If you’re not familiar with ElegantRoots.com,
you should be…especially, now.

You’ll find classy gifts and useful items at 50% off now through March 31 — green and Fair Trade goods for you, your family and home.

Enter code ER31153 at checkout:  elegantroots.com.

• Good news…Monarch Butterfly Migration Rebounding Again – livescience
• Eco-Farming Can Double Food Output in Developing World – enn/reuters
• Hope the kid’s not an albatross…Oldest Wild Bird in US is New Mother – myway
• As our politicians prove everyday – you can demonize almost anything…It’s All in a Name: ‘Global Warming’ vs. ‘Climate Change’ – sciencedaily
• Though economic woes slow investment…Carbon Capture Projects up in 2010, Despite Costs – reuters
• Someone should talk to them…Plants Hoarding Water as CO2 Rises, Study Finds – msnbc
• Sell the beach house…Polar Ice Loss Quickens, Raising Seas – bbc
• Hundreds of Thousands of Dead Fish Surface in Redondo Beach, Calif. – raw story

So you want a green career? Well, you’re not alone. While the economy has been cooling down, the interest in green jobs has been heating up. Many job-seekers these days are looking to use their talents in ways that can make a positive impact not only on their bank accounts but also on the environment. Here are a few tips that job hunters can use to help make a green career a reality:
1. Create and maintain a “green network”. Effective networking is one of the key tools of any successful job hunter. In the world of green, it is particularly important. But a good network has many layers and there are several ways in which a strong network can be developed and maintained. A good first step is to find out about green business networking events and attend as many as possible. Another good strategy is to let your present business contacts know what you are looking for and ask for as many referrals and leads as possible. Try to find out the names of the key movers and shakers in the leading green organizations. But don’t stop there; a lower level professional can be every bit as valuable a contact as a higher-up in the organization and sometimes even more useful. In fact, if you can get to know a person who is doing the same job you think you would like to be doing, you will have the best resource you can possibly get. (more…)

Ecoist, primarily known for handbags made of recycled soda can tabs, candy wrappers and other recycled materials, is transitioning into home furnishings. The company is now selling the ‘snowjob’ chair (above) designed by, Emiliano Godoy.

The skeleton of the chair is made from FSC-certified wood and features a vegetable based, biodegradable finish. The shiny, disco-ball cover of the chair slips on top of the wooden structure. The cover is made of small pieces of post-industrial waste from the candy wrapping industry. The recycled labels are cut into small sections, which are then folded into rectangular pieces and joined to form the cover’s surface. An internal reinforcement made from post-consumer recycled paper is used to give rigidity and resistance to the labels.

The chair’s structure is manufactured with simple woodworking hand tools, and the cover is created using only a box cutter – eliminating any impact from complex or expensive tooling.

Nice idea. Now about that price…($1800)

How to be naturally sexy…

Since its inception, I’ve been a long-time fan of French designer and manufacturer, g=9.8 (gravitational acceleration). This sexy eco lingerie line just debuted versatile new additions at another of our faves from across the pond, ethical e-tailer, By Nature.

g=9.8 creates luxurious-feeling fabric by recycling white pine tree prunings (sustainable and renewable raw materials), and adding a dose of Spandex for uber comfort. Feels soft as silk. You’ll stay cool as a cucumber. Fibers stay in tune with your body temp, regulates so you’ll never be too hot or too cold. Colors are made with non-toxic, low impact dyes by Oekoetex. The kicker – threads are also biodegradable & anti-bacterial – everything you could ever want in a fabric so close to your hide.

The pieces: Sweetnightie Shorts, Leggings, Sea Tunic, Forest Nightdress, Marylin Boxers, Skirt & Top, Ibis Bra & Cross Over Robe…versatile, simple, feminine. find @ bynature.co.uk

Related: previously on altCon more on g=9.8

If you’re involved in a non-profit that could use some very nice wheels you may want to enter Toyota’s new “100 Cars for Good” program, which will award 100 vehicles over the course of 100 days to 100 deserving nonprofit organizations based on votes from the public.

Beginning March 7, 2011, registered 501c(3) non-profit organizations can apply online through Toyota’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/toyota for a chance to win a Toyota Prius, Tacoma, Tundra, Highlander Hybrid, Sienna, or Sienna Mobility. (more…)

Feeling disconnected? Sometimes all it takes is turning off all that digital gear and getting back to nature for a spell. Time to reconnect with earth and sky. Find balance and serenity.

For your consideration -  a wild and woolly trip to Sweden’s Kolarbyn eco-lodge by Lake Skärsjön and nest in one of their twelve forest huts. Each hut comes with a cozy sheepskin rug and wood-burning fireplace…and that’s about all:)

Check out their floating sauna on the lake – it’s free during summer months only. Fish, hike, birdwatch or try tracking wolves, or going on either a moose safari or beaver watching tour. For a real back to nature experience – DIY dinner – take your catch of the day & cook ‘em up on an open fire with a view of the lake. Just be prepared to chop your own wood & learn to love an outhouse … Open May – September 2011.

Looking to downsize or add a micro-office or guest house to your property? U.K.-based tiny house manufacturer, Dwelle., makes a variety of sustainable prefab micro-buildings. The prefab units come in ‘big” (24 square meters), “little”, “office” and “beach dwelling” models.

The little dwellings are made of FSC Certified timber with cellulose fiber insulation made from 100% recycled newspapers and LED lighting. The units and can be outfitted with cork floors, solar panels and solar water heater and come in a variety of exterior cladding options. The addition of renewable energy systems can help the units achieve zero carbon designation.

The micro-buildings can be mounted on either a slab foundation or pilings, and come flat packed for easy on-site assembly.

Dwelle.’s “big” house won British Homes‘ 2010 “Small House of the Year” award.

Looking for clothes you can really live in? This eco designer and mom-of-three creates versatile & comfy pieces with sustainably-sourced fabrics – bamboo, soy, hemp, wool and recycled fibers, and the most earth-friendly hand dyes available. Find everyday organic cotton scoop neck dresses, tunics, wrap tanks, camisoles, meditation wraps, skivvies and more @ conscious clothing on Etsy. What’s your favorite go-to piece for total comfort and style?