Going, Going. . .Green

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BABY CARE

Ch-Ch-Changes

LINDA BYERLINE’S third child was born prematurely in 2002. Sara Grace developed chronic lung disease. And because of chemicals in disposable diapers, doctors recommended switching to cloth ones. Unable to find diapers that fit a preemie, Byerline made some. Soon she was selling extras. Five years later, she had a thriving diaper business.

Her whimsically named Happy Heinys company is based in El Cajon (happyheinys.com; 619-258-6867). The firm has seen a tripling of business year after year, and recently expanded into its own retail store that offers the full line of Happy Heinys colorful cloth diapers (the products have been used by celebrity moms including Melissa Joan Hart, Ali Landry and Jaime Pressly).

How are reusable diapers saving the environment? Each year, 18 billion disposable diapers are thrown away in landfills. According to Byerline, using cloth diapers decreases the amount of waste in a landfill by about 1 ton per child, from birth to age 3.
—RON DONOHO

RESTAURANTS

Eating for the Environment

SAN DIEGO is among a handful of environmentally conscious cities eating its way toward a more sustainable environment. With the help of the Green Restaurant Association, a San Diego–based nonprofit, several local restaurants are “dining green”—and in a convenient and cost-effective manner.

Founded in 1990, the GRA promotes a responsible restaurant industry by helping establishments implement environmentally friendly initiatives. And San Diego restaurateurs have been quick to embrace the dining-green scene. So far, local member restaurants include Croce’s, E Street Café, George’s California Modern, Ranchos Cocina, Ranchos North Park, Thrusters Lounge and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.

“Restaurant owners who have a longterm business outlook can see that making environmentally sustainable changes today will not only cut their operational costs but also showcase their restaurant as a leader in the growing green-business movement,” says Andy Meeks, a GRA environmental consultant.

For George Hauer, owner of La Jolla’s George’s at the Cove, participation is about more than cutting costs. “It has to do with getting expert advice on how we can minimize our impact on the environment,” says Hauer. “We don’t put it on the menus . . . we’re not using it as a marketing gimmick.”

Members are required to eliminate all Styrofoam products and implement a full-scale recycling program. They commit to four environmentally friendly initiatives per year for the length of their contract (offered in one-, three- and five-year terms). Steps include energy and water efficiency and conservation, recycling, pollution prevention and sustainable food options.

The GRA, naming the restaurant industry as the number-one electricity consumer in the retail sector, says some Green Certified Restaurants save thousands of dollars each year by incorporating energy conservation methods and waste-reduction systems.

“Consumers have an enormous amount of power to effect change,” says Meeks. “That power resides in how they spend money in the marketplace.”

To learn more, go to dinegreen.com.
—VALERIE JENNISON

EARTH DAY

Celebration in the Balance?

A CONCERNED CITIZEN wrote the following e-mail after attending a 2007 Earth Day celebration. Her (edited) letter appears here, followed by a response from the San Diego EarthFair organizer.

To whomever will read:

I have found a special interest in doing what we can, big or small, to preserve and protect our Mother Earth. Earth Day was “created to celebrate gains we have made and create new visions to accelerate environmental progress. Earth Day is a time to unite around new actions” (earthday.gov).

That said, anyone who attended the Earth Day celebration at Balboa Park on Sunday, April 22, 2007, should not be surprised at my disappointment in the celebration’s lack of ability to connect, protect or reflect the Earth we live on.

As I walked aisles of booths set up by nonprofit organizations, I began to sense, “This is not what it’s about.” I did meet some enthusiastic, kindhearted people who are passionate about their causes. This was inspiring. I would like to thank those individuals for talking to me, and commend their deep-rooted passion.

However, after the 16th flier handed to me, I realized the hypocrisy. All this paper was blowing on the ground, soon to land in our ocean. Isn’t there an alternative solution using MUCH less paper? Also, there clearly were not enough recycling bins set up. And no volunteers were organized to put paper in bins.

Then I looked for some organic food. To my dismay, I found the following: Ben & Jerry’s, pretzels, nachos with neon-yellow cheese, hot dogs and sodas (and not Hansen’s natural sodas or anything of the sort). The only organic thing I had that day was an apple from Henry’s Market.

Where has the true sense of Earth Day gone? Was it always like this? Can this be changed? The one thing greatly missing on Earth Day was Earth. It’s been replaced with a commercial monopoly. If the meaning is lost, please call it something else.

Please don’t get me wrong. The turnout seemed amazing. For those who did go, I commend you for not being apathetic and for acknowledging this day. But let’s do this in a way that’s more conducive to what the day is REALLY about.

Having hope for a better Earth Day 2008. . .

BROOKE MCINTYRE

The response:

Brooke:

Thanks for your note. Here are some comments:

About the fliers: The folks passing out fliers were (at least for the most part) not our exhibitors. They are folks who just parachute into our event to use the huge crowd we generate. Since this is a public park, we have no control over them.

We do police our own exhibitors and tell them that they can have literature for folks to pick up, but they need to stay in their exhibit space and not wander around passing them out. We had volunteers in each area who regularly picked up trash. This was a good year. You should see what it looks like when we DON’T have volunteers. And don’t worry, at the end of the day, we leave the park impeccable.

About food: We have a tough time getting ANYONE to serve vegetarian food at EarthFair, let alone organic. If you would like to help us find organic food service, it would be welcome.

About commercialism: The true sense of Earth Day is pretty much present for just about everyone. I mean, who doesn’t want a clean, healthy environment? But people don’t know what to do to achieve that.

Each of our exhibitors has a vision of a little piece of the puzzle—something that people can DO to make a difference. The whole purpose of EarthFair is to get these two groups together. My commitment is that everyone who comes goes home knowing something that will affect their lives from then on. Nothing else matters.

If this is “not what it’s about,” then what is it about?

Sorry about the long rant. I get shots all the time from folks who think EarthFair doesn’t have the “feeling” of Earth Day anymore. If they are in action, that’s enough for me.

CHRIS KLEIN
EarthFair Production Manager
Cofounder
San Diego Earth Day

Note:
EarthFair 2008 takes place on April 20 in Balboa Park (Sixth Avenue at Laurel Street), from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 858-272-7370 or go to earthdayweb.org.

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