Back in the day, The Rockaways were commonly referred to as the “Irish Riviera,” due to the abundance of cops and firemen who took up residence there in the summer to enjoy the sun and surf just outside NY Harbour.  Today, as the resorts of the 50′s and 60′s decay and get swallowed up by the dunes, you’re just as apt to find a surf fisherman in search of a Striper or an artist in search of raw materials than you are a bathing beauty or sunburned family of six.

The ‘Rockaway Bench’ created by Brooklyn designer, Palo Samko, is constructed of a chunk of an old Brooklyn dock or warehouse that’s fallen into the sea – only to be reborn as driftwood, and yet again as this weathered bench.  Is that Moby Dick peeking back at me?

palosamko.com

Is it just me, or is the concept of buying a motorcycle, and no less an electric one, at Best Buy more than a little weird.  Well it’s happening, Brammo’s Eneretia electric motorcycle is is now being sold at 21 West Coast Best Buys right next to the cell phones, microwave ovens and MP3 players.

The cool looking bike charges in three hours when plugged into any wall outlet and can reach a high-end speed of around 50 miles per hour.  Brammo claims the Enertia gets the equivalent of 373 miles per gallon and costs less than one cent per mile to run.

Though a retail price of around $11,995 will probably limit the number of motorcycles actually leaving the store, the anticipated marketing buzz will undoubtedly make the whole enterprise well worth Best Buy’s investment. via: cnet news

The organic nature of these accent lamps caught my eye – available in three sizes, (ranging from $105-125) @ terrafurnishings.com

UPDATE:  July 14, 2009 – It’s official – Congratulations to Rita A. and Jess C. Thanks to Ali and Laura of Sisteria Designs for graciously sponsoring this cool event.  And thanks to everyone for entering, and all our new now followers on Twitter and Facebook.  Next Giveaway begins tomorrow, so stay tuned…

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Sisters Ali and Laura, the designers of Sisteria Designs, find inspiration in pre-loved game tiles — upcycling them into pretty pendants!  We love their ingenuity, and the eco factors — repurposing and keeping pre-loved goods from landing in ever-growing, landfills.

With 3 different sizes and 20 patterns from which to choose, 2 lucky winners will each get to pick their favorite pendant.  (Retail value $24-$28, depending on the size of the pendant selected.  Each prize includes a sterling silver chain and free shipping to anywhere in the USA.)
How to enter:

• Visit sisteriadesigns.com to find yours.
  
• Comment on this post telling us which pattern and style is your personal fav, and why.
• In order to receive our email prize notification, be sure to add this to your email address book: m at AlternativeConsumer.com. (*one entry per person)

Entries must be received by 8p, EST on Monday July 13, 2009.
Two lucky winners will be selected in our Random Drawing, and notified by email on Tuesday, July14. Winners have 24 hours to claim their prize, or offer is null and void. Winners’ names will also be included in this post.

*EXTRA CREDIT
If you have your own blog, you can post about the giveaway with a link back to this giveaway post. To make sure we know, you can come back and leave a comment with a link to your blog post. If you Twitter, you can tweet about the giveaway, and leave a comment linking to the status.

You can also receive additional entries 3 more ways: sign up for our RSS feed via email/Feedburner (see right side bar), follow us on Twitter or become a friend on FaceBook.  (If you’re already signed up, just let us know.)  Good luck!

• I know it’s a little late…Measuring the Carbon Footprint of a Charcoal Grill – npr
• You listening Detroit? Hybrids Boost Toyota and Honda Car Sales – yahoo! news
• Just add lime (to the oceans)…Latest Plan to Cut CO2 Emissions – guardian u.k.
• Caffeine Reverses Memory Impairment in Mice With Alzheimer’s Symptoms – sciencedaily
• Going green…During Rehearsals Michael Jackson Survived on 1 Vegetarian Meal Per Day – ecorazzi
• It was a snack run…British Zoo Evacuated After Chimps Escape – breitbart

We had the privilege of attending an early U.S. screening of Director, Franny Armstrong’s, eco docu-drama, THE AGE OF STUPID, starring Pete Postlethwaite.  Armstrong has created an entertaining film, centered around climate change.

Postlethwaite plays the role of an enviro archivist living in the year 2055 who reviews documentary footage and as he goes “back to the present,” he wonders why we didn’t stop global warming while we had the chance.  The film is a compelling mix of funky animation, news footage and real characters fraught with contradictions.  We follow the life challenges facing:  Jeh Wadia, an airline CEO, born to one of India’s richest and most powerful families; 23-year-old wannabe med student Layefa Malemi; Alvin DuVernay, a New Orleans-based environmentalist working for Shell Oil; 82-year-young French mountain climber, Fernand Pareau; wind farm developer, Piers Guy; and youngsters Jamila and Adnan Bayyoud, whose home was destroyed by a missile on the second day of the Iraq war.

Save the Date — September 21.  Already playing in the UK, “Stupid” is scheduled to launch in a solar powered cinema tent in Central Park in NYC on September 21.  The unprecedented “green carpet” kickoff  will also include a live panel via satellite from NYC.  Immediately followed by a national roll-out and worldwide release in Europe, Asia, Africa and Central and Latin America, the auspicious launch date will coincide with united Nation’s Climate Week.  Armstrong’s aim is to “demand reform for the December Copenhagen Summit when the KYOTO TREATY — the world’s environmental pact — is up for review, marking a watershed moment in our environmental history.”

get smart @ ageofstupid.net

Are unauthorized individuals scarfing down your designer sammies?  Are friends, bullies and co-workers victimizing you by swiping your tediously constructed sandwiches out of the community fridge?

Well, these anti-theft baggies may provide an unappetizing deterrent.  The bags feature green splotches on each side and are manufactured of food-safe, reusable and recyclable LDPE.

Hopefully people won’t get all proactive and chuck your designer bag and sandwich in the dumpster. (more…)

• Use a solar cooker to roast all your barbecued goodies.  Check the weather forecast and start cooking on July 3rd.
• Invite Al Gore over for a barbecue – make sure you have plenty of potato salad and corn relish.  Al’s such a big eater you may want to invest in carbon offsets to counter-balance his food intake!
• Take the heartfelt advice of my neighbor, Four Fingered Tony – lock-up any explosives or fireworks before you start guzzling any organic wine, vodka or tequila.
• Keep your event’s size manageable.  Invite only guests descended from countries that have adhered to the guidelines of the Kyoto Agreement.  This will guarantee plenty of room on the dance floor and ensure tons of leftovers.
• Create a menu of strictly local fare.  Avoid this approach if your patio is located next to a Nebraska cattle feedlot, your vegetable garden is regularly irrigated by run-off from the local coal mine, or your neighbor’s cloned sheep are known to sport a couple of extra, calorie-rich appendages.

July 12, 2009 UPDATE:  It’s official — Congratulations to our 3 winners: Jenna, Carol L. and April. Many thanks to everyone for entering, and following us on Twitter and Facebook.
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Summer’s here, and so is the rain.  Here’s a great way to help keep the wee ones dry while they make a splash.

French-based boot manufacturer, Aigle Boots, is providing 3 lucky kiddies with a pair of Baby Flac boots (sizes 19 to 27 Euro). (more…)