• Turn vacant lots into farmland…Detroit Looks to Downsize to Save City – washington times
• Tough way to shorten your commute…Quake Moved Chilean City 10 Feet – livescience
• Could it be that they just want to reduce the bill for the mess they created? GE: Limit PCB Contamination During Hudson Dredging – yahoo! news
• This would be just another day in Florida…Giant Python Loose on Housing Estate – ananova
• They weren’t the ones that destroyed spawning habitat…Sea Lions Killed for Eating Too Many Salmon – msnbc
• Nothing like an old fashioned McCarthyesque witch hunt to get the juices flowing…Climate Email Re-Run – nature
• More people cause more problems…Not More Quakes, Just More People in Quake Zones – myway

SunHydro wants to put some hydrogen in your tank.  The company is taking the first step toward creating the world’s first chain of privately funded hydrogen fueling stations by getting the go-ahead for its first fueling station in Wallingford, CT.   SunHydro’s plan is to build an East Coast hydrogen corridor from Maine to Miami – providing sustenance for future zero emissions, hydrogen fueled vehicles.

The company intends to create the hydrogen equivalent to branded “Mobil,” “Shell,” or “Hess” fuel stations.  SunHydro’s goal is to create a viable hydrogen fueling infrastructure for hydrogen-powered vehicles in a “if you build it they will come” business scenario.  The SunHydro model is designed to put the fueling station literally “in a box.”  The on-site hydrogen generator is a self-contained, solar-powered unit housed in a specialized shipping container – a new and innovative technology that should decrease infrastructure costs for the alternative fuel start-up.  (more…)

These zippy Kofia bracelets from Brooklyn’s Wrecordsbymonkey’s Classic Patterns Collection are made from the remains of some forgotten record collection.  The bracelets, which are emblazoned with a Shemagh scarf pattern, are available in a variety of colors.

$25 @ wrecordsbymonkey

Last month, New York City blogger Cathy Erway stretched her story beyond the computer screen.  Her new book, “The Art of Eating In: How I Learned to Stop Spending and Love the Stove” (Gotham, 2010) is a continuation of her blog, Not Eating Out in New York, which chronicles the urbanite’s efforts to forgo dining at any of the city’s overpriced, overrun restaurants.

Part life story, part cookbook, this 320-page manifesto introduces us to a twenty-something who’s just plain ready to stir things up–and not just in the kitchen.  In between the drama of relationships and a nine-to-five career, Erway finds the time to kick start her own culinary experimentation.  From foraging for edible greens in Prospect Park to dumpster-diving, she scours the Big Apple for smart, savvy eating-in options and along the way also indulges in underground supper clubs and a bevy of cook-offs.  A refreshing take on the foodie lifestyle, Erway also peels back the layers of consumption so often associated with dining out. In one instance, she weighs the waste accompanying a Chinese takeout meal versus the home cooked version, giving readers a glimpse into the world of mass disposables.

A light, but thought-provoking read, Erway mulls concepts like freeganism and provides her insights on living a practical, more eco-friendly life.  In this story, it’s the people and the passion of cooking that make the gourmand, not the pricey atmosphere or celebrity chefs.  And while I’m hardly a cook, I have to agree.  Settling down to finish the hardcover I found myself motivated to pull out the pots and pans so deeply packed away in my cupboards.  After all, at the end of the day, eating in is a healthy choice for every individual, as well as the planet.  And as Erway proves, there’s a connection worth investigation that forms when we boil our own water, mix our own ingredients, and heat our own stove.

Find a copy at Amazon;  $24.

Ever had a few too many and stumbled up the stairs of your home only to find yourself staring at your neighbor’s identical front door?  Could happen to anybody, right?  With identical, cookie-cutter McMansions proliferating like mosquitoes in a pup tent it’s no wonder America is becoming the land of conformity and home of the bland – another unfortunate reality, many of those big, boxy McMansions are poorly constructed, energy sucking enemies of the environment.   No style and no substance.

Well who would have thought that a modular home might provide an eco-friendly solution to suburbia’s lack of identity, New World Home and Hearst Magazines announced today a partnership for the Country Living Collection of historically inspired “country” modular homes that feature USGBC LEED® certification.

Moving forward by looking back – New World Home – a developer of sustainable housing, has created a line of new green modular homes that are a convergence of historically inspired design, next generation green products and practices and a highly efficient manufacturing process. New World’s  New Old Green Modular, or NOGM, home platform will now feature The Country Living Collection, a series of home designs that will offer homeowners classic, American style in a high performance home that exceeds the building industry’s most stringent green standards.  Goodbye big box.

“The Country Living Green Modular Home Collection offers a range of historically inspired designs that reflect the comfortable, warm and inviting style found in the pages of the magazine. Interior and exterior details hand-selected by the editors of Country Living include signature elements such as open floor plans, porches, fireplaces and oversized windows.”

The homes in the Country Living Green Modular Home Collection range from 1,100 to 2,300 square feet with an average price of $150-$200 per square foot ($165,000-$460,000) excluding land and site costs. Every home can be customized on demand and typically move-in ready, less than 100 days from the start of production.

“New World Home utilizes a proprietary whole-systems design approach to building science that integrates state-of-the-art products and practices from around the world. As a result, homeowners will reduce overall energy consumption by more than 50%, save thousands of gallons of water per year and enjoy superior indoor air quality over an average code-built house,” says Tyler Schmetterer, co-founder of New World Home.

New World Home is currently producing a Country Living Design Center, the first of the collection, in the New York tri-state area scheduled to open in summer 2010.

source: new world home

Day-tripping in NYC but need a space to hang your hat and crank-up your laptop?

Sign up for a Free Day Pass, and work in sustainable style at Green Spaces NY.  As Co-founder Jennie Nevin says, “We recycle, compost, use CFL light bulbs and use all reclaimed furniture throughout our space.”  Awesome, right?  Pass it on…

UPDATE:  It’s official – Congratulations to our winners, Christine F of New Castle, DE and Paul H of Beaverton, OR.  Thanks to everyone for participating…(the original post follows)

This week’s giveaway is sponsored by our friends at Nau — we’re giving away 2 eco fabulous Dual Citizen Hoodies made of certified 100% organic cotton — one men’s and one women’s; (retail value, $150/each).

This spring, add a cool and comfy layer in a super soft dual-layer organic cotton hoody.  This jersey knit has natural stretch for ease of movement.  Check out the hand pockets — they zip close for keeping that valuable stuff, safe.  And the top stitching details at hem and cuffs add casual style.

Nau (pronounced “now”) is a clothing company based in Portland, Oregon. They design, make, and sell sustainable urban+outdoor apparel – integrated designs for the modern mobile life. Learn more @ www.nau.com/.

One lucky guy and one lucky gal will each receive either a 100 percent organic cotton Dual Citizen Men’s or Women’s hoody and choose their favorite color, plus receive free shipping to anywhere in the USA; (USA residents, only).

To Enter this Random Drawing, simply:

• Visit nau.com and find your favorite item from their new spring lines.
• Then leave a comment on this post, answering 2 questions.  1) Style or Substance — Which is more important to you — if a garment isn’t eco friendly, would you take the time to look for a similar style that is?  2)  What’s your favorite Nau item from the new spring line?
• Add the following address to your email address book: m at AlternativeConsumer.com.

Two lucky winners will be selected in our Random Drawing, and notified by email. Contest ends Monday, March 15, 2010 at 11:59p (EST). Winners have 24 hours to claim their prize, or offer is null and void. Winners’ names will also be included on this post.

*more ways to enter

• If you have your own blog, you can post about the giveaway with a link back to this giveaway post. To make sure we know, you can come back and leave a comment with a link to your blog post.
• If you Twitter, you can tweet about the giveaway once a day — be sure to refer to @altCon and @nauclothing, and leave a comment linking to the status.
• You can also receive additional entries 3 more ways: subscribe to our RSS feed, follow us on Twitter or become a friend on FaceBook. (If you’ve already signed up, just enter a comment to let us know.)

There seemed to be an overwhelming consensus among the auto industry at last week’s 2010 Geneva Motor Show – that green is very much in.  Automakers are showcasing their versions of green cars — electric, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and alternative fuel vehicles.  And the collections surely don’t compromise on form, with many models that can only be described as utterly sexy, albeit some are more practical than others.  Here’s a roundup of a few highlights:

BMW announced its new concept hybrid, named ActiveHybrid, which will be joining the 5 series sedan family.  The vehicle sports integrated technology, reported to deliver reductions in both fuel consumption and emissions by more than 10 percent, and features a special drivetrain feature that not only allows for short distance zero-emissions, but the ability to switch off the combustion engine when stopped at a road junction, at traffic lights, or stuck in congested traffic.  A production model is expected as early as next year.  Learn more @ bmwgroup.com

Porsche presented its first ever plug-in hybrid concept car, called the 918 Spyder.  Not only does the model exude the sexiness that Porsche is renowned for, but is making headway in fuel efficiency with an estimated 78 miles to the gallon.  Yes, you read right.  Other features include a 500 horsepower V-8 engine that can reach 60 mph in 3.2 seconds, a pair of electric motors that add another 218 horsepower, and a range of 16 miles on electricity alone.  However, we’ll have to wait and see if the production model can live up to the hype.

Ford introduced not one, but five eco-friendly vehicles at the show.  Although they didn’t reveal much on performance stats, the collection will include a range of green cars, all either fully electric, hybrids, or plug-in hybrids.  The most interesting perhaps, is the electric version of the Ford Focus, which is expected to enter the US and Canada in 2012.  This model will be one of at least ten vehicles from Ford’s new global C-car platform.  Learn more @ Ford

From the makers of the Prius comes the Auris Hybrid.  Toyota unveiled its production version of the hybrid European hatchback this week, and according to European standards, gets 74.3 miles to the gallon with only 89g/km of CO2 emissions, comparable to that of Porsche’s Spyder concept car.  Unlike the Spyder, however, the Auris can only drive up to 1.2 miles on its electric motor alone.  And, it will only be available in the UK, at least for now.

For more reads on green cars showcasing at the Geneva Motor Show, click here.

Related: (previously on altCon) – more green cars

• How’s the view? Solar Power Future for Glass Pyramids – msnbc
• I think they have something to sell…France Urges World to Turn to Nuclear Power – yahoo! news
• Unfortunately it didn’t help Avatar in the Best Picture category…Red Carpet Awaits the Star in the ‘Eco-Dress’ – npr
• Charm can take many forms…Worm Charmers – scientific american
• Foul play…Two Tiger Cubs Found Dead in Indian National Park – bbc
• The naysayers seem to be making more noise…and converts…Wanted: An Eco Prophet – guardian uk

It’s always great to see reclaimed materials reborn, or upcycled, into into something practical and well-designed like this great looking bench from Tel Aviv-based, Ubica Studio.  The pine beams are locked together with reclaimed Ipea deck beams fitted into a groove in the pine beam’s underside.