Designer Rob Southcott has taken a variety of reclaimed local timber and created a series of abstract furniture pieces intended to represent diversity and multiculturalism.

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Is Valentine’s Day coming up, already?

This beautiful piece of upcycled sea glass, transformed and shaped by the ocean’s waves and adorned with a tiny heart, would make a heartfelt, eco-friendly expression of your fond affection.  Put on some Big Love.

Eco Love heart necklace, ($33) @ seafindesigns etsy shop

WomanCraft, a green Chicago business, creates artisan and transitional jobs for women who face barriers to employment.

Employees of WomanCraft in turn create beautiful, handcrafted products using recycled paper from local offices, enabling them to “earn income, improve job skills, build a work history and increase economic self-sufficiency.”

As both a socially and environmentally conscious business, WomanCraft has borrowed an equation from Conservatree to calculate their recycling impact: the paper equivalent of about 48 trees per year.  That’s 1,500 pounds of paper kept out of incinerators and landfills annually!  As a small sustainable company, WomanCraft should be proud of this contribution.

They should also be proud of their unique, artistic papers.  You can order one of their classic creations like this set of ten starry night notes priced @ $15, but perhaps what makes WomanCraft really special are their custom creations, which give you the option of bringing in your own fresh or dried bouquet of flowers from a special occasion to be preserved into cards, memory books, frames, invitations, and more.

If you’re planning a wedding, be sure to stop by their site; they reclaim botanical elements and of course recycled paper to create beautiful invitations, menus, programs, and guest favors.  You can even have your custom order laced with flower seeds – a lovely gift that can be planted into the ground and blossom in time.

WomanCraft papers are made by hand, not a machine, so each creation is unique in its own sustainable way.

If you like what you find, go ahead and become their fan on Facebook.

Last week we touted a selection of promising eco-friendly cars unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.  From purely electric rides to advanced hybrids, there were a healthy number of debuts that caught our eye and piqued our interest.  But as we know, a head-turner on the shiny showroom floor doesn’t necessarily equal a dealership hit.  As the “debuts” of 2010 turn into production models for 2011 and beyond, I’m left wondering what tomorrow’s car shoppers are really thinking.  As it turns out, so are a lot of folks.  In conjunction with the country’s largest car show, several industry experts have stepped forward with some equally interesting data.

Ten percent of U.S. drivers – about 20 million – said that they would consider buying a plug-in hybrid or electric vehicle, according to a new survey by Ernst & Young LLP.  And while 10 percent might not seem like too many, it’s a substantial number for technologies that are still new relatively new to the market.

Why aren’t more people signing up for an eco ride?  At the top of the list of hesitations are limited access to charging stations, “range anxiety” – or the distance a battery-powered car can go, and (not surprisingly) cost.

And without a major technology breakthrough, batteries are likely to remain pricey components on cars.  A new study by Boston Consulting Group predicts that lithium-ion battery costs will stay relatively high over the next 10 years, accounting for approximately six percent of the global market by 2020… not nearly as optimistic as other recent forecasts.

While that isn’t the best news for EVs, it’s a silver lining for hybrid makers, who saw sales jump slightly in 2009, despite a down market.  In fact, Toyota’s Prius hybrid sedan boasted through-the-roof sales last month, jumping a whopping 50 percent.  So, having taken a look at the latest and greatest in hybrid and battery technology, I’m eager to assume that demand is only increasing.  It may be a while, but in time, we’ll see more quiet cars cruising our roads – and far clearer skies – for the future.

Our Sunday Sermon…

1. Smarter buying habits, as in, Do I really need this? – Don’t fall victim to advertising and marketing campaigns that tell you you’re a schmuck if you don’t have the latest phone or MP3 player – you may be a schmuck but the latest gadget or gizmo isn’t going to change that situation.  Full disclosure – I’m still getting plenty of listening miles out of my 4 year old iPod Mini…and no I’m not groovin’ to Barry Manilow.
2. Food – Get over to your local farmers market or farm stand and get produce and protein that hasn’t been frozen for a week while it makes its way to you from the other side of the country or the planet.  Buy wild fish – the farm raised stocks contain higher levels of harmful chemicals and eat the same old chow everyday, same thing with chicken, beef and dairy – free range, pesticide-free and synthetic hormone-free is better for you, the animals and the planet.
3. Fashion – Squeeze out the last few miles on your shoes, clothing and accessories.  There’s nothing wrong with being an individual and not looking like some “flavor of the week” anorexic mannequin from Gossip Girl.  Don’t be afraid to hit the dark end of your closet once in awhile, you might find some gold.
4. Reuse, Recycle – Make an effort to reuse and recycle food containers, utensils and bottles.  Donate old cell phones, electronics and just about anything still useful through local charitable orgs and outfits like Freecycle.  Better yet, don’t buy everything prepackaged in disposable containers or produce bags – start bringing your own reusable containers and bags – every little bit helps.  If your community doesn’t pick up recyclables there is probably a local transfer station where you can drop stuff off, so get over there.
5. Product Lifecycle – Think before you buy.  Many products, frozen foods and and tons of consumer electronics come in plastic packaging that requires burning fossil fuels to create all that plastic…not good.  Evaluate how a product is made, where it comes from and what makes up its component parts – greener versions of phones, computers, food, cars and many everyday items now exist, so look at product labels and make more earth-friendly buying decisions.

Saw this little item on GreenMuze.  It looks great, and it’s conceivable it might just add a little humidity to an arid, small room.

The passive Mast Humidifier designed by Shin Okada is constructed from rot-resistant Japanese cypress.  The elegantly folded cypress absorbs water placed in the base and diffuses it into the room via the wood’s natural capillary action and evaporation.

6,300 Yen @ Japanese shopping site masuza.co.jp (be prepared to translate)

I attended the Gotham Gets Green event earlier this week – high atop the Empire Hotel in midtown Manhattan.  Featured were several eco-conscious brands with a deep concern about climate change and the future of the planet — from a kickoff presentation about sustainability by Grand Targhee Resort and Generations, a film by TetonGravity.com – to Sole Sandals made of cork and new innovations from Regen Living, Klean Kanteen, ReusableBags, Polartec and The North Face.  Here’s our video with highlights:

Here’s something a little different – limited edition and custom textile wall panels made out of fair-trade organic cotton, reclaimed or vintage fabrics.  Designer Ruth Singer creates these textured alternatives to traditional paintings.

The panels are mounted on wood frames, custom-made in FSC-certified wood, and covered with recycled or organic cloth.  Limited stock of the small size are always available, while the other sizes are made to order, subject to availability of fabrics.