Post Script

Will Allen takes message to Seattle

Growing Power's Facebook page has updates and links about Will Allen's recent trip to Seattle. Allen was there to answer questions about Growing Power and the urban agriculture model. Seattle mayor Mike McGinn has declared 2010 The Year of Urban Agriculture.

Photo of Growing Power's greenhouse produce, by Liz Setterfield.

No more money down the drain

What if the water running down the drain from your bathroom sink was diverted to the toilet cistern and used for flushing?

Funny how obvious it seems, now that someone thought of it.

Via @jakedavidrohde, Twitter.

UWM's French Film Fest features food flick

The alliteration in that title was unintentional, we promise.

The UWM French Film Fest begins today, and the calendar reveals a foodie film that seems hard to resist. Nos Enfants Nous Accuseront (Food Beware: The French Organic Revolution) will air at 7 p.m., Wednesday Feb. 10th and Saturday Feb. 13th, at the UWM Union Theatre, 2200 E. Kenwood Blvd.

From the UWM web site, a synopsis: Food Beware begins with a visit to a small village in France, where the town's mayor has decided to make the school lunch menu organic and locally grown. It then talks to a wide variety of people with differing perspectives to find common ground - children, parents, teachers, health care workers, farmers, elected officials, scientists, researchers and the victims of illnesses. Revealed in these moving and often surprising conversations are the abuses of the food industry, the competing interests of agribusiness and public health, the challenges and rewards of safe food production, and the practical solutions that we can all take part in. Food Beware is food for thought - and a blueprint for a growing revolution.

For the film festival calendar, click here.

Interview with an ethical butcher

Some people are surprised that Outpost sells meat; the perception of some is that Outpost employees and owners are all vegan or vegetarian. That's simply not so; Outpost caters to meat-eating shoppers, but with a careful view to offering grass-fed and humanely-raised, antibiotic-free meat.

That's why we found this an interesting read: GOOD Magazine interviews "the ethical butcher" who "saw that he could address the toxicity of the meat industry by changing it rather than just avoiding it."

Chicago taxi fleet goes green

Milwaukee has its charms a-plenty, but we always enjoyed that a really big city fix is a mere 90 minutes away in Chicago. Now there's another reason to enjoy a day in Chi-Town; the city's Yellow Group taxi fleet is soon adding 100 green cabs. 

The cars will run on compressed natural gas, with two fueling stations that will also be open to the public.

Full story at Inhabitat.

Whitefish Bay going greener

Last fall, we blogged about a new organic baby boutique opening on-line, created and owned by a Whitefish Bay mom.Bella & Boo was born out of necessity, since Kate Agarwal's youngest child had allergic skin reactions to the chemicals in conventional baby clothing. Once she figured out what the problem was, Agarwal felt compelled to help other families and so launched her site.

 Now, there's another e-boutique in town, also launched in Whitefish Bay, also selling organic ware. Is there something in the bay's water? The Basic Shop offers organic cottons, natural candles, soaps, reusable totes and more.

The iPad's green features

Over the past year, there has been much debate about e-readers vs books. Which is greener? Books may be made from a sustainable, renewable and recyclable material, but just think of the energy required to make and ship them. The e-reader, on the other hand, is a device that may not be so friendly in the landfill, and who are we kidding? No e-reader is going to last as long as a paper volume; we're going to upgrade and replace them constantly.

So the new iPad seems to be good news. According to Mother Nature Network: "It looks like the iPad will have some greener features, namely that the energy-efficient LED-backlit displays will be free of arsenic, mercury, PVC and BFR (brominated flame retardant) as well as being 'highly recyclable,' which I assume to mean that it's built to be easily taken apart at the end of its life." 

We're wondering what book stores will look like in a few years? We picture a space filled with the obligatory coffee and tea counter, e-reader rentals and download stations and a selection of gorgeous old-fashioned (paper) coffee table books. The Apple store meets Barnes and Noble. Let's hope the local, independent booksellers adapt and survive.

Reminder: Green Fair at MAM this weekend

If you're looking for something worthwhile to do this Saturday, head over to the art museum for the green fair. Sustainable retailers such as Olive, Chartreuse, Outpost, Rishi Tea, Future Green and many more will be on hand to tempt you with their lovely fare. 

If you're interested in learning a little, head into the Lubar Audtorium at 1 p.m. for a 2-hr presentation on all things green. James Godsil will talk about food, Alderman Nik Kovac will tell you how your votes can makes a difference, and Cedarburg architects Kubala Washatko will give insight into green building issues.

Outside on the lakefront lawn, artist Hongtao Zhou will craft furniture from snow and ice.

Saturday, January 30th, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Outpost profiled in green bizz/design mag

Outpost gets a nice mention in the Jan/Feb 2010 issue of the Green Business Quarterly. Kudos!

Swanky London store goes Outpost-style

Outpost has been doing this for 40 years this April ... and now it's cool. (But we're not bragging). Via GOOD.