(above) Funky chic — designer Stephanie Teague’s Pretty Birdie’s Hemp Silk Layer Dress is made from gathered layers of gorgeous, sustainable hemp silk. The dress features hand sewn flowers made from organic cotton gauze or peace silk and trim that’s organic lace. The hemp muslin belt is hand dyed with eco friendly dyes. Quite a departure from the scruffy hemp-laden fare of yesteryear … find it @ stephanieteague Etsy shop

(above) Sign of the times … Eco-fashion visionary Gary Harvey creates his high-fashion works from the most unlikely, and often mundane, recycled materials — like the 30 folded copies of the “Financial Times” literally used to construct the gown above.

Right in step … Mohop Shoes makes their cherry wedge sandal from Pará wood that is harvested from sustainably managed plantations and has been dyed a cherry color with eco-friendly, water-based dyes. The sandal features durable black rubber soling with recycled content and a padded footbed with a gold abstract motif screenprinted on espresso color faux suede.

If steampunk and vintage are more your style, this antique button bracelet (above) may suit your fancy. The bracelet is constructed of eleven upcycled antique buttons circa 1860-1910 set on an antiqued brass bracelet, and a lovely array of hues — burgundy, gold, rust, copper and brass. The buttons include flowers, beautifully detailed abstract designs and picture buttons. $53 @ designer Creek Van Houten’s Compass Rose Design Etsy shop.

Related: more Eco Fashion Finds on The Alternative Consumer

• Maybe an automated car will actually use a turn signal… Google Speeds Toward a Future With Driverless Cars – cs monitor
• Is it just me, or do these names sound like they were made up by someone at Nickleodeon? Crayola Katydid & Cowboy Frog Among 46 Newfound Jungle Species – livescience
• Will Newt Gingrich’s moon colony qualify as life beyond earth? Life Beyond Earth? Underwater Caves in Bahamas Could Give Clues – sciencedaily
• Not good… Elephant Sashimi: Thailand Elephants Now Poached for Their Meat – msnbc
• Politics as usual. Our economy is struggling and they’re investigating the latest automobile recall… House Republicans Question Safety of Chevy Volt Batteries – yahoo! news
• White House to Unveil New Forest Rules – npr

backpack photo via shutterstock.com

The House Arc is the brainchild of Bellomo Architects. The small-footprint, modular, off-grid housing solution is designed to be shipped in pieces (fabricated locally if possible) to a site and erected by the user or community. The designers envision the freestanding tiny-house as an emergency housing solution for communities located in warm weather climates struck by natural disasters — like earthquake-ravaged Haiti and hurricane-battered New Orleans. The first House Arc prototype has been built and installed on the Big Island of Hawaii.

The house has a simple layout the features large windows that provide natural light, maintain views, and funnel in ocean breezes to cool the interior. A rooftop shading trellis diffuses sunlight and limits heat infiltration. The raised structure (no foundation) allows air to flow underneath for cooling and has little impact on site terrain and ground permeability.

The House Arc’s modular construction allows for quick on-site assembly. The structure is designed to assemble like a piece of modular furniture (think iKea) with a kit of parts and an easy-to-follow, graphic installation manual.

Rooftop solar panels (see rendering above), a rainwater capture system and other customization can further enhance the design’s green quotient. In addition, several units can be combined to create a larger domicile like the one in the rendering below.

Related: House Arc and other sustainable ‘Arc’ designs can seen @  bikearc.com, which specializes in modular bike parking systems and structures.

via: designboom.com

More great eco design on The Alternative Consumer

A 2008 report by CNN points out that the greenhouse gas emissions from ocean-going ships is a far greater problem than most people realize. The shipping industry emits an astonishing 1.2 billion tons of greenhouse gases per year — over twice the amount of the aviation industry! The Australian company, SolarSail, may offer the industry some hope.

Recipient of the Technical Innovation Award at the Sea trade China Awards 2010, SolarSailor specializes in hybrid marine power. Their SolarSail and Hybrid Marine technologies are patented for use on tankers, cruise liners, commercial ferries, private yachts, and unmanned coast guard drones. They have it all covered.

Their website offers this description of how their solar panels function like wings, “Comprising a unique pivotally mounted airfoil and joint it is attached in such a way as to be able to angle to the sun and/or the wind to harness solar power and sail, folding away when not in use.”

• This month SolarSail launched the first of four new hybrid-powered passenger ferries for the Hong Kong Jockey Club. The vessel seats up to 100 people.
• A hybrid SolarSailor ship has been running in the Sydney harbor since 2000.
• SolarSailor estimates that an 800 square meter SolarSail attached to a bulk carrier could reduce the vessel’s fuel consumption and associated emissions by 20% to 40% per year.

‘Is it solar powered?’ Imagine if this question became the new, ‘does it have meat in it?’ Something considered so possible. What if one day you had the option to take a cruise on a solar powered vessel? How amazing would it be if your favorite restaurant received its seafood and produce from a vessel powered by SolarSailor technology?

“Solar Sailor technology can be applied to everything from unmanned ocean vehicles up to ocean liners: In fifty years time people will look back at the ships of the 20th Century and ask where are the wings?” – Dr Robert Dane, CEO SolarSail.

If you’re spending more quality time with your iPhone or iPod than you are with your kids, you may want to download this little app. Whirleo is an eco-themed app game that can help you connect with your kids while teaching them the importance of saving the planet and fighting pollution. This fun-with-a-message app is pretty affordable — the first seven levels of the new game are free and players can unlock 23 additional levels for just $0.99.

Details: Whirleo follows the journey of a group of colorful, spinning tops that whirl across the planet Rotopolis. As they move around the planet, each Whirleo cleans up pollutants released by the begrimed Guzzler (we know the type). Using their mobile device’s accelerometer, players can spin, tilt and jump as the Whirleo characters travel across land, sky and water. Characters locate hidden power-ups, discover magic crystals and solve puzzles while earning Greeno to purchase special boosts and limited edition Whirleo characters. Built specifically for Apple mobile devices by Smith & Tinker, Whirleo is recommended for ages 7 and up. Download the app @ Apple’s iTunes store.

An added plus — the good folks at Whirleo donate a portion of proceeds to 1% for the Planet.

Related: more green gadgets on The Alternative Consumer

Andrea Williams of Bound Earth is devoted to nature in all aspects of her life, from collecting seedpods on her frequent outdoor hikes to using only non-mined materials in her work and encouraging other jewelers to do the same. Her goal is to share her sense of wonder and reverence for the earth, and to help develop a communal sensitivity and respect for the gifts that it provides. Her pieces bear that message beautifully…bold balanced designs, gently uniting person to place.

Andrea seamlessly unites her playful creativity and her love of nature with her holistic work ethic. She uses metals from reclaimed and recycled sources, and she never uses mined gems…instead she chooses alternative materials such as smooth cool beach pebbles. Her New England home was designed by a green architect and is powered by renewable energy. Her studio was built in a renovated barn alongside her beloved bees, chickens and organic garden, and it too uses renewable energy. In her practice she opts for organic solutions such as citric acid in place of the harsh chemicals often found in the metalsmithing process. Her message to other craftspeople is to do the same…question the process, educate yourself and change what you can to better align your work with the natural world.

Andrea’s commitment to truly ethic-driven craftsmanship is inspiring, and her talent for elegantly harmonious designs is remarkable. In fact in 2011 she won a well-deserved First Place in the 11th annual Saul Bell Design Competition, which recognizes artists for exceptionally innovative designs. Hopefully more artists will follow in her footsteps and commit to creating a world in balance.

This post was contributed by Nik, self-described metalsmith-gemologist-designer and artist. For more of Nik’s insights and perspectives visit her blog, moonswordchamber.blogspot.com.

Related: more eco fashion finds on The Alternative Consumer

• The giant oil companies own many of our politicians… Obama Stands by Energy Initiatives Despite GOP Criticism – msnbc
• We may import as little as 36% of our oil by 2035 – down from 60% in 2005…Foreign Oil Imports Drop as U.S. Drilling Ramps Up – npr
• I know you’ve been wondering about this… Shar-Pei Wrinkles Explained by Dog Geneticists – bbc
• Illegal fishing and by-catch threaten mammals… Human’s Taste for Dolphins and Manatees on the Rise – livescience
• (pictures) Oldest Dinosaur Nests Found in South Africa – natgeo
• House rich and cash poor… ‘Billion-Euro’ Home: Irish House Made From Shredded Money – huffpost
• Queen’s Brian May Joins Campaign Against Beagle Breeding Farm – ecorazzi

image credit: wind turbine photo via shutterstock.com

Here at The Alternative Consumer we’re attracted to things that harm neither planet nor person; are useful as well as multifunctional, and made in the USA. When they’re fun as well – that’s the icing on the cake.

We’re shining our Tried and True Review spotlight on SOS Novelties, a company with three signature blends of soy candles that can be used in three different ways:

• when lit – they provide light, ambiance and scent in a room
• 30 seconds after blowing out the candle – they may be used as a silky massage oil
• while cold – the soy wax can be applied to the body to pamper dry skin or act as a perfume

Each 3-in-1 scented soy candle is crafted with: Aloe Vera oil, apricot oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil, Shea butter and vitamin E. Rather than derived from petrochemicals, this candle is derived from biodegradable, non-toxic soy, which ensures a slower, cooler, and soot-free burn. The soy wax is both paraffin- and lead-free. The candles are made by hand and free from sulfates, pertrochemicals or animal byproducts; the wick is 100 percent cotton.

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A new set of Android-based smartphone apps can help you get off the fossil fuel merry-go-round. California-based Iconosys, Inc. has created its “Alternative Fuels” apps to provide users a GPS guide to the nearest alternative energy refueling stations along any travel route.

The Alternative Fuels apps include:

• the ‘Alternative Energy Fueling Directory’ which provides essential information for identifying and locating fueling/charging stations
• ‘Where to get Biodiesel’, for those users driving vehicles that burn diesel fuels that want to go green
• ‘Where to get NGV’, for those users driving vehicles running on CNG, LNG, or LPG
• ‘My Plug-In Directory’, for users driving vehicles that only re-fuel from electric charging stations

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