Master thespian William Shatner reads ex-Governor Palin’s resignation speech as a poem.  Can wolves, polar bears and all manner of Alaskan wildlife finally feel safe?

• Haven’t we been hearing this for years? Offshore Wind Could be Next Wave for U.S. – reuters
• We don’t usually feature technical journals…7 High Tech Products and Their Cheap Ass Ingredients – cracked.com
• Today’s interesting assortment of words… Monkey Mind Controls Robot Arm (video) – natgeo
• Does Cheese Whiz count? Got Milk? Kids Who Eat More Dairy Live Longer – newser.com/bbc
• Another good headline…Huge Fossilized Dung Reveals a Hidden Ancient Ecosystem – livescience
• Consumers Gloomier for 2nd Straight Month – cnnmoney

Here’s a new, eco friendly take on furniture.  Way Basics creates geometric furniture out of ingenious building-blocks made of 99% recycled paper it calls, zBoards.  The company’s patented, environmentally friendly manufacturing process turns post-consumer recycled paper into extremely strong boards that weigh 62% less than particle board – if you’ve ever tried to move something made of particle board you know this is important.  The paper-based furniture is designed to be as solid and structurally sound as any engineered wood furniture.

Building boards are versatile and easy to assemble. No screws, nails or messy adhesives are used in assembly, since strong adhesive tape is used in construction.  To put zBoards together all you do is peel off the tape’s protective covering and stick the blocks together. You can create your own designs; and you can use screws or hardware if you so desire.  The material is water-resistant, easy to clean, and comes in different colors and both light and dark wood-grain finishes. They’re also available in white to allow for color customization.

Pieces are sold both by the cube and by the kit.  Way Basics is currently running a Summer Sale where many of the pieces are up to 50% off.
via: yanko design

Demo Design Clinic creates these fun-looking steampunk lamps from select, repurposed galvanized plumbing parts.

The Kozo lamps are sold at the Design2009 Etsy Shop prices range from $169 to $229.

via: recyclart.org

Inspired by the need for a real vacation, I uncovered a few fantastic places that I’d like to share with you.

For me, there’s nothing better than healthy spa treatments for relaxation and rejuvenation, when experienced in an exotic location — well then, it’s the absolute ultimate…

• for a quick treat – instant relief for tired heads and feet – yelonyc.com
• yoga meets massage – physical and spiritual rehab – internationalorange.com, san fran
• been here, done this: mountains of solitude and rejuvenation – tenthousandwaves.com – santa fe, nm
• one can dream:  aaah, the lap of eco luxury @ sixsenses.com, (photo, above) (ref: environment, here)

Curb some of the guilt with carbon offsets @ terrapass

Related: previously on altCon
(2.15.09)  guilty green pleasures

For all you youngsters out there, June Cleaver was Beaver Cleaver’s mom on ‘Leave it to Beaver.’  The quintessential American mom, June kept the Cleaver ship floating safely over life’s frothy seas without any major catastrophes. Here are just a few of the ways June kept it retro-green.  Any fans of June should feel free to jump-in and add to the list.

• Like many moms of the 50′s and 60′s June was all about DIY.  She sewed, crocheted, did needlepoint, and could whip-up a mean angel food cake or meal, from scratch.  No fast food for the Cleavers.
• She never, ever, bought bottled water.  Every ounce of the Cleaver H2O came right out of the tap.
• June was a class act and even wore a pearl necklace when doing her very green gardening.
• The Cleavers went strictly local when shopping for food and supplies and had their milk delivered from the local, free-range dairy.
• June was low emissions.  She rarely drove the family’s Ford Fairlane.

• No, it wasn’t dug by the Viet Cong…World’s Biggest Cave Found in Vietnam – natgeo
• Demand is low and reserves are high. Someone’s rigging the game…Oil Rises Above $68 as Rally Extends to 3rd Week – yahoo! news
• Didn’t it used to be Anita Bryant? Is the Ocean Florida’s Untapped Energy Source? - cnn
• The good news, it’s smaller – the bad news, it’s more toxic…Gulf’s ‘Dead Zone’ Much Smaller Than Predicted – myway
• I’m sure you’ve gotten junk mail touting these things…FDA Want to Extinguish Electronic Cigarettes – scientific american blog
• Leave it to the Japanese.  Is it frighteningly thin? (video) Robot Model Hits the Runway – livescience

Designer Jen Smith created this t-shirt with a message for Holy Cow, a sustainable fashion boutique located in Saint Louis Park, Minnesota.

This playfully cute tee is made with organic cotton, screen printed by hand with water-based PVC-free ink and certified sweatshop-free.

We can all Bee a little greener.  $29 @ holycowcompany.com

This little black box is actually a set of portable solar powered speakers that can keep you tapped into the music on your iPhone, iPod or most other cell phones or MP3 players without a wall outlet.  You can connect to your music source via wireless Bluetooth, or wired, connection.  The integrated solar panel charges the box in 12 to 24 hours of sunlight, or you can plug it into the wall to charge the on-board lithium-ion battery in around 4 hours.

Features (2) two watt speakers, headphone jack, built-in mic and touch-screen buttons for fast-forward and reverse.  Will provide 8 hours of listening at Lawrence Welk volume and roughly 4 hours at AC/DC volume.  Weighs in at a portable half pound.

on sale for $79.99 @ devotecindustries.com via: cultofmac.com