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AT HOME WITH JOSH DORFMAN

He may call himself “The Lazy Environmentalist,” but with a brand new book, nationally syndicated radio show, and home furnishings business, this guy is busier than ever promoting the green lifestyle.

Who: Josh Dorfman, founder and CEO of Vivavi, a company that represents and retails eco-friendly furniture designers and home furnishings. Dorfman is also the creator and host of The Lazy Environmentalist, a nationally broadcast radio show on Sirius Satellite Radio’s LIME network.

Where: Brooklyn, New York

Why: Because he brings wit and style to green living. Because of his enthusiasm and his desire to teach others that being environmentally aware is easier and more attainable than ever. Because he has just published The Lazy Environmentalist: Your Guide to Easy, Stylish, Green Living (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, $14.95), an info-packed book that details hundreds of eco-friendly products and services.

Organic Spa: How, when, and why did you come up with “The Lazy Environmentalist?”

Josh Dorfman: In January 2005, I moved Vivavi, my eco-friendly furniture and furnishings company, from Washington, DC to Brooklyn, New York. My one employee at the time was helping me move and as this was our last day working together, she took the opportunity to point out all of my less-than-stellar environmental practices in my personal life that had been bothering her for the past year and a half. To reconcile the fact that I retail beautifully designed eco-friendly products with the fact that I take really long showers, despite my awareness of their environmental impact in terms of water and energy usage, I coined the term “lazy environmentalist” on my blog and wrote an honest assessment of my approach to environmental activism. I care about the planet and will make environmentally responsible choices provided they are convenient and fit my lifestyle, so I constantly search for green choices that are easy and attractive to make.

OS: What does “organic” mean to you?

JD: Consciousness and health. It means being conscious of our purchasing and lifestyle decisions and taking steps to be healthier in our bodies, our homes, and our environment.

OS: How is your philosophy reflected in your home?

JD: My home runs on 100 percent wind power directly through my power utility, Con Edison Solutions. If you go to www.epa.gov/greenpower you’ll find a power provider near you that offers similar options. I live in my eco-friendly furniture showroom, so all of my furniture and furnishings are healthier for me and for the environment. The only drag is that I have to make my bed everyday since it’s for sale. I clean my home with Method Cleaning products because I love the design of the bottles and the cleaning solutions are non-toxic and biodegradable. I’ve also installed a low-flow showerhead from Oxygenics in my bathroom to limit the harm caused by my super-long showers. It’s the best I can do for now because the shower is where I do my best thinking.

OS: What do you hope readers take away from your book?

JD: That green living is possible today. That the most exciting innovation happening in nearly every industry that touches our lives is eco-friendly innovation. That a new set of eco-friendly choices is available that we not only can make, but also will really want to make once we know about the possibilities. This is not about making a little change here or there to become more environmentally conscious. The point to me is that we can all make massive changes in our lives to be more environmentally conscious because often these really are the best choices available to us. This is the new paradigm shift underway in green living and these are the choices that I present in my book.

OS: Do you go to spas?

JD: Very rarely, though The Spa and Wellness Center, the first green spa in New York City, just opened in Brooklyn and I’m looking forward to becoming a regular.

OS: What is your favorite room at home, and why?

JD: It’s my makeshift patio outside my bedroom window that is really just the roof of the business below my apartment. It’s about a six-by-six foot space where I’ve installed one of our Loll Adirondack chairs. Behind my row of apartment buildings are trees and individual gardens, so it’s a very calm and meditative spot for me. I usually wake up and crawl out my window to work and gather my thoughts for a couple of hours before heading into Manhattan to do my radio show.

OS: What does your ideal green home look like?

JD: I like many styles of architecture, so I’m less concerned with what it looks like than with how I feel inside it. I want it to be spacious and uncluttered and yet at the same time warm and inviting. I know it receives massive amounts of daylight from tall windows and has a phenomenal outdoor terrace because I love the concept of indoor-outdoor living as long I don’t have to be inside a tent. I also love the concept of negative energy homes that produce more energy than they consume, so this kind of thinking is very much part of my ideal green home. www.vivavi.com