This is a great opportunity to get aquainted with some awesome eco-friendly local vendors and have a good time. Mark your calendar for May 2nd!

Just before the Phoenix light rail started service I posted a video of light rail collisions from some other unnamed city. Three months in to our own light rail line here and videos and stories of trains hitting vehicles are already popping up. Here’s a video of the light rail hitting a truck and a car, you might notice that the 2nd car runs for it. I wonder if they were able to get his license plate number form the vid?

Here’s a story from a local blogger that was on a train that hit a car. My Phoenix light rail crash

KPHO also did a story about how drivers aren’t paying attention to the light rail signs. Drivers Not Following Light Rail Signs

The good news though is that light rail ridership is higher than projected. Seems it has become a popular form of mass transit here in Phoenix!

Self indulgence is not typically a very philanthropic activity, however, with rough economic times we all could use some extra TLC. This is a great way to give back to the community while pampering yourself and getting acquainted with a fantastic local business. From the strawberry hedgehog blog:

As you know from my last post I have been really excited about the Soap for Hope soaps I have available where 50% of the price goes directly to support cancer charities. The soaps are available online as well as at my favorite Mesa cafe/yoga studio, Inside the Bungalow, who just so happen to be hosting a super cool event on May 2nd to support the St. Baldrick’s charity. So, last week I went to drop off the fresh lemon-rosemary soap there but before leaving I checked their blog only to find that Inside the Bungalow’s massage therapist, is donating ALL of the massage proceeds to the charity!

I couldn’t resist this opportunity to pamper myself while giving to charity. What a fabulously rewarding combination! Melissa, the massage therapist, is incredibly friendly and talented. She sets you at ease the moment you arrive, has a healing touch and warm personality, listening to your concerns and adjusting to your preference. The prices are out of this world and with all of the proceeds going to St. Baldrick’s through May you really have no excuse not to go! :c) Their scheduling and online payment system is super simple and I highly recommend you leap at the opportunity as I did. I am so impressed with Melissa’s ability as a massage therapist and her huge heart, I cannot believe her generosity donating all of her time and energy to heal her clients and support finding a cure for childhood cancer. WOW!

Click here for more info.

This information is brought to you by Keith Woods:

ECYCLEPHX.ORG is run by the Boy Scouts (Troop 446) who organize the longest running computer and electronics swap meet in the southwest – the Scouts’ Electronicfest. scoutscomputerswapmeet.com

They are hosting their 3rd Annual Earth Day Electronics Recycling Event sponsored by Valleywide Recycling Partnership. To be held all day (11am to 7pm) Wednesday, April 22nd, at the Best Buy in Phoenix (at Camelback Road and 20th Street. All kinds of electronics will be accepted at this event (working or not), and proceeds will benefit local Boy Scouts. Donations may be tax deductible. For more information please call Keith Woods at 480-752-7410

Here are some examples of things you can bring in to be recycled:

EXAMPLES OF WHAT MAY BE DROPPED OFF

Computer Monitors CPU’s (Central Processing Units) Televisions with Cathode Ray Tubes and Flat Panel Displays Printers Laptops Cables Keyboards Mouses Telephone Equipment VCRs Word Processors Batteries PDAs

Answering Machines Camcorders Compact Disc Players Copiers Duplicators Electric Typewriters Fax Machines Hard Drives Mobile Phones Modems Pagers Printed Circuit Boards Radios Games (Video)

Microwaves Smoke Detectors Large Household Appliances (Refrigerators, Washing Machines, and Air Conditioners) Toasters Fans Vacuum Cleaners Lamps Specialty Cookers Remote Controls Stereos Tape Players Telephones

For more information on the Scout’s Earth Day Event visit this link: http://ecyclephx.org/earthday_2009.htm

Green with Envy Organic Hair Studio
Optima Camel View Village, Suite 107, (Highland Ave & Scottsdale Rd)
7147 E. Rancho Vista Drive, #107
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Phone: 480.553.7235

When most people think of environmentally friendly they think of crunchy hippies.. well.. less so these days but there is still that stigma that green and glamorous cannot go hand in hand. Green With Envy, a new hair salon in Scottsdale, blows this myth out of the water. With everything from their LEED certified building with denim insullation, water and energy efficient gadgets, toxin-free products all the way down to recycling the hair clippings they produce to make mats that help in the remediation of oil spills! Ok, so we know they have the Green part down but how is their service?

They have an introductory deal this month offering haircuts for $35 so you don’t have to take my word, you can’t afford to not go take them up on this deal. My friend, Abby (photo at the end of this post), turned me on to this place and I couldn’t pass it up. After hearing about all of thier great environmental aspirations I just had to try them. She got her hair cut first, loved it, and the next day it was my turn. The building itself is gorgeous with panels of sandstone all over the place, lush vegetation and water features, not the type of place you would associate with stringent environmental adherance but these LEED engineers know what they’re doing and efficiency is #1. There is no skimping in visual appeal, the Green With Envy salon is funky and clean with modern decor and a cheerful, restorative vibe.

Maggie Fink, the owner of Green with envy, is extremely friendly and dedicated to a great salon that does no harm to the planet. She was right up front when I came in and offered me some tea (which was fantastic, by the way). The entire staff was relaxed, fast, and friendly, not to mention terrifically talented! I could have fallen right to sleep when they washed my hair and massaged my scalp with quality shampoo that was scented with pure essential oils rather than the barage of chemical fragrance found in most salons. My stylist was Eric, I brought in a picture of what I was looking for and he did exactly what I was hoping for with the cut. A few more organic yummy products, some blow drying and I was out the door, looking great and feeling even better knowing that the locally owned Green with Envy Organic Hair Studio shares some of my values about the environment and is shaping their business around that.

I was so pleased with the results and would highly recommend this salon to anyone looking for a more eco-friendly way to stay beautiful without hurting the planet and support local business.

From their website, http://greenwithenvyhair.com:

WHAT MAKES US GREEN?

Designed by a LEED certified architect

First salon in the valley to exclusively use EcoColors (a non toxic color line) and carry and use only organic products

We donate the hair clippings to a non profit organization that uses them to create mats that clean up oil spills

Our sign and front desk were made using Kirei board, an eco-friendly substitute for wood, manufactured from reclaimed sorghum straw.

Soy-based concrete sealer

Dual-flush toilets

Recycled denim insulation

No VOC paint

Recycling Tank-less water heater

No aerosols

Recycled and reused fixtures for furniture and décor

Hybrid computers that use 70% less electricity than the average desktop.