california

Have It Your Organic Way

scleaver — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Finally, a place for people who want their fries eco-friendly. O!Burger, a new fast food restaurant in West Hollywood, CA is as organic as it is fast. On the menu: grass-fed burgers, free-range turkey burgers, fries cooked in organic soybean oil, and a signature organic veggie burger. Once you pick up your food, unwrap your burger from its compostable soy film, use biodegradable plastic straws and utensils made from corn, and wipe your chin with recycled paper napkins.

To complete the dining experience, unlike the glaring red and yellow plastic of other fast food restaurants, this one was renovated with wood that was reclaimed from a farm, painted with lead-free paint, and features a concrete floor instead of new tiled one.

The O!Burger experience is still more expensive than a Micky-D’s run (about $4 more) but Californians are lovin’ it, and, as Natural Health Magazine found, there’s even talk of franchising.

For more about the green fast food trends read about The Greening of Fast Food and Trans-Fat Free Cities.

Photo Source.

Freebie of the Week: B & B by the Sea

RiverWired.com — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:08:45 -0400

Need a restful, organic vacation? How does this sound -- five nights at a Bed & Breakfast overlooking the beautiful Mendocino Coast of California. And breakfast comes from the certified organic gardens. Stonyfield Farm will not only pay for the stay at the Inn, but the air fare to get you there -- for you and a guest. No purchase necessary. Start clicking.

Tell CARB You're Not That Into Smog

khallgeisler — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 01:00:00 -0400

As anyone who watched the 2006 documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car?" knows, the California Air Resources Board really dropped the ball a few years ago regarding zero-emissions vehicles, especially electric cars. They're about to do it again.

On March 27, CARB will vote on a proposal to literally decimate the number of Zero-Emissions Vehicles in the state of California. Currently, California requires 25,000 of the cars on the road to be ZEVs, but the new proposal would lower that number to 2,500. As the Electric Auto Association points out, that would mean the six largest automakers who sell cars in this country only have to build a measly 850 ZEVs a year.

According to the EAA, CARB is making this move because auto manufacturers say they can't produce enough hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles to meet the current number until 2012 or so. This is likely true; they could, however, be churning out electric vehicles to meet that number while we all wait for hydrogen technology to catch up.

Check out CARB's site for the full text of the proposal in seven not-so-easy-to-read PDFs. (They're written in that legalise we all love.) There's also an enlightening comments log, with entries from local businesses, electric vehicle groups, and regular, old, clean-air-lovin' citizens.

You may not think this has much to do with you if you don't live in California, but when it comes to environmental laws, California tends to be a bellweather for the rest of the country. It's a fight at least worth following. If you're amped to do more, the Electric Auto Association has contacts and sample scripts for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and CARB.

Photo by nahasopetalon.

Great Vodka From Square One

RiverWired.com — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

It’s Good: Square One Vodka, a Northern California-based distillery devoted to quality and excellence, has started making a name for itself by selling its products in fine restaurants, hip bars, and high-end retail shops throughout the country.

It’s Green: Square One Vodka uses 100% organic American rye, comprised of chemical-free compost, fresh water, and tender loving care. At the distillery, only organic yeasts and nutrients are used in a distillation process that has been certified by theU.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Organic Program (NOP).

It’s Here: ShoppersVineyard.com

It’s: $29.99