Created by designer Mette Vangso, this  happy looking neck wrap exudes positive energy. Toss this organic buckwheat and lavender- filled neck hugger in the microwave to heat, place it around your stress laden neck, and bask in its warm, soothing, fragrant relief … a reusable alternative to massage.

$44 @ hip & zen

• Change is a comin’! Nissan to Test Electric Cars in Tennessee – reuters
• In the U.S. we like to fill-in wetlands to build new 7 – Eleven’s.  Warming World Drying Wetlands – bbc
• I saw the line for the new iPhone – people are status crazed.  Apple Hints at Something New – international herald tribune
• Grow corn for ethanol, fertilize liberally, add heavy rain…presto! Researcher Says Gulf Dead Zone Bigger Than Ever – yahoo! news
• Oil and gas companies shouldn’t be allowed to plunder our public lands via bogus technology. Colorado and Wyoming Battle Bush Over Oil Shale – msnbc
• I think I’m gonna hurl…Natalie Portman to Guest Judge on Eco Edition of Project Runway – ecorazzi
• Evidence of global warming? Man Finds Second Giant Python in Maine in a Week – myway

Ever so gradually household appliances are getting greener as consumers weigh the environmental impact and energy consumption of new purchases.  Even an energy efficient, everyday appliance like a vacuum cleaner can help you significantly reduce your home’s unseemly carbon footprint.

This Eureka Envirovac has been designed to consume about 33% less electricity than comparable upright vacuums without sacrificing power or efficiency.  Eureka packages the Envirovac in 100% recycled packaging and its reusable, washable HEPA filter reduces the amount of waste you dump in your local landfill. Eureka is giving away 10 Envirovacs on their website and donating to the Carbon Fund to offset shipping emissions.

$72.22 at your local Wal-Mart or  @ walmart.com

This one’s for binge drinking campers in need of an off-grid cocktail, and/or health-fanatics who like to hike into the back country, pick their own blueberries, elderberries or the like and whip-up a refreshing, all natural, backwoods libation.

Coleman makes this beast capable (manufacturer’s hype) of mixing 20-30 pitchers on one charge.  It’s also said to be capable of chopping ice and other ingredients in a more than satisfactory manner.

in manly Coleman red for $59.99 @ coleman.com

• The Sierra Club is monitoring the movements of one, Captain Ahab…New White Whale Spotted – bbc
• Drive 40 miles or the energy equivalent of putting one load through the dishwasher.  Can Plug-in Hybrids Ride to America’s Rescue? – cs monitor
• This could ruin the whole environmental movement…Miley Cyrus Says ” Wake up America” in New Eco Song – ecorazzi
• Surprising Truths About Fruits and Vegetables – livescience
• They should be eating the fish poachers…Russian Bears Trap Geological Survey Crew – reuters
• Designers Take on Style, Sustainability – msnbc/ap

Find a designer who’s cool cache has peaked.  Sign them to a mega-deal and get some trash with their name on it in your big-box store to sell to the masses before their fame fades completely or they go to jail.  See: Martha, Isaac Mizrahi, Zac Posen, or similar…

Give a bunch of free product away to greedy, ungrateful celebs to get free P.R. photos and exposure for your stuff on TMZ and various fashion rags.  If you can get your creations on the arms or backs of celebutards either on their way to, or from rehab, all the better… (more)

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Surprise — something other than drugs comes from war-torn Afghanistan. These colorful, handmade bracelets are made from stones quarried from raw, locally-sourced fluorite.  OrganicBouquet.com has evolved into OrganicStyle.com, and they now offer: apparel, this and more jewelry, gourmet gifts, nice items for baby and pets, in addition to flowers and gardening gear.  Fluorite bracelets, right,($28.95/ea.) ship in eco-packaging and are crafted by local women under fair labor practices.  available @ organicstyle.com

• I’m sure they’ll continue these changes after the Olympics…Olympic City Cuts Traffic to Clean Up the Air – reuters
• I can think of very, very few…Climate Report Calls for Leaders With Vision – reuters
• A bucolic family outing packing heat…Gun Advocacy Group Tours Idaho Zoo While Armed – breitbart
• The Many Ways Retailers Can Trick You – livescience
• The word icky leaps to mind…New Spa Experience – Fish Pedicures: Carp Rid Humans of Scaly Skin – myway
• 2,400-mile Car Race is Powered by the Sun – msnbc

An unfortunate hair cut has prompted an emergency search for head gear, hats, or a tarp to cover this defoliated dome of mine.  The Satori Sprout hat above is my initial find. This hat comes in a choice of three tasteful colors and is guaranteed to help any geezer’s street cred. Suitable for both sophisticated social events like the next Fallout Boy mall appearance or some serious hangin’ at the Dairy Queen.

all this, in organic cotton for $19.95 @  cultureskate.com