• Your local H2O is precious…Pressure Builds Over Bottled Water – msnbc
• You don’t fight climate change by cutting down trees to grow corn…Scientists: Biofuel Laws May Harm Evironment – npr
• Isn’t Cali bankrupt? Schwarzenegger Speeds Up Green Football Stadium – reuters
• Chinese business execs now have discretionary income…Tiger Skin Trade in China Exposed – bbc
• Oopsie…SIGG Gives Customer $50,000 Gift Card for Returning 2 Bottles – consumerist
• Today’s prize winning headline for most words beginning in ‘f”.  Fatal Frog Fungal Disease Figured Out – nature.com

I’m just starting to face the reality that Halloween is fast upon us…here are a few choices of scrumptiously soft, organic cotton nightie-wear for the younger set’s after party.

$28 ea. @ hannaandersson.com

Even the most eco-conscious people often put their sustainability values on hold when planning corporate or social events.  This doesn’t have to be the case.  Here are some easy tips and resources for green event planning.

Getting Started

• Put together a planning committee and make sure everyone knows your green goals.
• Publicize your event as a sustainable event, ask people to bring their own reusable water bottles with them and not to drive to the event.
• Consult the national list of green hotels (greenhotels.com) and tell those who are traveling to your event about them.
• If you’re putting together a “goody bag,” make sure the bag itself is made of eco friendly material, and (more…)

Every once in awhile something just catches our eye…this antique image of a man walking hand-in-hand with a tiny bear says a lot of different things about our relationship with nature and other creatures.  The 8″ x 8″ handmade lightbox is back lit by an energy efficient 40w compact fluorescent bulb.  Hang it on a wall or place it on a table.

$95 @ munstre’s supermarket shop

Location, location, location…pictured above is the first prototype house utilizing the Blue Sky Homes Building System.  The home sits on a site 4,000 feet above sea level in the rugged Southern California High Desert and was completed earlier this year in a pretty impressive eight weeks.

The structure is integrated into the landscape on a floating six-legged platform – thus avoiding the need to grade a traditional home pad which would have irreparably damaged the beautiful desert site.

The 1,000-square-foot, two-bedroom, one-bathroom prototype house was designed by  Palm Springs – based o2 Architecture with the intent of maximizing both the benefits of the Blue Sky Homes Building System and the house’s spectacular location in the Southern California High Desert.

The home’s design is all about steel.  Other than cabinetry, a couple of interior doors and furniture, this house contains no wood at all.

(more…)

Besides supporting indie fashion designers who care about the environment, derive an extra hit of good karma when you shop by donating a portion of your purchase to the cause of your choice.

Cutting-edge independent designer online hub moxsie.com just launched Eco Shop which features more than two dozen eco conscious indie fashion designers from around the world and allows you to “shop for a cause.”  Choose from eleven organizations such as: The Sierra Club Foundation, The Hunger Project, Save the Children and Dress for Success, and feel good knowing that moxsie will donate a portion of the proceeds of your purchase to your preferred non-profit.

Take a peek at the collections of clothes, shoes and accessories made of organic, sustainable and reclaimed materials for both men and women @ http://shop.moxsie.com/ecoshop.

update – more good moxsie vibes… just heard from the company — at checkout you can receive 15% off your purchase by simply entering code:  Altconsumer.

I recently had the privilege of trying out some products provided by OnlyGreen Organics, a new direct sales company offering certified organic products.  Susie Schiering, an Independent OnlyGreen EcoAdvisor, was generous enough to send me samples of their new shampoo and conditioner, an orange creamsicle lip balm and compostable plastic ware.

The VADA brand shampoo and conditioner are manufactured by OnlyGreen and they work very well.  However, as with most organic toiletries when the sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate is missing the lather is just not as abundant as it is with mainstream brands.  I will say that in the (more…)

• China and the U.S. working together? Climate Cooperation to Help Ties, Hu Tells Obama – reuters
• What floor do you live on? Rising Sea Levels Threaten Shanghai, Other Big Cities – msnbc
• EPA: Clean Diesel Program is Clear Success – enn
• Saving whales and making TV…or is it the other way around? Australia Grants Paul Watson a Visa, Sea Shepherd Ready to Roll - ecorazzi
• I don’t know if you’d use it on your resume…Green Font Saves Ink – livescience
• Good news for Scottish bird lovers…bad news for little Scottish sparrows…Red Kite Numbers Hit Record High – bbc
• Presidential Election Outcome Changed Voters’ Testosterone – sciencedaily

It appears that both the audience and judges at this year’s Consumer Electronics Association’s i-stage competition agreed that Regen Inc.’s eco friendly ReNu personal power generation and storage system is the big winner.  The centerpiece of the ReNu product line is the stylish, portable solar panel and battery.  The modular design allows the panel to work with a wide range of devices including the Regen iPod Sound Dock (pictured at right – $149), which pumps out 8 hours of tunes when powered by a fully charged ReNu panel. The solar panel also charges Apple’s iPod and iPhone via ReNu’s iPod Dock.

The ReNu panel will go on sale in Feb. 2010 for $199.  The iPod/iPhone Dock (pictured at top) stores enough power to recharge an iPhone twice and will run you $249 -  pre-order and get more info @ regenliving.com