Here’s a simple yet effective upcycling design. The ‘Jack’ self-watering planter was originally a liquor bottle, in this case a bottle of Jack Daniels.

After some retrofitting, the booze bottle has been transformed into a handsome upcycled self-watering vessel for growing herbs on your window sill -  saved from the landfill and now employed as a productive member of gardening society. Very nice.

Find ‘Jack’ at the patch store on cargoh.com for $40

related: previously on altCon – more gardening stuff

• You have to look very, very hard…First Quadruple Rainbow Ever Caught on Camera – natgeo / photo credit: Michael Theusner
• A pristine environmental area is impacted…3-Mile Oil Slick After Ship Strikes New Zealand Reef - msnbc
• Ancient Climate Change has Left a strong Imprint on Modern Ecosystems – sciencedaily
• You’re looking healthy…or are you? Study Finds Tanning Bed Cancer Risk Greater Than Previously Believed – redOrbit
• Best Science Photos of Last Week – livescience
• It takes a village…‘UFO Phil’ Plans to Build UFO Gas Station on Alcatraz Island – huffington post

“Ray” is  solar charger for small electronic gadgets that features a unique suction cup design. Inventor Brandon Craven created “Ray” to provide a portable power source for individuals who are constantly draining the battery of their phone, PDA or iPod.

The charger features an interesting suction cup design that allows the solar panel to be attached to any window – including car windshields and airplane windows. The tilting kickstand can be adjusted for maximum solar exposure when the unit is on a surface. (more…)

Layering and bundling up for fall-winter doesn’t mean that you need to look bulky and frumpy. Add some edgy style to your cold weather outfits with key pieces that provide a fresh accent and sharp silhouette.

Rock it on or off stage … the Marquee from New York City-based Dirty Librarian Chains (DLC) serves double duty as both guitar strap or waist belt – the perfect complement to that knit sweater, tunic or dress. (fits sizes 2 to 10) $250

(above, L to R) A snazzy way to protect neck, chin and cheeks from winter winds … Indie designer Pip Robins sews Neckwarmer Cowl Scarves from almost exclusively reclaimed fabric, so most of her line reflects a cool selection of one-of-a-kinds.  12″ x 7.5″ flat; one size fits all. above L to R, $29 & $49. (more…)

Ahh…the wondrously, compelling creations that can be wrought from post-consumer waste.

Designer Benjamin Rollins Caldwell and BRC Designs specialize in making modern conceptual furniture like his multi-level Label Whore Table by re-visualizing and re-purposing recycled materials – in this case leather jean labels that have been affixed to the surface of a multi-tiered cocktail table.

With October marking Fair Trade month, we thought we’d point you in the right direction on an easy new way to help you find Fair Trade companies while on the go: mobile application, of course.

Two new mobile apps are available via the work of Fair Trade USA. This nonprofit organization protects thousands of workers in 58 developing nations and helps ensure we’re buying Fair Trade certified goods, whether we’re shopping at our favorite wine shop or grocery store. The apps cover a wide variety of items – from apparel and linens to body care, coffee, cocoa, honey, herbs, nuts, sugar, tea, fruits, veggies and flowers.

So now when you’re scoping that wine aisle you can verify that wine from countries like Argentina, Chile and South Africa is not only produced from sustainably grown grapes but also those farm workers receive a fair price for the fruits of their labor.

Download Fair Trade USA’s mobile app for Android … or pick one up for your iPhone at the iTunes store (screensaver top photo).

With apps like these, it’s getting easier all the time to put your dollars toward products and services that make you happy AND socially responsible. cheers!

There are a couple of obvious benefits to decorating your home with furnishings made from reclaimed wood and timber. First you’re helping Mother Earth by reducing the number of trees harvested each year. And second, you’re adding furniture that embodies the character, grain pattern and beauty of wood that can be over 50 or 100 years old.

The Lake Tahoe chest (photos above), created by L.A.-based Blakeavenue, is handcrafted from reclaimed wood that is 80 to 100 years old and built to last more than a lifetime. The chest bears the blade marks of the rough-hewn saws used in sawmills 100 years ago, oxidized holes left behind by square cut nails and a beautifully nuanced patina that resonates with history.

The piece can be customized into a media cabinet by replacing the drawers with a door.

$895 @ Blakeavenue’s Etsy shop

This Tried and True Green Product Review features Alabu Skin Care and two of their products: Replenish Facial Moisturizer and Tea Tree Cleansing Bar. These products were provided to us gratis in exchange for an honest first-hand review. I gave them a try and here’s what I think – they’re the real thing … body-friendly, truly natural … and they seem to do just what they’re intended to do.

Alabu’s Tea Tree Cleansing Bar
After using this soap bar for the past two weeks the first thing I noticed is that the bar is still quite large; it really lasts. It smells great, too. Best of all, after each time I cleanse it leaves skin feeling soft, smooth and squeaky clean – but not dry.

What’ in it? I’ll let the website cover ALL of the all-natural ingredients that are in it, but suffice it to say – it’s all good, there’s nothing bad in it. More than 25% of the bar is made from Goat’s Milk – which is loaded with milk protein, vitamins A, B6, C and E – to promote healthy skin. My skin tends to be dry but the (Fair Trade) Shea Butter and Emu Oil are there to help complement the (Fair Trade) Tea Tree essential oil and keep skin moisturized. (2 sizes $3.99 & $5.15)

Alabu’s Replenish Facial Moisturizer – I love this skincare product. It’s made with 100% – let me say that again – one hundred percent olive-derived Squalane, which is high in Vitamin A and resembles the skin’s own natural oil. Replenish works hard to boost the skin’s ability to naturally regenerate, nourish, hydrate, oxygenate and protect while maintaining suppleness and moisture. Does it do this? I sure hope so. All I can say is, my skin drinks in the oil every time I apply it (which is morning and evening). And I love the roll-on applicator.

Unlike creams, which typically come in jars or tubes, this product comes in either a handy roll-on applicator OR pump. The roll-on makes it so easy to tuck into your purse and apply moisturizer anywhere, anytime. (.35 fl oz, $7.34 & 2 oz pump $24.47)

more eco cred: these products are handcrafted in the USA. Packaging is biodegradable and made with recycled paper so after unwrapping, to the compost it goes. … with over 45 products, find more healthy skin care @ alabu.com

• World’s Highest Webcam Brings Everest to Internet – yahoo! news
• This makes sense…Fall Colors Arrive Later? Warming Studied as Factor – ap/msnbc
• Tough to stop this type of project in a down economy…Green Groups Sue to Stop Keystone Oil Pipeline Work – rueters
• A major loss…Steve Jobs and Pancreatic Cancer: Why the Disease is So Deadly – livescience
• What Created Earth’s Oceans? Comet Offers New Clue – natgeo
• Thinking outside the box…Monkey’s Brain Waves Offer Paraplegics Hope – bbc
• They’ve done such a good job previously…U.S. Regulators Promise Oversight of Offshore Drilling Contractors – npr
• Psychologically speaking…You Can Wash Away Your Troubles, With Soap – sciencedaily