Solar, Still a Privilege of the Rich

Yesterday, was my first full day of green watching.
When I asked hubby Prad, whether I should include the energy to filter water in our pool, his thought was no. Our house has solar, and we are energy neutral. I say, that’s cheating. The whole point of “green_watch” is to see how energy reliant my life [...]

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La Marguerite at Huffington Post Green

Starting today La Marguerite will have a biweekly presence at the Huffington Post. This is a great opportunity for all of us here, to share our thoughts with a broader audience. The Huffington Post consistently ranks as the number one blog on Technorati. It also took the bold step of featuring a Green section prominently [...]

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Green Grocery Shopper Conundrum

All the kids are home from their various trips. Yesterday was major grocery shopping time. What to do? Shop at Whole Foods, within biking distance but horribly expensive. Or Trader’s Joe, a lot easier on my pocketbook, but too far not to drive to.

What would you have done?
This, folks, are the kinds of negotiations that [...]

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4 Big Ways to Be Smart About Our Food Consumption

Faced with rising food prices, and shrinking wallets, citizens are becoming increasingly resourceful. Sunday’s Washington Post has an article on the unprecedented growth of home gardening in America. A $20 return in produce, for every dollar spent on seeds, is a hard number to ignore. Even I, whose nature did not bless with a green [...]

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Green Girl Wannabe or Green Goddess? Whose Story Moves You Most Into Action?

Once in a while, I decide to disclose some moments of weakness along my greener path. Yes, I still own a car. Yes, I still drive at times when I could otherwise bike, or take public transportation. Yes, I still buy too much food, too often. Yes, I give into the dryer for small to [...]

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Tipping Point for Green Consciousness Not Quite There?

Yesterday I gave up on my original idea to take the train and then BART,  to my meeting with the folks from Lucid Design Group. One thing led to the next, and before you know it, I had only one hour left before my appointment. Driving was the only way I could make it on [...]

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Tale From an Urban Gardener

I was quite surprised after I returned from vacation, and found my vegetable patch, all replenished with new heads of lettuce. Could it be, I asked Prad? Yes, it’s true, you can keep on tearing off leaves and they grow back. 
 
 
Nature is truly Mother to us. No need to waste our paychecks on industrially grown [...]

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Shaping Normative Behaviors Is Key to Climate Strategies

These past two weeks spent traveling in France and Italy convinced me even more about the role of culture and society in shaping individual behaviors. Most interesting was to observe how both I and Prad adapted our behaviors to fit the different customs in each country. Prad, who usually protests vigorously the slightest whiff of [...]

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The Last Time I Was in Paris . . .

On my way to the airport. Last time, was exactly a year ago, with three teenage girls. Same destination. We had a blast, and I will treasure forever all those moments spent discovering Paris with my daughter and her friends.
When we got there, I felt ‘Too Tired to be Green‘, and wanting to take a [...]

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Four Best Ways to Move People Into Climate Action

Back from another one of my triumphant bike rides to downtown, this time to pick up pizzas at Il Fornaio, our favorite Italian. So glad I was. The three pizza boxes fit neatly into my side basket, not in the recommended horizontal position. The thought quickly brushed my mind, that maybe the toppings might slide, [...]

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