Eating a diet free of animals and animal byproducts is much more than a the act of refusing to support industries or practices that devastate the environment, contribute to global hunger, or vastly disrupt the delicate balance of nature — it's an acknowledgment that we have the ability to be the change we wish to see, and that means a diet that has a much lower carbon footprint as well as a greater sense of compassion for all that live on Earth.  

Perhaps you envision yourself as environmentally conscious. You recycle, drive a hybrid, compost and even use a water reclamation system. Don't get me wrong, that's great, but there are a number of local folks who are taking it to the next level. Not only do they educate others on sustainable living, but they themselves have become catalysts for change. Meet six local leaders: Mark Fisher from the Cincinnati Zoo, Dan Korman from Park and Vine, Jess Linz from Queen City Bike, Brewster Rhoads from Paddlefest, Jim & Ellen Schenk from Imago Earth Center and Valerie Taylor, who runs the Cincinnati Locavore blog.  

Getting ready to toss that candy wrapper in the trash? Or maybe that old bicycle tire? It's garbage, right? Just waste in transit from your receptacle to an enormous landfill. Think again: Your discarded rubbish can take on an entirely new existence in the form of a different and improved entity. A process called "upcycling" is the repurposing of waste items into new products with a higher environmental value, and several local entrepreneurs have embraced the concept.  

Find listings for everything from Earth Day events to green community and lifestyle organization. If you're looking to reduce your carbon footprint, these local groups, get-togethers and businesses are here to help.  

It’s almost Saint Patrick’s Day, and you know what that means! We all get to be Irish (and drunk) for a day — and get a special little bum pinch if we aren’t wearing green. Doesn’t that happen? And while we CityBeaters were out trolling around bars for timely and Irishy stories about green beer and shamrocks, I ran into a short, red-haired dude named Mike O’Malley (not the actor). After several Guinness, he admitted to being a leprechaun, so I chased him. Leprechauns are very fast and hard to capture because they’re made of magic. But I did and then I asked him some questions.  

Getting to the heart of Valentine's Day is a tricky business. Take a journey with us to sort through a foggy history full of unverifiable facts. Get the low-down all the modern days events happening on the 14th this year in Cincinnati. And take a detailed look at the Public Library's alluring, but strange, Victorian Valentine's Card collection.  

Well, realistically, you're never going to be the first bride to have your wedding at any of these locations — they're all well-prepared to host your big day. But you don't have to be the first to enjoy matching your event to your personal sense of style.  

"Your wedding cake may just be the most significant confection you ever buy," according to www.theknot.com, one of the leading bridal information Web sites. And it's probably right. It's not like you regularly match your birthday cake with your outfit and home décor. (Unless you do. No judgment.)  

"The idea for Home Grown Cakes came out of demand. In high school I started decorating cakes at a local bakery after school. Family and friends, and family and friends of theirs, started requesting I do cakes for them outside of that. I needed the money for college, so I started fulfilling those requests."  

Though all of the variables can seem overwhelming, preparing for the big day can be practically as exciting as the celebration itself. The cake, the dress, the invitation list and the music are just a few of the many choices for brides- and grooms-to-be to make, and bridal events and exhibitions make the process fun.  

Ray Bowman turns his gaze lovingly toward his bride-to-be, Terrie Robinson. "I feel pretty good about getting married again," he says. "I found the other half of me." There's a poignant honesty in Bowman's words; you can tell they come from the heart. Bowman, divorced, and Robinson, widowed, recently took marriage vows for the second time in their lives even though it was their first time taking vows together.  

Obama campaigned as Pro-Choice, a fact which, upon his inauguration, prompted a sigh of relief from all those who wanted abortion restrictions abolished. But when the time came to step up with all his boastings of “change,” President Obama just couldn’t commit. Instead, he appealed to the majority, gaining support from anti-abortion Democrats who were needed to pass the health care reform.   

In the modern day mating dance, a lot of things can permanently put the brakes on a burgeoning relationship. Still, everything your mom and the nuns at Catholic school taught you about sex and dating is not true. Barfing in a front of a dude on a first date isn't necessarily a relationship death sentence. Hooking up with a guy on the first night doesn't automatically make you a slut.  

Despite her tiny stature, bubbly personality and unabashed kindness, Debbie Gardner could kill a dude. Not the average mother, Gardner believes telling her kid “Call me when you get there” is a set-up for failure. She doesn’t consider walking alone at night an abomination. And if she had the power, McGruff the Crime Dog would be hauled off to the SPCA.  

We talk with Kristi Capps about her retirement from her position as principal dancer at the Cincinnati Ballet. Krista Gregory recounts her journey to becoming the gallery director for Aisle Gallery and a mother. And Justine Ludwig tell us about curating her first exhibition at the CAC, A Bit Closer showcasing the work of Shilpa Gupta.