Dear GAzette Readers: As the Director and founder of the Green Alliance, I can tell you first hand that we have not rested one moment since the day of our inception three short years ago. Building the GA to where it should be -- to have a full and lasting impact on our communities -- means we must reinvent and recreate on an almost daily basis. We spent much of 2011 investigating what the green business leaders and sustainability-minded consumers wanted to see and learn about, and we're rolling up our sleeves and working hard to be the organization you want us to be. The fundamental building block of our new approach is you. This is, after all, a member-driven organization. We have in the works a new and useful “5 Green Tips a Week” campaign, a Green Moms Club, and a diverse and exciting list of upcoming events – from green business learning workshops to a GA ski day; from a Sustainability Bash in April to an outdoor GA Family Carnival in Exeter; from a swank green building party and roundtable at the 100 Club in May, to a GA Isles of Shoals Booze Cruise and even a party at the Dover Children’s Museum with the US Green Building Council of NH slated for August. We want to be sure we are supporting sustainable trailblazers in both business and the community, providing you with a place to call home. We will continue to educate and advocate around greener choices, and we promise to consistently be looking to raise the bar. I hope you will contribute to our efforts and officially become part of the GA community.   Sincerely, Sarah Brown GA Director Become a fan on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!

  

The benefits of chiropractic for adults is well established – almost 20 million men, women, and children visit licensed chiropractors annually as part of their health, wellness, and pain management regimens.

But now an entirely new and potentially unlikely group is experiencing the drug-free benefits of chiropractic: infants and young children. And Dr. Seth LaFlamme, founder and owner of South Berwick-based Great Works Chiropractic, has been strongly advocating for infant chiropractic care for several years. “Our birth rituals are often unnatural and cause harm,” noted Dr. LaFlamme. “It’s very important to get an infant checked, as injuries are common during delivery.”

Newborns can benefit immensely from chiropractic adjustments. The birth process, complicated by a constricted uterus, a breech presentation, or a difficult delivery, can result in unintended spine or nerve damage to a vulnerable infant. For example, a study of 1000 babies found that of the 17% suffering from vomiting, hyperactivity, and sleeplessness shortly after birth, 95% showed signs of spinal injury and dysfunction.

Fortunately, chiropractic treatment for these maladies was found in the study to demonstrate success rates that “overshadow every other type (of care).” And the benefits extend beyond the child’s newborn stage: chiropractic care has been shown to assist breast feeding, nervousness, sleep disorders, colic, and even ear, nose, and throat infections...

A quest for the perfect Valentines Day present for my fiancé led me to venture for the first time across the threshold of Prelude, a local purveyor of imported soaps, fine jewelry and gifts located at 65 Market Street in downtown Portsmouth, where longtime shop owner Holly Landgarten opened my eyes to a whole new world of products that are not only romantic, but also eco-friendly and socially conscious.

A visit to Prelude may begin with a sampling of Dr. Hauschka, a legendary line of natural skin care products that Landgarten describes as “Delicious!”

“Dr. Rudolph Hauschka was an Austrian chemist who was inspired to develop homeopathic remedies after attending lectures by Dr. Rudolph Steiner, founder of the first Waldorf School and father of Biodynamic gardening in 1920,” Landgarten said. “A lot of Hollywood make up artists discovered Dr. Hauschka Skin Care products during the late 1960’s, back when movie stars were literally abusing their skin with heavy and toxic makeup. I, personally, have been using the products since 1979.”

Dr. Hauschka the man left this world in 1969, but not before giving birth to WALA Heilmittel, which today manufactures 10,000 homeopathic remedies. The skin care products that bear his name are certified natural or organic by NATRUE, an international non-profit organization.

“They list every single ingredient for every product,” according to Landgarten. “And that means you know exactly what you are putting on your skin and you can be assured that it is 100% safe”....read more here!

Green Alliance members receive 10% off all jewelry at Prelude! Click here to learn more!

“I think Deb was born green,” says Mary Campbell. Deb Chase confirms, “We're almost as green as Kermit!” So when the two women hired Little Green Homes to renovate their house in York, Chris Redmond, who runs the design side of the company, didn't have to sell them on efficiency.

While many home owners are more focused on cosmetic features than structural ones, Deb and Mary were already so green-savvy that they even suggested a couple of sustainable features that the builders hadn't thought of. The renovation project was truly a collaborative effort, and the partnership between Little Green Homes and York residents Deb and Mary shows how exciting it can be when green businesses and green-minded consumers actively propel each other toward their sustainability goals.

Deb and Mary have worked at Mass General Hospital for more than ten years, Deb as a respiratory therapist, and Mary as a nurse practitioner. They moved from Boston to Maine in the mid-1990s and settled into their post-and-beam house in York, which had been built about a decade before. Then recently they decided it was time to improve the efficiency of their home, and they wanted to put additions on the house at the same time...read more here!

Green Alliance members receive 15% off design fees on a design-and-build contract, as well as a FREE building consultation with Little Green Homes Click here to learn more!

For Anne Ross, the impetus for taking on home composting didn’t happen at home. It wasn’t prompted while eating out on the town, or even at a grocery store.

Rather, it took an event at her child’s school – a Halloween party, specifically – to flip on the green light bulb and get her thinking more about how to reduce her waste at home.

“I remember being struck by all the paper plates and plastic cutlery people were just throwing away,” recalls Ross, a Dover resident. “That really got the ball rolling for me.”

Soon after her enviro-epiphany, Ross began researching local composting alternatives, in the hopes that she might convince others at the school to adopt more sustainable materials for meetings, parties, and other functions.

She remembered hearing about EcoMovement Consulting & Hauling, mostly through the then strictly commercial composting service’s growing presence working with Seacoast area restaurants. Through Facebook, Ross was able to communicate directly with EcoMovement’s owner, Rian Bedard, gleaning from the 28-year-old permaculture expert useful tips and cost-effective products.

What Ross didn’t know, however, was that – after two years of steadily growing their client list – EcoMovement was poised to launch its own residential compost pickup program. Needless to say, Ross didn’t need much convincing on that front... read more here!

 

Gaudreau rolls out massive "eco-art" exhibit

Environmental artist Tim Gaudreau spent a whole year documenting every single item he threw away with a photo. Then he did it again, this time including every aspect of his life that added to his carbon footprint. The task was monumental, as Gaudreau quickly discovered. The year left him with over 28,000 photos and the realization that every minute detail of his routine contributed to his impact on the earth.

Gaudreau's installation, “365 Days of Considered Consumption” is separate from his earlier project, “Self Portrait as Revealed by Trash: 365 days of photographing everything I threw out,” but it's an extension of the same idea. The first project considered only one aspect of his environmental footprint, and came to inform his consumption decisions in order to reduce his waste.

By the time he started his second year of photographing, this time including everything from vehicle emissions to television viewing, he'd already made some notable changes in his trash-generating habits. He'd adjusted how he purchased food to avoid items with unnecessary packaging, he'd started growing his own food to eliminate packaging completely and circumvent food transportation emissions, and he'd started composting. Still, nothing could have prepared him for the task of documenting every single component of one year's worth of his carbon footprint.

“When I started the project, I didn't realize how deep it would go,” says Gaudreau. “I found that the easiest way to document my impact was through a photo-diary. Once I started photographing everything, I realized how many layers there are to my carbon footprint, and that really everything I do contributes to it.”...read more here!

Green Card holders save 10% on all photography, art and design services with Tim Gaudreau Studios! Click here to learn more!


Jewett Farms: Sustainability from the inside out

They just don’t build houses like they used to – they’re getting better. People want to be warm in the winter and cool in the summer without spending a fortune, so as our fossil fuels fizzle out and energy costs rise, there’s an increasing demand for well-insulated homes. It’s one of the many examples of the intersection between environmentalism and frugality, but unfortunately, many people seem to stop thinking sustainability when it comes to the interior of their homes.

What most don’t realize is that filling a tightly sealed home with cheap mass-produced products can negatively affect the interior air quality.

“Almost everybody uses catalyzed lacquers and conversion varnishes,” says Mike Myers, owner of Jewett Farms & Company Cabinet Makers in Dover, NH, a green-minded cabinetmaker which considers the footprint of all of their handmade products. “These finishes everyone uses are chemically-based, non biodegradable and explosive. You have to wear masks to apply them, so while a home-owner may feel good that they did the right thing in terms of environmental performance with the exterior envelope of the house, they’ve actually dangerously veered from those same environmental values when it comes to the inside. “

So while these toxic chemicals are approved for use in homes, they must first go through an off gassing process in a sealed chamber that lasts at least 30 days. After that period of time, the rate of chemical diffusion is low enough and is considered safe to breathe by government standards, but Myers sees that as an unnecessary risk..... check out the full story in our blog by clicking here!

Your Green Card saves you 50% on design fees with Jewett Farms & Co.! Click here!


Green Card makes local papers more affordable

A Green Alliance Green Card is the perfect date—you can take it to any of nearly one hundred places, and it pays for itself! How long does it take for the money you spend on your Green Alliance membership to come back to you? Sometimes only one purchase.

Green Card holders can save up to 30 percent off yearly subscriptions to the Portsmouth Herald—as much as 45 dollars. And a Green Card only costs $35. Green Alliance Director and cardholder Sarah Brown recently renewed her yearly home delivery subscription to the Portsmouth Herald, and what would have cost her $233.40 cost only $196.30 with the help of her Green Alliance membership card.

“Of course being the Director of the Green Alliance, I am always singing the praises of the GreenCard but I personally reaped the benefits last week when I went to renew my daily home delivery subscription of the Herald. I was pretty excited with how much I saved! I love getting the local paper but it is costly to have home delivery; my GreenCard made it more affordable!” exclaimed Brown.

The Portsmouth Herald is excited about the deal as well—through its partnership with the Green Alliance, the Herald is able to attract subscribers who might otherwise get their news elsewhere. These readers are drawn to the Portsmouth Herald because of the paper's commitment to issues of sustainability. It's a symbiotic relationship.... check out the full story in our blog by clicking here!

Join the GA and save 30% on print and online subscriptions to any Seacoast Media Group Publication, Including the Portsmouth Herald, Hampton Union, and Seacoast Online! Click here!

Supporting a good cause doesn’t have to be a serious affair – and it never will be as long as Mike McDonald is involved. In association Cuzin Richard Entertainment Associates (CREA), the Bostonian comedian will host the 11th Annual Comedy Xxtravaganza this February. As usual, they will donate proceeds to several worthy New Hampshire organizations.

The Xxtravaganza will take place at two venues: February 17th at the Music Hall in Portsmouth and February 18th at the Concord City Auditorium. McDonald, who has appeared on HBO, Showtime and Comedy Central, will belittle and enlighten the audience alongside the likes of “tauntingly contemptuous” Stacy Kendro, the genuinely unbalanced Ira Proctor and DJ Hazard, who once lived out of his car for three years.

“When you do events you can’t use the same people every time,” says Richard Smith, owner of Cuzin Richard Entertainment, who has been promoting local talent since 1976. “It keeps it fresh and fun. Basically, people are looking to go out and have a good time. They want to laugh. In the middle of February, it’s important to feel good and this show makes it happen.”

But laughing until you herniate various organs isn’t the only reason to attend. CREA, which has a long tradition of supporting humanitarian causes, will donate a portion of the proceeds from each show to two New Hampshire organizations. Attendees at the Music Hall will help feed the needy at the Seacoast Food Pantry in Portsmouth, while proceeds from The Audi show will go toward The Friendly Kitchen food pantry in Concord, which suffered a devastating fire this past spring.

However, audience members at both events will support the Green Alliance with their ticket price – and while the Seacoast Food Pantry and the Friendly Kitchen are both non-profit organizations, the Green Alliance is a for-profit business.... Read more in our blog by clicking here!

It's easy to get stuck inside in the winter and forget about all the great ways we can engage with nature sustainably. But you don't have to let it happen to your kids—or to you. Prescott Farm, a business partner of the Green Alliance, has many exciting events planned for the rest of the winter to get your family outdoors and loving it.

Prescott's WildQuest Winter Camp plants the seeds of green thinking by educating and inspiring kids about nature in a non-competitive, community-minded environment. Most of the day is spent immersed in nature, learning about local plants and animals and various sustainable ways that we can enjoy our environment. Not just facts, but hands-on, experiential learning activities foster a life-long love of the natural world, which gives kids an impetus to live green into adulthood.

Office and communications manager Kimberly Drouin says it's not hard getting kids excited about the outdoors. “The kids that come here usually already enjoy nature and outdoor activities, but if the interest wasn't there before, they certainly gain it here.”

Prescott Farm's WildQuest Winter Camp will run from February 27th through March 2nd, 9am till 3pm. But if the WildQuest camp doesn't fit your schedule, Prescott Farm has other exciting programming planned for the next few months. On the docket for Janruary 9th is an exciting full moon snowshoe hike that will include constellation identification and discussion of the nocturnal habits of animals... Read more here!

With January temperatures having been at or near balmy, it’s likely that more than a few outdoor enthusiasts have lately taken to using their first sick day of the year.

What better way to make the most the Seacoast’s midwinter thaw than to hop on your bike and go for a ride?

Whether you’re looking for a tune-up, new parts, accessories, or even a brand new ride, the team at Papa Wheelies is there to equip you for a great ride around town or country. Having already experienced a number of 40-degree-plus days, the uptick in customers is something they’ve gotten more than used to.

“We’ve had a surprising amount of traffic so far this winter,” says Papa’s Josh Pierce. “With the milder conditions, the roads and trails are still very much ride-able.”

You'd think mid-winter would represent a true “off season” for any bike shop. To the contrary, Papa Wheelies has hardly had to switch into a lower gear. Earlier this month, for instance, the crew helped lead a final, commemorative ride across the old Memorial Bridge.

“The ride went really well, “ noted Pierce. “It was a beautiful morning, and we ended up having a good, fast ride, considering the temperature.”

Even when the temperatures recede back to something resembling normal, Pierce says that, as long as the snow remains at a minimum, there are plenty of paths and trails to be taken.... Read more in our blog by clicking here!

Green Card holders get $50 off any regularly-priced adult bicycle, 20% off in-stock 2011 models, $20 off any tune up, and receive FREE installation of any accessories! Also save 20% on all accessories and clothing! Click here to learn more!