Celebrate Green Blog

by Lynn and Corey

Last year we started what we wanted to make a tradition, listing our most fascinating people of the year. As of this year, it officially is a tradition!

We can’t guarantee you’ve heard of any of our choices, but if you don’t know them, you ought to! We select people with whom we’ve directly interacted during the year, whom we admire for the work they’re doing or the lives they’re living and who we want to celebrate.

Please join us as we honor the following (in no particular order):

Who: Toni Desrosiers

Why: Toni came up with one of our favorite new-to-us products of the year, the Abeego wrap, which replaces plastic wrap and keeps food fresh. Made from hemp infused with beeswax, these wraps are a great solution to the challenge of keeping plastic products out of our kitchens.

 Meet at: www.Abeego.ca

Who: Sarah Lee

Why: Sarah is the founder of Sarah’s Silks, which makes children’s play silks that kids can enjoy throughout their growing up years. Sarah’s Silks hires Chinese seamstresses who work in their homes, often sitting in doorways, as their children play nearby.  The company offers seamstresses incentives beyond prevailing wages as well as access to supplemental health insurance as part of their efforts to support the healthy families of their partners across the world. We admire Sarah’s commitment to healthy play and fairness for those who produce her product.

Meet at: www.SarahsSilks.com

Who: Lisa Sharp

Why: Like many of us greenies, Lisa has a great informational blog, Retro Housewife Goes Green. But more importantly, she is doing research on the health effects of the cement plant in her town (in Oklahoma) and is working hard to raise awareness about this local issue. We’re inspired at the way Lisa has taken up a cause that matters to her and those in her community.

Meet at: www.RetroHousewifeGoesGreen.com

Who: Tristin and Tyler

Why: Twins Tristin and Tyler are spreading the word about green through their video series, Tales from the City. These dynamic interviews with people engaged in sustainable activities are fun and educational for children of all ages. Mom Tiffany deserves kudos too for producing the kids and the series!

Meet at: www.TristinandTyler.com

Who: Kimberly Danek Pinkson

Why: Kimberly is founder of EcoMom Alliance, a 501.c.3 non-profit organization empowering mothers to create a healthy and sustainable world. She recognized that moms represent a tremendous power as both role models and a market force, responsible for 85% of dollars spent in the United States alone. She wanted to help ensure that the money moms spend goes towards healthier, more sustainable products. As vice president of community relations and co-founder of the Ecomom shopping site, her vision has become a reality.

Meet at: www.EcoMomAlliance.org

Who: Chris Angell

Why: Not only is his new Angell organic candy bar absolutely blow-the-sky sensational when it comes to taste, this guy is a tireless worker, doing everything in his power to ensure that the bars become America’s new favorite. We admire his fervor, his work ethic and of course, the fact that he has created a candy bar that’s better for people and planet.

 Meet at: www.AngellBar.com

Who: George and Carol Goodwin

Why:  Yes, their Goodwin Heart Pine Floors are in the homes of Paul McCartney, Morgan Freeman, and Ted Turner as well as many other celebs whose names you’d recognize, but what makes them special in our book is the passion for sustainability that runs through everything they do. Since 1976, their environmental mission has addressed everything from working with Florida officials to establish a state licensing program for divers who pull logs from rivers, ensuring the environment is not damaged during log recovery to providing employees with drinking water from a high-tech water filtering system that removes contaminants and bacteria but not minerals. We think the integrity they show as well as their genuine commitment to Earth-friendly, people-friendly actions, has created a model that other businesses might follow for successful socially and environmentally conscious company.

Meet at: www.HeartPine.com

Who: Susan Hunt and Sarah Finnie Robinson

Why: Susan and Sarah developed Practically Green a great approach for anyone wanting to take sustainable actions but stymied by overwhelm or confusion on how to begin. The Practically Green website offers a way for everyone to learn where they stand on the green scale and follows up with dozens of tangible and specific small steps that can lead to huge personal evolution. We love their fun collaborative approach and admire the success they’ve achieved in such a short time.

Meet at: www.PracticallyGreen.com

Who: Jennae Peterson

Why: Jennae’s blog, Green Your Decor, is one of our favorites. Not only does she share her favorite sustainable products, but she also showcases her own projects, successes and challenges. Her blog is well-written, fun and personal. (Note: We did not select Jennae for one of our “most fascinating list” because Lynn just happened to be the winner in the recent Kris Nations State Pride necklace giveaway. But it does remind us to add that if you’re into beautiful sustainable items, be sure to read Green Your Decor as Jennae offers lots of giveaways.)

Meet at: www.GreenYourDecor.com

Who: Kia Robertson

Why: Kia is one of the most generous, beautiful (inside and out), caring, creative people we’ve met. She’s the author of Today I Ate a Rainbow and a food contributor to both Green Halloween and Celebrate Green! Today I Ate A Rainbow is an innovative concept for helping encourage children to eat a rainbow of fruits and veggies by making it fun and she wrote it not only because she cares about her own family, but because she knows how important this issue is for all children. Collaborating with Kia and watching her go from mom to mompreneur is a great joy.

Meet: www.TodayIAteARainbow

Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson are mother and daughter and authors of  Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family, and founders of Green Halloween®.