• Will LED’s Replace Compact Fluorescent Bulbs? cs monitor
• We may have to expand the size of voting booths…Krispy Kreme Offers Voters an Extra Pound on Election Day – ecorazzi
• Recycle Your Water Bottles on Your Laptop – enn/triple pundit
• Devouring Milky Ways won’t ward off cancer?  Top 5 Halloween Myths Debunked – livescience
• As the length of the human life span keeps increasing…Climate Change Seen Helping Short-lived Creatures – reuters
• Paradise? Hawaii as Clean Energy Hub of the U.S.? – msnbc
• Tough political climate…Boy Shocked After Man Powers-up Campaign Sign – myway
• Surprise! We’re number 10 of 50 Must-Read Blogs for the Conscientious Organic Shopper – organiccoupons.org/blog
• Scare Yourself Green this Halloween – altCon

OK.  So I’m a (reusable) bag lady.  The folks from BeGreenNow know this, and they asked me to review their BeGreen Pod bag.

After using their good-sized tote for several weeks, I’m happy to say, it’s adorable, useful, and cleverly made.  Here’s why I like it: it’s created from 100% recycled polyester and designed to scrunch up into itself, you can fold it up and clip it onto your backpack, purse or briefcase; (it comes with a carabiner and clip). According to BeGreenNow, choosing a reusable bag rather than paper or plastic helps prevent about 21 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions each year. To top it off, for every bag purchased, one native tree is planted in an ecosystem restoration project in the U.S.

What are you waiting for?  be green now ($12.95)

This touch-less recycling bin is ideal for germaphobes, clean freaks and those seeking a more organized and self-contained recycling set-up.  The lid automatically opens when your hand enters the zone within 6″ of the unit’s infrared sensor located on top of the bin.  Remove your hand and the lid closes in 3 seconds.  Comes with wheels for moving it around and two 8 gallon, plastic inner buckets.

Operates via the included AC adapter or 4 D-sized batteries.

$129.99 @ greenandmore.com

We dogs don’t get Halloween. Please leave your pets with a shred of self respect by leaving them out of your wacky costume festivities.  Don’t give in to your compulsion to: shave your pet Maltese, Mel’s, head, dress him in some freshly minted low-riding jeans and parade him around as “Joe the Plumber Dog.”

Speaking of the Presidential dog fight…I see where Barack and Michelle Obama have promised their girls a dog after the race for the White House is over.  In anticipation of this ‘event’ the AKC’s website took a poll of its readership and came up with the poodle as the ideal companion for the Senator’s clan.  Hopefully, Senator McCain doesn’t realize that’s a ‘French’ poodle and the info gets transformed into an attack ad…Oh, Senator McCain does have 4 dogs of his own.  Wonder if Senator Cranky Pants can name them all?

the frightening costumes pictured above can be found @ spoiledrottendoggies.com

Last night we attended the Chevy VOLT press event here in NYC,
and laid our hands and eyes on GM’s $1.2 million dollar prototype,
(“Please don’t slam the doors…”).

The vehicle looks sharp and rather sporty.  Not as dorky or funky as the Prius, but distinctive — in an intentionally more mainstream way.  Fact is, Chevy wants to sell a lot of these cars, and has designed them to utilize technology and materials that ultimately can be mass produced at an affordable price.  Market research has told GM that most folks, (80%), commute an average of 40 miles or less, each day.  This car is designed to run fully electric for that daily commute, meaning you don’t have to load any fossil fuel into that tank to get back and forth to work.  Your daily commute could cost you less than 85 cents a day in electricity, or save you up to $1,500 (depending on the price of a gallon), per year on gas.

The VOLT is being referred to as an E-REV, or Extended Range Electric Vehicle, meaning the gas engine under the hood is actually an electric power generator. And this baby runs electric all the time, as opposed to a hybrid, which switches to a conventional gasoline engine for acceleration and high-speed driving.  The car is aerodynamically designed to reduce drag wherever possible to increase fuel efficiency.  Longer trips will require the gas generator to assist in creating electric power.  But unlike hybrids that have a noticeable change in feel and performance when they switch over to the gas engine, the VOLT stays electric with the smooth acceleration only an electric car can provide.

Some stats: The battery area runs beneath the center console, making the VOLT a four-seater. The car goes zero to sixty in a rather mundane 9 seconds and has a top end of 100 mph.  The VOLT’s lithium ion battery will have a ten-year, or 150,000 mile warranty.

One consideration — you do need somewhere to plug this baby in.  It fully charges in just 3 hours with a 240 volt supply (think washing machine) and 6 hours at 120 volts.  Urban charging sites and infrastructure (if you don’t have a garage) should rapidly expand if these cars catch on.  Available to early adopters in sometime in 2010 for somewhere north of $30K – due in no small part to the limited initial production run.  a bunch of photos after the jump…

gm-volt.com

Related on altCon: Can the Chevy Volt save GM?

(more…)

Argentinian organic wine grower, Yellow+Blue (equals ‘green’), just announced the retail release of its Torrentes variety of organic wines packaged in Tetra Pak sustainable packaging.  Wine is one of the few products wherein the packaging (bottle) often outweighs the product. The Tetra Pak containers reduce the products carbon footprint by creating 90% less packaging than traditional bottles, saving on fuel, storage and transportation.

Yellow+Blue previously introduced its Malbec line.

Haven’t tasted the vino yet (hint).

distributor list

via: prnewswire.com

Virgin Atlantic Airlines is striving to meet its goal in reducing the waste they send to landfills by 50% by the year 2012, turning their waste into unique, eco-accessories with the help of eco-fashion company Worn Again.  The two have teamed up to produce a new line of bags using old seat covers from refitted planes, bicycle tires, car seat belts, and scrap materials.  The new fall and winter collection, available since September 2008, features stylish handbags, shoulder bags, toiletry bags, and laptop bags, all hand made using old materials and products.  Who knew that trash could look so good?

My favorite is the Romero handbag, constructed with old car seat belts weaved together, bicycle inner tubes as handles, and lined with Virgin Atlantic seat covers (available in red and multi-colored scrap fabric).  The handbag is stylish enough for every day use, and elegant enough for a night out on the town.  But, at about 93 U.S. dollars apiece, the bag is a bit pricey, so save up for the splurge.
Be sure to check out the rest of the line, which ranges from about 39 to 100 U.S. dollars.  It is available for purchase online, or can be found at John Lewis stores, as well as Terra Plana stores around the world.  And, because the entire line is made from recycled products, no two bags are the same, so you’re guaranteed a truly unique bag.

• How Parked Cars Could Power the Future – livescience
• Hopefully this won’t be just another serving of Washington ‘pork’…‘Carbon Army’ Hopes to Grab Slice of New Deal Cash – reuters
• These folks really just want to shoot wolves…Wyoming Proposes Changes in its Wolf Plan – myway
• Australian Teens Charged in Attack on 75-Year-Old Blind Flamingo – breitbart
• The usual suspect…Mystery of the Five-Legged Freaks – msnbc
• (slideshow) Wildlife Photos of the Year – bbc
• Who’s a thunk it?  Eddie Murphy Labeled a “Wasteful, Arrogant Celebrity” – ecorazzi

UPDATE:  Nov. 7, 2008
It’s official! Congratulations to our two lucky winners, Chris S. and Sue B. Thanks to everyone for entering. Don’t forget, everyone can be a winner by entering Code AC15 when you shop at NewBornMom.

Attention eco hip shoppers: these make great baby shower gifts!

Compliments of NewBornMom, two lucky readers will each receive a nifty green prize.

First Prize – an amazing, top of the line, Welcome Home Baby set.
Treat that special newborn to phthalate-free, paraben-free, and cruelty-free, Baby Silk essentials: shampoo, moisturizer, diaper cream, liquid powder, umbilical cord care and cradle cap rub. And mom gets to reuse the chocolate colored, raffia mini-tote.
($110 plus free shipping anywhere in the U.S.)

Second Prize – an adorable, organic cotton Bibs & Match 3-piece set (1onesie and 2 snap-on bibs).
Winner may choose size: either 0-6months or 6-12months.
($28 plus free shipping anywhere in the U.S.)

To enter: first visit newbornmom.com. Then enter a comment on this post telling us why you would like to be one of the lucky prize winners. It’s that simple.

Prize notification: via email — be sure to add the following address to your email address book: m at AlternativeConsumer.com.

Entries must be received by 12midnight (ET), Wed, November 5.

Random Drawing takes place on Thursday, November 6, 2008. Two lucky winners will be selected and notified by email. (add: m at AlternativeConsumer.com to your address book.) Winners need to reply to notification within 24 hours in order to claim their individual prize, otherwise their offer is null and void. The 2 winners’ names will also be included on this post.

Thanks for reading The Alternative Consumer — start clicking, and good luck!
(one entry per person, of course.)