Pal Lee Tracy of Certaintees (also Fiddleheads, GreenGirlsGlobal and KittenintheEngine) fame, hit me with some good news the other day.

She and like-minded Etsy designers have teamed up to inspire progress in earth friendly efforts.  These independent creators are committed to sustainability and now offer their body- and planet-friendly wares @ etsyearth.com.  Lofty ideals, handmade goods, common goals. Look for their personal care, clothing, accessories, baby items, stationery, housewares and garden supply shops filled with goods exclusively made with honest, down to earth values.

more eco info @ EtsyEarthTeam.blogspot.com

check out their live market on twitter.com/etsyearth

(friendly plug – check out Lee’s nature-inspired art works.)

(above, L & R)

Type B tee organic cotton, ($28) @ lookforfiddleheads

Summer Breeze organic cotton tunic, ($74) @ windyhillfibers

Seamus here, it’s finally Friday, and time for me to chime-in with my latest eco dog find.

Go ahead, make my spa day…Getting ready to romp around the compound pond, I’m taking a cue from one of my big screen heroes, Dirty Harry, and cleaning up my DirtyandHairy act. (more…)

Ford Motor Co. appears to be taking sustainability seriously.  Researchers at Ford’s European Research Centre in Aachen, Germany recently announced they are investigating an innovative, new wood-plastic compound (WPC) – or liquid wood.  The liquid wood material is created from a rubber compounding process.  Ford’s analysis has shown that the recyclability of liquid wood is excellent because the material can be reprocessed up to five times rendering an overall CO2 balance that is almost neutral.

The liquid wood material is part of a wider effort to integrate sustainable materials into Ford vehicles.  Other eco-friendly materials and processes:  soy-based polyurethane foams on the seat cushions and seat backs, 100 percent post-consumer recycled yarns in seat fabrics made from pop bottles and underbody systems, such as aerodynamic shields, splash shields, and radiator air deflector shields, made from post-consumer recycled resins such as detergent bottles, tires and battery casings.

Weren’t these the guys that didn’t suck up the bailout cash…

Remember Obama’s Hope, Progress and Change posters?  Created by controversial mixed-media artist Shepard Fairey, his latest work promotes clean renewable energy in his inimitable style.

Fairey’s hitched his easel and Power Up Windmill to moveON.org and several other organizations, hoping to “cover September in windmills.”

($20/each) @ obeygiant.com (MoveOn gave away 300,000 free stickers of the poster.)

• Does this spell success? New Funding Sought for U.S. Clunker Program – reuters
• Communications breakdown…driving while texting on one phone and talking on another. Police: Texting, Talking Trucker Hits Car, Pool – myway
• Does overfishing ease when there are no fish? Fish for Dinner: Overfishing Easing in Some Areas – yahoo! news
• Natgeo’s Week in Photos: Driving Bear, Swamp Snorkeler, More…
• An indication of a programming deficit?  Living With Ed Get 3rd Season on Planet Green – ecorazzi
• Does Paris Hilton have a new scent? Perfume Spray Sends 34 to Texas Hospitals – aol news

Kodak keeps moving away from its film-based past and into the digital future.

The company has announced its latest stab at digital innovation with the intro of the Kodak Solar Charger KS100-C+2 (catchy name).  When fully charged, this portable solar device charger packs enough power to charge a cell phone 1.5 times, run a portable music player for an additional 33 hours, or power a digital camera for a couple of hundred pictures.

When sunlight wanes, the device can be charged using the included USB cable by plugging into a computer or other USB power source.  The ENERGY STAR qualified charger fully charges in 14 hours via USB and 28 hours via sunlight.

The Kodak Solar Charger KS100-C+2 will retail for US $39.95 MSRP beginning in September, 2009.

Across the nation, 22 Fairmont Hotels & Resorts – like The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise in the Canadian Rockies – are heating things up in the kitchen.

Planted against a backdrop of towering firs and turquoise waters, the chateau offers an ideal location within Banff National Park, as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Recognized across the globe for its forward-thinking environmental program, the hotel has just announced efforts to recycle kitchen oils as an alternative fuel initiative, fueling both grounds equipment and two resort shuttle buses.

Nearby, The Fairmont Banff Springs partners with a local high school and the Zero Emission Research Institute to alter cooking oils for use on the golf course.

Eager to getaway? Check out The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise’s Yoga Retreat package, offered later this month, which includes three nights accommodations, five yoga sessions and a guided hike. (more…)

For those who haven’t gotten quite enough Michael Jackson…These upcycled bottle cap earrings, by ampandolph, feature the inimitable visage of “The King of Pop.”  The bottle caps are filled with smooth, durable, high-gloss, resin.  You can also have custom earrings made, or choose from a variety of earrings adorned with the images of music stars, politicians or the like.

$18/pair @ ampandolph’s etsy shop

Here’s a new addition to the growing list of portable device chargers, the Kinesis K3 portable wind and solar charger.  Kinesis is marketing the charger as a “3-in-1 tribrid,” due to its ability to collect and store power from wind, sun, or AC wall outlet.

One hour of exposure to sun and wind provides about 30 minutes of talk time, and over 300 minutes of mp3 music.  The gadget charger will power: cell phones, iPods/mp3 players, iPhone, smartphones, PDAs, portable gaming devices, GPS units, digital cameras, Bluetooth headsets, and most other small gadgets and gizmos that come to mind.

They claim the K3 has the largest rechargeable battery capacity of its class.  The K3 comes with a variety of device adapter tips.  Available @ greenwindsolar.com for $99.95

Related:  previously on altCon:
4 cool solar power innovations (3.10.09)

Coming to a neighborhood near you – a great way for most utility companies to integrate solar power into their existing infrastructure.  New Jersey’s Petra Solar, Inc. has announced it will be producing 200,000 smart solar systems for installation on PSE&G utility and street light poles in the largest ‘pole-attached’ solar installation in the world.  The project, which the NJ Board of Public Utilities approved yesterday, will create more than 100 green jobs in installation, R&D, operations and manufacturing of the grid-connected solar PV system.

PSE&G’s $200 million contract will call for Petra Solar to make 200,000  units for installation on poles in New Jersey’s six largest cities and 300 rural and suburban communities.  The 3½ year contract will add 100 new “green jobs” to Petra’s existing, 40-person, employee base.

source: petrasolar.com

Back in 1950’s post-war Europe, someone had a vision.   A teensy, microcar for zipping around around the bustling, urban streets of Europe. Thus was born the Isetta, or bubble car, the dinosaur grandfather of today’s Smartcar.  The car was originally created by the Italian automaker Iso SpA and later made by several carmakers.  You entered the vehicle by opening and swinging out the hood which had the steering wheel and instrument panel attached to it. (more…)

This article on alternative medicine is submitted by our good friend and acupuncturist, Janine Ptaszek.

Ahh… allergies.  ‘Tis the season!  And has been for months for some of us.  What to do?

There are the conventional antihistamines out there, the over the counter standbys that we don’t want to take but grab to make us feel better enough to sleep, jog, take care of the kids… you fill in the blank.  But while these may work for a little while, often we need to keep tapping into those bottles to keep our symptoms at bay.  Also, the side effects of medications can be worse than our allergies, and many long term affects are untested and unknown.

As Chinese medicine grows more popular, people are turning to acupuncture and herbs for allergy relief.  As a licensed acupuncturist in New York and NJ, I see many of these cases.  My experience is that it works. (more…)

All you iPhone and Blackberry fanatics can soon look forward to topping-off your tired batteries with an integrated solar charger.

The Powcell sleeve, which will charge via sunlight or most ambient light sources, is designed to fit nicely onto the back of your mobile device.  You can now pre-order one of these sleek, sustainable phone chargers – though there’s no word on when you can expect delivery…

more info, (£59.99) @ powcell.com