I’m always on the prowl for innovative home builders and though Office of Mobile Design (OMD) may not be the new kid on the block, they’ve designed some great sustainable homes. I’ve decided to feature Venice, CA based OMD’s ‘Seatrain’ home which is located in The Brewery art colony in Los Angeles. The rambling, 3,000 square foot home in the 300 loft artist community, has added some of the remains of the industrial area it now inhabits to its prefab mix. (more…)

• Ranchers using public lands are the harmful creatures…Howls of Protest Greet Mexican Wolf Reintroduction – cs monitor
• Did he lease, buy, or get it in a gift bag? DiCaprio Enjoying His ‘Unbelievable’ Tesla Electric Roaster – ecorazzi
• Pledges? Tenn. Utility Pledges to Test Wells Near Spill – msnbc
• Bad Harvest, Low Demand Threaten Pacific Fisherman – my way
• The problem is ice not water quality…Can Dolphins Survive Winter in NJ Rivers? – yahoo! news/ap
• Obama & Celebs Reprimanded for Bad Science – livescience

If you believe in the healing power of natural stones these earthy, one-of-a-kind creations may bring you more than adornment; they come with affirmations. All of these funky finds have been “cleaned of negativity and charged in the sun, ready for…maximum energy usage.”

(L to R, above)
Orange Dangle Earrings ($15) Thank you for stability.
Hearts + Soul Set ($20) Thank you for fun and confidence.
Jasper Fig Pendant ($40) Thank you for the fruits of life.

Free shipping in USA.
Carbon offset program benefits Endangered Rain Forest.
find iDigCrystals @ shophandmade.com

There’s a wealth of beauty of all kinds to be found at PeaceKeeper Cause-metics.  Designed to practice truthfulness and promote non-violence, all after-tax distributable profits from PeaceKeeper products benefit women’s health advocacy and urgent human rights issues.

With founder Jody R. Weiss at the helm, she and her team work tirelessly to ensure that “no nasty” ingredients are used in the making of their cause-metics:  lip gloss, lip paint, lip balm, nail paint, nail paint remover.  Some of these certified organic beauty items are vegan-friendly, just check the list of ingredients in any given product.

It’s all about respect and compassion. Seek their reasonably priced goods and more info @ iamapeacekeeper.com

Related:  previously on altCon -
Natural Nail Care (1.29.07)

• Step away from the car…Oil Prices Collapse on Falling Demand – voa news
• Ancient Water Source Vital for Australia – reuters
• Lower Fuel and Home Prices Stall Green Building – ap/yahoo! news
• Liquids going DIY and local…In San Francisco, a Cocktail is Not Just a Drink – nytimes
• Remember this at your next holiday party…Quiet Bison Sire More Calves Than Loud Rivals – sciencedaily
• 6 Insane Discoveries That Science Can’t Explain – cracked.com

Just as many Americans travel into the wilderness to hunt elk, deer, boar, and pheasants, equatorial Africans search their forests each day for Duikers, Pangolins, elephants, and apes. In fact, this systematic hunting of various bush animals may be the final stroke that draws the magical existence of chimpanzees, Bonobos and gorillas to an end.

Before bewilderment runs wild on how humans could possibly be eating their sibling species to extinction, one must realize that the hunters are not engaging in this activity for sport, but as the only means available in keeping their families alive. This subsistence method has been utilized for thousands of years, and has only turned toward devastating dimensions upon the arrival of modern weapons, population explosions, and routes opened through previously impenetrable forests by foreign timber companies. It is now a commercial enterprise that has left regions of West Africa boasting rats as their largest wild mammal.

A required reading for anyone hoping to preserve Africa’s diverse wildlife is Dale Peterson’s Eating Apes – a groundbreaking book that sheds light on this seldom recognized issue. Peterson demonstrates the strong connection between wood and meat industries by showing how African forests have become jigsaw puzzles of foreign concessions, and how guns are lent out (and transportation provided) in exchange for fresh meat. He also reveals that this crisis is fed not only by Africans and timber-men, but by a variety of industrialized cities across the world with a taste for the illegal meat.

As the famous primatologist Jane Goodall has announced, “You must read this book.” In the meanwhile, please visit www.bushmeat.org, www.bushmeat.net or janegoodall.ca for more information.

photo credits: janegoodall.ca

Leading power tool maker, Black and Decker, has seen the light and it’s ‘green.’  B&D has created its Energy Saver Series of energy monitoring tools to help you stop wasting energy and cash.

The Power Monitor (at left above) was the first energy saving gadget released in the Energy Saver product line.  An easy to install wireless sensor is attached to your electric meter to show your electrical power use, and to send the data to a wireless handheld monitor.  You program-in the rate that you pay per kilowatt (from your electric bill) and you can see in real time what leaving that computer on, using that toaster, or firing up that plasma screen is really costing you by turning stuff on and off.  Seeing is believing.

B&D’s latest addition to the series, The Thermal Leak Detector (above right – coming soon) does just that — it shows where your home or apartment is losing heat via electrical outlets, windows, and poorly insulated gaps in door jams and patio doors, so you can take positive steps to help reduce your heating and electric bill by stopping energy loss.  You set a reference temperature, point the device at the area you want to check and any change in temp is indicated by changing red and blue lights (hot or cold).

Stop guessing about your energy use and start saving money.  Knowledge is power.

Folks seem to get all warm and fuzzy around the holidays and start promising puppies, kittens and all things warm and cuddly (see the Obama dog promise).  If you are indeed seeking a canine companion for you or yours take some tips from a pooch in the know.

Some sage advice if you’re seriously think about the responsibility of owning and caring for another creature.  Are you really home enough?  Do you have the time to properly walk, train and interact with a hound?  Are the members of your family ‘creature’ friendly?  Some tips:

• Don’t rush out and buy the ‘pertiest’ purebred you can find.  Temperament trumps looks when you’re in the market for a dog or puppy.  Do your homework.  A mutt is often a better choice than a cranky, high strung show dog.
• Avoid impulse buys from that puppy mill at the mall.  As cute as that Corgi may look in the store window that little fur ball can have some serious genetic, medical and psychological problems.
• Consider a rescue dog or a dog from an animal shelter so you can bask in the good karma of saving a dog’s life.  Be prepared to perform a little doggie rehab to help the pooch over any trauma he may have endured before reaching your happy home.
• Don’t be afraid to adopt an older dog who may be kid-friendly and possessing some skills and training. House breaking a pup can be a bitch.

Hope these tips are helpful.  I speak from experience.  My two siblings and I are all rescue dogs and we get along just fine with our extended family of 5, 2-legged creatures.

• Why Our Outlook for 2009 is Sunny – livescience
• Nothing lower than a sheep rustler…Helping to Keep an Eye on Ewe – bbc
• Ever try to get a sludge stain out of a white shirt Mr. Obama? Tenn. Sludge Spill Challenges ‘Clean Coal’ Future – discovery news
• Let the year-end top ten lists begin…Most Viewed Photos of 2008 – natgeo
• Alternative energy taken to a yucky extreme…Liposuction Doc Uses Human Fat for Fuel? – walletpop

Summer beach bunnies are now hopping onto the slopes all over the country. Thanks to outerwear manufacturer Holden, lassies can go drifter or gangster in unsurpassed ECO style.

The innovative outer fabric was created from recycled polyester and a solvent-free, waterproof, breathable laminate — reducing pollution and minimizing worker contact with harsh chemicals. These slim-fit snow slacks with a trouser cut feature: 2 front and 2 back pockets, inseam vents, gaiters, a belt and a slice of leather trim (an eco slight).  Note the zippers — they help regulate your body temp so you can stay cool and dry, inside and out.  more @ Holden

What are you still doing here?  Go play in the snow.  

Holden Casta Pant: ECO Ecot Womens @ backcountrygoat via couponshack.com ($229.95)