source: Grist.org.

Photography courtesy of NASA

September 2010 | greenliving az

13

Green-wash | green’wash’, -wôsh’ | verb: The act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.

More and more companies are jumping on the “GREEN” bandwagon. Unfortunately, slapping an “environmentally responsible” label on something does NOT mean it’s truly “GREEN.” This “GREENWASHING” has become a major problem for consumers looking to invest in eco-friendly, sustainable products. The best defense against this besiege of questionable product marketing is to be able to identify third-party certification by independent, reliable sources that have been tried and tested. Start building up your armor and shield yourself from “GREENWASHING” imposters by learning to recognize these labels on everyday products and business practices.

ENERGY STAR: USA ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. ENERGY STAR is dedicated to helping people protect the environment by offering energy efficient products and tips for home improvement, building and plants. The ENERGY STAR mark is the national symbol for energy efficiency. www.energystar.gov

WaterSense WaterSense, an EPA partnership program, helps promote water efficiency and the marketing of water-efficient products, programs and practices.

Products bearing the WaterSense label must be 20 percent more water efficient than standard products and provide measurable water savings results. www.epa.gov/watersense

Green Seal Green Seal is an independent non-profit agency that certifies products and services that meet sciencebased environmental standards. Green Seal works with manufacturers, industry sectors, purchasing groups and governments to help “green” the production and purchasing chain. Products become Green Seal certified after strict evaluations that begin from product creation to recycling and disposal. www.greenseal.org

EcoLogo EcoLogo was founded in 1988 by the Government of Canada, but is now recognized worldwide as a third-party certifier of eco-friendly products.

EcoLogo is considered North America’s largest environmental standard certification mark. www.ecologo.org

UL Environment UL Environment, a subsidiary of Underwriters Laboratories, helps support sustainable products by helping businesses with standards development, educational services and independent, third party assessment and certification. www.ulenvironment.com

USDA Organic The U.S. Department of Agriculture implemented a national standard for organically produced agricultural products to assure consumers that organic products met consistent, uniform standards. Products with at least 95 percent organic ingredients can display the USDA Organic seal. Organic crops are cultivated without using most conventional pesticides or petroleum or sewage sludge-based fertilizers.

Organic meats, poultry, eggs and produce must be free of antibiotics and growth hormones. www.usda.gov

14 greenliving az | September 2010

Rainforest Alliance Certified The Rainforest Alliance works to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods by offering programs to companies, cooperatives and landowners. Rainforest Alliance certification ensures that products were produced following strict guidelines that protect the environment, wildlife, workers and local communities. www.rainforest-alliance.org

To learn about the seven sins of “GREENWASHING,” visit www.sinsofgreenwashing.org.

Come back for your next “GREENWASHING” lesson next month, which will focus on health. Build up your armor!

greenlivingaz.com

Household Hazardous Wastes

Leftover medications, extra grease from your morning bacon, household cleaners and old paint from your garage are all examples of household hazardous wastes (HHW). When disposed of improperly, these products can contaminate our surface and ground water. Understanding how products can be harmful to our water, utilizing proper disposal methods and considering alternatives to everyday products can help prevent water toxicity.

Type of Product

Why they can be harmful to our water

Fats, Oils, Grease

They congeal as they cool down in our pipelines, causing major problems in our sewage systems and wastewater treatment plants.

Collect used oils in tightly sealed containers and take them to biodiesel collection sites.

Some used oils can be converted to biodiesel fuels.

If this is not available, take containers to your nearest HHW collection site.

Motor Oil

Motor oil is insoluble and can contain toxic chemicals and heavy metals. It is a major source of waterway contamination and can result in pollution of drinking water sources.

Take used motor oil to your nearest auto shop. Recycled oil can be re-refined into new oil, processed into fuel oils and used as raw materials.

Most auto shops recycle used oil, but call ahead to make sure.

If this is not available, take used oil to your nearest HHW collection site.

PPCPs include cosmetics, shampoos, body washes Personal Care and toothpastes. Similar to Products (PPCPs) pharmaceuticals, these products can cause negative health effects if ingested.

Disinfectants

Chemicals such as ammonia, cresol, detergents, lye, phenol and pine oil can be toxic, corrosive and poisonous if ingested.

Paper & Sanitary Non-biodegradable products can collect in filters at water Napkins treatment plants.

Paint

Pool Chemicals

Paints can contain many flammable and toxic additives, like VOC, ethylene and acetone.

Pool chemicals can be corrosive and toxic when disposed of into our waterways.

Drugs can pass through sewage treatment plants and septic tanks Pharmaceuticals and into surface waters, soils and groundwater. High amounts of estrogen in Arizona’s water supply are a particular concern.

Recommended Method of Disposal

Safer Alternatives Use or purchase less material.

For more ways to use leftover cooking oils please visit Earth911.com.

Synthetic, reformulated petroleum oil is a cleaner alternative.

Locate your nearest take-back program. They are often sponsored by pharmacies.

Minimize use or look for all natural alternatives verified by third-party certifiers.

Check out our Greenwashing article to learn about some thirdparty certifiers.

Use up as intended.

Small amounts can be poured down the drain, or take excess amounts to your next HHW event.

Use 1/2 cup borax and 1/2 cup of vinegar with one gallon of water to disinfect around the house.

Use all natural cleaning products.

Dispose of paper products and sanitary napkins in normal solid waste containers.

Look into biodegradable options.

Use up as intended.

Do not pour any paint product down the drain or dispose in bulk trash or recycle container.

Solid latex paint can be added to the garbage, or take them to your local HHW collection site.

Use all of the material or give excess to a neighbor or a local community pool. If you must throw them out, make sure all tablets or granular products are dry, in their original containers and double bagged, to reduce the chance of contamination, corrosion and explosion.

Use or purchase less material.

Choose paints with the lowest VOC ratings or without glycol or phenyl compounds, acetate, pigments or resins, limestonebased (whitewash) or caseinbased paint.

Seek out low chlorine or chlorine alternative products, such as Bacquacil chlorine-free products.

Do not flush prescription drugs down the toilet or drain. Check with your pharmacy for safe disposal locations.

If you must dispose at home, remove medicines from their containers and mix them with coffee grounds, dirt or cat litter. Put the mixture in an impermeable and unlabeled container, like a margarine tub or a sealable bag, and throw it in the trash.

Be sure to remove all prescription labels.

Resources: phoenix.gov | whitehousedrugpolicy.gov | epa.gov | earth911.com

greenlivingaz.com

September 2010 | greenliving az

15

Beyond

the Blue Bin One Writer’s Quest for Recycling Enlightenment.

BY CRISTEN PENNINGTON, M.S.

As I sit in my favorite coffee house enjoying an iced tea, I look around and realize there isn’t a single recycling bin around. Dozens of plastic cups full of hot and cold coffee treats are doled out in this shop every day – and they all end up in the trash.

I hadn’t noticed this before a recent trip to the North Gateway Transfer Station. The sprawling facility is like an oasis of waste management in the desert just north of Phoenix, but the mounds of trash are not a mirage.

According to the City of Phoenix website, over one million tons of solid waste, including bulk trash, contained garbage and recycling, are taken to the (aptly named) Skunk Creek Landfill each year. That’s enough to fill Chase Field from top to bottom at least seven times – each year. Want a more harrowing analogy? It’s equal to about one ton of garbage per city resident per year.

I gained a new perspective on the business of waste during that visit. The heaping 20-foot piles of garbage are sobering, and I was there on a “slow day.” My fieldtrip answered a lot of questions about the recycling process and reaffirmed my fear that we are consuming entirely too much.

We mustn’t bury our heads in the sand though.

If my two-year-old son can learn to recycle, we all can.

Why Recycle?

It’s an easy way to take part in conservation on a local level, and for most cities it’s free. City of Phoenix residents do not pay for recycling services because recycling is optional.

Trash, as we all know, is neither free nor optional.

As participants in the green movement, we collect our newspapers and magazines, phone books and cardboard boxes, aluminum cans, glass, plastic bottles and jars, and load them into the big blue bin for curbside pickup. But 16 greenliving az | September 2010

what happens to all of it after the truck rumbles by and takes it away?

Ten semi-trucks cart six to eight loads of solid waste to the main landfill, located between Buckeye and Gila Bend, every day. Garbage trucks dump their loads on one side of the compound, and recycled goods are taken to the other side.

Along the center of the Transfer Station, which is comprised of 95 percent recycled materials, guests can take a tour along the enclosed catwalk and get a bird’s eye view of the entire operation.

Cubes of condensed paper and aluminum await shipment to other facilities

On the recycle side, the process is a little more extensive.

Piles of waste are loaded into a massive funnel and churned out on the other end. The scene is like something out of a science-fiction movie; a hive of workers in bright orange vests line the maze of conveyer belts and pull out the materials that aren’t supposed to be there. Sadly, things like dirty diapers and dead animals actually make their way onto the recycling truck more often than one would think.

The recyclable material is then cleaned, collected and separated into glass, plastic and paper, and packed into enormous cubes to be sold to countries who have contracts with Phoenix Recycles. Bundles of glass are sold to Mexico, plastics and aluminum are purchased by China, and greenlivingaz.com

paper finds a new life right here in Arizona at a facility in Snowflake.

Surprisingly, more than half of the garbage consumers throw away can actually be recycled. If you’re really in doubt, it’s better to toss something in the recycle bin, which

If you’re really unsure, visit Scottsdale-based Earth911.com and click on the tab at the top of their homepage titled Recycling 101.

There’s currently a proposal on the table to produce yard waste bins so that organic materials can be composted rather than going into the landfill. Of course, home composting is always another option.

Earn a Gold Star for Going Green or Get Rewarded for Recycling

Workers sort the materials to remove any non-recyclable items

will later be sorted, unlike your trash. According to the Phoenix Recycles website, recyclables need to be relatively clean, dry and uncrushed. Recycling helps preserve our natural resources by cutting down on the amount of trash that ends up in the landfill. If you need a daily reminder, imagine Chase Field filled to the roof with trash - and you’re sitting behind the dugout.

In partnership with the City of Phoenix, RecycleBank has launched an innovative program that rewards residents for recycling. The project is currently being piloted in the West Valley, but more communities are slated to participate later this year.

Residents simply activate their RecycleBank account online and fill up their blue bin as usual, then collection trucks use special technology to identify the properties that participate. RecycleBank points can be redeemed at a number of local retailers and restaurants, and the more you recycle, the more points you earn!

Recycling is one of the easiest ways we can take care of the planet. So, if you see someone pulling plastic cups out of the trash the next time you’re out for a latte, don’t panic. It’s possible for one person to change the world, one plastic cup at a time.

Recycling Resources

What’s with all of the numbers? What can be recycled?

Here’s a good rule of thumb when it comes to the numbers inside the iconic recycle triangle: hard plastics numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 are ok. Any foam product with the number 6 on the bottom cannot be recycled. Grass, yard and food waste cannot be recycled.

Rather than trying to commit all of that to memory, keep the City of Phoenix Recycling Changes Everything guide next to your recycling bin. You can also download a copy from the City of Phoenix website.

Some new materials that can now be recycled include wet strength paperboard (frozen food and soda boxes) and shredded paper in clear, plastic bags. The sorting crew will actually place them to the side and empty them, as long as they can see the shredded paper through the bag.

Here’s a riddle: What’s the best way to recycle a plastic bag? Don’t use it in the first place! Bring your reusable, cloth or canvas tote to the market! If you must use plastic grocery bags, recycle them at the Bag Central Station at your local grocery store. You can also use them to pick up after your pup or simply line your trash can.

What about metal? Small scraps of metal like aluminum cans and foil, metal hangers bound with a twist tie and steel cans can be placed in the blue bins. Anything over 25 pounds requires a call to Solid Waste Customer Service at (602) 262-7251. They can tell you where to take that old washing machine.

more than half of the garbage consumers throw away can actually be recycled.

greenlivingaz.com

City of Phoenix phoenix.gov/publicworks/recyclemain Bag Central Station bagcentralstation.com RecycleBank recyclebank.com/phoenix City of Mesa mesaaz.gov/waste City of Tempe tempe.gov/recycling City of Glendale glendaleaz.com/sanitation/recycling City of Gilbert ci.gilbert.az.us/pw/solidwaste City of Chandler chandleraz.gov (Click on the Recycling and Trash Quick Link on the left) City of Scottsdale scottsdaleaz.gov/recycle City of Paradise Valley The City of Paradise Valley does not provide recycling. Residents must contract with independent companies.

Valleywide Recycling Partnership recyclevrp.com September 2010 | greenliving az

17

Health & Wellness

F.I.G.H.T. For Your Health Did you know that 133 million people in the U.S. (almost half of all Americans) are presently living with chronic diseases and conditions that account for 70 percent of deaths and 75 percent of U.S. health care costs?

Did you know that the Center for Disease Control (CDC) now reports that 95 percent of chronic illnesses are caused by poor diet and environmental toxicity?

Did you know that infections are now thought to be responsible for at least four-fifths of all cancers?

BY Dr. GarrY F. GorDon, MD, Do, MD(H)

Genetics used to be the primary answer that scientists gave to explain the occurrence of diseases. However, at the present time, genes are only a secondary consideration.

Detoxification is the most recommended method for preventing disease caused by harmful substances in the body, and many people have taken the initiative to cleanse their systems before they get sick, and before it’s too late.

Dr. Garry F. Gordon, MD, DO, MD(H) is considered a pioneer in Complimentary and Alternative Medicine.

Recognized as the “Father of Chelation Therapy,” he is a world-renowned expert on nutrition, mineral metabolism and longevity. Also known as “Mr. Detox,” Dr. Gordon was born with a heritable complex genetic disorder. As a young man, he continually suffered from extremely ill health, which culminated in a disabling heart condition and forced him to close his medical practice before age 30. Undaunted and determined, Dr. Gordon decided to focus upon new and better therapies for his own health issues in order to heal himself and ultimately help others. Possessing a natural passion for knowledge, combined with a deep interest in alternative and unconventional approaches to medicine, it wasn’t long before he discovered firsthand the amazing benefits of Chelation Therapy and the intimate connection between genetics, body toxicity and disease.

Today, integrating those early beginnings with 50 successive years of research and experience, Dr. Gordon has developed the F.I.G.H.T. Program for Optimum Health and Anti-Aging. His protocols teach that although the symptoms of an illness may seem to point to a specific organ or system, the underlying causes (toxicity) affect the entire body, and all areas must be addressed simultaneously for real healing to take place.

F.I.G.H.T. is an acronym that stands for Food, Infections, Genetics, Heavy Metals/Hormones, and Toxins. Over the next five issues Dr. Gordon will be walking us through the F.I.G.H.T. program.

18 greenliving az | September 2010

Food: Food allergies, food sensitivities and intolerances have become more common than in years past. A food allergy is an adverse immune response to a food protein, which is more often a severe and obvious reaction and affects about one percent of the population. More commonly, 75 percent of people experience food sensitivity or intolerance, which can cause intestinal damage that can lead to chronic symptoms and illness.

Infections: A weak immune system and the body’s inability to fight off foreign microorganisms may cause damage or disease if left untreated. There are several varieties of infection through exposure to various viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites, worms and insects, such as mites (which cause scabies) and lice. We can be exposed to any of these through our air, water, food, soil, and through contact with other people and animals.

Genetics and epigenetics: Environmental toxins and chemicals can cause many diseases through changes in the genome (i.e., genetic effects). Epigenetics has to do with gene expression and gene function without changing the DNA sequence, and has important implications regarding Methylation issues needed for detoxing. Methylation is a process that helps regulate genes and protect DNA from cleavage (or dividing). Toxin exposure resulting in too little DNA methylation (hypomethylation) is believed to initiate chromosome instability, possibly resulting in tumor development and progression.

Heavy metals and Hormones: Primary heavy metals responsible for toxicity include mercury, lead, aluminum, antimony, arsenic and cadmium, as well as excessive levels of essential minerals such as copper and manganese. Mercury toxicity is most commonly linked to mercury dental fillings, consumption of fish, and may be tied to the increased use

greenlivingaz.com

Health & Wellness

of high-fructose corn syrup in food and beverage products.

Lead is found in everyone’s bones today at levels 1000+ times greater than 400 years ago. Hormone function can be disrupted by exposure to chemicals that “mimic” hormones at cellular receptor sites, and results in blocking the real hormone needed to produce its effect.

Toxins: We live in a toxic world and are exposed daily to numerous environmental toxins and pollutants. There is not an organism or ecosystem on the planet that has not been impacted by chemicals and industrial waste. Some of the most common and pervasive environmental toxins include: PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), pesticides, molds and fungal toxins, phthalates, VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), dioxins, asbestos, chloroform, fluorine (fluoride) and chlorine. Our livers, kidneys, skin and lymphatic systems are becoming more and more burdened trying to eliminate these dangerous toxins from our body.

Without lifestyle changes and regular detoxification, poisons build up and can overwhelm the system, which can result in destruction of body tissues, damage to organs, a weakening of the immune system, and an open door to any number of chronic diseases. *Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) *Discover Magazine, New Science of Health special issue; published online September 30, 2009

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Dr. Gordon received his Doctor of Osteopathy in 1958 from the Chicago College of Osteopathy in Illinois.

He received his honorary MD degree from the University of California Irvine in 1962, and his Radiology Residency from Mt. Zion in San Francisco, California in 1964.

Serving as Medical Director and full-time consultant for Longevity Plus, LLC for over 12 years, Dr. Gordon is responsible for the formulation and design of some of the most effective, all-natural nutritional supplements and protocols that aid in the treatment of most modern health conditions and concerns such as Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, cancer, cardiovascular disease, hormonal disorders and osteoporosis.

Dr. Gordon has served as board member of Arizona Homeopathic Medical Examiners for over 10 years, and is co-founder of the American College for Advancement in Medicine (ACAM). He is president of Gordon Research Institute (GRI). His findings represent over 40 years of scientific and clinical research. He is the founder and president of F.A.C.T. (Forum on Anti-Aging and Chelation Therapy), which serves as a “Free School” of Advanced Medicine for Health Professionals Institute and houses over 2,600 members. For more information about Dr. Garry Gordon and GRI, please visit our website at www.greenlivingaz.com and www.gordonresearch.com.

September 2010 | greenliving az

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Health & Wellness

Post

-summer Skin Check

A 10 minute guide to a self-exam

Summer’s over and you might feel like the sun has had its way with your skin. Even after slathering yourself with 40, 50 or 80 SPF, the reality is you probably roasted, broiled or fried some part of your body this summer. Living in the Valley of the Sun, it’s not uncommon to see PSAs reminding us to check out our freckles, moles and birthmarks. Here’s a friendly guide to help you navigate through a self-exam.

The A, B, C, D and E of early detection: Asymmetry: One half of the mole does not match the other half.

Border irregularity: The edges are ragged, notched, irregular or blurred.

Color: The color is not the same throughout, or it has shades of tan, brown, black, red, white or blue.

Diameter: The mole is greater than 6 millimeters (¼ inch) in size, about the size of a pencil eraser.

Evolving: Spots that show any of these changes over time: size, shape, shades of color, sensation (itching or tenderness) or surface bleeding.

Arizona has the highest rate of skin cancer in the U.S. and is second in the world to Australia. Skin cancer and sun damage do not acknowledge ethnicity or age.

According to The Skin Cancer Foundation, 6.5 percent of pediatric melanomas occur in non-Caucasians and 90 percent of pediatric melanoma cases occur in girls aged 10 to 19. By checking your skin monthly, you will get an idea of what your skin normally looks like. Noting any changes will help you pinpoint problem areas and aid discussion with your doctor. Please visit the Arizona Skin Cancer Institute at the University of Arizona or the American Academy of Dermatology for information about free cancer screenings. The Arizona Skin Cancer Institute 20 greenliving az | September 2010

The How To:

Start with a well lit room, a full-length mirror, a small hand mirror and place to sit.

Examine your head and face with your hand mirror. Check your scalp and around your hairline. It may be helpful to use a comb to help part the hair so you can see the skin underneath.

In a full-length mirror, examine elbows, arms and underarms. Don’t forget to look in the folds of your skin, including the skin under your breasts.

Look down at the front of your upper body, checking your arms, shoulders, chest and stomach, all the way down to your waist.

Look at your hands. With your fingers spread, check the tops of your hands and fingernails. Then turn your hands over and check your palms.

With your back to the mirror, use a hand mirror to inspect the back of your neck, ears, shoulders, upper arms, back and buttocks.

Sit down to check your legs and feet, including soles, heels and toenails. Use the hand mirror to examine the back of your thighs, calves and genitals. also offers an online video to illustrate the self-check. Go to www.greenlivingaz.com for more information about self-exams, screenings, skin cancer in Arizona and early detection for adults and children.

Sources: Arizona Skin Cancer Institute at the University of Arizona, National Cancer Institute & The Skin Cancer Foundation Images and captions courtesy of: Arizona Skin Cancer Institute at the University of Arizona

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Health & Wellness

Michael Eichenberg, RPSGT, Clinical Manager of Banner Desert Sleep Center, guides us through the effects of sleep deprivation.

BY HEATHER FULTON

S

tudies indicated that 30 years ago the average adult obtained about 8.5 hours of sleep per night. Today, the average is less than 7.5 hours. Why are we sleeping less, and what are the consequences?

Michael Eichenberg, RPSGT, Clinical Manager of Banner Desert Sleep Center, spoke with Green Living AZ about how a lack of sleep can affect our brain functionality, memory retention and health. According to Eichenberg, the proper amount of sleep is the amount needed to feel rested and awake during the day. Sleep deprivation can be caused by insufficient amounts of sleep and poor sleep, which is disrupted or fragmented throughout the night. As one continues to have disrupted sleep, the side effects and risk factors increase.

Eichenberg explained that effects of sleep deprivation can range from lapses of attention, reduced cognitive function, mood changes and a slower working memory, to physical changes like endocrine functions, metabolic issues and body temperature regulation.

The risk factors associated with sleep deprivation not only directly affect the individual, but can also affect a community.

Many patients that come in to the Sleep Center for help complain of constant daytime fatigue, and some have had car accidents or have come close, due to falling asleep at the wheel. According to Eichenberg, people suffering from sleep deprivation are commonly diagnosed with Excessive Daytime Somnolence, commonly called Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS).

EDS can have negative affects on a person’s work or scholastic performance, and increase the chance of car accidents. greenlivingaz.com

Children can also suffer from sleep deprivation. Side effects can range from poor school performance to mood swings and irritability. Eichenberg explained that many parents come to the Sleep Center suspecting their child has Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or a learning disability, however, many times their child’s behavior is due to sleep deprivation.

As your child progresses in the school year, a lack of sleep can affect their active and passive learning abilities. Active learning refers to methods of instruction that engage learners. For example, participating in class, taking a test, completing a project and learning through an activity. Passive learning is more common for students, especially in collegiate settings. Lecturers speak to students, often without interruption, and refer to non-engaging slides or recordings as instructional tools. Passive learning environments set the stage for the sleep deprived to disengage and catch muchneeded Zs.

in many essential functions, like hormone and body temperature regulation, and glucose utilization. It also helps catalog our thoughts and emotions from our daily interactions. Those with sleep deprivation can suffer from other health issues, including obesity, diabetes and cardiac disease.

Sleep essentially helps us take the load off after a stressful day. When we’re active, our bodies break down glucose and release a neuroinhibitor called adenosine, which builds up in our blood. Eichenberg compared the added adenosine to a backpack full of bricks. During sleep our bodies want to unload each brick, leaving us with a lighter backpack when we wake up. However, if you are not sleeping properly, you will start your day with a loaded backpack, which will continue to gain weight as the day progresses, leaving you fatigued and irritable.

“ Today, the average adult obtains less than 7.5 hours of sleep.”

Why do we need so much sleep?

Many think that once we shut the lights off at night our brains shut down as well. On the contrary, our brains are very active during sleep. According to Eichenberg, during certain parts of sleep, like REM sleep, blood flow to the brain increases anywhere from 50 to 200 percent. This increased blood flow aids

Some tips to start your sleep off right.

Larissa Orloff, MD of Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, suggests limiting your consumption of caffeinated beverages or energy drinks later in the day. Decrease stimulation by turning off the TV, dimming the lights, quieting your home and creating a comfortable room temperature. If you cannot fall asleep after 20+ minutes, Orloff suggests getting up and doing a light activity in another room, such as reading a magazine. Once you start feeling sleepy, go back to bed and try again.

September 2010 | greenliving az

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Health & Wellness

Dial Down the Stress Meditation Expert Sarah McLean Offers Five Ways to Diminish Stress Anytime Become more self-aware. Pay attention to your own inner self and notice your body’s signals of comfort and discomfort.

Discover how to live with integrity. This might mean saying “no” when you mean no to things, people and events that are stressful, and saying “yes” when you mean yes.

Surround yourself with silence. A few minutes every day, leave the electronic world and seek out nature. This can help you become more connected to yourself and your world. Pay attention to what people, noises and smells surround your environment, and find ways to create a more pleasing space.

Accentuate the positive. When you focus on what you like and what makes you feel good, you tend to increase your experience of pleasure. It’s not just positive thinking, it’s about putting your attention on the here and now and what you like about it.

Making a list of what you are grateful for in life and reviewing it daily could help balance your day and relieve some stress.

Adjust your sleeping and eating patterns. Do you find yourself falling out of rhythm with daily necessities like eating and sleeping? By taking cues from nature’s natural cadence, you can achieve a healthier lifestyle. Eating your main meal during the middle of the day instead of at night is better for your body because your digestive system is more active during the day. As for sleep, the old saying “early to bed, early to rise” is still true with respect to rejuvenation. Our body is designed to sleep and take time to heal from daily stress and consolidate our thoughts.

Learn to meditate. Meditation is easy if you are taught correctly, and when you make time for it, a 10-minute silent meditation practice can change your whole day. It can help you relax and even give you the deep rest that sleep can.

Once thought of as an esoteric or religious pursuit, meditation is now going mainstream. A government survey in 2007 found that about one out of 11 Americans and more than 20 million people meditated in the past year. Medical research indicates that meditation significantly reduces blood pressure, increases blood flow and decreases heart rate. This practice also decreases our main stress hormone, cortisol, and reduces insomnia.

Featured in the New york Times, Sarah is known as the “face of mainstream meditation.” Sarah is a founding director of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing and the director of the Sedona meditation Training Company. She has been teaching mind-body health for 17 years, and is a sought-after inspirational speaker on meditation, self-discovery and mind-body health. For more information, visit www.sedonameditation.com.

Sources: NCCAm, NCHS, NiH, Huffington Post

22 greenliving az | September 2010

Fresh Fall Skin

By ABigAil gilmore

Lemons, honey and strawberries: together they can be a refreshing fruit snack or an exfoliation explosion. If you get too much sun this summer or desire a quick, fresh look, consider some of our natural tips to help preserve your skin’s beauty.

• Teatime or facial time? Try honey & lemon for a natural glow. Sara Gullickson, founder of SpaFitFinder.com, suggests steaming your skin in the shower, then applying honey as a mask and letting it sit for 15 to 20 minutes. Then, take the honey off with water and a washcloth, and your skin will be nice and moisturized. For a more intense exfoliant, try lemon juice. Since it has alpha hydroxy acid (AHA), it is more aggressive, Gullickson says, though it has much less AHA than processed exfoliants.

• Fruit smoothie or facial peel? Try combining something acidic with a lactic acid and a glycolic acid, says Brenda Barnaby, co-owner of Salon Estique in Phoenix. Citric acids are found in strawberries, lime juice and grapes. Combine one of the citric acids with an ingredient that contains lactic acid like buttermilk, powdered skim milk or sour cream. Use raw sugar cane for the glycolic acid. Combine two or more of these ingredients for a refreshing, homemade facial or body mask.

• Don’t want to make it? Barnaby recommends Aveda Caribbean Therapy Body Scrub or Smoothing Body Polish.

These products will soothe and smooth dry skin with their mixture of natural ingredients like avocado, coconut, aloe or lavender. (www.aveda.com) • One big no-no! Don’t use a body exfoliation product on your face or vice versa. Body scrub products are often too coarse for your delicate face.

Your skin is unique and precious. If you are at all hesitant about exfoliating at home or would like to know your skin type before dipping into the honey jar, consult a professional.

Inquire about natural or organic products to help protect your skin from unnecessary chemicals.

Sources: Sara gullickson, founder of SpaFitFinder.com and Brenda Barnaby, co-owner of Salon estique in Phoenix

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World Class Dentistry Center Highest – Most Advanced Bio-Compatible Laser Denistry in Arizona.

A native of Phoenix, AZ, Dr. Enrico DiVito founded his dental practice in Scottsdale in 1980.

“Dr. D” is also the founder and director of the stateaccredited Arizona School of Dental Assisting and is a clinical instructor at the Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health.

Dr. DiVito holds a number of patents for dental products which are revolutionizing the way dentistry is being performed globally.

Dr. Roberto DiVito earned his undergraduate degree from Arizona State University and graduated with honors from the Dental School at the University of the Pacific in San Francisco, receiving several Clinical Excellence Awards. “Dr. Rob” joined his father’s Scottsdale dental practice in 2008.

• Single Appt. Dentistry • Laser, General & Cosmetic • Same Day Porcelain Crowns • Non-Surgical TMJ Treatment • Sleep Apnea

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Green Kids

September Green Kids The Black-Footed Ferret The Black-footed ferret has faced extinction more than once in the last century, as farmers and ranchers have worked to eliminate the animal’s staple prey, the prairie dog. These tiny mammals need prairie dog towns in order to survive, but they also face threats from predators like eagles, owls and coyotes.

Following a 60-year absence in our state, the Arizona Game and Fish

Hands-On Science: Sunprints In the mid-1970s, professors at UC Berkeley developed Sunprints as a learning tool for educators. Almost 40 years later, kids all over the world are taking pictures with the sun, while making important discoveries about science.

Sunprinting is based on the cyanotype process, which has been used by artists since the 1800s. After being placed in the sun, objects on sun sensitive paper will show up white, while the rest of the paper will turn a vibrant blue.

To learn more about Sunprints, or to purchase a kit, go to www.sunprints.org. All proceeds from the sale of Sunprint kits are put back into the original mission of inspiring a love of science and mathematics in kids of all ages. You can also find sun paper at some educational supply stores.

Making your own prints at home is easy with just a few simple household items and the light of the noonday sun.

Department (AZGFD) began reintroducing Black-footed ferrets in 1996. Thirty-five ferrets were released in Aubrey Valley, outside of Seligman, becoming the fourth reintroduction site in the United States. Today, the AZGFD continues its efforts to create sustainable prairie dog habitats so that these vulnerable creatures may survive.

Facts about black-Footed Ferrets: • Black-footed ferrets, one of North America’s most endangered mammals, were one of the original animals placed on the endangered species

list in 1967 • They live in the Midwest and Western United States • Ferrets are about 15 to 20 inches tall (including their heads), and their tails are approximately 4.25 to 5 inches long • They are nocturnal, sleeping up to 21 hours per day and hunting at night • Ferrets have long, slender bodies that allow them to slither into burrows to hunt prairie dogs • They are solitary creatures and have an average lifespan of three to five years • In May and June, females give birth to litters of one to six kits, which they raise alone until the fall,

when the young are able to survive on their own For additional information about the Black-footed ferret: The Black-footed Ferret Project PO Box 397 Seligman, Arizona 86337 azferret@azgfd.gov (928) 422-0155 www.azgfd.gov

Tools you will need: • A bright, sunny day • Construction paper (darker colors work best) • Objects from nature or home: leaves, shells, buttons, scissors (flat objects work best) Instructions: Place a piece of construction paper on a flat surface in the bright sunlight.

Create an interesting composition with your found items and leave them outside for about an hour. When you take the objects away, you’ll see their silhouette, as the sun will have faded the paper around them. You can also test the power of your sunscreen by finger painting on a piece of paper and leaving it in the sun to see what develops.

24 greenliving az | September 2010

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Green Kids

BY CRISTEN PENNINGTON, M.S.

Why go green?

A kid’s perspective.

To Save Turtles –

By Nathan Simmons, ~ 9 You can’t throw plastic, or any bags, into the ocean because not only does it look bad, but lots of animals eat jellyfish or squids. Think what a plastic bag looks like floating in the water…a jellyfish. The animals, like turtles, might think it’s a jellyfish, eat it, choke on it and die. Bags thrown in landfills or garbage cans could get blown into the ocean as well. So, to keep animals from harm, simply recycle your trash or use re-usable grocery bags.

The Green Living staff asked their kids, “What does it mean to be green?”

“Conserve, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.” ~ Joe, 11 “It means to save the earth!” ~ Cameron, 6

Actively Green At the Willow Bend Environmental Education Center in Flagstaff, families can learn about sustainability through hands-on activities and programs. The Center aims to provide education outreach services that build environmental awareness and an ethic of responsible stewardship of our natural and cultural resources. It features a straw bale house that utilizes passive solar energy, a low-water native garden, on-site composting and even an alternatively fueled Volkswagen called the BIOBUG. Join Willow Bend every first Friday of the month to celebrate local sustainability. Activities include a free guided walking tour of Flagstaff’s Materials Recovery Facility (Recycling Center), a Sustainable Living Tour and an Art Walk, featuring the work of local artists as part of the Artists for Awareness campaign.

Willow Bend is a non-profit, environmental education organization and is sponsored by the Coconino Natural Resource Conservation District.

For more information, visit www.willowbendcenter.org.

Embrace Litter-Free Lunchtime!

Kids Konserve Created by two local moms, Kids Konserve Waste-Free Lunch Kits have revolutionized the “litterless lunch” movement. When Lynn Julian and Chance Claxton saw the amount of waste collected in school cafeterias every day, they saw an opportunity to dramatically cut down on the Earth’s ever-growing garbage pile. Thus, Kids Konserve was born.

The reusable Waste-Free Lunch Kit includes two stainless steel containers, a Food Kozy, a stainless steel bottle and a cloth napkin. All items can be purchased separately as well. www.kidskonserve.com

“Plant trees. Use canteens. Don’t waste water in the bathtub.” ~ Rochelle, 8 “When you run out of paper, use the back side, not a new piece. To respect the earth, put recycle in the recycle bin, trash in the trash bin and plastic bottles in the bottle bin.” ~ Mason, 9 “Green means go!” ~ Owen, 3 greenlivingaz.com

September 2010 | greenliving az

25

Green Kids

Great Green Reads

Go, Green Mom, Go!

Love Your World

By Dawn Sirett Hardcover DK Publishing March 16, 2009

This month’s pick is Love Your World. This picture book provides practical, kid-friendly tips for kids in kindergarten to third grade. Each page is filled with rhymes that make it fun to read, time and time again.

Bright, colorful and ethnically mixed photographs illustrate earth-friendly suggestions for kids in a simple scrapbook style. The book itself is environmentally friendly; the paper was sourced from responsibly managed forests and printed with vegetable inks. Overall, this is a vivid, cheerful introduction to going green. Look for this book at your local library. It’s a great outing for the family and encourages the importance of reading and used books.

Play Green

www.greentoys.com

Green Toys uses plastic milk jugs (yes, just like the one you use to fill your cereal bowl each morning) as a main ingredient in their line of eco-friendly products. Not only are these toys made from all recycled materials, they’re 100 percent manufactured in the U.S. This kid-sized tool kit is a great way for little ones to develop motor skills while “helping” with projects around the house. Each of the five tools is labeled by name, and the carrying case has holes along the side where junior builders can practice their hammering skills.

26 greenliving az | September 2010

Shuttling kids from one activity to the next is just one of the perks of motherhood. Rather than hitting a fast food drive-through, feed your hungry brood healthy snacks that will give them the boost they need to twirl, kick, sing and play. Remember to buy organic whenever possible and pack snacks in reusable, BPAfree plastic or stainless steel containers (check out containerstore.com). Your green choices might just offset all that driving!

Here are some healthy, on-the-go snack ideas that won’t completely destroy your back seat: • Baby carrots and sugar snap peas • Fresh fruit: grapes, hulled strawberries, apple and orange slices, bananas • String cheese and Kashi TLC Seven Grain crackers • Whole wheat pretzel sticks • Annie’s Bunny Crackers; several sweet and savory options are available • Stonyfield Farms YoKids yogurt squeezers – no spoon required!

• Granola cereal mixed with any combination of: raisins, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, almonds, dried apricots (you can even toss in some chocolate chips if you’re feeling generous)

Carrie Simmons, travel television producer, packs up her family and heads to the beach for a low-carb (that’s carbon, not carbohydrates) week in San Diego.

Follow this family’s adventure as they tote two kids on trains, trolleys and trails, while maximizing their green-itude and fun factor.

Go to www.greenlivingaz.com for the full story!

greenlivingaz.com

Buddy’s Bad

Breath

A dog has over 200 million olfactory receptors in its nose. Humans have five million. It doesn’t take all five million to notice our furry friend’s bad breath. Dr. Serbin of Ingleside Veterinary Hospital indicates that bacteria from plaque and tartar buildup in the mouth is the leading cause of bad breath. Similar to humans, that combination can lead to odor, decay, recession of the gum line and oral infections. Bad breath is not just a smelly inconvenience for pet owners; it can indicate serious conditions like periodontal disease, sinus infections, diabetes, kidney disease or gastrointestinal disease.

If you do notice a persisting odor, coupled with the inability to eat, problems with chewing hard food, blood in the saliva or in the water bowl, you should pay a visit to your vet. Dr. Serbin suggests having your pet examined two times a year.

How to freshen up those canines: Keeping your pet’s water bowl fresh will decrease the buildup of anaerobic bacteria. Dr. Serbin suggests purchasing kibble with built-in dental systems, which can potentially reduce tartar by 30 to 40 percent. Including a water additive to the water bowl will also help reduce bacteria growth in mouth. Now and again, offer your dog dental treats or chews and brush your dog’s teeth with pet toothpaste. Check with your vet with any concerns about your pet’s health.

Send your pet health questions to Dr. Serbin at greenpanel@greenlivingaz.com.

Dr. Serbin is an owner and a practicing veterinarian at Ingleside Animal Hospital in Phoenix. He also serves on the Executive Board of the Arizona Veterinary Medical Association.

Photography by Sigrid Velund-Miller

The saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” applies to your pets as well.

Apples are rich in flavonoids and polyphenols, which are powerful antioxidants.

Mackie’s Parlour (A Pet Boutique) offers an array of healthy pet treats at their Scottsdale store. Try making one of their favorite recipes at home!

Apple and Oat Treats 1½ 1½ 2 ½ 1 ½ 2 ½

cups oat flour cups brown rice flour tsp. cinnamon cup oats (old fashioned works best, not instant) egg cup applesauce (unsweetened) tsp. honey cup water

Preheat oven 350 degrees.

Combine all ingredients (except water). Add water slowly and mix until dough forms. If the mixture is too dry, add more water. If it’s too wet, add a bit more flour. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to ¼ inch thickness, then use a cookie cutter to cut dough into shapes. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (for easy cleanup) and place cookies on the sheet. They can be placed close together, as they will not grow much while baking.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown, then transfer and let treats cool completely on a wire rack. These preservative-free treats need to be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

www.mackiesparlour.com

greenlivingaz.com

September 2010 | greenliving az

27

Simplify

The

it for reference (maps, instructions) file it in a binder. If it’s something that needs action (signature, phone call) then put it in the Action basket.

of Back to School Organization

BY DANA BJORNSON, CLUTTER CHICK

Hi, it’s Dana, your Clutter Chick. School is upon us and with it comes lots of stuff. From graded papers and precious artwork to extracurricular schedules and party invitations, here are some tips to help you separate the important from the nonessential, and say goodbye to school day stress.

A

is for action. Assign a basket for action items. These are papers such as invitations and permission slips that require follow-up. After backpacks have been emptied, filter through the basket each evening. Take action as needed and return papers to the backpacks for the next day.

B

is for binder. Binders are great for holding important info for each child, activity or school, and are easy to take with you. Decide what organization scheme works best for you (one per child with all of their activities, one per activity, one per school, etc.). Arm yourself with a three-hole punch and plastic sheet protectors for non-punchable items.

G

is for get ready the night before. To minimize morning stress, layout clothes, pack backpacks and make lunches each night before school. If you’re feeling really ambitious, prepare the coffee maker and set out breakfast items too!

K

is for keepsakes. Designate a container for each child to store keepsake papers, art and awards. Consider underbed storage for larger pieces and large shoeboxes or clear plastic containers for the rest. To keep the “stuff” under control, retain and label only one container per child per year, and share the under-bed storage.

L

is for library books. Mark the due date on your family calendar, then assign a bag or basket for ready-to-return items. On the due date, carry them to your car and go.

P

is for purge. Eliminate unwanted items as soon as they come in the door. When deciding what to toss, consider how easily you can find it again via internet, etc.

S

is for scan. Use your scanner or digital camera to capture images of school work, art and non-digital photos. The digital images then become your keepsake, and there’s nothing physical to store.

W

is for wall of fame. Create a wall of fame to display your children’s art du jour. Use wire or clothesline and clips, or dedicate a few picture frames for this purpose.

C

is for calendar. As flyers, invitations and permission slips come home, jot important dates on your family calendar, then recycle the paperwork whenever possible. If you need

When Life Gives You

LEMONS

28 greenliving az | September 2010

We request slices of them in our iced waters, we freshen our houses with their citrusy smell, we flavor our meals with their zest, but there is more than meets the eye with the everyday lemon.

Lemons are the jack-of-all-trade of the citrus family. Not only can they be squeezed and sliced to our liking, they can provide affordable, homeopathic alternatives for chemical cleaning and beauty products. So the next time you’re in the backyard or picking fruit off a neighbor’s tree, remember, lemons aren’t just for lemonade!

Have some great de-cluttering tips? Send us your secrets and we might feature them in our next issue!

Visit clutter-chick.com submissions@greenlivingaz.com.

• Make a paste using lemon juice and baking soda, then use the paste to polish your chrome faucet or aluminum pans.

• Some chemical bleach can be harsh on clothing and skin. For a milder bleach alternative, add one cup of lemon juice in the washer with whites.

Also try: • Using a mixture of white vinegar and lemon juice on underarm stains.

• For tough stains, try soaking white garments in a mixture of baking soda and lemon juice for ½ hour, prior to washing.

• Relieve dry, achy hands and feet with a mixture of lemon juice and olive oil. Use it as a massage, and your skin will feel soft and refreshed.

greenlivingaz.com

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• To remove tough food stains from plastic and light-colored wooden cutting boards, slice a lemon in half, then squeeze the juice onto the cutting board. Let it sit for 20 minutes, then rinse with water.

• Have a sore throat? Cut a lemon in half, and place on a skewer. Hold the lemon over a medium flame on a gas stove or electric burner set on high, and roast until the peel turns golden brown.

Remove it from heat, then let it cool slightly. Mix the juice with 1 teaspoon of honey, then swallow the mixture.

• Remove garlic, onion or fish odor from your hands by rubbing them with a piece of lemon coated in salt.

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• Bite into a lemon to redden your lips.

This was a common practice in the court of Louis XIV. • Ant-proof the kitchen with lemon juice. Squirt lemon juice on thresholds and windowsills. Squeeze lemon juice into any holes or cracks that the ants are entering.

• Remove the stain of berries from your hands by washing them first in lemon juice and then with soap and water.

• Remove soft cheese or other sticky foods from a grater. Rub both sides of the grater with the pulp side of a cut lemon.

Our October issue is all about health. What are your healthy tips? Send your ideas to submissions@greenlivingaz.com.

Photography by Sigrid Velund-Miller

greenlivingaz.com

September 2010 | greenliving az

29

Green Thumb

From Garden to Table in

BY DOreen pOLLaCK

60 days

Vegetable gardening is all the rage, but not in a trendy sense.

It has become a must-have for many health and eco-conscious people. Vegetables in grocery stores are often harvested before they are ripened and shipped across the country, even the world, ripening along the way. With the convenience of eating out-of-season food, we unfortunately increase our carbon footprint. Most produce today travels farther than many people in the U.S. travel in one year!

September marks the beginning of the fall/winter planting season in the Phoenix area. A well-amended garden bed with a rich layer of compost will help ensure success. There are two options to begin your garden. Purchase seeds or transplants, which are small plants that have adapted to the local climate.

All vegetables take several weeks to set fruit (a vegetable

forms) and mature. Seed packets often list details about planting depth, space between plants, germination days and days to maturity, but planting by seed may not provide instant satisfaction! Seeds take up to a week to germinate, then at least 30 more days to grow into a plant before they even set fruit.

Choosing to plant transplants, instead of seeds, will shorten the time from planting to picking.

Choose vegetables with shorter maturity dates to help maximize the cost savings of a home garden. The plant with the earliest maturity date is the radish, which takes 30 days to mature. These plants will put food on the table in about 60 days: arugula, beets, beans (bush and pole), collard greens, kale, kohlrabi, lettuces, peas, spinach, Swiss chard, tomatoes and turnips – and they are all great fall plants in the low desert!

Another way to get an early harvest is to pick “baby” vegetables. Several vegetables may be picked before they mature, including lettuce, beets, fennel, kohlrabi, leeks and onions.

Culinary herbs like cilantro, dill, fennel, mint, oregano, parsley, sage and thyme are always a safe bet for an early harvest, as they can be cut once the shock of transplanting has worn off, typically after a few weeks.

Harvesting tips:

Be gentle. Use scissors to cut the vegetable off the plant. pick when you need it, but pick when ripe. Don’t pick when the plant is wilted.

Doreen pollack is the garden goddess and owner of Down 2 earth gardens, where she provides garden consultations and coaching. visit www. down2earthgardens.com for information about her gardening workshops around the valley. Have planting, picking, or other garden-related questions? send them to greenpanel@greenlivingaz.com, and you might see an answer in our next issue!

LESS BLUE MORE GREEN

BY: Matt persOnne

The best way to be green in the outdoors is by saving a little (or a lot) of blue. Did you know that almost half of the water a typical household consumes per month is used in the yard? Water conservation is key in Arizona. Here are a few easy ways to cut back and save a little “blue” without sacrificing any “green.”

Green Fix #1: Chances are, you are overwatering that fairway you call a lawn. During these hot summer months you should water once every three days, preferably when the air and ground are cool. This will lessen the effects of evaporation. If you are worried that you are not giving your lawn enough water, stroll around the yard barefoot in the evening. If the grass is cool to the touch, you’re in the green.

Green Fix #2: Cut another 20 to 30 percent of your lawn’s water consumption by mixing in

30 greenliving az | September 2010

some low water use rotor heads to your sprinkler system. Horizon retail stores offer a number of options ranging from $3 to $6 a head.

Green Fix #3: Did you set and forget? When was the last time you visited your irrigation timer? Plants require more water during the hot summer months and much less in the winter, so adjust accordingly. You should be able to reduce your landscape water usage by half the amount during the winter.

Don’t have a landscape timer or irrigation system? Many cities around the valley offer rebates and incentives to help defer the cost if you add one.

The cities of Scottsdale and Tempe offer incentive rebates up to $250 for residents to conserve water. Check out your city’s official website, usually under “Water Conservation,” for more information.

Green Fix #4 For the advanced do-it-yourselfer, install a rain and solar sensor on your irrigation timer. The rain sensor will skip scheduled sprinkler sessions after a rain, and the solar sensor will adjust the duration of the sessions during warmer months.

To learn more about water conservation, check out some free landscape workshops in your area, offered by the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association. Visit www.amwua.org to find a workshop near you.

Take care of the blue, and the green will come!

Matt personne is the owner and founder of Mission Landscaping, LLC, which focuses on landscape and hardscape design and installation on commercial and residential properties. www.missionlandscapingllc.com

greenlivingaz.com

Family & Friends Spaghetti Nights!

A delicious spaghetti dinner for four just

$

39

(regularly $69) every Monday and Tuesday night through September 28th

Dinner Includes: A large platter of organic wheat or gluten-free spaghetti with eight gluten-free meatballs, our Bolognese meat sauce and sun-dried tomatoes.

Toasted organic garlic cheese bread with melted Asiago and mozzarella cheeses. Gluten-free option available.

A medium-size organic Caesar salad featuring our homemade croutons and signature Caesar dressing.

Gluten-free option available.

Our new and improved chocolate chip skillet cookie — gluten-free, and topped with organic vanilla bean ice cream.

Dine-in only after 4 p.m. No substitutions. May not be combined with any other offer.

Not valid in Casa Grande, Goodyear, and Lake Havasu locations.

Simply a Smarter, Healthier Way to Dine.

The

Green Ideas Journal How Do You Rate?

By Charlie PoPeCk, leeD aP

G

reen Building Rating Systems for homes are rapidly gaining ground in today’s marketplace.

No doubt about it, the sustainability craze has turned the corner over the last few years, and residential Green Building certification programs are helping to transform the residential real estate market. These programs help to quantify what “Green Building” really means by measuring sustainable design and construction elements that are incorporated into buildings. By creating a benchmark through certification, the term “Green Building” avoids being a shell of empty promises, misguided strategies and meaningless products.

Green Building programs are meant to be used as guidelines. When used properly, they encourage designers and contractors to think holistically about sustainable elements that otherwise may not have been considered when planning a building.

Green Building Rating Systems have become popular because they are comprehensive and provide consumer benefits. Certifying your home is like getting a UL listing for your toaster. It gives you confidence that your home will perform in a way that you desire and will not compromise your family’s health or wellbeing through exposure to harmful building materials.

The City of Scottsdale has offered a residential Green Building program since 1998, and has been the influence for many other programs that have followed. This no-fee program offers two levels of green home certification, ”Entry Level” and “Advanced Level.” The program has evolved over the years into a mostly prescriptive system that is organized by construction categories including Site Development, Building Envelope, Structural Elements, HVAC, Electrical, Plumbing, Flooring, Finishes and Appliances. These categories are more manageable for local homebuilders, subcontractors and city building inspectors, according to Anthony Floyd, the City’s Green Building Program Manager.

In the early days of this program there was a single “Green Building” inspector that inspected every home registered under the program, but now every city building inspector is equipped to perform Green Building inspections.

Scottsdale’s current Green Building rating checklist requires that half of the Green Building elements be inspected and verified by the city building inspectors. The other half is required to be verified by the responsible party (permit holder) as part of the city’s Certificate of Completion and as a condition for the Green Certificate of Occupancy. This type of system makes logical sense, since many Green Building components are easily verifiable during plan review and

32 greenliving az | September 2010

inspections, while other components are less tangible and require third-party verification.

Twenty green single-family projects were constructed by the end of the first year of Scottsdale’s program. Since that time, over 1,250 homes have been built and certified under Scottsdale’s Green Building Program. To find out more about the program, visit www.scottsdaleaz.gov/greenbuilding.

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) offers a nationally recognizable standard for green homes that was established in 2007. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approved the ICC (International Code Council) 700-2008 National Green Building Standard™ on January 29, 2009. This national green building standard defines green building for single and multifamily homes, residential remodeling projects and site development projects, while allowing the flexibility required for regionally appropriate best green practices.

In order for a home to achieve a green certification under the NAHB standard, a minimum number of features may be incorporated into the building in the following areas: Energy, Water and Resource Efficiency, Lot and Site Development, Indoor Environmental Quality, and Homeowner Education.

Similar to other residential rating systems, the more points earned by the project, the higher the rating.

From a macro perspective, the NAHB program is poised to make a large impact toward mainstreaming residential green building because of its simplicity and the sheer number of Home Building Association (HBA) member associations and the market they reach. Members of the NAHB build 80 percent of the new homes each year in the US. The program is offered to regional and local homebuilders associations, making it easier for major homebuilders to adopt and quickly implement.

Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for Homes residential green building rating system was introduced in 2005 and finally implemented in 2009. LEED for Homes is a voluntary system and targets the top 25 percent of all homes built in the U.S. As of July 2010, more than 27,000 buildings were registered under the program. An additional 6,800 residential buildings have completed the certification process and are now certified under the LEED for Homes program. To assist projects with implementation of the program, the USGBC has approved 38 “HOME providers” throughout the country in key market areas. These providers can be found on the USGBC website at www.usgbc.org under the “LEED for Homes” page. greenlivingaz.com

The most comprehensive and detailed of all the rating systems, LEED for Homes is organized into eight categories: Innovation and Design Process, Location and Linkages, Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality and Awareness and Education. Up to 136 points are available within these categories to provide projects with many options for certification.

Some of the program’s advantages include independent, third-party certification from the USGBC, which is a not-for-profit company. LEED also provides nationwide consistency, and is the most recognized label in green building.

You may wonder why a homeowner, designer or contractor would want to participate in a green building program.

Green buildings are associated with quality, so it’s an easy way for a contractor to deliver a high quality product and differentiate him or herself in the marketplace. Additionally, with the expedited plan review option that is offered by several municipalities, a considerable amount of time can be saved during the permitting process. Time is money, so the quicker a permit is issued, the sooner a family can move into the home.

From a homeowner’s point of view, certification benefits include increased resale value for a “certified” building, which is a financial incentive. The energy and water savings will add to the family’s financial bottom line each month and may even help to qualify the homeowner for a higher mortgage. The nontoxic environment created in a properly designed and built green home will protect a family’s most important investment - the family’s health and well-being.

If you’re building or shopping for a new home in the future, I advise you to look further into one of these programs. Just as there’s no substitute for quality, there’s no substitute for “certification”!

Can you

guess which car is

GREENER?

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Charlie Popeck, LEED AP is the president of Green Ideas Sustainability Consultants and is a contributing author to Green Living Magazine. Green Ideas specializes in helping design, construction and facility management teams understand and implement building science and sustainability into their projects. Email your questions to Charlie Popeck at greenpanel@greenlivingaz.com.

greenlivingaz.com

September 2010 | greenliving az

33

Green Rail Corridor

BY AnthonY Dewitt

A

mir and Eyal Ran, proprietors of Ran, LLC, can certainly turn water to wine. Since the brothers moved to Arizona, they have focused on restoring and revitalizing downtown Phoenix, with an aim to providing affordable housing to those living in the urban core. They have grown their business from one duplex to owning 12 historic properties in some of downtown’s trendiest neighborhoods.

The Rans recently received a grant from the Department of Energy which allows them to expand and offset costs for their green initiatives. With the help of the City of Phoenix Neighborhood Services Department, they have weatherized a set of duplexes in the Downtown Arts and Garfield Historical Districts, and have begun to retrofit some of their current properties with solar panels. They have also incorporated eco-friendly flooring, like recycled concrete and original wood from other structures into their buildings as well as community gardens.

The Rans agree that what they are doing is the right thing financially and for environmental stewardship. “It simply makes sense,” Amir Ran said. Being able to afford the inflated prices of green products is a problem for many average consumers looking to retrofit their homes or businesses. “The market is over reacting to the brand green,” Ran said.

The Green Grant The City of Phoenix received a $25 million grant from the Department of Energy and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to promote energy-efficiency in areas around the Valley Metro light-rail. The Energize Phoenix Project will affect areas between the Central Avenue/Camelback Road station and the 44th Street/ Washington stations. These areas were chosen to encourage retrofitting of older buildings and energy conservation.

Energize Phoenix will assist in transforming ten miles of the light-rail line into a Green Rail Corridor (GRC). The width of the corridor will run from 3rd Avenue to 3rd Street, including the urban core and the Garfield Historical District.

The execution of the grant is a collaborative effort among the City of Phoenix, APS and Arizona State University (ASU). As a grant receiver, the Phoenix Department of Public Works is taking the lead. Assistant Public Works Director for the City of Phoenix Carolyn F. Bristo said the partners involved are working to brand Energize Phoenix and build awareness before they move forward with the GRC. “Marketing is key from a local and national level,” Bristo said.

The project aims to save energy, create jobs and 34 greenliving az | September 2010

transform neighborhoods, and calls for buildings located within the GRC to be retrofitted for energy-efficiency. APS will install smart meters at or on residential and commercial buildings to empower business owners and homeowners to monitor their energy consumption. ASU’s Global Institute of Sustainability will request to monitor residents who possess smart meters to gain insight on behavioral modifications.

Energy Conservation Since energy conservation is the foundation of the project, the City of Phoenix, APS and ASU will take a multi-faceted approach to retrofitting buildings. Over time, both new and aging buildings will be weatherized to help keep energy use low. APS and partners of the Department of Public Works will install energy-efficient appliances and equipment in residential, commercial and industrial buildings within the boundary of the GRC. City officials estimate that when the project is finished, over 30 million square feet will be retrofitted.

Department of Public Works Energy Manager Dimitrios Laloudakis explained that energy-efficiency is the key to making Phoenix a green city. “We need to get back to basics,” Laloudakis said. Energy-efficient homes can be less of a drain on energy costs and become profitable for residents. Laloudakis said they intend to place an emphasis on residential areas because the majority of the homes and multi-family housing in the GRC trajectory are older and less energy-efficient.

Many think solar energy is the future for Arizona and for renewable energy. While that may be true, Laloudakis said that solar is really just the icing on the cake. It comes into play only after the foundations of energy-efficiency are in place. He explained that renewable energy sources are only profitable and worth installing if homes are energyefficient from the outset.

Funding through grants will create incentives for residents and businesses to make energy-efficiency a priority. A revolving loan fund will be implemented to help facilitate interactions with banks and allow easier access to funds. Financial support will increase by up to $190 million from a combination of banks and private partners.

Social Sustainability The impact of the grant is significant for Arizona’s green industry. According to Laloudakis, when in place, the program will create up to 2,000 new jobs.

This means opportunity for non-profits like YouthBuild, a federally funded program that trains low-income greenlivingaz.com

and troubled youth to enter the workforce. Phoenix’s YouthBuild promotes green jobs and strengthens the green industry by offering students extensive training on topics like weatherization and retrofitting buildings.

Harley Armstrong, the YouthBuild program coordinator, says his students have worked with Habitat for Humanity to build the first LEED Platinum certified home in Phoenix.

YouthBuild promotes sustainable practices for economic purposes. Even more importantly, it promotes life skills for the students in the program. “Everything we do is in Phoenix,” Armstrong said. “I want to make sure they do something that has meaning.” Armstrong advocates that his students stay local and support a green economy in Arizona.

In July 2009, Phoenix YouthBuild received a $100,000 grant to incorporate green job training into the Maricopa Skills Center curriculum.

Setbacks of Economic Stagnation Despite the grant’s positive impacts in the private and public sector, setbacks in urban development and the economy may make it difficult to create an eco-friendly Phoenix. Professor Douglas Webster of the Global Institute of Sustainability at ASU, says Phoenix’s economy has stagnated, which has put much of the core’s development on hold.

Webster says that the city needs to create density around the light-rail line for the core to become successful in its endeavors. It has to create what Webster calls “livable

nodes” around the light-rail stations. “Right now you don’t have the economic juice to create density,” Webster said.

A lack of services and a slow economy may have halted development downtown in the past, but now a private $900 million project, the CityScape entertainment complex and ASU’s booming downtown campus have restored a buzz to a once desolate city center.

Webster says downtown has potential to advance a strong urban core, but incentives and services need to be placed in the core to make it convenient for people to live there. CityScape and the ASU community have begun to develop these services as a slew of private business owners have come downtown to cater to students. A huge economic investment in solar energy could fuel these services as well as the economy. “By doing this in the core, you create this package, but the sooner you move into solar economically, the better,” Webster said.

For businesses and property owners like the Rans, this package is the key to success and may be the solution to a new, green, livable city center for Phoenix. Funding remains the primary roadblock to developing proper sustainable habits and green infrastructure.

“We hope that these programs will help to cover the margin between financial feasibility and the inflated price tag of the green brand,” Ran said.

Sources: For information on the Department of Energy grant, visit www.phoenix.gov/greenphoenix.

For information on city weatherization assistance, visit www.phoenix.gov/NSD/index.html.

For information about Youthbuild Phoenix, visit www.phoenix.gov/YOUTH/ythbuild.html

greenlivingaz.com

September 2010 | greenliving az

35

ECO TERMINOLOGY 3R’s: In the world of green, this is standard for Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.

The Three Legs of Sustainability sustainable

Recycle: To collect, reprocess, market and use materials diverted from a solid waste stream.

Repurpose: To take what may otherwise be a waste item and use it for another purpose (e.g., using an empty coffee jar to hold nails).

Gray Water: Wastewater that is collected separately from sewage. It can originate from a clothes washer, bathtub, shower or sink, but not from a kitchen sink, dishwasher, toilet or from storm runoff. Gray water may contain fats, oils, grease, hair, lint, soaps, cleansers, fabric softeners and other chemicals. Gray water can also contain elevated levels of chlorides, sodium, borax and sulfates and have a high pH (alkaline) that may be harmful to some plants.

Black Water: Wastewater from toilets, kitchen sinks and dishwashers. Black water should not be reused in or around the home because of risk of contamination by bacteria, viruses and other pathogens.

Potable water: Water that is suitable for drinking.

Regionally Extracted Materials: Raw material source within a 500-mile radius of a project site.

Regionally Manufactured Materials: Materials that are assembled within 500 miles of project site, not including onsite assembly.

Rapidly renewable materials: Any product that can be regrown within 10 years or less.

Sources: USGBC, AZDEQ, EPA

36 greenliving az | September 2010

l

Heat Island Effect: Hardscape areas that increase residual heat.

For example, the annual mean air temperature of a city with one million people or more can be 1.8–5.4°F (1–3°C) warmer than its surroundings. In the evening, the difference can be as high as 22°F (12°C). Heat islands can affect rural communities that neighbor urban areas by increasing summertime peak energy demand, air conditioning costs, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, heat-related illness, mortality and water quality.

cia

Aquifer: A geological formation, part of a formation or a group of formations that is capable of yielding a significant amount of water to a drinking water well or spring.

so

Groundwater: Water that is under the ground.

environmental

Eco-Friendly: Intended or perceived to have no harmful effect on the natural environment and its inhabitants.

ec on om ic

3P’s (People, Planet, Profit): This is another way of describing sustainability, instead of from a social, environmental or economic aspect, you say that sustainability affects people, planet and profit.

Imagine a three-legged stool.

A balanced seat takes craftsmanship and time to build. The legs represent economic, environmental and social impacts.

To say a company is sustainable or that it is taking sustainable initiatives, begs the question, “What makes it sustainable?” The sustainability factor depends on the company’s goal and what it is trying to accomplish. Is the company balancing on one, two or all three legs?

The three legs that support sustainability: Environmental: This encompasses the preservation and conservation of resources and one’s carbon footprint.

Economic: This can include anything from shopping locally, applying green practices for development, consumption and waste patterns, or energy use.

Social: This comprises our communal space and health. It also includes educating or communicating sustainable ideas and practices.

Our metaphoric sustainability stool could have an additional leg.

There is a spiritual aspect of sustainability, which integrates a holistic approach to local and global problems. It fosters a sense of community and an appreciation for humans, animals and culture.

It will take time to furnish a sustainable world, but at least we’ll have a balanced seat to sit on as we design and add new ecoconscious features to our lives and workspaces.

green panel introducing our Green Panel experts. From home renovation and sustainable initiatives to gardening and wellness, our Green Panel experts have the answers you’re looking for!

Derrick Mains Doreen Pollack Jeff Frost Charlie Popeck Bill Janhonen Katea Revega Sarah McLean Michael Eichenberg Dr. Garry F. Gordon Dr. Serbin Sarah Gullickson Dr. Enrico DiVito Dr. Roberto DiVito

CEO, GreenNurture Owner, Down 2 Earth Gardens LEED AP, A.K.A. Green LEED AP, Green Ideas LEED AP, Environmental Cons.

LEED AP, Environmental Attny.

Director, Sedona Meditation RPSGT, Banner Desert Sleep Ct. MD, DO, MD(H) Veterinarian, Ingleside Animal Hosp.

Founder, SpaFitFinder.com Dentistry and Oral Health Dentistry and Oral Health

send your questions to greenpanel@greenlivingaz.com greenlivingaz.com

Diverse Interests Advocating A More Sustainable Future For 41 years Valley Forward has served as the voice of balance in our region.

Its diverse membership promotes responsible growth, efficient transportation, air and water quality, and energy alternatives in our metroplex.

• Convening Dialogue • Facilitating Education • Building Coalitions • Fostering Regional Cooperation • Making a Difference

JOIN US TODAY www.valleyforward.org 602.240.2408 Our Environmental Legacy – Your Sustainable Future

Textiquette Stop the Rude, Start Building Respect

Influence Your Way to a More Sustainable Workplace

BY ABigAil gilmore

BY DerriCk mAiNS

With more than 270 million cell phone subscribers in the world and more than 2.5 billion text messages sent daily, chances are you have texted at work. If you often find your fingers itching for your phone during a lunch or staff meeting, at your desk, or even in the bathroom, you might be a serial texter.

if your company has not yet addressed sustainability, perhaps now is the time to make some suggestions. There are ways to entice and persuade higher-ups and colleagues to consider your eco-proposal.

As the authors of the book Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive explained, it’s not just what you propose, it’s how you propose it. many of the same persuasion tactics can be applied to influencing colleagues to become more sustainable. Follow these next steps, and you’ll be well on your way to eco-influencing your office: 1. No Fear: People become “paralyzed” when they are informed of impending danger, like a bad reputation or profit loss, and are not offered a concrete vision to prevent or combat it. This can lead to employee resistance or inaction.

2. Plan for the Planet: Before proposing sustainable initiatives to management, consider having a plan of action outlined and ready for use. A delay between introduction and execution will increase the likelihood of barriers.

3. Get Personal: Add a personal touch to your green campaign with a personalized message—preferably handwritten. one study revealed that handwritten instructions on a sticky note generated a 25 percent higher return rate than those without.

4. Predict the Future: Ask the right questions and increase support of your sustainability ideas from colleagues. Plan to ask co-workers to predict whether they will participate in sustainability initiatives and why. Since you are asking them whether they intend to behave in a socially desirable way, they are apt to say yes. People feel compelled to fulfill their commitments—especially if they committed to doing so in front of their peers.

5. Pledge: The simple act of pledging can turn passive commitments into active ones. Setting goals and writing them down engages a person: They have to think about it, talk about it, physically write it down and look at it. These types of commitments have more “staying power” and will increase the longevity of your Corporate Social responsibility (CSr) plan.

6. Be Consistent with Change: There are always one or two in a group that are resistant to change. Be consistent in your message when explaining how sustainability is connected with one’s “preexisting values, beliefs and practices.”

7. Think Micro-sustainability: educate colleagues and decisionmakers that even the smallest efforts can be largely impactful.

Sustainability can be overwhelming to some, so communicate that even a small change in behavior can make a big difference; this approach will have even greater buy-in from fellow employees.

8. Harness Collective Intelligence: No matter your position, results show that the collective intelligence of a group makes a larger impact. Take the opportunity to gather teammates’ ideas for ways to decrease the company’s environmental impact and reduce costs.

9. Have a Genuine Debate: Create a green suggestion box. empowering colleagues to have a voice in sustainability initiatives can increase morale, engagement and profits.

10. Embrace Losing: in your proposal and plan, incorporate the benefits of sustainability and show what the company could potentially stand to lose (profits, savings, employee engagement, company image, etc.).

Guilty as charged?

Check out our quick lesson on textiquette.

• If you’re in a meeting, put the phone down! Not only is it downright rude, it is extremely distracting for others.

Stop and think, “Do I really need to send this message right now?” If it can wait, (which it usually can) you will save yourself the embarrassment of being impolite.

• Although lunch meetings are usually less formal, it is still unacceptable to play with your SmartPhone in the presence of company. There is nothing worse than competing with someone’s cell phone for his or her attention, plus it sends an underlying message that “You, person across from me, are not as important as my texting.”

• To prevent hearing that embarrassing buzzzzz, set your phone to silent, not vibrate, and remember the saying “out of sight, out of mind.” Leaving your cell phone on your desk entices the temptation to text.

• Remember to respect. Even though some employers do not ban texting during work, the issue is more about respecting others than anything else. “It’s important to use good judgment, to avoid seeming disrespectful of others’ time and attention, in how we use text messaging and other types of electronic communications” Jenny Weaver, Public Relations Manager for Verizon Wireless said. “There is certain etiquette to using a wireless phone that I follow that allows me to keep in touch, but not be a distraction to anyone around me.”

A message from the Editor-in-Chief: Mastering and incorporating these textiquette techniques in your daily routine will make you stand out above the cell phone-obsessed crowd, and could influence others. We at Green Living AZ want our readers to be safe. Please do not text and drive. Texting while driving is about six times more likely to cause an accident than driving drunk, and has been outlawed in 30 states. Make a personal pledge to stop texting or emailing while driving, and help save lives!

E-I-C out J

Sources: FTC Chairman Julius genachowski, Neilson mobile Survey

38 greenliving az | September 2010

Derrick mains is the Ceo of greenNurture. mains is also the host of “Your Triple Bottom line,” a national green talk radio show that focuses on the business of sustainability. Have a question for Derrick? Send your questions to greenpanel@greenlivingaz.com and you might see a response in our next issue!

greenlivingaz.com

Building a More Sustainable Future...

Natural Power and Energy is a full service solar integration specialist based in Scottsdale, Arizona. We install turnkey solar systems for our commercial and residential customers, and pride ourselves on doing so with unparalleled commitment, professionalism and sophistication.

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project finance. Solar projects can be highly complex at times, and our technical staff is here to provide you Our mission is to spread solar energy generation throughout Arizona. The company was originally founded with the network, relationships and analysis you need to by three green-minded entrepreneurs with long term and execute solar projects efficiently and professionally. varied public company management experience. As a Support Solar in Arizona! result, Natural Power and Energy is well funded, and We are proud to be one of the many “green” companies grounded in solid, ethical business principles. in Arizona, and hope to help you become one too, through our complete solar installation services and technical Expertise specialist consulting services. We believe Arizona’s We lead the market in our technical expertise and future will be bright if we can become a “Solar State”, continue to invest across the spectrum, including as a large and sustainable solar industry will drive system design optimization, access to multiple solar job creation and economic growth for decades, while technologies, advanced electric bill and rate switching insulating future generations from volatile energy analyses, understanding of evolving financial markets markets. and unique financial analysis tailored specifically to our clients’ needs.

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BY Tishin DonkersleY, M.A.

I’ve driven by it almost daily traveling down Indian School Road on my way to the 101. It’s there, housing some of Scottsdale’s finest first responders. On this particular day, traffic was backed up, which positioned me right in front of Downtown Fire Station No. 2. It’s really the first time I’ve taken time to look at the fire station, eyes wide open and wondrous. The first thing that caught my eye was the tall, projecting steel beam structure where water poured out, following a chain and disappearing down into rocks. That’s not a fountain, what is it? The roof was metal, a rich brown sort of rust color. What about that tall, tower thing? With childlike curiosity, I had to know. I called up the father-son team Lawrence Enyart, FAIA, LEED AP and Lance Enyart, AIA, LEED AP at LEA Architects, LLC and friend John Alvarez, Principal at Sun Eagle Corporation, to learn more about our community building.

Completed in April 2008, the 14,300 square foot station was the first Fire Station in the U.S. to receive LEED Platinum Level certification from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). The architects, Lawrence and Lance Enyart, explained how they integrated the use of natural materials and employed “multi-tasking” methodology for major elements and materials in the building design. For example, each design element helps leverage costs and contributes to the overall building function and provides environmental benefits.

40 greenliving az | September 2010

How did LEA Architects put methodology to practice? The facility utilizes both passive and active solar devices and employs numerous green building principles to maximize sustainability and enhance overall energy performance.

Passive solar utilizes heat from the sun that penetrates through south-facing windows to heat the rooms. The Photo Voltaic Roof collectors, or solar panels, that generate electrical energy provide the active solar element. With all the sun we have in Arizona, natural daylight and views are provided to 95 percent of all occupied spaces.

What I thought was a fountain is really a roof waterharvesting gutter entry feature that captures rainwater and delivers it to interconnected underground cisterns and water piping. This water interacts with gray water from the sinks and showers to provide 100 percent irrigation for all landscape. The rain harvesting arcades contribute to an inviting perforated metal shaded entry design, inspired by the sequence of regional Arizona sandstone. Thus the “designed to rust” rain harvest piping overhead doubles as collector tubing for rainwater and serves as a shading device for the protected north and south entries.

The pervious pavers that line the entrance, courtyard and driveway are made out of recycled components to reduce the intensity of storm water runoff and the heat island effect.

greenlivingaz.com

The weathered steel corten roof not only serves as a lightweight, long lasting roof material, but also absorbs heat in the winter for natural warming of the apparatus bays and allows venting of any waste heat to the exterior to help cool the roof in the summer. A natural convection air stream flows underneath the metal roof of the apparatus bays as a passive design feature, and captures or vents heat depending on the season.

That tall structure is the communications tower, which serves as a water spray cooling tower and a training tower for confined space rescue training. The cooling tower can be re-directed to the multi-use community room or the shared exterior patio.

The flooring in the physical conditioning room was made from 100 percent recycled tires, and flooring for common areas was made of recycled concrete from a local manufacturer, providing a durable finish that creates thermal mass stability. Thermal mass is simply a solid or liquid material that will absorb and store warmth and coolness until they are needed.

architects, contributes in a very positive way to conserving our resources. Its construction required a collaborative commitment and creativity from city leaders to construction companies.

Most recently Scottsdale Fire Station No. 2 was awarded the Greening of America Architectural Design Excellence Award; Arizona Masonry Guild Architectural Design Excellence Award; Architectural Design Excellence Honor Award from FIERO and Fire Rescue Magazine; Citation Award for Design Excellence; Fire Chief magazine Station Style and the City of Scottsdale Environmental Design Excellence Award, 2010.

For more information on Scottsdale Downtown Fire Station No. 2, please visit www.lea-architects.com and www.scottsdaleaz.gov.

Where is our E-I-C going on her next adventure? Find out at www.greenlivingaz.com.

How far did LEA go in their green building design? About 45 percent of the building’s materials were regionally obtained and 77 percent were regionally manufactured.

Cotton batt insulation, made from recycled cotton blue jeans was also used. More than 70 percent of the total value of wood is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certified and 94 percent of construction waste (about 576,000 pounds) was routed to recycling agencies for post-consumer use.

Most job sites of this nature accumulate several tons of waste that often ends up in landfills.

Water harvesting, waste diversion and recycled cotton blue jeans‌ for a fire station? These are examples of how this building, designed by committed, sustainable

Sources: LEA Design Architects: Lawrence Enyart, FAIA, LEED AP and Lance Enyart, AIA, LEED AP; Contractor Principal John Alvarez, Sun Eagle Corporation Photography: Lawrence Enyart, FAIA, LEED AP

greenlivingaz.com

September 2010 | greenliving az

41

Ways to Green Your Office Kitchen

BY HeatHer Fulton

1 Buy food in bulk The next time your office puts in an order for more sugar, creamers, snacks or drinks, buy in bulk. This will reduce packaging waste and shipping emissions, due to less frequent orders.

2 Choose organic Certified organic coffee, tea and sugar are cultivated and processed without toxic chemicals, and are grown and harvested using eco-friendly methods.

3 Ditch the filters Bleached coffee filters are wasteful and unnecessary.

You can still make a great cup of java with a reusable

filter or French press. If you must use a filter, look for unbleached or biodegradable options.

4 Select eco-friendly kitchenware Stock your office kitchen with reusable plates, cutlery, glasses and mugs instead of paper products. Many stores offer kitchenware sets made from recycled or biodegradable materials.

5 encourage employees to bring and use their own canteens Ditching disposable water bottles will not only save your company money and save landfill space, it will reduce the use of fossil fuels and greenhouse gases that result from plastic bottle production.

DiD you know Our campus has 180 bicycles for free use by students, faculty, and visitors.

591 tons of campus trash are recycled each year.

23 million gallons of reclaimed water irrigate campus each year.

Our recreation fields are built to LEED Silver standards and available to students and community members.

Be a part of the solution. To learn more about our courses and programs in sustainablility, visit

nau.edu/green

The Difference that Matters.

NAU is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution/UM_08.10

42 greenliving az | September 2010

greenlivingaz.com

our desert candelabra as a symbol of the american west, the towering saguaro cactus is admittedly iconic, but its enshrinement is largely due to Hollywood stretching the botanical truth.

BY Edward r. ricciuti

Photography by adam rodriguez Location: desert Botanical Gardens

T

his mega cactus graces the landscape of horse operas in settings allegedly from Kansas to California, giving the impression that it is even more geographically ubiquitous than sagebrush. In the real world, while a few outlying saguaros do grow in southeastern California, as far west as the Colorado River, it belongs only to the southwestern quadrant of Arizona, which honors the cactus’s white blossom as its state flower, and the adjacent Mexican state

44 greenliving az | September 2010

of Sonora. There, it extends to the southern regions of the state and west to the Gulf of California.

Whether north or south of the border, the saguaro exists exclusively within precise ecological boundaries of the Sonoran desert. Limited by sub-freezing weather that bars it from the higher elevations of northern Arizona, the saguaro favors rocky or gravelly soils, usually between 2,000 and 4,000 feet in altitude. At greenlivingaz.com

Preservation the northern margins of its range and near its highest altitudinal limits, it grows on south-facing slopes, warmed by the sun and shielded from winter cold. At its southernmost limits, it seeks cooler northern slopes.

In between the extremes, it grows almost anywhere, except in the driest areas, where it follows washes in search of moisture. Saguaros are most dense in places that receive more than eight inches of rain annually. Their westward expansion is curtailed by drier conditions and sporadic rains.

Anchored by a yard-deep taproot, the saguaro gathers water by a system of additional roots, only a few inches deep, that fans out to a circumference as wide as the cactus is high. During a downpour, it can absorb 100 or more gallons of water, swelling the pulpy tissue of the plant by a foot or so in diameter. The trunk, pleated like an accordion, expands to accommodate the extra girth, while its thick, waxy skin restricts water loss. The spines that stud the skin do triple duty. They protect, increase surface for escape of heat and channel rain towards the plant’s base.

Under favorable conditions, belts of saguaros form forests of cacti, their green columns filling ravines and marching up slopes.

Young saguaros, a few feet high, stand among old giants, some reaching 50 feet high and weighing 10 tons. It can take two centuries for a saguaro to reach maximum size. Conceivably, the saguaro you are looking at outside of Tucson may have existed under Spanish, Mexican and American flags. If a saguaro has arms, you can figure it is at least 50 years old, because they usually start branching at a half century.

The saguaro is a keystone plant of the desert, defining it and providing room and board to a host of animals ‘round the clock. During the heat of the summer day, the saguaro forest can be quiet, except perhaps for the scuttling of a lizard. On spring days, the saguaro is the center of activity. Red-tailed hawks build their stick nests on the saguaro arms and Gila woodpeckers and Gilded flickers drill nest holes into the trunks. Sap secreted by the cactus lines the holes, sealing off the exposed pulp from moisture loss. When the hawks depart, great horned owls may use their nests.

Purple Martins and flycatchers often move in when the flickers and woodpeckers leave. So does the sparrow-sized Elf owl, so dependent on the saguaro that their ranges coincide.

As the sunset reddens the sky, shadows march over the slopes and flood the canyons, darkening the green saguaro ranks. The cacti crowning the ridgelines are the last to lose their color, solitary, shadowed sentinels against a fiery sky. And then the spring nightlife begins as Kangaroo rats prance on the sand and, in turn, draw hungry rattlesnakes and Kit foxes.

In the desert dark, from late April to early June, the late show truly begins. It is then that the saguaro’s flowers open, creamy white against the blackness, each one blooming until sunset approaches on the next day. Pollinated by birds such as the White-winged dove and by nectar-feeding Long-nosed bats and insects, the flowers bear fruit with fleshy red pulp enjoyed by mammals ranging from mule deer to peccaries to Pack rats. Humans also harvest the fruit, which has been used since antiquity by the Tohono O’odham. A fruit can contain up to 2,000 seeds, a feast for rodents, quail and doves. The seeds sprout greenlivingaz.com

only if sheltered from the searing heat and fierce winds, a function performed by a so-called “nurse tree,” usually an ironwood, palo verde or mesquite. Some scientists suspect that the caretaker makes the supreme sacrifice, surrendering so much of its nutrients and moisture to the growing cactus that it expires.

Although not officially an endangered species, the saguaro automatically occupies a precarious position as far as survival is concerned. Any species dependent on a very specific environment and found only there fits this description. The greatest threat to the saguaro in the United States, according to the National Park Service, is the “development of new homes in the Tucson area.” Generally, human encroachment upon the saguaro’s desert habitat bodes ill. Encroachment of buffelgrass, an Old World species that was introduced in Arizona starting in 1938 for livestock forage, can also cause problems for the saguaro. Unruly in both appearance and habit, it infests large tracts of the Sonoran Desert. Being partial to the same habitat as saguaros, it has smothered their growth in many areas and, according to the United States Geological Survey, poses a real threat to Sonoran ecosystems and the saguaro in particular.

Buffelgrass thrives in warm climate and is one of the reasons why the Natural Resources Defense Council and Rocky Mountain Climate Organization have identified the national park in the heartland of the saguaro’s range as particularly at risk from warming caused by climate change. The Saguaro National Park outside of Tucson is one of 25 national parks listed as most threatened from global warming.

Be that as it may, the park is arguably the best place for a casual trip into the heart of saguaro country as well as, if the back country is your preference, permit-regulated wilderness hiking.

Covering more than 90,000 acres, the two districts of the park, Rincon Mountain (East) and Tucson Mountain (West), bracket the city of Tucson. Here, one can get a true feeling for the ecology of the saguaro; its preferences for particular slopes and changes in density with altitude are vividly evident. Even the casual visitor has a good chance to see wildlife in the saguaro community. Each district of the park has a visitor center and offers a variety of programs. Except for Christmas Day, the park is open daily from 7 a.m. to sunset, with the centers closing at 5 p.m.

Please visit www.nps.gov/sagu for more information about Saguaro National Park, or send mail for both districts to Saguaro National Park, 3693 South Old Spanish Trail, Tucson, Arizona 85730.

Saguaro National Park district phone numbers: • Rincon Mountain center (520) 733-5153 • Tucson Mountain (520) 733-5158 Saguaros can also be seen in Arizona state parks, including Picacho Peak, Catalina and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.

Ed Ricciuti has covered conservation issues around the globe. His specialties include natural history, environmental and conservation issues, science and law enforcement. He was a curator for the New York Zoological Society, now the Wildlife Conservation Society, and has written more than 80 books.

September 2010 | greenliving az

45

Art & Culture

90 Days Over 100 With temperatures rising above 100 degrees, our friends at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art are keeping it cool with their new 90 Days over 100° exhibition, part of the launch of their new Architecture + Art series.

T

his exhibition is a collaborative effort of Phoenix based architects Atherton | Keener that focuses attention on water’s transformation from a solid to a liquid, while gently addressing concerns about energy use and climate change.

With the help of lighting designer Claudia Kappl, the installation channels sunlight using skylights and artificial light to melt ice, creating a sensory adventure for all. Entering into the gallery from the heat of the harsh desert climate outside, you will experience a stark thermal change. Throughout the exhibit you will be reminded of heat’s effects on our environment. From the crack of shifting ice to the steady trickle of dripping water, the exhibition will both refresh and humble you.

Cy Keener has explained that architects often grapple with “how to mediate the elements.” The materials used in 90 Days Over 100° reflect the architects’ consciousness and conscience regarding natural resources. Wherever possible, elements are maximized and repurposed.

Provided by Lesley Oliver, Marketing and Public Relations Manager, SMoCA

This evocative exhibition will further appreciation of water and challenge the way visitors of all ages perceive the significance of architecture and its relationship to the environment. Join SMoCA on September 16 at 6:30 p.m. for a closing party with the 90 Days Over 100° architects to celebrate the culmination of the project.

46 greenliving az | September 2010

greenlivingaz.com

REJAZZINATING

SEDONA

Red Rocks and Red Hot Jazz...

Sedona Jazz on the Rocks is back with a SIZZLE! 2010 will see the reJAZZination of a great Arizona

Jazz on the Rocks 2010

tradition! The SJOR Annual Fall Festival will be held on

Saturday, October 2, 2010 at Poco Diablo.

“GoinG Green”

S

edona Jazz on the Rocks (SJOR) will launch its first green Sedona Jazz Festival on October 2, 2010.

Sedona Jazz has partnered with organizations like Waste Management and Threads of Connection, which are leading sustainable initiatives to decrease the event’s environmental impact.

Star Simmons, President of Threads of Connection and an SJOR board member, expressed they will push the envelope toward practical improvements within the environment, and that they expect to set many environmental precedents. “Waste Management is handling all of the recycling and cleanup and utilizing new technologies to maximize the collection of reusable materials produced throughout the event,” Simmons said. Eco Aid, a company that provides carbon offsets, will calculate the event’s carbon footprint on the day of the festival. Initiatives will

REJAZZINATING

SEDONA

greenlivingaz.com

include reassessing how SJOR powers the festival, MAYSA ALFREDO DENNIS CRAIG such as requiring foodHOMEMADE and beverage This Jazz/R&B RODRIGUEZ JAMZ BLUES ROWLAND vendors CHAQUICO singer-songwriter’s is an internationis a Grammyleft a rich legacy BAND topowerful incorporate energy-saving food preparation vocals ally renowned, as lead guitarist These amazing kids winning vocalist are known high profile pianist are powerhouse, and recording for Jefferson processes and recyclable containers into their and is worldwide. She who captures the awarding-winning artist, who Starship, first rose to fame energy, essence Blues performers, delivers dynamic now a Grammyas the featured service, as well as biodegradable paper products and exuberance nominated artist with a sound that performances vocalist for of Jazz. whether the genre at the forefront is mature and Incognito. and potentially a solar-powered Kiosks is Jazz, Blues or of will the smooth fully realized! stage.

Motown. jazz market. offer education materials about sustainability for children and adults.

TICKETS go on sale August 8: www.sedonajazz.com

•

928.282.1985

Sedona is a natural beauty of the southwest, and the members of SJOR believe it is critical to preserve it through active environmental stewardship. Their objective is to establish Sedona Jazz on the Rocks as a benchmark for sustainable festivals and help preserve our Earth. Please join them!

Red Rocks and Red Hot Jazz...

Sedona Jazz on the Rocks is back with a SIZZLE! 2010 will see the reJAZZination of a great Arizona

tradition! The SJOR Annual Fall Festival will be held on

Saturday, October 2, 2010 at Poco Diablo.

MAYSA

This Jazz/R&B singer-songwriter’s powerful vocals are known worldwide. She first rose to fame as the featured vocalist for Incognito.

ALFREDO RODRIGUEZ

is an internationally renowned, high profile pianist who captures the energy, essence and exuberance of Jazz.

HOMEMADE JAMZ BLUES BAND

These amazing kids are powerhouse, awarding-winning Blues performers, with a sound that is mature and fully realized!

DENNIS ROWLAND

is a Grammywinning vocalist and recording artist, who delivers dynamic performances whether the genre is Jazz, Blues or Motown.

TICKETS go on sale August 8: www.sedonajazz.com

•

CRAIG CHAQUICO

left a rich legacy as lead guitarist for Jefferson Starship, and is now a Grammynominated artist at the forefront of the smooth jazz market.

928.282.1985

September 2010 | greenliving az

47

RESTAURANTS

Chef James Porter opened Petite Maison in August 2009 with a desire to bring great French bistro dining to the Valley. Using classic techniques and the most seasonal ingredients, Porter presents guests with a menu that is both familiar and special.

He makes daily changes to the days’ dishes and updates the menu seasonally. The Old Town Scottsdale restaurant is indeed “petite,” with just 35 cozy seats inside and 45 al fresco seats surrounding the freestanding building.

Porter strongly believes that supporting local independent restaurants is key to helping the Valley reach its full potential as a culinary haven. As a champion of local farmers, food producers and independently owned businesses, Porter is committed to using his culinary talent and business acumen to help support the community. After hosting more than 1,000 guests in 2008 alone for his acclaimed “Locavore Dinner” series at his former restaurant Tapino Kitchen & Wine Bar, Porter continues to lead Arizona’s local food movement.

Chef Porter received his formal training from the Scottsdale Culinary Institute in 1992, and has continually added to his resume by working at an impressive list of kitchens across the country, including the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa as the Chef de Cuisine, and at the Gables Biltmore Resort in Miami. He held an apprenticeship at the prestigious Greenbrier Resort, where he worked under Irish-born Master Chef Peter Timmons. There, he refined the formal aspects of his profession, and received silver and bronze medals in ACF Culinary Salon.

Petite Maison Chef James Porter French Bistro 7216 E. Shoeman Ln. Scottsdale, AZ 85251 480.991.6887 petitemaisonaz.com

GREAT FOOD • CRAFT BREWED BEER

FINE WINE • ESPRESSO & COFFEE LIVE MUSIC • LOCAL ART

a green cafe

Join Us For Some Fresh Air Dining, Have One of Our Tasty Creations and Enjoy One of Arizona’s Largest Selections of Wine and Craft Brewed Beers

N. C

00

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HOURS Mon. - Thurs. 7:30am -11:00pm Fri. - Sat. 7:30am - 12:00am Sun. 8:00am - 3:00pm we accept all major credit cards

CHECK FOR COMING EVENTS • W W W.RAVENCAFE.COM FOOD Organic, Grass-Fed Beef From Local Lost Cabin Ranch • Sustainable Fish Honolulu Fish Company • Organic Valley Eggs • Local Whipstone Farms Eggs • Organic Salad Greens and Spinach • Horizon Organic Cheddar, Provolone, Mexican and American Cheeses • Local Pangaea Sourdough and Bruscetta Breads • Strauss Yogurt • Muir Glen Canned Tomatoes

48 greenliving az | September 2010

BEVERAGES Horizon Organic Dairy • Silk Soy Milk • Rice Dream Rice Milk • Locally Roasted Organic, Fair-Trade Shade Grown Coffee and Espresso • Swan Sisters & Maya Teas • Organic Lakewood Lemonade • Valley Orange Juice • Knudsen Apple Juice • Organic Monin Flavoring Syrups • All-Natural Blue Sky Cola • Reed’s Ginger Ale & China Cola • Organic Beer & Wines

RECYCLED GOODS Seventh Generation Recycled Paper Towels, Toilet Paper and Napkins • Corn Plastic Cold To Go Cups • Recycled Hot To Go Cups NATURAL CLEANERS Dr. Bronner’s Tea Tree Soap & Iodine Sterilizer • Citrasolve Floor Soap • Seventh Generation Multi-Surface Cleaner & Dish Washing Fluid • Ecover Dish Tablets • Biokleen Surfactant

WASTE Frying Oil Donated To a Local Biodiesel Manufacturer • Glass, Plastic, Tin, Aluminum & Cardboard Recycling By Earth Business • Vegetable Compost Donated To Karma Farm WE SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES AND USE ORGANIC, NATURAL & BIODEGRADABLE PRODUCTS WHENEVER POSSIBLE

greenlivingaz.com

master sustainable landscape techniques Come See Both Only At Your Phoenix Zoo We’ve brought a little piece of Australia right here to Phoenix. Meet some of Australia’s most famous – and – furry residents at our new koala exhibit.

The Desert Botanical Garden’s Desert Landscaper School is in its 14th year training professional landscapers and gardening enthusiasts. Learn about the care of desertadapted plants from Garden horticulturists and industry experts in a hands-on environment. register noW! classes Fill quickly.

• Classes start September 7, 2010 • Program is from September 2010 to May 2011 • Each class meets once a week for 4 hours (Tues., Wed., Fri. or Sat.) • English and Spanish classes offered

Grand Opening October 3

For inFormation please call 480 481.8161 or visit dbg.org/desertlandscaperschool

455 North Galvin Parkway, Phoenix AZ 85008 602.273.1341 | phoenixzoo.org

1201 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix, AZ 85008 480 941.1225 | dbg.org

Look, Listen and Learn

Sustainable living classes and home tours, annual Mesquite Bean Milling, Tour de Coops, Fruit Tree Festival, Permaculture Design Course

The Phoenix Permaculture Guild Mission: To inspire sustainable living through education, community involvement and creative cooperation.

www.phoenixpermaculture.org greenlivingaz.com

September 2010 | greenliving az

49

Books

Stuff. It is the things we buy every day, either to satisfy a need, a desire, an impulse, or to answer some presidential proclamation to keep our economy moving. Every day we fill shopping carts full of stuff. Stuff to play with. Stuff to wear. Stuff to eat. Tons of stuff. But what are we really buying? Where does all of that stuff come from? This is what Annie Leonard, through personal and professional experience, shares with us in her new book The Story of Stuff, a follow-up to her hugely successful video series by the same name.

A definitive wake-up call to consumers, The Story of Stuff sights numerous examples and explores each aspect of a product’s life, from extraction to production, to distribution to consumption and finally disposal. It enlightens the reader about how stuff impacts our planet, our health and our community along the way.

The Story of Stuff A Review Author: Annie Leonard Reviewed by: Jeff Frost, LEED AP

Our economy can not be measured by spending at the expense of everything or everyone else. It is unsustainable to think that it can grow perpetually forever if we do not begin to manage our resources effectively and make smarter choices about the things we make and ultimately buy. We are caught in a take-make-waste cycle that is trashing our planet, and it is about time we start realizing that the stuff we choose impacts far more than just our pocketbooks. I encourage everyone to start this journey of discovery with Annie Leonard’s book, The Story of Stuff. The world we want is out there.

Check out Annie Leonard’s online video series at www.storyofstuff.com.

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Cool Outrageous

6 [Living Bath Mat

1 [Ecosaurus Vegetable-based inks, 100 percent recycled material, and a post-consumer waste content of 50 to 100 percent.

Co-founders Amanda Fier and Juliana Swenson have found a way to create ecofriendly cards and gift wrap with a max cute factor. www.shopecosaurus.com

2 [glow in the dark Bicycle Guaranteed to glow your socks off. The Puma Urban Mobility Bike by Biomega not only folds in half, it absorbs the sunrays during the day and lights up at night.

This invention helps prevent fatal nighttime accidents.

It comes in green or orange.

3 [Cute Bag

7 [ Sheep Poo Paper Fresh from the UK, SheepPooPaper air fresheners offer a really natural alternative to chemical-based products. Don’t worry, everything is completely sterilized, cooked and washed, then mixed with waste paper, rag and textile cut offs.

Check out their line of cards and shirts too! Order online at www.sheeppoopaper.com.

8 [Faucet - Toilet

Keep up with Hollywood stars with these earthhappy bags by Bungalow 360.

Find it locally at Mom Bomb and you too will have to fend off the paparazzi. www. mombomb.com

Seen on HGTV, this toilet-topped sink from SinkPositive offers a simple way to use gray water for your toilet. After you flush, the touch-free faucet will deliver the fresh water and let soapy water drain into the toilet tank for the next flush. To learn more visit www.sinkpositive. com.

5 [Table Topics

4 [Reusies ReUsies™ are a re-usable alternative to sandwich/snack bags. They are 100 percent cotton, lined with leakresistant nylon (BPA, lead and phthalate free) and secured with Velcro® closures. www.reusies.com

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Bring in the outdoors with this Moss Carpet by designer La Chanh Nguyen. Using three types of moss and a foam base, this natural rug can live simply from the water drops from your shower and the humidity in the air. No dirt is required! Learn more about this moss project at www.inventorspot.com.

Did you own any Miami Vice-worthy clothes?

What possession of your partner’s would you like to throw away? For couples, dinner parties, book clubs, slumber parties or girl’s night out, get your party going with these conversations starters.

Find these cubes locally at www.tabletopics.com.

9 [Shroom Stool Designer Shinwei Rhoda Yen designed this biodegradable chair with nature in mind. This seat is embedded with a variety of mushrooms that will grow and feed off the wood when exposed to the elements, eventually biodegrading the chair. Sorry shrooms not for salads. www.designboom.com

Send us your outrageous finds to submissions@greenlivingaz.com

September 2010 | greenliving az

51

Barbeque Chicken and Grape Salad Serves 4 ORANGE DRESSING 1/4 cup mayonnaise or reduced-fat mayonnaise 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar 1 tbsp. orange juice 1/4 tsp. salt SALAD 1 tsp. onion powder 1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. chili powder 1/2 tsp. salt 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts 1 tsp. olive oil 3/4 cup seedless green grape halves 3/4 cup seedless red grape halves 2/3 cup chopped celery 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion 1/4 cup walnut, toasted and chopped

For the Dressing

1

Combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, orange juice and salt in a bowl and mix well.

For the Salad

1 2 3 4 5 6

Preheat oven to 350º Mix the onion powder, paprika, chili powder and salt in a small bowl and sprinkle over the chicken.

Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the chicken in the hot oil for 2 minutes per side or until brown.

Bake for 10 minutes or until the chicken is tender.

Remove the chicken to a bowl and chill, covered, in the refrigerator. Chop into bite-size pieces.

Combine the chicken, grapes, celery and onion in a salad bowl and mix well. Add the dressing and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the walnuts. Add green, if desired.

Lemon Sugar Cookies 1/2 cup of butter (1 stick) 1/4 tsp. salt 3/4 cup sugar + 2 tbsp. for sprinkling 1 egg

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

1 tbsp. lemon zest 1 1/2 tsp. lemon extract 1 1/4 cup flour 1 tsp. baking powder

Recipe courtesy of Urban Cookies Chef Brady Breese.

Preheat oven to 350º In a mixing bowl add butter, sugar, salt, lemon extract and zest; using a paddle attachment or hand mixer, cream for 2-3 minutes until fluffy.

Add egg and mix for 30 seconds. Stop and scrape down the bowl and mix for 15 seconds or until fully incorporated.

Sift the flour and baking powder and add to the wet mixture. Mix for 20 seconds or until flour mixture is well incorporated.

On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, drop the cookie dough with a spoon or use a small ice cream scoop to form 1-1 1/2 inch balls. Make sure you allow room for the cookies to spread.

Use the 2 tbsp. of sugar to sprinkle on the top of the cookie dough.

Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden.

Ciroc Vodka Smash 3 lime wedges 5 to 6 red seedless grapes 1/2 tsp. Agave nectar 1 1/2 oz. Ciroc Vodka 1 1/2 oz. white cranberry juice

1 2 3 4 52 greenliving az | September 2010

Smash limes, grapes and agave together.

Then add vodka and cranberry juice.

Shake once and serve.

To get really fancy, you can top it off with champagne.

Recipe courtesy of Keith Clausen.

Keith has been a mixologist for 14 years and for some of the finest resorts in Arizona.

greenlivingaz.com

Good Deeds Hopi Elementary School kids pose in front of their celebrated school garden. Hopi’s PTA Green Team and student council encourage litterless lunches, family walks to school and bringing reusable canteens.

Photography by Sigrid Velund-Miller

Arcadia High School NAHS held an Agora, or marketplace with goods and food, to sell art projects created in art class and Open Studio classes to raise money for their W.A.T.E.R. (Watch Arcadia Turn Earth Resources) project.

Their mission is to provide everyone on campus a stainless steel water bottle, refit water fountains with water filters and donate to Potters for Peace. The spring event was a huge success bringing in $2,100. This year they hope to raise $8,000.

Photography by Sigrid Velund-Miller

The Recyclesaurus greeted spectators of all ages at the 2010 Keep Phoenix Beautiful Earth Day event at Cesar Chavez Plaza in downtown Phoenix.

Photography courtesy of Keep Phoenix Beautiful What are your Good Deeds?

Submit your story and photos to submissions@greenlivingaz.com.

Green Heros On her way to school, a little girl asked her parents why there was trash on the ground, in the bushes and in the streets. Her parents explained that people litter and it is not a good thing to do. Abbe, 4½ years old at the time, started collecting trash during her walk to and from preschool every day because she “wanted to help.” With her gloves and bag in hand, Abbe, now 5, continues with her contribution to the environment. She says she is “making it a prettier place to live.” Abbe has been an inspiration to her neighborhood and encouraged others to do the same.

Photography by Michael Sandoval

Do you have a Green Hero story?

Send it to us at submissions@greenlivingaz.com.

greenlivingaz.com

September 2010 | greenliving az

53

Green Scenes

City of Scottsdale Green Building Lecture Series September 2 Scottsdale’s Green Initiatives: Urban Sustainability in the Sonoran Desert.

Where: Granite Reef Senior Center 1700 N. Granite Reef Road Appaloosa Library 7377 E. Silverstone Drive When: 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

For more information, visit www.scottsdaleaz.gov/greenbuilding.

Local First September 15 Member Mixer Where: Padres 1044 E. Camelback Rd, Phoenix When: 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

For more information, visit www.localfirst.com.

Valley Forward September 16 EarthFest Educators Night Where: The Phoenix Zoo When: 4 p.m. – 7 p.m.

For more information about Valley Forward events, visit www.valleyforward.org.

GreenStock™ Concert & Expo September 17, 18, 19 Where: Scottsdale Waterfront SouthBridge For more information, visit www.greenstockrock.com.

Desert Botanical Garden September 24 Beer Garden Explore your inner beer connoisseur at Beer Garden, where you can sip, savor and discuss some of the finest craft beers in Arizona and beyond.

When: 6 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Beer Garden Ticket: Members: $50 / General Public: $55 Purchase tickets prior to September 10 and receive $5 off the ticket price.

Order online at dbg.org • Call 480-481-8188 (8 a.m. – 4 p.m., Monday – Friday) • Visit the Admissions Box Office (8 a.m. – 8 p.m. daily) September 25 – November 14 Mariposa Monarca Monarch Butterfly Exhibit Where: Marshall Butterfly Pavilion When: 9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. / Daily / Free for members and children under 3. $3.50 for general public with paid Garden admission.

For more information, visit: www.dgb.org.

54 greenliving az | September 2010

September Events Phoenix Permaculture Guild September 21 Container Gardening – Growing Edibles in Pots Where: REI, Tempe store www.phoenixpermaculture.org/events/event/listUpcoming.

Phoenix Green Chamber September 28 Recycling (Panel Presentation) Topics: Process & costs, Composting, Building Waste Speakers: Ken Singh For more information, visit www.arizonagreenchamber.org.

Sedona Jazz on the Rocks Festival 2010 October 2 Where: Poco Diablo Resort When: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

For more information, visit www.sedonajazz.com.

Valley Forward October 2 30th Annual Environmental Excellence Awards gala Where: The Phoenician When: 5:30 p.m. – 11 p.m.

For more information about Valley Forward events, please visit www.valleyforward.org.

Coming October Breast Cancer Awareness Indoor Air Quality Golf Courses Gone Green What Color Are You Eating?

Marathon Mania

For more Green Scenes go to greenlivingaz.com

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September 2010 | greenliving az

55

Green Personalities

Interview with Mara DeFilippis from Phoenix Green Chamber BY heAtheR fulton

What is the goal of the Phoenix Green Chamber?

Locally, our goal is to fulfill the needs of communities by being a portal of information, resources and connectivity. We do this through our three monthly events, our online directory and resources page, and through collaboration with other organizations. Our members do not only provide green products or services, they cross all industries and follow sustainable business standards. We want to answer questions like, “How do you run a sustainable business?” or “How do you create a sustainable business?”

M A R A

What made you want to start PGCC? It was Earth Day of 2007, and I was a small business partner with a socially responsible investment company.

As my company participated as a vendor in a booth event, many vendors expressed how they would like to connect with one another for referrals and resources. I thought, “This should be here all the time, rather than just one day a year.” It was a thought I couldn’t shake.

I began holding meetings with people to discuss the idea and garner support from a few key people in the community, and we all put it together.

What is the greatest achievement of PGCC so far?

I am most proud of our eco-Standards program which is currently in beta testing. It is a credible tiered program to educate, guide, track and incentivize businesses to “go green” with their internal practices. We have invested well over 10,000 hours in this program, which is scheduled to launch in 2011, and we believe this is our greatest achievement so far. Our volunteers are, by far, our biggest resource.

Do you have any opinions about the growing interest in environmental responsibility that is being fostered in younger generations?

I’m so excited about it! Students are coming out of school excited and hungry. This generation is entering the workforce with expectations about being more responsible with environmental and social issues and how they relate to business responsibility. I think future generations will rise into stronger leadership positions and be aware of the true cost of goods and services.

56 greenliving az | September 2010

What would you like to see the state of Arizona achieve for sustainability and the environment in the next five years?

I’d like to see the state of Arizona welcome the renewable energy sector with incentives to entice businesses to move here. Diversification for our economy is critical. I would also like to see cost effective ways for businesses to recycle.

I think that’s critical.

What are some tips you would give someone on the street about making more environmentally friendly lifestyle choices?

1. Get involved!

2.

3.

4.

Information is at our fingertips. Educate yourself by becoming part of a group that is knowledgeable in this area.

Put a water bottle filled with rocks in the toilet tank. It uses less water every time you flush, and that, in Arizona, is a big deal.

Wash your clothes with cold water.

Wait until your garbage cans are full before you put them out for pick up. Every time a garbage truck stops it releases unnecessary emissions.

Mara’s favorite green hangout spot: D’lish, in Scottsdale and Inside the Bungalow, in Mesa.

Mara’s top 3 tips to consumers: 1. Live as if our lifespan is 500 years.

2. Vote with your dollar - be a conscious consumer.

3. Watch this video www.thestoryofstuff.com.

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