The Bay Area will be the home of a first-ever SF Green Film Fest: March 3-6, 2011. Highlights include the west coast premiere of Werner Herzog’s new documentary feature, HAPPY PEOPLE: A YEAR IN THE TAIGA, described by Variety as as a mesmerizing Walden-like ode to wilderness.

In celebration of the Opening Night’s “plastic pollution theme,” the Festival will screen the Bay Area premiere of the award-winning film BAG IT, in partnership with Berkeley’s Plastic Pollution Coalition.

“San Francisco is universally regarded as an epicenter of both the global Green Movement and as an activist and issue conscious film community,” says Rachel Caplan, the Festival Founder and Director. “This amazingly diverse city has many film festivals but none that directly and solely addresses these issues and audiences – The San Francisco Green Film Festival grew out of the need to fill that void.”

Included will be over 60 premieres from around the globe, with an Opening Night Green Carpet Gala kick-off on Thursday, March 3rd at the LEED-certified Bently Reserve. They’re looking for volunteers and founding donors – more @ sfgreenfilmfest.org.

via: press release

Who says “alternative” can’t be “traditional,” too?

This Valentine’s Day, some of the sweetest sentiments can be crafted by putting a new spin on an old standby. Here’s a roundup of 3 Top Choices choices for gals and guys alike, which are sure to earn you a smooch (if not more!) from your special someone. Corny, we know. But true all the same.

FOR HER

Chocolate to Inspire
It’s hard to knock chocolate, especially when it’s both organic and fair-trade certified. And when it comes in a box labeled “Aphrodisiac Collection,” all bets are off. Including hints of sensual rose and spicy Ceylon cinnamon, this lovely 18-piece soy- and gluten-free treat is as delectable as it is considerate. ($39.60 @ Theo Chocolate)

Simple, Sustainable Style

Crafted using recycled sterling silver, this tiny diamond pendant charm necklace is perfectly sweet and simple enough to suit any style. Ten percent of profits go toward non-profits and each piece from Ruff&Cut comes with a certificate of specific origin to ensure total transparency. Gotta love that. ($100 @ Ruff&Cut)

Flowers to Flaunt
Roses might be a tad unoriginal, but I’ve never been able to resist the aroma of a fresh-cut bunch. This rusty-pink-and-ivory bouquet of Crown Majesty roses from Organic Bouquet is fair-trade certified and has an unusually high petal count, which means it will last longer than most.
($50 @ Organic Bouquet)

FOR HIM

Burn, Baby, Burn
A throwback to a bygone era: the classic mix tape. Really, there’s no better pick when you’re reminded of him every time the radio’s on. While not many of us keep cassette decks around the house, this iPhone case will do the trick. See if you can’t sneak the phone for a few and download a playlist of your favorite shared tunes, too. ($20 @ Etsy)

Romance a’la Mode
The way to a man’s heart… well, one of them is through his stomach. Keep things simple with a homemade meal (especially if you’re averse to cooking on the average weeknight) using local farmer’s market fare and organic goods. Organic Authority delivers with this yum recipe for herb-crusted rack of lamb, grass-fed of course. You’ll want to set the table using eco-friendly ware, we love this set from Viva Terra. Don’t forget the soy candlesticks.

Nature and Nurture
In the grand scheme of things, men’s skincare is largely overlooked – and what better time to pamper and protect than on Valentine’s Day?

Treat him to a suite of facial products with Origin’s line of daily essentials for men, which rely on nature’s strongest ingredients to promise a smoother shave that both of you with appreciate.

(Starting at $15 with Blade Runner Energizing Shave Cream … find @ Origins)

Designer Jackie Kaufman’s unique silver jewelry line now includes mens fingerprint rings whereby she hand casts one’s fingerprint onto a sleek band of sterling silver.

Guys, a personalized way to display your individuality and create a handsome heirloom. Ladies, it’s really about him – a great way to capture a little piece of your beloved, that inimitable catch.

Here’s how it works. After you place an order, she sends you a very simple mold making kit to take an imprint of that singular fingerprint. Enclose the mold in a provided envelope and send it back to her. She hand casts the fingerprint in sterling silver. Within 2 weeks your signature fingerprint ring is shipped to you.

Get going…leave your mark. find ($175) @ cargoh.com

Related: previously on altCon – eco-fashion

This week, we’re eying two wheels rather than four, having spotted this e-bicycle on the sidelines of the Smart display at the Detroit auto show.

Slender and mod-looking, you might not even realize it’s an electric bike on first glance, which is right up my ally in terms of appearance. Crafted for urban dwellers who cruise the streets and sportier use, too, the ebike made its debut at the Paris Motor Show and joins the ranks alongside the new Smart electric drive coupe.

How’s it work, you ask? When a rider hops on, extra power is delivered to the pedals via one of four power levels allowed by a 250 watt wheel hub motor that’s integrated into the rear wheel styling. Essentially, it’s a hybrid that uses both pure muscle and electric power to make steep inclines a heck of a lot easier, thanks to the energy it stores from your everyday riding. And it only takes two to three hours to charge up in a household electric socket.

The ebike features lightweight aluminum construction, a full LED headlamp and smartphone-enabled drive system that offers navigation. Not your typical Huffy, huh? You can catch a glimpse of the ride, which is slated to hit the market in the near future, in this video.

Oenophile alert – these cork trivets are handmade from re-purposed wine corks, encased in epoxy resin, the 8″x 8″ trivets are approximately 1/4″ thick. Each trivet has cork feet to protect furniture and counter-tops from scratching and temperature, and is almost unbreakable. The trivets are handmade, and thus may contain some variation. From Zipper 8 Design.

Everybody wants to be cool and do good. Why not make a fashion statement about it? The folks at REpurposing NOLA recently launched a sustainable clothing line of tees and yoga pants featuring Be cool; Do good – created from re-used materials, organic cotton and earth-friendly inks.

Each limited edition Be Cool; Do Good tee was created from an unsold / ready to be discarded t-shirt originally intended for local charities … REpurposed piece by peace and made in New Orleans, natch.

Their second signature piece is the Be Cool; Do Good yoga pant available in black, 100% cotton, re-purposed from an overrun and printed with soy-based inks. The graphic above with their Valentine’/peace sign heart appears like a tattoo on the back waistband; (at right).

find @ repurposingnola-piece-by-peace.com

background: Katrina may have turned New Orleans, LA upside down, but some resourceful folks at REpurposing NOLA are making good use of found materials and piecing together remnants of the disaster to create useful clothing and home furnishings…sure beats tossing piles of textiles and non-biodegradable stuff into those ever-mounting landfills.

The truth of the matter is that we need to be eco-conscious about every product we purchase, and that includes household cleaning essentials like sponges, brushes and towels. Today’s Tried and True Green Products Review is focused on a company whose tools of the trade, so to speak, are stylish, planet-friendly and effective.

the backstory - Full Circle is an eco-minded company offering a complete line of kitchen cleaning products derived from sustainable and renewable resources: scrub brushes with bamboo handles, plant-based sponges made from cellulose, fully biodegradable pot scrubbers as well as kitchen towels made from a blend of bamboo and organic cotton. Here’s a quick look at the products we tried:

• scoop sponge – comes in a set of 2. They’re called (more…)

• This wind-power project will ultimately generate the juice of 3 nuke power plants…France to Launch Offshore Wind Project Tuesday – reuters
• I don’t think “wildlife” when I think of Iran…Iran’s Endangered Cheetahs are a Unique Subspecies – bbc
• An ironic renewable energy supporter…Oil-Rich Abu Dhabi Champions Ecological Cause – yahoo! news
• High times…Medical Marijuana Users Getting Pot Soft Drink – myway
• Parched…Persistent Drought to Linger Across Southern United States – sciencedaily
• This is one disturbing baby bending video…Unorthodox Russian ‘Guru’ Igor Charkovsky Behind Baby Yogo Video – aol news

Brazilian designer, Domingos Tótora, returned to his hometown after studying design in Sao Paulo and chose cardboard as the source material for his work that falls between art and design.

Starting with recycled cardboard, Domingos creates objects and sculptures that create art and function out recycled refuse that would otherwise hit the landfill or be recycled as a cereal box.

(more…)