Had I not picked 36 lbs. of organic strawberries on Sunday (which needed my attention on Monday), had I not been at work until 8pm Tuesday, and had I not deleted my post by mistake last night, I would have made this blog announcement earlier!
Your votes, which accounted for a 1/4 of the voting process, combined with those of a panel of environmental judges (such as the Rainforest Alliance, Surfrider Foundation, Environmental Defense Fund, Environmental Working Group), gave us first place in our category, providing us with a $25,000 prize (read: grant) to take Zero Waste to the next level. Thank You!
Wow. The announcement sure came to me as a shock. While unprepared to give an acceptance speech (but happy to have saved the bit of paper), words of emotion filled my mouth, as tears filled my eyes. In the audience, my pre-teen guest, Max, kept his cool. A blase moment for him, but an out-of-body experience for myself. The white lights glaring in my face and the microphone echoing at the sound of my voice, made it all feel surreal.
Some of you criticized the Green Giant sponsorship, but not to the surprise of the sponsor who well knows that criticism comes from exposing yourself... as I too found out from writing this blog. And although Green Giant would appear to be an unlikely supporter of Zero Waste, I greatly appreciate their willingness to promote new thinking, approaches, and business concepts. Ultimately, we need to work together (forward thinking individuals and corporations alike) to build a more sustainable future. So, I thank you, Green Giant for giving individuals the opportunity to publicly share their sustainable ideas and provide us with the funds to spread the word about Zero Waste. We will keep you posted on our progress.
- The new terminal at SFO, sports hydration stations (to refill water bottles), along with compost receptacles.
- Despite our relentless attempt to find a pair of pants to match Max's black thrift shop blazer (which fits 3 of 4 members of our family), we ended up buying a new pair at the last minute ;(. My dress only cost $5 though ;)
- As you would guess, I refused the swag bag on the spot.
- I would have liked to refuse the award on location for The Green Awards to reuse next year (a bit of sanding or a plaque over my name for next year's winner should do), but I leave that decision to Max, who "always wanted a trophy". (Green Giant offered to have me send it back to them, should Max change his mind.)
- Offsets were covered by the event. And besides the cocktail paper napkins, I did not notice disposables at the event. Impressive.
- While in LA, Max and I went to an amazing Street Art exhibit at MOCA's Geffen. I highly recommend.
