Once-mighty Toyota is having a rough month, during a period of already lean times for the global auto industry. As our correspondent (and green car guru) Jim Motavalli has been documenting for TDG, the recalls of millions of Toyota vehicles has seemed to spiral into an ever greater mess. While the car maker points fingers at pedal assemblies provided by a third party, others worry that the fixes being offered by dealers don't get at the route of the problem (which some theorize may be electronic interference in the increasingly complex computer systems of modern rides, and which may extend beyond Toyota to other brands).

At the same time, Toyota is getting pummeled by at least 100 complaints from American drivers who claim the brakes failed on their 2010 Priuses (or Prii, as some put it). As industry analysts have looked closer at the hybrids' regenerative braking systems, questions have also emerged about at least one Lexus model and hybrids offered by Ford. So the popular, gas-sipping cars have clearly hit an icy patch, while Toyota and others scramble for solutions.

Against this context, some observers have quipped that Toyota's recent branding strategy, "Moving Forward," now takes an ironic tone. Since some drivers have complained of sudden acceleration moving their vehicles forward on their own, one blogger suggested that the company change its slogan to "Toyota: Not Moving At All. Promise." Other timely suggestions for Toyota include "Moving Forward, but Slowly and with Complete Control"; "Sorry We Killed Your Neighbor"; "You Be the Test Dummy"; and from commenter Luke Duke, "Toyota. Because you never know when someone is going to turn your life into the movie Speed."

My friend Remy C. (who is trying to shut down Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant with his effort Rock the Reactors) dropped by my place yesterday to drop off some fresh flyers for his Bastille Day (July 14) green lighting party extravaganza in NYC. He also showed me the latest issue of Complex magazine, the men's urban style and shopping title from designer Marc Ecko. He flipped past pinup photos of Buffy the Vampire Slayer cutie Michelle Trachtenberg to a double-sided ad for Toyota Corolla. We were both struck immediately by the creepy irony.

This Sunday is Super Bowl XLIV. Much of my family can't wait, since we are from Indianapolis, and Colts fever runs high. While the game itself may prove to be exiting, the atmosphere and hype around the event is a study in contrasts -- luckily there may be some green linings.

FiLife has a thought-provoking infographic on Super Bowl economics, comparing the expense of the event to the recent disaster in Haiti. While the average per capita annual income in the island nation is a scant $450, the cheapest seats at the Super Bowl cost $1,777 (and go from there up to a whopping $243,000!). The combined value of the two football teams, my hometown Colts and the New Orleans Saints, is 30% of Haiti's entire GDP.

The expensive event does also sit in contrast to the devastation that remains in poor sections of post-Katrina New Orleans. True, some fans are looking at the Saints' bid as a source of pride and hope for the community. And it may be. But it's hard not to at least notice the inequality of champagne caviar luxury boxes when so many are still without adequate housing. It's easy to bah-humbug lavish sporting events, like gladiator battles at the coliseum while the republic burned. Of course, that's not the whole story either, and in our complicated global web of commerce and society it's hard to tease out fair comparisons.

Super Bowl ads this year are controversial enough, right?

We're not saying you can't enjoy the Big Game, since we know some of you could use a little distraction in these troubled times. That's why we put together some suggestions on how to minimize your own impact. At the stadium level, there has been talk of greening the Super Bowl, but it's even easier to start in your own home.

Check out our seven scrumptious Super Bowl party recipes, like natural salsa fresca, hummus or Swiss cheese onion crostinis. Or browse on over to Big Green Boulder's ultimate green Super Bowl guide. There you will find recipes for holistic Super Bowl vegetarian chili and jambalaya. As the Daily Camera suggests, "walk a little lighter on the planet as 300-pound men hit the turf." Plus, got a hankering for potato skins or nachos? Planet Green has ya covered.

If you are watching the game, hopefully it will be on an efficient TV.

Indeed, the great Punxsutawney Phil has seen his shadow this year, so we're supposed to get six more weeks of winter! Of course, despite the complete faith of his supporters, ol' Phil is only correct about 40% of the time, according to the U.S. National Climatic Data Center (NCDC).

We got a big kick out of hearing about other weather-predicting groundhogs around North America, Milltown Mel being one of our faves. So I did a little research and put together this quiz of famous groundhogs. How many can you identify?

The Obama administration has announced billions of dollars in support for developing a smart grid, and now we're starting to see some of that investment work on the ground. New York's Con Edison has recently received $45 million in smart grid stimulus funds from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The ultimate goal, of course, is a nationwide (and international) grid that is more efficient and stable, and one that facilitates conservation and integration with renewable energy and electronic devices.

The money Con Edison received will help fund smart grid research, including work on distribution monitoring devices, electric vehicle charging stations, renewable energy generation, energy storage, consumer systems, and a command and control network. Con Edison had previously received $136 million to deploy some smart grid technology. The utility is working with other parties on the project, including the New York City Economic Development Corp., Boeing, Columbia University, Viridity Energy, the Prosser Group, CALM Energy and Rudin Management Co.

The head of the industry's Edison Electric Institute, Thomas Kuhn, recently addressed a group of journalists in NYC about the smart grid (and URTH Guy was there!). "A smart grid will allow quicker service restoration after outages, it will enable new technologies, it will help the environment, it will facilitate plug-in hybrid vehicles, it will reduce our dependence on oil, and it will lead to smarter rates," Kuhn said. One of the benefits will be that utilities will no longer have to hire "meter men," which "won't have to worry about dodging people's dogs to read meters," added Kuhn. Electricity usage will be monitored from afar, and in fact consumers should be able to view their own data in real time, making their own budgeting and energy decisions much better. But don't worry too much about the meter men, there will be many new jobs in building out and servicing the smart grid, so utility payrolls won't necessarily shrink, at least for the foreseeable future (although eventually a smaller workforce could mean cheaper rates for consumers).

That being said, Patel makes some thought-provoking observations. The British-born journalist, academic and activist has a great hook in describing the fun he had with a price gun (a la Dexter's Laboratory) when he was a kid banging around his parents' convenience store. Patel has lived in the U.S. and Africa, and is best known for his 2008 book Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food System. Patel has a Ph.D. from Cornell in Development Sociology and formerly worked at the World Bank, World Trade Organization and the United Nations. He then turned against his former employers, and has criticized their policies through writing and activism, claiming to have been tear-gassed on four continents as a result (he was even at the 1999 "Battle for Seattle").

Patel has been advocating for the world's poor for years, and argues that we need better accounting systems for the well-being of our societies than just GDP, accounting that takes into consideration environmental quality and community health as well as jobs and exports. His arguments are not dissimilar to Annie Leonard's in the "Story of Stuff," or Barbara Ehrenreich's work, including her new book Bright-Sided.

Patel is likely to be attacked as anti-capitalist by detractors, but hopefully people will give serious thought to the issues he raises. It's good to take a step back from our consumer culture and question if the institutions we have are really working for people and the planet.

When I moved to Connecticut's largest city, Bridgeport, in January 2001, I soon learned that the struggling Rust Belt town had several claims to history that the locals were proud of. Storied showman P.T. Barnum had been mayor, Tom Thumb was born there and Frederick Law Olmsted had designed the beautiful Seaside Park. (Bridgeport had its share of bad memories too, being the site of the horrific L'Ambiance Plaza disaster and still struggles with a legacy of toxic pollution from its industrial past.)

Since 1871, Bridgeport was home to the Frisbie Pie Company. Yale students in nearby New Haven had amused themselves by tossing the used pie tins through the air, and when the Wham-O toy company was looking for a fresh way to market their new plastic flying discs, they adopted the name "Frisbee" as an homage.

The organizers of the recent Green Market Exposition at Bridgeport's Barnum Museum picked the iconic Frisbee "to represent the City of Bridgeport, its spirit of innovation and its long association to the local avionics and aeronautics community." Co-organizer Remy Chevalier added, "I knew Wham-O sold a recycled plastic version so I envisioned artists painting the top of Frisbees, putting them on display at the Expo and at auction to raise some money for green projects." Chevalier hooked up with Wham-O licensed manufacturer Discovering The World and Robert Araujo from nearby Sikorsky, and ended up with two large boxes of 200 Reflyer 100 Mold Frisbees, 60% post-consumer recycled polyethylene.

He is now asking artists to paint a Frisbee, to be auctioned off at the next Green Market Exposition, starting October 8th, 2010 at the Barnum Museum. Funds will go to retooling the Bridgeport area as a hub of green business and innovation. Remy also hopes to do a pre-showing of the Frisbees at City Lights Gallery on Earth Day, April 22nd.

Get painting details, and download the request form, at Greenburbs (or find local locations where you can pick up a Frisbee).

Skiing and snowboarding season is definitely here! There's even more excitement around the slopes than a typical January, what with all the snow and cold weather so much of the northern hemisphere has been having, and with the Winter Olympics just weeks away in Whistler -- sorry, Vancouver. As an avid snowboarder myself, I'm proud to say that the industry has come a long way toward decreasing its impact on the planet, even in the past few years since I last covered this topic. This is a very good thing, because global warming can mean less of the white stuff.

I've long been a fan of the green ethics espoused by pro snowboarding legend Jeremy Jones, in the pages of Snowboarder Magazine and elsewhere. Yesterday I got to hear more from a sustainable ski industry expert who is working on some pretty exciting projects with Jones. The small "Gotham Goes Green" event brought together reps from eco-conscious movers and shakers in the ski and outdoor gear worlds, together with journalists, on the (enclosed) rooftop of the Empire Hotel in NYC. We watched a brief excerpt from the advocacy film Generations: A Skiers' and Snowboarders' Perspective on Climate Change, made by Teton Gravity Research and Protect Our Winters (POW, the climate change advocacy group statrted by Jeremy Jones -- dig that iconic photo on their homepage…sad right?). According to Generations, in 2003, the world's highest ski area was permanently closed due to loss of its glacier. A whopping 47 Alpine resorts didn't open in 2007 due to climate change, with average temperatures up.

"In the West, especially in California, snow is the most important resource, because it provides water," one of the experts in the film said. So it's not just about sliding down mountains as fast as you can. Ski resorts might not be the world's most inherently green destinations, but they also could be a lot worse (mining, logging, suburban development, etc.). The issues that effect ski towns intersect with other land use problems, including water use, and spending time outdoors can be a transformative way to reconnect people with our planet.

"The ski industry recognizes that climate change is a major threat," Christina Thomure told the crowd after the film ended. Thomure is the director of sustainable operations for Grand Targhee Resort in Alta, Wyoming and serves on the Yellowstone Business Partnership's Framework for Sustainable Development and Transportation committees. She is also on the Protect Our Winters board as the liaison to ski resorts. Thomure, a former ski bum who has spent a decade working in sustainability issues, pointed to the latest science, which predicts warmer winters, reduced snow pack and, in many areas, less water (which makes it harder for resorts to make snow). Aspen could rise by 14 degrees by the end of this century, she said, and by 2075 Park City could loose a third of its snow days.

In response, the ski industry set up the Sustainable Slopes project in 2002, through the National Ski Areas Association, "and it has really evolved from there," said Thomure. More recently, the Keep Winter Cool campaign was launched by the industry, in partnership with NRDC. As a result, many resorts have installed renewable energy projects and taken other practical steps to address climate change (see a detailed list of green projects). Thomure pointed to Jiminy Peak in Massachusetts, where the wind turbine they recently installed now provides a third of the resort's energy needs. Park City has a Save Our Snow action plan. Whistler is reducing emissions by 5% a year, "helped by the weight of the Olympics." As part of the renovations the epic ski area is setting up microhydro generators.

Thomure's own Grand Targhee Resort was honored with the 2009 Golden Eagle Award for Environmental Excellence, for becoming the first business in North America to become Climate Registered through the nonprofit Climate Registry (for reporting and third-party verifying of a yearly greenhouse gas inventory). The resort's goal is to reduce emissions 19% below 2007 emissions by 2020. According to Thomure, the ski industry now buys 300 gigawatts of emissions credits, and has implemented other measures to reduce waste and curtail idling. The sector has built and retrofitted green buildings, provided incentives for public transportation and carpooling, used alternative fuels for vehicle fleets, and wrote a joint letter in support of the Lieberman-Warner climate bill.

Filmmakers Jennifer Redfearn and Tim Metzger are nearing completion of their feature documentary film Sun Come Up, which tells the emotional story of the Carteret Pacific Islanders and their struggle to save their culture in the face of rising sea level. I recently sat down with Jennifer, a colleague of mine from journalism school, and she told me about the exciting project, the first we are aware of that documents climate refugees on the front lines. But now Jennifer needs help too. Sun Come Up still needs finishing funds, and Jennifer and Tim have tried to raise $14,000 through Kickstarter, an innovative website that crowdsources support for worthwhile projects.

The trouble is, the film has a ways to go to reach $14,000, and if it doesn't make that milestone within 19 days none of the money gets allocated. I just logged onto the Sun Come Up page on Kickstarter, and pledged $25 (that means I'll get a signed DVD of the film when it is finished, too, pretty cool!). There are even more exciting prizes for higher amounts, including the chance to get listed as an associate producer.

By mid-century, the world could have 250 million climate refugees, according to the UN. The humble Carteret Islanders are the proverbial canaries in the coal mine, and their story may soon be repeated for many others unless the world takes decisive action. Help get their story told, before it's too late.

Help get Sun Come Up made. But hurry, there are only 19 days left to support this important work.

What would Cuba Gooding, Jr. think of this Snow Dog? It's winter now, and tis the season for dingleberries. My friend Cara Joy, who lives on an organic homestead up in Vermont, sent these photos of her dog Keiko. "Keiko barely made it home the other day," Cara explained. "She got so covered with snowballs she could hardly walk. We had to carry her to the bath to melt them off, poor little girl."

This is the same poor little girl that kills chickens if she gets half the chance. But no one should have to carry around that much snow. Cara says they got two feet of snow on her farm up in north-central Vermont, with temperatures down to zero.

Stay warm!

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Maya Lin - Unchop A Tree from Unchop A Tree on Vimeo.

World renown American artist and architect Maya Lin -- designer of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington -- is in Copenhagen today with the What is Missing? campaign. As part of this memorial she has unveiled a stunning multimedia piece called Unchopping A Tree.

The slow-burning, reflective piece features ethereal music by Brian Eno. "If deforestation were happening in your city, how quickly would you work to stop it?" the video asks, pointing out that 90 acres of rainforest are destroyed every minute. Deforestation threatens half of the world's species, and is responsible for 20% of global warming emissions.

We can reduce emissions and protect species. "Together we can save two birds with one tree," the piece argues.

Lin debuted the work at the Support REDD+ Gala, which supports the UN program that aims to give developing nations financial incentive to keep their forests standing. Under the What is Missing Foundation?, Maya will be awarding six grants to organizations and projects, including Carbonfund.org and Bonobo Conservation Initiative, that show that REDD+ can be and is successful.

Lin is no stranger to environmental work. She recently completed a restorative "wave field" at New York's Storm King Art Center. This year she completed "Silver River," her first work of art in Las Vegas, an 84-foot cast of the Colorado River made entirely of reclaimed silver. With the sculpture, Lin wanted to make a statement about water conservation in parched Nevada.

As more and more people rebel against ticky-tacky, cookie-cutter homes, options are growing for more unique, satisfying dwellings. Popular Mechanics' Chris Sweeney has just put together a great list of 18 of the world's strangest homes. And though there are arguably some even stranger ones out there (the toilet-shaped home, for one, or the coral castle), one of the things we like about Popular Mechanics' list is a strong focus on sustainability.

Not long ago we came up with a list of 11 homes made out of the darndest things, from an "upcycled" airplane, to refurbished missile silos, converted churches and even a Buddhist temple made out of beer bottles. The Popular Mechanics collection takes a different approach, focusing on designs that think outside of the box, and approach sustainability from a holistic perspective. Some include recycled materials, but recycling itself isn't usually the central theme.

It should be noted that one doesn't have to build out of discarded tires, bottles or vehicles in order to "go green." One need not live in a cave house or a yurt, either. In fact, there are many ways that we can all go green in our homes, no matter what they look like or where they are located. Switching to more efficient light bulbs and appliances, trying out energy monitoring devices and boosting insulation are a few examples.

Developers are also increasingly looking at whole green communities, from the experimental (Arcosanti) to the more practical (Harmony, Florida).

Some of the greenest of Popular Mechanics' strange houses:

1. Free Spirit Spheres. Looking like something from Star Wars, suspended tree houses known as Free Spirit Spheres excite the imagination. Made by Tom and Rosy Chudleigh from British Columbia, the "treehouses for adults" are handmade from local wood. The spheres are recommended for meditation, photography, canopy research, leisure, wildlife watching and other activities, and they can be ordered fully loaded with plumbing, electricity and insulation. Some are available for rental, and DIY kits are offered. They reportedly sway in the wind.

Leading a packed house of NYC Green Drinkers in a brief call and response, Carl Safina of the Blue Ocean Institute had everyone repeat: "The oceans are too big to fail." Safina, who has dedicated his life's work to marine science and conservation, was being facetious, as he outlined how the oceans are under more threats than ever before.

Safina was one of several luminaries speaking about the topic at the spectacular Prince George Ballroom in midtown, at the recent Green Drinks holiday party and benefit. Introducing the keynote address by the legendary oceanographer Sylvia Earle, Safina said she "would rather be surrounded by groupers than groupies." When Earle took the stage the energy in the room was palpable, since the crowd knew to expect a passionate, moving speaker, and arguably the most decorated scientist in her field (I'm guessing Steve Zissou wasn't available).

"We need to think blue as well as green," Earle told the crowd, as they sipped complimentary organic cocktails and munched on tasty vegetarian snacks. Earle's message was compelling: that what we do on land has a profound impact on life below the waves, and that the oceans must be preserved, if we are to maintain the precious balance of all life on Earth.

Before the main event at Green Drinks, Earle and Safina had addressed a smaller group of press and VIPs. "The oceans are alive, it's not just rocks and water out there," Earle had said. "It's a mystery to me why we've neglected the oceans the way we have." Yet, she added that we are in an extraordinary time of learning, and that we still have the power to change direction and save much of what's left. In particular, Earle pointed to the announcement in June by Obama to work towards a more comprehensive, unified national oceans policy.

Earle underscored the need to get a better handle on international fishing policy. "Ninety percent of the big fish are gone, including 90% of the sharks," she said. "These fish are more valuable in the ocean ecosystem than they are on our plates... People need to realize that we have the power, and we need to use it now." The scientist asked that people stop eating severely overfished species, such as Chilean sea bass and orange roughy, and to give a thought to the terrible waste caused by the "bycatch" problem. She also encouraged people to get politically motivated, and to tell their representatives and the president to support conservation-minded policy.

Carl Safina told the press that he grew up loving the oceans as a Brooklyn kid, who spent many halcyon days at the beach and fishing. Over time, he noticed that many of his favorite fish were disappearing. Then he went to graduate school to study the problem, and because he could "avoid growing up and live near the water." After years of research, Safina also began to advocate for marine conservation. "Right off our coasts are incredible populations of wildlife, but they are in a tailspin," he said. His group Blue Ocean Institute works to promote awareness through books, films, the web and even an iPhone application.

Adrienne Esposito from the regional Citizens Campaign Fund for the Environment was also on hand, representing one of the groups benefiting from the party's $50 entrance fee. "The biggest battle we face is that the public takes our oceans for granted," said Esposito in a thick New York accent. She related the story of being on a cruise ship and overhearing a passenger say he didn't understand what the big deal was over dumping nuclear waste in the seas, since they are "so big."

Chris Digman of Pawtucket, Rhode Island creates unique glass artwork in his spare time, "as a way to relax," as he puts it. Digman works almost exclusively with materials he salvages, or "recycles" himself, as he was inspired by the waste of our throwaway society.

Digman works at Boston's Logan Airport, where he runs a club for Virgin Airlines. "This is where I came up with the idea to use wine and beer bottles," Digman tells URTH Guy. "Everything was thrown out and it drove me crazy." Digman says it's not because the airline wasn't interested in recycling, but rather because he says the airport didn't have recycling infrastructure.

So he asked his staff to put all the used bottles aside for him. "I would throw them in a box and bring them home first on the bus to South Station and then on the train back to Rhode Island," he explains. "I looked like a hobo collecting trash and my arms were sore when I got home. But I think the result is pretty snazzy." Digman stresses that glass is extremely easy to recycle, and that it comes in so many sizes, shapes and colors "that the things you can use it for are only limited by what you can dream up."

Digman says he aspires to do projects that are 100% recycled. "I don't have to spend a dime on them and it's really a great time," he says. He adds that he gets inspiration for his work from vintage craft books, particularly a series called "The Family Creative Workshop," which includes a lot of ideas on how to reuse things (the Green Cheapskate would be proud!). Digman says he employs bottle-cutting techniques from the series for much of his raw material. In the past, when reuse and thrift were more common, people often repurposed bottles for lamps, containers, holders or other items.

Do ugly sweaters count as "holiday chic"? I'm guessing they do when it comes to green holiday chic, since they are all about reusing something that's already in our closets. Why do I ask? Because tomorrow is the much anticipated 2009 Green Drinks NYC holiday party!

Along with other New York City-area greens, TDG staff marks Margaret Lydecker and team's soiree as one of the best events of the busy season. This year, the night of networking and partying (and for a good cause!) will be particularly appreciated, given that many other companies and groups have had to cut back on festivities in the Recession.

This year's Green Drinks holiday party is all about saving the oceans, and boy do they need it, what with overfishing, plastic pollution, global warming, acidification (which means hard-shelled animals are having a hard time making their homes) and other threats. World renowned oceanographer and National Geographic "Explorer in Residence" Sylvia Earle (originally from the tri-state area) will be giving a keynote, no doubt moving if her recent TED Prize Talk is any indication. Dr. Earle has logged some 7,000 hours under the waves, so there are very few people who are better able to sound the clarion call for our planet's most precious resource.

Dr. Earle will be signing copies of her book, and she will be introduced by Carl Safina, an award-winning author and founder of Blue Ocean Institute. Notably, there will be an open bar featuring organic, local and fair trade spirits by 44° North Vodka, Bluecoat Gin, Martin Scott Wines, Six Point Brewery, Sambazon, Purity and I.O. Organics, as well as organic and vegetarian hors d'oeuvres by Amaranthine, Counter Restaurant and Whole Foods. Entertainment will be choreographed by the Buglisi Dance Theatre and Alessandro Pellicani with additional compositions performed by Max ZT on Hammered Dulcimer. Emcee for the evening will be Cristina Carlson.

There will be a silent auction fundraiser with some green goodies, including scuba certification by NAUI, sailing course at Manhattan Sailing School, artwork by Tatyana Murray eco-excersions and more. Proceeds benefit Citizens Campaign for the Environment.

The event isn't inexpensive, but benefits the oceans, and should prove to be a wonderful evening. The holiday party is usually the biggest and best Green Drinks of the year, and really shouldn't be missed.

Details:
Tuesday, December 8, 2009, 7pm - 11pm
The Prince George Ballroom, 15 East 27th Street between Park and Madison, New York, NY
$50 in advance, $65 at the door. Buy Tickets Here.

The official fashion photographer for the recent Project Green Search green modeling competition, Courtney Dailey shot beautiful portraits of the ten talented finalists. "Working with all of the contestants was simply amazing," she told URTH Guy. "It was wonderful to be in the presence of such forward-thinking, responsible young ladies."

Dailey continued:

Every contestant had a strong point of view on how we can make changes to our everyday routine to be more socially responsible. What Project Green Search aimed to do is seek out a model who could represent the green movement, with a commercial edge, while being true to her green roots. Any model can wear an organic cotton tunic, but can she explain why the organic cotton is a sustainable textile? What we were seeking was a model with integrity, who could be a cheerleader for green fashion. A fine example of this is model [and TDG Heart of Green Winner] Summer Rayne Oakes. She helps integrate the green lifestyle into mainstream culture. Currently, fashion is so black and white. There's a green fashion world and a mainstream trend world. Someday, the worlds will not just co-exist, but they will be the same. That's what we're all trying to do, make sustainable fashion not only trendy, but make it the norm. Models like PGS (Project Green Search) winner Rachel Avalon will help lead the way.

As a budding green fashion photographer, Courtney Dailey is pushing the envelope of eco-friendly trends. Her work has appeared on Ecorazzi and other green blogs, as well as in ESPN, Marie Claire (also owned by TDG parent Hearst), Indeed Magazine, Ace Magazine, Ambassador Magazine and elsewhere. She is the photo director for the web-only Coco Eco (reviewed here), and owns a studio in the heart of LA's fashion district, Snapdragon Studios at 155 West Washington.

"Being a green photographer means changing the way you shoot, develop and provide products and services to your clientele," says Dailey. "Making small but significant changes in my business makes my business smart and more responsible. I'm currently in the process of greening my new studio." She points out that shooting digital helps her avoid toxic chemicals, as well as work faster. Dailey says she also doesn't give prints to clients, offering only digital files sent via email. "I'm not sending out DVDs that would eventually end up in a landfill. If clients need prints I refer them to a local printer, who prints them once, correctly, the first time. At home we often find ourselves going through test sheets and several pieces of photo paper till we get it just right. Using a professional printer helps reduce waste."

Dailey says she chose her loft-style studio space because it is one block from the LA Purple Line Metrorail and because a large window provides clean white light, "bounced from a light gray building next door. I now shoot 75% of my work with this natural light source," she adds.