Jennifer Sta. Ines - OnEarth Magazine, from NRDC

Let The Sun Shine In

The weather in the city last Wednesday reached an end-of-winter high of 60. Hello, New York -- the winter has thawed! While the four seasons are a delightful change from the California sunshine I grew up with, the springtime could not come any sooner in my book. I long to sprawl out on a blanket in the park, have a meal with a light breeze in my hair, and enjoy the smell of barbecue, all while working on my tan. Unfortunately, though, while my room-mate and I have the luxury of two floors and two full baths, we do not have access to our backyard. Our uncovered front porch, however, currently displays two lawn chairs and a grill that failed to garner our attention during the past winter months. Another solid point -- the front porch is in view of anyone who cares to notice; it is an open invitation for others to be introduced into our lives.

While urban life promotes anything short of ...read full post

Comments (0) | March 25, 2009
Feed Your Mind: The FUEL Film

Fuel. It's what drives us. Director and activist, Josh Tickell takes this overarching commodity and examines its place in our world in his documentary, FUEL. Right off the bat, let me say that you need to watch this. By intertwining pieces of his past into the thread of the film, Josh succeeds in creating a compelling story which underscores the fact that America is dependent on oil and that now is the time to make a change. How did America get here? How efficient is algae biodiesel? How are fuel and food connected? Watch the film!

I was able to chat with Josh and Rebecca Harrell, FUEL's Producer and Director of Marketing, after a screening last night. Although they've been traveling nonstop to promote their work in empowering, or "repowering," America to ...read full post

Comments (0) | January 27, 2009
A Trip Down Minetta Lane

I recently saw Martha Clarke's Garden of Earthly Delights at the Minetta Lane Theater. Inspired by the early sixteenth century triptych painting by Hieronymus Bosch, the play runs through scenes of the transition from heaven to hell with temptation, the seven deadly sins and nude body suits in between. I was instantly attracted to this play not only because this was the first time the production returned to its original NYC venue since 1984, but also because of my intrigue with Bosch's painting. Who wouldn't be curious of silver giraffes, pigs in habits and bare bodies gorging on fruit, communing with fantastical animals? With such strong religious symbolism the painting, in an exaggerated generalization, is simple: humans presented with lush planet; humans run amuck; ...read full post

Comments (2) | January 15, 2009