It’s great to see upcycled and repurposed wood become stylish and functional furniture.  The folks at Portland, Maine’s Good Earth Furniture hand-make some great looking custom furniture from the remains of wood pallets and a variety of recycled wood.

A pool heated by solar panels; an organic garden; an interpretive biodiversity trail; and closely-protected turtle hatching grounds.  The only thing more drool-worthy to an eco traveler is the locale—the pristine dune-swept beaches of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.

It’s there, nestled in the Special Biosphere Reserve of Celestun, that 24 thatch-roof cabanas occupy roughly 1.2 percent of the Hotel Eco Paraiso’s property. The rest has been left undeveloped and conducive to the area’s ecological wonders.

Along a three-mile beach, guests can tread their feet, choosing an on-site dining destination in the evening or planning the next day’s excursions. Moonlit safari, anyone? I hear the alligators are a “usual.”

To see special December packages, click here.

The Lenovo ThinkVision L2251x Wide desktop computer display is the first to be awarded the new TCO Certified Edge designation for excellence in combining green and high performance in IT design.  The award recognizes several “green” features including: Lenovo’s use of 65 % post consumer recycled plastic in the display’s construction, recycled packaging materials and a proximity sensor that saves energy when the user is away from the computer by dimming the display.

via: prnewswire

• Green car market heats up…Toyota Launches New Hybrid, Honda Warms to Electric – reuters
• Crazy. (video) – Eagles Filmed Hunting Reindeer - bbc
• Just hang my keys on the crab apple…Leaves Magnetized by Air Pollution – natgeo
• You’ve got to be pretty cranky to lose this battle…Woman Chooses Croc Over Husband – ananova
• Europeans Find 32 New Planets Outside Solar System – yahoo! news
• When did bulbous lips become the ‘in’ thing? Vacuum Plumps Lips – If it Doesn’t Suck Them Off – msnbc

Here’s some surprising news… in a year when hybrid sales are slowing among the top green automakers (Toyota and Honda), Ford’s hybrid drive line-up is gaining traction.  In fact, the maker of the Escape Hybrid, and new Fusion and Mercury Milan Hybrids, has released news of an impressive 73 percent increase in hybrid sales over last year.

Know what that means?  Honda better keep close tabs on its second-place position. It’s beginning to look like we’ve got a tried-and-true American contender on the prowl.  (Yes, we know, Toyota—even with a 28 percent drop in sales—still beat out second place by more than a whopping 100,000 vehicles.)

We’re wondering, what’s your ideal eco cruiser? Would you opt for Ford’s urban Escape Hybrid SUV (gotta admit, I’m a die-hard fan of the pearlescent, mint green paint job) or do you still prefer the iconic style and fuel-sipping appeal of Toyota’s Prius?

Read more on the latest Ford eco initiatives here.

You’ve gotta love hearing how companies are coming up with innovative ways to reduce the garbage going into landfills these days.  And as a parent, especially after the Thomas the Tank lead paint fiasco, you’ve gotta appreciate companies who are mindful of children’s well-being as they brainstorm about the next new toy to be developed.  Green Toys is one of those companies meeting both of these all important criteria that we look for today.  Parents and teachers alike will enjoy learning about this kid’s Indoor Gardening Kit.

This cool little green indoor gardening kit, especially designed for kids, is made out of recycled milk jugs.  It contains no PBA, no phthalates and no lead paint!  And it’s 100% (more…)

Ever consumed so much organic saki that you can’t remember your apartment number? If you live in apartment #6 this necklace could help…as long as you remember wearing it.  This vintage brass number dangles from your choice of thin or thick antiqued gold chain.  Numbers 3, 5, 7, 9 and zero are also available.

all this minimalist style for just $17 @ (of)matter’s supermarkethq.com store

I was floating through TheBabyShowNYC last weekend and my body was drawn like a magnet to one booth in particular — Tane Organics clothing for babies.

The color palette is unusual for the wee set – mosstone, snow, almond, chalk, dark neutral and undyed ecru; and the thoughtful shapes and quality fibers are the ultimate in comfort for squirming little greens.

Signature Kimono Cardigan with link stitch trim and Crew Neck Cardigan with buttons are handmade from 100 percent certified organic cotton with low impact dye.  At $118, they’re a perfect fit for the well dressed set…awesome gifts, and nice pass-alongs, once outgrown.  Onesies, pajamas, tops, pants, jackets and accessories are in the mix for a completely flexible and interchangeable wardrobe.  take a peek @ taneorganics.com

UPDATE:  It’s official – Congratulations to our 3 lucky winners:  Jeremy H., Annette D. and Tiffany W.  Thanks to iPath, and everyone for entering.  Stay on the green path, don’t forget to checkout our latest Giveaway. (original post follows…)

We’re very happy to announce that this Great Green Giveaway is sponsored by ipath.com, an innovative supplier of men’s skateboard apparel and footwear.

Since their inception in 1999, IPATH has been carving a green path and supporting environmental sustainability for the benefit of present and future generations of skateboarders.  They’re proud to offer footwear and apparel made of alternative materials such as hemp and organic cotton, and are on a never ending quest to create the best products possible, while striving to maintain a low carbon footprint on the planet.

3 Winners, 3 Prizes – Each winner gets to pick their favorite style from the following, which are all made of hemp uppers:

• Cat: ($80)
• Cricket: ($72)
• Reed – Kenny Reed’s pro model, ($74)

To Enter, simply:

• check out the iPATH Team and find your favorite style.
• Then leave a comment on this post, answering the following 2 questions: “What’s the latest way you try to conserve/reduce/recycle/keep-it-green in your own life?” and Which IPATH style is your favorite?
• Add the following address to your email address book: m at AlternativeConsumer.com.

Three winners will be selected in our Random Drawing, and notified by email. Contest ends Saturday, October 24, 2009 at 11:59p (EST). Winners have 24 hours to claim their prize, or offer is null and void. Winners’ names will also be included on this post. Giveaway includes free shipping, anywhere in the USA.

*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!