Meet Schlumberger

by Megan McLaughlin



Schlumberger: "The leading oilfield services provider, trusted to deliver superior results and improved E&P performance for oil and gas companies around the world. Each day, in 80 countries, we help our customers find and produce oil and gas. Through our wellsite operations and in our research and engineering facilities, we are working to develop products, services and solutions that optimize customer performance in a safe and environmentally sound manner."

This month, Schlumberger will be attending the EnergiseYourFuture Youth Forum in Paris, France. "During EnergiseYourFuture, delegations of students, academics, young professionals, experts, think tanks and NGO’s from all five continents of the world will enjoy three levels of discussions: keynote plenary sessions for strategic thinking, workshops for a deep-dive into the overall themes and for generating new ideas and resolutions, and “Knowledge Cafés” for knowledge sharing and informal networking."

While at the event, Schlumberger will participate in debating 3 key themes;
A Reality Check on Tomorrow's Energy Landscape
An Ethical and Sustainable Energy Industry: Making it happen
Tomorrow's Leadership: Matching our Skills to the Challenges.

Schlumberger has been gathering ideas and submitted by their followers and blog-readers via this online survey. Today is the last day to submit your ideas! Submissions close tonight at 11:59pm EST. If your idea is chose, you will be recognized for your contributions and all selected participants have a chance to win an 8GB iPod touch!

Check out Schlumberger's blog and their survey page for the EnergiseYourFuture Youth Forum and give them some great ideas for a chance to gain recognition at a global forum. After the forum is over, you can continue to follow Schlumberger by reading their Community Blog.

Keep it Simple

by Megan McLaughlin

Simple Shoes: "Shoes for a happy planet," is the slogan of this eco-friendly company. Simple Shoes finds sustainable ways to make "gazillions" of shoes.



Its been about 15 years since I've even thought about Simple Shoes. When I was younger, I begged for a pair of Simple clogs for some reason. Since then, this company has come a long way. Born in 1991, Simple Shoes was created as a response to the over-hyped sneakers that were gracing the shoe scene at the time. However, it wasn't until 2004 that this company decided to change themselves in hopes of changing the world. Since then, they have introduced several collections, like ecoSNEAKS and Green Toe. These collections are super eco-friendly, affordable and fashionable!



Simple Shoes is now committed to making products that are 100% sustainable, and they plan to keep it that way! They make shoes for men, women and kids and they also have a line of bags. So next time you are shopping around for a pair of comfy shoes, think Simple!

Are You Green Certified?

by Megan McLaughlin

Just about everyone uses computers and a large percentage of those who do are definitely using the internet. Many people also have websites, whether for personal or business purposes, but not everyone has a Green Certified website! CO2Stats is out to change that.


Now that you're reading this, you may begin to notice this little bug on many of the web pages you usually browse. CO2Stats offers green site certification by calculating the combined electricity used by computers visiting a site, the servers providing it and the networks that connect them. CO2Stats then helps to make a site more energy efficient (and load faster), and purchases renewable energy to neutralize the carbon emissions due to generation of that electricity. Pretty cool, huh?

According to the CO2Stats site, "it is an easy-to-use service that makes your website carbon neutral and energy-efficient, and that provides certification that you have taken steps to make your site environmentally friendly." So if you haven't already found ways to make your website more eco-friendly, check out CO2Stats and get your site Green Certified! Its an interesting, fun way to care for the environment while bringing some green appeal to the web!

For more about websites and web design, check out these links:
How a Website Comes Together
90s Web Design

Get Naked!

by Megan McLaughlin

You haven't lived until you try Naked Juice! It is delicious and its creators are committed to making the world a greener place!

"From fruit to blender to bottle to gulp, Naked Juice is dedicated to making it easy for you to contribute to a greener world." And just how are they doing this? They use recycled plastic bottles that can be recycled again and again. They also have big plans for the future...
By 2010, they are planning to reduce their oil consumption by 57,000 barrels a year, which, in turn, will cause them to use 48% less energy in the process!

Now for the best part - the juice: 100% all-natural, 100% juice made from the best fruits and vegetables, they never add sugar, preservatives, artificial colors or flavors! Each of their bottles contains over 3 servings of fruit and they are oh-so-delicious.

Do yourself a favor and give Naked Juice a try! You'll be helping Mother N. out as well! Look for these guys in your local grocer...

(Pre) Winter Green

by Megan McLaughlin

For many of us across the U.S. and even in other parts of the world, it seems as though we have skipped right over fall and found ourselves in the middle of winter! The lack of an Indian summer has left many of us longing for warmth again already, but for others, it is a cue to start gearing up for the winter season. For plenty of people, winter means hibernation, and for sports enthusiasts, it means skiing, snowboarding and all sorts of outdoor, snowy activities.

Greenzer.com provides a very informative list of ways to think green when planning winter activities. As usual, the number 1 tip involves staying local! Transportation to and from winter sport destinations like ski areas can be very costly. If you are fortunate enough to live close to winter sport destinations, keep within the area. If you need to travel further to find what you're looking for, do it wisely!

The article also makes an interesting suggestion; consider the amount of carbon emissions expended to run a ski lift and to groom the trails...it would be greener to try snowshoeing and cross-country skiing! But if you just need the thrill of the slopes, be mindful of your actions and think green at all times!



No matter what you decide this winter, make sure you always consider what you can do to make your life a little greener.

Some people tend to spend more money in the winter. If that's you, check out this article: Winter Time Spending
Everyone hates being sick, especially during the cold winter months. Read this article about battling the "winter sickies."
And here are some interesting suggestions about snow removal!

Fall for Eco-Friendly Fashion

by Megan McLaughlin

What do your clothes say about you? Are you always style-conscious and fashion-forward, or do you just grab the first thing you see when you wake up in the morning? Whatever your style method may be, this fall, consider adding some eco-friendly fashions to your wardrobe.

For women, She-Bible and Kelly B are great places to find, organic styles. Most of their fashions are made right here in the U.S. of A. and from 100% organic cotton and other natural fibers. And if you don’t already know about it, Etsy is a great place to find handmade, eco-friendly or vintage/recycled clothing, accessories and etc. Check out this neat scarf, for instance, from RagingWool on Etsy…



It is made of cashmere, from recycled sweaters and it is fab for fall (and winter, of course)!

US News had a great article about 5 Ways to Green Your Fall Clothes Shopping. Their #1 tip: “Fashion is cyclical, and that means that hand-me-downs are back in style.” This couldn’t be more true! Shop recycled/vintage and dig up some great finds by rummaging through your parents’ old threads. US News also suggests – try just not shopping at all, which is a great way to save money, too!

For more fall fashion tips, check out this article about dressing green. Or this article about being fashion forward in an eco-friendly way!

Eco Tourism

by Megan McLaughlin

Fall is here and the summer season has left us for good. No more trips to the beach or summer BBQs by the pool. It is bitter sweet. The warm and inviting glow of summer ends, but as the crisp, clean colors and scents of fall usher in you are still longing for a weekend getaway or a pre-holiday season retreat. Plan a fall getaway in eco-friendly style.

A great place to start researching a wonderful trip is EcoTour, "your source for planning an eco holiday." Whether you're looking for a big vacation or a little 3-day weekend road trip, you can get some great ideas from EcoTour!

So what is Ecotourism? According to EcoTour, "The aim of our Ecotourism Resource Centre is to act as an informative guide for users about the concept of Ecotourism. In addition, useful resources have been provided to further increase understanding & provide guidance for ecotravel." For EcoTours, many activities include getting in touch with nature; hiking, biking, mountain climbing, camping. These are some eco-friendly ways to reduce your carbon footprint while taking a break from the everyday. Even if its just for a weekend or even a day, take a quick trip to immerse yourself in some of the beautiful fall foliage the earth has to offer!



Check out this site for some great, eco-friendly camping advice!
Take a look at this Experience blog about Five Ways to Travel Green
Or this one about a Greener Vacation