Especially in the summer, bamboo/organic cotton tees, are the only kind I ever want to wear.  With bamboo’s wonderful wicking abilities and anti-bacterial properties, it really makes a difference in helping to stay cool, dry and comfy.

If you’re an aficionado of green tee shirts, you may have already discovered that not all bamboo tees are created equal — some bamboo tees feel very “thin” and have a tendency to cling to every bit of skin on our bodacious bods.  But that’s not the case with Bad Genes tees.  Comprised of 70% viscose from certified organic bamboo, and 30% organic cotton — these feel great, and the fabric has a nice weight — it’s “thicker” than most, but not heavy feeling.

Adding to their eco cred, all manufacturing for takes place in a closed loop system — All chemicals used are recycled and the end products are OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 certified as being free of harmful residues. They’re dyed and printed in the USA.  Check out some of their offbeat designs, below:

(above – Bad Genes,

bottom – Own Less, Live More)

Wondering about the name, Bad Genes?  Company founder, Alexander Giray, explains, “Bad Genes is our way of rationalizing the unnatural human behavior towards nature and ourselves.”

One way to feel good is knowing that Bad Genes currently donates three dollars from every sale to protect the environment, and beginning August 1, they’ll also plant a tree for every shirt sold. Top photo: Donning Bad Genes tees are members of the band, The Coop. Find @ badgenes.com

(And hey, thanks for providing us with a few samples for the purposes of this review.  I’m wearing one right now.)

Fly me to my parking space – I wonder what this would do to car insurance premiums? Overcrowding and dwindling surface area are the inspiration for Nikolay Kolev’s Helium Parking concept, which was short-listed in Nissan’s 2009 “Think Outside the Box” competition.

The system would incorporate helium, wind and solar power, as well as existing buildings as a storage medium.  The designer also envisions ‘floating’ and collapsible units and giant parking trees.  Perhaps we should be thinking about reducing the vast number of cars – and their emissions – on the road, rather  than finding innovative ways to store them.  This is a cool design concept nonetheless.

It’s never too early to expose your kids to an earth-friendly lifestyle.  And toys are a great place to start.  This chunky-looking Recycle Truck is totally constructed from curbside-collected, recycled milk jugs.  The truck has no metal axles and comes in recyclable packaging.

A youngster gets a green toy and an eco-friendly concept all in one fun package.  Another bonus – when they’re playing with this, they’re not watching TV.  Now try to get your offspring to take out the trash.  Good luck!

From Green Toys – marked down to $15.50 @ amazon.com

• The oil spill counter stopped at 3,900,000 barrels.  If you’ve been in a cave somewhere you may have missed this…No Oil Leaking as BP Conducts Tests on Well – cnn
• He could be under your sink right now…‘Mystery Plumber’ May be Brains Behind Containment Cap – cs monitor
• Who’s smarter cats or monkeys? Jungle Cat Mimics Monkey to Lure Prey - natgeo
• This has nothing to do with Larry King…Human Sperm Gene is 600 Million Years Old – sciencedaily
• The oil spill has been dominating headlines but a bigger long term story may be…First Half of 2010 is Warmest on Record – msnbc

For all you non-scientists out there, Theobromine is a mild stimulant related to caffeine that makes up about 2% of cacao beans.  Scientist turned jeweler, Raven Hanna, and her Made With Molecules jewelry line specializes in accessories in the shape of molecules.  Melding science and eco art, she made this necklace (above) using reclaimed silver.

Theobromine is thought to elevate one’s mood by causing the release of feel-good neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine – perhaps wearing this necklace can have the same effect.  More molecular minutiae – the name theobromine is derived from Greek words, meaning “food of the gods.”  For the health benefits from the flavonoids and antioxidants in chocolate, choose the darkest varieties.

From Raven’s series of silver molecule jewelry is another personal fave, the Dopemine Keychain (below):

Eco fashionista Green Grechen serves up tasty discounts, coupons, freebies and tips like this one, every day.  Don’t miss out on Vogel10′s July 30% off sale going on now.

Lounging should be the new national pastime.

Uhuru Design’s Cyclone Lounger is a tribute to The Cyclone rollercoaster – one of Coney Island’s last remaining functional rides.  The lounger’s undulating dark and light reclaimed Ipe combines with the crisp, white laser-cut metal base to mimic the serpentine form of the roller coaster.  The metal is finished with a low-VOC powder coat finish.

Uhuru created their Coney Island line from reclaimed wood taken from the demolished boardwalk.  The Ipe wood, first installed on the boardwalk in the late 1940′s, has weathered in the sun, salt, and snow for 70 years.

Available in a Limited Edition of 10. Hand built to order, signed and numbered by the maker in Red Hook, Brooklyn and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.

• Is the leak ever going to get plugged? Leaking Equipment Delays BP’s Efforts to Stop Gulf Oil Gusher – cnn
• Today’s La Jolla beach report – sunny with intermittent stingrays…More Than 60 Beachgoers Stung by Stingrays – san diego kgtv news
• Could tougher enforcement be working? Report: Illegal Logging Down Across the Globe – yahoo! news
• Rumor has it they also confiscated a pirated DVD of “Scarface”… Cocaine Submarine Photos – natgeo
• More reliable…Solar-Powered Wells Displace Windmills on Western Plains – msnbc
• Biological Bonanza in Kenya’s Threatened Forest – bbc
• Our culture continues to decline…American Man Designs ‘Toilet Car’ – orange news

I was poking around designers’ portfolios on Coroflot and thought I’d feature a few eye-catching, eco-friendly architectural designs.

Upcycling existing materials into something new and exciting is a great way to go ‘green’.  Jamaica-based, Kamaal Manboard, created this container home design (above) for his 4th year student project at the Caribbean School of Architecture.

Going small, mobile and back to nature…Josif Neema’s ‘Folding Beach Hut’ (above) is a portable, leisure housing concept.  The little hut is designed to fold-up into something resembling a box.  Hope it doesn’t rain.

People who live in glass houses see more…The U.K.’s Joe Yardley envisions his Ecology Centre 2010 (above) as a venue in which to display current earth-friendly technologies and concepts.  The hexagonal facade was inspired by the sciences of biology and organic chemistry, where the plant cell and the skeletal diagram of compounds chemistry grew from an earlier design based on the cellular sandstone ashlar of its Huddersfield location.

Having green, living plants around makes everyday urban life a little more endurable…Design Team: Farzan Shamasblou – Mahyar Mohammadi (Iran) – something on a bigger scale – the Babak Residential Complex (above) that stays green by strategically integrating living gardens into the design.

There’s always economies of scale and manufacturing efficiencies to be realized in prefab and modular housing manufacture.  MisoSoupDesign – Daisuke Nagatomo and Minnie Jan – created the Live Pod prefab concept (above).