UPDATE:  We have contacted our 3 Lucky Winners, and await their reply.  We look forward to hearing from ANNE, KIM M. and MANEY before making it official.

Many thanks to Bad Genes for offering to sponsor this Great Green Giveaway!  With styles for men and women, we love these cool and comfy tees.

Three lucky winners will each receive an organic cotton/bamboo blend t-shirt of their choice.  Winners get to pick their favorite design. (Prize retail value:  $28 + free shipping to anywhere in the USA)

To Enter, simply:

• Visit badgenes.com -  find your favorite style and leave a comment on this post, telling us why you selected that particular design.
• To receive our winner’s notification, be sure to add the following address to your email address book: m (at) AlternativeConsumer.com.
• For additional entries, see below

If you have your own blog, you can post about the giveaway with a link back to this giveaway post. To make sure we know, come back and leave a comment with a link to your blog post.

You can tweet about the giveaway (once per day), and be sure to refer to @altCon, and leave a comment linking to the status.

Receive additional entries 3 more ways: subscribe to our RSS feed, follow us on Twitter or friend us on FaceBook. (If you’re already a subscriber, just enter a comment to let us know.)

Good luck! As always, we will not share your email info with anyone.

Three winners will be selected in our Random Drawing, and notified by email. Contest ends Saturday, July 31 at 11:59p (EST). Winners have 24 hours to claim their prize, or offer is null and void. Winners’ names will also be included on this post.

It’s a 60 mph e-bike, the next ‘must have‘ in urban transport.  Germany’s PG Bikes seems to think so, given the recent intro of their new Blacktail BT-01, high-end, electric bike.

Perhaps the e-bike market will embrace a design that’s priced like a Bentley, reaches speeds that are the e-bike equivalent of a Ferrari, produces zero emissions and looks like a prop from Will Smith’s ill-fated remake of ‘The Wild, Wild West.’

The bike features a CM48 V hybrid 1.2 KW engine, 3 driving modes controlled by BlackTrail BT667 Software, a 48 Volt Lithium Ion 17 Ah battery that charges to 80% in 30 minutes and 100% in 150 minutes.  Additional stuff:  ventilated disc brakes, deluxe LED dim light, brake light and back light, and a bunch of fancy indicators and status gauges.

What happens when you go 60mph on an e-bike – even a German engineered one?  Advice: strap on a good helmet.

a high-end 59,500.00 € @ PG-Bikes.com

Let’s face facts – as much as we love playing outside, the sun can cause serious damage to our skin.  It’s important to find the right balance of getting a healthy dose of Vitamin D from sun’s rays and protecting that delicate epidermis.

I recently received a complimentary sample of John Masters Organics SPF 30 Natural Mineral Sunscreen for the purposes of this Tried and True Green Product Review.  As a fan of his hair care products and NYC salon, I was interested to see what this new sunscreen product was all about.  Here’s the skinny.

After using it steadily here in Florida for the past few weeks, I’m happy to say that the texture of the lotion is beautiful, it goes on smoothly, and leaves skin feeling moisturized.  And it works — providing hours of much-needed protection.  I also like the fact that I can apply it over other moisturizer, which is how I apply it on my face.

As far as what’s in it?  It’s made right here in the USA with certified organic ingredients (aloe vera, jojoba oil, shea butter, green tea extract, calendula) and active ingredients (minerals) — titanium dioxide (7.5%) and zinc oxide (5.0%) for broad spectrum protection.  For a complete list of the ingredients, link here.

I’m no scientist, but I do try to keep up with what seems to be the ever-changing landscape of what’s good for us and what’s not so good.  For years I’ve relied on Environmental Working Group (EWG) to help sort through all the good stuff and bad.  They don’t have the resources to keep up with all new products, but they do endorse mineral-based ingredients in sunscreen.

A bit pricey, but considering the high grade ingredients, I personally think it’s worth it.  Find ($32) @ johnmasters.com — enter AWARD code before July 31, and receive 25% off.

Related:  EWG’s 2010 Sunscreen Guide.

Now you can display eco-friendly big game trophies around your home without going all ‘Charlton Heston’ and blowing away some unsuspecting rhino or moose.  Cardboard Safari makes these decorative animal figures and animal trophies from recycled, non-toxic cardboard.  The figures are laser-cut for precision fit and easy assembly using slotted construction.

They look great in their native brown or white and can be customized with paint, wrapping paper or other craft materials.

The little sculptures can be recycled if the kids damage them or they no longer amuse you.

You can buy one for as little as $12 @ Cardboard Safari’s Etsy shop

Common Ground, a touring art, media, and technology exhibition, will be in North America from July 8 to August 13.  I haven’t been able to attend it myself, but I hope to soon, it sounds exciting.  Over 1000 artists from 40 countries are participating.

The multimedia exhibit emphasizes the common ground of all people on Earth, bringing together art + media to raise awareness and financial support for environmental projects, worldwide.  The Common Ground community unites designers, artists, curators, art patrons and galleries alike, all who share a common interest for a great cause — celebrating a healthy planet.

The exhibition is corporate-sponsored and relies heavily on media coverage from print to broadcast to internet.  Common Ground helps generate funds for new environmental projects by non-profit organizations all around the world, including:  the World Wildlife Fund, Global Giving and The Global Environmental Institute.

Currently, it’s at the A&I Gallery (933 North Highland Ave, Los Angeles, 90038) for a limited time; so if you’re in the area, visit it soon, before it moves on to Europe later this year.

For more info, visit Common Ground 2010.

• Frisky…Whale of a Tale!  40-Ton Mammal Lands on Yacht – msnbc
• BP Tests Continue as Officials Explore New Option – cnn
• Everything today is about ‘biggest’ and ‘best’…Scientists Find Most Massive Star Ever Discovered – yahoo! news
• Sad mystery…Hundreds of Dead Penguins Washed up in Brazil – bbc
• Kyoto CO2 Trade May End if No Climate Deal – reuters
• Pictures: Surprising Creatures Found Deep Off Australia – natgeo

Accell recently introduced GreenGenius, a new line of energy saving (and money-saving) smart surge protectors for computers and a-v gear.  When offered a GreenGenius all my own, the product name alone was hard to resist.

According to a Dept of Energy study, 15% of the energy an average household uses is for standby current.  And many electronic devices use unnecessary power when idle, in standby mode or even when turned off (vampire alert).

I just received my GreenGenius yesterday, and with the hub away this week, I didn’t relish the thought of messing with our computer set-up.  I’m not a tech geek by any stretch, but it’s incredible – even I understood how this little baby works.  All I had to do was plug my computer line in the Master Outlet and the printer in the Energy-Saving Controlled Outlet.

So, what does this GreenGenius do?  It automatically turns off the power to idle devices, eliminating electricity usage and saving money.

The 6-outlet power surge protector (the one I have), features a Master Outlet, 2 Energy-saving Switch Outlets and 3 Always-on Outlets, (designed for devices such as a clock or phone).

A sensor constantly monitors the flow of electricity to the Master Outlet, so when there is an increase or decrease in the flow of electricity, the surge protector automatically turns on or off the power to the Switch Outlets, saving valuable amounts of energy, and of course, money.  Extra perk — there’s a nice built-in noise reduction filter to quell both audio and visual noise.  Impressive.

Available in either six or ten surge protected power outlets.  The 6-outlet version retails for $34.99 and is estimated to save over $39/year in electricity.  2 different, 10-outlet versions are available at $49.99 and $54.99 — get all the stats @ acellcables.com.

Tired of clunky metal or ceramic trivets?  Why not protect your kitchen counters and table tops with a heat resistant, 100% wool trivet in a cool spiral design?  Created by Bookhou Design, the trivet’s spiral swirl design is based on the Canadian duo’s furniture designs.  Choose from 3 colors: red, white, or recycled gray.

Renewable wool is a great insulator (ie: wool socks). $26.50 @ re-modern.com

Way too many American backyards are littered with decaying cars — toxic evidence of past glories, bad decisions and bygone times.  But this ’65 Volkswagen Micro Bus is a stellar example of making something cool and functional out of junkyard debris.

Whether you consider it ‘upcycling’ or ‘recycling’ this is an approach we all should probably embrace more fully.

via: recyclart