Green Festival 2008

 © Hoatian-Cai 2008

This past weekend I trekked, and boy was it a trek, to Chicago’s Navy Pier for this year’s Green Festival. It’s presented by Co-Op America and Global Exchangeand featured an array of environmental and healthy living exhibits. Everything from Organic Valley to Dr. Bronner’s and everything you could imagine in between. They also had speakers on the hot topics of the moment including Stacy Malkan, Not Just a Pretty Face, discussing her book and the current state of the natural and organic industry.

I sampled a whole lot of yummy treats and picked up a bevy of beauty products. I will be sharing these with you over the next few weeks. I was however surprised at the number of booths giving away schwag and handing out fliers. Why are we creating more waste at an event geared towards finding solutions for our waste and consumption? As we left we passed a pile of used dixie cups and paper napkins people had just thrown on the ground. I got a confused look from a “kid”( read: dread-locked 21 year-old who smelled of the ganja and probably had a hacky sack in his pocket) at a booth because I said I didn’t need a bag. He said, “But it’s free and it’s canvas”. Um okay gotcha but I don’t need another and…whatever.  Anyhoo, I found the day only mildly irritating and mostly very informative.

If you have the chance to go to any other Green Festivals this year, you absolutely should. They will be held in Washington DC and San Francisco in November. So to pay it forward I have one copy of Not Just A Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry to give away to a wonderful reader. All you have to do is to leave a comment between now and next Tuesday to be entered to win. It’s an interesting read and it will shock you a little bit but it’s worth it. Start entering now!

                                                                                                                                                                     Via Amazon