America's First GREEN President!

How can I blog after the historical election result of November the 4th and not mention OBAMA THE MAN!! I flew back to LA to vote. No absentee ballot for me!!

Waking up in election day I felt a slight apprehension that we still might not prevail. It seemed such a long time since Barack Obama's speech declaring his intention to run for the presidency, the 'Yes We Can' speech that brought me to tears, beating Hilary to the nomination.... and finally, The Day was here. I remember 2004 when we thought we had it in the bag. No-one could be so sure after the other side had 'won' twice against the Democrats estimated odds...

I trotted along to my polling station. (Had to take a pic for proof or something...Check out those lovely late 80's colours... pink and green - nice!!) I stood in a long line of Obama supporters. If there were any McCain-ites in the queue they kept very quiet!! This was Hollywood after all.... Oh I can't tell you how my hand shook as I put my little black dot in the right place for Obama!!

Later that day, I joined Kay The Cook and her hubby Fred at Troy's house to watch the returns. Kay had made us a big pot of Obama's Chilli from his own recipe and we were just finishing up our bowls of delicious but not too spicy (very political!) chilli and settling down to what I thought would be another long election night when... at 1 minute past eight - right after the West Coast polling stations had closed - with no fanfare, no roll of drums, no WARNING!! - a news anchor comes onto the TV screen and calmly announces:

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we are now in a position to announce that the president elect of The United States of America is Barack Obama."

Well for a moment we were stunned. Wait. What did he say? Did he just say The Thing. The Thing we have been waiting so long for, that we couldn't quite believe might ACTUALLY HAPPEN? We had voted in not only a black man to the Whitehouse, but a man who's first job is to work on the ecomony - like anyone would - and who's second pledge after he takes the Oath of Office on January 20th is to do what he can to slow Climate Change and the USA's dependency on foreign oil...this is amazing and slightly unbelievable news for environmentalists all over the world!!

Because like it or not, where America leads, the rest of the world eventually follows.

When I woke the next morning I had the feeling I imagine an Oscar winner might have waking up after all the excitement and elation of the previous evening. I can't imagine you wouldn't glance over at the bedside table to make sure your little gold statue was still there. Had it been a dream all along?

NO!!! IT'S TRUUUUUUUUUUUUUE!!

Time will tell of course as to how much this guy with so much expectation on his shoulders can actually achieve. We are talking about politics after all. However I, for one, am certainly looking forward to the green blogging I can contribute as 2009 unfolds.

In the meantime I have been writing for the fabulous and brand new SELF magazine, a new publication for Sustainable Lifestyle & Self Build, from the creators of the leading UK magazine for Sustainability, Business & the Built Environment, SUSTAIN.

Go to the website and sign up for a free sample issue.

GORGEOUS GREEN CHRISTMAS THINGS

This evening, I'm going to the launch of my friend's Sarah Baulsh and Lisa Harland's Christmas 'pop up' shop OUR ECO SHOP in Notting Hill. For the first time, eco friendly designers and makers are showcasing their innovative and ethical products together in a single shop, providing Christmas shoppers with truly eco-friendly gifts for family, friends and colleagues. Launching on the 19th November and opening this weekend, Our Eco Shop on Westbourne Grove in London, will be open to the public for the next six weeks until Christmas Eve.

Bags of Change is offering a 5% discount on most items in Our Eco Shop to anyone who shops there with a Bags of Change bag! The full range of bags is available in Our Eco Shop, on their website and at over 70 more shops around the UK. Plus, for every fairly traded Amazon bag sold this Christmas, Bags of Change will donate £1 to Survival, the tribal people’s charity. So there you go.

LOS ANGELES

Not wanting to leave out my Los Angeles chums, my English friend and eco fashion designer, Samantha Robinson, is the owner of RAW EARTH WILD SKY and is having a Holiday Sale this weekend of her Designer Organic Clothing & Hand-Made Jewelry.

Saturday 11/22 - 11.00am to 5.00pm
Sunday 11/23 - 12.00pm to 4.00pm

@ 937 South Mullen Avenue, Los Angeles - 90019
(between Olympic & Wilshire - 1 block east of Rimpau. email Srobinson5@aol.com for full details)

Her entire line is also available online at BTC Elements.

That gorgeous charm bracelet is made from melted down bullet casings poured into Antique Art Deco & Nouveau molds.
Something war-like turned into a thing of beauty!

Eco Warrioress wants one....Y'know, if you are stuck for a pressie idea....?