Oprah"s Earth Day Event - Show Recap
Original Air Date:
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Julia Roberts Earth Day Tips:
Oprah's good friend Julia Roberts joined the show to help talk about how you can make small differences in your home that will make a big impact on the earth. Julia's thinking about the environment grew when she had her 3 children; she began to see her responsibility in a different way. Children growing up now will have an enlightenment of the world and how to take care of it, according to Julia and Oprah's conversation.
Julia noticed how much food is wasted with small children and she began composting; noting that every little bit helps.
Sophie Uliano - Gorgeously Green Ideas:
Julia's friend, and author of Gorgeously Green, Sophie Uliano jointed the stage with a round of green ideas for your home. Sophie started by explaining organic foods which are both healthier for you and for the environment. Starting with what you eat the most of is Sophie's suggestion for switching to organic: baby food, dairy, meat, rice, grains, peanut butter, etc. Fruits and vegetables to buy organic include raisins, potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, strawberries, grapes and cucumbers - produce with edible skin.
To clean produce, make a spray with 1 cup water/1 cup vineger/1 tablespoon baking soda and 20 drops of grapefruit seed extract. Combine ingredients in a spray bottle, spray produce, let sit for 5-10 minutes and then rinse.
Two other items that are easy to change are using paper towels and buying bottled water. 1 billion bottles each week are consumed with 76% of them not being recycled - try switching to an eco-friendly reusable bottle.
Use washable rags instead of paper towels.
An Earth Day Lesson on Composting:
Sophie and Julia demonstrated using a composter to eliminate a large portion of food waste. Sophie described composting like making lasagna - creating layers in the container. Julia demonstrated how to aerate the container and let oxygen in. Most scraps are ok for composting, but eggs, meat and anything that would draw rodents or insects should be kept out.
Using worms is another way to compost - when you purchase the container you hydrate the bedding block and pour in the 2,000 worms which eat their body weight in food every day.
Changing Personal Care Items:
Julia, Oprah and Sophie went through a line of cosmetic items that contain chemicals that are not only harmful to the environment but for your body as well. Only 11% of ingredients in personal care items are tested; think of the amount going down the drain. Sophie suggested reading the label, and if you can't pronounce the ingredients, you shouldn't be putting it on your face. Chemicals that Sophie pointed out specifically include germall, parabens, fragrance, aluminum and sodium laurel sulphate - all which are hormone disruptors.
Sandra Bullock's Earth Day Tips:
Sandra Bullock took Oprah's cameras behind the scenes of her restaurant Bess in Austin, Texas where she showed how she was helping the environment at her establishment. Sandra showed the biodegradable cups, silverware and take out containers that are made of natural materials instead of plastic or styrofoam. The restaurant also uses filtered water in stainless steel containers.
Sandra described growing up macrobiotic which she said she hated then, but loves now and that the green movement is now catching on.
Homemade Organic Cleaners and Candles:
Sandra showed her recipe for a homemade organic window cleaner using 1/3 teaspoon of castile soap, 3 tablespoons of white or cider vinegar and 2 cups of water.
Ingredients Sandra pointed out as natural cleaners included lemons, baking soda and vinegar.
Sandra also sells a line of soy, hand-poured, earth friendly candles that are free of lead wicks and harmful chemicals.
Nobel Peace Prize Winner Al Gore:
For 20 years Al Gore has been passionate about global warming, something he learned about from a college professor. Now, after his success with An Inconvenient Truth and winning the Nobel Prize, many people and companies are making an effort to change their impact on the world.
Al Gore explained that the changes that are happening are good, but there is still plenty going on to damage the world. While changing a lightbulb is good, changing the law is better, according to Al Gore.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Julia Roberts Earth Day Tips:
Oprah's good friend Julia Roberts joined the show to help talk about how you can make small differences in your home that will make a big impact on the earth. Julia's thinking about the environment grew when she had her 3 children; she began to see her responsibility in a different way. Children growing up now will have an enlightenment of the world and how to take care of it, according to Julia and Oprah's conversation.
Julia noticed how much food is wasted with small children and she began composting; noting that every little bit helps.
Sophie Uliano - Gorgeously Green Ideas:
Julia's friend, and author of Gorgeously Green, Sophie Uliano jointed the stage with a round of green ideas for your home. Sophie started by explaining organic foods which are both healthier for you and for the environment. Starting with what you eat the most of is Sophie's suggestion for switching to organic: baby food, dairy, meat, rice, grains, peanut butter, etc. Fruits and vegetables to buy organic include raisins, potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, strawberries, grapes and cucumbers - produce with edible skin.
To clean produce, make a spray with 1 cup water/1 cup vineger/1 tablespoon baking soda and 20 drops of grapefruit seed extract. Combine ingredients in a spray bottle, spray produce, let sit for 5-10 minutes and then rinse.
Two other items that are easy to change are using paper towels and buying bottled water. 1 billion bottles each week are consumed with 76% of them not being recycled - try switching to an eco-friendly reusable bottle.
Use washable rags instead of paper towels.
An Earth Day Lesson on Composting:
Sophie and Julia demonstrated using a composter to eliminate a large portion of food waste. Sophie described composting like making lasagna - creating layers in the container. Julia demonstrated how to aerate the container and let oxygen in. Most scraps are ok for composting, but eggs, meat and anything that would draw rodents or insects should be kept out.
Using worms is another way to compost - when you purchase the container you hydrate the bedding block and pour in the 2,000 worms which eat their body weight in food every day.
Changing Personal Care Items:
Julia, Oprah and Sophie went through a line of cosmetic items that contain chemicals that are not only harmful to the environment but for your body as well. Only 11% of ingredients in personal care items are tested; think of the amount going down the drain. Sophie suggested reading the label, and if you can't pronounce the ingredients, you shouldn't be putting it on your face. Chemicals that Sophie pointed out specifically include germall, parabens, fragrance, aluminum and sodium laurel sulphate - all which are hormone disruptors.
Sandra Bullock's Earth Day Tips:
Sandra Bullock took Oprah's cameras behind the scenes of her restaurant Bess in Austin, Texas where she showed how she was helping the environment at her establishment. Sandra showed the biodegradable cups, silverware and take out containers that are made of natural materials instead of plastic or styrofoam. The restaurant also uses filtered water in stainless steel containers.
Sandra described growing up macrobiotic which she said she hated then, but loves now and that the green movement is now catching on.
Homemade Organic Cleaners and Candles:
Sandra showed her recipe for a homemade organic window cleaner using 1/3 teaspoon of castile soap, 3 tablespoons of white or cider vinegar and 2 cups of water.
Ingredients Sandra pointed out as natural cleaners included lemons, baking soda and vinegar.
Sandra also sells a line of soy, hand-poured, earth friendly candles that are free of lead wicks and harmful chemicals.
Nobel Peace Prize Winner Al Gore:
For 20 years Al Gore has been passionate about global warming, something he learned about from a college professor. Now, after his success with An Inconvenient Truth and winning the Nobel Prize, many people and companies are making an effort to change their impact on the world.
Al Gore explained that the changes that are happening are good, but there is still plenty going on to damage the world. While changing a lightbulb is good, changing the law is better, according to Al Gore.
