Somewhere Over the Co-op

On a recent trip to San Francisco, I encountered a luxurious and eco-friendly paradise. Welcome to Rainbow Cooperative Grocery. Located in the Mission district of San Francisco, this mural-filled warehouse come organic supermarket has an incredible commitment to both quality products and the environment. The Co-op While there are many cooperative grocery stores in San Francisco and all over the country, Rainbow has a long and distinguished history. Since 1975, Rainbow has been offering high quality and ecological products at affordable prices. They have also taken their position as one of the oldest and biggest health-food stores in the area seriously by offering a great deal of benefits and power to their members. Like most cooperative grocery stores, the operators are also the owners. Unlike some co-ops, however, full members of Rainbow are paid workers. While many hours of volunteer services are a necessary part of becoming a member, it is a serious job for those workers who in turn have an important role to play as part of the governing Rainbow body. An example of ideals established by the co-op members is their core mission statement. which includes livable wages and health insurance for workers, supporting fair labor, selling goods that are local, organic, or both, encouraging environmentally-friendly transportation, recycling and composting where possible, and creating an accepting, enriching, and diverse environment for both workers and customers. The Products Rainbow Grocery offers a comprehensive collection of food and living items. Many of their products are offered in bulk and Rainbow customers are encouraged, by small discounts, to bring their own reusable containers. These practices are extremely helpful in reducing the amount of plastic and excess packaging that has become a part of the everyday grocery experience. An honor system is in place as customers individually record the product’s item number, which corresponds to the price. While offering a wide selection cheese and other dairy products, one of the unique points of Rainbow Grocery is the fact that they do not sell meat. While limited in that respect, in most other ways Rainbow has more choices than you could imagine. From the multiplicity of seaweed and mushroom offerings to over 30 different types of flour include many completely unknown to me, Rainbow definitely has a lot to offer. They even have pink salt as mentioned in our October 20th blog, as well as red, black, and white quinoa! Beyond food, Rainbow offers a luxurious selection of natural bath and beauty products, beer and wine, vitamins, clothing, housewares, and even books. For more on Rainbow Grocery, check out their website. This site offers details on upcoming special, sales, and many other resources. Information about a co-op near you could be found here, with links to several cooperative databases. There is certainly a pot of gold to be found under this rainbow. Image Credit: Rainbow Cooperative Grocery

Celebrities as Eco-Spokespeople

Celebrities have the power to make the entire world stop, look and listen. Sifting through the pages of magazines, we take guilty peeks into their lives and absorb their fashion sense, hairstyles, eating habits, and late-night haunts. Today, we will take a look at some of the eco-friendly lifestyle choices and products that some of your favorite actors, actresses and musicians have embraced over the years – proving the rich and famous can ignite not only the entertainment industry, but also the environmental movement. Cameron Diaz Spreading the word on an important cause and having a decent chunk of the world listen to you is a rather significant gift for a celebrity to possess. Cameron Diaz has been using her star power for many years to promote the Toyota Prius, the use of solar cells in her home, and offsetting carbon use during travel. Hint: She actually calculates how much carbon she uses and then purchases credits from an alternative energy source and plants trees to offset her use. A new eco-documentary is also set to hit the scene, as Diaz travels around the world questioning people's knowledge on environmental issues. Her impact and involvement doesn’t stop there – as she's penned an eco-friendly how-to manual called "Green Book," offering tips on living green. Inside, you'll find 700 solutions to everyday obstacles and lifestyle choices, including information on travel, beauty products, household items, and sporting goods. Leonardo di Caprio From famously driving energy efficient cars to buying an eco-friendly condo in New York City, Leonardo di Caprio (of Titanic fame), can definitely teach you a thing or two about living an earth-friendly lifestyle. He's focused on educating the world on their impact on the environment through mediums, such as his eco-documentary 11th Hour. Besides serving as the co-producer, writer, and narrator of the documentary, he's also partnered with Discovery Networks' Planet Green on projects, like documenting the green rebuilding of a town devastated by a tornado. Adrian Grenier If you're a fan of Entourage, then you probably already have eyes for what Adrian Grenier's character is going to do next. However, outside of the lights, camera, action of Hollywood, Grenier has played an active role in going green and spreading the word. From his own show on the Planet Green channel (Alter Eco) and hosting the Charity: Water Ball to raise money for safe drinking water for developing countries, he's an eco-spokesperson to watch out for in the coming years. Brad Pitt Rebuilding New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina is still a daunting task, but Brad Pitt has embraced a different approach to lending a helping hand. Donating $5 million of his own cash, Pitt supports Make It Right, an adopt-a-green-home campaign concentrated in the Lower 9th Ward. With every $150,000 raised, a family receives a brand new home – eco-friendly, disaster-proof, and one prepared for another hurricane, as the houses even float. To see a complete home, click here. Woody Harrelson He lives in an earth-friendly home and now he wants to share his eco-sense of style with the rest of the world. Woody Harrelson (of White Man Can't Jump) has leaped into a new project that takes place outside the silver screen. Pairing with musician Alanis Morissette, he's not releasing an album, but instead, an eco-friendly line of denim jeans called Reco Jeans – made from 50% recycled material. Ana Ortiz Spreading the word on eco-friendly baby accessories for expecting mothers is actress Ana Ortiz of Ugly Betty. Appearing in a recent issue of US Weekly, Ortiz shared her choices in baby products used to decorate her nursery. On her list, organic bedding from Giggle and Ducduc furniture fashioned from sustainable wood. Honorable Mentions

• Hilary Duff – Has donated to Hurricane Katrina victims, became an ambassador for Return to Freedom (sanctuary for wild horses), and is active in USA Harvest, which collects and transports surplus food from restaurants and suppliers to missions and soup kitchens.
• Jay-Z and Beyonce – As founder of UN's Water for Life, Jay-Z participates in an organization that aims to provide clean drinking water to people worldwide. Much more than a pretty face and singer, Beyonce has worked with Second Harvest, which is part of a food-bank network.
• Josh Harnett – Active in Global Cool, Harnett participates in a charity that encourages billions of people to reduce their carbon footprints over the next 10 years.

Interesting Fact Tobey Maguire – Did you know that Spiderman has been a vegetarian for 14 years? An official ban has been placed in the Maguire household. If you come wearing leather products, you must leave your belts and shoes by the door. Image Credits: RecoJeans, ducduc