The White House announced yesterday that it will host the G20 World Economic Summit in Pittsburgh, our fair city. The meeting of key world leaders of industrialized and developing nations will convene in late September, in the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, the largest LEED-certified center in the world. This summit is a continuation of the G8 talks held this April in London focused on solving the current world economic crisis.

Why Pittsburgh? Reports say that Obama administration officials “focused on Pittsburgh because of the city’s economic recovery from the decline of the steel industry in the 1980s, and because of its leadership in environmentally friendly buildings.” Truth is Pittsburgh is poised to become one of America’s leading green cities, if it isn’t one already, something Pittsburghers have known for quite a little while — and a deciding factor behind our decision to make it Equita’s home.

So, we welcome this latest recognition with great delight. Here’s yet another chance for our rustbelt city to tell its remarkable turnaround from smokestack steeltown in decline to emerging green city. In addition to being a leader in green building innovation, there’s a grassroots effort is in effect in the city that is sustainably transforming urban living. Pittsburgh has gained national recognition for our support of farmers markets and Community Supported Agriculture, community gardens, and green industry. It’s the right setting to showcase the possibilities a green economy can afford struggling American cities — namely, the viability of green jobs.

Of course, it’s expected that swarms of local and out of town activists will inundate Downtown and take to the streets in peaceful demonstrations. I gotta say, I’m all for that. Yes, I know, some of us are in “hope honeymoon” but we still have to speak truth to power. There’s a host of issues involving globalization, including labor, trade and poverty, that world leaders must be reminded of as they seek to reorganize the world economy.

With all that being said: World, welcome to Pittsburgh!

Photo credit: Jeff Swensen for The New York Times

Wonder what’s in your kid’s shampoo or care to know what kind of labor conditions produced your favorite t-shirt? Whether you’re a seasoned treehugger or a newbie trying to live a more conscious life, I think all of us are equally concerned about our health and would do whatever possible to protect that of our families. We’ve heard countless reports now about sinister ingredients in consumer products with links to various forms of cancer. Among these cancer-causing chemicals, a good lot of them also have damaging effects to the environment. And let’s not forget the social impact of these products, too. The list is long, bewildering, and information is not only hard to find and verify, it’s difficult to know what to do next as you sift through product labels in hopes to score something that’s safe.

GoodGuide is the smartest and reliable answer I’ve seen so far to this problem. In what I can only imagine to be a gargantuan endeavor, GoodGuide’s team of experts have developed an easy to navigate site that scores thousands of products based on a strict set of criteria and assigns GoodGuide Ratings you can trust. Besides searching or browsing products, you also get expert advice and green alternatives, and — this is really good — you get to compare products and prices! Currently the guide only rates food, toys, personal care, and household products.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t credit Bill Moyers Journal for bringing GoodGuide again to my attention. Check out Moyers’ conversation with Daniel Goleman, author of the book “Ecological Intelligence”, as they discuss how better educated consumers can help build a sustainable economy.

My post today is nothing more than a postcard. A gut wrenching snapshot with a shout out from my side of the world. Not much for me to say  — the video says it all. Incredibly, I just came across it — the “All I Need” video (off the In Rainbows album) — while browsing through the blog of Veja, the French/Brazilian ethical shoemaker (yea, we got ‘em). Thom Yorke’s lyrics and the visuals work beautifully together here to illustrate (borrowing the words of Jonathan Kozol) the “savage inequalities”, the sheer absurdity of our worlds. Don’t know about you but I see a sliver of hope to this; hope in knowing that although the impact of social and economic injustice are great, viable solutions are within our reach more today than ever before.

We’re in this together. Here’s to ethical living… Enjoy the weekend.

It’s early morning in Pittsburgh. Sula the cat, half-purring, has settled by my feet, the birds are chirping right outside my window, and the bustle of another work day is growing suddenly by leaps and bounds. There’s something different, though, in today’s weekday symphony. A creeping syncopated series of beats is slowly crowding the senses. It actually started hours ago, at the break of dawn, in the islands of the South Pacific. Big Bang!!!, World Fair Trade Day 2009 is sweeping the planet.

Fair Trade is not just about poverty, it’s a solution to poverty, Fair Trade is not just about climate change, it’s a solution to environmental degradation and bad practice. Fair Trade is not just about protest, it’s about change. Change that’s long overdue.
– World Fair Trade Organization

This year’s theme calls for “a global day of drumming” to beat poverty, climate change and economic crisis. A number of events, featuring some form of drumming in whatever the local context, are scheduled throughout many world cities and small rural towns. The collective drumming is to create one very loud voice that says in unison: “we are all Fair Trade.” A clever way, you must admit, to describe the great significance this economic model, this solution, has in the lives of all of us, rich and poor. It’s the intimate interconnectedness that Fair Trade provides, between farmer/artisan, merchant and consumer, that makes this otherwise mundane exchange so important. It says that we realize that our coming together as equals not only enriches our lives, but, more importantly, creates real change in areas of poverty, the environment, and financial stability, and gets us a step closer to establishing a Sustainable Economy.

An initiative of the World Fair Trade Organization, this year’s World Fair Trade Day (now in its eighth year) is also a “salute to the people and organizations who have dedicated themselves to making Fair Trade what it is today, a solution not an issue.” What started organically in different parts of the world 60 years ago, has evolved into a well-organized movement constituted by regulatory agencies, advocate organizations, cooperatives, merchants and consumers totaling approximately 110 million “Fair Traders” around the world. Now, that’s reason enough to celebrate!

GET INVOLVED

The best way to support Fair Trade is to increase your consumption of Fair Trade products. Equita, as you know, exclusively trades Fair Trade and environmentally sustainable products, and we are members of Green America (formerly CoopAmerica). So, perhaps you can give us a try. When it comes to food, your best bet is to head over to your local food co-op or organic foods grocery, which is likely to carry a good number of Fair Trade Certified products, such as coffee, chocolate, bananas, sugar, rice, tea.

Knowledge is still powerful. Check out these sites to learn more about Fair Trade and how to become active in the movement:

• World Fair Trade Day 2009 Site
• World Fair Trade Organization
• Fair Trade Federation
• Fair Trade Resource Network
• Green America

One of my heroes, the great Pete Seeger turned 90 yesterday. A folk music legend and an indefatigable champion of labor and civil rights, Pete celebrated among friends with a concert held at Madison Square Garden Sunday night to benefit his environmental non-profit, the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater. The gathering included fellow musicians Joan Baez, Ani DiFranco, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Morello, Arlo Guthrie and Michael Franti, among others.

I, like so many others, have Pete Seeger to thank for being my first introduction to American and international labor and civil rights history, as well as the great American folk songbook. As a teenager, I spent countless hours strumming my guitar to Pete’s recordings, learning songs of struggle and the history made by social justice figures of the likes of Cesar Chavez and Victor Jara.

Thanks to Amy Goodman and Democracy Now! for dedicating today’s hour-long show to honoring the life of a valiant activist and peaceful soul. I don’t have to tell you twice to check out the video below. Enjoy! Happy Birthday, Pete!

Photo credit: Chad Batka for The New York Times

Today is May Day, the international labor holiday to celebrate workers’ rights. Take a moment to tip your hat and give props to the workers who organized the labor movement of the 1880’s, and specifically, those in the Chicago Haymarket Affair who went out on strike to demand the 8 hour workday. Confronted with challenges of the current economy, many of us have found a new appreciation for stable employment and recognize the importance of joining in the movement for workers’ rights and social justice.

We at Equita, are fortunate to call home Pittsburgh, a city with a rich labor and union history. We have found a community supportive of our efforts to advocate ethical living – making thoughtful choices that are not only environmentally responsible but also socially conscious, guaranteeing fair and safe working conditions through long-term fair trade relationships and sweatshop-free environments. It’s all about respect.

Photo: NYC Central Labor Council Collection, NY University (top); Center for the Study of Work, Labor, and Democracy, UC Santa Barbara (bottom)

Here are my picks of noteworthy eco and ethical stories of the week:

1. Earth Day! An obvious top pick, Earth Day related news and events dominated the week. Cities and towns throughout the country hosted numerous events, ranging from festivals to getting-your-hands-dirty volunteer activities. Not surprisingly, the corporate world was out with bells and whistles touting their “green” cred and that of their products. Most fell on shady (greenwashing) ground, perhaps best exemplified by Coca-Cola’s Earth Day promotion that encouraged the purchase of their bottled water, Dasani. On the deeper shade of green, the outdoor apparel company Patagonia launched a new version of the Footprint Chronicles, a step by step account of the company’s manufacturing process and its environmental impact. Of particular interest is the investigative video report What’s Done in Our Name? Now that’s what I call corporate responsibility. First major step is recognize that your product has a negative impact on the planet, however small, research ways to minimize the impact, and make that information known to the public.
2. E.P.A. Places CO2 in Environmental Axis of Evil. An “it’s about time” story, the agency makes possible the regulation of greenhouse gases as it declared they pose a threat to public health and welfare. This should also make for smoother climate talks later this year in Copenhagen (Read via NY Times)
3. Cap and Trade Appeals to Polluters. The E.P.A.’s decision on greenhouse gases is momentous, but, as we can already observe, it also poses other challenges that threaten to further complicate the process. Read or listen to climate change policy expert Peter Barnes as he explains what’s really behind the Waxman-Markey cap and trade bill currently in the congressional pipeline. The scheme “would limit greenhouse gas emissions but give away about half of the permits to pollute for free, instead of auctioning them off.” (Via (the excellent) Living on Earth)
4. What the Media Isn’t Telling You About the Swine-flu Outbreak. News of the “swine-flu” outbreak that has affected an estimated 1,000 people in Mexico and the U.S. has put governments in North America and Europe in high alert for fear of a pandemic. Although receiving the hyper-coverage you would expect, for some reason the U.S. media filter has left out the major developing story in the Mexican press. Poorly run pork farms in Mexico — all subsidiaries of Smithfield Foods, the world’s largest pork producer — are believed to have caused the outbreak. Reports indicate that contaminated breeding farms “polluted the atmosphere and local water bodies.” Leave it up to Grist to raise a flag on this story.
5. FIN’s Never-ending Tale. As you know, the eco-lux brand FIN is a cherished treasure at Equita, and we never tire of learning more about the company’s remarkable commitment to ethical fashion. Eco Fashion World made a visit to FIN headquarters in Oslo. (Via Eco Fashion World)
6. Equita Keeps It Real Green. Continuing with the style theme, we are delighted Equita was recognized by Pittsburgh Magazine, in their Pittsburgh’s Best of Green Issue, for our dedication to “contemporary-fashion designs that are eco-friendly and sweatshop-free and all geared toward fostering fair-trade and sustainable employment in developing countries around the world.”  (Via Pittsburgh Magazine)

I may have overlooked some stories, so, as always, feel free to share those you found compelling. Happy weekend!

This Earth Day Week, celebrate with days of service to the planet. Join thousands of volunteers who are choosing to downshift this week by giving their time to green programs in their communities. Get out and have a good time!

We Love Our Green Community.

Save 30% on all regularly-priced items until April 26. Enter code EARTHDAYWEEK09 at checkout.

This is the first installment of the News Round-Up, a (subjective) collection of the top 5-10 eco and ethical stories of the week.

1. The Obama administration apparently wants everyone to catch a (very) fast train out of town, as it announced this week it has plans to create a nation-wide high-speed rail system. (Read story via Grist.)
2. Carbon dioxide rocks! I mean this literally. You see, engineers in Iceland have figured a way to convert carbon dioxide to solid rock. They predict 30,000 tons of the greenhouse gas could be disposed of in this manner each year, which could end up being either one of the smartest solutions to global warming to date or the wackiest way to build the tower of Babel. (Read story via the Guardian UK.)
3. Gas au naturale. Take a listen to this story from NPR’s Living on Earth on the debate over natural gas. We know it’s cleaner than high carbon coal, but before going on yet another energy rush, should we be asking more questions? (Listen to story via (the excellent) Living on Earth program.)
4. Two green stories from Costa Rica. First, on the deeper side of green: a look at the Kopali Communities, a new crop of sustainable, self-reliant villages sprouting in the Central American nation, plus an interview with Stephen Brooks, a Kopali founder and Planet Green contributor (Read story via Treehugger). Second, on the way too lighter side of green: it’s a plane - and a hotel. Near Manuel Antonio National Park there is a 1965 Boeing 727 perched on a hill (see image above), ready to host you for the night (Read story via Inhabitat). Full disclosure: I was born in Costa Rica, so I’m bit biased on these ones.
5. Celebrate Earth Day with a weekend of service to the planet. Learn about volunteering opportunities in your community and get to it. (Read via Huffington Post Green.) Remember, we at Equita are celebrating our own Earth Day Week. Starting today and ending April 26, save 30% on all of our regularly priced green and ethical products. Enter code “earthdayweek09″ at checkout.
6. “Screw Earth Day!” Yea, I said it. And, thankfully, I’m not the only one. According to a recent post on the Earth First blog, the champion of environmental stewardship Grist is hot and bothered about the whole issue, too. Their new campaign “Screw Earth Day!” wants us to be even more environmentally conscious so that the green deeds we carry out around Earth Day become an everyday affair. Bonus: sign-up with Grist and get a free download of its award-winning book “Wake Up and Smell the Planet: The Non-Pompous, Non-Preachy Grist Guide to Greening Your Day” and, get this, a chance to win a free trip to the music and arts festival Bonaroo.
7. Next week’s big news item? Earth Day, of course! Let’s go out there and make it memorable.

“Too many people tokenize Earth Day, using it as an excuse to hug a tree one day and ram it with their SUV the next,” said Chip Giller, founder and CEO of Grist. “We say, screw that. One day is for amateurs. We can do better.”

Submit stories I overlooked in the comment box.

NOTE: Our apologies for not posting regularly in the past two weeks. The Equita team has been working hard on a new, soon-to-be-unveiled project, leaving us little time to come up with coherent opinions to share with you. I’m happy to report that we’re slowly coming out of the woodwork, so you can expect more from the blog next week.

Earth Hour is here! Almost here. In fact, it’s tomorrow, Saturday. Starting at 8:30 PM your local time, you, me and millions will have a chance to cast our vote for energy conservation, for global warming awareness, for the environment. Taking part is easy and it can be done from the comfort of your home or workplace (that goes for the obstinate workaholics among us). Just switch off all lights and — voilà — you’ve voted for Earth. It need not be a boring hour you’d rather forget: make it memorable and share it with family and friends, or make it a date with that partner you’re crazy over. Good things can happen in the dark.

What started with just one city (Sydney) three years ago, grew to include 37 countries, over 400 cities and 50 million people in 2008. This year, Earth Hour, a project of World Wildlife Fund (WWF), is “urging the world to VOTE EARTH and reach the target of 1 billion votes, which will be presented to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009.” So, your vote counts in many good ways. Alright, time to make preparations.

Reminder, be sure to sign up at VOTE EARTH, where you can also learn more about the event and share your experience. By the way, if you end up taking shots of your own celebration, share them with us and tell us your story. Have a good time y’all and drink responsibly!

Lights Off Sale at Equita

You switch off the lights and we show you some love. Exclusive to Nitty Gritty readers: this weekend only, get 25% OFF your favorite ethical essentials at Equita. Enter code lightsoff during checkout. Offer valid on regularly priced items only.