Green Jobs for the New Year

Posted on by Sacha Cohen

Looking for a new gig? According to an article from the Washington Business Journal, DC is likely to add about 24,000 new green jobs in the coming year. The growth is due, in part, to the District’s Green Building Act of 2006, which requires much of the city’s new public and private-sector construction to adhere to green building standards.

Many of the jobs will result from greening existing jobs such as carpenters, construction laborers and managers, operating engineers, plumbers, roofers, electricians, cement masons and painters.

The article points to a report from the Louis Berger Group, which recommends the city focus on recruiting greener players within existing sectors, and launch green business certification and purchasing programs that require vendors and suppliers to use green practices.

Here are a couple of resources where you can look for environmental and green-focused jobs:

Sustainable Business

Treehugger Jobs

Plus, mark your calendar for the Green Jobs Conference in February.

Happy Hunting!

Green Gift Guide: Part 2

Posted on by Sacha Cohen

Step away from the fruitcake and Chia pets. Instead, give a gift that shows you care about your giftee and Mother Earth, too. Here are some more eco-friendly gift giving options with a local twist.

Check out the Downtown Holiday Market for an assortment of handmade gifts from local craftspeople such as functional wall art made from recycled materials and vintage images.

On December 13th, warm up with a soup tasting from Souper Girl at Greater Goods and stock up on eco-friendly goods and wrapping paper.

Give the gift of food with Oceanaire’s “Sustainable Feast of the Seven Fishes.” Chef Klink’s holiday feast showcases sustainable, seasonal and local ingredients including U.S.-farmed Australis Barramundi and Sherry Crab Bisque.

Zoom zoom. Or should we say “zip, zip”? With a Zipcar gift certificate you can give the gift of a BMW, Volvo or a Mini Cooper (well, sorta) while cutting down on pollution and car consumption at the same time.

Happy Holidays!

–GG DC

DC Green Gift Guide

Posted on by Sacha Cohen

The holidays are upon us. And for many, that means a rush to the megastores to stock up on gifts. Why not zig while everyone else zags by buying from local businesses that offer eco-friendly goodies? By considering these gifts, you’re not only supporting small local businesses, you’re also contributing less to the environmental problems that go along with shipping goods from afar. Here are a few of our local faves:

Be a Soap Star
Stock up on handcrafted balms, salves, bath salts and massage oils made with natural and organic ingredients packaged in adorable recyclable containers from Herban Lifestyle. Owner Mary Kearns never uses chemicals, preservatives, synthetics, artificial fragrances, artificial colors, or GMOs in her products, and she donates 5% of gross sales to the Sierra Club and Herb Research Foundation. The Organic Holiday Cookie Sugar Scrub smells like a yummy dessert but won’t add to your waistline during the holidays, and lip balms in flavors like Tangerine Dreamsicle and Mint Chocolate Chip are all natural and (almost) good enough to eat. Products can be ordered directly from Herban Lifestyle or at Holeco Wellness Medi Spa.

Get Curdied Away
Who doesn’t love a hunk of creamy, tangy cheese? Luckily there are two great cheese shops in the area including Del Ray’s Cheesetique, where you can find Appalachian cheese with shitake mushrooms and leeks from Virginia, as well as selections from around the world. In Penn Quarter, saddle up to Cowgirl Creamery for a divine selection of artisanal cheese from small-scale producers around the country.

Strike a Pose
Infuse your favorite yogini’s practice with pizazz by giving her yoga wear from DC-based Even Keel Yoga. Founded by local yogini Liz Matthews, Even Keel is the place to find comfy, fashion-forward pants, shorts, and leggings made from organic cotton and bamboo in an array of styles and colors. Buy online or at local retail outlets such as Boundless Yoga, Flow Yoga, Caramel, and Inspired Yoga.

Choc Up
Give the chocoholics on your list a box of rich hand-crafted truffles from Alexandria-based Krishon Chocolates. Owner Eric Johnson makes decadent artisanal chocolates using high quality ingredients such as Michel Cluizel Chocolate and organic cream and butter. He can make anything from chocolate, including chocolate ruby slippers and a chocolate likeness of your, um, favorite body part. For traditionalists, a box of five truffles, in flavors like pomegranate and Fair Trade Latte, will set you back a mere $17.

Heel Yourself
Okay, chances are you’re not going to give the gift of shoes to anyone but yourself. And that’s fine….you deserve them. At newly opened Simply Soles in Columbia Heights, you’ll find some shoes that are made either with recycled materials or in a manufacturing method that uses vegetable oils and dyes, instead of petroleum based products.

Organic Tea Time

Posted on by Sacha Cohen

The cold beverage choices available today are astounding. You’ve got your old standbys (bottled water, fizzy water, seltzer, soda, and mass-marketed iced-teas like Snapple and Lipton) as well as a bevvy of “natural” options including juices, smoothies, and Kombucha. But rarely do you find a company in our very own backyard that makes 100% organic drinks. Enter Tizane, a DC-based company founded by Charlie and Nona Pucciariello a little less than a year ago.

After traveling to more than 90 countries, the Pucciariellos returned to the U.S. and were amazed to discover that they weren’t able to find botanical-infused beverages that were similar to what they had enjoyed during their travels. And so, a company was born.

The focus of the Tizane line is on purity, flavor, and balance. Each blend–Jasmine, Hibiscus, and Lemongrass–is slowly steeped in small batches to bring out the full flavor of high quality botanicals. In addition, the beverages are sweetened with blue agave nectar, which has a lower glycemic rating than sugar and doesn’t elevate insulin levels.

I tried the Hibiscus flavor and found it light and refreshing, as well as pleasantly, but not overly, sweet. At just 80 calories for 12 ounces, it’s also significantly better for the waistline than many other drinks in the non-diet bottled iced tea category.

You can stock up on Tizane at Cowgirl Creamery, Java Green, Sticky Fingers Bakery, and many other local cafes and food establishments in and around DC.

The Green Festival Arrives

Posted on by Sacha Cohen

Next weekend, November 8-9, the Green Festival returns to DC with 350 exhibits, green shopping, community networking, organic food and beer, live music and much more. The festival is a joint project of Global Exchange and Co-op America, and all exhibitors must meet the standards set by Co-op America.

There will be 125 speakers including Andy Shallal of Busboys & Poets, authors Marion Nestle and Barbara Ehrenreich, Honest Tea’s Seth Goldman, and Parin Shah (local policy director for Green Jobs for All). Festival attendees will be able to explore the latest in clean technology, green building, socially responsible investing, eco-fashion, renewable energy, green careers, natural foods, eco-tourism, and more.

Don’t forget to bring your yoga mat so you can participate in the 50-minute classes held over the two-day event, as well as free 10-minute one-on-one sessions with Boundless Yoga founder Kim Weeks and instructors from her studio.

Event Details

    Location: Washington DC Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Place (Mount Vernon Metro stop).

    Time: Saturday 9 am-7 pm; Sunday 11 am-6 pm

    Cost: $15 per person all-access for one or both days