• This could get ugly…Obama Administration Pauses on Alaska Drilling – yahoo! news
• Makes too much sense,,,Sustainable Farming May Help Maintain Healthy Planet - sciencedaily
• Chinese Tigers Afraid of Chickens – anan0va
• Natch…Big Oil to Congress:  Expand Offshore Drilling – reuters

Check out this Great Green Giveaway for guys and the ladies, sponsored by eco hip online shop, EarthLover.

Three lucky readers will be selected at random:  first and second place winners can each take their pick of either: the ladies EarthLover Natural Moisturizing Salt Glow or men’s Organic Shave and Skin Mojito Man Gift Set.  Third place winner will receive a handy Recycled Cambodia Bag Mega Tote.  (Retail value of first & second prize, ($36/each), third place, ($21) + free shipping to anywhere in the USA.)

To enter, simply:

• Visit earthlovershopping.com and checkout their goods and gifts.
• Then leave a comment on this post — choosing any item from their shop, which is your favorite?
• Optional – join EarthLover’s email list (sign up at bottom of their home page), and receive an additional entry by leaving a comment letting us know.
• Add the following address to your email address book: m at AlternativeConsumer.com.

Three lucky winners will be selected in our Random Drawing and notified by email. Contest ends Friday, November 27, 2009 at 11:59p (EST). Each winner has 24 hours to claim their prize, or the offer is null and void. Winners’ names will be announced on this post. Giveaway includes free shipping, anywhere in the USA.

*One entry per person.
*More ways to enter: If you have your own blog, you can post about the giveaway with a link back to this giveaway post. To make sure we know, you can come back and leave a comment with a link to your blog post. If you Twitter, you can tweet about the giveaway (once per day), and be sure to refer to @altCon, and leave a comment linking to the status. You can also receive additional entries 3 more ways: subscribe to our RSS feed, follow us on Twitter or friend us on FaceBook. (If you’re already a subscriber, just enter a comment to let us know.)  good luck!  And hey, if you feel like shopping, don’t forget to use the EarthLoverAC code at checkout to receive 10% off.

The California Energy Commission has decided to regulate the sale of energy hogging big-screen tv’s in the state.  Starting in 2011, the new mandate will prevent the sale of televisions that don’t meet energy requirements.  Stricter controls, that could phase-in in 2013, may include restrictions on the sale of sets larger than 58 inches.

The Consumer Electronics Association has taken issue with the new regulations saying that they’re bad policy, based on faulty data.  Jason Oxman of CEA states the energy regs are, “dangerous for the California economy, dangerous for technology innovation and dangerous for consumer freedom.  Instead of allowing customers to choose the products they want, the Commission has decided to impose arbitrary standards that will hamper innovation and limit consumer choice.  It will result in higher prices for consumers, job losses for Californians, and lost tax revenue for the state” and cites that “the last two years alone energy efficiency of televisions has improved by 41 percent.”

The CEC estimates that its new mandate will save California residents an average of $30.24 per TV unit in the first year and a total of $912.1 million per year in avoided electric expense.  After 10 years, the commission estimates the regulations will save $8.1 billion in energy costs and enough electricity to power 864,000 single-family homes.

Should government agencies mandate product choice and innovation in an effort to save their piece of the planet or should the marketplace and consumer demand dictate change?

graphic: CEPro

“CelebriDucks is the original creator of the first ever celebrity rubber ducks of the greatest icons of film, music, athletics, and history.”  Pioneering a whole new collectible, they have created over 200 different CelebriDucks, producing versions of Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, the Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, James Dean, KISS, Barack Obama, James Brown, The Blues Brothers, Mr. T, Shakespeare, and many more.

They’ve just released, Mr. Green, the new duck on the block, and he’s the first-ever, recycled green duck.  What makes Mr. Green “green”?  He’s made from non-toxic recycled phthalate and lead free TPR.  As the slogan on the package says, “Green is the New Yellow.”  Even the packaging is made out of 100% recycled materials.

We had the pleasure of checking out this low impact duck; and our little ones love Mr. Green.  Although this new duck is played with in and out of the tub and has sustained some wear and tear, he’s a big hit.
While writing this review, the kids came in as I was checking the link to Mr. Green and both of them pointed and commented on “my duck.”

CelebriDuck is offering a gift set of Mr. Green and handmade soap called Canard Verte ($19.99), which includes Mr. Green, a bar of soap and a custom note on recycled note paper.  Mr. Green sells for $11.99 on its own at www.greengram.net.  Just in time for the holidays.

Designer home decor on a budget – since many of us are broke this holiday season I thought I’d feature a couple of DIY projects as funky gift ideas.  I know I’d get my holiday glow on if I saw either this recycled refrigerator door shelf unit or ironing board chair with my name on it under my reusable Christmas tree …

The items above can be found on the Spanish website el-recetario.net.

via: recyclart.org

• U.S. and China need to be out in front…Obama Hints at Action During Climate Talks – msbc
• The art of compromise…Climate Talks Make Progress, Pressure on U.S. – reuters
• Good to know…Bigger Not Necessarily Better, When it Comes to Brains – sciencedaily
• Ice Retreat Creates New CO2 Store – bbc
• Did you hear a splash? Udder Shock: SC Woman Finds 650-Lb Cow in Pool – myway
• Duh! N0 Surprise Coed Dorms Fuel Sex and Drinking – livescience

Dragonflies on an upcycled wooden cigar box – an interesting amalgam of ideas, materials and messages….This steampunk inspired handmade bag is neatly lined with upholstery fabric.  The satin cord handle measure 24″ – the bag measures 7 x 7 3/4 x 3″

$95 @ thesteampunktrunk’s esty shop

These days, the cost of eco-friendly accommodations demands a premium more often than not.  Organic sheets?  Check. (And 1,000 thread count, natch.)  All-natural, in-room soda and fair-trade tea?  Of course. (To sip out of beveled designer glassware.)  Recycled paper products?  No doubt. (Right there next to the iPod docking station.)

Since when, we wonder, did going green when traveling require so much green?  A true environmentalist will dub travel itself a carbon-culprit and might suggest a “staycation.” But we know that the globetrotters among us require more than a backyard sleepover.  To get the most bang for your buck while keeping the planet in mind, we suggest the following economical eco tips.

Skip the Hotel
How long has it been since you pitched a tent?  Find a park by you (many are upping their sustainability practices) that allows camping and take a few days to hike the trails, enjoy the view, and leave nothing but footprints.  Not even a pricey resort can offer views like you’ll find here—just make sure your safari treks are led by a professional.

Stay at a B&B
When you stay at a bed and breakfast you’re supporting your destination at a community level rather than funneling your travel monies into a mega hotel chain.  For a completely eco and affordable experience, choose a B&B that caters to alternative consumers like Pilgrim’s Inn or Strawberry Creek @ www.bnbscape.com.

Travel Off-Season
It might sound obvious, but traveling off-season gets you a better deal and in third-world countries, it also helps to keep the local community and tourism-based economies healthy throughout the year.  It’s during the slow months that tourist-funded conservation and wildlife programs and industry-employed locals suffer.

Reuse and Recycle
By now most budget hotels are offering linen reuse programs.  No matter where you stay, conserve water and energy by hanging your towel to reuse more than once.  Stash those travel-sized toiletries too. Most of the time, housekeeping rules mandate placing new bottles in a room after every stay.  If you won’t be using them, donate the goods to a local shelter.

Explore and Experience
Tours and activities add up quickly, especially when they’re marketed toward travelers.  Skip the fancy programs and hook up with a local biking club for a true tour of the city.  Other freebies that are just as exciting—and free? A stroll around the farmer’s market or self-guided tour of the city’s historic graveyards and monuments.  One example of a free service linking international travelers is www.HerMail.net, created for women who want to ask questions, solicit free advice or meet up for coffee with a travel-loving local.

Find eco accommodations at www.GreenHotels.com, www.iStayGreen.org, and www.SustainableTravelInternational.org.

Fresh onto the green lifestyle scene are two, spanking new, insulated lunch sacks from one-year-old eco-conscious company, Kids Konserve.  Smartly made from recycled plastic bottles/Petspun, these reusable, BPA- and lead-free insulated food bags bring peace of mind.  They keep lunch meals healthy and safe, while eliminating the need to dispose of foil, plastic bags, used juice cartons and plastic bottles — which, we all know wind up in those ever-mounting landfills.

Inspired by her daughter’s school’s efforts to cut back on waste, co-founder Lynn Julian teamed up with friend and design expert, Chance Claxton, to launch Kids Konserve.  Initial offerings focused on cool-looking, non-insulated reusable lunch kits for kids, but also now include biodegradable Greenwood Natural Cleansers for keeping kitchen counters, floors, dishes and (according to them), even veggies “clean and safe from toxins.”

If you don’t need the “whole kit and kaboodle,” (non-insulated kits, $40-42), individual items are available separately so you can pick and choose exactly what you need.  In addition to the insulated sacks ($20), I also like the food kozies, (5 for $25) and nesting trios, (3 for $25), perfect for traveling lunches or leftover food storage.  A great, sustainably stylish way to cut back on waste and expenditures.  And guess what, my friend?  AltCon readers can receive 15% off by entering “holidays” at checkout. more @ kidskonserve.com

Yesterday was America Recycles Day – the latest manifestation of what is not a new idea – in fact at its very core it is an extremely old idea:  take something old and reuse it to make it something new again.  Industrial scale recycling like we have today didn’t begin until the 1970’s.  In 1980 there was only one curbside recycling program in the United States.  Today, there are over 10,000.  And the statistics that followed the recycling craze statistics are really shocking. (photo: americarecyclesday.org)

• There are the good:
  Recycling saves energy and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Recycling a single aluminum can saves enough energy to power a TV for three hours.  Recycling a stack of newspapers three feet high saves one tree.
  Making glass from recycled materials cuts related water pollution by 50%

• And there are the bad:
  Every three months we throw away enough aluminum foil to rebuild the entire US commercial air fleet.
  Americans throw enough office paper away each year to build a 12 foot high wall of paper from NY to Seattle.
  Only about 6.8% of the total plastic used in the US actually can be recycled.

There are also proponents and opponents.  Opponents to recycling you ask?  Yes, in fact they do exist, and their arguments aren’t as crazy as you might think.  Penn and Teller featured recycling on their show “Bullshit.”  Clemson University professor of economics Daniel K. Benjamin published “Eight Great Myths of Recycling” in 2003.  A paper in Environmental Health Perspectives from 1995 also addresses some of the problems with recycling.

So are they right?  Yes and no.  Our current recycling system is flawed; this is true.  And we should focus more on the first and most important R: Reducing.  But push come to shove, most of you already recycle, and you’re probably not going to stop because a fat man and a mute tell you to – which is a good thing.  What you should do is think critically about the products you’re buying and recycling.  Glass can be recycled and indefinite number of times and never wears out.  Recycling one glass jar saves enough electricity to light a conventional 60 watt bulb for 4 hours, and an 11 watt CFL bulb for 20 hours.  Plastics are actually the hardest to recycle.  Aside from clear plastic bottles (which hopefully you’re not buying for a multitude of reasons) almost all other plastics (that yogurt cup, milk jug, plastic packaging that your headphones or scissors or pens came in) can’t actually be recycled.  So if you can buy glass rather than plastic, do! (3r graphic: nrdc)

Another huge recycling sector to really think about today is your e-waste.  Computers, cell phones, batteries, television and other electronic devices are made with harmful materials.  Most of those items that you’re getting rid of can probably be repaired or used by someone else – when you upgrade your phone or computer or television it’s probably not broken beyond repair. If you’re not sure where to take your e-waste, check out E-cycling Central and find a location.

So now that I’ve doom-and-gloomed you into submission, I hope you had a happy and productive America Recycles Day!  Remember that recycling is just one of the three R’s, and many argue it’s the least important.  Reduce and reuse don’t have their own special days, but they should!  So go forth and Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!