As we say here at altCon, Happy Hallowgreen!

It’s that time of year again.  The pumpkins are out, the candy is everywhere you turn and you’re constantly trying to answer that same old question: “what are you going to be for Halloween?”  October 31st is notoriously wasteful: individually wrapped candies, one time use costumes, lights on all night, not to mention all that wasted toilet paper and eggs.  It doesn’t have to be all waste and gluttony though, with a few simple tips you can have an eco friendly Halloween without sacrificing any of the ghoulish fun.

Having a party?

• Use e-vites not paper invitations
• Use recycled, compostable or reusable plates and silverware
• Serve healthy, seasonal food.  Pumpkins and other gourds are great not just for decorations, but for eating, too — (roasted pumpkin seeds, pumpkin soup).
• Homemade apple cider and caramels apples are other perennial kid (and adult) treats.

Costumes and Decorations

• Don’t buy products that can’t be used after Nov. 1st.  Look for things you can reuse and recycle, rather than things you’ll just have to throw away. (more…)

Boro Fuel Oil Co., Inc., which has been providing Brooklyn, NY residents and businesses with fuel and energy services for 80 years, is taking the plunge and going green.  On November 1st the company will become the first heating oil dealer in New York City to offer BioGreen – a new premium biofuel.

BioGreen is a blend of traditional heating oil and 10% soybean oil – a combo that is much more eco-friendly than traditional home heating oil.  The premium biofuel is clean, renewable, biodegradable, and non-toxic.  Domestically produced BioGreen is also part of the ‘buy American’ movement -  it’s produced from soybeans grown in the U.S.A – and helps to support American agriculture and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

BioGreen offers heating oil customers the following benefits: (more…)

We were recently afforded the opportunity to test several soaps, a lotion and a lip balm made from goat’s milk; compliments of Marsha Louk of Laurel Fork Farm.  Laurel Fork Farm is located in West Virginia and is family owned and operated.  They use all natural ingredients, no dyes, chemicals or preservatives.  Their products are made from real goat’s milk and the goats are pasture raised without the use of hormones and minimal use of store bought grain.

Now, don’t let the thought of washing with milk unsettle you if you are new to the use of goat’s milk in personal hygiene products.  It really is delightful to use.  The Blueberry Goat Milk Lotion smells like blueberry and alerts your senses to a pretty fruit scent.  It leaves my hands feeling so soft.  As an example, I put the lotion on generously last night before I went to bed.  Since waking, I have washed my hands numerous times and my hands still feel soft.  I’ve never experienced anything quite like that before in any hand lotions I have used.  (more…)

• The Sunshine State…Florida Constructs Largest Solar Power Plant in U.S. – redorbit
• Polluting the ground water under your reservoir system seems kinda dumb…NYC Sees Risks in NatGas Drilling – reuters
• Did you spray after that? Clean Smells Promote Moral Behavior: Study – sciencedaily
• (audio) Questons Linger Over Energy Star Ratings – npr
• Get out the maps…Meteorite-Like Object Falls in Latvia – myway
• A Cordless Future for Electricity? cnn

Several cities are considering putting a tax on sugar-laden sodas and soft drinks.  Bravo!

Perhaps as plastic soda bottles become less abundant the value of this cute bracelet made from the remains of an evil soda bottle will increase as it becomes a collector’s item.  Or maybe not…but you will look good while making an eco fashion statement about recycling.

$11 @ ArtworkbyKD’s etsy store

A green stimulus package for your eyes, ears and mind…

• Looking forward to this book signing tomorrow:  Sir Terence Conran’s latest work, Eco House, Sunday, October 25 (3-5p).  The Conran Shop, East 59th @ 1st Ave. Cookies and tea will be served – sweet.
• New Amsterdam Market – South Street, Manhattan, between Beekman St. & Peck Slip.  Click here for a map. Mayor Bloomberg will be there live, 11a-4p Sunday, October 25.  FREE valet bicycle parking provided by Bowery Lane Bicycles during Market Hours.
• Bill McKibbon’s 350.org 10.24.09 International Day of Climate Action exceeds his wildest dreams: slideshow
• Nominations end tonight @ midnight (PST) for Opportunity Green’s Top Start-up of 2009.  If you want to nominate a start-up biz that provides eco friendly or clean tech products or services, get going. Opportunity Green is a business conference Nov 7-8 at UCLA.
• Join the LIVE interview with Mayor Gavin Newsom on Wed 10/28 at (3p EST/12n PST), via Inhabitat.  Learn about San Francisco’s green initiatives including the new mandatory composting law that’s got everyone buzzing.
• Save the Date – Ecouterre launch party, October 29 at Kaight for organic fare and fashion. Feeling chilly – checkout Ecouterre’s sustainably stylish Fall Jacket & Coat Wrapup.
• Vancouver Fashion Week is highlighting eco friendly fashions in the Spring /Summer 2010 Collections during Vancouver Fashion Week from November 3rd – November 8th, 2009. On Friday, November 6th, (more…)

Techie fun, marketing innovation and wind speed site analysis all on your iPhone?  Mariah Power and Create with Context will soon release an iPhone app that will let you know how much wind is whipping through your property and if it’s enough to spin a Windspire small wind turbine.  Just hold your iPhone into the wind and it will measure the wind speed and do the math.  The app will also estimate how much CO2 your potential Windspire installation will save the environment.

You can sign up at Mariah Power’s website to be notified when the app is available.

Related: previous Altcon posts on Mariah Power and its vertical axis wind turbine

We live in world filled with chemicals, toxins and unknown substances.  Emerging science increasingly connects exposure to toxic chemicals with serious health problems.  From Bisphenol-A in baby bottles to phthalates in children’s toys and flame retardants in nursery furnishings, the modern home is filled with synthetic compounds that research now shows likely cause neurological and behavioral disorders, reproductive and developmental disruption, cancer and other troubles.

There are hundreds of untested chemicals in the products families use every day.  The business-friendly law that directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct safety reviews of chemicals, the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), was passed by Congress over thirty years ago.  Since then, the EPA has investigated a paltry 200 of the more than 80,000 chemical compounds available to manufacturers today.  Critics of the law say it doesn’t give the EPA enough authority to demand that companies supply the information needed to evaluate a chemical’s risk.

Now, Safer Chemicals Healthy Families, a coalition of nearly 30 leading, health-conscious, non-governmental organizations, is working with Congress to overhaul the nation’s chemical regulations.  Supporters of the coalition include the Environmental Defense Fund, Healthy Child Healthy World and Seventh Generation, the maker of all-natural cleaning products and diapers.  The group supports new legislation (more…)

UPDATE:  It’s official – Congratulations to our lucky winner, Cathie M. Thanks to Amanda for sponsoring such a lovely giveaway, and thanks to everyone for entering.  Be sure to check out our latest giveaway for another chance to try a cool, eco friendly product.

We’re thrilled to feature The Andean Collection as our generous sponsor of this Great Green Giveaway.  This collection of eco friendly and fashion forward jewelry is the creation of founder and designer, Amanda Judge.

When I met Amanda at The Green Fashion Shows kick off party, she was wearing this beautiful Acai necklace, (above, R), and I thought it would be wonderful to offer one to our readers.  One lucky winner will be able to select their favorite color from an array of 8 gorgeous variations. (Retail value, $49 plus free shipping to anywhere in the USA and Canada.)

Here’s how to enter:

• checkout the array of necklaces, earrings and bracelets @ theandeancollection.com/
• Then leave a comment on this post, telling us why you’d like to win this necklace, and which is your favorite color.
• Sign up for their enewsletter and Receive an entry by leaving us a Comment to let us know.
• Add the following address to your email address book: m at AlternativeConsumer.com.

One lucky winner will be selected in our Random Drawing, and notified by email. Contest ends Monday, November 2, 2009 at 11:59p (EST). Winner has 24 hours to claim their prize, or offer is null and void. Winner’s name will also be included on this post. Giveaway includes free shipping, anywhere in the USA or Canada.

*One entry per person.
*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 (once per day), and be sure to refer to @altCon, and leave a comment linking to the status. You can also receive additional entries 3 more ways: subscribe to our RSS feed, follow us on Twitter or friend us on FaceBook. (If you’re already a subscriber, just enter a comment to let us know.) Time’s ticking, so start clicking – good luck!

A little background about this ethical, socially responsible company:  The inspiration of the line came to Amanda while she was in Ecuador working on her thesis. The designs are fair trade made and handcrafted from natural seeds that have been sustainably harvested from the rainforests and lowlands of South America. Amanda has conceived of a smart way to ensure the survival of the world’s rainforests while providing the local inhabitants an alternative income, (rather than logging or selling their land to destructive industries).  As an extra perk, the artisans are not only paid fair wages, but also share in the profits as partial owners of the company.

The necklace (above) is made from Açaí (ah-sah-EE).  As you may be aware, Acai is not only gaining a spot for itself among indigenous artisans in Ecuador for its unique look and delicate size perfect for jewelry such as this, but also quickly gaining popularity as a drink for its antioxidant and energizing properties.

Shout out to New York City visitors and residents – The Andean Collection is in Madison Square Park at a great craft market (west side of the park) through November 1st, so if you’re in the neighborhood, stop by and say Hi for me. (11a-8p)