WATCH IT: For those who swore they would never watch a reality show on TV (ever again), we found one that is worth breaking that oath. It’s called “Living With Ed.” It’s on 9 p.m. Sunday on HGTV. And it’s all about living the (often humorous) eco life with actor Ed Begley Jr., who has been an arch-environmentalist since 1970, and his less-than-true-green wife Rachelle Carson.
The couple live in sweet disharmony in a very modest two-bedroom house (circa 1930s) in the very modest Studio City, Calif. “By Hollywood standards, this is a shack,” says Carson, who is Begley’s love/antagonist in the show and who (to her defense) endures Begley’s obsession with his solar roof, his eccentric way of making toast (he rides an exercise bike for 10 minutes in order to power the toaster) and his timing of her (with a watch) as she showers.
Although the two trade a seemingly endless parade of quips (which might be toned down just a tad), their struggles to live “green” and be “green” and stay married are very real — and makes for enjoyable Sunday night TV watching, not to mention educational Sunday night TV watching. Eco-tips from Begley are free for the taking. (And there are more to be found at www.hgtv.com/green).
–Karen Klages
GREEN IT: After you switch over to compact flourescent bulbs, remember: A small amount of mercury is sealed within the glass tubing of compact fluorescent light bulbs. Don’t throw them out with regular household trash if better options exist. For disposal guidelines: visit www.earth911.org and plug in your ZIP code; call 877-EARTH911 [877-327-84911]; call your local waste management company; or visit www.lamprecycle.org. Some stores take back used CFLs.)
–K.K.
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GET IT: To match or to blend — what’s a decision-weary homeowner to do when you have wood furniture, wood floors, wood cabinets and wood trim in the same room? The American Hardwood Information Center (a service of the Pennsylvania-based Hardwood Manufacturers Association) offers answers (and a lot of cheerleading for “blending”) in a complimentary, 17-page brochure titled “American Hardwoods by Design.” The brochure gives tips (and quotes a number of big-name designers such as the New York-based Clodagh and Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz) for contrasting, harmonizing and generally pulling off a good look with several woods and finishes present. Get the booklet free by visiting www.hardwoodinfo.com and click on “Write and Request.” Or call 800-373-WOOD (800-373-9663).
–K.K.
SEE IT: The National Museum of Mexican Art invites visitors to the opening day reception of seldom-seen material, “Arte Textil Maya.” This is a collection of artistic and colorful Mayan textiles showing their masterful use of form, pattern, color, texture and technical virtuosity. The exhibit features 20th Century textiles designed by some of the leading artists of Mexico and Guatemala, a highlight of which are the embroidered huipiles (smocklike dresses) that are wearable art. Complementing the exhibit are photographs and paintings by contemporary artists Carlos Merida, Rufino Tamayo and Vicente Rojo of Mayan women wearing these marvelous garments. There are a number of workshops and special events in connection with the exhibit.
6 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 19. Through May 27. Call 312-738-1503, or see www.nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org.
–Mary Daniels
READ IT: Have you ever fantasized about taking a bath in rose petals? Maybe not such a good idea, according to “Flower Confidential” (Algonquin Books, 306 pages, $23.95), Amy Stewart’s fascinating examination of the cut-flower industry. Not only were the roses you buy almost certainly sprayed with toxic pesticides while they were growing — possibly pesticides no longer legal in the U.S. — they were dipped in fungicide after they were picked to prevent them from developing blemishes as they were shipped from California, Holland or, most likely, Central America.
Stewart traveled the world to examine the breeding, growing, marketing and selling of cut flowers — 2.9 billion stems sold in the United States in 2005, according to the USDA. She explains how they are bred for perfect blooms at the expense of, for instance, fragrance, and the complex processes of mass production. She discusses the sweeping globalization of the business and its costs in worker health and safety, pollution and economic disruption, while making cut flowers available inexpensively in the supermarket.
Stewart also describes the small movement toward more sustainable cut-flower production, but points out that it is not driven by customer demand: Hardly anybody asks where a bunch of roses came from or how they were grown.
Though many details may seem shocking, Stewart’s discussion is nuanced. She points out, for instance, that the fungicides used to dip roses usually are those certified in the U.S. as safe to coat strawberries. But at least you’re going to wash the strawberries before you put your face in them.
— Beth Botts
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