Thanks to Modern Eco Homes, where this blog entry by Katie Nielsen originally came from, and they reached out to us, wanting to share their findings and learn from yours. Enjoy, and please share your eco holiday finds below in the comments

In 1621, the pilgrims at Plymouth celebrated the ending of a successful growing season with a harvest feast, an event that is generally considered the “First Thanksgiving.” They were joined by several Native Americans who had taught the pilgrims how to harvest foods and survive the harsh winter. The feast included foods locally grown and produced by the pilgrims such as duck, lobster, swan, native berries, boiled pumpkin, squash and a variety of other vegetables.

Jean Leon Gerome Ferris’s iconic painting depicts the first Thanksgiving celebration.

Today’s modern Thanksgiving celebration is a far cry from that first harvest feast where the settlers farmed, hunted, and gathered everything they consumed. Today’s traditional feast is a far more industrialized affair, comprised of pre-packaged foods that likely travel hundreds of miles before it ends up on your table.  In fact, it’s estimated that most of the foods consumed in the U.S. travel more than 1500 miles before being sold to consumers. The ability to shop a season-less global food market may be convenient but our incessant appetites and rapidly expanding food chain is taking its (hefty) toll on the environment primarily because of the immense transportation impacts. We have long forgotten what it’s like to eat as prescribed by Mother Nature, as those very first settlers did.

That’s why this year we’re challenging you to a 100-mile eco Thanksgiving! The traditional holiday for giving thanks presents the perfect opportunity to get back in touch with the original roots of the harvest celebration and make your meal local. That means everything you use to prepare your feast should originate within…you guessed it, 100 miles!

For some, preparing such a feast solely from local ingredients may sound daunting but pulling off a 100-mile Thanksgiving is far easier than you think; you just have to know where to look.

Find a Local Bird

The Turkey

Believe it or not, the traditional Thanksgiving bird is raised in most of the lower 48 states, which means most of us can find a local turkey from a farm within 100 miles. Check out Heritage Foods USA or Local Harvest’s Turkey Search.

Use Locally Grown Produce

Locally-Grown Produce

If you live in New England or Washington, delicious, juicy apples can be purchased from a local apple farm. You can find fresh potatoes if you happen to live in Idaho or leafy greens (think lettuce, arugula, cabbage, etc.) in New Mexico and citrus fruits in Arizona and Florida. Research local produce that’s available near you and incorporate it into your meal. The Natural Resources Defense Council offers an Eat Local search, where you can determine what’s fresh near you depending on the season.

Dairy Products

From milk to cheese and ice cream to top the pie, dairy products can be found at local dairy farms located in most states. Not sure what farms are within 100 miles of you? There are a handful of national dairy chains (such as Winder Farms) or you can contact your local dairy council who can refer you to farms in your area.

The Booze

Wine that perfectly complements dark turkey meat will be easy to find if you’re within 100 miles of Napa Valley. For the rest of us, getting our hands on local spirits may be a bit more challenging but certainly not impossible. DrinkLocalWine.com offers a plethora of info on regional wines throughout the country and the Brewers Association can locate microbreweries in your area. To make your Thanksgiving booze even greener, try finding local organic spirits.

Purchase Local Organic Spirits

The Stuffing

Instead of purchasing this traditional Thanksgiving side dish from the prepackaged box, try making a homemade vegetable stuffing using produce found at a local farmers market. There are more than 4800 farmers’ markets operating throughout the continental United States and chances are, there’s one near you. Local Harvest allows you to easily search for farmers’ markets in your area by zip code.

With few exceptions, everything you need to make your Thanksgiving feast (or acceptable alternatives) can be found within a 100-mile radius. Such exceptions generally include spices and coffee, which for many are fundamental to the quintessential Thanksgiving feast. The November holiday was instated to literally give thanks and celebrate blessings but its true meaning is often overshadowed by the impending and often expected feast that accompanies it. The idea behind the 100-mile Thanksgiving is to prepare and enjoy the celebratory meal while significantly reducing your carbon footprint. We encourage you to try new, scrumptious dishes entirely composed of local ingredients. Your 100-mile feast doesn’t have to be a traditional Thanksgiving – it just has to be one that you can enjoy in the company of your family and friends.

Are you planning a 100-mile Thanksgiving? We want to hear from you! Share your ideas, tips, and tasty recipes using only locally-produced foods in our comment section! We’ll post some of our favorites on our blog. Can’t wait to hear from you!

The birth of the modern day environmental movement began on April 22, 1970 when a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin named Gaylord Nelson organized the first nationwide environmental protest. Little did he know at the time that for the next 39 years on April 22, environmentalists from around the world would come together to focus on Mother Earth as we celebrate Earth day.

In 1970 Americans, were using leaded gas in their sedans powered by V8 engines. Factories were exhausting absurd amounts of pollution into the air without any ramifications or even the fear of getting bad press, in fact air pollution was commonly accepted as the smell of prosperity.

This was all about to change.

On that fateful day 39 years ago, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, on college campuses and in auditoriums to make their voices be heard that they wanted a healthier environment.  In the past there were different groups that fought separately against things like oil spills and toxic dumps, loss of wilderness and extinction problems, but on this one day they all united and the light bulb turned on for them. Working together and in support of each others causes would be the key to making the level of change that was needed occur.

On that day a rare political alignment was achieved, both Republicans and Democrats were in support of the same issues. Business tycoons and labor unions agreed with one another, US citizens both rich and poor, city dwellers and farmers recognized the issues with the environment as being larger than their differences, and choose to work together. This led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and in turn the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species acts. In the years to follow Senator Nelson would be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his role as the founder of Earth day.

It was in 1990 when a group of environmental leaders enlisted Denis Hayes, one of the original organizers of the 1970 protest, to take the Earth day mission to the global stage.  April 22, 1990 resulted in a monumental shift for the world. On that day there were over 200 million people mobilized in 141 countries. People across the globe woke up to the realization that we all may battle in war and we may differ in religious views, and not speak the same languages, but we all have one crucial thing in common, we have but one planet we all call home. After that specific Earth day celebration in 1990, the concept of recycling became an activity that households and businesses around the world would come to do adopt and accept as status quo. This event also helped pave the way for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

Ten years later and with the approach of the millennium, Hayes decided to spearhead the next monumental campaign. Earth Day 2000 would focus on global warming and clean energy. That April 22, the world awoke to festivities similar to the original Earth Day in 1970, combined with the international grass root effort of the 1990 event and now the power of the Internet to assist them in linking activist all over the planet. That year there were over 5,000 environmental groups around the world participating, reaching out to hundreds of millions of people throughout 184 countries.

Earth Day 2000 sent the message clearly to the powers that be, two things; global warming could no longer be ignored, and decisive action for clean energy would have to be pushed to the forefront.

Today the fight for a cleaner, more sustainable global environment continues. This is a battle that each of us wage every day. We are fighting it when we drag our filled recycling bins to our curbsides, and when we give our neighbors a ride to work. When we bring our own mug into the coffee shop, or we choose to pick up the piece of trash left behind on the sidewalk by someone before us.  We have come a long way in the last 39 years, but yet there is still much work to be done.

On April 22nd, 2009, we took time to come together, celebrate what we have accomplished and educate about what still needs to be done. We must empower and motivate everyone from our next generations to rouge nations with the gift of consciousness and hope for the future.

By Charisse McAuliffe, Founder and CEO of GenGreen LLC

Photo credit: EPA History Office

All year long we challenge each other to live greener by taking time to try out a different activity or behavior. Some changes are harder than others, and some can require more time, effort or money that some of us have to spare at one time or another.

In the spirit of making this Earth Month as painless as possible, below are some ideas for ways to show your support for the Earth that are cheap and easy!

Get some air!

Attend (or host) an Earth Day awareness event, party, festival or project in your community! Nothing feels better than the sun on your back and good people all around you, talking about saving the planet. Search the GenGreenLife.com event calendar for an event happening in your state. If you know of a cool event that’s not listed, let us know!

Plant a tree!

It sounds cliche, I know, but this is one of the oldest and best Earth Day projects. If you join the Arbor Day Foundation (membership starts at $10) they’ll send you up to 10 trees that grow well where you live…for FREE! Plant one for every member of your family and start a tradition as well as shrink your carbon footprint! Check it out here.

Take a hike!

Even in the most metropolitan areas, a little bit of nature is never far away…why not use Earth Day as an excuse to get out there and enjoy it?! Find a local conservation group, outdoor club, or environmental learning center that hosts field trips or other programs and take the whole family along! Or visit a nearby state or national park and explore all on your own!

Show your library some love!

Newspapers, and magazines use a lot of paper and are here today, recycled tomorrow. New books are pricey and also spend a lot of time gathering dust after the first read. Why not reduce, reuse, recycle and dust off your library card instead? And if you don’t have a current library card in your town, now’s a perfect time to sign up for one.

Photo credit: Sacramento365.com

Many people are dedicated to going green this Earth Day, but here at GenGreenLife.com we believe making small, consistent changes are the way to take better care of the planet every day!

That’s why we are proud to announce the launch of our first Facebook application- Every Day is Earth Day! For the 12 days leading up to April 22nd, the application will suggest a way that you can decrease the environmental impact of your daily routine in a small, but significant manner.

And that’s not even the best part!!

And as a huge gift to Mother Earth on her special day, GenGreenLife.com has teamed up with Cooler to offset the carbon equivalent of an entire day of using Facebook for each person that adds this app! So share it with your friends and help us exceed the goal of offsetting 100,000 pounds of carbon by Earth Day!!

Be one of the first to add the app! Click here:
http://apps.facebook.com/gengreenearthday/

To stay in the loop about this and other breaking news about GenGreen:

1. Sign up as a user on GenGreenLife.com

2. Become a fan of the GenGreen Facebook page

3. Follow @GenGreen on Twitter

Even though I usually criticize holidays for being occasions of much consumption and little quality celebration of their true meanings, I actually do like them…because they present uniquely encapsulated times for sustainable alternatives to the norm.

Take the upcoming celebration of Easter (or Passover…or simply Spring if you’re not any particular religious flavor), there are a number of ways to tweak your traditions ever so slightly to be greener and more cost-effective.

A tisket, a tasket, a re-purposed basket…

Many baskets will be necessary this Easter, either for individual distribution of goodies or for community egg hunts, etc. But why spend your hard-earned $$ on new wicker baskets dyed with chemicals, or (gasp!) their cheaper plastic cousins?? Thrift stores are chock-full of second-hand baskets, pails, and boxes in all shapes, sizes and colors just waiting to be re-used. (Also check with neighbors to see if they have old baskets or pails stashed away!). If you’re the type that likes to invest in quality, heirloom-type baskets, check out Longaberger Baskets, which are made in Ohio and sold by independent consultants across the country as well as online.

Ditch the plastic grass…

Toxic, fake and useless, fake Easter basket grass is usually used once, then, after being peeled from hair, floor and furniture, sent to a dismal destiny in the landfill. Why not try shredded newspaper or office paper, sphagnum moss (which can be purchased in most garden stores and then composted) or even real grass clippings or live grass!

DIY treats…

There are hundreds of organic and fair-trade options for chocolate, candy and other treats to fill your eco-basket, but why not get more for your money by making your own? Cookies, candies, truffles, and yes, even bunnies can be made right in your kitchen and are sure to be inexpensive and delicious. If you’re looking for something more “outside the basket” try sharing gifts like organic seed packets, fruit, a reusable water bottle, forest-friendly colored pencils or markers, stickers and more!

Got a suggestion for greening Easter that I haven’t mentioned here? Share it by leaving a comment!

(This delicious post was provided by our friends at VODKA14).

Across the Rockies, the winter snows are melting, beckoning the spring thaw. To ring in the new season, we’re pleased to present these new cocktail recipes for Sping 2009 to toast the winter past and the warmer months ahead. As always these cocktails feature Vodka 14, the Rocky Mountain organic vodka whose exceptional purity makes it a perfect choice for mixing delicate, delicious spring cocktails to savor.

MELTING SNOW

Blend crushed ice, a pint of fresh organic strawberries, the contents of an 8 ounce can of frozen limeade concentrate and 8 ounces of Vodka 14 in a blender. Serve in brandy snifters garnished with whole crosswise sliced wheels of fresh lime and fresh sprigs of mint. Serves four.

APRIL FOOL SCREWBALL

Pour 3 ounces Vodka 14, 1 ounce fresh squeezed orange juice and 1 ounce cream sherry into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a waiting, chilled martini glass. Garnish with a wedge of fresh orange and sprigs of fresh mint.

ST. PATRICK’S DAY

Shake 3 ounces of Vodka 14 with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Add 2 ounces of Irish cream liqueur. Garnish with a whole cinnamon stick swizzle.

MAY DAY

Pour 3 ounces of Vodka 14 in a shaker with ice. Add half an ounce dry white vermouth and half an ounce sweet red vermouth for a woody, herbal taste and aroma. Shake, strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with edible violets.

These recipes and many others can be found online at www.VODKA14.com.

The Hallmark holiday to end all Hallmark holidays is fast descending upon us- the dreaded St. Valentines Day.

Outfitted with the most horrifying pinks, reds and lace, once a year this day climbs from the bowels of commercialism to haunt us with chemically processed sweets, synthetically stuffed animals, mass produced floral arrangements and a forests’ worth of greeting cards. Not to mention the emotional anguish it can inspire- Will you have a date? Will you go to dinner?And (gasp) will you Get Any?

But who said we can’t have an eco-friendly sense of humor and still celebrate this day of sweetness? Here are the top 5 picks for spicing up your sustainable love life:

1. Slip on the No! Shopping Bag Bra – Triumph International Japan

No it’s not for warding off uninvited advances. Instead the No! is more like “just say no” and is meant to raise awareness to the estimated 30 billion plastic shopping bags used by Japanese consumers. The bra, which comes in red, blue, yellow and pink, can be transformed into a ready-to-use shopping bag with only a few steps, and is also made of polyester fibers recycled from plastic bottles using the company’s EcoCircle recycling system.

2. Light up the Room with a Babeland Massage Candle

These ingenious votive candles not only set the stage for a decadent massage, they deliver it. The melting wax, made of gentle, skin-safe soy, transforms into a warm, deliciously scented massage oil. Blow out the flame, drizzle the warm oil on your lover’s body, and unwind with a massage as good for the body as it is for the soul.

3. Explore your Dark (and Chocolatey) Side

Although it has a controversial history, the cacao bean and the love-handles it’s responsible for are a Valentines’ staple. So why not choose some sweets that are doing good as well as tasting good? Endangered Species Chocolate is a high quality, all-natural, ethically traded treat that uses the universal appeal of chocolate to spread a positive environmental message and provides cacao farmers a fair wage that leads to more sustainable farming practices.

4. Get Drunk on Him

Ladies, I’m not suggesting you don’t hold up your end of the tab. Instead surprise your man with Burt’s Bees Bay Rum Cologne- a refreshing men’s fragrance. Fresh citrus oils of lemon and orange and energizing bergamot are enveloped in the warm, spicy depth of cypress and fir to create a crisp, woodsy scent. Plus, Burt’s Bees is one of those cool companies that disclose their products’ ingredient list and never tests on animals.

5. Stage a Spa-napping

Not literally of course, but every girl (and guy) needs to be whisked away on a fantasy vaca now and then. If you can’t swing the carbon offsets for an out-of-country get away, try something closer to home. The Green Spa Network is a directory of spas around the country that have made a serious comittment to reducing their environmental impact. Green spas (as defined by GSN) are those that have pledged to use toxin-free products and are a haven for getting intouch with your calmer, more natural side.

- The Team at GenGreen

Don’t get me wrong, I love having a tree for the holidays. It smells great and somehow brings a warmth and homeyness to the living room that is missing the rest of the year. It also brings about a million needles as we finally try to shove it out the door, long past New Year’s Day. Here are some ideas about what to do with your tree, and other holiday shrapnel now that the holidays will soon leave us swirling in their wake.

1. Recycle (or plant) That Tree!

If (like me) you succumed to the lure of a 6 foot fir sans roots this season, allow it to live on by recycling it as mulch. Check out GenGreenLife.com or your city government’s web page to determine if municipal tree collection/drop off programs exist. Also, check to see if landscaping companies in your area allow trees to be dropped off for a minimal charge. Whichever route you choose, just be sure that the trees are really being recycled and not just hauled off to the dump. Ditto for wreaths.

If you were a super green little elf and bought a living tree, then enjoy watering and watching it grow until Spring when you can plant it!

2. House of Cards

Finding yourself adrift in a sea of expired holiday greeting cards? Save a tree (and some money) by salvaging them for next year. Use scissors or an exacto knife to separate the front panel from the rest of the card. Next year, paste the decorated fronts on to recycled construction paper, or use the clippings from several to create a holiday collage and resend!

3. Reuse that Wrap!

Even if you couldn’t resist tearing it…paper, gift wrap, bows, ribbon, shirt boxes and gift bags can ALL be saved and reused! They come in handy all year long and can help avoid waste and spending next year.

Got some more creative holiday reuse/recycling ideas? Send ‘em over. info@gengreenlife.com

- The Team at GenGreen

(Image above found at The City of Yuma, Arizona’s Web site).

It’s coming down to the wire and i haven’t even begun to send off cards or gifts to loved ones back home. If you are also feeling the impending doom of procrastination breathing down your neck, have no fear. The last, and possibly most stress relieving, installment of the GenGreen Gift Guide has arrived just in the (St.) nick of time.

Books! The marvelous and almost-lost art of reading books which stimulates the mind and imagination…giving the gift of books is a no-brainer for the holidays and one that’s easy to do sustainably.

Take for instance a great little company called New Society Publishers: an activist publisher focused on solutions and social change. New Society specifically offers books that serve as tools to build, well, just that- a new society. As their site states, “[Our books will] help you to know the talk, and walk the talk. They’re packed with analysis that’s hard to find, ideas to keep you current, inspiration for the daily struggle, and practical tools to change the world.”

A few really cool titles I found while browsing their online catalog:

Guerilla Gardening: A Manualfesto by David Tracey

The Trouble Maker’s Teaparty: A Manual for Effective Citizen Action by Charles Dobson

Bothered by My Green Conscience: How an SUV-driving, imported-strawberry-eating urban dweller can go green by Franke James

The best part? Ordering online means you can have the book shipped directly to the lucky recipients, making books the perfect choice for far away friends and family.

Check them out at NewSociety.com

- The Team at GenGreen

Now that I live states away from many of my friends and loved ones, sending holiday greeting cards has become a cherished, albeit cheesy, tradition. But so much paper and energy is wasted on these one time expressions of thoughtfulness and cheer, can it be justified? And the alternative, sometimes pricey, online greetings just don’t have the same charm, especially for my less than tech-saavy grandparents who probably won’t figure how to open it until April…

For those of struggling with the same decision, the brilliant folks at Cradle to Cradle have created the perfect solution.

ReProduct.net is a really cool site offering zero waste greeting cards and custom photo cards. The cards are created using a patent-pending process using materials that are healthy for both humans and the environment. According to the site, “the card is 100% re-used in the manufacturing of Shaw carpet tiles. The card is sent to the recipient in a two-way envelope (think ‘Netflix’). Once the recipient is done with the card, they simply place it in the postage paid return portion of the envelope and it is sent to Shaw Industries where 100% of the card is re-used in the manufacturing of new carpet tiles.”

ReProduct is a subsidiary of C2C Holdings, Inc was inspired by the Cradle to Cradle design philosophy whose overall goal is to eliminate the concept of waste by designing products so that their material value can be harnessed again and again in future products instead of ending up in a landfill.

There are 9 designs of greeting cards available currently, including five by the National Wildlife Federation, a ReProduct partner, and a four-pack of holiday custom-designs from singer/songwriter John Mayer. The cards are reasonably priced, from $5 for the John Mayer 4-pack, to $24.95 for an 18 pack of the NWF designs.

Check them out at ReProduct.net and this year, send a truly sustainable greeting instead!

- The Team at GenGreen

P.S. If you’re looking for a sustainable marketing alternative, ReProduct also offers Zero Waste Annual Reports and Marketing Collateral!