TASTY TALK: CHRISTOPHER GAVIGAN

1.  You head up Healthy Child Healthy World, an organization committed to creating a greener & safer environment for children, and your new book, Healthy Child Healthy World: Creating a Cleaner, Greener, Safer Home, came out in bookstores on

April.  Is your general feeling about the state of the planet one of optimism, or do the challenges get you down?

I feel that parents need to feel empowered by choices and information – and with so many opportunities to choose safer, greener, and cleaner, it is indeed exciting and a time to be full of optimism.  There is an inherent duty to care for your children – but as a society and as we have a lifestyle where we choose to have awareness of seven generations and beyond our children.  The legacy we leave is so incredibly important –  this duty of passing along the torch of responsible action and minimum impact.

2. You & your wife, the lovely Jessica Capshaw, have a new baby. Does being a parent heighten the intensity of your work?

I have never felt more dedicated and excited by work before – and Luke and my wife are the #1 reason.

3. Did you & Jessica grow up in homes that were environmentally conscious?  What would you say were the main factors which made you both “green?”

I grew up in fairly traditional East Coast family – so environmental awareness wasn’t strong – but there was always the value put on doing the right thing and living with integrity.  That is what living with  consciousness is about as well – there is a moral imperative there.  There are shades of green in every family, and I wear the badge of darker green.  My wife and I challenge ourselves to acknowledge it’s not all about “us”– and we have to do our part to be enlightened and better people – and being “green” is a significant part of that.
 
4. When parents tell you they want to "go green," but are unsure of how to start, what are some great basic tips you give them to get started in the right direction?

Start by heading to our website – HealthyChild.org – it has practical and simple solutions to get anyone started…even the most confused or skeptical.  Whether you have a minute or weekend – there are great tips there.  One of the first things I tell people too is to take off their shoes at their front door – the amount of dirt, pesticides, grime, and nasty bacteria that is tracked on the bottom of shoes is incredible.  You can seriously reduce cleaning time and the harmful affects of these agents just by this one simple act – no shoes inside.

5. Would you call yourself "crunchy?”

I don’t particularly like that word since it’s charged and has negative connotations.  But for the sake this – yes, it’s fitting.

 6. Are you a “foodie?”  Do you like to cook?  What’s a favorite meal of yours & Jessica’s?

Not at all – I only eat because it is necessary.  My friends joke and tell me on a “calorie-deprivation diet”.  This is typically not by choice, but because I have so much going on, so food is a formality.  My wife is the exception – she feeds me so well – and loves to eat well.  I am so thankful that she caters to my vegetarian needs incredibly well, making the “perfect bites” and getting the freshest of foods.
 
7.  You are an organic clothing model! What are the benefits of wearing organic cotton for kids and adults?

I am???  I did a shoot for Men’s Vogue to promote the book and I had this great organic suit on.   For kids and adults, organic clothing is a nice perk.  It can be more expensive, but knowing you are supporting sustainable agriculture, preventing hundreds of thousands of gallons of pesticides from being sprayed (think of the farmer’s health and the local ecosystem’s health) – it’s a great choice and I’m very excited to see more lines carrying it. 
 
8. If you had to pick just one or two, what would you consider to be the biggest environmental issues we’re facing today?

Population growth

Capitalistic consumption
 
9. With the “green movement” gaining attention & (finally!) credibility, do you think we will see Environmental Education being taught in elementary schools?

YES – and I’m thrilled about it, since it’s at the core of where I started…teaching kids in the Santa Cruz Mountains about environmental awareness and ecology.  Healthy Child is a part of MyHealthySchool.com collaborative – something everyone should know about.

10. Sorry, Christopher, but we ask everyone this question: what makes you Tasty?

Wow – hmmm – my smile.