What is Coco-Zen?

Coco-Zen is a state of nirvana achieved by surrendering to the taste and aroma
of luscious, rich chocolate.

It's knowing that you are helping our planet and its people,
because all of our treats are handmade from organic and Fair Trade Certified™ chocolate.

A state of ecstasy, peace and harmony, Coco-Zen is oneness with chocolate.

**************************

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Celebrate a Green Halloween This Year (Part 1)

Can you believe it? The fall/winter holiday season is almost upon us once again - 2009 is just whizzing right by! First up, Halloween... and, our friends over at Celebrate Green have some great and easy suggestions to make this spooky holiday a little less scary for the planet. They've actually got so many great tips, that they're breaking up the info into to separate posts. In "Part 1", costumes and treats/treasure are covered. Then, stay tuned for "Part 2" which will talk about decor and activities.

******************************************

Get ready for an EEK-O-friendly Halloween
(Part 1)

Halloween should be fun, but every year it gets scarier--for parents and the planet. From the discovery of lead in fake teeth and candy, to chemicals in costumes, to the garbage left in the holiday's wake, it's a wonder more of us haven't given up the festivities and spent October 31 watching It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

The good news is, there are loads of child- and earth-friendly alternatives to the usual Halloween fare.

The most important point when planning to green up any holiday or celebration, especially those involving children, is to get their "buy-in." And of course, your approach makes all the difference. Telling kids, "We're going green this Halloween--that means, no candy," isn't helpful. What can be is a discussion about the challenges that Halloween brings. Obviously, what you say (or don't), depends on the age of your children. But helping them to see the wider ramifications of their actions can help make transitioning to healthier choices more appealing or at least understandable.
Many kids are learning about eco-issues in school. They often want to do something about them, but need guidance on where to begin. Talking to them about the excess and waste associated with Halloween (and all holidays and celebrations) and discussing how they can make a difference, may spark their altruism and inspire them to act in positive ways.

A great way to start a discussion is to list each aspect of Halloween (costumes, treats, decor and activities), and brainstorm child- and earth-friendly choices to what you've done in the past. Then, encourage your kids to choose one or two of the ideas to implement this year. After Halloween, talk about what worked, what didn't and what you'll do next year.

Costumes
In the "olden days," (the eighties?), many kids made their costumes, often with help from parents. Making the costume was actually an enjoyable, bonding activity. Today, millions of people spend millions of dollars on costumes that are made from non-sustainable materials (like petroleum), that are worn once, then discarded.

But there are earth-friendlier alternatives. If you usually buy costumes, consider:

  • Making them. Kids are incredibly gifted and creative when we encourage them. There are almost no costumes that cannot be handmade. If your children are stuck on turning a popular TV or movie character into a costume, brainstorm how you can make it happen with items you already own or can get at no cost by borrowing or making. Be sure to check online for ideas.
  • Purchasing costumes made from more eco-friendly materials or at least not from plastics. Choose cotton, organic cotton, silk or hemp, for instance. Unfortunately, these alternatives are not yet widely available, but if you're interested in them, ask local stores to consider carrying them next year. And check at the end of this post for some great online sources.
  • Trading them. Arrange a costume swap with neighbors, check online at swap sites like Green Halloween, or see if you can interest a local child-focused organization in sponsoring a swap.

When Halloween is over, don't throw costumes away. Save them, dismantle and hold on to the "parts," trade or take them to a thrift store.

Treats and treasures
Halloween may be all about the treats, but happily, there are great alternatives that kids, when given the option, will happily embrace. You can't do much about the sweets your children receive on their foray around the neighborhood (although you can have the "Halloween Fairy" replace the confections with a wonderful gift when the children are brushing their teeth...shhhh...), but when it comes to what your family hands out, planning ahead so that you are not making a last-minute dash to the grocery store, will help you avoid limiting choices to what's on the shelves at the moment.

If you have a local natural foods store, check out their offerings. Take your kids along and choose a few items to sample if you don't normally shop there. Honey sticks are a favorite and are very inexpensive (never give honey to children under age 2). Many natural food companies make small "bars" in flavors kids love like peanut butter and chocolate. Assuming you have the time to order online, check out www.GreenHalloween.org for dozens of alternatives.

One issue that often comes up when discussing organic or green choices is cost. While it is true that many healthier items cost more, there is a simple solution. Instead of handing out fistfuls (or allowing kids to take as much as they want, which has become the norm), try this: Fill a bowl with a variety of great choices, whether sweets or "treasures" like sparkly stones, feathers (yes, kids love these), hair decorations, temporary tatoos, stickers etc. Cover the bowl with a cloth. When children come to the door, get down to their level and whisper, "At our house, we have some very, very special treats and treasures. You may now choose your favorite." Then with a flourish, whip off the cloth and let them sift. Compliment them on their choice afterwards.

If you're not yet ready to totally embrace greener treats and treasures you can still help cut down on expense and waste by choosing one of these options:

  • Put out two bowls, one with conventional candy, the other with "treasures." Let kids choose one item from either bowl.
  • Hand children whatever you are giving them. Do not allow them to take as much as they want.
  • Let older children know that unwrapped candy can be composted.

Whatever you do this Halloween, taking time to plan and implement will make the holiday a lot less spooky!

Photos Copyright Holli Dunn, www.HolliDunn.com

******************************************
Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson are mother and daughter and co-authors of Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family, available at www.CelebrateGreen.net.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

VIDEO: Burning The Future: Coal in America - Trailer



"A trailer of the upcoming film, Burning the Future. The film takes a hard look at the environmental and human effects of strip mining coal in the US."

Monday, September 28, 2009

Stuff We Found Today - 09.28.09

Green roofs of a French high school

Family, Kids & Health Stuff
  • Treating Lice - (Ideal Bite) "Now that kids are back to school, protect 'em from rogue head lice or treat the buggers with safe, natural agents."

Food Stuff

Home Stuff

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

Tech & Science Stuff


Nature & Environment Stuff

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

Website Stuff

International Stuff

Political, Social & Economy Stuff

Other Random Cool Stuff

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Video: A Chemical Reaction - Trailer



"A Chemical Reaction, is a documentary movie scheduled for release in 2009 that tells the story of one of the most powerful and effective community initiatives in the history of North America. It started with one lone voice in 1984. Dr. June Irwin, a dermatologist, noticed a connection between her patients’ health conditions and their exposure to chemical pesticides and herbicides. With relentless persistence she brought her concerns to town meetings to warn her fellow citizens that the chemicals they were putting on their lawns posed severe health risks and had unknown side effects on the environment."

Quote of the Week - 09.27.09

"There is more to life than increasing its speed."
~Mahatma Ghandi

"...So, slow down and enjoy some Fair Trade chocolate."
~Coco-Zen
Coco-Zen Fair Trade chocolates

Thursday, September 24, 2009

VIDEO: Sesame Street Remake of Johnny Cash Songs



"A great environmental song with a parody of two of Johnny Cash's hits 'I Walk The Line' and 'RIng of Fire.'"

It's almost Friday - woo hoo!

Stuff We Found Today - 09.24.09

The Giant Hand Buried in the Atacama Desert

Family, Kids & Health Stuff

Food Stuff
  • Organic Beer - (Ideal Bite) Some to try.
  • Blood and Chocolate - (Gourmet.com) "After 10 years of promises, protocols, and initiatives, the children of West Africa remain at the mercy of the cocoa industry."
  • Beer Wars: A brewing fight - (Mother Nature Network) "Is your favorite 'organic craft beer' really brewed by Anheuser-Busch? A documentary reveals the fight over good beer."

Home Stuff
  • Earthship home first to hit European market - (Mother Nature Network) "For a little under half a million dollars, you can own a beautifully constructed French earthship with three foot thick walls, solar panels, and a small indoor greenhouse garden." Hmmm...always thought of living in the French countryside...
  • Lonely L.A. rain barrels seeking green homes - (Mother Nature Network) "Los Angeles continues to give free rain barrels to homeowners interested in rainwater harvesting ... rain not included." Given current drought conditions, this is not such a bad idea.
  • 7 Products Earn Green Good Housekeeping Seal Certification - (TheDailyGreen) "Cleaning and beauty products not only live up to marketing claims for efficacy, but for sustainability, too."

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

Tech & Science Stuff


Nature & Environment Stuff

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

International Stuff

Political, Social & Economy Stuff

Other Random Cool Stuff

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Want America to be a Climate Leader?


Need a little added inspiration to get involved? Enter to win in the World’s Biggest Green Sweepstakes!

The sweepstakes begins September 23, 2009, during the first ever “Climate Week” happening in New York City, and continues until prizes are awarded by random drawing on December 7, 2009, when the United Nations gathers in Copenhagen for the COP15 Climate Change Conference. When you sign up, you'll be entered to win from hundreds of green prizes from your favorite companies (yup, Coco-Zen is one of them). You will also receive a weekly email from WE ADD UP with simple and easy call to actions that help our voices be heard regarding climate change. Non-profit organizations, including 350.0rg and 1Sky, will be leading us on what to do.

Collectively, we’re going to add up to big change. And, it’s just about time, too. World leaders are meeting in Copenhagen in December to hopefully come to an international agreement on the world-wide reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. If America is going to truly be a leader, our leaders need to hear from us now. So, let’s realize our power and show that we add up.

There will be over 230 winners in the Climate Action Giveaway and each prize will help you lead a more sustainable lifestyle. Enter to Win today! - http://www.climategiveaway.com

*Oh, and by the way...we'll be giving away some chocolates and body treats for the sweepstakes!


Check out WE ADD UP's cool video...

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

VIDEO: "Crude" movie trailer



"Three years in the making, this riveting new documentary from acclaimed filmmaker Joe Berlinger (Brothers Keeper, Paradise Lost, Metallica: Some Kind of Monster) tells the epic story of one of the largest and most controversial legal cases on the planet. An inside look at the infamous $27 billion Amazon Chernobyl case, Crude is a real-life, high stakes legal drama involving global politics, the environmental movement, celebrity activism, human rights advocacy, multinational corporate power, and the fate of disappearing indigenous cultures. Subverting the conventions of advocacy filmmaking, this award-winning film explores a complex situation from all angles, bringing an important story of environmental peril and human suffering into focus. Rarely have such conflicts been examined with the depth and power of Joe Berlinger‚s documentary Crude. These real characters and events play out on the screen like a sprawling legal thriller."
- Stephen Holden, The New York Times


Monday, September 21, 2009

Press Release: Tens of Thousands of Schoolchildren Nationwide Will Protest Poverty and Child Labor-Tainted Cocoa during the Third Annual Reverse Trick

For Immediate Release
Contact
Leila Belcher
LJB Public Relations
leila@ljbpublicrelations.com
(303) 345-1805
Tens of Thousands of Schoolchildren Nationwide Will Protest Poverty and Child Labor-Tainted Cocoa during the Third Annual Reverse Trick-or-Treating this Halloween
San Francisco Bay Area children will join kids across all 50 US States and Canada to urge nearly a quarter million households to shift their purchasing to Fair Trade certified chocolate, coffee, etc. by handing Fair Trade chocolate samples to adults.
Ten to twenty thousand groups of children will hand chocolate back to adults during their regular neighborhood trick-or-treating rounds this Halloween. The children will distribute Fair Trade Certified™ chocolate attached to a card explaining the labor and environmental problems in the cocoa industry globally and how Fair Trade provides a solution. The event, Reverse Trick-or-Treating, was launched three years ago to raise awareness of the pervasive problem of child labor, forced labor and trafficking in the cocoa fields, to empower consumers to press the chocolate industry for more fair cocoa sourcing policies, to shift the industry toward sourcing Fair Trade certified cocoa, and to inform consumers about Fair Trade companies that are leading the way to industry reform. Fair Trade standards prohibit the use of abusive child labor, contain extensive environmental sustainability protections, and enable farmers to escape poverty.
The Reverse-Trick-or-Treating program has joined nonprofit organizations, such as Global Exchange, with Fair Trade Certified™ chocolate companies such as Equal Exchange, Alter Eco, Sweet Earth, Coco-Zen and local schools, faith groups and youth organizations to raise public awareness about Fair Trade Certified™ chocolate.
This year’s event comes on the heels of two important developments in the cocoa industry. First, Interpol announced in August that it identified and rescued fifty-four children from slavery in cocoa fields in Cote d’Ivoire. The children were as young as 11 years old, endured hazardous working conditions, labored 12 hours a day, and were not paid for their work. This demonstrates that the chocolate industry has still not gone far enough to end child slavery and trafficking in the cocoa fields, even though the top chocolate companies committed to end these practices as part of the Harkin-Engel Protocol signed in 2001. Over sixty national nonprofit organizations and chocolate companies have united to call on the cocoa industry to embrace stronger cocoa sourcing standards in a statement entitled the “Commitment to Ethical Cocoa Sourcing” which can be viewed at www.reversetrickortreating.org.
Second, in 2009, Cadbury became the first major chocolate brand to achieve Fair Trade certification for its Dairy Milk chocolate bars in the United Kingdom, with planned certification in additional countries. Human rights, Fair Trade, and anti-trafficking activists have applauded Cadbury’s leadership, while urging the company to extend Fair Trade certification to its products distributed in the United States. A group of advocates have also been actively pressing Hershey’s to become the first mainstream US-based company achieve Fair Trade certification.
“Kids have a well-developed sense of fairness. I regularly hear stories of US schoolchildren who are really outraged to learn that mainstream chocolate companies are making them complicit in the enslavement of their peers,” said Adrienne Fitch-Frankel, Director of Global Exchange’s Fair Trade Campaign, “Kids are eager to show solidarity and make it possible for their peers to do go to school and go out and play. That is why so many kids are thrilled to participate in Reverse Trick-or-Treating and make a difference. Now, it’s up to the chocolate companies to listen to their important message.”
“Unfortunately, here in the US, few people know of chocolate’s ‘dirty little secret’. Few realize that modern cocoa farming is notorious for unfair labor practice – often guilty of unsafe working conditions, pay that is far below living wages, and worst of all, use of forced child labor. I believe that this campaign will help raise the level of awareness around Fair Trade to that which “organic” now has,” said Joyce Kushner, owner and founder of Coco-Zen.
To cover this story, interview a participating family, or follow children during reverse-trick-or-treating, please contact Adrienne Fitch-Frankel at 415-575-5553 or Adrienne@globalexchange.org.
The Reverse Trick-or-Treating campaign is an initiative of the human rights advocacy group Global Exchange, which has a long track record of successfully encouraging major corporations to adopt new business practices.
A full line of Fair Trade Certified truffles, Coco-Zen is a company with a conscience. Founded by Bay Area mother and chocoholic, Joyce Kushner, Coco-Zen has joined other Fair Trade chocolate companies in donating Fair Trade Certified™ chocolates to the Reverse Trick-or-Treating campaign. The philosophy that Joyce has employed throughout the company is that all of our actions not only affect ourselves but also the world around us and she stays true to that philosophy by using only organic and Fair Trade Certified™ chocolate in all Coco-Zen products.
Nearly a quarter million Fair Trade Chocolates and informational cards have been provided in the United States by Equal Exchange, Alter Eco, Sweet Earth and Coco-Zen, and in Canada by La Siembra, under the leadership of Equal Exchange. Equal Exchange is a full service provider of high quality, organic coffee, tea, cocoa, chocolate and healthy snacks. 100% of Equal Exchange products are fairly traded, benefiting over 30 small farmer cooperatives in 16 countries around the world.
The national organizations with a lead role in Reverse Trick-or-Treating are Africa Action, Fair Trade Federation, Global Exchange, Green America, International Labor Rights Forum, Not for Sale, Oasis/Stop the Traffik, Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, and the United Methodist Church.
###

Stuff We Found Today - 09.21.09

"Melting Ice Caps Expose Hundreds Of Secret Arctic Lairs" - The Onion (haha!)

Food Stuff
  • Want Big Veggies? Pee in Your Fireplace Ashes - (EarthFirst.com) "...a study has confirmed that human urine mixed with wood ash can produce as many high-quality tomatoes as synthetic fertilizers without risks to human health." Who knew??!!
  • A Look at the Human Hands Behind Our Food - (EcoSalon) "Sexual harassment and abuse, non-payment, being forced to drink water from irrigation ditches, having no access to the fresh food harvested for others’ consumption, constant pesticide exposure, heat-related deaths, 12 to 14 hour work days and child labor are all routine in our agricultural system."
  • Dunkin' Donuts Cruelty - (GreenMuze) Disturbing vidoe of factory farm egg laying hens...just not right.

Beauty & Fashion Stuff
Tech & Science Stuff


Work & Business Stuff

Nature & Environment Stuff
  • Study: U.S. Fish Increasingly Feminized - (AboutMyPlanet.com) "The feminization of the fish is related to endocrine-disrupting hormones...increased prevalence of feminized wildlife is of grave concern due to it representing a large accumulation of disruptors in the environment." Not good for us either!
  • U.S. Cuts Carbon Emissions Nine Percent in Two Years - (Causecast) Hey, it's a start!
  • Doctor vs Climate Change - (GreenMuze) "...climate change is the biggest global health threat of the 21st century and the ramifications of climate change will put the lives and well-being of billions of people at increased risk."

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

Political, Social & Economy Stuff

Other Random Cool Stuff

Sunday, September 20, 2009

VIDEO: Blue Man Group video featured on "Earth To America!"



Cool video by the Blue Man Group!

Quote of the Week - 09.20.09

"Because of your smile, you make life more beautiful."
~Thich Nhat Hanh

"Because of Fair Trade, chocolate is more beautiful (and delicious)."
~Coco-Zen
Coco-Zen Fair Trade chocolates

Friday, September 18, 2009

VIDEO: Captain Planet - A Twist of Fate



Episode recap:
In A Twist of Fate, a South American vacation for the Planeteers turns into a lesson for Wheeler. When an earthquake leaves him with amnesia, Wheeler is taken in by a homeless girl, Theresa. A fire breaks out in the slums, and another bump on the head helps him regain his memory so he can summon Captain Planet. Will the Captain save the day in time?

Thursday, September 17, 2009

"Oh, holy moley..." A lip balm lover loves Coco-Zen Chocolate Lip Balm.


The lip balm loving blogger over at Confessions of a Balmaholic went nuts over our Chocolate Lip Balm:

"Oh, holy moley... Do yourself a favor, and check out the Coco-Zen website... Wow. Wowowowow. This is easily the best balm I’ve tried made with real chocolate. Easily. I honestly can’t think of a single thing to complain about. Great job, Coco-Zen!"


Check out the rest of her review!

Coco-Zen Lip Balm

Stuff We Found Today - 09.17.09

Weird deep sea animals...cool!

Family, Kids & Health Stuff
  • Sacramento says: Let them eat BPA - (Environmental Working Group) "The California state Assembly failed to pass SB 797, a bill which would have banned the toxic chemical bisphenol A (BPA) from use in children’s sippy cups, infant formula and other food and drink products designed for children aged three and younger..."

Food Stuff
  • Blood and Chocolate - (Gourmet.com) "After 10 years of promises, protocols, and initiatives, the children of West Africa remain at the mercy of the cocoa industry."
  • Beer in the bike lane - (Mother Nature Network) "A Portland, Oregon brewery is using the power of the pedal to get their new bike bar around." Awesome!!!
  • Your Filet-O-fish is endangered - (Mother Nature Network) "McDonald’s buys millions of pounds of hoki each year for Filet-O-Fish sandwiches. Now, conservationists say the New Zealand fish is being depleted."

Home Stuff

Tech & Science Stuff

Work & Business Stuff
  • Green jobs: Urban farming in Chicago - (Mother Nature Network) "Growing Home works with the homeless and low-income population in Chicago to provide organic agriculture training." Not only helping people out of poverty, but providing healthful food for the population...AWESOME!!!
  • Employees get rewarded for green behavior - (Mother Nature Network) "Creative Citizen launches new suite of products to help track and reward green behavior (and save money) in the workplace."

Nature & Environment Stuff

Website Stuff
  • HealthyStuff.org - Great new searchable database of consumer goods tested for unheathly products (apparel/accessories, cars, kids products, pets, toys).

International Stuff

Political, Social & Economy Stuff
  • Letter from Van Jones - (Mother Nature Network) "Van Jones offers first public statement since his resignation and urges us to 'spread green jobs gospel.'"
  • 13 Trillion Reasons to Fight Global Warming - (TheDailyGreen) "Global investors say they want to invest their $13 trillion in a world that isn't ravaged by runaway climate change."

Other Random Cool Stuff

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Coco-Zen Listed as 1 of 7 Fair Trade Companies To Do Business With



Green Lifestyle Magazine recently published their September issue, and it's all about Fair Trade. We are honored to be included in their recommendations of Fair Trade companies.

Stuff We Found Today - 09.15.09

When Climate Change and Health Care Reform Collide

Family, Kids & Health Stuff
  • Healthier Car Safety Seats - (Ideal Bite) "Pick a child safety seat that contains fewer toxins. Many of the same polluting chems used to build car parts are also used to make car seats..."

Beauty & Fashion Stuff
  • Eco Sneaks for Green Feet - (ecomii) Basically the eco-version of the classic Converse sneakers...we're diggin' these!
  • What the [Fashion] Industry Doesn't Want You to Know - (Feelgood Style) "Warning…if you wish to be oblivious to the horrible ethics of the fashion industry, don’t read. If you care to be enlightened and morph into a better human being, by all means, read on and prepare yourself for some brutal images."

Tech & Science Stuff


Work & Business Stuff

Nature & Environment Stuff

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff


International Stuff

Political, Social & Economy Stuff

Other Random Cool Stuff

Monday, September 14, 2009

VIDEO: Pacific Garbage Dump - Nightline



"Great Pacific Garbage Dump is a graveyard of toxic plastic "

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Video: Bill McKibben on Colbert Report explains why the number 350 is so important...



All of Stephen's joking aside, this is serious folks. Listen to what Bill McKibben has to say...

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Bill McKibben
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full EpisodesPolitical HumorHealth Care Protests

Quote of the Week - 09.13.09

"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."
~Darrell Royal

"Good is what happens when chocolate meets Fair Trade."
~Coco-Zen
Coco-Zen Fair Trade chocolates

Thursday, September 10, 2009

VIDEO: A World Without Water



"A World Without Water The world is running out of its most precious resource. True Vision's timely film tells of the personal tragedies behind the mounting privatisation of water supplies. More than a billion people across the globe don’t have access to safe water. Every day 3900 children die as a result of insufficient or unclean water supplies. The situation can only get worse as water gets evermore scarce. "

Stuff We Found Today - 09.10.09

Man-made hole - Diavik Diamond Mine

Family, Kids & Health Stuff
  • Eco-Friendly Detanglers - (Ideal Bite) List of hair detanglers for your little ones minus then parabens and phthalates.

Food Stuff

Home Stuff

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

Tech & Science Stuff


Work & Business Stuff

Nature & Environment Stuff

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

Website Stuff
  • New food Game Online - (GreenMuze) "Just in time for back to school, a new free online game called 'My Bento (My Lunchbox)' from Little Studios, Inc., in Japan, helps kids understand the carbon footprint of their food choices." Check it out...it's in English.
  • Kreativ Blogger Award - (Green Gigs) Wow...check this out. We've been nominated for the Kreativ Blogger Award... how'd that happen??

International Stuff

Political, Social & Economy Stuff