This weekend, millions of women are experiencing the heart and soul of New York City, if only at their local cineplex. Yesterday, I joined a hearty, late-night crowd to view the gals of HBO’s “Sex and the City” series as they hit the big screen. Just like each character, Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha, personify individuality, so does the fifth, and some might argue, most important character in the script: NYC.
It is, after all, the backdrop of their lives, and that of so many others that live in and visit every year. The big apple. The pulsing heartbeat of America, raking in 43.8 million tourists in 2006 alone.

So, in honor of our urban heroines, I’m saluting NYC and making a couple of recommendations for your next eco-theme trip to the city that plays host to more than 1,300 environmentally-friendly businesses and resources. (more…)

Take this one to the beach. This Solar DAP from Japan’s, Thanko, will be out soon. It features a 1.8″ LCD screen, 4GB internal memory, a miniSD slot, plays most audio and many video files, and charges via its integrated solar panel or a USB port.

(via: akihabaranews)

• June 4 is a “green letter day” — it’s the official launch of Discovery network’s Planet Green channel. Sit-in on a Roundtable Telcon recorded Thursday night with several eco bloggers, moderated by Cynthia Samuels — featuring Graham Hill, founder of Treehugger and Eileen O’Neill, President and General Manager of Discovery’s new Planet Green — the first, 24-hour, eco-lifestyle channel. Hear first-hand about plans for this exciting new channel and Treehugger’s new co-venture with Discovery. For the past 15 years or so I’ve been waiting for the debut of an eco channel; here’s to some great quality programming and moving the eco agenda further into the mainstream!
• Body and Soul – June issue – featuring Herbs for your Health, The World’s Best Diet (great article about how our diets affect the planet), Summer Beauty Basics (healthy sunscreens), and Simple Switches and Martha Stewart’s Whole Living with everyday tips on helping us keep it all together.
• On June 5 New Zealand hosts World Environment Day. Wondering how to connect on a political level to the eco movement? Try Al Gore’s Alliance for Climate Change initiative, WeCanSolveIt.org., where you can sign the petition for a global treaty on climate change, and take action on many levels. (don’t you love the graphic ad of Al Sharpton & Pat Robertson sitting side by side on a couch on the beach?)

How sweet are these! A big part of summertime is dreaming, traveling and relaxing. Whether freeloading at your friend’s summer house or hanging on the home-front — these eco threads fit the scene.

(L, $72.95) (C, $52.95) (R, $46.95) find these sweet finds @ oganicstyle.com

• Is Water Becoming the New Oil? – cs monitor
• In a related H2O story…Celine Dion’s Empty Florida Estate Guzzles 6.5 Million Gallons on Agua – ecorazzi
• This is a horrible idea for Long Island on so many levels…35 Story Ski Mountain? Battle Begins – msnbc
• La Nina Effect May be Behind Mexico Shark Attacks – reuters
• Definitely a grave environmental hazard. Police Hunt for Robbers Wearing Thongs as Masks – myway
• Since they’re photographed shooting arrows at the helicopter we might consider respecting their privacy. ‘Uncontacted’ Tribe Seen in Amazon – natgeo
• Why is this lifeguard dog wearing binoculars? Bilbo’s Return – ananova

Nothing green here. Just something for your head. I just know that everyone feels a little better under a sporty chapeau. I’m personally considering going a little ‘Sam Snead’ this spring under this Drifter Fedora from the Southern Cal style-meisters over at Brixton.

$39.99 @ skatewarehouse.com

The ultimate in introspection. Recycled x-rays become illuminating lamps. Created by cancer researcher/designer, Jahan Khalili.

$70 @ realmdekor.com or get instructions to do the DIY thing with those pix of your broken fibula. Create your own vision in modern upcycling.

Like many celebrity product reviewers I love anything that has to do with moi. Until I can round up the venture capital for a line of signature Seamus Wear and home accessories with my face and paws slathered all over it this hand-printed kids t-shirt emblazoned with a vintage photo of one of my younger brethren will have to do. Created by designer Ross Meunez for Fauna.

100% organic cotton and straight out of Brooklyn

$35 @ designpublic.com

• An administration elected to serve and protect has to be forced to reveal the bad news…4 years late. Climate Assessment Forced by Court Order – reuters
• A mother’s love. (video) Rare Rhino KO’s Camera to Protect Calf – msnbc
• If you’ve ever been forced to listen to three hours of Fallout Boy you might feel this compulsion, too…Man Fined for Throwing Hedgehog at Teen – breitbart
• Asphalt Could Go Green – livescience
• In his chubby phase Al does look a little ‘Pavarotti’…sorry. Al Gore’s ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ to Become Opera – ecorazzi
• The 6 Most Badass Stunts Ever Pulled in the Name of Science – cracked.com

Could tiny photosynthetic micro-organisms help solve our energy problems? We’ve written about companies developing algae-based fuel technologies in the past, (Vertigro Energy) and recent issues with biofuels have made algae-based technology even more compelling because the production process doesn’t require use of arable land or compete with humans for food stocks.

A new player in the algae tech is Sapphire Energy, who announced yesterday that they’ve produced renewable 91 octane gasoline that meets fuel industry standards. What makes this ecotechnology so attractive is that it’s not a traditional biofuel, isn’t ethanol, doesn’t require crops or farmland to be produced and can be used with existing infrastructure. “The basic production requirements are comprised of CO2, sun and water. Algae can flourish in non-arable land or in dirty water, and when it does flourish, its potential oil yield per acre is unmatched by any other terrestrial feedstock.”

Sapphire states that their “scalable production facilities can grow easily and economically because production is modular, transportable, and fueled by sunlight – not constrained by land, crops, or other natural resources.”

Venture capital companies and investment firms have plunked down $50 million to get Sapphire up and running.

find out more @ sapphireenergy.com and greencrudeproduction.com

Summertime is too hot for tight, clingy clothes. Go caj-sexy in these easy-to-wear, bamboo dresses with luscious draping or low pockets. Designer Anne Salvatore Epstein fashions Beau Soleil (named after her favorite oyster) with her new simple, modern and organic lifestyle in mind. Lucky us!

medallion ($275) available 2 colors – above L

beau babe ($275) available in 3 colors – above R

more styles and info about sustainable bamboo @ shopbeausoleil.com

I’m a leisurely cruiser-type, tried mountain biking a few times, which was great fun but I could have done without the black flies. Just sitting here thinking about what it would be like to cycle through India for 3900 kilometers makes me ache. Shrenik Rao, avid cyclist – environmentalist – CEO of Dolsun Media, is about to undertake such a trip.

Cycling from Kanyakumar in the south to Kashmir up north, his 80-day tour will be captured on film as part of a 6-part doc series. Commencing on World Environment Day, June 5, biker and creator of the TreeCycle project, Rao has partnered with UNEP to raise awareness of global warming and drum up a pledge of 10 million trees for the calories he will expend during the ride.

via Treehugger

Link to pledge your support @ United Nations Environment Programme – be sure to type For Shrenik Rao in the “Organization/Government/Group” box.

• Science gets ignored once again. Delisting of Wolves Raises Hackles – cs monitor
• It’s South Hampton so the maid will hang the clothes. New York Town Repeals Ban on Clotheslines – ap/myway
• Shark Attacks Hurt Tourism in Mexican Resort Area – cnn
• This is not some Hollywood stalker story. Strange Ring Found Circling Dead Star – science daily
• They mean individually. Researchers: City Residents Produce Less Carbon – yahoo! news
• The story above and this one are both potentially accurate. Study Shows Biggest Polluters East of the Mississippi - reuters
• Boutique Oyster Growers Give New Yorkers Options – nytimes
• Toilet Trouble for Space Station – bbc
• I use the phrase, “you know, what’s-his-name,” all the time. Women Have a Better Memory of Faces and Words – scientific american