7gen Bloc

This just in from Sarah T.: One little tree makes a ton of difference. It’s a simple idea, and this is what it means: This year for Earth Day, Seventh Generation is partnering with two incredible non-profits to make tons and tons of difference in an area that needs it most. We’re joining forces with the Seed Collective and Replant New Orleans to promote urban reforestation in New Orleans.

(Note: I wrote this post in January, immediately after the photo shoot for our new Vanity Fair magazine feature. I couldn’t post it then because the contents of the issue were secret and they asked us all not to say anything about it. But now that the magazine is on newsstands, the coast is clear. So here’s my own “snapshot” from behind the scenes at the shoot…

For all those whose TV antennas (or satellite dishes or cables or fiber optics or whatever…) are within reach of the signal from Vermont Public Television, we’ve got this Official Media Alert: A new two-part program called ReGeneration debuts tomorrow night, April 18th at 7:30 with part two following on April 25th. The VPT program discusses a variety of eco-oriented people, projects, and businesses in our enviro-minded home state. An interview with Jeffrey and a look at Seventh Generation is featured as part of the April 18th edition. Set those Tivos and fire up the popcorn maker…

Yesterday, the Financial Times reported on a community of Benedictine nuns based in Texas who were stunned to find themselves on a list compiled by Wal-Mart of the biggest threats to the company. The nuns have called on Wal-Mart to explain how they came to appear on the list.

Jeffrey was recently on a panel with Peter Senge from The Society of Organizational Learning and MIT talking about the evolution a company like Seventh Generations needs to go through to meet the dynamic changes that are going on in the WHOLE world. WR

A reminder that this Saturday, April 14th is Step It Up 2007, a national day of climate action. This is going to be a great moment in history, and it’s so simple to be a part of it that everyone easily can and definitely should. Just go to the Step It Up 2007 web site and find an event in your area. Or organize one yourself. It’s totally 100% completely uncomplicated and otherwise effortless. Here’s all you have to do:

The new (May) issue of Vanity Fair has just hit newstands from coast to coast. It’s the annual green issue (which ironically must have required a small forest to produce, but let’s not go there. Treehugger did last year and it wasn’t pretty). This year, Leo is on the cover. And Seventh Generation is inside. In a full-page pictorial feature that has Jeffrey and our friends at Method standing on a rooftop in San Francisco amidst shiny piles of safer cleaners. Nice shirt…

Beautiful, environmental housing in the midst of poverty. Samuel Mockbee was a gifted architect who devoted his life to ensuring those least able to afford it lived in the most wonderful places. In a world where only those who are already the healthiest and safest on the planet can afford organic food and clothing, non-toxic cleaners, and “green” homes, we should all imagine Mockbee looking down upon us. Here’s an excerpt from an article on Mockbee that appeared in Architectural Record:

So, I was sent a link about an organism that happens to like maple syrup, and one of the by-products of this 'sweet' encounter is a family of natural polymers that could help ween us off petro. Some of you might know that I make maple syrup this time of year, and I’m intrigued about this, that’s for sure!