Entry #56: Removing Space to make Place

I spent a couple of hours at MIT’s Rooftop Garden at Hotel @ MIT and, although I appreciated the fact that there was a rooftop garden (atop a parking lot structure), I was a little disappointed (i.e. very).

It reminded me of tracked housing.

There are two different types of green roofs: The first is meant to be visited, while the other is geared towards lowering temperatures and consist of selecting plants that will accomplish this the most = less play time. If the MIT rooftop is going to be that boring (and very poor layout, btw), they should just convert it to a green roof as opposed to a rooftop garden. But I guess there is aesthetics in eating atop a roof to look at the skyline.

Anyways, this inspiring article in the Long Beach Press Telegram and featured in the New York Times got me super excited.

Don't Mow this 'Lawn': Family Replaces Lakewood Lawn with Fruit, Vegetables.

Highlight:
Stuck in her vegetable patch is this message: "The empty front lawn requiring mowing, watering and weeding previously on this location has been removed."

I absolutely LOVE that someone from my middle school (Go Bancroft!) came up with this and actually put it into action? Amazing! I have hope for our native plant garden in the front yard. We have a well stocked vegetable and rose garden in the back yard already…

Entry #29: Eco-friendly, think twice.

I'm tired of people trying to sell "eco" friendly items and "native" plants to me. It bugs to think that companies are making money off of a movement that is barely beginning (finally!) to take shape in our consuming habits.

I've been thinking about that lofty term, organic, and eco-friendly products. First off, things such as bamboo, soy, etc. as a fiber isn't necessarily eco-friendly. From treehugger, I note,

"Bamboo, for instance, sounds great: it’s a fast-growing plant, not reliant on chemicals, and beautifully drapes the human form. Trouble is, bamboo plantations can displace native forests, and the harvesting and fiber processing are often polluting and unregulated. As with soy, corn, and Tencel (which comes from trees), the processing from plant to fabric is energy and resource intensive." -treehugger.com

So these items should be viewed the same way we view cotton, lyrca, silk, etc. I don't mine the advertising of things made from bamboo, but please don't view it as "eco-friendly" unless there are documented proofs of such (not that there is a definition/regulation for the use of that term).

I think the time is now for environmental organizations to take a stance on such things. Anyways, American Apparel has organic undies on sale for $6.

Japan's seal

EU

Entry #25: Organic Skivvies/ Undies

100% cotton undies are the way to go.. that nylon crap, although may be cute, is not good for the bod or ecosystem. I'm such an underwear fanatic (I buy sets biweekly or slightly more)... but recently I've been on the hunt for organic undies...and can't seem to find a really good one. BOO.



(that's the best I can find) Someone send me to a proper website for organic undies that make me go Ooo!