Thin film photovoltaic panels which are currently charging small devices, cell phones and other green gadgets – may soon be applied to the windows of your home, the roof of your car or integrated into the skin of your iPhone to keep your carbon footprint small and your energy independence quotient high.  A little company called Konarka Technologies has been developing thin film photovoltaic products since 2001.

Konarka has developed its Power Plastic product – a thin film photovoltaic material that captures both indoor and outdoor light and converts it into direct current (DC) electrical energy – to create mainstream consumer applications for everyday use.

The energy captured by the Power Plastic product can be used immediately, stored for later use, or converted to other forms.  Power Plastic can be applied to a wide variety of potential applications – from microelectronics to portable power (like backpacks or solar chargers), remote power (off-grid) and for use in green building applications like solar windows, solar roofing and home siding products.  The product can be manufactured into the skin or body of a product, or applied to an existing surface like windows.  Konarko is partnering with Arch Aluminum & Glass to develop transparent and opaque Power Plastic panels to be integrated into windows and curtain walls.

PurBlu Beverages recently launched GIVE WATER and GIVE ENERGY drinks in some new flavors.  Armed with some free samples, we gave them and try – and here’s what we think:  it’s all good. Give stimulates your brain, body and the economy.

We were blown away by the taste and refreshment derived from GIVE Water. It’s absolutely delicious – probably the best tasting bottled water we’ve ever had.

Where does it come from?  Two different sources — on the east coast — Alpine Springs, Livingston Manor, New York.  And on the west coast – Sierra Mountain Springs, Baxter, California.

And the bottle?  The bottles are oxo-biodegradable and will decompose in 10 years.

But as you may surmise, GIVE is more than a brand of beverages.  It’s a brand with a mission.

For every bottle of water that’s sold, 10 cents is donated to one of 4 local charities:  Give Life to children in need; Give Hope to women with breast cancer, Give Love to protect our environment and Give Strength to fight muscular disorders.

Their other product offering, GIVE Energy, is a line of all-natural carbonated drinks with a twist.  They’re intended to GIVE you natural brain + body energy while your purchase gives money to alternative energy initiatives.

With each purchase of this pick-me-up you’re giving 10 cents to sustainable energy initiatives — like wind and solar power.  GIVE Energy comes in 5 flavors:  Acai Blueberry Pomegranate, Mojito Grapefruit, Pear Apple Cherry, as well as Lite:  Pear Apple Cherry and Tangerine Melon.

We tasted the Acai Blueberry Pomegranate and it does appear to provide an energy boost.  And perhaps mental acuity is increased as well — given ingredients like Ginko Biloba one can only hope.  The carbonation is good.  At first – it tastes pretty sweet.  But after a few swallows, my taste buds seemed to adjust, and the sweetness wasn’t overbearing.

What’s in it?  Here’s what is listed on the can:

Natural Caffeine, Gotu Kola leaf/root extract, Yerba Mate leaf extract, Guarana Seed Extract, Ginko Biloba leaf extract, Rhodola Rosea root extract.  Other Ingredients:  water, pure cane sugar, natural flavor, citric acid, purple carrot juice concentrate (color) red grape juice concentrate (color), purple sweet potato juice concentrate (color).

If you Give a try, let us know what you think.  Drink up.  Drink sustainably.  Like them on FB and receive a free bottle of water!

Find Give drinks in your local market (listed by zip code on their Web site) or buy in bulk on amazon.com.

Need socks?  Today only, pick-up some crew socks at Maggie’s Organics and save $2 on each pair, (normally $8).  These are Fair Trade made, organic cotton, high quality socks designed for both men and women, and they’ll last for years.

Choose from 8 beautiful colors.  Enter code MONCREW22 at checkout.  Valid today only til 11:59pm EST and on online orders of solid crew singles.

• Sorry to interrupt your yachting Mr. Hayward but you have a call…BP Pushed to Speed Up Emergency Claims – cnn
• One thing is certain – whales will continue to be killed. Whaling Deal Splits Countries and Conservationists – bbc
• It’s out of necessity…Naked Penguin Gets Dapper Duds – aol news
• New Process is Promising for Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars – sciencedaily
• Itemizing this will get crazy…BP Gulf Spill Bill Hits $2 Billion, No End in Sight – yahoo! news
• Kinda cool…Bright Green Comet Easy to See This Week – natgeo

What better power source for reducing the heat produced by the sun, than the sun itself?

LG Electronics recently unveiled, (in Korea), an eco-friendly solar hybrid air conditioner.  Using energy captured from the sun to power the air conditioner via solar panel attached to the top the outdoor unit, this solar unit is estimated to produce up to 70 watts of power per hour.

According to the manufacturer this new solar air conditioner is capable of reducing the carbon footprint of the user by around 212kg of CO2 over 10 years — equivalent to saving 780 pine trees (over the 10 yr. period).

via: akihabara news

Tell him he’s tops.  Enjoy your day.  Rock his green world in a small carbon footprint way.

To fight the state of depression enveloping us over the Gulf Oil Spill we thought we’d lighten our mood by roughing out the pitch for a comedy loosely based on the tragedy.

Thus was born “Tar Balls” – The Movie

Concept:  A wacky bunch of misfits bands together to fight the greatest environmental disaster of our time.  Think ‘Airplane’ meets ‘Towering Inferno’ meets “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” without the star power of Leslie Nielsen, Paul Newman, or Shelley Winters.

Cast:

• Will Ferrell as Barack Obama – A man who can’t dress casually, administer a righteous ass-kicking, or “plug the damn hole” in his political or social life…Will Ferrell nails the president with another spot on characterization – wig and makeup required.  We’re leaning toward Beyonce as Michelle…
• John C. Reilly as Admiral Thad Allen – This man is on a mission.  Needs a catch phrase like “shake and bake” – from that Oscar-worthy opus, “Talladega Nights – The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” – to capture the synergy and relationship of Barack and Thad – 2 men, an oil boom and a burning ocean…John C has got to have a “Junk Shot” ad-lib in him somewhere…
• Mike Myers as our villain, BP’s Tony Hayward – With Peter Sellers gone, who better than “Dr. Evil” himself to capture the comedic timing and quippy-charm of a man prone to talk of “small people” and “getting his life back” whilst having no memory or knowledge of any of the actual operations of a multi-billion dollar company.  Think Fat Bastard redux, just change the line from “Come on, get in my belly” to “Come on, get in my wallet”.  A classic villain, able to talk of “making things right” while working to make everything go wrong…just give him a tight-perm and an angora cat.
• Jim Carrey as James Carville – Think of the accent, think of the granny glasses and envision Kirsten Wiig as James’ wife Mary Matalin.  Oh the comedic possibilities!
• Alec Baldwin as Rep. Joe Barton of Texas – It’s a cameo, but what a cameo!  A wardrobe change, a southern accent and a gray wig will transform the “30 Rock” star into the man who brought the House down with his classic punchline, “I’d like to apologize to BP…”
• Kevin Costner as Kevin Costner – Waterworld got him in the mood and his centrifuge puts him over the top.  Think “Dances With a Blowout Protector”.  A comeback in the making…

For all you folks who long for that old beanbag chair you spent so much time in back in the 70′s, we bring you Eco-poof.  This comfy pillow-lounger is ultra soft on the outside and cushy-soft on the inside.

Material:  inside – 100% recycled EPS beans, outside – Eco-felt made of 100% recycled PET bottles.

Sprawl out on one of these and you can really feel good about recycling.

You can find it (and its smaller sibling) at Matteriashop

Gone are the days of mindless consumption.  In this era of conscious consuming, it’s important to question how stuff is made when considering an acquisition.  And it’s important not to lose sight of this notion when buying a gift for that special someone.

When I stumbled on this reclaimed furniture, it seemed a neat gift for our top pops.  How cool would it be to give dad a piece of furniture made from salvaged materials that could be passed down and kept in the family for future generations?

A useful item like a mirror, vanity, bench, wine rack, cupboard or old-school chalkboard handmade & constructed from found, salvaged or reclaimed materials manifest a tangible cradle to cradle philosophy.

All Black Canyon Restorations are one-of-a-kind, finely crafted pieces from salvaged wood from old barns, doors and old telephone poles.  And they’re accented with vintage molding, tin, doorknobs, hooks, glass, and parts of stoves, pianos or chairs.

Owners Scott and Ann Lundquist also accommodate custom requests.  Visit Emmet, Idaho-based, blackcanyonrestorations.com for more info.