• I think I would’ve used a tasty combination of bleepable four letter words…Obama Accuses BP of ‘Recklessness’ - msnbc
• Cookie cutter spill plans included dead scientist contact info and walrus protection…Lawmakers Blast Oil Firms’ Spill Disaster Plans - reuters
• Lunar gardening anyone? The Moon Has a Hundred Times More Water Than Thought – natgeo
• They’ll take their ball (and bribes) and go home if they can’t rig the game…Japan May Quit Whaling Commission if Ban Stays Put – myway
• Ancient musical weirdos plan listening event for cats…yes the furry kind…DEVO’S New Album is the Cat’s Meow – aol news
• I guess there’s a study for everything…Crayfish Brain May Offer Rare Insight Into Human Decision Making – sciencedaily

(above L to R) Fabulous sale going on at ShopBop, on Re Collection women’s clothing, where everything is made from recycled material right here in the USofA.  Most items are 70% off, and these sales are final, no returns. Find your personal faves @ shopbop.com

UPDATE: It’s official, Congratulations to Amanda D., our official winner.  Thanks to everyone for participating.  (original post follows…)

We’re very excited to announce that this Great Green Giveaway is graciously being sponsored by a new, eco chic handbag line, The Hemptress.

Designer Arlene Nilsson recently launched three collections of cool styles and we’re giving one lucky winner a coveted SONJA handbag. Sonja is vegan, made of hemp, styled as either a clutch or fold-over, in 3 hip colorways.

Why do we love Sonja? Both her body and trim are made of natural hemp, lining is a blend of hemp and rPET (recycled plastic bottles), low impact dyes are utilized and zippers are made from recycled nylon. The hangtags and all promotional material are printed with soy inks on recycled paper.

Winner takes their pick of both style and color. Above (L to R) is the SONJA Foldover Bag, ($79 retail) or Large Clutch, ($105).  Prize includes free shipping to residents in USA and Canada.

By the way, Mona was selected from a total of 1000 submissions as one of the Five Best Green Handbag design finalists at InStyle Magazine’s Independant Handbag Designer Awards – and we can’t wait to hear the results on June 16th.

To enter this Giveaway, simply:

• Visit thehemptress.com and check out all the fresh styles
• Then tell us:  What’s the most important thing you look for in a handbag – color, style, how it’s made, etc?
• Add the following address to your email address book: m (at) alternativeConsumer.com.

One winner will be selected in our Random Drawing, and notified by email. Contest ends Wednesday, June 23 at 11:59p (EST). Winner has 24 hours to claim their prize, or offer is null and void. Winner’s name will be included on this post.

*One entry per person, but here’s how to get some extra credit:

• Have your own blog? Post about the giveaway with a link back to this giveaway post. To make sure we know, you can come back and leave a comment with a link to your blog post.
• follow us on Twitter and let us know by leaving a complete sentence on this post. Please note : if you don’t leave a complete sentence our spam filter will think you’re just being a nuisance.
• Tweet about the giveaway (once per day), and be sure to refer to @altCon. Leave us a comment on this post by writing a  short sentence with a link to the Tweet.
• friend us on FaceBook (comment by leaving a short sentence.)
• subscribe to our RSS feed – (if you’re already a subscriber, leave a comment by writing a short sentence).

And don’t worry, we do not share your email info with anyone.  good luck!

Now you can create the energy to power up your cellphone or other small gadget just by walking.  Tremont Electric has announced that they’re nPower PEG (Personal Energy Generator) – a wearable generator that recharges cell phones, Mp3 players, cameras, and GPS devices by harvesting the kinetic energy generated by human walking – is now available for purchase.

Unlike mobile power solutions and chargers that require turning hand cranks, setting up solar arrays or carrying fuel, the PEG is completely self-contained and passive. By placing the PEG vertically in your backpack or briefcase and carrying it with you as you walk, it will collect and store energy for situations where you’re off-grid and on-the-go.

More details:
nPower says the PEG is compatible with over 3,000 hand-held devices. The PEG allows you to create renewable energy by walking, thus reducing your personal carbon footprint with every stride. Its unique adaptive control system automatically adjusts to your activity to extract maximum power. When mounted it can harvest energy from the movement of a kayak or bike. It’s made with a tough polycarbonate frame and contains a fully recyclable lithium polymer battery and components.

The nPower PEG is available for purchase from the nPower website for $149.99

related: green gadgets

What’s not to love?  Jeff Sauer takes reclaimed flooring, timber and paneling and gives them a new life as beautifully handcrafted rustic furniture with a great distressed look.  Jeff sells his creations through his one-man company – Barn Boy Furniture.  He gets 100% of his wood, and almost all his raw materials – including hardware and finishes – from old homes and teardowns, the local dump and estate sales.  All his cupboards, tables and benches are super eco-friendly.

The Yellow Pioneer piece pictured above was built from the Douglas-fir paneling of an old farm kitchen, and the top of the piece is made from Douglas-fir floorboards from a 90-year-old house that was torn down in San Luis Obispo.

Jeff’s one-man shop is located in Arroyo Grande, CA, just north of L.A..  About  90% of what he builds is custom.  Nice.

In my book, the summer season was made for living outdoors, especially here in the northern states like Michigan.  Naturally, barbecuing becomes a weekend occurrence and what’s a BBQ without a cool drink to hold in hand as the sun sets?  This past weekend as we grilled up kabobs, we settled down with a new pour of wine–CalNaturale‘s organic chardonnay for a taste-test courtesy of the company.

Not that I’m looking for an excuse to drink another glass of wine, but in addition to being made with certified organically-grown grapes, CalNaturale is made in Mendicino, Calif. and comes in eco-friendly packaging that allows the brand to use less than half the greenhouse gases, waste and energy of glass bottles in production and transportation.  On top of its eco cred, it’s a solid white wine staple, fresh, dry and just slightly fruity, which paired nicely with our grilled chicken and veggie combo.  And for the picnickers among us, you simply can’t beat the unbreakable package that’s ideal for toting to the park or lake and comes with a handy screw-on cap.

If white’s not your thing (I’m a sucker for a sweet drink), you can sip on the Cabernet Sauvignon varietal, which hit stores last summer.  Both are a good deal, priced at $6.99 for a 500 ml package and $12.99 for one liter.  You can pick up a package at Whole Foods or your local natural grocery.

As part of our green your summer series, we’ve compiled a small collection of surfboards designed and manufactured in a more eco conscious manner than your traditional boards.

(above) From the most memorable mermaid ever, (Splash), Daryl Hannah’s pick – The Big Kahuna – an American made hemp board for only $777.

(above) hesssurfboards.com Utilizes reclaimed and sustainably harvested wood; cork; EPS foam (recyclable foam), low VOC epoxy for strong, high performance boards that last longer than conventional boards.

oceangreen.org Fair Trade made and handcrafted in Nicaragua utilizing wood from sustainably managed forests.  With a hollow balsa core, these boards are lightweight yet designed for optimum performance.  The Golondrina, above, was tested in the fierce waters off the coast of the Emerald Isle.

countryfeeling.com (above) – Made from a variety of eco-conscious materials, such as in the Eco Gun – replacing fiberglass with organic hemp and utilizing sun-cure resin to reduce 70% of the VOCs from escaping during the glassing process.

Related:

• the Famous eco traction pad @ betruetoblue.com
• surfrider.org to help conserve the health and biodiversity of our oceans.

previously on altCon:

• The Next Wave:  Recycled Surfboards (2.3.09)
• Ocean Green – Ecofoil Surfboards (2.9.07)
• Riding Maine’s Green Wave (1.13.07)

As an eco-minded shoe fanatic, I couldn’t refuse Green Envy’s offer to comp me a pair of flip flops whose sole is made of recycled rubber and thong strap is comprised of recycled polyethylene material.

With over 25 variations, the hardest part was figuring out which design to pick.  They come in an amazing array of funky styles — solids and stripes, stars, skulls, geometrics and everything in-between.  A peace lover at heart, I chose the Freedom Army motif (above, lower far right).  It was those neutral earth-tones – most of my casual threads fall under this color palette.

I’ve been flip flopping all over southern Florida in them, looking on-trend, feeling comfy, and receiving several “those are cool” compliments.  Their eco flip-flops are priced at $16./pair.  Sizes run 5/6 = small; 7/8 = medium, etc.  If you happen to be a size 6.5, go with the medium.

It’s a karmic boost to know when you align with Green Envy, you’re supporting an etailer focused on offering organic, reclaimed and ethically made quality goods – reasonably priced.

Find these cute flops, as well as eco minded jewelry, clothes, accessories and beauty products @ lovegreenenvy.com.

Recipe for Eco-friendly Wall Art: One upcycled dead elm tree – check (unfortunately there have been a lot of these); chain saw – check; a liberal amount of artistic vision – chec; some colorful acrylic paint – check; several clear coats – check; and finally…artist Tracy Melton’s signature on the back.  The paintings feature hollowed-out backs for wall hanging.

Referred to by the artist as having “Scandinavian Style;” (a handmade set of 3 goes for $94.99) @ focuslineart’s etsy shop