UPDATE:  Our very lucky winner is April B.!  Congratulations, enjoy your hand-picked gifts from L’Occitane.  Thanks to everyone for joining in.  Feeling lucky?  Enter our latest Great Green Giveaway for a Tuttbella Mommy designer diaper bag from EarthLoverShopping.

Valentine’s Day is almost here, and our friends at L’Occitane are helping us spread some good green love.  This Giveaway is available exclusively to you, our loyal fans. One lucky winner will win their own customized gift set whereby you can pick your own eco fab items for him, her or your home.

Winner gets to select any combination of products up to a $75 value via usa.loccitane.com.  Free shipping is included and this Giveaway is available to USA residents only.

L’Occitane’s earth and body friendly goods, from the south of France, are renowned for having only the purest Herbes de Provence and finest essential oils  — their Shea Butter, French Soap and Shower Gel are sweet treats for body, heart and soul.  A personal fave of mine is their Ruban d’Orange – a fabulous way to keep skin silky and smooth year-round.

To enter this random drawing, simply:  (more…)

It’s good to see some green marketing taking a turn for the funny.  Audi is rolling out a Super Bowl ad that features both humor in and a customized version of Cheap Trick’s ‘Dream Police.’  The clean diesel Audi A3 TDI earned its green chops by winning the 2010 Green Car of the Year Award presented by the Green Car Journal at December’s Los Angeles Auto Show.  Green Car Journal judges concluded that the A3 stood out by delivering lower emissions and an EPA-rated 42 mpg in highway driving – all with Audi’s typical luxury touches…oh, one other thing, try to keep those “compost infractions” to a minimum during your own Super Bowl festivities…

Toronto-based, Luflic professes the need to design furniture that is “desirable and durable so there is no reason to replace it or throw it away.”  The “In the Round” chair, pictured above, was named after the technique of knitting sleeves or socks “In the Round.”

To accomadate upholstering a chair completely with only one knit sleeve, the tubular steel frame of the chair had to be formed in one continuous line that closed in a loop.   A fifty foot sleeve of renewable wool is required  in construction since the felting process creates substantial shrinkage.  The chair is available in either solid colors or stripes.

I don’t know if anyone needs 770 horsepower, a 200mph top speed and the ability to go 0 to 60mph in 3 seconds, but these are electric cars…from the press release:

Capstone Turbine Corporation today announced that Velozzi, a Los Angeles-based car designer and manufacturer, will become the first auto company to integrate Capstone’s ultra-clean C65 and C30 microturbines into a electric supercar (above) and a crossover vehicle (below).

“The first electric supercar with a 65-kilowatt microturbine will be available in late 2010.  (more…)

Winter’s here and cold temperatures are on the rise.  But, before you reach for the thermostat, consider these eco products that’ll help you stay warm and keep energy costs down.

Rambler’s Way next-to-skin Long Johns and Janes are made to endure even the coldest, dampest Maine days.  Made from fine fiber wool grown from organically raised domestic sheep, these undergarments are constructed to repel moisture and odors, so you’ll stay warm even when wet.  And, rest assured, their wool resists shrinkage through an all-natural enzyme, making it fully machine-washable. ($100-$110)

Go to bed with a hottie and you’ll stay warm throughout the night. The collection (from:to:from) by Janice Yan-Yan Wu consists of one of a kind hot water bottle covers (called hotties), all handmade and crafted from recycled fabrics. Each purchase comes with a hot water bottle insert you simply fill up with boiling water and tuck under you covers. It’s the eco-conscious alternative to an electric blanket, and so much cuter! ($45)

Nothing warms you up quite like a nice hot cup of jo.  Grab a mug of Peace Coffee, which is always 100% fair trade, organic, and shade-grown.  Beyond the coffee itself, Peace Coffee uses bike delivery whenever possible to save fossil fuels.  They also have a biodiesel-fueled van to make those deliveries outside the reach of a bike.  You can find a store near you or order online. ($10.95-$11.95 per lb)

Snuggle up with some company in a West Elm Green organic blanket, knit of chemical-free organic cotton and certified using Global Organic Textile Standards.  Body heat and blankets keep you extra toasty.  In fact, in half an hour, a person’s body produces enough heat to bring half a gallon of water to a boil.  So, cuddle up… for the environment’s sake. ($69-$99)

Warm up those icy feet with Toasty Toes by Cozy Products.  The adjustable heated footrest radiates heat up to 140 degrees, while using less energy than a standard light bulb (90 watts).  With its travel friendly size, measuring 12” by 18” at just five pounds, you can carry it with ease on all your travels; ($85).

• To get climate legislation passed you’ve got to keep those coal and corn folks happy…Obama Eyes Biofuels, Clean Coal in New Climate Push – reuters
• When things start to go bad…Toyota Says Prius Had Brake Design Problems – yahoo! news
• I think it may be more of a quality over quantity deal…Survey Says: Republicans Know More Than Democrats – livescience
• My guess – she’s spent too much time watching Desperate Housewives…Giant Panda to Learn Chinese – ananova
• Thank you India…Black Carbon a Significant Factor in Melting of Himalayan Glaciers – sciencedaily
• I love giant salamander videos. Close Encounters With Japan’s Living Fossil – bbc
• Drop the snowboard and grab your hiking boots…Warming Melts Winter Fun, Colo. Warns – msnbc

If you’re moving away from plastic glut you may want to take a look at Lexon’s collection of small devices and green gadgets made with renewable, sustainable bamboo.  The line includes clocks, radios, calculators and LED lights all made with bamboo housings or bodies.   The dual power calculator runs on both solar, and battery power.

If you’ve ever been to Norway you might remember the beautiful fields, the friendly people and, most of all, the chilling wind.  Norway is already one of the world’s leaders in harnessing wind power.  They have the world’s first floating wind turbine (awesome!) and could be the EU’s energy lifeline.  Now, a company called On Office, has designed an entire city of wind turbines.

The On Office design isn’t just a bunch of wind turbines.  It’s a real, live city.  The turbines house hotels, spas, museums and more.  Off the Norweigan coast, the turbines would be connected like a set of islands, and would be easily accessible to both mainlanders and passing ships.

Unfortunately, offshore wind designs are often met with ornery skepticism (heaven forbid there’s a little speck ruining the view you’re paying millions of dollars for).  Even in Norway, where citizens are markedly more open to renewable energy and designs, the government has had trouble pitching larger scale wind farms to its people.  This design, however, could change all that.  If it’s not only an energy maker, but a money maker too, the people might see it a bit differently.  And hey, it doesn’t hurt that it looks really cool.

related:  solar city

The high quality, soft to the touch, Merino wool used in the making of the:  15″ laptop sleeve, coffee cuff and iPod / iPhone case (pictured above) — is a sustainable, renewable and durable alternative to the plastic, cardboard and leather typically used in the manufacturing of similar products.

To accent these felt designs, the bits of leather used are hand-dyed in Byrd & Belle’s studio — using environmentally friendly, low v.o.c. dyes.  find @ byrd and belle’s internet shop

related: In the Round Felt Covered Chair