Who needs one more thing? For the party entertainer looking to shed a little light on their next evening soiree — these free standing bubbles of light capture the sun’s energy by day (about 2.5 hours) and emit a nice warm glow for about 8 hours. Pink, Clear, Orange or Green. Waterproof. Designed to travel from path or poolside to bedroom with a light heave-ho. $35/each @ poketo.com

related: green gadgets

With the USA in the grips of a record breaking heatwave everyone is looking for innovative ways to stay cool, and that includes our canine friends. These Freezy Pup organic dog treats will help you create make-at-home frozen treats that will help your hound chill-out on his daily walks.

Simply mix a packet of one of the four recipes with water, freeze in the cool bone-shaped tray provided — and presto — you’ve created a tasty batch of pooch-cooling dog treats.

The Freezy Pups kit includes one bone-shaped ice cube tray and a sample packet of four organic gourmet recipes — white cheddar cheese, apple, sweet potato/maple, and chicken soup.
The tray is made from non toxic, food grade, recyclable materials. Made in USA.  $18.99 @ olive green dog – use code OliveAC and receive a 10% discount.

What’s the worst part about using rechargeable batteries? Well, most likely it’s that inevitable date when the battery loses any ability to hold a charge. In 2005 Sanyo unveiled the Eneloop battery which revolutionized the capabilities of the rechargeable battery. Now, Sanyo is back with the new and improved Eneloop 1500 – a far more innovative and longer lasting battery than its predecessor.

So, what actually makes this new Eneloop so amazing? Let’s look at the difference in charging cycles between the two batteries.

Where the older model could be recharged an impressive 1000 times, the new Eneloop is rechargeable up to a whopping 1500 times. This amazing new model also has an improved self-discharge, enabling the batteries to retain 75% of their capacity after being stored for up to 3 years, whereas the earlier model retained 85% after only 1 year.

The new Eneloop can be depended on to function in temperatures as low as -20°C. On top of their already eco-friendly design, Eneloop batteries come pre-charged by solar energy in Japan. These Earth-friendly super batteries can be found in either AA (Mignon-eneloop) or AAA (Micro-eneloop) sizes at amazon.com

Everyone needs a little guidance now and then, especially when it comes to trustworthy advice about healthy, sustainable living. Here are some of my go-to sites for reliable, up to date info:

Chemicals in Health & Beauty Products and Food

• Environmental Working Group – ewg.org

Waste & Toxins

• BeyondPesticides.org
• EarthJustice.org
• ZeroWaste.org

Food, Farming, Fish, Milk & Meat Production

• Organic Consumers Association – OrganicConsumers.org
• TransFairUSA.org
• EatWild.com (more…)

• I think they may have been trained by Charlton Heston …Planet of the Apes: Can Chimps Really Shoot Guns? – livescience
• Heat ‘Dome’ Traps Much of US in Pressure Cooker – yahoo! news
• Don’t wait for disaster… Commission: U.S. Must Make Nuclear Plants Safer – npr
• An agenda of death …Open Season on the Endangered Species Act? – huffingtonpost/aol news
• Diet news: hummingbirds eat hundreds of bugs a day to survive …Hummingbirds Catch Flying Bugs With the Help of Fast-Closing Beaks – sciencedaily
• Green Buildings Boost Employee Productivity Says Study – Yahoo! News

To show you how ancient I am, I can readily recall the 1980′s New Wave band, Ultra Vox, presumably no relation to this solar charger concept, given birth by designer Eric Strebel.

The design features a series of reflecting petals that surround a central solar panel. The portable charger captures solar energy that then charges 4 rechargeable “AA” batteries. When charged, batteries can then be used as a power source for all manner of small phones, gadgets, PDA’s and iPods. The whole deal is small enough to fit into a backpack, purse, or coat pocket.

Blik and artists from Threadless collaborate once again by launching Pattern Wall Tiles – five new collections of “green” surface tiles that are eco-friendly, non-toxic and free of both PVC and phthalates. No messy, smelly glue required.

These self adhesive tiles offer a great way to kick up the design factor of any surfaces that may not be ideal for full coverage of pattern or paint — an accent over a bed, behind a chair or an interior door or kitchen cabinet. What we also like about these trippy tiles is that they’re removable so you can easily change things around.

Check out Bird Flurry, Ten, Psychedelic Garden, Trees and Take Shape Furs, (photo above), available for $39 — each individual Pattern Wall Tile is sold in a set of two or four tiles that covers 16 square feet of space.

In total, Blik now offers over 200 designs, from whimsical to sophisticated, of self sticking decorative tiles for any smooth, flat surface.

I must still being feeling the residual effects of the last episode of “True Blood”…For those with an affinity for the dark arts this little ring possesses a unique combination of eco-friendly materials and subtle goth appeal. (more…)

Dropping into a wine shop and picking up a bottle of wine isn’t what it used to be…bottles labeled: biodynamic, certified organic, organically grown, made with organically grown grapes, sustainable, and natural may confound the most intrepid shoppers — but don’t be confused.

The upshot is – don’t buy wine made from conventionally grown grapes because these grapes are sprayed heavily with toxic chemicals/pesticides. With so many reliable wine resources now at our fingertips, it’s getting easier everyday to become more informed about the issues and alternatives. A growing number of vineyards are employing methods that utilize more eco friendly farming practices; innovative packaging delivers a lighter carbon footprint; and production methods are resulting in healthier, and and often tastier libations. (more…)