Not to be a party pooper, but I’ve never been a big fan of the Fourth of July.  It’s not that I don’t enjoy a day off of work and the time with friends and family.

It’s the sound of war that surrounds the city and the haze of smoke that lingers for a few days after. It’s as far from a celebration of our country as can be. Most typical celebrations involve loads of paper plates, Styrofoam cups, lots of meat, processed foods, and chemical spewing fireworks.

This year, do it differently and show your friends and family how to have a fun Fourth, without the trash and smoke.

1. Buy local, buy organic, buy veggies.  Greening up your Fourth feast is easy. Farmers’ markets are teeming with a huge variety of produce right now—take advantage. …read more of Three Ways to Have a Sustainable Holiday here

Snow Leopards are incredible creatures. They’re elusive in the wild and their harsh habitat of the central Asian mountains makes it difficult for scientists to track them.

It’s estimated that there are between 3,500 and 7,000 snow leopards left in the world, with 600 of these leopards living in zoos.

The Snow Leopard Trust is the largest snow leopard conservation organization in the world, with offices and staff in China, India, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Pakistan, and a home base in Seattle, WA. Each office works hand in hand with the people of these Snow Leopard communities to ensure community sustainability.

I spoke to Marissa Niranjan, the Conservation Commerce Manager at the Denver Green Festival about the work of the Snow Leopard Trust. …read more of Saving Snow Leopards here

Father’s Day is around the corner, do you have your gift ready?  I’ve always thought that father-figures are much harder to shop for than mothers.  Many mothers are made happy with little extravagances like flowers, chocolate, spa days, yoga gear, etc.

But when it comes to my dad, I’m stumped.  He golfs and that’s it.  I’ve gotten him every annoying golf accessory and gadget that ever existed and he hasn’t used one of them (not that I blame him).  It’s time to think outside the box; so here you go, my top five green gift ideas for Father’s Day: …read more of Top 4 Green Father’s Day Ideas here

Love turtles? Want to see sea turtles in their natural habitat?

Check out SEE Turtles, a nonprofit turtle conservation tourism project that allows people to have a hand in helping sea turtles thrive.  I spoke with co-founder Brad Nahill at Denver Green Fest earlier this month about the project and the big question: why turtles?

Nahill and fellow co-founder, Dr. Wallace Nichols, had been working with sea turtle conservation programs in developing countries in which the locals would poach the turtles to eat, as well as use their shells. At the same time, those communities would express a desire to help the turtles, but they just didn’t know where to start or how to help. …read more of The SEE Turtle Project here

At the Denver Green Festival earlier this month, I sat down with Stephanie Bernstein, founder of To-Go Ware, a company that manufactures sustainable products to take with you “to go.”

Most green savvy folk will have a reusable water bottle and coffee cup with them to use, and that’s certainly commendable. There are so many water bottles and coffee cups that get thrown away without a second thought.

But what about plastics and to go containers? It used to be the norm that if you were going to a restaurant or cafe to be asked, “for here or to go?” And if you answered, “for here,” you would get actual silverware and dishes. But now, many places don’t even have a for here option! …read more of One More Step: To-Go Ware here