Dear EarthTalk: I've been reading about various green festivals going on around the country and I want to attend some and get up to speed on environmental issues and products. What are some good ones and how do I stay on top of all the wheres and whens?Dear EarthTalk: I've been reading about various green festivals going on around the country and I want to attend some and get up to speed on environmental issues and products. What are some good ones and how do I stay on top of all the wheres and whens?--Alex, Chicago, IL Whether you're a consumer in search of green products and healthy organic foods, an environmental advocate looking to network, or a businessperson who wants to "green up" operations, there is an environmental event out there for you. One of the best is the Green Festivals series, which appears in an increasing number of U.S. cities every year and is growing in leaps and bounds in attendance. Co-sponsored by two leading national nonprofits, Global Exchange and Co-Op America Co-op America is a nonprofit membership organization based in the United States. It promotes ethical consumerism, dedicated to harnessing the economic power of consumers, investors and businesses to promote social justice and environmental sustainability through helping , these so-called "parties with a purpose" bring together businesses, environmental groups and community organizations working toward the collective goal of "forging a just, sustainable, inclusive economy--a green economy." Hundreds of thousands of people from all walks of life have participated in these festivals over the last decade to peruse pe·ruse tr.v. pe·rused, pe·rus·ing, pe·rus·es To read or examine, typically with great care. [Middle English perusen, to use up : Latin per-, per- aisles packed with exhibits, hear speakers, make connections with like-minded folks and indulge in·dulge v. in·dulged, in·dulg·ing, in·dulg·es v.tr. 1. To yield to the desires and whims of, especially to an excessive degree; humor. 2. a. in green-themed music, art, culture and food. In 2008, events will take place in Seattle (April 12-13), Chicago (May 17-18), Washington, DC (November 8-9) and San Francisco San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden (November 14-16). Another event geared toward the green-leaning general public is EcoFest, held every September for the last two decades in New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. . This free event also features myriad Myriad is a classical Greek name for the number 104 = 10 000. In modern English the word refers to an unspecified large quantity. The term myriad is a progression in the commonly used system of describing numbers using tens and hundreds. commercial and nonprofit A corporation or an association that conducts business for the benefit of the general public without shareholders and without a profit motive. Nonprofits are also called not-for-profit corporations. Nonprofit corporations are created according to state law. exhibits and celebrity speakers and performers. Attendees at EcoFest's 2008 event will get to check out prototypes of alternative energy vehicles, watch a green-themed fashion show and participate in environmental education workshops, among other events. One very educational event is the yearly DC Environmental Film Festival, which takes place March 11-22 this year in Washington. The festival features 115 documentary, feature, animated, archival, experimental and children's films, shown at various locations around Washington, including museums, libraries, embassies, universities and theatres. Most are free and many include discussions with the filmmakers and/or scientists and environmental leaders. Many environmental festivals are broad with regard to topics covered, but several issue-specific and business-to-business events take place throughout the year as well. To key in to these events, go to the Green Fairs and Festivals page at the EcoBusinessLinks Environmental Directory. Examples include Texas's Renewable Energy Renewable energy utilizes natural resources such as sunlight, wind, tides and geothermal heat, which are naturally replenished. Renewable energy technologies range from solar power, wind power, and hydroelectricity to biomass and biofuels for transportation. Roundup, Colorado's Rocky Mountain Sustainable Living Sustainable living might be defined as a lifestyle that could, hypothetically, be sustained without exhausting any natural resources. The term can be applied to individuals or societies. Fair, Georgia's GreenBuild Expo, Vermont's SolarFest, and Croton-on-Hudson, New York's Great Hudson River Hudson River River, New York, U.S. Originating in the Adirondack Mountains and flowing for about 315 mi (507 km) to New York City, it was named for Henry Hudson, who explored it in 1609. Dutch settlement of the Hudson valley began in 1629. Revival, which has been raising funds to protect New York's Hudson River since the late 1970s. Green events take place all year long, but a large number happen in the spring to coincide with Earth Day (April 22). Many school and community environmental groups hold Earth Day events every year. To find an Earth Day event near you this coming spring, consult Earth Day Network's free online database. CONTACTS: Green Festivals, www.greenfestivals.org; EcoFest, www.ecofest.com; EcoBusinessLinks Environmental Directory, www.ecobusinesslinks.com; Earth Day Network, www.earthday.net. |
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