By FEDERICA NARANCIO

Observer photo courtesy of Charlotte Kesl
There were 120 speakers who did presentations over the weekend at the Washington Convention Center, covering different topics concerning the environment and social justice.

As the concern for the environment has become part of the mainstream, there is a growing interest among people to “go green” in their daily lives, according to editors and founders of media outlets that teach readers how to take this step.

Acts as simple as changing an incandescent light-bulb to a fluorescent bulb, buying organic vegetables at local farms or constructing a dining table made of sustainable harvested wood are some of the tips offered by the eco-friendly magazines, TV and radio shows, blogs and social networking sites.

Many representatives of the eco-media were present at the fourth annual Green Festival, held on Saturday and Sunday in Washington, D.C., and distributed information on how to “go green.”

The festival, held in the Washington Convention Center, had 350 exhibits of eco-businesses and media that displayed a wide array of products; there were also 120 speakers, yoga classes, a “green film” festival, organic food and music shows.

Observer photo courtesy of Charlotte Kesl
The Brighter Planet stand boasted a hanging mural, which was the product of the collaboration of 100 painters. Here, an artist begins work on a new mural.

The festival catered to just about every niche of the environmental movement: There were stands for organic food, “green careers and education,” “green pet products,” “eco-traveling” businesses, “eco-fashion” products, “eco-art,” and “green building” companies. There was even a “green kids’ zone,” where children could read books that taught them how to be environmentally aware.

One of the first stands the public saw when entering the pavilion was one for Planet Green, a 24-hour channel dedicated to green lifestyle that will be launched in 2008 by Discovery Communications.

When asked why Discovery Communications will launch a channel entirely dedicated to green-lifestyle, Bryan Hughes, communications director for Planet Green, said that in the “last 18 months, things have happened in the world that have increased people’s awareness and interest in leading a lifestyle that has a positive impact on the planet.”

Representatives of other media outlets that focus on environmental issues agree with Hughes that leading a greener lifestyle is gaining popularity among Americans.

“People are talking green, it is turning into a movement,” said Christopher Zilo, manager of community and interactive services of Lime, a company that produces media content on green-lifestyle. “You know this has become mainstream when Discovery feels they have to launch a program entirely dedicated on how to live a greener lifestyle.”

Observer photo courtesy of Charlotte Kesl
Activist groups had stands at the Green Festival protesting against the war, global warming and price of oil organizations.

Not all media that focus on environmental issues are recent; in fact, there are magazines such as Mother Earth News, that was first published in 1970 and had a loyal readership from the start.

Jessica Kellner, coordinator editor of Natural Home Magazine – published by the same company as Mother Earth News – said that since the ’60s there has been a segment of the public concerned for the environment.

However, she notices that in the last three to five years there has been a surge of interest for green issues, and the circulation of these magazines has increased.

“I think it is becoming a cultural movement,” she said, “and more people are coming to terms with the fact that global warming exists and we are messing up the environment with our actions.”

As in the case of Natural Home Magazine, other publications such as Plenty Magazine or social networking sites like Care2.com, keep the environmental discussion down-to-earth by offering readers simple solutions to contribute to the cause.

Plenty Magazine covers topics such as green design, sustainable architecture and organic fashion; Care2.com is the “green” version of MySpace, where people create profiles, join discussion groups and get connected with environmental non-profit organizations.

In news stations like NBC4, there has been a regular series on environmental issues since 2005 hosted by reporter Wendy Rieger. On the Web site of the series Going Green, there is a “green tip of the day” section, a blog written by Rieger, and a newsletter to which readers can subscribe for information on how to lead a greener lifestyle.

Observer photo courtesy of Charlotte Kesl
One booth offered festival visitors free honey samples.

People might be surprised by some of the tips these publications, TV shows and Web sites offer. For instance, the latest issue of Natural Home Magazine teaches readers how to “slim” their junk-mail waste, something that according to the data shown should not be underestimated: “The 62 billion pieces of unsolicited U.S. mail sent annually will consume more energy in production and disposal than 2.8 million cars and require 100 million trees for paper.”

As Mark Spellun, editor of Plenty Magazine said, going green requires “a complete change of mind.” He, for example, buys green power, exclusively consumes organic food and walks to work. Spellun did not mention, however, anything about his junk-mail’s final disposition.