SHADES OF GREEN As Kermit the Frog famously said all those years ago, “It’s not easy being green.” Well, take it from someone who
is in the thick of it, it’s doubly hard to be green while planning a wedding. Think of all those eco-diehards simply decrying the mere idea. A dress that’s worn only once! Cut flowers! Empty bottles and cans! Guests gas guzzling to travel from the four corners! Reams of wrapping paper! An electric band! Oh, the carbon footprint! But even greenistas have to appreciate gathering for something as wonderful as two people joining their lives, so my goal is to find a happy medium. I discovered there are many ways to integrate eco-friendly elements and have the festivities I want. Just like marriage, a wedding is about compromise. And that’s a great way to start a life together. The first challenge is the “where.” Wendi Mirabella of Moondance Events & Entertainment, a full-service-event planning and production company in Culver City, bemoans the lack of eco-conscious venues. “A hotel is usually the greenest choice because the infrastructure is already in place,” she says. Moondance, run by Mirabella and her partner, Benita Karroll, prefers to work with companies that have preexisting green policies to reduce the often Sasquatch-size carbon footprint of a wedding. I was interested in something more, well, eco-committed. So I visited Miguel Nelson and Sherry Walsh at SmogShoppe in Culver City’s gallery district. Billed as L.A.’s greenest urban oasis, the space features solar panels that provide 100 percent of its energy, tanks to collect and filter rainwater, reclaimed furniture and renewable vegetation over 65 percent of the space.
Despite relatively low gas prices, consumers and automakers alike are still turning their attention to high fuel economy. The 2009 Detroit auto show was invaded by green cars of all types: diesel, hybrid, electric, and fuel cell. Here are the eco-friendly vehicles you can expect for 2010.