Bees are wonderful little creatures. They are dancing social venomous kamikaze insects that make sweet nectar (sweet sweet nectar). Not only that, they are also depended on to support many of our agriculture systems, so without them we could have a huge food problem. Every year, more than half of the honeybee hives in the United States are taken to …
Trader Joes Red Palm Oil – Is it Good or Bad
Trader Joe’s recently came out with an Organic Red Palm Oil (also known as African Palm Oil), which seems to have replaced their popular Organic Coconut oil, but it poses the question: is this a good thing? Palm oil has been under fire (and rightly so) for some time now because of the association with rainforest destruction, and by association …
Natural Burials and Biodegradable Coffins
A while back I wrote about eco-burials, and it appears that the conversation has been building. Most recently I’ve seen posts from artists coming up with new ideas like the Tree Capsule, the Bios Urn and the Mushroom Burial Suit (below) Many of these concepts have been developed in areas that still prohibit the natural burial of any body. By …
Roses for Valentines Day – Lots of Cash For A Rash
Roses for Valentines Day? Could be an expensive, and toxic gift! Yep, you may be shelling out quite a bit of cash, and ending up with a rash on your sweetie pie. While Valentines Day may bring out more roses than the Rose Parade, it all comes with a price, and not just to buy the long stems and beautiful …
tonlé – Waste Free Ethical Fashion
You may not realize it, but a lot of clothes these days are made in Cambodia. Take a look at your clothing tags, and I’m sure you will find quite a few naming this South East Asian country. With all of those textile factories in such a small country, you are probably wondering what’s the deal? The perfect storm of …
Glenwood Garden Specialty Food Market
The other day I received a wonderful gift box from Glenwood Garden, a social issue focused market carrying local handmade and sustainably produced foods. Kind of like a modern and sustainable alternative to the Hickory Farms style gift baskets, except with small specialty produced artisan foods and goods. My gift box was a delightful collection of California and Bay Area …
Best 8 Bay Area CSA and Produce Delivery Services
Compare California Bay Area CSA and local produce delivery services hand selected from The Chic Ecologist editors. Having actually used these services ourselves, we have had great experiences with the following. Feel free to add your favorites in our comments so we can expand this list! Greenhearts Sourced from their own family farm, or partner farms within the Bay Area, …
Cricket Flour – A Sustainable Protein Source
Whether you are Paleo or just looking for a more sustainable protein source, insects can be the answer. Eating insects to supplement one’s protein is nothing new, many cultures have been doing it for centuries. In fact 80% of the world still eats insects on a regular basis. What makes insects sustainable? Lets answer that by first looking at our …
Your Personal Farmer – Farmscape Gardens
Ever wanted a personal or private garden? If you have the space, they will come… personal farmers that is. Farmscape Gardens is already in Los Angeles, and coming to San Francisco. Creating a personal food garden has never been so easy, even if you don’t have a green thumb, or think you don’t have the space. Farmscape Gardens will come …
A Study in Sustainable Systems – Voices of Transition Documentary Film
Voices of Transition is an inspirational look at problems and solutions to the food security challenges we face as a society. A perspective into a movement from three different angles: agroforestry models in France combining orchards with diverse agricultural fields; permaculture and transition town community initiatives in England; and the abrupt, but necessary, organic farming revolution in Cuba. How can …