• Japan Encourages More Evacuations Near Stricken Nuke Plant – cnn
• On a lighter note…New Bigfoot Video Blurriest One Yet? – livescience
• I guess he’s not a believer in ‘clean coal’…Nuclear Safer Than Coal, Chinese Atomic Official Says – reuters
• Crisis Forces Japanese Farmers to Destroy Crops – npr
• Climate change…Uncertain Future for Joshua Trees in US Southwest – sciencedaily
• New Mekong Dam a Go, May be Blow to Endangered Megafishes – natgeo
• Dinosaur Dung Makes Splash at Auction – cosmic log/msnbc

This rustic looking bee ring is created by hand stamping a vintage wax seal of a honey bee into a lump of recycled fine silver. The process creates the irregular edges that form the organic shape of the artisan crafted ring. The ring is heavily oxidized and spot polished to accentuate the detail and antique quality of the wax seal. The thin band is vaguely imprinted with a vintage botanical description and illustration.

Each custom silver honey bee ring will resemble the one pictured but will differ slightly due to its individual hand made charm and sizing.

A great gift for that ‘Queen Bee’ in your life.

$42 @ the happygolicky etsy shop

We have a new advertiser on our site and I wanted to let you know about them, shopECOgoods.com.

With chemical-free toys for tots, organic soaps and creams, a wide array of eco everyday items ranging from toothbrushes & shopping totes to pet collars, leashes and treats; purses, picture frames and an entire line of sleek baking tools & kitchenware made from recycled materials and bamboo — lots of smart, useful goods that mother earth would approve of …

I asked shop owner, Gina Leonetti, why she decided to open this shop, and here’s what she had to say:

“When our first daughter was born we were concerned about the products that we were using to clean the house, as well as the products we were about to use to care for her.

We wanted to find safer alternatives to the chemical-filled bath soaps, the toxic household cleaners, and the questionable toys that may or may not contain lead and/or BPA. Those alternatives were difficult to find. So we decided to start a website that could become the go-to resource for all things eco-friendly, to provide one-stop shopping for the modern family.”

Good stuff – right now you can receive 20% off your purchases by simply entering code: AC20 at checkout @ shopECOgoods.com.

Want to cause a stir at your local Starbucks or your next staff meeting? Walk in toting your iPad in this kitschy custom case – an upcycled polka album featuring classic Bavarian foot-stomping titles like “Beer Barrel Polka,” “Okey Dokey Pokey,” “Chicken Polka,” and “Blonde Bombshell.”

When not in use – the iPad slides into the full pouch; and when in use – it can stand upright, tucked into the leather strap and corner inserts.

The handcrafted case is designed book style, in shiny patent leather and lined with soft black fleece. Hardware is nickel. The vinyl record section is left natural.

Designed and created by Vindicated Vinyl. Rock on…

The Nokero N200 solar bulbs is designed to bring light to the quarter of the world’s population that has no electricity (which now, unfortunately, includes parts of Japan). The N220 is designed to be just as tough as its predecessor the N100, but with a 60% brighter illumination and three times the lasting power. The N100 was touted upon its release as the world’s first solar light bulb.

The N200 has a single solar panel (on the back), a replaceable rechargeable battery, and four light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The Nokero N200 charges best when tilted to directly face the sun during the day (charging). You can currently order the N200 on the Nokero website.

As prices at the pump rise, Enterprise continues to offer consumers a variety of smart green deals at select locations:

• You can now rent a Nissan LEAF EV at the Enterprise 1702 Santa Monica Blvd branch in Santa Monica, CA.
• They plan to add 500 Nissan LEAF EVs at select locations throughout its neighborhood network and through its WeCar car-sharing program throughout this year. WeCar is an automated, membership-based and eco friendly transport solution – tap into the program on an hourly, daily, weekend or longer basis – great for college campuses, businesses and anyone else looking for wheels on a flexible basis.
• And in their ongoing commitment to electrifying their car rental offerings – earlier this year, they were the first to offer rentals of Chevrolet Volt extended-range EVs to customers at its Ontario, California rental location.

Not sure if an electric car is for you? Rent for a day or weekend and see how she rolls.

Visit Enterprise.com to learn more about the availability of EVs and hybrid rentals, or call 1-800-261-7331 to make a rez.

Related: previously on altCon – Nissan Leaf + green wheels

Strip away the paint from the remains of recycled, old fishing boats, add supports of dark industrial iron to the patchwork of reclaimed wood and you have (pictured above and below) d-Bodhi’s Ferum Collection of industrial -looking furniture.

Singapore-based, d-Bodhi specializes in making unique home furnishing from reclaimed and recycled teak and other woods.  Sold world-wide but not in the USA … yet.

• Tests Detect Radiation Above Limits for Infants in Tokyo Water – cnn
• Ya’ hear this Sarah Palin…Feds: Fat Americans Need More Space on Buses – aol news
• Good news…Japan’s Leaked Radiation May Soon Become Harmless – npr
• Fallout from the Japan nuclear disaster…Lawmakers Turn to Public on Obama Clean Energy Plan – reuters
• Slow moving turtle causes fast moving fire…Turtle Sparks Blaze in NYC Apartment – myway
• Brain Problems Killed Knut the Polar Bear – Says Zoo – sify news
• Another quake repercussion…Toyota to Delay Prius Minivan Launch After Quake – yahoo! news
• Amoebas: Sexier Than Anyone Knew – livescience
• All the more reason to protect them…Bees Could Reveal Key to Dementia – sciencedaily

Turn off … Lighten up … Relax … Celebrate.

Organized by World Wildlife Fund, Earth Hour takes place from 8:30-9:30p (EST) this Saturday, March 26.

The annual campaign now has an app of its own – an iPhone app that guides you through Earth Hour’s many activities and happenings throughout the world – for the hour, and beyond. In addition to extending Earth Hour beyond its given 60-minute time period, the app aims to expand the geographic reach of Earth Hour.

The app provides a list of positive actions you can take to participate in achievements that go beyond Earth Hour. To that end, the WWF and creative group Leo Burnett will be tracking individual and global checkins and achievements within the Earth Hour app to gauge participation and impact around the world.

According to a Leo Burnett Group rep, “The entire interface was created out of discarded boxes and paper. Everything was drawn by hand – even the badges were hand-sewn.” (source)

It’s compatible with iPhone, iPod touch & iPad. View in itunes. Version 1.2 now has added Twitter functionality to share your checkins.

visit earthhour.org.