Though the 2011 Ford Explorer is still a big ol’ SUV it will soon hit the highway as yet another example of Ford Motor company’s commitment to sustainability in both its business practices, and products.

A few of the greener features of the The 2011 Explorer:

• 40 percent soy polyurethane foam will be used in its seat cushions and seatbacks. Bio-based foam has helped Ford reduce its annual petroleum oil usage by more than 10,500 barrels.
• Aerodynamic improvements in the Explorer’s side-view mirrors, front air dam and the rear lift-gate spoiler help increase fuel efficiency by 4 percent.
• Explorer’s extensive use of lightweight high-strength steel adds durability while reducing weight and improving fuel economy by about 1 percent. The aluminum hood and one-piece composite front bolster save 35 pounds alone.
• The vehicle features 25 percent recycled fiber in its seat upholstery, bolster and carpeting, resulting in an estimated 20 percent reduction in energy consumption, 17 percent waste elimination and 14 percent reduction in CO2 emissions
• Explorer uses recycled steel left over from F-150 production in its noise-dampening fender baffles, which helps minimize waste and reduces Ford’s use of virgin steel by 119 tons over one year of production (approximately 150,000 vehicles).
• The available direct-injection turbo-charged 2.0-liter four-cylinder EcoBoost engine delivers more than 30 percent better fuel economy without sacrificing capability and performance — (early estimates are 18 city and 26mpg highway).

Jessica Howell, our intrepid Green Globetrotter, returns from the field (figuratively and literally) – where she visited Weleda’s 135 acres of biodynamic gardens in Germany – and files her third post, in an exclusive series about her quick trip abroad.

Equipped with warm towels, cotton cleansing pads and Weleda’s Almond Facial Oil, we got to work wiping away the makeup, sweat and oil deposited on our faces after a morning of harvesting gardens.

In a sunlit, white-walled conference room at the company’s Germany offices, we gently scrubbed our skin clean, patted on the contents of oil capsules and worked our fingers in massaging circles from neck to temple before finishing with a light layer of moisturizer. The process, which took no shorter than half an hour, lasted approximately 29 minutes longer than my own daily facial care regimen, which consists of a dollop each of face scrub and body lotion.

Turns out, I could use a tip or two in the skin care department. Most of my life, I’ve opted for the grainiest face scrubs I could find, thinking that by sloughing my skin I was keeping it smooth. Funny thing, explained Lilith Schwertle, esthetician with Weleda, even though bead-laden scrubs may make our cheeks glow momentarily, they can do major damage in the long run by continuously stripping away the top layer of our skin.

Instead, this European brand chooses to use facial cleansing lotions—liquids that look and feel a bit like cream, enriched with oils that provide antioxidants and essential fatty acids to maintain skin’s natural elasticity. I’ve been using the Wild Rose facial cleanser, toner and moisture cream for the past couple weeks and can vouch that my skin is softer… even in the dog days of summer, when most of my weekends are spent under the sun.

Packaged in pretty glass bottles and colorful tubes, Weleda’s lineup mixes the simple stuff of nature with the smarts of a global, pharmaceutically-based company. What I love most about the products, however, I didn’t have to travel to Germany to find… it’s the farmers’ market fresh scent that seeps out every time I twist off the cap of my Skin Food. It smells like all things good, and as low as scent ranks in the grand scheme of things, it makes me smile. And at 6:45 a.m., that’s a pretty inspiring feat.

[Find coupons for some of the line’s newer skin products at www.usa.weleda.com.]

The Series: Weleda: the Company (7.23.10)
Weleda:  a Visit to the Gardens (7.28.10)

Why do many people often associate the adjectives ‘green’ or ‘eco-friendly’ with ‘soft’ or ‘weak’?  Just asking…

Casio will introduce this women’s Tough Solar watch in Japan next week.  This sporty, solar-powered watch is designed to stand up to the rigors of both indoor and outdoor interval training, jogging and exercising.  It has lap time and auto-repeat functions for both measuring and timing performance.

via: akihabara news related: casio atomic resin watch

Are you a natural born plant killer?  Are you either watering your plant friends too little, or too much?  These planters – which are currently on sale at Sprout Home – hold about a week’s worth or water and let you visually monitor the situation and water appropriately.

The self-watering pots come in 4.5″ and 5″ sizes, marked down from $50 to $35 and $56 t0 $39.20 respectively.