Graphic courtesy of Wakarusa Music FestivalI spoke on Tuesday about the Wakarusa Music Festival's Sustainability Symposium that took place on Saturday of the festival. Moderated by Treehugger's Simran Sethi, the symposium featured Big Coal author Jeff Goodell, Land Institute president Dr. Wes Jackson, Wakarusa Director Bret Mosiman, Kansas wind-farmer and cattle rancher Pete Ferrell, and Director of Sustanability for New Belgium Brewing Nic Theisen, the symposium focused on energy and sustainability and evolved into a fascinating discussion about public policy, individual actions, and the sustainability movement

The morning started with Ferrell discussing wind power, specifially Kansas's potential for wind power. Ferrell is the primary landowner of the Elk River Wind Farm, and is also the general manager of Ferrell Ranch, where he uses sustainable methods of raising cattle. He became interested in wind farming when visiting Hawaii's biggest cattle ranch. Ferrell noted that in Hawaii, ranching had to be sustainable–there isn't room for externalities on an island, "If we all had an island mentality, we'd change how we do things." While his speech focused on wind and energy, he welcomed questions about the seeming contrast between an environmentalist and a cattle rancher. When one audience member tried to bait him into admitting he would use an herbicide if necessary, Ferrell rattled off several different sustainable alternatives he could use instead. Ferrell spoke passionately and urged the audience to commit to both living sustainably and becoming politically active.

Seeing Dr. Wes Jackson speak at length was the non-music highlight of my trip to Wakarusa. Jackson is incredibly well-regarded–he was one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Important People of the 20th Century, was a MacArthur Fellow, past winner of the Right Livelihood Award, and Pew Conservation Scholar, among other laudable titles. He spoke about the urgency of environmentalism and sustainability and eschewed those in the green world who preached what he called "Wal-Mart Environmentalism", the idea that if we all change to CFL's, that's all we need to do to save humanity. The theme of his words reiterated my frustration with The Lazy Environmentalist. Jackson is incredibly knowledgeable and spouted facts and figures that put our impending crisis into perspective. Consider this: today's 22-year-old college graduate has lived through the use of 50% of the world's total fossil fuels. He believes that a reduction of 60-80% of the world's carbon emissions by the year 2100 is necessary to continue to sustain humanity. Despite Jackson's seemingly bleak message, he was actually full of hope–he thinks agriculture is one vital piece of the puzzle that we can fix (which is what the Land Institute is all about), and was so visibly passionate about his work that I immediately wanted to sell my car and go off the grid.

New Belgium's Nic Theisen echoed Jackson's ideas about real commitment to sustainability. He should know–he doesn't fly and has been car-free since 2000. With no Amtrak service from Fort Collins, CO (where New Belgium is located) and Lawrence, Theisen took the train to Lincoln, NE, then rode his three-speed bike from Lincoln to Lawrence. Theisen spoke about New Belgium's efforts to become more sustainable–their entire operation is carbon-offset using wind tags, they use significantly less water than their counterparts, their buildings are LEED-certified, and they reduce, reuse, and recycle at every opportunity, among other sustainable practices (like their certified-organic Mothership Wit beer….delicious!) After speaking about what New Belgium is attempting to do, he continued to note that it's still not enough. Their beer production is still, theoretically, unsustainable. He cited instances where, despite their company's commitment to sustainability, he knew New Belgium employees saw him as an outlier, a freak of environmentalism. He defended New Belgium's pursuit of a growth model of business, and noted that they are seeking to transform the industry by providing a successful model of sustainable practices at an increasingly larger scale. I was refreshed by his honesty and the level of transparency he had when speaking about New Belgium's practices.

After these three spoke, Sephi moderated conversation about sustainability and energy peppered with questions from the audience. Afterwards, all speakers were incredibly approachable and the entire event had the close ambience of a classroom. The Sustainability Symposium was truly a pocket of activism amongst all the beer-drinking, hoop-dancing, frisbee-throwing, and tail-shaking that took place at Wakarusa that weekend, and it was absolutely refreshing to hear people speak so passionately about their commitment to sustainability.

Image courtesy of the Wakarusa Music Festival

More and more buzz is being generated in the music industry about artists greening up concerts and venues greening their practices. I was able to see some of this first hand while spending four days at the Wakarusa Music and Camping Festival in Lawrence, KS, this past weekend.

Lured by the temptation of such acts as Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, Son Volt, Yonder Mountain String Band, Widespread Panic, and my personal favorite, the John Butler Trio, my husband and I set out for an extended weekend of camping and concerts approximately 45 minutes west of Kansas City at Clinton Lake State Park. We were pleased to find multiple efforts at sustainability from the moment we got to the venue.

When driving into the park, after receiving our wristbands from festival organizers, volunteers handed us two plastic bags: a clear bag for trash and a green bag for recyclables. Dubbed "Recycalusa" Wakarusa's recycling efforts extended to glass, aluminum, cardboard, and plastic. Wakarusa even urged festival-goers to bring canned beverages, not bottled, because the market for glass recycling was far smaller in Lawrence than for aluminum. There was a Recycalusa booth where festival-goers could take their green bags, sort their recycling, and win prizes such as band merch.

For those who didn't want to head to the booth (like us), campers could place both green and clear bags on the "corner" of their respective campgrounds, and Waka volunteers would pick up both recycling and trash. There were also recycling bins everywhere in the venue: 240, according to festival organizers, clearly marked for trash, plastic, aluminum, and glass. New Belgium Brewery, sustainability leaders in the beer industry, and sponsors of the festival, exclusively sold beer at the venue, and encouraged drinkers to reuse the plastic cups the beer was sold in.

Waka organizers began offsetting the energy costs of the festival in 2006 through the Bonneville Environmental Foundation's partnership with Zephyr Energy, which features a mix of low-impact hydro and wind power projects ( I know some of you are already shaking your head at the idea of offsets–keep reading). This year, organizers were able to eliminate about 40% of their total energy costs by eliminating one of the main stages. Festival patrons could also offset their travel to Lawrence by purchasing wind tags offered by Zephyr Energy.

Food vendors offered more veggie options than any other event like this that I have been to. There was an amazing Lawrence restaurant, Local Burger, that had veggie burgers, beef, buffalo, and elk burgers, and numerous other outstandingly delicious meals all locally sourced, yet reasonably priced (best veggie burger of my life, if you must know). Indian, Chinese, and Mexican-themed vendors all provided numerous meat-free meals. Most vendors made a special effort to use packaging that could be recycled at the festival.

Perhaps my favorite part of the sustainability efforts at Wakarusa was the Sustainability Symposium. Featuring such individuals as Big Coal author Jeff Goodell, Land Institute president Dr. Wes Jackson, and Director of Sustainability for New Belgium Nic Theisen, we spent almost three hours listening to six individuals discuss energy and sustainability, policy and ecology, music and beer. I'll be writing about this at-length on Thursday.

There were a few disappointments over the weekend (other than Saturday night's rain). Despite the obvious efforts of Waka organizers to make recycling just as convenient as regular trash, I was heartbroken to see how few patrons took advantage of recycling. There was also some confusion on the location and time of the different sustainability speakers, some of whom only spoke for a few minutes. I was also under the impression (from Waka's website) that all packaging from Waka food vendors had to be either recyclable or compostable, but that was not the case. All in all, though, the disappointment I had was mainly because people weren't taking advantage of the sustainability efforts of the concert. And the music, most definitely, was well worth the drive.

My problem with The Lazy Environmentalist, green radio host Josh Dorfman's self-proclaimed "guide to easy, stylish, green living" isn't that it lacks information. It's actually a quite comprehensive guide to supporting green companies. I dog-eared multiple pages so I could visit websites of the companies in which I was interested. But it's not so much a guide to green living as it's a guide to green buying. I guess the tone set forth from the brief introduction rubbed me the wrong way:

These innovators make it easy for us to integrate environmental awareness into our lives. They understand that while so many of us are concerned about the environment, we don't always have the time, energy, or inclination to do something about it.

I only wish this was written in a less-than-serious voice. In my mind, if you don't have the "time, energy, or inclination" to do something about the environment, than you can hardly classify yourself as an environmentalist. You are looking to alleviate guilt for your conspicuous consumption, a culture of consumption that is devastating our planet. It's exactly the "culture of convenience" that's waging all-out war on our resources. Consider this passage from the chapter on cars:

There really is something for everyone–even those who drive Hummers, the most colossal of all urban assault vehicles…By offsetting the carbon dioxide emissions spewing from your car's tailpipe, TerraPass offers Hummer drivers eco-salvation.

Eco-salvation for Hummer drivers? A little too, oh, oxymoronic, for my tastes. Lazy is definitely geared towards a more high-end clientele, despite it's mention of Wal-Mart as an organic clothing retailer (Yeah, I know what you are thinking…I can't trust them quite yet, either).

Stepping off of my soapbox, for those of us who do have time, energy, and inclination to do something to lighten our footprint still have to buy goods and services, and Lazy provides a well-laid, well-written plan to finding greener versions of those goods and services. If you have to spend money, you might as well spend it on more sustainable products, right?

There are 22 chapters focusing on different products and services, from home furnishing to energy providers to media outlets (what, no shout out for Green Options?) Each chapter begins with a narrative insight into what practices these eco-companies are establishing to go green, then lists several companies, along with their websites and a brief description of what their business does or produces. Reading about different design innovations companies are using was fascinating (BraveSpace's hollow bamboo tables, anyone?), and I'll definitely check out many of the websites listed. If I'm going to save the planet, though, I've got better things to do.

Knitting and crocheting have experienced a renewed popularity as a new generation of crafters embrace their needles and yarn. As a knitter myself, I love heading to my local yarn store (LYS) to check out the beautiful multicolored skeins.

The big question for an eco-friendly knitter is this: what kinds of yarn leave the lightest footprint? Many knitters steer away from acrylic for various performance reasons, but synthetic yarns are also bad for the earth, since they are made from petroleum. Vegans object to using wool, and, although great for many heirloom projects, are just not as sustainable as some of the newer options. Industrially-produced cotton brings with it a slew of environmental problems, including water and soil pollution.

Until recently, my LYS only had earth-toned organic cotton, which was beautiful for a baby blanket, but didn't allow for enough variety for a range of projects. Is there anything else out there that will allow me to make awesome crafts in a greener way?

Fortunately, eco-friendly fibers have exploded in the past few months. Some, like the organic cotton, take an existing fiber and green it up. However, a whole new crop of yarns are being produced using normally cast-off materials. South West Trading Company, of Tempe, AZ, makes yarns and fibers from soy, corn, bamboo, even milk and shrimp and crab shell fibers. Their SoySilk fiber is created from byproducts of tofu production (and is produced in a variety of decidedly non-earth tone hues). Bamboo (which, because of it's rapid rate of growth, is a popular green knitting needle choice) produces a soft fiber often compared to silk or cashmere. Hemp yarn is also gaining popularity beyond the granola-set of knitters, and recycled silk, spun from old saris by women in Nepal, is a unique fiber to work with. Most of these yarns can be found at Yarn Market.

But why shop online? If your LYS doesn't stock green yarns, just ask. Most will stock it if people will request it. At the very least, they'll order it for you. After I bought up most of the organic cotton at my LYS (hey, it was a bigger blanket than I had planned) I was pleased to find that not only did my store start stocking a much wider variety of eco-friendly yarns, but they even sponsored an event to promote their new lines.

I'm sure you're all aware of our favorite upcoming green holiday, but did you know that this week is also National Environmental Education Week? Coordinated by the National Environmental Education and Training Foundation (NEETF), the third annual National EE Week encourages teachers to spend an entire week integrating the environment and sustainability into their curriculum by providing curriculum, lesson plans, and service project ideas for all grades.

A collaborative effort between schools, government agencies, non-profits, and corporations, this year's EE Week has a goal of involving 3 million students in 50 million hours of education. This year's oh-so-timely theme is energy, and EE Week is going after teens.

Citing an MTV poll of people ages 13-24, conducted by CBS News, when asked what the most important problem their generation will be faced with, the environment ranked number one. Only 15%, however, had heard about steps they could take to combat global warming. EE Week is using that information, along with new findings by the US Department of Energy that say that almost a quarter of home energy costs come from small electronics such as iPods and cell phones, to get today's plugged-in teens to become conscious of their energy consumption patterns. The Alliance to Save Energy's new Six Degree Challenge tests teens on their knowledge of energy efficiency, then challenges them to take action. They may not have control over what kind of hot water heater their home has, but teens and their actions do make an impact, and simple lifestyle changes can save a lot of energy.

One of my favorite things about spring is the opening of our local farmers' markets. Your diet has as much impact on our enviornment as the car you drive, because much of conventionally-grown food travels thousands of miles to get from farm to table. Shopping at your local farmers' market decreases the amount of miles your food travels, supports local agriculture, and supplies your table with food that is almost always fresher and tastier than what you would find at the grocery store.

Not only can you find seasonal produce, but many farmers' markets have locally-produced meats, eggs, dairy products, honey, baked goods, salsas, jellies, and jams. In fact, many chefs either shop at farmers' markets or have working relationships with local farmers because they know that fresh and local produce is of a higher quality. New to farmers' markets? Don't worry. With a few guidelines, you can easily become a regular in no time.

Walk the entire market before buying. You can get a feel for what's in season this week, compare costs, and get ideas for meals using different items.

Bring cash. Although I've seen vendors who accept plastic and checks, err on the side of caution and bring real dollars–small bills are even better.

Don't be afraid to talk to the farmers. Unless it's insanely busy, farmers are almost always willing to answer questions about their products and growing methods. Is their produce organic? Where is their farm located? When were these tomatoes picked? What do they feed their cows? What's a good way to cook this veggie? I would have never discovered sunchokes if I hadn't asked a local farmer about them. Also, developing a relationship with a certain farmer has its benefits. Some vendors will hold back your favorite produce if you are a regular.

Don't rule out non-organic produce. I make a point to buy organic produce when I can, but sometimes small farmers don't get certified because of the costs involved. That doesn't make their produce a bad choice. Oftentimes, their growing methods are just as rigorous as "certified organic" methods. Local food is almost always a better choice for the environment–given the option, I'd choose a locally-produced conventional tomato from a farmer I trusted over a certified organic one shipped in from California.

BYOB. That's right–bring your own bags. No need to add to the plastic floating around, and saving farmers money on bags saves you money on produce.

Be considerate of other market patrons. Some farmers have a cult-like following. If the line is long, don't take ten minutes with your questions and browsing–keep it short or come back when the line has died down. And please observe the lines–I've had pushy, rude, people cut me in line without so much as a glance in my direction, and nothing kills the festive spirit of the market more than rudeness.

Make your shopping a social event. My favorite local market has live music, guest speakers, ready-to-eat food like smoothies and crepes, yoga, and treats for dogs and kids. Chances are, you'll see the same patrons every week. These community events are a great way to meet new people who may have similar interests as you. Also, they are a great place for kids to learn about where food comes from and to be exposed to new types of fruits and veggies.

Check out multiple markets. If you are fortunate enough to have more than one market in your area, make a point to check them all out. There will probably be some overlap in the vendors, but you just may find that one great combination of products that make one market your personal favorite. Don't rule out smaller markets either: they are often less crowded and more laid back than their bustling, bigger counterparts.

I'm getting excited just thinking about perusing fresh asparagus, sungold cherry tomatoes (THE BEST TOMATOES EVER), and purple potatoes, with a fresh cup of coffee and my dog. To find a farmers market near you, try FarmersMarket.com or the USDA's Farmers' Market Drectory.

From the people at WGBH in Boston, the same people who produce The World, Antiques Roadshow, American Experience, Nova and popular children's programming such as Postcards from Buster and Zoom come the latest in children's entertainment: Meet the Greens an online interactive experience that introduces kids to green living. Each month, the website will introduce a new episode and new content for kids to explore.

In addition to the monthly episode/cartoon, the site features a blog, music, downloadable wallpaper and avatars, tips and quizzes on eco-living, and mini-stories about different topics in ecology, sustainability, social equity, and environmentalism. The site is easy to navigate and visually appealing to kids, and most of the content has links where viewers can get more information.

The Greens themselves are a hodge-podge of colorful characters, including kids, adults, and animals, designed to provide a green alternative to the typical portrayal of cartoon families. I particularly liked the dreadlocked, Rasta-hat-wearing Hector, described as "a kid who doesn't say much, but usually knows what he's talking about," and has a feature about saving water at home… in just ten words.

Overall, kids and tweens will find The Greens to be likable and entertaining. Much like those other popular kids films, the characters drop pop-culture references that both kids and adults will find amusing. More importantly, The Greens give kids a pop-culture reflection of what environmentally-conscious families can look like. The Greens are interesting, funny characters who happen to care about sustainability. The kid characters are empowering and passionate without being preachy. I'd personally like to see more content in the second "episode," with more character storylines to supplement the diverse informational articles, nd if there's something you'd like to see, The Greens want feedback on the site, which you can give here.

I was at a Guster concert a few weeks ago, when the lead singer/guitarist, Adam Gardner, encouraged concertgoers to offset their travel to the show by buying carbon offsets, in the form of wind tags at the merch booth. It turns out that in 2004 Gardner, and his wife, Lauren Sullivan, founded Reverb, a non-profit that seeks to educate music fans about environmentalism by greening up touring and concerts.

Because of the high environmental costs of touring, artists like The Dave Matthews Band, Jack Johnson, O.A.R, Alanis Morissette, Bonnie Raitt, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers are now fueling tour busses with biodiesel, setting up recycling at shows, and powering concerts with renewable energy, in conjunction with Green Highway. Reverb also connects bands with environmental organizations to create interactive eco-villages at venues. Reverb sponsors the Campus Consciousness Tour, bringing expanded eco-villages to college campuses along with shows, to encourage environmental consciousness among college students and college communities.

Guster and friends aren't the only musicians trying to lighten their eco-footprint. Willie Nelson's tour bus runs on biodiesel, and many popular summer festivals, including Bonnaroo and Wakarusa, have booths where concertgoers can offset their travel. At Wakarusa, all cups, utensils, and other food packaging is either compostable, biodegradable, or recyclable, and they provide on-site facilities to do all three. In fact, when you arrive at Wakarusa to camp, you are given bags to encourage you to recycle aluminum, cardboard, glass, plastic, and steel.

If you are planning on attending a summer tour, stop by and purchase a carbon offset in the vendors area. Think of it this way: drink one less overpriced beer, buy an offset, and feel even better about your concert choices.

Check out Green Couples, Green Weddings, Part 1 for the first part of our green weddings special.

Bridal registries were once a way for a couple to furnish and supply their new home together. Today, more and more couples are either already living together when they get married, or have already furnished a house on their own. Although there are greener choices in registries, a gift registry can be superfluous for green couples who already have what they need. What to do when family members and friends will still want to give the couple a gift to celebrate their commitment?

Instead of registering for things you may not need, why not create a way for your loved ones to donate money, in honor of your vows, to the green charity of your choice? The IDo Foundation and JustGive.org allow couples to give instead of get on their special day. JustGive also provides info for donating your wedding flowers, leftover food, or wedding dress after the festivities are over, so those things that made your day wonderful can be reused and brighten someone else's day

Wedding favors can be green, too. Instead of spending money on trinkets that will inevitably end up in the bottom of someone's purse or gathering dust in a drawer, why not buy something that can actually be put to use, specifically use greening our planet? Plant-A-Memory can create bookmarks, placecards, and other paper items that can be planted. Embedded seeds in the paper grow into beautiful flowers. Seed packets, flower bulbs, or saplings can also be a thoughtful favor that can green a guest's home.

And once the vows are said and done, happy eco-couples will want to get away, and there's no reason why the honeymoon can't be green, too. The International Ecotourism Society and ResponsibleTravel.com can help couples find vacations that are environmentally and socially sustainable. And if you can't swing an ecotrip, you can always offset your travel (and maybe that of your guests, as well) through CarbonFund.org or DriveNeutral.org.

Photo credit: Chicago Joinery, producer of beautiful eco-friendly wooden jewelry.

Many engaged couples spend countless hours planning a ceremony that reflects who they are. Until recently, however, green couples had limited options when it came to lessening their big day's big footprint, but since more couples are considering the environmental impact of their vows, multiple new resources and vendors are catering to a more sustainable clientele.

There's a growing group of brides and grooms who are choosing to simplify their ceremonies. For those of us (myself included) who want to eschew a fancy ceremony in favor of something simpler and/or non-traditional, IndieBride is a lifesaver. There are plenty of sustainable brides (and grooms!) who share their ideas, experiences, and advice on working outside of the traditional wedding industry DIY (doing it yourself).

The new Portovert Magazine is "the first and only magazine for eco-savvy brides and grooms", and has resources and tips for all types of weddings, from intimate ceremonies to lavish receptions. For those couples who still want the big traditional ceremony, but not the big impact on the earth, their Responsible Resources offer organic florists and caterers, tree-free invitations, and vintage gowns. Organic Weddings is another great site that provides vendors and resources.

Diamonds are the traditional stone for wedding settings, but industrial production methods can be extremely draining both environmentally and socially. Jewelers like greenKarat and Brilliant Earth combine conflict-free and created stones with recycled metals for settings to produce beautiful and sustainable rings.

Those green couples who choose to create a gift registry can forget about the traditional big-box stores in favor of more eco-friendly home stores. We registered at Gaiam, although GreenFeet has a variety of products, including organic bedding and towels and recycled glassware.