A World Fusion Celebration of ECOSLO’S Diverse
Commitment to Environmental Health and Protection in SLO County!

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The Event of the Future: ECOSLO is Preparing the Way
ECOSLO knows how to put on a party and the “ECO-Clectic” New Years Eve party will be no exception. But what does “knowing how to put on a party” mean? On the surface it means if you go you’ll have a great time dancing to the music of Incendio and Calinambe , eating delicious food, and sharing the spirit of New Year with others. The company there will be the best and children of all ages are welcome.

Looking deeper into the “Eco-Clectic” party reveals it to be an “event of the future” because it is committed to the environmental health of SLO county. At the heart of this event is Noah Smukler, organic chef and recycler extraordinaire. With partner Laura Lopez, the circle is complete using locally grown produce and recycling back to our county the leftovers as a valuable resource…compost!

The ethnic style and local flavors of the dinner fare will consist of organically produced and where possible, locally grown organic ingredients. Choosing organic foods is a radical action everyone can take for a healthy environment; in the words of Jane Goodall, it’s a way to “save the planet” three times a day. Instead of poisoning the land, water and air with chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides, organic agriculture renews and rebuilds the earth.

It’s better for our bodies, too. A recent peer-reviewed study from Seattle showed that school children had unacceptable organophosphorus pesticide levels in their bodies. After a diet of organic foods for only 15 days, these pesticide levels dropped dramatically. Concerned about eating GMOs? It’s not labeled, so buy organic!
Organic produce will be purchased at our farmers markets from farms such as Clarke Valley Organic Farm, Four Elements Farm and the Cal Poly Organic Farm. Other businesses contributing their culinary fares are Bon Temps Creole Café, New Frontiers, Trader Joe’s, and the Natural Foods Co-op.

But don’t expect the Environmental Center to call it quits with that. Pacific Energy Company’s solar generator will be on-hand to power the electricity for the stage and band, Hempshak is providing tree-free tickets made out of hemp, New Belgium is supplying compostable corn cups from which their tasty Fat Tire Ale will be flowing, and Bio Corp and Earthshell are some of the companies that will provide other compostable wares. There will also be a rideshare forum if you want to carpool.

No matter how you look at it, this is a celebration of ways to save the Earth!

Here’s another secret to ECO-Clectic’s sensual dining experience: the food will be served on real plates, eaten with real silverware! This is great news for diners but even better for Cold Canyon Landfill, estimated to be full in 10 years. Noah’s commitment is that this event generate as little “garbage” as possible, following ECOSLO’s 35 year tradition. ECOSLO started one of the first county recycling programs in the nation, and SLO Co. is still ahead of most areas for recycling.

Noah has been a dedicated recycler for both ECOSLO and the SLO County Integrated Waste Management Authority (IWMA). Several years ago, working with the IWMA, Noah was part of a volunteer recycling team whose goal was to demonstrate to the Mid State Fair that recycling is a wise economic choice. After two weeks of hard work in the hot sun, the team was successful and the Mid State Fair now includes recycling in their budget.

Leftover organics for events where Noah cooks are recycled to worm bins, back to the earth to produce more delicious organic garden vegetables. In October, Noah and a fabulous volunteer team cooked and recycled for the Green Earth Expo, ending the all day affair with only three trash bags of garbage, mostly from the restrooms. The challenge for the New Years Eve party is less than two trash bags of garbage. Now that is the way the world should work!

If you want to have a great time on New Years Eve and feel good about participating in the future environmental health of SLO County, come toECOSLO’s ECO-Clectic party.

For more information, to be part of the recycling team or to carpool, call ECOSLO at 544-1777, email Shaba at info@sloroots.com.
Happy New Year!

- Teresa Campbell
Information Press, December 2005

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