Heart of Green

Global Green Party

Global Green Presents:
GORGEOUS & GREEN

You are invited to the star-studded Gorgeous and Green party celebrating glamorous green design and sustainable lifestyles and benefiting Global Green:

WHEN:
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
6:00 pm Patron Celebrity Dinner
7:30 pm Cocktail Party Doors open

WHERE:
The Bently Reserve
301 Battery Street
San Francisco, CA 94111

FEATURING:

• Celebrity Guests
• Eco-Fashion Show
• Patron Dinner with Celebrity Michelin 2-Star Chef Joseph Humphrey and a special performance by Michelle Branch
• Gorgeous & Sustainable Event Design by Sillapere
• Organic Cocktail Party
• Delicious organic cuisine by Roots and Mixt Greens
• VIP Lounge by RC Green
• Cocktail Bars by Organic Beverage Alliance, Don Marco Tequila, Veev
• Eco-Gifting Suite with SIGG bottles and Method
  
• Music by DJ Donovan
• Special musical performance by Chris Clouse
• Eco-Spa Treatments by Kamalaspa
• Unique items from Artefact Design Salvage
• How to be Gorgeous & Green

 A GREEN EVENT:

• Carbon negative by Climate Clean
• Target zero trash, recycling, composting, glassware, Green Home
• Organic local foods, organic beverages
• Reincarnated non-toxic materials, sustainable woods, bamboo

CELEBRITY HOSTS (to date):
Jason Lewis, Michelle Branch, Josie Maran, Mayor Gavin Newsom, Jennifer Siebel, Stephan Jenkins, Nick Graham, pro-surfer Gary Linden, KaDee Strickland, Jason Behr, Pierre Andre Senizergues, actress Q'€™orianka Kilcher, and other surprise guests

HOST COMMITTEE:
Event Chairs:  Zem Joaquin and Nadine Weil
Hosts: Matt Petersen, Amber Marie & Christopher Bently, Lily Achatz, Erin Anderson, Robyn Beavers, Andrew Beebe, Alex Bie, Amy Bonetti, Brian Bunch, Jacqueline Cerone, Scott Claxon, Emilie Cowan, Amy Darland, Nellie Draganic, Julie Elliott, Justin Fichelson, Anthony Gilmore, Joel Goodrich, Lydia Graham, Nick Graham, Jordan Harris, Matt Heintz, Lucas Heldfond, Brandon Hernandez, Kristine Hernandez, Deirdre Holbrook, Stephanie Imperial, Bruce Katz, Ella Keeven, Cynthia Koehler, Marco Krapels, CR Lipton, Victoria Love, Monica Maduro, Quinn Morgan, Sara Mossman, Alison Murdock, Aaron Mutscheller, Clarissa Nicosia, Lora O'Connor, Michelle Odom, Margaret O'Leary, Carl Page, Gina Pell, Maria Teresa Petersen, Heidi Pettit, Jeff Rabham, Claudia Ross, Sarah Shaw, David Shearer, Nicole Sillapere, Kate Smith, Al Smyth, Marla Steuer, Summer Tompkins Walker, Todd Traina, Tara Trask, Alyssa Warnock, Vanessa Getty

INVITATION:
View the Official Invitation

TICKETS:
Proceeds benefit the nonprofit Global Green
$250 Cocktail Party  (7:30 pm)
$1,000 VIP Cocktail Party  (7:30 pm with champagne in VIP lounges)
$5,000 Patron Dinner Party  (6:00 pm plus Cocktail Party)

RSVP:
Click here to RSVP

Inquiries:  310.581.2700

PR by Cross Marketing

DRESS:
Cocktail or Luxury Eco

WHO'S THERE (to date):

Gold Sponsors: Google, PG&E, Sillapere, Don Marco Tequila, Passport Resorts

Gold Food Sponsor: Rabobank

Green Circle Sponsors: Bently Holdings, Clean Solar, Clif Bar, Apartment 24, Energy Innovations, International Watch Company, Method Home, Rickshaw Bagworks, Sigg Water Bottles, TheFind.com, Vespa, Sole Technology, UGOBE Pleo

Patron Dinner: Cavallo Point the Lodge at the Golden Gate, Iron Horse Vineyards, Michelin 2-Star Chef Joseph Humphrey, Passport Resorts, Greenleaf Produce, Marin Sun Farms, Beckmen Vineyards

Cocktail Party Beverages: Don Marco Tequila, Tequila El Duende de Don Felipe, Veev, Clift Hotel Redwood Room Bar, and the new Organic Beverage Alliance (Organic Vintners, Square One Organic Vodka, Numi Tea, Thanksgiving Coffee, Guayaki Yerba Mate Tea, MateVeza Yerba Mate Ale, Butte Creek Beer, Sambazon, Steaz), Elixir Certified Green Bar Caterer

Organic Party Foods: Roots at the Orchard Garden Hotel, Asia de Cuba, Mixt Greens

Organic Desserts: Three Twins Organic Ice Cream, Just Desserts, City Chocolate Fountains, Rococo Chocolates at MissDels.com

Eco-Fashion Show: Lily Achatz, Clarissa Nicosia, Bahar Shahpar, Beyond Skin, Cari Borja, Charmone Shoes, Eco Citizen, Kelly B Couture, Kirsten Muenster Jewelry, Lara Miller, Linda Loudermilk, Margaret O'Leary, Del Forte Denim, William Good, diPietro Todd Salon, Stars Model Management

Cosmetics:  Iredale Mineral Cosmetics

Green Decor:  Sillapere (Lead), Artefact Design & Salvage, Cleanarama,, Graham & Brow Eco Wallpaper, Green Fusion Design Center, Bentley Prince Street Carpet, Be Sweet, EnviroTextile, Marin Outdoor Living, Wildflower Linen

Eco Signage:  Priority Architectural Graphics€™ Xanita Eco Signs

Hotel Accommodations: Fairmont San Francisco

Celebrity Transport: PlanetTran Hybrid Car Service

Marketing: ecofabulous, Thread Communications

Event Production: B Line Events

PICTURES from Last Year:

    

      

ABOUT GLOBAL GREEN:
Global Green's mission is to create a global value shift toward a sustainable future by working to solve global warming, further green building, eliminate weapons of mass destruction, and ensure access to clean water. Global Green is the national arm of Green Cross International, Mikhail Gorbachev's environmental organization. Global Green hosts the Red Carpet Green Cars Campaign at the Oscars and works for green schools and green affordable housing. They are also hosting Sustainable Design Competitions with Brad Pitt to help rebuild New Orleans green.  www.globalgreen.org

Barneys Gives Good Green

Calling all eco-challenged fashionistas and gift givers, the Barneys Green Holiday Catalog has arrived.

It’s not always easy being eco-stylish. One look around the Green Festival still yielded a mountain of scratchy hemp. But hope is here. Barneys going green is huge news. They have the power to ask designers for eco-friendly products, and they are using it. “Join the Green Revolution, we have,” they exclaim.

Gracing the pages of the Barneys Holiday Catalog are gorgeous green gifts, fabulous fair-trade fashion, and sustainable swag.  We talked in a previous post about avoiding the holiday shopocalypse . If you’re cutting back on quantity this year, a single high quality green present from Barneys can be a great solution. Here are some of my favorites:

Exclusive eco-fashion from the new Go Green Go collection by Phillip Lim, Stella McCartney, Rogan, Loomstate for Barneys Green, Edun, Pierce Jeans, Rag & Bone, Bamford & Sons, Greencaste by Earnest Sewn, and Levi’s Capital E Eco. The Rogan black and white striped cardigan made from 100% free-range alpaca yarn is beautiful (and sold out currently, sniff).

Henry Cuir leather shopper tanned without chemicals. This is fantastic as most leather is tanned with toxic chromium.

Virginia Johnson colorful wool shawls hand-loomed with eco-friendly dyes through small cottage makers in India, with a % of proceeds to the David Suzuki Foundation.

Plan Toys 100% recycled wood doll house

D.L. & Co certified organic wax candles with pure essential oils. Yes there is organic wax! Instead of oil-based paraffin, it is made from organic non-GMO soy.

Josie Maran organic makeup in eco-packaging (currently sold out)

Barneys Green is Groovy Gift Cards

Signed World Changing book

For the gents, Suzanne Felsen recycled gold cufflinks with a portion of the proceeds going to the World Wildlife Fund, blue Rolland Berry Create recycled fabric scarves, and even a bamboo skateboard by Arbor.

Barneys is not only selling green. They are being green. Their holiday catalog is printed using 30% post-consumer recycled content, soybean inks, and FSC-certified printers. Barneys is also gifting the earth a fabulous 25,000 trees via American Forests. Their 12 Green Days of Christmas includes 12 tons of tofu and a Prius in a pear tree.

On Heart of Green, we try to get to the heart of the matter and not be blinded by any green-colored lights. At first I thought the Barneys catalog was a 100% green catalog. This would have been as miraculous as the conception. The Barneys catalog is actually a Holiday Catalog which includes green gifts, items with a % of the proceeds going to a charity, and regular luxury gifts. This explains the Miu Miu bag for $1,345 on page 31 and the Prada bag for $545 on page 42. At first I was excited and confused. Had Miu Miu and Prada really gone green? Well, not quite, but let’s ask Santa for next year.  www.barneys.com

p.s. See Julie Gilhart talking green in this hilarious video of Barneys Babble Live

Jurlique Beauty from Beauty

A greenhouse has moved into Pacific Heights in San Francisco. But it’s not growing plants. It’s growing skincare.

Jurlique’s new green-remodeled store is breathtakingly beautiful in a natural bucolic way. Guests at the launch party were heard “oooing” and “ahing” when they entered.

The new space feels like a high-end farmer’s market for skincare. Herbal recovery gels, hydrating mists, therapeutic oils, and luxurious hand creams are interspersed with nature photos and wood blocks carved with inspirational words. One wall of the store comes alive thanks to a moving image screen of ladybugs, fields, and one very cute bird. Shoppers can post notices about upcoming environmental events on the new community bulletin board.

Jurlique has been making natural skincare products since 1985, when green was just a color. They grow their own ingredients at their certified organic and biodynamic Jurlique Herb Farms in Australia. If you want something done right...This is important because what we put on our skin goes into our bodies. It is not superficial. It is Skin Deep. This is why patches work.

Jurlique’s new eco-friendly packaging is flowered and fabulous. The company wanted to make their outerwear as green as their innerwear, and they certainly succeeded. Their product cartons and bottles are now made from recycled materials and are also recyclable.

The Jurlique launch was a great opportunity to throw an eco-friendly celebration. The elegantly-prepared food was organic and locally grown where possible. Organic wine was provided by Frey Vineyards.

The one-stop-shop for green products, GreenHome.com parachuted in with recycled paper napkins and compostableware, that is biodegradable plates, forks, and cups made from sugarcane and corn. GreenHome also brought their handy signs pointing out where to recycle and where to compost. Check out their extensive collection of GreenHome green party products.

The eco-beauty party was carbon offset by TerraPass, using their wedding event carbon calculator. We offset 150 cars traveling an average of 7 miles each, one roundtrip flight from New York, and the energy at the store for the day. I don’t think anyone proposed that night, but several romances with Jurlique’s new store were definitely started.

Jurlique, 2136 Fillmore Street, San Francisco, CA, 94115  www.jurlique.com

Escaping the Shopocalypse

What Would Jesus Buy? is a loaded question. I will admit that I didn’t want to see this movie because of its heavy title. I thought it would be one giant reel of a guilt trip, a polarizing approach that would hurt more than it would help. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

The film What Would Jesus Buy? is a trip all right, a wild wacky road trip across America by the Church of Stop Shopping Gospel Choir and its leader Reverend Billy. In biodiesel buses of course.

The Reverend Billy is a cross between Al Gore and Elvis Presley with blond heavily hairsprayed hair. He leads his choir on crusade across the country to spread the gospel of the true meaning of Christmas. No big box store is safe. He uses humor to wake people up and help them laugh their way to a holiday filled with fewer cash registers and more fulfillment. What makes it work is that it comes from a place of love, not guilt. His big hair helps too.

The Reverend tries to save Christmas from the Shopocalypse. He exorcizes the credit cards of people drowning in debt. He gets thrown in jail. He enlightens the Mall of America (to the extent possible). He exorcizes a Wal-Mart sign. He even descends upon Disneyland to try to convert mouseketeers from an artificial dream to a real dream.

He booms through his megaphone, “Stop shopping!” Shopping has become a national pastime. People list it as a hobby. Is there anything else to do besides shop and watch television? “Stop behaving like sheep,” he yells on Black Friday as the people crush each other at 5:00 am to get through the doors of Best Buy.

The movie suggests that people are caught in an endless loop of shopping to try to find satisfaction, which fails to produce lasting results, which leads to more shopping. We are told that presents equal love. The more we spend, the more we love the recipient, right?

He encourages us to ask about our gifts – where was it made? He takes us to the brutal sweatshops of India and China. It doesn't feel like Christmas there. To remedy this, we can buy presents made in the USA and put money back into our communities.

There is a joy in gift giving that the Reverend doesn't address. I genuinely like giving presents and suspect many others do also. So what can we do?

• Give less = more (with advance warning to recipients)
• Give a gift made locally or Made In America
• Give a green gift or a fair trade gift
• Give a service or an experience, such as a massage
• Give time and love, this is the greatest gift of all

In short, we are people first, not consumers first. As Reverend Billy says, “let's spend less time shopping and more time living.” Amen to that.

15 Minutes of Flame

Let’s give some love to our icy round friends at the North and South Poles, the snowmen.

The snowmen are taking a lot of heat this week.

First Mitt Romney said that he didn’t want to participate in a CNN/YouTube debate because “I think the presidency ought to be held to a higher level than having to answer questions from a snowman.”

Here is the snowman’s response to that!

Then the San Francisco Chronicle editorial page editor got into the act by saying the Democratic candidates had to endure “the little indignity of having to respond to the cartoonish snowman.”

I am happy the snowman is getting his day in the sun. The snowman's original question to the candidates was “I've a growing concern that global warming, the single most important issue to the snowmen of this country, is being neglected. What will you do to ensure that my son will live a full and happy life?” Ok, so his voice is a little squeaky, but the question about global warming is right on pitch.

I say let’s give the redwood trees a question too. And the endangered turtles. Don’t tempt me, I just might submit a question from a polar bear. 

Let’s hear one from the birds caught in the San Francisco Bay oil spill: “My fellow feathered friends would like to know how we can buy more gifts locally, instead of importing goods on boats powered by bunker fuel.”

Nature cannot whip out its webcam and post on YouTube. That is why we have to speak for her or him. Nature does give us signs, like the Arctic ice melting, that speak as loudly as any high-def TV with surround sound. I wonder whom the snowman is voting for in the primaries on February 5th?