An undeniable mix of West Coast calm and night life buzz, San Diego is a destination that’s worth the trip. And luckily, it just became even more desirable, thanks to the certification of the city’s first LEED-certified hotel, the Hotel Indigo San Diego Gaslamp Quarter. (That makes 19 total LEED-certified hotels in the U.S.)

The 12-story boutique property, anchored near the Gaslamp Quarter and a block from the Padre’s PETCO Park, offers several sweetly sustainable features, including green roofs on the ninth and 12th floors, an outdoor meditation deck, and a terrace herb garden that sprouts seasonings like basil, rosemary and tarragon. Naturally, the locally-inspired exterior gives way to an interior that’s decked out with the work of local artisans, photographers and designers.

Spend the night in one of 210 guestrooms, pamper yourself with Aveda toiletries, and dine at Phi Bar and Bistro, where gourmet dishes serve up the freshest seasonal ingredients.

To make reservations, click here, or call 877-8-INDIGO. Our initial room search turned up available rooms for an upcoming weekend, priced $399-$549.00. (Keep in mind that the Hotel Indigo brand is a part of the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), meaning you can use your Priority Club rewards card here, or at any other IHG location, like Crowne Plaze or Holiday Inn.) If the hotel’s booked, check out the nearby Hotel Solamar, one of my personal favorites by Kimpton, featuring the EarthCare program.

For serious golfers, it’s all about putting the ball in the hole. Here’s a nifty 9-inch square back pocket towel designed to clean your ball, get a clean roll and help you sink those blessed putts.

Ruletwentyone’s bamboo ball towel comes in eight perky colors.  Bamboo side stays wet for the duration of play, and the other side keeps your fanny dry, as you neatly tuck the towel in your back pocket.

RuleGolf’s one small way to play green on the greens. Cuz, you know, it’s just the way we roll, ($10/each) @ ruletwentyone.com

Are off road vehicles and the use of deserts as playpens really worth the environmental impact?  Aside from disturbing the natural habitats of wildlife and contributing to erosion and noise pollution…

Siting research from the University of Utah and Colorado State University, a couple of recent articles point out the unwitting climate change impact of “increased human activity in desert areas.”  Heat-absorbing desert dust particles contribute to earlier snowmelt, which “depletes the natural water reservoirs of mountain snow pacts and in turn affects the delivery of water to urban and agricultural areas….earlier snow melt timing may have a subtle yet potentially profound effect on the ecology of the high meadows.”

more @ christiansciencemonitor.com and highcountrynews and sciencedaily.

As a responsible society, we need to look at the big picture, think long-term, and move away from the culture of self-gratification and the use of our wild areas as a motorized recreational playpen.

photo credit:  Center for Snow and Avalanche Studies

Canine travelers like myself can now fly First Class from NY to LA for $299.  Pet Airways has been created to convey us pets across the USA with the comfort and care we deserve.  The airline uses Beech 1900s, which, with the seats and overhead bins removed, hold about 50 pet carriers.  Cities serviced now include Washington D.C., Chicago, NY, LosAngeles and (more…)

• The man was a freeballing sandal wearer.
• He walked everywhere – or rode a low emissions donkey.
• He shopped only at local bazaars and farm stands.
• Consumed only organic food – nothing containing man-made fertilizers or pesticides.
• Slept on an all-natural eco-mattress – hay.
• The man could stretch his food dollar. Once turned 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish into a repast for 4,000.
• Was an early proponent of Zero Population Growth, having himself been born via immaculate conception, and not reproducing himself.
• Like many environmentalists (exception Greenpeace) he often utilized non-violent protest (turned the other cheek) to manifest change.
• Often struggled against the man (Herod/Bush) to raise environmental awareness.
• As a conservationist he wore the same threads for something like 20 years.

If you’re planning a spin around Chelsea’s westside gallery row, looking for an excuse to escape a man-bar on 8th Avenue, or on you way to the High Line Park to work on your tan, there’s a new stop on your eco express – the new Tesla Motors showroom on West 25th Street in Manhattan.  The electric roadster maker opened its first east coast showroom yesterday in a very artsy-looking gallery space, quite unlike the usual 11th Avenue showrooms of traditional car makers.  I guess if you’re contemplating purchasing a $109,000 electric roadster your tastes are perceived to be a tad more sophisticated than the typical Saturn buyer’s.

Tesla Motors NYC is open 10am to 4pm/ 511 w.25th street

via: psfk.com

• Buy American. If I’m not mistaken this could be the first carbon tax…U.S. Should Pay For Carbon Content of Imported Goods: Locke – rueters
• Let’s just get drunk and forget the whole thing…Wine, Olives and Crude Oil – bbc
• She’s now our heroic ‘Mama’ bear protecting her cubs and our future…Sarah Palin Now Just Twittering About Bears – huffington post
• There’s a great name for a band in here somewhere…Wow! Moths Jam Bat Sonar – livescience
• Unfortunately Willow came up a little short on comprehension…Woman Teaches Dog to Read – ananova
• Far less appetizing than jumbo shrimp – calling Ron Burgundy…San Diego Menaced by Aggressive, Jumbo Squid – breitbart

Make your usual grand entrance into your next yoga or fitness class sporting this handsome mat bag made of sustainable, eco-friendly hemp.

$21.95 @ rei.com

This ugly little jacket is made of 100 percent certified recycled PET bottles. Wearing this eco-hoodie will definitely proclaim your love of Radiohead, recycling and all things alternative.  Go on, make a statement.

available starting in September.

£45 @ waste.uk.com

via: hippyshopper