Thanksgiving 2009: an Eco-conscious Affair

Today marks one week before America celebrates Thanksgiving. This historically based holiday is regarded as a joyous time to gather family, enjoy turkey, and eat in excess. While food is a large part of the Thanksgiving experience, for the luxurious, eco-conscious host or guest at a Thanksgiving affair this year, food is not the only way to green your Thanksgiving. Electricity Late November is often a cold time of year. While you certainly want all of your Thanksgiving guests to be comfortable, keep in mind that baking and other kitchen activities will warm up your house whether you adjust the thermostat or not. Planning ahead and turning down or off the heat while cooking is a great way to save electricity while still staying warm. When guests arrive, if you have a fireplace, you can save electricity and add ambience by starting a fire. Candlelight is also always a great way to create a luxurious lighting situation while saving on electric lights. These electricity saving ideas are ways to impress guests with your attractive atmosphere without appearing as if anything is being sacrificed. If anyone asks, however, as an eco-conscious host, you can stand behind keeping your electric bill and carbon footprint down. Centralize While at this point you might already have plans, potentially involving travel, for where to spend next Thursday, being with your friends and family is a great time to discuss future plans. Maybe next year you can plan to meet in a more centralized location. Or think about the travel involved in getting somewhere to celebrate Thanksgiving just weeks before you might be traveling there again to bring in the New Year. While most employers will give you at least a 4-day weekend, just because you have the time off does not necessarily mean you should spend that time traveling. Staying at home and inviting friend and neighbors to celebrate Thanksgiving is a great way to be eco-conscious. Additionally, you could spend your long weekend catching up with old projects and getting ready for winter. One important weatherizing activity is going around and feeling windows for potential drafts. You then can plug those gaps and make your home more heat-efficient. Planet Green has helpful details on how to do this. Waste When planning your feast this year, think about the waste involved. Avoiding paper or plastic cups or plates is a first step in keeping down your waste levels. Silver wear and napkins are also a great way to add sophistication as well as to conserve your party’s contribution to your local landfill. Another way to cut down on waste is to encourage people to be mindful about their serving sizes while still eating their hearts out. While you may think you can eat a half-pound of turkey in one sitting, if you take small pieces at a time, you will avoid leaving extra on your plate once you are full. If everyone can try to have a clean plate at the end of the meal, the amount of waste you collect will be close to nothing and the uneaten food can become leftovers. Another great thing to do with uneaten food, especially if you have much more than you could ever eat, is to donate it to a local shelter. Making a few calls before hand can inform you of how you should prepare the food to be donated. Another option for cutting down waste is to prepare tupperware to be given to your guests with the food they most enjoyed. Try collecting plastic take-out containers from now until Thanksgiving, giving them a good wash, and then you will have a wonderful gift which will help ensure that the bounty prepared for your family and friends will not go to waste. I hope these ideas will help you think about some of the easy ways you can make your Thanksgiving an eco-conscious and wonderful affair. Image credit: The Daily Green, Local Win, Community Action KY, Steve Neuman

Paihamu Wild-Wool and Eco-Luxury Fur

Have you heard of the reduce, reuse, and recycle plan in New Zealand that ultimately satisfies your desire for soft, natural fiber products, including eco-luxury fur pillows, throws, and rugs? Thanks to a non-native furry creature threatening the ecosystem of the country, Eco-Luxury Fur, LLC offers consumers a 100% natural fiber product consisting of 60% merino wool and 40% Paihamu fiber. When spun together, a cashmere-like fabric is produced with softer, warmer, and lighter qualities than plain wool. What is Paihamu? Known as the "Australian Brushtail possum" outside of New Zealand, manufacturers and the industry chose to use the Maori word Paihamu to avoid confusion with the American possum – a completely different species in appearance and fur quality. Known as the largest of all possum species, Paihamu are nocturnal, semi-arboreal marsupials with pink noses, pointy snouts, and long whiskers. During the fur trade rush of the 1800s, Paihamu first came to New Zealand by way of Australia. Unfortunately, the critter thrived a little too well with an estimated 70 million roaming the country, outnumbering New Zealanders 17 to 1. At night, Paihamu destroy about 20,000 tons of vegetation throughout the country, including many native forest plants and precious eucalyptus leaves. The creature also poses a threat to wildlife habits, native animals, and domesticated animals, including birds and cattle (with the transmission of tuberculosis). Wild-Wool Accessories & Goods Against the skin, the softness and warmth of Paihamu products is impressive with inviting colors that adds an upscale touch to bedrooms, dens, and living rooms. The Paihamu and wool blend also accommodates consumers with sensitive skin, bringing what Eco-Luxury Fur likes to call the 'prickle factor' close to zero. The natural fibers are also believed to be hypoallergenic. A sample of items include the over-sized Basketweave Throw ($225) measuring 62" x 58" that comes in Oatmeal, Denim Blue, Heathered Teal, and Black, and the Scallop Edged Wrap/Throw ($95) offers a decorative fringe in Oatmeal, Heathered Teal (shown above), and Black. Other Wild-Wool products to consider include a selection of Unisex Ribbed Scarves, Ribbed Hats, Gloves, and Wool Socks. Eco-Luxury Fur According to Eco Luxury Fur, LLC, the Paihamu has the distinction of being named the third warmest fur with a light composition that not only delivers soft, silky luxury, but also helps ease a highly aggressive ecological threat in New Zealand. When browsing eco-luxury fur products, a few standouts include: Small Pillow ($100) and Large Pillow ($250) – Accent piece for bed or couch. Chair Throw ($1250) – (shown) Room accent piece that cozily accommodates one to two people. King Shorn Throw ($2800) – Sheared fur with unforgettable caramel and soft gray tones. Large Rug ($1900) – Raw-edged and unlined, this rug that also doubles as a throw, is made with treated suede backing. The Lowdown on Wild-Wool and Eco-Luxury Products

• All clothing and household goods are 100% sourced and manufactured in New Zealand.
• All Wild-Wool products are washable.
• All fur is humanely collected (and not farmed), which in turn provides employment in rural areas. The company spares the animals from an inhumane and wasteful end. They also contribute to the protection of the environment by averting potentially toxic alternatives, including a substance banned in the United States, which not only kills the Paihamu, but also takes the lives of dogs, cattle, and other innocent animals.
• Fibers are minimally processed, renewable, durable, reusable, and biodegradable.
• No pesticides, insecticides, or fertilizers are used in the production of fibers.

If you're interested in learning more about the ecological profile of Wild-Wool or would like to request more information, contact info@eco-luxuryfur.com or 503-635-0002. Eco-Luxury Fur, LLC 333 S. State Street, Suite V-446 Lake Oswego, OR 97034 chrys@eco-luxuryfur.com Image Credits: Grace Studio, Eco-Luxury Fur