I know that good marketing and advertising is key to selling products, along with Brand and product placement, however yesterday, while shopping with a client at “The Great Indoors” in Scottsdale, I had to take a second and third look at a display that was obviously set up to attract someone looking for “eco” friendly products, which when examined closely, were not anywhere near “eco” friendly except for the word “eco” in the name.

A company selling floor rugs and mats, made in India, touting themselves as having “natural” fibers in the rugs and mats was as close to green washing as anything I have seen lately.

The fibers were not “organic”, recycled, or sustainable. They were simply cotton and jute…period.  Yes, these are natural, not man-made fibers, but to call their product “eco” is purely green bullshit.

Shipping rugs from India is not eco-friendly, nor sustainable, when it comes to transportation costs. The fibers were not organic, recycled, or made from sustainable materials. Cotton takes a ton of water and chemicals to produce, so that is not friendly to the planet, the people or anything else sustainable, it’s just plain old cotton. Yes, it probably gives people in India where the product is made income and a job, but that’s sustainable for India, not the rest of the planet.

So this is where the question comes in… “What is considered green, eco-friendly and sustainable when it comes to products we buy and use???

Well friends, your definition and what you are willing to support, lets the retailers know how far they can push the Shady green stuff or not.

There is no definitive, hard edged, Webster dictionary based definition, for eco-friendly, green, sustainable products, so I guess we all have to decide what we are willing to support.

I myself, do have a list of criteria for what I believe supports eco-friendly, green, and sustainable products and this list is something I refer to when I recommend, purchase or specify materials for my clients.

So here goes: I look for products that have recycled content, organic content, made in the United States or made locally if possible, use the least amount of fossil fuels in the production and transportation of the product, does the factory or manufacturing facility have a mission/vision that I support and believe in and do they walk their talk? Do they give back to their community? Do they run their operation on alternative energy? Do they recycle? How do they ship their products and in what types of containers, wrapping and shipping materials do they use? Do their products off-gas and emit unhealthy toxic stuff, or do they support the occupants who are in the spaces that I work with as a designer?

These are a few of the questions I ask before going forward with purchasing products for myself and my clients.

As you can see, there are many, many shades of green and eco-friendly to consider. So when you are out and about, shopping and making purchases for your home, work environment and life, please ask yourself some of these questions before buying items that require you to pay with your “green dollars.”

Let me know your thoughts and feedback on your experience with buying eco-friendly, green, sustainable products. Have you experienced “green washing” with products you purchased thinking they were really eco-friendly?

“Live consciously and passionately, our planet is the only one with chocolate on it!”…EcoLita

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 Interview with producer/director Khashyar Darvich: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The heat can be brutal this time of year for people and for our pets. We all know that leaving children or pets in our car can be deadly in a short amount of time. We would normally think that the bright sunshine beating down on us and the windows rolled up makes it fatal. However, for one pet owner, the humidity and overcast skies proved to be just as deadly. According to a vet, “the high humidity in the area was especially dangerous. Even if it wasn’t especially hot outside, the humidity could get high enough to create conditions in a car where animals suffocate.”

Please check out the article on heat stroke and how to prevent it on Dr.Jon’s website. The article is by Dr. Debra Primovic. Go to: petplace.com/dogs/heat-stroke/page1.aspx.
Please, please do not allow your pets or children to stay in the car unattended while you are away. Weather conditions beyond the sunshine can be deadly to our loved ones. Namaste.

For a limited time, the indie film “Dalai Lama Renaissance” is playing at the Harkins Valley Arts Center in Tempe, Arizona from Friday, July 18 through Thursday, July 24.  Producer-Director Khashyar Darvich will appear in person for a Q&A at the Friday July 18 screenings, as well as some of the Saturday July 19th screenings.  Screening times are: 12:30, 2:20, 4:10, 6:05 & 8:00 p.m.   Ticket information can be found here: http://www.harkinstheatres.com/

If enough audiences attend the screenings at the Harkins Valley Art Theater during that week, then the Harkins Theaters might schedule ”Dalai Lama Renaissance” in some of their other theaters across the 
Southwestern United States, as well as extend the engagement of “Dalai Lama Renaissance” in Tempe, so please tell your friends and help us fill the theater.  Along with featuring intimate, personal moments with the *Dalai Lama*, the documentary features *Michael Beckwith* (from “*The Secret*”), Quantum Physicists *Fred Alan Wolf *and *Amit Goswami* from “*What the 
Bleep Do We Know*,” Air America radio host and author *Thom Hartmann*, and others.
“Dalai Lama Renaissance is about forty of the world’s most innovative thinkers who travel to India in the Himalayan Mountains to meet with the Dalai Lama to solve many of the world’s problems. What happened was surprising and unexpected. Narrated by actor Harrison Ford.
“Dalai Lama Renaissance” is the official selection of *38 film festivals* around the world, and has won *12 awards*.

Film Critic John Griffin of the Montreal Gazette calls ‘Dalai Lama Renaissance’ “a provocative, even enlightening film… fascinating, ravishingly beautiful and sonically soothing.*”
Amy Wong of LA Yoga Magazine writes: “*it is a stunning tour-de-force [and an] intimate glimpse into the Dalai Lama’s life.*”

You can read reviews of the film, and find other information here: 
www.DalaiLamaFilm.com
For Ticket information, please visit: http://www.harkinstheatres.com/

Theater Name:* *Harkins Valley Art Theater*
*Address of Theater: 505 South Mill Avenue; Tempe, AZ  85281*
*Website:* http://www.harkinstheatres.com/    
*Contact Phone: (480) 222-4275)

Let us know if you saw the movie and what you thought about it. 

One day we were thinking:  What would it be like if everyone on the planet visualized a more compassionate world and practiced small acts of lovingkindness on the same day?  What could we achieve if thousands of people joined in at a time?  Would there be a global shift that brings forth more peace and love?  Are we capable of doing this?  Who would join us?  So, we decided to invite the world.  Our vision is to see a wave of positive change starting now and leading up to September 9, 2009 (09-09-09).  We’re asking you to share your thoughts about how to create a more compassionate, loving world and what you are going to do to make that happen in your own life.  You can blog about it, drop us a video link or send us an Utterz.  Maybe even start a school project and get groups of students to share their ideas.  We all have the power to make a positive difference in each other’s lives.  And who knows –this could be the time when we all get to witness wonderful miracles.  We’ll be sharing our thoughts along the way as well, so please join us.   Namaste.