Okay so yes he’s my boyfriend, his name is Philip, he lives in Portland and he’s 33 years old. He’s also a high thinker and I wanted to share his thoughts on living green. Here’s what he had to say.

PPnG: What’s the best thing about Portland?

PM: I love how Portland is designed. The density of the city makes things like biking and public transportation easier to implement than in some other cities that I’ve lived in. I love the proximity to beautiful natural places. For instance I can drive to mountains or the coast really easily. I’m also a vegetarian and there’s lots of great restaurants that serve delicious vegetarian food. I could go on but I’ll stop for now..

PPnG: How do practice eco or green living in your personal and professional lives?

PM: I’m glad you asked. I now work from home but before that I commuted by bike to work almost everyday which was 14 miles round trip. Because I’m a vegetarian, I’m reducing my support of an agricultural system that contributes to global warming. Raising livestock on the current scale in the U.S. has a very negative impact on the environment and humanity. I plan to start growing more of my own food in my yard which I’m excited about.

PPnG: What are some practical steps that people can take to make a difference?

PM: Everybody is different but I think I could encourage everyone to love themselves more, watch less television (or eliminate it entirely), eat more plants and love their neighbors more. As soon as you stop watching tv you start thinking for yourself and that translates into greater awareness about how your actions are effecting others and how your well-being is connected to others. There are two books I recommend: 1) Any books by Wendell Berry and 2) “The Book on the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are” by Alan Watts.

Thank-you Philip Morgan, cute and loving boyfriend of mine for contributing to Green Streets.

I was at the Stand Festival yesterday and ran into this woman who looked sweet with her dog. I approached her for an interview for Green Streets and here’s what she had to say:

PPnG: What’s your name and how old are you?

NC: My name is Nicole Cordan and I’m 42.

PPnG: What do you do for a living?

NC: I’m an attorney for a non-profit organization working on salmon restoration. I feel very lucky.

PPnG: What do you think of the whole green movement in Portland?

NC: Oh, I think it’s fantastic. It’s such a wonderful place to live, to be surrounded by so many like-minded people who care about the environment. It’s a wonderful place to grow up. I have a little three year old daughter and I feel very blessed. I grew up on the East Coast and back there I have to watch her all the time. Here she is a little pixie. She’s a free spirit. She gets to run about and she knows the difference between a fir tree and a cedar and a salmon and a trout. And those are really remarkable things because people here are so cognizant of our environment.

PPnG: How do you practice sustainability in your personal life?

NC: My partner and I use one car. We switch off biking to work and that means, biking the baby. We recycle and compost. We eat sustainable foods that are grown locally. We buy local and have a garden in our backyard where we grow vegetables. We’ve created a shared garden with our neighbors and each of us grow different things and our kids get to run back and forth and pick things from the garden. It’s all the little things that add up that matter. We also use energy saving appliances and we get a tax break from doing all that which is kind of amazing.

That’s so inspiring. Thank-you Nicole for sharing.

The way this guy was wearing his bandanna (kind of hard to see here) was what grabbed my attention. He was also very nice when I approached him with the concept of Green Streets and was happy to share his thoughts on sustainable living. Here’s how it went:

PPnG: What’s your name and what do you do for a living?

DT: My name is Darrell Tuffli and I’m a gardener.

PPnG: What do you personally think of green living and how do you practice it?

DT: I’m conscious of it. As far as I’m concerned green living is a phrase that’s kind of vague in terms of what it specifically means and it’s open to interpretation.

PPnG: Okay, what is your interpretation of green living?

DT: Waste less. That’s one thing. Try and conduct your life in a way that’s uses the least amount of energy.

PPnG: What are some specific things that you do in your life that wastes less?

DT: One example is that I use a reusable coffee cup. I don’t get a new paper cup when I buy a cup of coffee. I simply use the same one over and over again. I’ll also use the coffee shop’s plastic cup repeatedly. For example this one here (shown in photo) is considered a one time cup but easily has a hundred uses. I probably easily use it for three months. Biking and walking are also coming on stronger and driving less is becoming more popular. For me it’s a conscious choice and I’m happy to do it.

Thank-you Darrell for sharing.

I saw these cute girls walking around and just really wanted to know what they thought about living green. They were very friendly and answered all my questions. Here’s how it went:

PPnG: What are your names and how old are you?

Girls: (From right to left) I’m Abby and I’m 22, I’m Leigh and I’m 22, I’m Paige and I’m 22.

PPnG: Abby, what do you do for a living?

Abby: I am an assistant at an investment firm.

PPnG: What are your thoughts on green living and how do you practice it?

Abby: I’m big on being resourceful. I just moved here and am always looking for stuff for my apartment on the streets, for example, that my roommates and I can re-use to decorate with.

PPnG: Leigh, what do you think about the whole green thing that’s happening around the world?

Leigh: I personally am a big fan. I think that it’s a really good thing. At my house we do a compost pile and sometimes it’s really disgusting but we do them anyway. We recycle a lot and my biggest pet peeve is when people leave the lights on in a room that’s empty. I hate that and my roommate at school does that all the time and I can’t stand it. And she always says I’m a crazy electricity saver.

PPnG: Paige, what do you for a living?

Paige: I’m an administrative assistant at a real estate commercial office.

PPnG: What do you think about living green?

Paige: I think it’s really important and awesome. I just moved back to Portland after going to school in Arkansas for four years and I was frustrated with the lack of recycling programs there. It’s really refreshing and nice to be back in Portland. The building I work in now, for example, just implemented a recycling program that cuts waste by 90%.

PPnG: What’s your favorite green thing to do?

Paige: I drive my car only once a week and usually bike to work. I also take the Max everywhere and walk.

Awesome girls. Thank-you for contributing to Green Streets.

As I sit here under the dryer at my favorite hair salon, Gilly’s Salon on darling SE Clinton St. in Portland, OR, I’m grateful that getting rid of my gray doesn’t involve any harm to the environment or my hair. Gilly’s uses organic and vegan products in everything including color and perms. Vegan also means selling products that are cruelty-free. I also happen to be in love with my fabulous hair stylist, Emie Otis, (shown at right) of Beauty Mark Designs, who refers to herself as a beauty dominator. We at PPnG are such big fans of Emie that we decided to produce and direct a video short on her work as an eco-fashion designer. Look for it (coming soon) in the video section of the blog.

I asked Emie about her thoughts on green living and here’s what she had to say:

PPnG: How old are you Emie?

EO: 25

PPnG: What do you think of green living and how do you practice it?

EO: Green living is being responsible to the environment and taking action in daily life. To make sure that you are not wasting and not polluting as much as possible. We do that at the salon. For example, we use ammonia free organic color, derived from natural minerals which is so much nicer on the hair and the body. Our products are even safe for pregnant women to use.

PPnG: Because you are a beauty dominator right? Isn’t that your true profession?

EO: Yes, it’s true. (big smile here)

PPnG: So how do people your age respond to issues regarding the environment? Do they feel the same way you do?

EO: Many of my friends (including me) bike instead of drive. That’s a big one, since it cuts down significantly on carbon emissions. I recycle and so do many of my friends who also re-use grocery bags. Many of my friends are vegetarians, shop local and eat organic foods.

PPnG: What is your latest creative project?

EO: I’m working on the Junk-to-Funk show right now, which is an annual fashion show (held in November) where designers use recycled trash to make wearable works of art. I’m collecting bottle caps right now for my piece. So if you have any, please send them my way.

To contact Emie, visit her website: www.beautymarkdesigns.net