Bad name for a good product.  This energy-efficient LED bulb may not be the brightest, but it does something no conventional light bulb can do – it can stay lit even if the power goes off.

Here’s how this green gadget works: The LED Magic Bulb has multiple functions which are operated by switches:

• Bottom switch – can be used as a normal light bulb – when electricity supply is on, the bulb stays on – when electricity supply is off – the light stays off.
• Middle switch – used for rapid recharging of the built in rechargeable battery – the light stays off.
• Top switch – the light stays on when electricity supply is switched on and will stay on for 3 hours even if electricity is turned off, provided the built-in battery is fully charged.
• The bulb can also be used as a hand-held flash light by pulling its built-in handle down from the bottom.

This LED comes in 4W and 2W models and runs anywhere from $25 to $60.  It contains no mercury, consumes up to 90% less electricity than an incandescent bulb and will give you years of use — a great emergency light source if your power goes off.  MagicBulb is marketed in America by LED International US, a division of Norway-based LED Electronics International AS.  Now about that name…

source: yahoo!news/prnewswire

Remember the beginning of this year when Frito-Lay launched its new biodegradable Sun Chips bags in hopes of befriending its consumers’ green side?  Well, that’s thrown out the window.

Now I know I poked some fun at Frito-Lay for making SUCH a noisy but green bag, (just below). But the company is now actually decreasing its biodegradable bag use to only one of six Sun Chip flavors due to consumer complaints!  I feel this is just plain wrong!  Am I alone here?

The company was using sustainable bags rather than plastic ones, like most other chip companies — and they get stung while doing something positive for the environment.  (Their sales actually decreased because of noise complaints.)  For once, it’s not all about you!  You being us, humans.  You can’t always have your cake (or chip) and eat it, too!  I really hope Frito-Lay does not give up on researching alternative bag production methods.  Maybe there will be a quieter bag in the makings.  I’d love to know your thoughts on this…

Related:  previously on altCon
Compostable Sun Chips Bag (6.25.10)

• Toxic Hungarian Sludge Almost the Size of the Gulf Oil Spill – yahoo! news
• Will I taste it in my chocolate milk? Oregano Moves Cows Toward Climate Neutral – natgeo
• Counter intuitive.  Does a Weaker Sun Mean a Warmer Earth? – scientific american
• Saving paper. No more deposit slips…PayPal iPhone App Lets You Scan Checks to Deposit – myway
• All-Electric Car Comes With a Trunkful of Perks – nyt/msnbc
• Now about that coal ash…Danube Toxic Sludge Fears Calmed as Death Toll Rises – bbc
• Stress + a diet of processed foods = Hidden Costs of Obese Workers Bring Yearly Total to $73 Billion – livescience
• New moon enhances viewing…Draconids Meteor Shower Tonight – natgeo

You’d think living in a box would have you feeling, a little…well, boxed in.  Au contraire, my little bird!  The space created by the three insulated cargo containers used to form this 1350 square foot home create a pleasantly open, three bedroom residence.  The home was designed by Leger Wanaselja Architects of greendwellings.com.

Two, forty-foot containers are stacked on one side and a third is cut in half and stacked on the other creating protective walls for a two-story living room featuring a space enhancing atrium, which lies between the boxes.  Bay windows in the upper containers provide added width.

The three containers are repurposed refrigerated shipping containers.  The containers provide weatherproof exterior siding, insulation, and structural framing.  Minimal insulation needs to be added to the roof and floor.

The house is designed to minimize energy use through passive solar design that uses well placed windows to supply day-lighting and summer ventilation.  Additional energy and water saving features include:  stacked plumbing, roof rainwater collection, high efficacy lighting, and solatubes to further reduce the home’s carbon footprint.  Among other green features, the interior of the home has 100% wool carpets and bamboo flooring.

(photo credit: 350.0rg)

Author and eco activist Bill McKibben’s a man with a mission.  And along with other advocates, he’s created a nonprofit, 350.org to support that mission.

There’s some heavy duty science behind their rally cry to reduce carbon emissions from today’s 390 parts to million back to a tipping point of 350 parts per million. (In an overly simplified nutshell – as David Letterman so eloquently put it, “we’ve got too much carbon in the air – warm air holds more vapor than cold – no wonder India and Pakistan are experiencing so much flooding, and Greenland and other ice caps are melting...”)

No doubt, to alter our course and achieve success, what’s needed is changes in policies at the very top – in industry and government on a worldwide scale.  But our individual actions on a moment to moment, daily basis all add up and collectively make a difference as well…So in support of 350.org’s 10.10.10 Climate Conscious Campaign, we’ve compiled a quick list of ways that we can curb our carbon dioxide output without even trying.  As always, feel free to jump in.  There are probably at least 350 ways that we can reduce our carbon dioxide emissions…

• Drive Less – walk or pedal more.
• Pull the Plug – unplug or switch off unused electronics & phone chargers when not in use.  Use a surge protector or switchable power bar with multiple sockets to cut vampire power (energy sucked when in standby mode).
• Hang Dry Clothes – Use a clothesline or rack to air dry after washing.  Or just use hangers & place by sunny windows or on shower rod in bathroom.  Works great and saves money, too.
• Choose CFLs or LED lighting - Switch out your power chugging incandescent electric bulbs.
• Stop the Drips – repair leaking faucets and showers (wasted hot water = wasted energy).
• Recycle & Reuse Everything – tremendous amounts of energy are required to make durable goods so don’t just throw that stuff away – find other uses for unwanted, outgrown and pre-loved items. (Recycled glass reduced related air pollution by 20% & related water pollution by 50%; it can take a million years to decompose in a landfill.)
• Drive Green – control your acceleration and breaking, use cruise control (delivers up to 15% better mileage), obey speed limit, be conscious of how you’re using fuel, idling, etc.
• Adjust those thermostats - raising heat or lowering air conditioning by just one degree saves money & energy. (tip: invest in a programmable thermostat to regulate temps when you’re home or away; it’ll pay off in no time)
• Eat Less Red Meat – mass production of cattle requires tons of energy, trees and water.  Gases from animals destined for dinner plates account for nearly a quarter of all emissions worldwide, (source: Medical Journal of the Landcet). 2500 gallons of water is required to produce one pound of beef.  (There are many other options rather than Mickey D’s and steaks.)
• Eat Local – support local farmers and farmers’ markets (due to the amount of greenhouse gas created when products are flown or trucked in – don’t buy food that was shipped in halfway across the world)

Related:  previously on altCon
eco media minute 9.5.10

The ocean is HUGE.  Scientists have studied it for years and years and we still don’t know about everything that is out there.  But yesterday a huge step was taken in marine studies when a Census of Marine Life was finally completed consisting of maps and books and bringing the count to exactly 201,206 marine species.  Granted there most likely is much more than just 201,206 species living in our oceans, but this is a big step for marine scientists!  This project cost $650 million and took the efforts of more than 600 groups including non-profit organizations, governments, universities, and private foundations (the Sloan Foundation being the founder).

Not only is this marine census a huge feat for the scientific community, but the census will help to provide even more information to future studies about the mysterious depths.   Check out the Census of Marine Life website to see how the project got started and learn more about their plans for the future.

Hesitant to put your kid’s head in a toxic rubber mask for 6 or 8 hours of trick-or-treating?  Might we suggest a more eco-friendly alternative?  This cute fox mask and tail costume tickled our fancy – it’s designed by Oeuf and made from renewable, kid-friendly alpaca.  (wool helps your body temp adjust — keeps you cool in summer and warm in winter.)

find @ fawnandforest

We can’t let sore muscles bring us down.  I overdid it over the weekend awhile back …pulled too many cat o’ nines out of the pond…you know how that can be.  Ouch, did my lower back ache!  So I tried Badger Extra Strength Sore Muscle Rub and quickly received some much-needed temporary relief.

It’s made of extra virgin olive oil,  cayenne extract, beeswax, Castor oil; CO2 extracts of ginger, chili, calendula; essential oils of cardamom, lemongrass, rosemary, cinnamon and wild marjoram…many of those ingredients are certified organic by the USDA.  Just thought I’d pass along – it’s a powerful, great smelling, 100% natural balm.  what’s the rub @ badgerbalm.com/

A stylish bag at a handsome discount.  This cute Manhattan Cross Bag has some nice eco-friendly attributes.  It’s created from a combination of: polyester that’s made from recycled soda bottles; sustainable hemp, cruelty-free vegan leather and it sports a recycled zipper as well.

$29.50 (50% off ) @ revealshop.com