GREEN PACKAGING

Smart Planet featured on front cover of Packaging World with article inside:



Earthboard packaging from SmartPlanet selected by Hugo Naturals

GREEN TRANSPORTATION

Vectrix Electric scooters:
The Vectrix ZEV (zero-emissions vehicle) is the only highway legal, fully electric, zero-emissions vehicle for sale in the USA. Through the scooter's sleek, sporty design, it has been proven attractive to the green set and to individuals seeking a practical, fuel efficient way to zip around town.

Dec. 20, 2009 - Leonardo DiCaprio Riding a Vectrix, the first completely green, fully electric, highway-legal scooter available in the United States:



GREEN FASHION

Hala Bahmet and Amadea West, designers and founders of Viridis Luxe:
These designers are pioneers of the eco-chic movement. Their buzzed about line, Viridis Luxe, incorporates sustainable fibers such as hemp, bamboo, and organic cotton into their classically chic clothing. With a huge celebrity following that includes Julia Roberts, Scarlett Johansson, Uma Thurman, and Sheryl Crowe, Hala and Amadea are making green fashionable and chic.

GREEN TRAVEL

Santa Fe Convention Center Given LEED Gold Certification
December 15, 2009 - Santa Fe's new convention center, which opened in late summer of 2008, was just awarded a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certification, confirming Santa Fe's commitment to environmental responsibility and the merit of the center's design, construction, and operation. The rigorous process began with the design competition in 2005 and continued through the new center's first year of operation as data was gathered and processed. While the new building was designed to a LEED silver standard, the resulting quality of construction and operation warranted the higher gold designation.

Sandy and Chip Cunningham, owners of Uncharted Outposts:
Sandy and Chip Cunningham, owners of responsible tour operator Uncharted Outposts, are dedicated to environmentally friendly and socially conscious travel. The luxury travel company books custom trips to Africa, Australia, and South America. They only partner with camps that embrace eco-building and sustainable tourism practices that benefit and empower the surrounding local communities. There are remarkable projects underway to spearhead education and scholarship programs and more and more wildlife initiatives under way that protect these fragile, natural wilderness areas for future generations.

GREEN FILMMAKING

New Mexico State Film Office:
The New Mexico State Film Office has initiated a Green Filmmaking program in order to promote environmentally sustainable film and TV production. This includes the use of alternative fuels to power generators and set transport vehicles; renewable and recyclable construction materials; waste and toxin reduction; noise reduction, and other measures to minimize environmental impacts of production.

"Promoting the film industry is a good, clean way that we have created hundreds of jobs in New Mexico," said Governor Bill Richardson. "However, any business can find ways to be better and I know the film industry will rise to this challenge. New Mexico is a national leader in renewable energy and natural resource protection as well as an emerging center of media production. Merging these two initiatives is a natural way to promote awareness and innovative use of environmentally-friendly technologies."

A "Green Filmmaking" working group will be convened by the New Mexico Film Office in the coming weeks to explore ways to educate producers and encourage environmentally friendly practices.

"The industry is known for its use of progressive technologies and production techniques," said Eric Witt, Governor Richardson's Director of Media and Entertainment Development. "Given increased public concern over conditions of global warming and the environment, it makes sense to walk the talk in the area of environmentally-sensitive procedures. Plus, in areas such as waste and toxin reduction and the use of recyclable construction materials, it may actually lower the cost of production."

New Mexico Film Union Publishes Green Film Making Guide
Dec. 12, 2009 – IATSE Local 480, the film technicians union for the state of NM have just received “Green Filmmaking Reduce… Reuse… Recycle…Repeat.”

This guide offers tips and techniques to working crew on the latest green practices in the film industry. Local 480 members Peter and Cheryl Clarson wrote this book as a guide that should be in every set truck, and glove box, on every movie shot in NM. The book was produced by Jon Hendry, Local 480’s Business Agent.

GREEN SPA & RESTAURANT

Sunrise Springs Resort Spa, Santa Fe NM:
Under the guidance of general manager Tracy Pikhart Ritter (former executive chef at the Golden Door in southern California) the award-winning Blue Heron Restaurant offers a menu that includes plant varieties that thrive in this high-desert environment, with the gardens providing heirloom ingredients for its natural and organic cuisine. (The restaurant stopped using trans fats years ago).

Even the restaurant's wine list is organic and certified biodynamic. Biodynamic wines rely exclusively on the grape itself for their flavor. To meet this certification, winemakers are prohibited from adding yeast, enzymes or tannins. Certification standards also forbid oaking and chappalization to manipulate acid and sugar levels.

Organic matter from the restaurant kitchen is composted, helping to enrich the gardens. Virtually everything else used at Sunrise Springs is recycled, including the water.

The buildings themselves are in many cases constructed of adobe, reclaimed wood and straw. Guest rooms feature locally made organic amenities, pressure-reducing showerheads, energy saving light bulbs and eco-friendly paint. The fireplaces in public areas and the restaurant are constructed to minimize smoke and burn firewood gathered from around the property.

Naturally, the resort's Spa Samadhi features organic treatments, made from herbs grown on the property. Meanwhile, the entire property represents a commitment to environmental stewardship as part of a vision for peace. Drought-tolerant native grasses and plants are used in the landscaping, which provides abundant habitat for birds and butterflies. The swimming pool is chlorine-free.

GREEN ENERGY: ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

S. David Freeman, author of Winning Our Energy Independence:
S. David Freeman was appointed was appointed to the Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and confirmed by Los Angeles City Council on September 9, 2005.

Freeman has won awards from the Los Angeles Coalition for Clean Air, National Wildlife Association and Global Green for his devotion to clean air, clean water, and renewable energy. He negotiated the settlement of the decades-long dispute over the dust pollution from the Owens (Dry) Lake, resulting in the restoration effort that has created a bird sanctuary and cleaner air for that pristine area.

GREEN HOTEL

Shangri-La Hotel, Santa Monica, CA



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