Monday, I went down to Lake Merritt in Oakland to take pictures of plastic litter for my book. Â I’m happy to report that I didn’t see much overflowing trash, plastic or otherwise; but I did see some. And I snapped a few pix. On my way back to the car, I knelt down to the […]
A week or so ago, I asked you to leave a comment about one thing you feel guilty about — an eco-confession — to enter a surprise giveaway. The prize is a copy of Franke James’s illustrated book, Bothered by My Green Conscience: How an SUV-driving, imported-strawberry-eating urban dweller can go green. But I asked […]
It would be easy for me to feel self-righteous about my decision not to breed. According to many thinkers, population is the number one factor driving such problems as global climate change, pollution, and hunger. And children born and raised in affluent nations have a significantly higher impact on the planet than those born to […]
February 2011 has been a wicked bitch, to put it bluntly. I spent most of this month in bed, sick as a dog.  Then finally, with my own good health just around the corner, I got the phone call that my mom had finally passed away. She died at home last week, surrounded by most […]
2010 wasn’t just another plastic-free year. True, I cut my plastic waste to 2.18 pounds (60% of last year’s total and only 2% of the national average.) But the year was really about facing another kind of challenge, one that is more personally fraught than the decision of whether to buy coffee in a disposable […]
Invite me to your party. I’ll be the one who heads straight into your kitchen, opens the cupboard, and takes out a glass to use instead of plastic. I’ll rummage through your drawers for reusable silverware. Or I’ll take out the little bamboo set I carry in my purse. Your guests will find me charming. […]
Finally! The videos from the TEDx conference in L.A. last month have been posted.  Here is my talk on living la vida sin plástico, as well as links to/descriptions of all the speakers and performers that day. Learn how plastic affects people across the globe, animals on land and sea, and what individuals, businesses, and […]
Pot roast and pork chops and fried chicken aren’t so very comforting after you stare into the eyes of the animal. I didn’t need to visit the Farm Sanctuary to realize I had to stop eating animals; I gave up meat after reading a book. But being with the animals — touching them, smelling them, […]
Once upon a time, I was obsessed with Madonna. Okay, bear with me. At first glance, this post will seem to have nothing to do with plastic or the environment or anything I normally write about on this blog. But read on. Connections will be made. Oh yes, they will be made. So anyway, I […]
Probably. I visited a plastic bag factory this past weekend. I took a lot of pictures and asked a lot of questions, and I’ll write more about what I learned in a future post. But I just had to share this tidbit of information right away: most plastic bags (and other plastics, for that matter) […]