Sierra Club Green Home

DEARBORN, MI — Hybrids, EVs and fuel efficient vehicles were all the buzz at the Forward with Ford conference in Dearborn, Michigan this week. And after a fantastic presentation by Ford’s Dan Pierce and actor Ed Begley, we finally got to put them to the test.

I’m sitting in a cafe in Dearborn, Michigan where Ford is hosting a weekend event on sustainability and aging demographics of consumers.

While they could be marketing cars that are gas chuggers and ignoring the demands of the environment, the American auto industry is telling us that they see our rapidly depleting resources and are responding.

SONOMA, CA — In recent years, Infineon Raceway has introduced environmentally friendly practices including recycling, water conservation, and even inviting local farmers to graze 3,000 sheep on the raceway’s grounds and track. Perhaps most important is the installation of more than 1,600 solar panels throughout the Infineon campus. The panels now create 41 percent of the energy used at the raceway.

Forward with Ford really opened my eyes on the philosophy behind America’s biggest car maker. The conference opened with an inspiring speech by Malcolm Gladwell, author of the book “Tipping Point,” in which he traced the evolution of personal empowerment from the 1970s up to now and took this point to demonstrate Ford’s consumer-centric approach.

Faced with the dizzying choice of new cars, all bursting with latest features and slick new gimmicks, how do you choose your next companion?

If like me, you are sensitive to your health and the planet’s, you’ll appreciate the amazing research folks over at Ford have been doing for years. And the best part is, some of the innovations are available today.

Is there a better way to set a trend than with a celebrity as your spokesperson? Better yet, if the celebrity happens to be a pioneer of that very trend? Green living is more than a passing trend, and actor Ed Begley is a living breathing very vocal example of this.

When comes to being environmentally savvy and eco-aware, there are many people out there who talk the talk, but they don’t necessarily walk the walk.

Enter Dorka Keehn’s book, “Eco Amazons”, a book dedicated to 20 women who, as the subtitle on the cover of the book suggests, are “Transforming the World.”

So you’ve decided to use solar window film to shield your and your home from the unforgiving heat. Brilliant! But the thought of putting on your old overalls, and a paint-stained bandana left over from you last big move makes you cringe. I understand, and therefore, present you, my posh reader, with the RollsRoyce Solution to installing solar window film.
In my last post, I discussed solar window films, UV window films, as well as decorative and security window film and the 2 ways of installing them.

Indoor air can be five times more polluted than the air outside. The culprits include smoke, mold, pollen, fungus spores, pet dander, dust mites (actually the feces of dust mites), and even allergen-bearing particles from disintegrated cockroaches!

In a town known more for its carnivorous fare, Wynn Las Vegas is setting a gold standard for healthy, innovative cuisine while promoting sustainability and healthy eating. As part of the early May food and wine festival Vegas Uncork’d, sponsored by Bon Appétit magazine, Wynn Las Vegas/Encore hosted the second annual Viva Las Vegan!