100% Certified GOREGANIC [View All]

[Scout1071]

Cross-posted at Daily Kos.



Over the last 2 years (or more), there has been a significant movement afoot to convince Al Gore to run for President in 2008. Yes, I agree with that sentiment, but that's not entirely what this diary is about, so I do hope you'll stay tuned for the rest of it.

There was a time in my adolescence where I was really into environmental issues. I worked to raise awareness for various causes, even going so far as to help organize an activist group in high school. I became a vegetarian and tried to lessen my impact on the earth in every way possible.


But, then I went to college and into the work world. My life changed - and some of my priorities changed as well. Although I have always tried to adhere to those basic environmental "laws" that I learned in high school, I started to loosen my parameters as to what constituted "conservation", etc.

I just didn't take it as seriously any more. It seemed like we had lost the battle. I really wasn't doing my part to lessen my impact any more. Sure, I did some recycling here and made conservation efforts there, but it wasn't the same. And the vegetarian thing? It went out the window when I was trapped in a lake house all day with torrential rain.....and a BBQ Brisket in the oven. For a native Kansas Citian (the BBQ capital of the world), 8 hours of that delicious smell proved to be too tempting.....and I never looked back.


Enter Al Gore and An Inconvenient Truth.

He reignited that fire and desire to make a difference and help save the planet. So, I got busy.

- I created a recycling center at home. There are no recycling efforts at apartment complexes in Kansas City. Curb service is available for actual houses, but no such option for apartments. So, I found the nearest recycling center and began to redouble my efforts.


- I began mapping errands to save gas. No more running here, there, and everywhere. I then took it a step further and purchased a scooter. It gets 80 mpg and I drive my car very little these days. I bought a trunk for the back that can hold my groceries, etc. I have already saved bundles on gas.



- Conserving water and decreasing my own home usage. I'm watering my garden only this year. The grass? It's do or die for the lawn. I don't turn on the sink and let it run while I load the dishwasher or brush my teeth or any other number of ways that I realized I was wasting water. (confession that it has been many, many years since I let the water run while brushing my teeth, but you get the picture.) And maybe most importantly.....no more bottled water! I rarely buy it anymore. I invested in a decent water filter and some reusable water bottles.

- I have been focused on buying locally grown, organic foods. I now make the effort to hop on that scooter and get to the farmer's market at least once a week. Not only does the food taste better, it's better for me. Less time at the grocery store, means less temptation for processed foods, sweets, etc. Not content with just the farmer's market, I found a way to grow peppers, tomatoes, fresh herbs, etc at my apartment.



These can be used on a balcony, patio, etc. I'd highly recomend these to anyone with a small space that wants to grow fresh veggies and herbs.

- I have significantly decreased my meat consumption (replacing most beef with locally raised buffalo). I now try to only allow myself to eat one meal a day that contains meat - if that. Turkey sandwich for lunch? Veggie option for dinner.

- Replacing light bulbs with the new energy saving bulbs. I got a great deal on these bulbs at Costco and replaced all the old bulbs. Along these lines, I unplug everything I can think of when not in use. Microwave, cell phone charger, computer, etc. These "ghost" appliances continue to drain energy even when they are not in use.

- Cutting back on the recommend amount of detergent/soap. You never need the "recommended" amount. They recommend you use as much as possible so you buy more of it. I've also begun to replace many of my household cleaning items with eco-friendly or homemade versions. They work just as well without all those nasty chemicals.

- I now air dry my clothes. Why waste the energy when Mother Nature does a fabulous job of drying your clothes?! This doesn't always work for me, but I use this option as much as possible.

You get the picture. That's just the tip of the iceberg. Could I be doing more? Of course! But, the point is that I am making significant changes and I know I'm not the only one. I'm learning more every day. And I owe so much of it to Al Gore's inspiration. He has provided an important wake-up call to America and the world. He has shown incredible wisdom and vision. When you couple that with the fact that Al Gore has been right on this ill-conceived war from day one and that he has consistently spoken the truth about the Bush Administration and the dangerous path they have led us down......well....that's when I knew......

I'm not just an Al Gore fan. I'm 100% Certified Goreganic.



I am committed to changing my life to make this planet a better place. And not only does that mean that I am going to continue to change my lifestyle to lessen my impact on this earth, I am equally committed to seeing Al Gore in the White House. Because I think that with Al Gore in the White House, we can truly make America and the world a better place.

As such, I began to look for some Gore paraphanelia to show my support. I wanted it to reflect how I felt, while being simultaneously environmentally friendly. I had a hard time finding such a style and because I've had a little time on my hands, see my Good Bye Corporate World diary, I decided to make them myself. Of course, I thought you too might want to show your support for Al Gore and the new (old) movement to save the planet, so I made some for my closest friends as well. Introducing http://shop.goreganic.com/">Goreganic line of t-shirts and hats. I have created several designs with Al Gore and the environmental theme in mind. All of the shirts and hats are made of 100% organic cotton, non-toxic dyes and made with labor and environmentally friendly production. The guys at Just Go West are printing the shirts and hats for me. They are even run on wind energy! Not to mention the fact that they've been great to work with on the Goreganic project.

These are limited edition (ie - at some point I'll stop making them) and I won't be writing any other diaries promoting the t-shirts, so I hope that you like them and tell your friends! Please check out the Goreganic myspace page at Goreganic Myspace and if you have a myspace account, by all means, add me as a friend! I'll be posting different conservation tips each week and encouraging others to leave tips in the comments section. I have also launched Goreganic.com, but it is still a work in progress.

Whether you end up with a Goreganic t-shirt or not, whether you support Al Gore in 2008 or not, I can only hope that you too are changing your lifestyle for the good of planet. It's the only one we have.

So, without further ado, here are the 4 initial Goreganic designs:









UPDATE: I forgot to mention that I will be using a portion of the proceeds to purchase carbon offsets that will fund renewable energy projects. To learn more about how you can do the same, visit http://www.climatecrisis.org

UPDATE #2: It looks like the "Re-Elect Al Gore 2008" is the early favorite. Would you rather see that on the hats than the Certified Goreganic logo? Let me know in the comments below and I'll get those ordered this week!