Worlds Strongest Redneck

I live in Frog Pond Alabama... and have shared many a happy conversation with folks that you might call... uh rednecks. I've spent... much time on a tractor... driving a truck with waaay too many dogs in the back...and yelling inappropriate stuff in public. So I was really pleased the meet the very friendly and funny WORLDS STRONGEST REDNECK Steve McGranahan recently. He and his lovely wife were super nice and he posed for this picture with me. Please notice my muscles are MUCH smaller but my scowl is MUCH more ferocious. Steve :)

Recycling Containers that WORK!

My friend Nancy Morrison - who's been the recycling guru for Pierce County Solid Waste in Washington State for years and years - shared some info with me recently. She said, "you've got to check out the CLEARCYCLE recycling containers. They really work at fairs and festivals and other events because the bags are clear and the tops have holes in the shape of the recyclable item." I did. And it's amazing. When people at - what's called - "away from home events" see the clear bag and the OBVIOUS holes for recycling... they DO IT. They recycle. That's what we want. There are huge advantages to the clear bag. People realize that ONLY recyclables go into that container, because they can see inside. These containers work even BETTER if you put the CycleMax Recycling Container NEXT TO a trash container. I loved this collection system so much... I purchased a set of the CycleMax containers myself. They're going to travel with my theater show... everywhere I go. By the way... I don't get any money for endorsing this system. I just really really like it and think it can make our public events must more sustainable and make recycling easier.

It's OFFICIAL...Steve Trash Green Magic Set release in February 2009

Well it's official. The first GREEN MAGIC SET... EVER...officially created, designed, and babied into existence by ME and my wife Dianne... will be released by the green toy company IMAGIPLAY in February 2009. I'll get to be in the booth at Toy Fair performing tricks from the magic set for Toy Buyers and the media. Each magic trick included in the set - there are three - has a green theme and is manufactured in a green fashion. The box is a solid wood and all the tricks are made from sustainably harvested wood with water based non-VOC paints. It's been a huge amount of work to get it done, but I'm excited. Sometime in late February... you'll be able to buy them online. Each OFFICIAL STEVE TRASH GREEN MAGIC SET is 29.95. We're hoping to get them placed in places like Barnes and Noble, Books A Million, Whole Foods Markets, and more... we'll see. If your favorite local green store carries stuff for kids please have them contact www.imagiplay.com to get their order in. Hey... if I'm in your town... I might just show up to teach kids that buy the set... the tricks. You never know.

Big Green Year!

I know that the economy is in the tank and things are challenging for many people around the planet right now... but I've just returned from the RECYCLING SUMMIT in Point Clear Alabama and wow was it refreshing. It's amazing how businesses have caught on to the concept that stuff that is recycled is cheaper to manufacture and that cost savings is driving the recycling market right now. There were only a few curbside recycling programs twenty years ago... guess what? There are just under 9000 US curbside recycling programs in operation today. There is much movement on the business side of recycling these days. In the coming months... watch for the Coca-Cola Recycles campaign. They've made a committment to try and help get recycled content collected...so they can put it in their drink bottles and cans. That's pretty exciting right? I like it. When business gets on board... things really start to happen. Woohoo!

Financial Crisis Government Fundraising

You know things are bad in the financial market when cities resort to renting street signs out :)

We Can Solve It

We can solve it. Moving the globe towards a sustainable future has always been one of my favorite things to work on. It actually makes complete sense to me... nature has no waste... all systems are closed. Build economic systems that work with ecologic systems and you've really got something exciting to build on. I'm going to plug in another COMPACT FLEURESCENT light bulb in my office right now.

Kids First Endorsement

Great News! Our video KIDS MAKING BETTER CHOICES has been officially endorsed by the national kid friendly vetting organization KIDS FIRST. We received the news yesterday. It's an honor to be endorsed by yet another national organization... particularly a kid oriented one. We hope endorsement will get the word out to more kids that making good eating and exercise choices can be fun and magical. Much more information to come.