This limited edition handbag is crafted from recycled drink can ringpulls and made in Salador, Brazil.  The skilled people who make these colorful handbags have been trained by the charity, Bottletop, which funds projects that have a positive impact on young people world-wide.  Proceeds from the sales go to Bottletop’s programs empowering young people through sexual health education.

£88 @ eco-age.com (international delivery available)

• Let the games begin…Energy Bill Needs Carbon Cap: Obama – reuters
• Here in NYC we have one-tenth of our original vegetation… How Cities Drive Plants Extinct – bbc
• Darryl Hannah’s Coal Protest Trial Set to Start in November – ecorazzi
• Let’s see how people in the ‘East’ react…Move West’s Wild Horses East, U.S. Proposes – msnbc
• ND Woman’s 7-Foot-Long Dog Could be Record Holder – myway

If the price of oil, gas, and electricity is blowing through your bank account make sure the heat in your home isn’t going out the window. In addition to weatherstripping and proper insulation you might want to cut down on drafts and heat loss by installing insulated curtains for the winter months. The curtains pictured above are backed with 100% acrylic foam insulation which blocks winter’s drafts and heat loss from warm interior air hitting cold windows.

these and others (on sale now) @ plow & hearth

From our friends at Golf Refugees…I don’t think I could spend an entire Super Bowl sitting on this baby, but it is a cool concept and conversation piece.  The Tube Chair was designed by Peter Gorse, a UK Industrial designer.  It’s constructed from recycled cardboard tubes which are attached together by a series of cable ties to form a rigid eco-throne.

Available in different colors and sizes – optional extras include a bubble wrap seat cover.  Pricing on request.  find out more @ golf-refugees.com

Green Car Journal has announced its 5 finalists for “Green Car of the Year” 2010, and here they are (pictured alphabetically, below):  Audi A3 TDI, Honda Insight, Mercury Milan Hybrid, Toyota Prius and Volkswagen Golf TDI.  Nominees needed to be readily available to consumers during the award year.

The winner is ultimately decided by an eclectic collection of jurors including:  Jay Leno, Jean-Michel Cousteau, Carroll Shelby, Matt Petersen of Global Green USA and the Sierra Club’s Carl Pope, along with Green Car Journal editors.

source: prnewswire

Like many celebrities, Alicia Silverstone has put together a guide for the rest of us, one that tells us the secret to her fame and beauty.  Silverstone’s most recent book The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight and Saving the Planet highlights a vegetarian diet (now often called a “plant based diet” to avoid controversy).  The book takes readers through a three-step transition into Silverstone’s diet.  She includes recipes, anecdotes and “motivational tips” to help you kick your current diet and adopt hers.

Many, including Silverstone, argue that “plant based diets” are inherently more green than their carnivorous counterparts.  Plants require less fuel, water and other resources. (more…)

• You know we’re not doing enough when this happens…Mexico Calls U.S. a ‘Stumbling Block’ in U.N. Climate Talks – rueters
• I guess this explains all those headless Barbie dolls….Plastic Chemicals (BPA) Tied to Aggression in Young Girls – yahoo! news
• Stop eating sushi…Tuna’s Plight is a Problem the World Must Solve – cs monitor
• Apple is latest to wave goodbye…Companies Quit U.S. Chamber of Commerce Over Climate Policy - npr
• It’s always more fun doing things together…Albatross Camera Reveals Fascinating Feeding Interaction With Killer Whales – sciencedaily
• More bad news…Global Warming May Worsen Locust Swarms – nature.com
• Important study…Does Eating Chocolate Improve Your Mood? – cognitive daily

Who doesn’t like playing with dough?  I met preschool teacher Brittany Shapiro, the owner of Miss Brittany’s Organic Fun Dough at last weekend’s Baby Show NYC, and I love this hip green product, and the way it’s packaged.

Should your toddler shove a chunk of this dough into their little mouth, you don’t have to scramble across a toy filled room to try and apply the Heimlich Maneuver to save the day. The dough is nontoxic, chemical free and made from high quality organic ingredients…but don’t treat it as cookie dough — there’d be no more Fun.

Miss Brittany also offers a play apron, wooden rolling pin and block shapes, which are included in the kit.  Apron and various colors of dough are also sold separately. All are made in the USA, and packaged in recyclable materials.  visit organicfundough.com for more details.

UPDATE:  We have notified our winner – Susan D and we await her reply.

We’re happy to announce that SodaStream is generously sponsoring this Great Green Giveaway — offering one lucky reader a Fountain Jet Starter Kit.

Love sparkling drinks, but tired of the time, expense and eco guilt involved in buying seltzer and soda that’s packaged in plastic, aluminum and glass?  Not crazy about all the sugar and chemicals in those pre-packaged drinks?  Check out SodaStream, and start making your own. SodaStream is the world’s largest  manufacturer, distributor and marketer of Home Carbonation Systems, operating in over 30 countries globally, with over 8 million soda makers sold to-date, worldwide.

To enter, simply:

• visit SodaStream
• Then leave a comment on this post, answering the following:  How many plastic, glass and aluminum containers do you think you would conserve, (per month), by using a Fountain Jet?
• 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 Wednesday, October 14, 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.

*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!