This designer bottle opener is upcycled from a portion of a recycled bike cog that’s been welded to a re-purposed steel circle.  Comes in a tin container lined with recycled bicycle tube.  An inexpensive gift for all those beer drinking cyclists on your holiday shopping list.

$25 @ steel toe studio’s shop

Holiday travel is stressful enough. Why not take the sting out of your vacation planning by bookmarking these sites, which lump eco accommodations together and make booking a breeze? You can reference handy tools online this season—like real guest photos and reviews—to help make smart, sustainable decisions in just one stop.

Orbitz Eco Tourism—I’m a big fan of Orbitz’ green micro-site, which lists Energy Stay-rated properties, links you to hybrid rental cars and also allows you to offset your travel—all in one easy place.

Travelocity Green Hotel Directory—An easy-to-scroll-through list of eco hotels make this a cool site to click through when researching green options by region. You can quickly see what’s available whether you’re headed to the west or east coast.

Expedia Green Guide—Expedia uses the Global Baseline for Sustainable Tourism Criteria to list certified stays. It’s a smaller list, but that means it also cuts out the greenwash.

iStayGreen.org—Just because it’s listed here doesn’t mean that it’s green, but the site is focused on eco-friendly hotels and encourages users to give eco friendliness ratings, or one to five “leaves.”

• Climate Change Fears Spark ‘New Nuclear Age’ – msnbc/wash. post
• I forgot what I was saying…Clearing Out the Brain’s In-Box – livescience
• But will we deliver? EU Welcomes U.S. Pledge to Set Emissions Target – reuters
• Seems kinda low…Study: 25% of U.S. Shoppers Frequently Buy Organic Food Products – enn
• Is Global Warming Unstoppable? – sciencedaily
• Hmmm…don’t tax, reward…English Political Party Pledges $$ to Reward Recyclers – bbc
• “Hey honey. Those earrings look like sh*t.” Sparkling Reindeer Dung Jewelry Sells at Illinois Zoo – myway

This year, the automotive industry has been abuzz, unveiling big plans for electric vehicles set to debut in 2010 and beyond. While some of the cars prove promising, others have left us with an eyebrow raised. Here’s a round-up of the top newsmakers expected to launch in the New Year:

Best:
(photo above) Chevrolet Volt—We’re on the edge of our seats waiting for the debut of the much-hyped Volt, which is closest to hitting dealerships. Cruising Metro Detroit the other week, I actually caught a glimpse of a silver pre-production version out and about. It looks fantastic (what a tease!), but we’re waiting for a test drive to make final judgments.

(photo above) Nissan Leaf—Not exactly known for its green endeavors, Nissan surprised us with the Leaf, its lithium-ion-powered, sleek looking EV. Set to hit showroom floors late in 2010, it looks like it will be a true contender in the initial electric offerings.

(photo above) Tesla—Believe it or not, some of us eco-friendly folks are closet car enthusiasts. For that reason, we heart Tesla for mating speed with sustainability. We’re eager to see what more the automaker will make available since we’re quite impressed with what we’ve already seen.

Worst:

(photo above) Ford Transit Connect EV—There’s a huge need for an electric fleet vehicle, and Ford will capture the sweet spot with this EV, which will run 80 miles between charges. We just wish their plans included an EV for the everyday consumer in 2010. Looks like we’ll have to wait for the 2011 Focus EV.

(photo above) Toyota iQ PHEV—Don’t get it wrong, we love the Prius. And that’s why we’re so bummed that we have to wait until 2012 for an EV from green king Toyota.

(photo above) Rolls Royce Electric Phantom—Seriously? The mammoth carbon footprint created to build this luxury-laden vehicle doesn’t exactly make an eco statement. We wonder what type of price tag the rumored EV might have when the gasoline version goes for a cool $450,000.

If you’re a proud California resident with a sense of eco-style or you just want to exhibit a love of all things “Cali” this may be the lifestyle apparel choice for you.   Cali Green uses low impact materials, like organic cotton and makes all their stuff right in Calif0rnia.

The company store  is a little bare right now, but does feature some stylish headgear and a few clothing items – more is on the way – as they design and develop new items, and get them stocked.  The shot above is from CG’s LookBook.

find more @ caligreen.com

Are you a person of words and letters?  If you are, this recycled bike tube belt with  pewter buckle featuring letterpress type may let you subtly announce your literary tendencies.  Created by Seattle’s Steel Toe Studio, this ec0 fashion accessory is vegan, recycled, waterproof and versatile.

The buckle snap attaches and is also available separately.  Buckle measures approx: 2 and 5/8 inches by 2 inches.

sold in a variety of sizes for $85 @ supermarkethq.com

It’s always a kick to find recycled or upcycled items that have found new life and expression in another form.  In this case, pre-worn t-shirts are re-born as eye-catching eco-panties, for those with a hankering to draw a little attention to their region downunder.

If you have some old t-shirts and you know someone who’s handy with a sewing machine you can go all DIY with this concept.

$12 each or 2 for $20 @ letoilenoire’s etsy shop

As “Turkey Day” fast approaches we thought we’d revisit Rose’s list of tips for greening your fall feast.

In my family, Thanksgiving was always the most stressful of holidays. Would there be enough food? Would so-and-so come? Would the house be clean enough? Rarely among those concerns was, how sustainable is this holiday? Well, times they are a changing and this Thanksgiving we’ll have a local turkey, relatives arriving via carpools and organic wine. You can join the green Thanksgiving festivities with these easy tips.

The Food
Really, Thanksgiving is all about the food, but you don’t have to skimp on the stuffing to make this Thanksgiving more sustainable than last. Most families will not be convinced to give up the turkey this Thanksgiving. If you can go vegetarian or turkey free, more power to you; if not here are some alternatives:

• Make a shopping list before you go out. Trying to think on the fly will cause unnecessary purchases. Making the list well in advance will allow you to look for the best local options, rather than making frantic last minute decisions. Try to minimize car mileage by planning your route precisely.
• Buy local and/or organic. Thanksgiving is all about using your local resources to make delicious food. Get your turkey from you local farmer’s market or local producers. You can look for a turkey provider near you, here.

It’s not just about the turkey!

• Take the 100-Mile Thanksgiving Challenge, and keep all your Thanksgiving foods close to home. If you’re in Albany, Seattle, Washington, Kansas City, Flagstaff, or Montgomery, The Daily Green has prepared 100 Mile Challenge recipes to use.
• Drink green. Only buy wines with real cork stoppers, rather than plastic. Trees are not cut down for cork, and it is a crucial part of the forestry industry. Look for organic wines and liquors, and freshen tap water with a filter and some lemons.
• As the food coma starts to set in, think about your leftovers before you take that oh so alluring nap.
• Avoid plastic wrap. Most plastic wraps contain PVC which quickly winds up in landfills and has been linked to harmful environmental consequences. Use aluminum foil or, even better, send family home with glass or ceramic storage containers that they can return to you after. (The really conscientious may bring their own reusable leftover container, just in case…)
• Keep your hands dry! A new study from the University of Bonn in Germany found that your dishwasher uses less soap, half the energy and 1/6 of the water you might during hand washing. Air dry the dishes rather than heat drying them.
• Donate your fat. If you’re in Texas, call up Plano and see if they’re still collecting turkey fat and turning it into biofuel.
• Donate leftover food to a shelter or food bank.

The Family
Thanksgiving is also about getting connected with family. For some, it’s the one time in the year where everyone is in the same room. Go green together!

• Know your guests. Does Aunt Susan only eat white meat? Is Danny a vegetarian? Knowing who’s coming and what they’re expecting will help you shop efficiently and maximize your green options for each person.
• Pick a location that’s easy for everyone to get to. The less air travel the better, and if you do fly consider carbon-reducing efforts to make up for it.
• Carpool. Pick each other up on the way.
• Try to avoid sitting around the television on Thanksgiving Day. Many towns have live parades, and your childrens’ school friends might be playing in football games in the area. If you have diehard fans in the mix, make sure they’re all watching the same television, and aren’t scattered throughout the house. Take the football out of the closet and see if anyone’s apt to want to throw the ball around, or organize an informal game of touch.

The Decorations
Home made decorations can be both fun and green.

• Send online invitations or organic ones.
• Thanksgiving is an earthy time. Use your creativity with sticks, stones, leaves, flowers and branches from your backyard or neighborhood.
• If you can’t get sticks or don’t want to get crafty, look for organic floral arrangements at your local farmers market or online.
• Use non-toxic cleaners to get that mom-level-clean before she actually shows up.

Greenpurse has the mission to lessen the amount of ever-increasing waste produced each year.  Here is their founding principle: “The founding principle of our company is that no material is unusable; whether it be an old pair of jeans or a plastic grocery bag, it can be refashioned into a beautiful bag, purse, or any number of accessories.  For instance, grandpa’s old sweater could become your new overnight bag…or a vintage silk shirt could be transformed into stylish clutch.  We give old fabrics new life.”

Greenpurse hopes to protect the resources of our planet and in doing so help children in the process.  For each purchase you make with Greenpurse, they will donate 10% of the sale to charities which aid the victims of domestic abuse, particularly children.  After all, they truly are our most precious resource.  That is what I love about Greenpurse.

In light of the information above, I wanted to feature the Nordem Outdoor Collection from Greenpurse.  They are truly unique and made out of recycled materials – those pesky plastic grocery bags that accumulate like flies if you happen to forget your reusable bags at home.  They can hold real plants, but leak water and soil so must be hung outside.  However, they could be used for an indoor artificial arrangement depending upon your style and taste.

By the time I received my sample, I was cleaning up my garden patches and getting them ready for winter, so I did not actually test this product.  We received the Flower Sack that retails for $15.00. The picture makes it look larger than it is. It is about 4” wide, 2 to 3” thick and 3 to 4” high.  Right now I have Spanish moss in mine and felt flowers, so the measurements will vary once real soil is used as the woven bags do have a bit of give to them.

I love the idea and concept, but I’am not crazy about this particular product.  It will take some time to get use to seeing it hang in my garden, but I do think that real flowers will probably liven it up a bit and do it more justice than the Spanish moss and felt flowers do at the moment.

For more information check out www.gpurse.com/nordem.  They also have some other interesting outdoor planters and bird feeders.  Remember it’s for a good cause.