Sustainable Fabrics - behind the hype

Organic Clothing blog has a great post analysing the claims of bamboo to be renewable, green, and ecological.

"Bamboo fabric is becoming the Wonder Bread of sustainable textiles. This isn’t to say that bamboo doesn’t have many exceptional qualities. I’m just saying that the green hype is starting to lead to a loss of credibility. Let’s take a short walk through the bamboo green claims and see what’s real and what’s green spin.

Excerpt:
CLAIM: Grown on Environmentally Friendly Bamboo Plantations.
REALITY: Bamboo fabric is spun from bamboo pulp manufactured from bamboo grown on bamboo plantations primarily in China. Because bamboo has so many uses and derived products, growing bamboo has become a significant industry in China. The book Rehabilitation of Degraded Forests to Improve Livelihoods of Poor Farmers in South China by Liu Dachang published in 2003 by the Center International Forestry Research researches in depth the environmental and social damage that have been created by poor and over-harvested forests of all kinds, not just bamboo, in China. Chinese government forest policy reforms within the last twenty years have transferred ownership of most forests to private citizens and businesses. The result has been a lack of government regulations for controlling forest land use and many forests were clear-cut to plant money-making mono-cultures such as bamboo plantations.

Read the whole thing -- M

Freedom to marry

Couples often choose the Massachusetts ruling on Freedom to Marry as a wedding reading:

Excerpt from Goodridge v. Dept. Of Public Health, introduction by Massachusetts Supreme Court Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall,

...
"Marriage is a vital social institution. The exclusive commitment of two individuals to each other nurtures love and mutual support; it brings stability to our society. … marriage is at once a deeply personal commitment to another human being and a highly public celebration of the ideals of mutuality, companionship, intimacy, fidelity, and family. "It is an association that promotes a way of life, not causes; a harmony in living, not political faiths; a bilateral loyalty, not commercial or social projects."

"Because it fulfills yearnings for security, safe haven, and connection that express our common humanity, marriage is an esteemed institution, and the decision whether and whom to marry is among life's momentous acts of self-definition".

Sometimes national laws and political situations made marriage difficult for some groups, especially in situations where religion seems to intrude into the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the Right to Marry. This is especially true of places where women's rights are not universally upheld:

UDHR: Article 16.

(1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.

(2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.

(3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.

I'm considering another little blog on the political and social barriers to freedom to marry -- more soon. M

Urban or Nature? The settings/ offset dilemma

Which is more ecological? An outdoor wedding in a park, where people have to drive to get there, or an urban wedding where your guests can walk or take public transit?
Hard to tell -- depends on your own logistics. Of course you could offer a donation to a wildlife area as part of your wedding, because you don't want to go tramping through the native plants and wetlands - or you could have just the family attend an outdoor ceremony -- or have it in an urban park which needs your support --

Here's another thought: I was going to go and pick some stuff to can from an urban farm in toronto, and noted pickyourown.org. It's a primitive site, but it does discuss wedding parties at this urban farmstead. So how about a wedding/ reception at an organic farm? (provided you get there by mass transit, hybrid bus, etc.). And of course it would be great to make your dinner from their produce. I wonder if any Mennonite farms would host such a wedding -- think of the pies!

Possible list of organic farms in Ontario.

Directory of CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farms in Ontario.
Canadian Organic Growers

Just google your state or province and find the local certified organic organization, like: NorthEast NY Organic Farming Association .

Note the Bee and Mead festival! My son made the mead for our daughter's wedding - light and dry and bubbly and delicious. (And we made the wine for his wedding - not quite dry enough :). Start planning now to make your own homemade quaffs!

How to include absent family in wedding ceremonies

Whether it was extreme weather, airplane delays, or visa problems, many of the important family members of some couples were unable to attend their weddings this month. Some were out of country and could not get visas. Some were unable to afford to travel from one coast to another, and some were stranded.
We used our cell phones, and had friends set up speaker phones for distant places. (Be sure to check the time difference across the ocean!) We managed to have two absent moms offer their blessing via phone - and integrated it into the ceremony. We had people fax their personal messages, and read them in the ceremonies. One mom sent a mantilla by fedex so the bride could wear 'something borrowed'. We lit candles, held hands in silence, rang a meditation bowl, and sent pictures by cell phone and set up instant blogs. We asked other family members to stand in for missing ones and speak for them. We listed family names in the ceremony. Of course we saved flower petals, a wine glass, and a copy of the ceremony, as keepsakes.
Consider having a vow renewal and family wedding blessing if you can get together with missing people at a later time. Repeat parts of the ceremony, have missing relatives light candles, and offer a wine toast. A wedding is not just one day -- it's a family event.

Iowa Floods - light posting

I am visiting family in Cedar Rapids, in the floods. Please excuse lite posting. (Update - back from the midwest, everyone safe, though we lost grandmas house - it's a strange summer...)

NY recognizes gay marriages from other states, countries

NY state agencies to recognize gay marriages by Claudia Parsons, Reuters

NEW YORK - New York state has instructed government agencies to recognize same-sex marriages conducted out of state or abroad... The directive could impact everything from health insurance to public housing and organ donation. It was welcomed by the New York Civil Liberties Union, which posted a copy on its Web site and said it was "a milestone in the fight for fairness."

In the memo dated May 14 but not publicized at the time, Gov. David Paterson's legal counsel, David Nocenti, said state agencies that do not recognize gay marriages could be subject to liability. The directive follows a New York appeals court ruling in February that valid same-sex marriages performed in other states or countries must be recognized in New York.

Massachusetts is the only U.S. state that allows same-sex marriage, while several states allow gay civil unions.Paterson's predecessor as governor, Eliot Spitzer, who resigned earlier this year, proposed legalizing same-sex marriage in New York last year but said at the time he expected such a bill to be rejected by the legislature.

In California, the state Supreme Court ruled this month that barring homosexuals from marrying violated the California Constitution. Opponents of gay marriage in California are preparing an amendment to the state constitution that could be on the ballot for this year's election in November.

The directive to New York agencies said same-sex marriages were legal in Canada, South Africa, Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands, as well as Massachusetts.

"When a Massachusetts official vested with legal authority ... has recognized such marriage, it should be afforded the same recognition as any other legally performed union," it said.

The directive instructed state agencies to review all policies and regulations to ensure the terms "spouse," "husband" and "wife" were construed "in a manner that encompasses legal same-sex marriages, unless some other provision of law would bar your ability to do so." It referred to a list drawn up by the New York City Bar Association and the Empire State Pride Agenda Foundation, a gay rights group, of more than 1,300 such regulations.

Areas affected range from inheritance to public housing and education assistance, as well as health insurance and employment benefits. Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, said Paterson's directive strengthened the court's ruling "by acknowledging it is New York's policy to recognize the marriages of lesbian and gay couples."

"Now it's time for our legislature to allow all of New York's families to live with dignity," Lieberman said.

Wikipedia has a chart of states with civil unions, and a timeline.

After the wedding - ethical cleanup and recycling

This is not about 'trashing the dress', a very odd custom and something antithetical to an eco-wedding, unless your dress is made of paper.

But how can you make the end of the wedding celebration ethical?

Recycle the flowers.

Donate the food. The easiest thing is to Google "Food Bank" and your city. Many places such as SecondHarvest or CityHarvest (NY) will not take food that has been out on a buffet, so talk informally with your local soup kitchens to see if they are prepared to accept your (refrigerated and wrapped) leftovers. Plan BEFORE the wedding, to arrange delivery. Ask the band, the servers, and the staff if they want the left-over food, and arrange for containers.

Plant a tree in a national forest.

Pay your carbon offsets for travel for your honeymoon and for your guest's travel.

Donate the dresses to Brides against Breast Cancer, or OTHER wedding dress recycling programs. Check your city for thrift shops for charity, or other services which recycle bridesmaids dresses as well as bridal gowns. Check sites for recycling prom dresses as well, if your bridesmaid dresses will send someone to the prom in style.

Oxfam and Earthworks partnership with No Dirty Gold

Oxfam America and EARTHWORKS to Strengthen Efforts to Reform Extractive Industries' Environmental and Social Practices

April 2008 -- International humanitarian relief and development organization Oxfam, and environmental advocacy group EARTHWORKS are announcing a new and exciting phase of their joint efforts to promote reforms of the environmental and social practices of the global mining and oil industries.

Since 2004, the two organizations have partnered in the highly successful "No Dirty Gold" campaign (NDG), which has sought to raise the human rights and environmental standards of the global mining industry. The campaign has enlisted the support of 30 of the world's leading jewelry companies for the campaign's "Golden Rules" human rights and environmental standards for more responsible precious metals production. In addition, 100,000 people from around the world have signed the campaign's pledge calling for more responsibly produced gold. The campaign has also helped catalyze the creation of the Initiative for Responsible Mining, an effort by NGOs, mining companies and jewelry retailers to develop a third-party, independent system for verifying environmental and social practices at large-scale mines.

The two organizations now seek to build on the unprecedented success of No Dirty Gold (NDG) and take on even greater challenges. EARTHWORKS will assume the management of NDG, and will continue to raise concerns about irresponsible practices at mine sites around the world as well as document progress towards best practices. Oxfam America will intensify its work in this sector by launching a new initiative focused on the theme "Right to Know/Right to Decide," which will seek to empower local communities by calling on mining and oil companies to fully respect communities' basic rights to participate in decision-making and to fully disclose money they pay to foreign governments. Such information is a crucial first step for ensuring that governments use these funds to reduce poverty and protect human rights. Later this spring, EARTHWORKS will also be launching a new effort to pressure companies extracting fuel minerals to implement best practices and policies that protect communities and our climate.

Should you pay for your wedding with an 'ethical' credit card?

workingassets.com
BrighterPlanet.com

Are two of the big ones. Working assets has donated 60 million to good causes since 1985.

BUT, they are owned by Bank of America and MBNA. 60 million is chump change to them, and it buys a lot of greenwashing. Such banks have been accused of predatory lending, ethics violations, and are big republican donors. See this CoopAmerica article, comparing Greenwashing Credit companies like BOA and MBNA. Where possible, look up a local credit union.

Happy Earth Day - greenwashing

Another lite posting day -- Gotta do more gardening - hand-picking slugs today. Consider supporting this Greenwashing campaign, and make sure you check out 'green' companies to see what they're really doing. I'm riding my 'new' second hand bike - saddle sore, but nice to be on the road, out of the subway. Cheers!

Wedding in National Park

Sorry for the light posting -- must go garden! Gotta get those organic seeds in the ground before the rain. If you're interested in being married in a national park, see this list: Weddings in National Parks

Provincial Parks:
British Columbia: "You do not require a Park Use Permit to hold a wedding ceremony within a provincial park HOWEVER you do need permission from our Regional Office. Please contact our Victoria office at 1-866-433-7272 ext. 3 so that we can direct you to the appropriate Regional Office for the specific park you are interested in"

Park locations in Ontario Ontario parks need to be contacted individually. Some have event spaces or lodges for rental use, some will let you use the park space.
Also consider private gardens and conservatories, like the Arboretum at the University Of Guelph.

Earth Day Action - lobby for HR 1590 S 309

The Unitarians are on it - (and so are the Quakers)
Here is the short and sweet: Global climate change is already creating water shortages and forcing large-scale human migrations. The scientific community tells us we must reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions to 80% below 2000 levels by the year 2050. Only the Sanders-Boxer (S. 309) and Waxman (H.R. 1590) bills require the sufficient reductions, as an economy-wide cap-&-trade. Moreover, the competing bill benefits corporations at the expense of low-income families. (See more information on why the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) endorses Sanders-Boxer (S.309) (PDF) over Lieberman-Warner.)

Eco honeymoon?

I'm of two minds about eco-tourism. Surely the best way to preserve the ecosystem of unique environments is to -- STAY AWAY!

However, in some cases, sustainable (??) tourism allows the indigenous population to keep out the loggers, developers, miners, and other encroachments. So I'll try to find some eco-tour ideas and post the list on agreenbride.

Here are some inititial guides:

Ecotourdirectory
"Our directory currently contains 76 eco holiday agents, tour operators and eco accommodation providers to help plan your next day trip, weekend break or trip of a lifetime. Between them all they can provide hundreds of responsible & ecotourism holiday options to inspire you."

Out of season fruit killing songbirds

The Independent.

Think about serving strawberries and cream at your wedding -- in November...and read this:

"The number of migratory songbirds returning to North America has gone into sharp decline due to the unregulated use of highly toxic pesticides and other chemicals across Latin America. Ornithologists blame the demand for out-of-season fruit and vegetables and other crops in North America and Europe for the destruction of tens of millions of birds. By some counts, half of the songbirds that warbled across America's skies only 40 years ago have gone, wiped out by pesticides or loss of habitat.

New and highly toxic pesticides banned by the US and European Union are being widely used in Latin America. Because of changed consumer habits in Europe and the US, export-led agriculture has transformed the wintering grounds of birds into intensive farming operations producing grapes, melons and bananas as well as rice for export..."

Combined with a loss of habitat due to ethanol planting, the birds are doomed. And the bees haven't recovered yet, either. Consider this when you're planning your wedding menu, and it's not just fruit - so vegetarians and vegans should take note too, and do their research.

Ethical companies are not forever

The Lazy Environmentalist is a friendly sort of eco-blog (and the owner, Josh Dorfmann, runs Vivavi.com, (showroom in Manhattan), where you can set up a registry for eco wedding furniture).

I discovered on his blog that Clorox bought Burt's Bees (in 2007, where was I?), and Disney bought Treehugger.com. Be advised. Mileage may vary on these items, now. Remember when Hershey bought Dagoba? Sigh.

Wedding poems and blessings about nature

We have been asked about spiritual readings for outdoor weddings (and readings which reference Nature). Many of the Native American readings, such as the Apache Wedding Blessing are frequently used for this purpose, as well as the Eastern Seven Steps wedding blessing.

Here is a page of wedding readings about nature with some other prose and poetry readings which may be suitable, as well as the usual passages by Khalil Gibran, a popular selection from Louis de Bernieres' Captain Corelli's Mandolin, some Shelley and Yeats and some more unusual poems you might consider. Let us know anything else we should add!

I like this Classical Chinese poem:

I want to be your friend forever and ever
When the hills are all flat
and the rivers run dry
When the trees blossom in winter
and the snow falls in summer,
when heaven and earth mix -
not till then will I part from you.

and this:

Double Love Song by Thomas Whitebread

Open your heart, as if you could,
Let me come into it like fire,
And let me know it as dry wood,
Pretend your being is desire.

Then turn to sandstone, as you can
And let me flow like water through
Your pores toward air, where I began
As if your earth were all of you

Catering a Vegetarian Wedding Menu - hidden meat items

If you are using an omnivorous caterer (one who is making both meat and non-meat dishes) you may need to ask certain questions regarding the vegetarian aspects of your meal. Here is a list from a UK wedding site to ask your caterer. I'm married to a chef, and I added a few questions.

* Cheese: not all cheese is vegetarian. Double check that vegetarian rennet, not animal rennet, is being used.
* Wine: the sediment in wine may have been removed (fined) with gelatine or egg white. Always check with the supplier. Remember, too, that organic wine is not necessarily vegetarian.
* Eggs: many veggies will only eat free-range eggs.
* Margarine: some margarine contains whey or vitamins A, D or E, or additive E471, any of which may be from animal sources. It's safest to use margarine with the vegetarian or vegan symbol.
* The cake: does the icing contain animal products, such as egg whites? While this will be OK for veggies, any vegans among your guests will not be able to eat it.
* Honey: this is avoided by most vegans.
* Pasta: may contain egg or squid ink or other substances.
* Soup: double-check the ingredients in the stock.
* Vegetables: Many caterers cook veggies in soup stock and butter for added flavour
* Glaze and thickening agents: check the ingredients of vegetable and dessert glazes and thickening agents for sauces. You want cornstarch or agar-agar, or some sort of carageen (Irish Moss), not aspic or gelatin.
* Tuna-fish: well, it's true. Many cooks think 'vegetarian' means fish.

The British Vegetarian Society has a great website with information and alternatives, including a special page for caterers and some recipes. (I like their Vegetarian Paella, which would be a festive buffet dish).

For worse or for better - mindfulness is the key

IN all the wedding vows, there is some mention of "for better, for worse" - variations include "through the good times and the bad", or "we shall bear together what share of trouble and sorrow our lives may lay upon us, we shall share together whatever of joy and fulfillment life may hold". See wedding ceremonies for some examples.

Here is an article from the BBC to suggest that a little bit of buddhist meditation might be the key to happiness in marriage. Perhaps that's a better pre-marital course than all those questionnaires about your likes and dislikes, which always seemed to me too much like a dating quiz in a laundromat magazine.

Misery: the secret to happiness. Accepting the bad times could make for a happy marriage.

"The key to a happy relationship could be accepting that some miserable times are unavoidable, experts say. Therapists from California State University, Northridge and Virginia Tech say accepting these problems is better than striving for perfection.The report was published in the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy

And they blame cultural fairytales and modern love stories for perpetuating the myth that enjoying a perfect relationship is possible. The pursuit of relationship nirvana can be potentially damaging

The authors, Dr Diane Gehart and Dr Eric McCollum say it is a "myth that, with enough effort we can achieve a state without suffering." And they say healthcare professionals may not be helping the situation.

"The field of mental health perpetuates this myth with the very concept of "mental health," which implies a state without suffering," they say. But this belief can eventually cause people to believe that with enough effort they can eliminate suffering. And experts say this is an unrealistic aim in relationships, and striving to achieve it can lead people to feel they have failed.

Jan Parker of the Association of Family Therapy said: "The authors are right to point out that the pursuit of relationship nirvana can be potentially damaging."

She said it was important to explore what people mean by a happy and healthy relationship, because nobody's life or relationship can be in a permanent state of happiness - there will always be more difficult times. She said couples need to build strengths, such as understanding, in their relationships to help them cope in these hard times and appreciate the good times.

Mrs Nadine Field, a consultant psychologist, said it was a "fantasy" that any relationship could be perfect and that striving for such an impossible state could lead to bitter disappointment. She said this disappointment could then cause people to focus on the negative aspects of a relationship, and lead to more disappointment and resentment.

She said: "People need to try to understand their partners through communication, rather than demanding perfection of them."

The authors recommend using mindfulness, a Buddhist meditation technique, to help cope with family suffering".

Light out tonight! Earth Hour - candlelit weddings

Earth Hour 2008 US

I've done many weddings by candlelight. Some on purpose, where we handed out candles to 200 people in the garden (which didn't really work because they didn't have enough lights, so the first candles were burnt out by the time the rest of the people got theirs) and one on New Year's Eve when the power went out in a DUMBO warehouse, and we found enough candles to light the altar and the stairwell, and I had memorized the ceremony. Oh, and once in a hurricane where we huddled under a tarp - I forgot that one. Anyway, have lots of candles, but have those long barbecue lighters, make sure you have some sort of wind buffer. From my long years as an organic farmer, I am used to creating wind buffers: I have lots of hurricane lamps with glass chimneys, I make tin-foil reflectors, etc. Be very careful of fire - have a sand bucket, if possible, in fact put the candles IN sand buckets - you can make them pretty. You can of course use painted coffee cans full of sand, or kitty litter.If people are holding candles, improvise the drip shields, and give them a place to put the burned ones (those buckets, again). Make sure you have the fire exits marked, all those safety things. Consider the nice garden flashlights that look like lanterns, and go for battery power (wind up, if you want) instead of all firepower.
I think I'll do some research on the ecology of candles. It's been years since I made my own... Happy EARTH HOUR!

World Water Day - use recycled invitations.

It's world water day. See the blueplanetproject.net for campaigns for a Universal Declaration of the Right to Water, and lots of information about the water crises.

Use recycled paper for your stationery. It’s easy to find quality, recycled papers and cardstock. Did you know:[from DIYbride.com] 1 Ton of 100% Recycled Paper Saves:

* 17 trees
* 7000 gallons of water
* 4100 kwh of energy, enough to power the average home for 6 months
* 60 pounds of air pollution
* 2.5 cubic yards of landfill space

Here are a few suggestions:
CustomPaper.com
Sealandsend
pristineplanet.com
and one of the popular 'embedded seed' invitation companies:
greenfieldpaper.com.
Tree-free paper resources.
Just don't pay for airmail shipping for those recycled cards - shop locally.
Or use online services for your invites, your googlemap, and other wedding news. Try to find an ecologically conscious online service (my server, Hostpapa.com, is a green host).

DON'T USE THOSE "FLOWER SEED" INVITATIONS!!!

Why flower seed favors are not eco-friendly

"As the editor and publisher of myechochicwedding.com I spend a lot of time searching the internet for fabulous new eco-friendly wedding ideas.

During my cyber travels I have become increasingly concerned over how many "Green Wedding" sites are promoting plant seed, particularly wildflower seed, as an eco-friendly wedding favor. Yes, plant seeds are a natural gift from mother nature and in some cases organic, but plant seeds are not necessarily eco-friendly.

Many of the plant seed packages being sold on the internet and even in local nurseries often contain a mix of non-native plant seeds. In most cases, the contents of these seed mixes are not listed on the package and are only labeled as “Wildflower Mix”. Very Good point!