Sparkflight Studios

After a month of living with a newborn son, I've been struck by just how non-Eco-friendly having a baby is. The amount of water consumption and ability to create gobs of waste are especially troubling.  Of course, we're thrilled to have our new little tyke for other reasons! Here are a few ways we've found to reduce that footprint: 1) reuse clothing through our personal network and resale stores such as Kid to Kid , 2) use cloth/reusable diapers ( FuzziBuns is our favorite), 3) invest in Energy Star low water and power use equipment for all of that laundry you'll be doing, 4) use a solar dryer when possible, 5) use gently used furnishings--and pay it foward when you're done with them, 6) take advantage of all that time at home and create your own food via gardening and composting (the best local produce you can get!), and 7) use a toy subscription like Baby Plays (makes a great gift too).

Las Vegas Green Drinks is a proud participant with Project ecoBrand's Business Mixer. Hope to see you there! Green Business Mixer & Expo will be at Springs Preserve on Thursday, August 14, 2008. "The event is designed as an interactive experience focused on raising awareness for our environmental challenges and discovering the latest solutions for green business and eco living." Eco-friendly products & services to be showcased include: building materials, energy efficient home and office solutions, landscaping, transportation, renewable energy/alternative power, recycling, and green lifestyle products (organic foods, health & wellness, and others). Learn more. Sign up.

Come celebrate the 1 Year Anniversary of Las Vegas Green Drinks !! Bring your business' promotional items for our Green Goodie bags. All guests will have the opportunity to give a 30 second commercial. Appetizers & a No-Host Bar will be available. Our new signature drink will be debuted too! When: Thursday, July 10, 6:00PM to 7:30PM Where: McMullan's Irish Pub , 4650 W. Tropicana, Las Vegas, NV 89103 (across from the Orleans) More Info: www.greendrinks.org (international organization) ********** Green Drinks is a FREE networking group that creates awareness about eco-conscious businesses and concerns in Las Vegas. Businesses, individuals, and non-profit organizations participate, educate and connect to promote a greener world. Come to a meeting and build new relationships. All are welcome to attend, and to invite others to attend.

Looking for quick, daily tips to Green your life? Two easy-to-use subscription services will deliver them right to your Inbox! Simple Steps is a new initiative by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) for people who are looking for easy, everyday actions they can do to protect our health, our homes -- and our planet. Whether you have a minute, a morning, or a month, you can take simple steps in your life to really make a difference. ( from NRDC website ) Ideal Bite offers bite-sized ideas for light green living – ideas for real people who lead busy lives and want to make small changes that add up to big results. Daily Tips cover everything from biodynamic wine to eco-pet products to organic cosmetics. The secret sauce? A spoonful of “incremental environmentalism” combined with a keeping-it-real attitude. ( from Ideal Bite website )

Al Gore is staying busy with climate change action. The latest effort from The Alliance for Climate Protection is their WE campaign. It offers a one-stop location for current news, action alerts and solutions. On-the-go activists can even sign up for text alerts. We've signed up. Check it out!! WE campaign

Artists Dayo Adelaja and Mark Melnick have completed Phase One of the Marble Manor Enhancement Project. Bland, blank walls are banished after community members worked with them to create these space-transforming murals. Our portion of the work (architecture and landscape enhancements) is scheduled for a tentative grand opening in September 2008. Contact Anne Johnson, AIA if you'd like to be involved in this project as a Community Partner! Contributions of labor and materials are needed.

If you’re thinking about converting to solar energy, one of the first steps is to assess and downsize your current energy usage. Your technology investment will yield a bigger payoff when it can cover a larger percentage of your home or business’ total energy load. One of the quickest ways to do this is to reduce phantom energy loads – the electricity used when appliances are plugged in but turned off. Using a power strip for collections of appliances (your audio-visual components or home office equipment), and switching it off when not in use can make a noticeable reduction in utility bills. Using energy efficient large appliances and heating/cooling systems is also key. Here are a couple of tools: The Home Energy Diet by Author Paul Scheckel Scheckel advocates for a “Triple A” approach: Awareness of the ways your home uses and loses energy, Assessment of your home's energy requirements, and Action taken to reduce energy consumption to a minimum. Kill-A-Watt Electricity Usage ...