Energizing Earth Day Post

Happy Earth Day.

I have a little dog named Fellini. (Yes, I named the Fellini Pannolini bag after a little stray found in Patterson Park over five years ago.)

If you don't know him, well, here's a photo:


And, his brother, Mingus, (who coincidentally has a bag named after him) is in the background. since it wouldn't be fair to leave him out.

But, back to Earth Day and energy. Fellini is a high energy dog. Maybe the highest energy dog ever. He's a wonderful, funny, loving animal, but he's difficult to tire out. And, I often look at him in amazement and think, why can't I harness this energy?

I think if there was some way to hook him up, ethically and humanely, mind you, his energy could, at the very least, power my house and, at most, the entire eastern seaboard. I used to think that Fellini alone had enough energy to rid us of the need for coal fired power plants, but, you know, Fellini is now pushing six, and he can't have this energy forever.

I've been mulling this over when watching him. I think about it when I see people run or bike around the same park. All this energy, and why isn't it harnessed?

Then, I watched a video on a sustainable dance floor:



I watch this and think, hey! that's my idea! A case of great minds thinking alike, and all that. I think this is just the beginning.

And, if anyone has an idea for how I can hook up Fellini to a nice, safe generator, please let me know.

How I Spent My Earth Day

In the grand tradition of the essay, which I don't remember ever having to write, How I Spent My Summer Vacation, I bring to you my Earth Day essay.

First, if you've read my blog. I'm not the hugest fan ever of holidays. But, I did celebrate Earth Day by having a table at an Earth Day Expo, an information only deal, at the Community College of Baltimore County Catonsville campus. It was a lovely day, with dogwoods and red buds in bloom, and azelas starting to bloom. The campus was also lovely and historic. I loved the students, a diverse, happy, curious, and above all, incredible nice group of kids. (I've been away from a campus for so long, that I realize that first and second year college students are now "kids," as if I needed another reminder that I was old.)

We were set up in a great old barn. There was a smallish selection of area green businesses, but what struck me was that there were far, far too many old fashioned type of green businesses: pyramid selling products (I don't want to name them, but you probably know), vegetarian and vegan resources, a person hawking a special juice from a special berry (also pyramid selling, as far as I could tell), and some green glue. Ok. There were some other great products, most notably a cosmetic company that had great products and fantastic packaging, and an organic bakery that shared a table with someone who farms and sells at farmers markets (although not the one I go to, since I was told that mine beloved market, under an expressway in downtown Baltimore City was "too dangerous), but, all in all, I feel as though the "green movement" has moved beyond this.

In fact, Three Stone Steps tries hard to push the boundaries. We try to show that you can be green and care about fair trade and NOT be in some green/fair trade ghetto. I want people to love Three Stone Steps messenger bags, scarves, jewelry rolls, and other eco-chic and fair trade fashion accessories, not because they are green and fair trade, but because they like them. Once people like them, well, then, all the better that they are good for the planet and for the workers.

Actually, I have a few more thoughts about all this, given the marketing for Earth Day from everywhere from the New York Times to The Baltimore Sun, including the Parade Magazine enclose, to the Fox Network to Wal-Mart. But, I'll save this for another post, as well as some photos of my lovely little table in the barn.

As always, stay tuned.