Post Script

Sharing is the new black (and it keeps you in the black)

"Neither a borrower nor a lender be..." 

So said the Polonius to his son, Laertes. Yes, that's Hamlet. Yes, we paid attention in English class. Well, Polonius met an unpleasant end and we have to add insult to (fatal) injury by disagreeing with the old man. Borrowing and lending is cool. It's the way to go. It's the ultimate in green. Reduce, reuse and recycle can be summed up in one word: SHARE.

We're not alone in this assessment. First, there was the Zipcar. Then various bicycle sharing programs popped up in cities around the globe. All of a sudden, the sharing of a car or a bike isn't something you only encounter on a kibbutz in Israel during your college-days gap year; it's something you can do now in New York City, or even Milwaukee.

Some websites connect you to smaller products that you can rent, like a snowblower or maybe a power washer. Enter Rentalic, where you are invited to be more green and less materialistic. Why have a garage full of expensive tools you rarely use? Why, indeed.

But now some websites are taking it a step further - a step away from commerce. For this, we turn to Thingloop, with its slogan: "Save money. Save the planet. Borrow." 

The site launched in March and claims to have $9,886 of items in circulation, being lent and borrowed between strangers. Quite simply, you go on-line, create an account and connect with neighbors who have the tools or products you need to borrow - and they can borrow from you, too.

With all due respect to poor, dead Polonius... this seems like a good idea.

Saving the world, one app at a time

Too busy to volunteer? Too broke to donate? Frustrated about that? Well, this fascinating read points us to smart phone apps that help us make a difference in the world just by using our social media savvy for good. Hurray for social innovation!

You can earn karma points that morph into charitable donations, you can catalog animal rights abuses or even help government agencies reach survivors of atrocities in far-flung war zones.

This truly made our day. Via American Express Open Forum.

Diapers that you can compost!

It has been a while since any of the Exchange staff needed to buy diapers, but a new niece or nephew is on the way for one of us, and the chatter from the mom-to-be is all about diapers these days. She wants to switch to cloth ones in an attempt to be kind to that other mom - Mother Nature.

She's not alone; many socially conscious parents have made the switch or at least debated the pros and cons. Traditional disposable diapers are landfill-bound nightmares; the cloth ones can cause baby discomfort, and is all that washing in boiling water any better for the planet? We think not.

So we were delighted to find this option: The biodegradable, compost-friendly diaper insert that snaps into a cloth cover. Baby shower gift? Sorted :) 

PS. We sometimes stock them at Outpost in Bay View. Call ahead! (414) 755-3202.

Best of the week in green

Treehugger offers this wrap-up of the week's photos and news when it comes to things green.

Happy weekend, everyone.

This eco-documentary is guaranteed a solid soundtrack

 When you take a subject as serious as climate change, it helps to imbue the message with grace, humor and whatever else you can find to make it pleasant and hopeful. You can't do much better than having mellow musician Jack Johnson provide your soundtrack for you.

"1% For The Planet" is a documentary film introducing us to the people who donate one percent of their business profits to environmental non profits, via the "1% For The Planet" organization. Johnson is just one of them, sharing funds from record sales for a better world. One percent of Jack is indeed an amazing thing.

No word yet on when the film will be released, but we can follow the one-percenters on their blog, on Twitter and on Facebook.

EPA posts photo archives on Flickr

The Environmental Protection Agency has a new Flickr collection you don't want to miss.

The sets contain archives from the 1971-1977 "Documerica Project," which involved freelance photographers capturing images relating to environmental problems, EPA actions and daily life at the time.

According to the Flickr page, more than 15,000 photographs were made digital by the U.S. National Archives and made available for the EPA's online catalog.

Lights out for Earth Hour!

Sign up, spread the word, and switch your lights off at 8:30 p.m. local time, Saturday March 27 for Earth Hour.

What is it? In their own words: "Hundreds of millions of people around the world will come together to call for action on climate change by doing something quite simple -- turning off their lights for one hour. The movement symbolizes that by working together each of us can make a positive impact in this fight, protecting our future and that of future generations."

Last year, Mayor Tom Barrett turned the lights off at City Hall so that Milwaukee participated in a truly global event. The Earth Hour web site features video footage and photographs of darkened landmark buildings in cities all over the world. When you sign up, you add your name or your organization's name to the interactive map.

The Earth Hour organizers are appealing to all of us to get involved -- host Earth Hour events, create buzz via social media, upload photos and videos and generally just get the word out. Schools, businesses, local government and individuals are asked to take part. Earth Hour makes it easy by providing toolkits. Over to you!

 

Aw ... our kind of people!

Organic Nation is a place where sumptuous photography and interesting blog posts dwell in perfect harmony, and we like it there. Come, see ...

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.

Just don't tell our staff nutritionist ...

At Outpost, we have our very own nutritionist, Judy Mayer, who guides owners, customers and staffers through our stores, gently revealing the yays and nays of healthy eating. And of course, there is her Simply Health column every month in the Exchange. Judy does not like it when we eat bad things, or at least too much of a bad thing. And Judy is no fan of too much salt.

So she will probably shake her finger at us for this post. Even the title of this gorgeous, indulgent, recipe-filled, sumptuous foodie blog will make Judy cross: It's called Not Without Salt.

*ducks*

But check it out if you're looking for a last-minute delicious dish for the holidays. Poached pears anyone?