the official grace & cello blog

hey, everyone … check out simran sethi on the sundance channel’s new eco-programming wearing some grace & cello! that top is our bamboo/organic cotton blend, and her pants are our 100% organic cotton twill capris.

c.

it is becoming clear that the bottled water industry is a cash cow for the big corporations (such as coke, nestlé and pepsi) that has incredibly negative consequences for our watersheds and rural communities.

here is one example of how this corporate criminality plays out. McCloud is facing nestlé’s ruthless, powerful machinations and to date it seems corporate greed is in the lead. while this is one example, there are many across the globe. coca-cola’s utter disregard for water rights and community well-being in india is another powerful example of the irresponsibility of these companies.

read this article, and make a concerted effort to stop buying bottled water. the social and environmental consequences of bottled water are too severe to ignore. and if you don’t believe me, ask david suzuki !

c.

i’ve never picked up vegnews before, but their current issue has a little piece on the world’s best examples of eco-cities … something i couldn’t pass up. it is clear that some of these cities are very far from being eco-cities (i.e., chicago and toronto), but the piece does a nice job of explaining how all of the cities on their list have made commitments and strides towards planning for sustainability.

i thought maybe i would post one of their cities everyday or so, and see if i could find a few more details to flesh out the argument. the first city they list is amsterdam, which as vegnews states: 37% of amsterdam residents commute by bike to work, and the city spends about $40 million per year on cycling infrastructure alone. if any of you know montreal, i’d be surprised if they spend $40 per year on cycling infrastructure! (just kidding, montreal boasts some good examples of dedicated bike lanes, but you can never find anything to lock your bike to … ).

amsterdam has also reduced half the parking spaces available for cars, and speed limits have been lowered in many places to 30 km/h (18mph). some other impressive eco-initiatives undertaken by the city include: a recycling program that includes clothing and shoes, as well as chemical waste; and, to deter unnecessary consumerism, residents that buy a new electrical appliance are charged a fee to remove the old one.

if anyone has some more leads on how truly ‘green’ amsterdam is, pass them on. here is a website that shows some of the options for amsterdamians looking to get a little sustainability going on in their life.

hey, why not listen to the greatest explorers in the world? it’s helping me wake up into my new week!

c.

whether you love or hate him (or really don’t care either way), you should check out this excerpt from al gore’s new book. the discussion focuses on politics, democracy, reason and how the internet could be the perfect tool for resuscitating all that we’ve lost along the way (in our image obsessed society).

c. 

hi all …. just wanted to pass on a great interview with sherry boschert that i stumbled across on KEXP (out of seattle). the other day i was ranting a little bit about how i think hybrids are not our ideal vehicule to sustainability, since they allow us to ignore some big issues related to being a car culture (like the need for roads (which fragment habitats and introduce pests and parasites into new areas), the fragmenting of communities, the unhealthy pace and our diminishing quality of life due to daily commutes, the killing of tens of thousands of animals every year along our roadsides, etc. … ).

despite my belief that sustainability will require a more substantial re-thinking of our transportation systems, culminating in a drastic reduction of cars and trucks in cities (and later between cities), i do think hybrids and electric hybrids represent an important stepping stone. this interview will answer all of your questions regarding electric cars (like why don’t we have electric cars on the road, are they reliable, how do they work, what is better: bio-diesel or plugging in?) …

i swore years ago that i would never buy a car that ran on gasoline, and it seems there is a strong coalition of both right- and left-leaning americans who are getting together to tell the automobile industry the same thing … namely, if it doesn’t plug in to juice up, we ain’t buying it! visit plug in america to learn more. 

c.

all i am getting at is: there is an incredible amount of corporate interest in everything environmental at this moment. the clearest signs that eco is a hot topic can be seen in the interest given by both wal-mart and the conservative party of canada to environmental issues. if these two bastions of eco-apathy have actually turned an ear towards the environmental vote (and they both have in concerted, determined jests), then it is clear there is something to be gained by listening to all (or at least some of) these greens.

but as i’ve suggested earlier, i think it is important that we keep an eye on how our interests as a society are being received and utilized by private interests (i.e., wal-mart and the conservative party of canada). sabina brought a great article to the front stoop a couple of days ago regarding recycline’s decision to sell their recyled plastic toothbrushes in wal-mart. there are many committed eco-folk out there who think that such a decision is a form of selling out - the argument being that such an immoral company could never be an ethical choice. i think the article does a good job of explaining how perhaps shady companies such as wal-mart can be used to do good, without them even knowing it.

the point being, i think it is important that those who are most committed to living in greater harmony with the environment (such as the team at grace & cello and all their friends, peers and acquaintances) should keep vigilant regarding some of these issues. organics in big supermarkets: good or bad? eco-products at wal-mart: worthwhile? how about the big question: can we truly make meaningful environmental improvements through ‘green consumption’?

if you have any articles that touch on some of these sorts of questions, please pass them along. there is so much being written out there right now, it is impossible to keep up. but i want to, and i think having a space for clear thinking around these questions is key to moving our society forward in terms of sustainability. so, if you read something thought-provoking please bring it here to share!

thanks!

c.  

hey all, if you’re home around 9am (eastern time) on may 23rd, you’ll have a chance to see grace & cello on international television! some of our tops are slated to make an appearance with other eco-designs on the morning show with mike & juliet. tell one, tell all!

c.

gary paul nabhan is a great writer. i mean, if you like traditional cultures, food, nature, vegetables, pollinators, raising kids … stuff like that.

he is an ethnobotantist that shares stories, often hundreds of years old but set in a contemporary telling, about the birds, animals, plants, humans and cultures that dot the globe. his special focus is on the deserts of north america. he talks about obscure but fundamental wonders such as pollination, art, mischief, and clear and systematic thinking. he has also dared suggest that humans belong in nature, and in fact have never left it, and that those who live ‘in’ their place, as cultures of a particular habitat, don’t detract from their area’s biodiversity but contribute to it, making their environment not less but more diverse.

what is the most beautiful about his writing is how simply and skillfully he tells stories, and how knowing them leaves you feeling that your life is richer. for those who wish they knew more about ‘the environment’, gary paul nabhan provides insights in the form of warm conversation that i guarantee will put you on a level sturdy enough to discuss almost all big ecological issues with any biologist you’d happen to come across (although, unfortunately i’m not sure most biologists are as savvy and insightful as mr. nabhan, since most biologists don’t ‘get’ people, and don’t even ‘get’ the need to get people … ).

check out this list of his books to see for yourself that his topics covered are impressive … there is undoubtedly something for everyone. as a special note, i would say that for parents wondering how to bring nature into their childrens’ lives in a meaningful way, ‘geography of childhood’ is a great read. and, ‘cultures of habitat’ and ‘the desert smells like rain’ (with the latter being the shortest, quickest read) are good examples of his overall take on culture and nature. there are many i haven’t read, but i’d recommend any of them wholeheartedly. his most recent books on local food seem like must reads, since the next big important environmental fight (other than, but related to, climate change) will be to push for local food and products, especially as big corporate giants like wal-mart, loblaws, and safeway continue to chisle away at gains made by the organic movement.

the true sign for me that mr. nabhan has a special way of seeing and understanding the world comes from his own lifestory, which he draws upon often in ‘cultures of habitat’. art class and colour-blindness led him to science, a broke down ship and too much spare time spent walking through ecuadorian markets marvelling at the incredible diversity of fruits and vegetables led him to ethnobotany. long and fascinating story made short: he’s spent the greatest part of his life studying how culture can fit into place, and shape it, and how place can do the same to culture.

c.

hey everybody (if anyone is even there!) … sorry to keep to pushing music on you, but i have been enjoying great lake swimmers lately, and today cinched the deal: i am just getting over an incredibly brutal spring flu (came on friday, blew me to smithereens on saturday, and is 90% gone today).

sitting in my little work-a-day chair, feeling confident yet still vulnerable (having thought of course that i was a goner only a day earlier), looking out the window dreamily at how springily everything is looking … anyway, admist all this emotion i put on the few tracks posted on cbc radio 3 and i realized this band is wonderful, and should be shared. in fact, i’ve decided to go buy their cds just to let them know i appreciate all they’ve done for me! you should too!

: )

c.