My local paper, The Times Tribune, gave me a sweet write-up. It was great to hear back from all my PA peeps and have yet to read and write back to everyone. This is just a holler out to everyone, "A big thank you," and can't wait to come back July and organize some great programs back home.(image is from shooting the "G Word" on a farm that captures methane from cows to power 2,500 homes)
Here's the article below:
Former Montdale resident, model and activist becomes environmental reporter for new Discovery channel
BY JOSH MCAULIFFE
STAFF WRITER
06/22/2008
Summer Rayne Oakes’ criteria for being an environmentalist is pretty broad.
“If you drink the water and breath the air, you’re an environmentalist,” the former Montdale resident said.
“It’s those of us worried about putting food on their plates. It’s those of us worried about getting their kids to school and putting gas in their tanks.”
Ms. Oakes worries about all of those things, and then some. And she just got a bigger platform for airing her views.
A few weeks ago, the environmental activist and model devoted exclusively to sustainable, eco-friendly fashion, began her tenure as an on-air personality, or “resident expert,” on Discovery Planet Green, a new cable channel devoted completely to environmentally conscious programming.
Right now, Ms. Oakes, 24, can be found serving as a correspondent on “G Word,” a magazine show geared toward environmental trends. Early episodes will find her getting down and dirty on a methane recapture farm, climbing windmills and swimming in the Pacific Trash Vortex, a swirling cauldron of plastic and other debris that’s twice the size of Texas.
“I’m kind of like the Mike Rowe of Planet Green,” she said with a laugh, referring to the host of the popular Discovery Channel program, “Dirty Jobs.”
Then, in August, she’ll be featured on “Battleground Earth,” an irreverent reality show that will pit rocker Tommy Lee against rapper Ludacris in a competition to find out who’s the greenest.
“It’s just off-the-wall funny,” said Ms. Oakes, admitting she at first had some reservations about doing the show.
Other duties
It doesn’t end there. Her duties also require her to file eco-related reports on “Access Hollywood,” write on fashion and beauty tips on the channel’s Web site and maintain a blog on the political Web site Huffington Post, which will be similar to the one she does for the popular eco blog, Tree Hugger.
“I’m just having an awesome time,” Ms. Oakes said. “It’s great, because I’m just using my knowledge and my passion and my sense of humor.
“I think it’s really going to be a hit,” she said of the channel. “I think they’ve got some great talent and great people to build some buzz.”
On top of that, she believes her presence on the channel will go a long way toward “enabling and enhancing my platform.”
Ms. Oakes’ eco-conciousness first surfaced during her early years, trudging through the fields and forests of Scott Township. She was one of those kids whose idea of fun was lugging a gallon jug of caterpillars to school or growing mold in the refrigerator.
“I was probably always the most environmental kid in the bunch when it came to school,” she said. “It was always just a source of inspiration for me. I was always a curious kid. And I wanted to get into things.”
By her teenage years, she was actively involved in community environmental affairs. At Lakeland High School, she was a member of the school’s award-winning environmental club. She helped coordinate Scott Township’s recycling program and established a newsletter called Buzzworm. And she checked the water quality of area streams and worked on the Grassy Island Mine Reclamation project for the Lackawanna County Conservation District.
“Having a leadership position at a young age, for any kid, that’s a lot of positive reinforcement,” she said. “Kids want to be involved. They just need a little more direction.”
Studied bugs
It was at Cornell University, where she majored in natural resources and entomology (the study of bugs), that she first came upon the notion of using fashion and media to communicate her environmental passions.
By her second semester there, Ms. Oakes had already gotten published in a science journal. Still, she quickly came to the realization that “no one reads those things.” And she wasn’t getting through to her friends at all.
“They’d make fun of me. ‘You’re a park ranger,’ they’d say. They didn’t get the environment,” she said.
Frustrated, she started to think of other approaches, eventually landing upon the rather unconventional idea of using her All-American good looks for green purposes. She began taking trips into New York City, and in little time was landing jobs modeling eco-friendly clothing. What she came to realize was, though superficial in many ways, fashion “uses the media brilliantly.”
To this day, Ms. Oakes has been exclusively devoted to designers and companies that emphasize sustainable and organic fabrics and fair- trade agreements.
Her niche approach has resulted in a fair bit of press, including a two-page photo spread in Vanity Fair magazine last year. She’s come to be known as “the eco model,” a term she at first thought was somewhat “goofy” but has since come to embrace.
“There’s really no one else at this nexus,” said Ms. Oakes, whose everyday wardrobe tends toward organic-blend cotton shirts and vegan shoes.
The modeling has allowed Ms. Oakes to promote and write about the myriad environmental issues near and dear to her heart, including the concept of green jobs, a subject she wrote about in a recent op-ed column that ran in The Times-Tribune. In the piece, she discusses the impact “green-collar” jobs like installing solar panels, reclaiming mine sites and retrofitting buildings for energy efficiency can have on Northeastern Pennsylvania’s economy.
“I think there’s a real opportunity for Scranton and the other areas to be leaders,” she said. “I love the idea of green jobs ... green jobs reinvigorating people in other areas. We know this is a viable business.”
Speaking of NEPA, Ms. Oakes said she gets back to the area “a fair amount.” She plans to be home for a few days in July to visit her father, Robert, of Dunmore, and grandparents, Erwin “Smitty” and Lilian Schmitt, of Olyphant. Her mother, Diane Oakes, now lives outside Cleveland.
“Pennsylania’s such a beatiful state, and summer’s a good time to come back,” she said.
So what do her parents make of her career?
“I think they dig it. I don’t think they completely get what I do,” Ms. Oakes said with a laugh.
Which is fine. So long as she can keep promoting the gospel of green, she’ll be content.
“This is a real national movement that’s underway. It’s about connecting people and strengthening them,” Ms. Oakes said. “Once people start getting involved, you can’t stop. It enhances your life. It gives you a sense of purpose.”
Learn more about Summer Rayne Oakes
Age: 24
RESIDENCE: A former resident of the Montdale section of Scott Township, she now lives in New York City
FAMILY: She is the daughter of Diane Oakes, Lakewood, Ohio, and Robert Oakes, Dunmore. She has a brother, Travis, Philadelphia. She is the granddaughter of Erwin “Smitty” and Lilian Schmitt, Olyphant; and Walter Oakes, Florida; and the late Jessie Oakes.
EDUCATION: A Lakeland High School graduate, she has a bachelor’s degree in natural resources and entomology.
OCCUPATION: A model specializing in sustainable, eco-friendly fashion, she is an on-air personality and resident expert on the new cable channel, Discovery Planet Green, which is devoted entirely to environmentally conscious programming. She currently appears on the show “G Word,” and in August will be featured on the reality show, “Battleground Earth.” She also files eco-themed reports for “Access Hollywood” and writes blogs for the Web sites The Huffington Post and Tree Hugger.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visit her Web site, www.summerrayne.net. For more on Planet Green, visit: http://planetgreen. discovery.com/
Labels: "Summer Rayne Oakes, Battleground Earth, Discovery Planet Green, G Word, Tommy Lee vs. Ludacris
For all you eco-labelistas out there: I was wearing Beau Soleil, a hand-painted gourd-bag I picked up in Trinidad, a horn ring made by a cooperative in Colombia (from Lisa Linhardt Designs); Hand-crafted African blackwood bracelet by a.d. schwarz; a hand-crafted agate necklace by Kirsten Muenster; and shoes by Charmone
Here's the G Word troop: Hosts SuChin Pak and Daniel Sieberg. I'll be coming in on resident expert doing all the grimy and glamorous stuff. Well a sneak peak of my episode happened yesterday on Discovery Home, but will run again I think on June 4 or 5 at 7/6c. So tune in. 
The very insane Tom Green will be hosting, "The Tom Green Project" Game Show
Adrian was looking quite dapper in his suit.He'll be hosting the show, Alter Eco, with Angela, Darren, and Boise
God they are soooo HOT! Blue Man Group
CEO David Zaslav - who helped start both Sundance Green and Planet Green - with Mike Rowe (Dirty Jobs) whose motto is: "You have to be brown before you can go green." 
Tommy Lee and Luda filming the last segment of Battleground Earth, which will launch in August 2008
Billy Gibbons
Slash
Tommy doing it Blue Man Group-style
Luda
Comedian Tommy Davidson and Ziggy Marley
Here's some shots from the Planet Green pre-launch party in LA. It was an eclectic bunch to say the least. I snuck out during the concert to get some food with my friends, manager, and some of the hosts. It was good to kick back with a good group of people for a little food and fun.
PLANET GREEN officially launches June 4th. It's the first 24-hour eco-lifestyle television network and will be taking over the Discovery Home Channel at 6PM EST.
PLANET GREEN officially launches June 4th. It's the first 24-hour eco-lifestyle television network and will be taking over the Discovery Home Channel at 6PM EST.
Labels: Adrian Grenier, Alter Eco, Discovery Planet Green, Ludacris, Planet Green, Summer Rayne Oakes, Tommy Lee, Tommy Lee vs. Ludacris
With a few notable exceptions, the hard-living, party-hearty, carbon-pumping world of rock 'n roll excess doesn't earn many green points. But that's going to change, thanks to Tommy Lee and Ludacris and a new show on Planet Green called Battleground Earth. Yep, rock and rap are going head to head in a battle against the toxic forces destroying the planet as the two travel across the country on a 10-episode tour.
The show premieres in August and follows the duo's attempts to keep their high-wattage tours on a greener path while participating in different challenges highlighting various green issues.
What sort of shenanigans will this involve? For example, in the "Fast Fuel" episode Ludacris (who is also knows as Chris Bridges) and Tommy Lee's biodiesel tour buses are running on empty in the middle of the Texas Panhandle. They must roll into a fast food restaurant and look for fast food grease to turn into eco-friendly fuel. Will this battle include discussion of the efficacy of biofuels as a long-term petroleum substitute, or the possible argument that biofuels are a crime against humanity? You'll have to tune in to find out...
The Rap n' Roll battle culminates in a green carpet benefit concert at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles (no, not that Greek Theater). The concert featuring Ludacris, Tommy Lee and many of their famous musician friends will support the renewal of Griffith Park, which was devastated by recent wildfires.
So, who's going to win the battle and take the green cake: the acting rapper or the musician who's famous for, uh, doing other things in front of the camera? Pencil in August 2008 on your calendars and read up on other programming plans in ::USA Today on Planet Green, ::BAM! Emeril Lagasse Unearths Fresh Ingredients for Planet Green, ::Become a Famous Eco-Gadgeteer on Planet Green TV!, and ::Appear on Emeril Green
Labels: Discovery, Discovery Planet Green, Ludacris, Planet Green, Tommy Lee, Tommy Lee vs. Ludacris
about
- From the frontlines: Tracking the latest news, updates, and projects of Summer Rayne Oakes
last posts
- Launched New Site and Don't miss THIS conference c...
- We're Moving
- Financial Times Germany Talks Sustainable Style
- Summer Rayne talks Planet Green, Green-Collar Jobs...
- Hometown Paper Highlights Career
- Two Dozen Long Stem Roses
- Sustainable Style: Trend or Movement? What do Stud...
- Behind-the-scenes at LOHAS
- Funniest Response to my Insect Terrariums
- Welcome to 21 new additions to the family
archives
- March 2006
- April 2006
- May 2006
- June 2006
- July 2006
- August 2006
- September 2006
- October 2006
- November 2006
- December 2006
- January 2007
- February 2007
- March 2007
- April 2007
- May 2007
- June 2007
- July 2007
- August 2007
- September 2007
- October 2007
- November 2007
- December 2007
- January 2008
- February 2008
- March 2008
- April 2008
- May 2008
- June 2008
- July 2008
- August 2008
eco fashion sustainable style ecofashion green fashion eco style sustainable design fair trade Summer Rayne Oakes global warming climate change youtube myspace eco organic green balance health wellness environment fashion fashion trends planet style fashion week