Say it out loud: Swap-O-Rama-Rama

"In 2005 I created an event that I designed to be an alternative to consumerism called Swap-O-Rama-Rama. Since its introduction into the world it has grown to include more than 40 cities in the US and around the world and it continues to grow."

This is part of the bio of Wendy Tremayne who brought to the world the wonderful concept of Swap-O-Rama-Rama. I was very excited to read about it today during one of my searches in TreeHugger.

So what is it? according to its site, Swap-O-Rama-Ram is " a clothing swap and series of do-it-yourself workshops in which a community explores creative reuse through the recycling of used clothing. "

I think its a great concept as it takes one of the basic rules of the green economy - maximize the usage of every existing material as much as you can, either by reusing it or recycling it - and combines it with creativity and fun. What could go wrong with such a mix?

Want to learn more? check Wendy's website and also watch TreeHugger's video here.

If you like the idea, check for the locations of upcoming Swap events, and if you can't find anything nearby, just start one by yourself.

Enjoy swapping,
Raz

Eco-Libris: Plant a tree for every book you read!

The future of e-books

Have you have read an electronic book? I haven't.. I'm not the type of person who will read a book from his cell phone or those other small gadgets that you can download books to. I guess that I'm, like most people, waiting for an e-book reader that will be user-friendly and affordable. So far there were none, but according to an article yesterday on the New York Times (Are Books Passe? Web giants envision the next chapter), significant advances are on the way and maybe faster than we think.

The main progress is made by Amazon.com that according to the article will unveil in October their new e-book reader. The new device won't be that affordable - it will be priced at $400 to $500. Yet, it is going to be wirelessly connected (but only to Amazon's e-book store of course), which is a big improvement in comparison with older e-book devices that had to be connected to the computer in order to download books or articles.

The article is trying to figure out if we're on the verge of a significant breakthrough in electronic books, which seemed very promising a while ago, but eventually had a very disappointing history. Overall, according to the article, there's a reason to be optimistic this time, but we still have a long way ahead of us until the e-book will become common.

Eco-Libris supports the concept of e-books as a sustainable alternative to books made of paper. Yet, we know it can take many years until e-books will be available for everyone. In the meantime we call all book lovers not to sit aside and wait, but to take an action and plant a tree for every book they read.

Raz

Net Impact member profile: Raz Godelnik of Eco-Libris

A bit late, but as usual better late than never, here's a link to a profile article Net Impact published on their newsletter, Net Impact August Leading Business.

The article is profiling Raz Godelnik, a Net Impact member and the co-founder and CEO of Eco-Libris, the new green biz that lets book readers balance out the paper used for the books they read by planting trees.

So if you're interested to learn more about Raz or Eco-Libris, click HERE.

Enjoy,

Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Plant a tree for every book you read!

The Climb to the Top

There's something thrilling about climbing trees. As a kid I couldn't get enough of swinging from the middle branches of a mulberry trees that was growing in the yard. Actually it was growing right over the asphalt communal parking lot, which proved to be an important and dangerous distinction once the mulberry decided to retaliate and slip away from underneath my feet just as I was lowering myself down from a rather tall branch. I'll save you the long story but the end of it was that the house committee decided to cut most of the branches to save other kids from similar fate, but really it was because the bats, who really liked the ripe fruit, were wreaking havoc at night all over everyone's windshields... Poor mulberry. These days, many years later, I can still see rebellious shoots growing here and there from a rather dead looking stump, every time I visit my parents' place. And that's as exciting as it gets.

Robert Macfarlane of The Guardian has much more to offer when it comes to tree climbing. In this beautifully written review piece, he lists several classics written about tree climbing and then goes on to describe a few recent additions to tree climbing literature genre. Yes, he claims it exists, with Italo Calvino as its main trunk. He also tells about his own adventures and distinctions exploring various trees from the special perspective of someone who climbs them regularly. Recommended!

So next time I'm out about exploring the woods I think I'm going to find an easy spot and let the inner boy reawaken... or is it the inner monkey? I can never tell them apart anyway :-)

Eylon @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Plant a tree for every book you read!

Green marketing: past, present and future

There aren't many people who knows and understands green business as Joel Makower do. For me, he's an endless source of green wisdom, and I'm always waiting for Monday to receive his weekly post in his blog, 'Two Steps Forward'.

This week, Makower writes about green marketing (Green Marketing 2.0: This Time It's Serious). As someone who is involved and follows the field for some time, he has a perspective that only few have, and it's fascinating to read his descriptions about the beginning of green marketing (or green marketing 1.0) more than a decade ago.

Though many are skeptic about the direction of green marketing and green consumerism, Makower is optimistic and writes that "Now, after years of false starts, a growing number of mainstream success stories suggest that green marketing finally is more than an environmentalist's pipe dream. "

For those who are interested to learn more on green marketing, Makower gives recommendations on upcoming four significant green marketing conferences, which are themselves a sign for the change in this field - last year there were none.

Raz

btw - the picture attached is the logo of one of these conferences - Green Marketing Forum on November 28-30 in London.

Eco-Libris: Plant a tree for every book you read!

Nice day for green wedding

Green weddings are getting more popular, and it all starts with the invitations. Formal-invatations.com reports in a news release that "many couples are choosing to 'Go Green' when they design and fashion their wedding invitations for the coming year, and are avoiding the traditional and predictable. Eco-chic options abound in a wide range of environment-friendly recycled stock, and handmade tree-free papers."

Yep, there are alternatives to invitations made of virgin paper, and you don't have to tradeoff quality or design when choosing the green option. The company offers many options of invitations and envelopes made of recycled paper and are processed chlorine-free or made of tree-free materials.

If you're worried about staying stylish, Formal-invatations.com brings you a short guide for 2008 trends in invitations, where you can learn for example that "For a spring wedding in 2008, an invitation's color scheme can echo the colors of the blooming gardens with sky blue, leaf green and magnolia pink. Summer brings hotter weather and high-voltage tints will be everywhere -especially apple green, aqua blue, bright yellow and sunset orange."

If you're still not satisfied with the green alternatives, you can always send your invitations by email :-)

Raz

Eco-Libris: Plant a tree for every book you read!

Don't miss GreenFest Philly next Sunday

If you're around Philly next Sunday (September 9, 11am-6pm), don't miss the GreenFest.

Still hesitating? check out the GreenFest website, which invites us all to "come explore the many ways that Philadelphia is Going Green—or could! Our rocking street festival features music, food, art and more than 100 exhibitors. They demo new, exciting solutions for living in an environmentally sensitive and just way." You can also check out their MySpace page.

I will be there and I hope to see all on South Street, between 7th & 11th.

see ya,

Raz

Eco-Libris: Plant a tree for every book you read!