About: Merete
Posts by Merete:
 Book Review: Gardening at the Dragon’s Gate, by Wendy Johnsonby Merete Mueller on Oct 2, 2008 This delicately illustrated guidebook to gardening is part technical how-to and part love story with the land. Head gardener at the San Fran Zen Center’s organic Green Gulch farm for 25 years, Johnson’s subtle Buddhist teachings are rooted 291 views |
 Leo DiCaprio, Jennifer Aniston, Dustin Hoffman: “Whatever You Do, Don’t Vote.” [If Nothing Else, Maybe Reverse Psychology Will Work.]by Merete Mueller on Oct 2, 2008 If we’ve learned anything from the largely ineffective “Just Say No” DARE campaign against drugs, it’s that young people generally don’t want to do what they’re told. So maybe the same psychology applies to voting. In this 5 minute video, Leonardo DiCaprio, Halle Berry, Jennifer Aniston, Brad Pitt, Duston Hoffman 668 views |
 Eco Guy Crush #9: Adrian Grenier [Alter Eco, Solar Home, Teenage Paparazzi]by Merete Mueller on Sep 29, 2008 Ok. This one is, like, sooo obvious. (That’s my attempt to get into character as a gushing celebrity-obsessed blogger.) But actually, the more I look into Adrian Grenier’s background and work, the more I realize that beyond his sexy scruff and dark, brooding eyes, this guy’s living with integrity, pursuing worthwhile causes and having a [...] 1,504 views |
 The toxic landfill beast that is Styrofoam…vs EcoFoam.by Merete Mueller on Sep 19, 2008 I can’t tell you how many companies and PR firms send us their “eco,” “plastic-free,” “recycled” products in huge boxes filled with Styrofoam peanuts. We currently have a mini snowstorm going on in Waylon’s basement, just waiting for the perfect moment when we have to send something fragile and can re-use the peanuts, forcing our [...] 308 views |
 When recycling won’t cut it, Re-use and Re-purpose Old Items for Vintage, Creative Cool Points.by Merete Mueller on Sep 18, 2008 Recycling is sooo 1990s. While it’s obviously better to recycle products than to send your cast-aways to a landfill, it still takes energy to clean and process your discarded Sunday Times into fresh recycled notebook paper, or your used salsa jar into recycled glass windowpanes. Luckily, there is more than one way to give [...] 2,036 views |
 Congress Debates Energy Bill Today: Renewable Energy vs. Offshore Drilling (or maybe both).by Merete Mueller on Sep 16, 2008 Throughout Congress’ month-long recess this summer, a camp of Republicans stayed in Washington and showed up on the House floor in steady rotations, to protest Democrats’ unwillingness to push through their energy plan (which focused on offshore drilling and tax subsidies to oil companies) just before they left for vacation. And while Nancy Pelosi [...] 137 views |
 Video: Tina Fey/ Amy Poehler as Sarah Palin/ Hillary Clinton in Sexism Skit on SNL: Hilarious, Brilliant…and Sad. [The Real Issues for American Women.]by Merete Mueller on Sep 15, 2008 Since McCain first announced Sarah Palin as the V.P. candidate—in an obvious move to win over Hillary supporters still unsure about Barack Obama—I’ve been waiting for a female to pull a Matt Damon and point out how ridiculous her candidacy is. And who better than Hillary Clinton, if she actually meant it, speaking not as [...] 1,852 views |
“Drill, baby, drill?” Sarah Palin’s Empty Promise: Why Offshore Drilling is No Solution to $4 Gas.by Merete Mueller on Sep 9, 2008 It’s become McCain and Palin’s mission to serve up offshore drilling as the quick-fix to rising prices at the pump. With millions of oil industry tax dollars flowing into the state of Alaska bank account, it’s no wonder that Palin is looking to expand drilling into the National Arctic Wildlife Refuge. And offshore drilling, [...] 422 views |
 Corey Kohn Photography: At Folsom St. Coffee, In Boulder.by Merete Mueller on Sep 9, 2008 Corey Kohn has an eye for details. Her photos seem both effortless and highly skilled, and every time I see one it’s as if I’m in her head for the “ah-ha” moment, colors popping in a certain slanted light, the composition coming together in a single moment when the shutter clicks. In Boulder? Well, lucky [...] 417 views |
 Monavie Acai: Boost Your Energy, Satiate Your Hunger, Fill Up on Antioxidants.by Merete Mueller on Sep 8, 2008 Acai (ah-sigh-ee) is the hottest new wonderfood, grown deep in the Amazonian rainforest and brought to us health-hungry Americans via companies like Sambazon, Bossa Nova and Monavie. You probably already know that the purple berry contains a greater concentration of anti-oxidants (they help prevent cancer, ’nuff said) than blueberries or red wine, that it’s an [...] 2,602 views |
 Science + Nature + Art + People = SNAP with Naomi Wolf, David Deida, Michael Franti and others.by Merete Mueller on Sep 5, 2008 This September 23-25, SNAP comes to the Boulder Theater, and brings feminist Naomi Wolf, spiritual thinker David Deida, Sunday NY Times Magazine writer Matt Bai, National Geographic explorer Wade Davis along with it (plus a bunch of other people that I couldn’t list without losing my train of thought). 365 views |
 Simran Sethi: Greening the Other White Meat, Pork’s Impact on the Planetby Merete Mueller on Sep 4, 2008 I’ve heard that pigs are one of the smarter barnyard animals, and even know someone who kept a pig as a pet in their apartment—and who swore that little “Billy” was smarter and cleaner than a dog. No matter what your views are on meat consumption, there’s no denying 433 views |
 Mindful Colorado Getaway: Gold Lake Resort & Spaby Merete Mueller on Aug 29, 2008 As I kid, I spent summer weekends on an island in Maine with my grandparents, swimming in the lake, picking wild blueberries and sometimes spotting a stodgy old moose. For me, ultimate happiness and relaxation is a dip in cold water, a walk in the woods, a hammock and a good book. Throw in a [...] 1,142 views |
 Matthew Sanford: Yoga for Paralysis, Yoga for Activists, Yoga for Democratsby Merete Mueller on Aug 26, 2008 “It took a devastating car accident, paralysis from the chest down,” Matthew Sanford says, “and dependence on a wheelchair before I truly realized the importance of my body.” 1,274 views |
 Simran Sethi: Water is More Expensive than Milk or Gasoline.by Merete Mueller on Aug 26, 2008 From $40 LA “Bling Water” to “Kabbalah Water” to plain old Dasani (which I’ve heard comes from the tap in Queens 873 views |
 Reverse Grafitti Video: Eco Street Art Literally Cleans Up Urban Pollution and Grimeby Merete Mueller on Aug 25, 2008 Guerilla windshield art by Scott Wade Remember the last time you couldn’t resist scrawling “WASH ME” on a grimy car windshield? 2,071 views |
 Wanna Open a Yoga Studio? Mindbody Online will run it for you (though yoga teachers will still have to lead the yoga classes).by Merete Mueller on Aug 21, 2008 If the American dream is to be your own boss, the American yogi’s dream is to own your own studio. Polished hard wood floors, floor to ceiling mirrors, maybe a little boutique up front 2,096 views |
 A Method to the Madness?by Merete Mueller on Aug 20, 2008 When reviewing Method for our Summer 08 cleaning-themed issue, we had a hard time giving the products our 100% eco stamp of approval. 665 views |
 This weekend in Colorado: Yoga Rocks, elevision, Seane Corn.by Merete Mueller on Aug 20, 2008 This August 23-34, Yoga World Reach—which encourages yogis and yoginis around the world to take their practice 707 views |
 Evil or Eco? Nike, Simple’s Green Toe, Birkenstocks…via Simran Sethi for The Huffington Post.by Merete Mueller on Aug 19, 2008 It turns out that sneakers have a negative impact beyond just sweatshop labor. They’re also toxic, carcinogenic and don’t last nearly as long as they should. Thankfully, there are alternatives…and you might be surprised by who is eco, and who isn’t. 866 views |
 Video: Toofy Film Fest + elephant journal.by Merete Mueller on Aug 19, 2008 Toofy is to Hollywood…what elephant is to Condé Nast. Little yet gaining in momentum. Indie, grassroots, fun yet fundamentally serious. We both aim to change the world for the better (and ourselves, along the way), and hope to make ‘living a good life that’s good for others, and our planet’ fun and accessible, so that others [...] 599 views |
 Top 5 Ways to slow down Summer: Carl Honore, Slow Food Dinner Party, Shambhala Training, Eco Hammock, Take off your Shoes.by Merete Mueller on Aug 18, 2008 Top 5 Ways to…Slow the @”#$%Y&^’!*? Down This Summer. 595 views |
 Dirty Money: How much does your state rep accept from the coal industry?by Merete Mueller on Aug 14, 2008 On this site, you can search by zip code to see exactly how much moolah each state rep accepts from the coal industry. Why do we care? 431 views |
 Think Yoga is Healthy? Not if you’re on a PVC yoga mat, says Simran Sethi.by Merete Mueller on Aug 12, 2008 The phthalates contained in most yoga mats are known to cause cancer and stunt sexual development…probably not what you want to think about when sinking into corpse pose at the end of class. 840 views |
 Even Death Isn’t Zero Impact.by Merete Mueller on Aug 11, 2008 The Lion King made it seem so simple. Someone dies, their body decomposes. Plants grow on the newly fertilized soil. Simba defeats his evil plotting uncle and Elton John sings while rain replenishes the Serengeti Plains. But no, we humans need to stick our opposable thumbs into everything, even the circle of life. Each year, [...] 472 views |
 Oregon Soap Company: Buy some Soap, Plant a Tree.by Merete Mueller on Aug 7, 2008 Thanks to a basket of Oregon Soap, elephant’s often less-than-presentable office bathroom smelled like a minty fresh forest, and never totally embarrassed us. And our hands were always sparkly (and organically) clean. But the details of Oregon’s deliciously natural soap have already been covered in Jenny’s review. I’m here to talk about trees. 1,189 views |
 Our Spicy Eco Chai Buddy: Brook Eddy’s Bhakti Chai is a Hit.by Merete Mueller on Aug 6, 2008 “Bhakti” is Sanskrit for “devotion,” never a luke-warm feeling. So it’s fitting that Brook Eddy’s Bhakti Chai comes from the Masala lineage, which means it’s full of fiery spices (ginger, cardomom, clove and black pepper) along with the traditional milky sweetness. The company itself is devoted to low environmental impact, 1,386 views |
 Deep Economy by Bill McKibbenby Merete Mueller on Aug 6, 2008 According to my eco-hero Bill McKibben, More doesn’t necessarily equal Better. In present modern society, More often means Sicker, Fatter, Spoiled, Distracted, Isolated, Depressed and Facing Global Environmental Destruction. 712 views |
 Want a Co-dependent Relationship? Click here now!by Merete Mueller on Aug 6, 2008 A friend just jokingly forwarded me an e-newsletter from Christian Carter, the “self-made relationship and dating guru.” The title? “Make Him Addicted to You.” Clicking through to Christian’s site, I found pages promising me that I can “create a FOREVER feeling in a man so he’s literally addicted to YOU and ONLY YOU,” which all led [...] 1,092 views |
 Real Food Daily: An Organic Oasis in LAby Merete Mueller on Jul 31, 2008 Within the first three hours of my first trip to Los Angeles, three stereotypes were confirmed: LA is huge (I drove for hours and hours with no end to the strip malls and freeways in sight). Everyone drives. And there’s a ton of pollution (it was tough to see mountains merely a mile away through the [...] 455 views |
 Slow Food not “just one big wine tasting with really hard to find cheeses that you weren’t invited to.”by Merete Mueller on Jul 24, 2008 When I was little, I lived in an apartment with no back yard. But one summer, my mom made friends with the older woman who lived in a house next to our building. Since Mrs. Smith was too old to tend to her over-run garden, my mom volunteered to take it over, and we spent [...] 1,007 views |
 ele-Approved Event: Toofy Film Festby Merete Mueller on Jul 21, 2008 “Five years ago, my brother Mark and I set out to revolutionize film festivals. By combining independent movies, music, art, and fashion, we were confident that we had a revolutionary paradigm and the know-how to shakeup the festival game and make Robert Redford quiver is his boots…and we were going to call it all ‘Toofy.’ [...] 261 views |
 elevision this Wednesday: silent auction to benefit Tibetan Village Projectby Merete Mueller on Jul 20, 2008 Many dedicated organizations build schools and provide medical care to people in rural parts of the world. But I have faith in the Tibetan Village Project more than any other, mostly because its founder—Tamdin Wangdu—grew up in a rural Tibetan village himself. The organization funds projects throughout the region, and runs “volun-tourism” trips to Tibet [...] 419 views |
 www of the week: Huffington Post…Greenby Merete Mueller on Jul 10, 2008 The liberal leaning Huffington Post’s combination of sensational, humorous headlines and well-researched stories has proved to be dynamite for a generation of restless readers who want to read intelligent, fun stories they actually care about. On Huff’s green blog, you can choose between headlines like “Environmental Racism: Where are the Toxins Going?” and “Green Grudge: Bill Nye vs. Ed [...] 414 views |
 Wendell Berry: Why Small Farms and Strong Communities Still Matterby Merete Mueller on Jul 3, 2008 The Sun has long been one of my favorite independent magazines. Not only have they remained independent for over 35 years, but they’ve done so based solely on contributions and subscription sales—they stopped printing advertisements in 1990. Their feature interview with farmer, poet, activist and ele-idol Wendell Berry gets to the root of why “local” [...] 766 views |
 www of the week: e360by Merete Mueller on Jul 2, 2008 e360, Yale’s new online journal of environmentalism (from the school of Forestry & Environmental Studies) is everything you’d expect: intelligent and in depth, choosing quality content and clear design over the flashy graphics and sensational headlines that lure readers to most other sites. Current highlights: Michael Pollan on what’s wrong with environmentalism, New Yorker writer Elizabeth [...] 396 views |
 ele-Approved Event: Family Farming Photosby Merete Mueller on Jul 2, 2008 Zweck’s Farm, on the edge of Longmont, Colorado, is one of those few lucky family farms that have made it through a century of industrial consolidation and is still going strong and is now flourishing with America’s renewed interest in local and organic food. Photographer Jane Gabrilove has documented the farm’s bounty in an exhibit [...] 498 views |
 Editor’s Letter: Step Aside Chemical Cleaning Products (and Waylon)by Merete Mueller on Jun 28, 2008 by Heather Mueller, ed. Our editor-in-chief’s personal, controversial letter supporting the rights of same-sex couples to marry last issue (you can still read it on elephantjournal.com) is a tough act to follow. But that’s how it goes—sometimes “the mindful life” means fighting for equal rights…and sometimes it means choosing the right product to dissolve the hair stuck in your drain. If anything, living a responsible life is in the un-sexy, everyday details that we’d rather skip over. Noticing my silly, neurotic mind spin in circles in meditation practice or comparing brands of detergent are actually radical actions in a world of distraction. Mindfulness practice is, simply, not just reaching for the default shampoo or fabric softener becau 1,087 views |
 www of the week: care2.comby Merete Mueller on Jun 27, 2008 I wish I’d known about this site back when I was looking for help unclogging my drain (update: I still haven’t found a product that works, and still refuse to use Draino—my next plan is to actually dismantle the pipes and pull the clog out with rubber gloves). The site not only offers expert advice on eco [...] 312 views |
 ele-Approved Event: Boulder Feldenkrais Conferenceby Merete Mueller on Jun 27, 2008 What is Feldenkrais, you ask? Imagine massage, yoga and tai chi all rolled into one, developed especially for those with arthritis, sports injuries or central nervous system disorders like Cerebral Palsy. The idea is that by paying close attention how we move—and how our movement affects our well-being, we can bring ourselves back to health. [...] 752 views |
 ele-Approved Event: Crestone Solar Schoolby Merete Mueller on Jun 20, 2008 Gone are the days when solar energy only belonged in middle school science fairs. Waylon, our editor, just had a solar P.V. (photovoltaic) system installed in his backyard and now you, too, can become a solar technician. Paul Shippee, of the Crestone Solar School, presents a series of four-day solar and sustainable home design workshops. 472 views |
 www of the week: dulcepinzon.comby Merete Mueller on Jun 20, 2008 One aspect of mindfulness is paying attention—to the food I eat, the words I use, to the countless people that I walk by on the street each day. Photographer Dulce Pinzon’s latest project, “Superheroes,” is a homage to the people—window washers, taxi drivers, waiters, nannies—she passes by each day in New York, and the implications [...] 317 views |
 ele-Approved Event: Shambhala Peace Day Trail Raceby Merete Mueller on Jun 13, 2008 I often lump the running, writing and meditating into the same “things I need to do to maintain my sanity” category. I always procrastinate, and it takes every ounce of will-power that I have to strap on the sneakers or sit my butt onto the cushion or pull out the pen and paper, but once [...] 404 views |
 Featured Articles: Summer Travelby Merete Mueller on Jun 13, 2008 It’s official: school’s out, it’s time to break out the map, pack a picnic and plan a trip. Whether you’re staying close to home (I keep telling myself that it’s the more eco-responsible option, and I can always rent a movie if I need some exotic escapism) or hailing a cab to the airport, we’ve [...] 527 views |
 Video of the week: Summer Rayne Oakes.by Merete Mueller on Jun 13, 2008 This isn’t the first time that we’ve featured ecofashion model and environmental activist Summer Rayne Oakes as video of the week. But it’s hard to keep up with her—in the last year she’s graced the pages of Vanity Fair, GQ, Allure and Treehugger (and soon, we hope, the cover of ele) and has landed a [...] 387 views |
 www of the week: LOHAS.comby Merete Mueller on Jun 13, 2008 Yesterday I mentioned the upcoming LOHAS conference to a friend…and they gave me a confused look: “You mean like that actress, the one in rehab…Lindsey…” No, this isn’t about Lindsay Lohan—it’s about the fastest expanding, and most promising—consumer-driven market, ever. Next week, some of the world’s movers and shakers—Wal-Mart (yes, Wal-Mart), Whole Foods, Inc., Patagonia, [...] 384 views |
 We Care What You Think. [Laughter]by Merete Mueller on Jun 13, 2008 I get a lot of quality time with our ed-in-chief Waylon—about 35 hours a week, egad…and we enjoy a friendly argument now and then. Whether it’s about feminism (we’re still working through that one), green media, East Coast vs. West Coast, a specific edit in a specific article…I’m learning to take my opinions less seriously, [...] 261 views |
 Peter Russell at The Gaia Film Festby Merete Mueller on Jun 13, 2008 According to the life expectancy meter on Peter Russell’s website, I should live to the age of 87. Though fascinating (that means I have 63 years left to go!), I’m still trying to figure out how it connects to Peter’s real specialty—connecting “personal transformation” with greater environmental and social change. His work falls a bit [...] 368 views |
 www of the week: freerice.comby Merete Mueller on Jun 5, 2008 Quick vocab quiz: “indigence” means: a) ten years b) poverty c) carving d) outlaw Sounds like a frightening flashback to the SATs, but it’s actually a question from freerice.com, the intellectual and philanthropic equivalent to tetris or that game on myspace where you match the celebrity’s head to her body. On freerice.com, each vocab question [...] 264 views |
 ele-Approved Event: Courageous Women, Fearless Livingby Merete Mueller on Jun 5, 2008 Statistics show that adults in America fear cancer more than any other health condition, and after editing our last issue on toxic chemical exposure, I don’t blame them. There’s nothing like a sometimes incurable, not-incredibly-well-understood disease to make people afraid of their own bodies and unsure of the future. Courageous Women, Fearless Living, a five [...] 759 views |
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