Sounds of Sirens: How to Link Consumerism and Holistic Principles?

For some time I met Lars Schmidt, together with his partner Steffa Roth running their project Art & Ecology Education. Because of the name I guessed there was a connection with Grass Routes, as we work with creativity and sustainability as key values. We have been exchanging ideas and vision a few times, and for me it is interesting to confront our projects with ideas deriving from deep ecology and permaculture. It forces to think more precice about consumption again: can we really consume just better? Is that the whole solution? LOHAS or simple living? Organic cotton from Africa or locally sourced textiles? We will continue this dialogue and plan to make some workshop or event out of it.

Lars is also running a nice blog in English and a bit of German: Sound Of Sirens. The blog deals with topics from the areas of sustainable living and management, Corporate Social Responsibility, De-Branding, the environment and culture: "one of the main questions being if, and if yes: how, modern lifestyle and consumerism can be linked to holistic principles." A few nice interviews such as with the people behind the Sustainable Dance Club.

Brand New Sustainable Style Blog: Feelgood Style

The amount of blogs on sustainable lifestyle and green fashion are a good sign that the item is still gaining more popularity around the globe. The newest one is Feelgood Style. Just launched yesterday, but already proving to become an interesting source on the topic of sustainable lifestyle and beauty topics.

Feelgood Style is a weblog about beauty with integrity. The site is devoted to the future of sustainable fashion, beauty and health that balances substance with style. The blog is part of the Green Options Media network, based on a community of committed sustainability authors.

Besides, and not all to little important, one of the authors is me! Please read my first entry on the Feelgood Style blog: Are You a Fashion Victim or a Style Activist?

Biofach bloggers: interview with Grass Routes by Karmakonsum

Christoph and Noel from Karmakonsum interviewed several sustainability bloggers during the bloggers meeting on the BioFach organics fair. All in German, but giving a good insiders view in the bloggers scene.

Also check out the other BioFach Bloggers:

• Alle Infos zum Bloggertreffen
• Andrea Nienhaus - alles was gerecht ist
• Andy Brandl - Blog-Abfertigung
• Christoph Harrach - Karmakonsum
• Det Müller - Lohasblog
• Frans Prins - grass-routes.org
• Fritz Lietsch - Nachhaltig Wirtschaften
• Gerhard Schoolmann - gastronomie blog
• Gerhard Zirkel - Waldbog
• herwig Danzer - Nachhaltigkeitsblog
• Hohannes Korten - Jazzlog
• Horst Klier - Leben ohne Diät
• Isabel Strohschein - Laufsteg Breite Gasse
• Kirstin Walther - Saftblog
• Klaus-Peter Baumgardt - Fressnet
• Manuel Rosenboom - Vitalgenuss
• Matthias Metze - viva-vino biowein
• Michael Wenzl - Farmblogger
• Milo Tesselar - biorama Magazin
• Noel Klein-Reesink - Karmakonsum
• Peter Parwan - Lohas.de
• Ralf Hense - Kleinsthof
• Reto Stauss - Nachhaltigbeobachtet
• Roland Dunzendorfer - Landscaping Blog
• Sandra Trummer - Erleben, Leben und Sein
• Sjörn Plitzko - Konsumguerilla
• Sophie Scholz - fairdo
• Thomas Geiger - Photopoolblog
• Thomas Hölzl - Stoibär

Reports from the Biofach organic fair: bloggers regarded as press

The Biofach is the largest business to business fair on organic products worldwide. While the leading fair is in Germany, other BioFach fairs are hold in USA, China, Japan and Brazil. The BioFach in Germany welcomes about 45.000 professionals in the field of organic products, for all in the food but also in the noon food sector. Among the visitors are about 700 journalists.

This year the BioFach has a new novelty: Bloggers on the topic of sustainability are treated as press, even with an own bloggers press center. A very innovative concept, and in a time where web2.0 and blogs are still in rising importance, an initiative worth for other events and fairs to consider to do as well. In example also in fashion blogs have gotten a great position in inspiring designers by offering ideas from the streets, niches, subcultures and avant garde.

Bloggers meeting at the BioFach
On Friday evening there was a special sustainability bloggers meeting on the BioFach. As bloggers you often know each others blogs and maybe have some contact, and than it`s great fun meeting the faces behind them. The evening went all too fast, but it is a nice community with great diversity, all between activist looks and casual suits.

At the meeting we discussed the possibilities of a common shared online network project, without all too concrete results, but with a good exchange of ideas. Most important is that we as bloggers had the opportunity to get in touch. I met some really nice people and found it all together an inspiring event. Thanks to Geoffrey Glaser from the Nuremberg Messe, Herwig and Christoph , and off course the bloggers. Hope to see you soon again!



More reports on BioFach expected...