Though traditional bubble packing material may provide an easy packing solution it’s unfortunately loaded with environmentally unfriendly attributes. 

FP International, a Redwood, California-based company, has come up with a greener packing solution for small businesses looking for an alternative to traditional bubble material and Styrofoam peanuts.  The company’s new product, Biodegradable Pillow Pak air cushion material, is made from 100 percent recyclable material, and, unlike traditional bubble material, will biodegrade in the presence of microorganisms within nine to 60 months if it finds its way into a landfill or soil.  (more…)

Online eco fashion boutique, Envi has an amazing 50% off sale going on ’til tomorrow 7am, ET.  Now’s the time to spiff up that spring wardrobe.

Check out these fab finds, above … Spruce Dress in majolica blue, was $188 now $94.

All sales are Final when you use this code — “yinyang” — free shipping on orders over $100 — so hurry, offer ends tomorrow (3/12 at 7am, ET) @ shopEnvi.com

Artist and designer Paul Klein hand-fashions functional sculptures from found and recycled materials he discovers in the old buildings, secluded beaches and forests of his local area.  His art ranges from sculptural tables and floor lamps, to mirrors and candle holders – all imbued with with the lush spirit of nature.  Paul sells his work through his design company, New Hope in Wood.

• Turn vacant lots into farmland…Detroit Looks to Downsize to Save City – washington times
• Tough way to shorten your commute…Quake Moved Chilean City 10 Feet – livescience
• Could it be that they just want to reduce the bill for the mess they created? GE: Limit PCB Contamination During Hudson Dredging – yahoo! news
• This would be just another day in Florida…Giant Python Loose on Housing Estate – ananova
• They weren’t the ones that destroyed spawning habitat…Sea Lions Killed for Eating Too Many Salmon – msnbc
• Nothing like an old fashioned McCarthyesque witch hunt to get the juices flowing…Climate Email Re-Run – nature
• More people cause more problems…Not More Quakes, Just More People in Quake Zones – myway

SunHydro wants to put some hydrogen in your tank.  The company is taking the first step toward creating the world’s first chain of privately funded hydrogen fueling stations by getting the go-ahead for its first fueling station in Wallingford, CT.   SunHydro’s plan is to build an East Coast hydrogen corridor from Maine to Miami – providing sustenance for future zero emissions, hydrogen fueled vehicles.

The company intends to create the hydrogen equivalent to branded “Mobil,” “Shell,” or “Hess” fuel stations.  SunHydro’s goal is to create a viable hydrogen fueling infrastructure for hydrogen-powered vehicles in a “if you build it they will come” business scenario.  The SunHydro model is designed to put the fueling station literally “in a box.”  The on-site hydrogen generator is a self-contained, solar-powered unit housed in a specialized shipping container – a new and innovative technology that should decrease infrastructure costs for the alternative fuel start-up.  (more…)

These zippy Kofia bracelets from Brooklyn’s Wrecordsbymonkey’s Classic Patterns Collection are made from the remains of some forgotten record collection.  The bracelets, which are emblazoned with a Shemagh scarf pattern, are available in a variety of colors.

$25 @ wrecordsbymonkey

Last month, New York City blogger Cathy Erway stretched her story beyond the computer screen.  Her new book, “The Art of Eating In: How I Learned to Stop Spending and Love the Stove” (Gotham, 2010) is a continuation of her blog, Not Eating Out in New York, which chronicles the urbanite’s efforts to forgo dining at any of the city’s overpriced, overrun restaurants.

Part life story, part cookbook, this 320-page manifesto introduces us to a twenty-something who’s just plain ready to stir things up–and not just in the kitchen.  In between the drama of relationships and a nine-to-five career, Erway finds the time to kick start her own culinary experimentation.  From foraging for edible greens in Prospect Park to dumpster-diving, she scours the Big Apple for smart, savvy eating-in options and along the way also indulges in underground supper clubs and a bevy of cook-offs.  A refreshing take on the foodie lifestyle, Erway also peels back the layers of consumption so often associated with dining out. In one instance, she weighs the waste accompanying a Chinese takeout meal versus the home cooked version, giving readers a glimpse into the world of mass disposables.

A light, but thought-provoking read, Erway mulls concepts like freeganism and provides her insights on living a practical, more eco-friendly life.  In this story, it’s the people and the passion of cooking that make the gourmand, not the pricey atmosphere or celebrity chefs.  And while I’m hardly a cook, I have to agree.  Settling down to finish the hardcover I found myself motivated to pull out the pots and pans so deeply packed away in my cupboards.  After all, at the end of the day, eating in is a healthy choice for every individual, as well as the planet.  And as Erway proves, there’s a connection worth investigation that forms when we boil our own water, mix our own ingredients, and heat our own stove.

Find a copy at Amazon;  $24.

Ever had a few too many and stumbled up the stairs of your home only to find yourself staring at your neighbor’s identical front door?  Could happen to anybody, right?  With identical, cookie-cutter McMansions proliferating like mosquitoes in a pup tent it’s no wonder America is becoming the land of conformity and home of the bland – another unfortunate reality, many of those big, boxy McMansions are poorly constructed, energy sucking enemies of the environment.   No style and no substance.

Well who would have thought that a modular home might provide an eco-friendly solution to suburbia’s lack of identity, New World Home and Hearst Magazines announced today a partnership for the Country Living Collection of historically inspired “country” modular homes that feature USGBC LEED® certification.

Moving forward by looking back – New World Home – a developer of sustainable housing, has created a line of new green modular homes that are a convergence of historically inspired design, next generation green products and practices and a highly efficient manufacturing process. New World’s  New Old Green Modular, or NOGM, home platform will now feature The Country Living Collection, a series of home designs that will offer homeowners classic, American style in a high performance home that exceeds the building industry’s most stringent green standards.  Goodbye big box.

“The Country Living Green Modular Home Collection offers a range of historically inspired designs that reflect the comfortable, warm and inviting style found in the pages of the magazine. Interior and exterior details hand-selected by the editors of Country Living include signature elements such as open floor plans, porches, fireplaces and oversized windows.”

The homes in the Country Living Green Modular Home Collection range from 1,100 to 2,300 square feet with an average price of $150-$200 per square foot ($165,000-$460,000) excluding land and site costs. Every home can be customized on demand and typically move-in ready, less than 100 days from the start of production.

“New World Home utilizes a proprietary whole-systems design approach to building science that integrates state-of-the-art products and practices from around the world. As a result, homeowners will reduce overall energy consumption by more than 50%, save thousands of gallons of water per year and enjoy superior indoor air quality over an average code-built house,” says Tyler Schmetterer, co-founder of New World Home.

New World Home is currently producing a Country Living Design Center, the first of the collection, in the New York tri-state area scheduled to open in summer 2010.

source: new world home

Day-tripping in NYC but need a space to hang your hat and crank-up your laptop?

Sign up for a Free Day Pass, and work in sustainable style at Green Spaces NY.  As Co-founder Jennie Nevin says, “We recycle, compost, use CFL light bulbs and use all reclaimed furniture throughout our space.”  Awesome, right?  Pass it on…