• And the winner is…Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf Among Green Car Finalists – reuters
• No, this isn’t about a new bottled water…Moon’s Water is Useful Resource – NASA – bbc
• I think a certain guy on the elevator this morning ranks right up there…The Rankest of the Rank: Meet the World’s Smelliest Animals – aol news
• Another oil spill mystery. Gulf Corals in Oil Spill Zone Appear Healthy – yahoo! news
• Tea Party claims scientist’s thermometer was broken…Arctic Report Card: Region Continues to Warm at Unprecedented Rate – sciencedaily
• Tough choice.  A high paying job or good health…Hungary has Toxic Sludge, U.S. has Red Dust – msnbc
• Yes, it’s that time of year…(video) World’s Largest Pumpkin 2010 – livescience

A little traveling music please…Mr. SiMo makes these fine little BoomCase sound systems primarily from vintage, recycled suitcases – the more kitchy-looking the better.

The self-powered, portable boombox systems work with your iPod/iPhone or any device with a headphone jack.  Suitcase systems run from 30 to 200 watts.  Most of these portable stereos are re-chargeable and will keep the party rockin’ for  7+ hours on a single charge of the built-in charger.  In addition to running on batteries, BoomCases can also be plugged in; or if you’re the sedentary type, you can opt for a plug-in-only version.

Mr. SiMo professes to shy away from plastic, or thin, suitcases because of their inferior acoustic qualities.  He focuses on cases that are built with wood and leather because of the superior sound reproduction.  For a little extra dinero you can customize your suitcase stereo with additional options like a solar charger, laptop connector, or wireless playback capability.

Each case is custom made to the users liking. Options include: Ipod/USB Charger, Extra Batteries, Custom Paint and more.  Prices Start at $250.

via: uncrate

Go green, reduce your bloated carbon footprint and have some fun.  Smart USA and Sanrio, Inc., best known for global pop icon Hello Kitty, announced a partnership today to offer vehicle wraps featuring Hello Kitty for the smart fortwo.  Vehicle owners can now order Hello Kitty vehicle wraps through smart USA’s “smart Expressions,” a customization program launched in July.

via: prnewswire

Tobi is a fab site for finding designer clothing at great prices. They have special sales that give up to 60% (sometimes more) off certain designer brands. Better still — they offer free ground shipping, easy returns, eco-packaging and the company offsets their emissions.

But the part I especially love about Tobi is their Eco-Tobi category which has clothing, bags, shoes and accessories that are made from organic cotton or recycled materials!

Below are some great eco-fashion finds, but make sure to check out all the eco-friendly fashions they have to offer.

Rogan Tros Sweater Dress with Netting ($45)
made from eco baby alpaca and bamboo

Baily 44 recycled Wool Sylvia Trench Jacket ($264)

Nine in the Morning Skin Sensation Bio Ankle Skinny Jeans in Handmade Bio ($163)
made from 98% organic cotton + a dash of elastane

Prarie Underground Darted Ellipse Dress ($150)
made from 100% organic cotton

Melissa Joy Oxford in black & white ($100)
made from recycled/recyclable plastic with rubber sole

Melissa Flocked Troupe Wedge ($140)
made from recycled/recyclable plastic

Click here to sign up to receive special emails for Tobi’s great offers.

For any of you still looking for an eco-friendly reusable bag, or in need of a style upgrade, these rough-hewn, durable – yet sophisticated – totes from CraftCulture may provide the solution.  The one above might also double as a halloween goodie bag.

Ideal for hauling your groceries, beach paraphernalia, or your bloated collection of personal care items.  They are a high quality XL Eco Bags made of durable 10-ounce, post industrial recycled cotton canvas.  By choosing recycled canvas, you are saving excess material scraps from a lifetime in the landfill.

In scads of different styles.  Size: 19″ wide x 15.5″ tall x 7.5″ bottom gusset + 22″ handles.

$15 @ Craft Cultures Etsy shop

Refried Greens – with a few fresh tweaks, here’s a post we’ve resurrected from our bed of Rose archives for all you aspiring witches and howlin’ wolves…

As we say here at altCon, Happy Hallowgreen!  It’s that scary time of year. The pumpkins are out, the candy is everywhere you turn and you’re constantly trying to answer that same old question: “What are you going to be for Halloween?” October 31st is notoriously wasteful: individually wrapped candies, one-time-use costumes, lights on all night, not to mention all that wasted toilet paper and eggs. It doesn’t have to be all waste and gluttony though, with a few simple tips you can have a body- and planet-friendly Halloween without sacrificing any of the ghoulish fun.

Door to Door Tricks & Treats

• Rather than giving out individually wrapped candies, dole out little treasures instead. Kids get a kick out of polished rocks, seashells, pencils, erasers etc.
• Okay – if you’re afraid the kids might egg your house for not giving candy, consider Fair Trade chocolate such as Endangered Species chocolates – (specially sized and priced for Halloween) or check out this wide array of organic halloween candy.
• Make sure your kids use pillow cases or reusable bags when they trick-or-treat, rather than plastic pumpkins.  Want to get creative without sewing?  Cheap & Easy Make Your Own Treat Bags.  Or order these adorable Felt Treat bags from Etsy.
• Give kids shakeable LED flashlights, they’re fun, the LED’s last for years and they keep batteries out of the earth!
• Remind everyone not to litter – wrappers are easily dropped in the frenzy of candy consumption.
• This might be a hard sell, but Global Exchange’s Reverse Trick-or-Treating campaign is a great way to teach your neighborhood about sustainability.

Costumes and Decorations

 
• Don’t slather on face paint unless it’s made of body-friendly ingredients. Pick up some non-toxic face paint instead.
• Don’t buy stuff that can’t be used after Nov. 1st. Look for things you can reuse and recycle, rather than things you’ll just have to throw away. (more…)

I was in my Environmental Biology lecture today and my professor was discussing genetic engineering.  One of the examples he mentioned was the super-sized genetically modified salmon that Aquabounty, a biotech company, has introduced to the market.  This salmon is able to reach market weight in half the time and with less food than naturally spawned farm salmon!  Imagine the aquacultures going crazy with huge salmon as supply of AquAdvantage salmon shoot through the roof.  Amazing, right?

Where’s the BUT?  Personally, I don’t know how I feel about eating salmon that has been “genetically modified.”  Media, biology classes, and the internet keep spamming my brain with caution when it comes to eating things with unnatural growth hormones. (more…)

If you love getting manis and pedis like me, it is crucial to know what kind of chemicals are inside your nail polish.  Most nail polishes contain Toluene, Formaldehyde, and DPBs (Dibutyl Phthalates), all of which are carcinogens.  “Three Free” means a nail polish contains none of those three chemicals and is a more sustainable (yet not completely natural) alternative.

Priti NYC offers a large variety of nail colors that are Three Free, non-toxic and void of petroleum, (more…)

Start your youngster thinking about renewable energy at a young age.  This educational toy car runs without batteries.  Take it outside and it charges via its little on-board solar panel.  When it runs out of solar juice your wee one can power it with its wind-up power generator.  Comes as an easy-to-assemble DIY kit for another learning and bonding opportunity.  You can find it @ bynature.co.uk