Coco-Zen: Stuff We Found Today

Beijing’s old town, bathed in smog

Family, Kids & Health Stuff

Meggie Moo's - "All natural, eco-friendly children's party supplies & gifts...for parties that don't cost the earth." Thanks to our friend Mary Wilke for telling us about this great site!
Travel Placemats: Wrestling to minimize a big mess at restaurants? - (Ideal Bite) "Try bringing a compostable, reusable placemat to catch the crumbs and spills instead of using disposable paper ones. They can still draw on these (so you're in the clear 'til the food arrives), and you save a few trees and reduce waste."
Kolcraft recalls one million play yards due to epic failure - (Z Recommends) There have been various issues including strangulation deaths of infants. Check to see if you have one of these playpens.
Green Toys' Jump Rope: Doing the simple things so right - (Z Recommends) 100% cotton rope and 100% recycled plastic handles...hooray!
Did Polluted Water Make Me Sick? Am I Living in a Cancer Cluster? - (TheDailyGreen) "The goal of a new CDC Website, the National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network, is to become a one-stop shop for anyone who wants to investigate environmental causes of illness, from asthma to well water."

Food Stuff

Eco-Friendly Protein: Edible Bugs - (WebEcoist) Pass the tarantulas, please... Think we're just a little too squeamish for these.
Chipotle & Food, Inc.: An Ironic Pairing? - (TakePart Social Action Network)
Lower your risk for breast and other cancers - (Mother Nature Network) "Antibiotics and hormones found in certain nonorganic dairy products may increase the risk for several types of cancer."

Home Stuff

Solar Panel Leases: Sol(ar) Mate - (Ideal Bite) If the cost of buying solar panels is just not in the budget, consider leasing them. Several companies are sprouting up all over the US.
Soylar Candles - Check out these handmade soy candles...love that they reuse babyfood jars for some of their packaging!

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

Sports Socks - (Ideal Bite) "Are your kids' sore feet holding them back?" Here's a list of sustainable wool and cotton socks for the little ones.
Lotus Moon: Mindful Skin Care - Eco-friendly advanced skincare line that uses natural, organic and active ingredients while incorporating aromatherapy and Ayurvedic principles...and they're paraben-free!
$5 Off TOMS Shoes - (EcoAvenue) TOMS Shoes New Customers Get $5 off, Code "FirstTOMS".
Handbags Born of Old Leather Jackets - (EcoSalon) reMade USA creates "one-of-a-kind stylish, sophisticated bags out of recycled leather jackets and scrap materials sourced from thrift stores and car and furniture upholstery companies. They also accept donations from anyone with unwanted leather lying around the house."

Tech & Science Stuff

15% off Solio solar charger - (EcoAvenue) Hot buy for July! 15% off Solio Classic Silver - coupon code July4thSolio.
Trade In Your Old Electronics For Costco Cash - (TakePart Social Action Network)
Innovative System Creates Drinking Water from Thin Air - (Inhabitat)
Tires Made from Orange Oil Instead of Petroleum - (EcoGeek) "....Yokohama has begun selling a new type of tire made mainly from orange oil instead of petroleum. The substitution plus the use of natural rubber allows the tires to be 80 percent petroleum-free."

Work & Business Stuff

Nature & Environment Stuff

10 of the World's Most Vital Rivers for Survival - (WebEcoist)
RealClimate: Climate science from climate scientists - "...a commentary site on climate science by working climate scientists for the interested public and journalists." Thanks Al Gore for tweeting about this site!
Coal Country Film: Inside Modern Coal Mining - (Twilight Earth) "Coal Country, the new film about coal mining, could be considered kin to the film Food, Inc., covering the dirty coal energy issue instead of dirty food issues, and Big Coal probably wishes the movie would just disappear…" (trailer in post)

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

Colbert Takes on Global Warming, Waxman-Markey, and the Sun - (Global Warming is Real) ...oh just a little snarky humor before the weekend...

Website Stuff

One Village Gifts: Green & Fair Trade Goods from Around the World - Great marketplace to find eco-friendly and socially conscious gifts.
Gifts with Humanity - (via EcoAvenueLTD on Twitter) 10% off everything with coupon code Summer. Free Ship $50+. $25 will "provide a fair wage for one person for 2 days in Kenya..."
Gaiam - (via EcoAvenueLTD on Twitter) $20 off any order over $100. Code AFGRN7. Exp 7-31.

International Stuff

Sun Come Up, an Intimate Look at the World's First Climate Refugees - (TheDailyGreen) "The Carteret Pacific islanders must abandon their homeland and peaceful, low-carbon way of life because of changes wrought by global warming."
(Australian) Town Bans Bottled Water - (New Dream Blog)
10 Beautiful Yet Deadly Mega Metropolises - (Environmental Graffiti)

Political, Social & Economy Stuff

G8 Summit fails to Reach Agreement on Climate Change - (TakePart Social Action Network)
Mainstreaming Fair Trade - (Shared Interest)
Newsom Makes Eco News Again With Ambitions Sustainable Food Policy - (Eat. Drink. Better.)

Other Random Cool Stuff

What's your Ecological Intelligence? - (Mother Nature Network) "In Ecological Intelligence, Daniel Goleman argues that knowing the impacts of what we buy can change the world." Now that's what we're talking about...

What is Coco-Zen?