Can Western Women Save the World? The Dalai Lama Thinks So.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama made a stunning proclamation last year at a Peace Summit in Vancouver. He said, “The world will be saved by the western woman.” This statement shocked the audience and started a tsunami of responses in cyberspace. Can you imagine? Women saving the world?

After the initial elation I felt to hear such a highly respected male leader make such a statement, I thought to myself, duh, of course it will be women. We make 85% of the consumer purchases. We can save the world right now by what we buy – and don’t buy.

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Women Rock at the Women in Green Forum – show 25

The Dalai Lama said last year in Vancouver that western women will save the world. I think most of them were at the Women in Green Forum in Pasadena earlier this month. A two-day conference and networking gala filled with women on the forefront of the green movement. I was fortunate to be there and in good, no great, company.

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Kids vs Global Warming – show 23

Move over Al Gore, here comes Alec Loorz. My first (and not last) guy on Women Of Green. At the age of 12, Alec founded Kids vs Global Warming after watching Al Gore’s movie, “An Inconvenient Truth.” Feeling the weight of the global situation and a sense that he could make a difference, Alec felt compelled to tell other kids about the problems we are facing and created a presentation made specifically for youth, full of videos, animation, easy-to-understand science, and compelling motivation for youths from Kindergarten to college age.

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Eat Granola, Pray, Love – show 22

Alison Bailey Vercruysse started a granola company three years ago and recently sold her one millionth bar. When I asked her the impact she wants to have on the planet, she said, “Everyone has the right to pure and simple food.” It’s that simple for Alison. She is the CEO and founder of 18 Rabbits. Her love for granola and serving up simple ingredients goes way back to her childhood. Her deep love for her mom (not to mention her secret recipes) stands at the core of the 18 Rabbits brand. Made from ingredients like organic coconut, California almonds, and Straus butter (see I can pronounce all of them) make 18 Rabbits a wholesome, mouth-watering treat.

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A conversation with Paula DuPre’ Pesmen, producer of Academy Award winning film, The Cove – show 21

“Taiji, a little town with a really big secret.” That’s how the Academy Award winning documentary film, The Cove, begins. The really big secret that takes place in this little fishing town in Japan is a really big nightmare. Year after year, dolphins on a migratory path are surrounded by fishing boats, slaughtered and sold for their meat. Hundreds of thousands of dolphins have died in this cove. Except for the young, female dolphins which sell for up to $150,000 to marine parks and “swim with dolphin” programs around the world.

This is the backdrop of my conversation with Paula DuPre’ Pesmen, the producer of The Cove. Paula shares how this film has impacted her and why its message shouldn’t just end with the filmmakers. “One person can make a difference. You can make a difference,” she said out loud. And she proves this every day of her life through her non-profit, There With Care. Her mission: To provide a range of practical services for children and families facing critical illness in order to ease the burden of life’s day-to-day obligations during a medical crisis.

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How Green is Your Spa? with Tara Grodjesk of Green Spa Network – show 20

My guest today is woman I have known for a number of years.Tara Grodjesk and I met about 4 years ago when I was helping actress, Marsha Mason, launch her natural products company, Resting in the River. Back then, Tara told me about an idea she was percolating — a professional network to help spa owners green up. What was a seed is now fully sprouted. The Green Spa Network is a thriving membership organization that helps spa owners take specific steps to green up their spas. And there’s more than 14,000 in the US alone. Tara shares her journey and passion in how she’s helping an industry she’s been intimately engaged with for over 25 years take a healthy and prosperous leap into the future.

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Eco Deals on Ecobunga! with co-founder, Karen Schiff – show 19

For years, one of the biggest roadblocks for going green is the price. Typically green or organic goods can be anywhere from 20 to 50 percent more. So unless you’re a die hard greenie, chances are you’ll pass up the organic kitty litter for the more conventional type. Not any more. Thanks to Karen Schiff, a woman who knows the art of green deal, There’s EcoBunga, an online directory that lists hundreds of green giveaways and deals everyday. From hybrid cars to organic foods. And since the site’s launch in 2008, Karen has personally reviewed thousands of green promotions, screening each one to ensure that the listing is truly green and truly a deal before publishing it online.

About my guest: Karen Schiff is co-founder of Ecobunga!, an online directory listing hund

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BP and the Balance of Feminine and Masculine.

The balance of the masculine and the feminine is my mantra on Women Of Green. With the recent (or not-so-recent) oil spill, we see the extreme need for this more than ever. My heart burst open every day watching our waters be turned into a toxic soup of sorrow. With that, I share the blog post below by Avivah Wittenberg-Cox. It shines a light on an important view on the BP story that has not been covered in the current news.

— Carolyn

One year ago, BP’s most senior woman left the company. Vivienne Cox was the head of the company’s renewable energy business. A lifelong proponent and pusher of sustainability issues, she was one of the many women to leave the company after the current CEO Tony Hayward took over from Lord Brown, something 20-first.com reported on at the time. Watching the current debacle and the culture that created it, one wonders had she and the other women stayed, would BP be in its current mess?

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Seeping Up The Sludge One Strand at a Time – show 18

My guest today is working hard along with thousands of other volunteers on containing the spew with hair – human hair, dog hair, even alpaca hair. This nationwide effort is lead by the not-for-profit organization, Matter of Trust, that turns the collected hair into oil collection mats and tubes. And so far they’ve collected hair from thousands of individuals and over 40,000 businesses have signed up.

This podcast is on location at a local salon in Santa Fe. Melodi Wyss-Feliciano, the owner of Rock Paper Scissor Salonspa, is leading the way in New Mexico and has collected boxes and boxes of hair not only from her salon, but others in New Mexico. Yesterday, she added my hair. What about yours? Think of it, your strands seeping up the sludge. It’s a beautiful thing.

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The Emotional Journey of Green – show 17

Remember my Earth Day guest, Rebecca Harrell Tickell, the author of Hot Rich and Green? If you remember, the book revealed secrets that woman are using to get rich and save the planet. Well, I found my guest today in Rebecca’s book and she shares some of her secrets to her success including how connection with your community trumps “hard work” — and how being authentic was her competitive advantage over other “how to green up your whatever” businesses. I love Rachael’s honesty and transparency in this interview as she shares openly her own emotional journey in life, in business and in green.

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