Avital Binshtock is SIERRA magazine’s lifestyle editor. She also edits the Sierra Club’s Green Life blog and broadcasts green-living tips on Sierra Club Radio. Avital was previously an editor at the Los Angeles Times, for which she remains a regular contributor, a freelance writer for a range of publications, and an intern for National Geographic Television in Washington, D.C. Avital has undergraduate degrees in political science and communication studies from UCLA and a graduate degree in journalism from Stanford University. She lives, works, and trains for marathons in San Francisco. Read her blog and subscribe to get daily green-living tips at www.sierraclub.org/greenlife.

Blog Entries by Avital Binshtock

How To Green Your Holiday Meal

Posted November 26, 2009 | 11:32 AM (EST)


Working up a menu for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, or another upcoming holiday? Here are three tips to help you be more environmentally responsible while planning that feast.

1. Opt For Organic. We know that organic foods are better for our bodies, but did you know...

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A Sustained Buzz: Five Experts' Favorite Eco-Friendly Coffees

3 Comments | Posted October 20, 2009 | 06:10 PM (EST)


The coffee industry needs to wake up and smell itself. As it profits from the global caffeine jones, many of the biggest producers continue to buy beans from growers who slash rainforests and exploit workers. With that in mind (and steaming cup in hand), I invited top coffee experts to...

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Mayim Bialik's Latest Role: Green Mom

3 Comments | Posted October 20, 2009 | 02:55 PM (EST)


We know her as Blossom, that spunky adolescent on that eponymous sitcom. But since the series ended in 1995, Mayim Bialik, now 33, has truly blossomed. She's earned a Ph.D. in neuroscience from UCLA, married her college sweetheart, taken on more acting roles, and had two sons. It...

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Air Travel Made Greener: 4 Tips

2 Comments | Posted October 17, 2009 | 02:31 PM (EST)


The airlines seem to be lagging when it comes to reducing their environmental wingspans. And plane flights are hard on the planet. Though air travel is unavoidable at times, there are a few things responsible travelers can do to make flights greener.

1. Decline the Napkin. When your flight...

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Planet Hollywood

Posted October 3, 2009 | 03:03 PM (EST)


A common theme runs through several films slated to hit theaters soon: the earth and its fate. "Take heed," the filmmakers seem to be saying, "or these will be our struggles."

James Cameron's much-hyped Avatar (Dec. 18) has a future-set plot that unfolds in 3-D on an exotic planet...

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Care About the Earth? Four Simple Ways to Take Action

Posted September 25, 2009 | 12:17 PM (EST)


It's officially Climate Week, so in the spirit of being environmentally proactive, we're providing tips about how to take Earth matters into your own hands. In case you feel discouraged that you can't do enough, remember Gandhi's words: "Almost everything you do will seem insignificant, but it is...

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Great, Green Fashion Brands

3 Comments | Posted September 12, 2009 | 01:36 PM (EST)


Fashion brands that go out of their way to be good to the earth deserve to be recognized. Here are our recommendations, grouped by product category.

1. Tees: Everyone needs a few good t-shirts. Indie brand Holiday Matinee sells tag-free organic-cotton ones printed with hip designs. The...

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Save Cash by Going Green: 4 Tips

1 Comments | Posted August 28, 2009 | 10:58 AM (EST)


Going green doesn't just save the outside world. It also can preserve the hard-earned money in your bank account. Here's advice about one of the more self-interested aspects of being planet-friendly: keeping your cash.

1. Flip the Switch. We've heard the admonishment many times: "Turn off the light...

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America's Greenest Colleges: Did Your School Make the Grade?

2 Comments | Posted August 20, 2009 | 12:41 PM (EST)


Today, we at Sierra, the magazine of the Sierra Club, released our third annual list of the greenest U.S. universities. And while the good folks at U.S. News and World Report ascribe certain measurements of prestige to their college rankings, we rated schools based on...

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Green Your Driving Habits: 4 Tips

2 Comments | Posted August 13, 2009 | 03:46 PM (EST)


I know, I know: It's better to take public transit, or to walk or bike, than to drive. But for those times when motoring simply can't be avoided, recall these four tips about ways to minimize your vehicle's impact on the planet.

1. Lighten Up. A free, easy way...

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How to Green Your Art Collection

Posted August 7, 2009 | 12:44 PM (EST)


Artists, those consummate preservers of beauty, seem to have a keen sensitivity about sustaining the planet. If you're an art collector, aficionado, or appreciator, these four tips should help you shift your collection (or simply the way you see art) into a more earth-minded endeavor.

1. Choose Works Made...

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Self-Care = Earth Care

Posted July 9, 2009 | 05:12 PM (EST)


What's good for our bodies is good for the planet -- and what's bad for the earth is bad for our health. The idea that caring for the earth must include attending to our own wellness is worth exploring. These are ways to take better care of yourself and the...

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Balancing Our Kids' Nature Deficit

Posted July 2, 2009 | 03:55 PM (EST)


Nature-deficit disorder is unnervingly common among our young people. How can you ensure that your children don't end up deprived of outdoor experiences? Here are four ideas for getting your kids away from the video games and out into nature instead.

1.Plan a Hike: Find a...

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How to Be a Greener Pet Owner

5 Comments | Posted June 23, 2009 | 05:08 PM (EST)


Pets are such a source of joy; science has proven that having an animal companion provides many physical and psychological benefits. But America's more than 160 million owned dogs and cats surely impact the environment, so here are four tips about how to reduce Fido's and Fluffy's environmental...

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How Do You Say "Gone"?

Posted June 22, 2009 | 09:07 PM (EST)


Next time you travel somewhere exotic, don't be surprised if you see fewer kinds of animals and hear fewer dialects. As it turns out, the loss of species and the loss of languages are intertwined. The reasons for this correlation aren't entirely clear, but the fact that places rich...

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How to Green Your Spiritual Life

2 Comments | Posted June 6, 2009 | 03:39 PM (EST)


Most people who consider themselves at least somewhat spiritual, regardless of their religion or set of beliefs, have realized that caring for the earth is imperative to their spirituality. Here are four tips for aligning your inner life with your green life.

1) Green Your Place of Worship: The...

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How To Green Your Shopping Habits

1 Comments | Posted May 5, 2009 | 04:53 PM (EST)


Shopping is an activity so ingrained into our society that we often do it thoughtlessly, automatically, or hurriedly. By paying more attention to how we shop and what we buy, however, we can make a difference for the planet. With that in mind, here are four tips about how to...

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Thoughts After Seeing Disneynature's Earth

Posted April 27, 2009 | 02:14 PM (EST)


I saw Earth, the debut film from Disney's new nature arm, last night and left the theater feeling stunned, inspired, and newly curious. To see such footage is nothing less than a privilege, and one can only imagine the extreme lengths to which the videographers and producers went...

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Earth Day Film Review: A Sense of Wonder

Posted April 22, 2009 | 10:48 AM (EST)


As Earth Day approaches, I find it fitting to recommend an unusual film, called A Sense of Wonder (2008), about the dusk of Rachel Carson's life. Kaiulani Lee wrote and produced the 55-minute piece and also plays that most quintessential of female environmentalists.

It's a...

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How to Green Your Finances

Posted April 16, 2009 | 05:45 PM (EST)


As tax week comes to a close, we've all got our money on our minds, so it's the perfect time to consider how the cash we've put so much energy into earning will work to preserve our planet. Here are four tips to help you green your finances.

1....

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