What is Coco-Zen?

Coco-Zen is a state of nirvana achieved by surrendering to the taste and aroma
of luscious, rich chocolate.

It's knowing that you are helping our planet and its people,
because all of our treats are handmade from organic and Fair Trade Certified™ chocolate.

A state of ecstasy, peace and harmony, Coco-Zen is oneness with chocolate.

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Thursday, April 30, 2009

Stuff We Found Today - 04.30.09


Perseid meteor shower

Family, Kids & Health Stuff


Food Stuff

Tech & Science Stuff

Nature & Environment Stuff

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

Website Stuff

International Stuff
  • Japanese homeless living solar - (Mother Nature Network) "A Japanese homeless man built himself a small shelter equipped with a solar panel to run his radio and TV." Even they're homeless are smart!

Political, Social & Economy Stuff

Other Random Cool Stuff
  • Profits Before People: 7 of the World's Most Irresponsible Companies - (EarthFirst) "Far too many corporations turn a blind eye to the consequences of their destructive, exploitative practices. The worst of them are committing atrocities that go beyond the realm of objectionable into criminal, dumping toxic chemicals without regard to public health and employing child labor."

VIDEO: Captain Planet - Tree of Life, Part 3



Episode recap

"In Tree of Life, the evil Dr. Bright wants to cut down the Tree of Life. The giant redwood tree contains the powers of nature, which Dr. Bright wants to use to make herself more powerful than Captain Planet. When Captain Planet finds Dr. Bright to be a difficult match, can the Planeteers come to the Captain's rescue as well as the forest's rescue before it's too late?"



Stay tuned for more...

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Stuff We Found Today - 04.29.09


Boeing 747 Restaurant of South Korea

Family, Kids & Health Stuff


Home Stuff

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

Tech & Science Stuff


Nature & Environment Stuff

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff
  • Recycled Appliance Music - (GreenMuze) "Considered to be the world’s only kitchen appliance rock band, Norwegian Hurra Torpedo use recycled stoves, washing machines, freezers and dryers to create their unique industrial style music." Watch their cover of Total Eclipse of The Heart on YouTube (video in post).
  • Toronto Hot Docs Festival - (GreenMuze) "Canada’s coolest documentary film festival – Hot Docs – is about to get underway in Toronto from April 30-May 10, 2009...is North America’s largest documentary film festival..." Watch trailers of some of the more notable entries (videos in post).

Website Stuff
  • BarterQuest - Trade goods, services and real estate...trade both locally and internationally. Let someone else reuse what you don't want anymore.

International Stuff
  • The greenest countries in the world - (Mother Nature Network) By the way, the US ranked 39th out of 149 countries...we're not the worst, but we can certainly do better.
  • The Boeing 747 Restaurant of South Korea - (Environmental Graffiti) "A Boeing 747, the first jumbo jet to be flown commercially, sits in South Korea – a decommissioned airliner that found a new lease of life converted into a restaurant."

Political, Social & Economy Stuff

Other Random Cool Stuff

VIDEO: X-Men Origins: Woverine Goes Green - ZapRoot



"X-Men Origins: Wolverine--filmmaking goes green with the green initiative. McDonalds fries will soon be pesticide free. Check out our Best Tweeters of the Week. Green your ride with the latest in Alternative Autos."

VIDEO: Captain Planet - Tree of Life, Part 2



Episode recap

"In Tree of Life, the evil Dr. Bright wants to cut down the Tree of Life. The giant redwood tree contains the powers of nature, which Dr. Bright wants to use to make herself more powerful than Captain Planet. When Captain Planet finds Dr. Bright to be a difficult match, can the Planeteers come to the Captain's rescue as well as the forest's rescue before it's too late?"



Stay tuned for more...

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Stuff We Found Today - 04.28.09


Surfing's negative environmental impact...

Family, Kids & Health Stuff


Food Stuff

Home Stuff

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

Tech & Science Stuff


Work & Business Stuff

Nature & Environment Stuff

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

Website Stuff
  • New Green Social Site Just for Kids: Habitat Heroes - (Eco Child's Play) "...an interactive online destination where kids can adopt an endangered animal, create a life for it, play games, learn facts about the planet, and communicate with other young conservationists." Hey, if they're gonna get online...

International Stuff

Political, Social & Economy Stuff

Other Random Cool Stuff
  • Meet the eco-barons - (Mother Nature Network) Book about "titans who are measured not by their bank accounts, but by their impact on the planet."
  • Save trees while you print - (Mother Nature Network) "A new software makes green printing one step easier."
  • The next big wave - (Mother Nature Network) "Surfers may seem like free-spirited nature lovers, but they’re now facing the consequences of their sport’s negative environmental impact."
  • THE GREEN PARTY: A Mother's Day bouquet - (Mother Nature Network) Join Danielle to learn how to make your mom a Mother's Day present she won't soon forget: a beautiful, organic bouquet of flowers." (video in post)

VIDEO: Powered By Coal

"Coal is Americas most abundant and cheapest fossil fuel but, as Scott Pelley reports, burning it happens to be the biggest contributor to global warming."

VIDEO: Captain Planet - Tree of Life, Part 1



Episode recap

"In Tree of Life, the evil Dr. Bright wants to cut down the Tree of Life. The giant redwood tree contains the powers of nature, which Dr. Bright wants to use to make herself more powerful than Captain Planet. When Captain Planet finds Dr. Bright to be a difficult match, can the Planeteers come to the Captain's rescue as well as the forest's rescue before it's too late?"



Stay tuned for more...

Monday, April 27, 2009

Stuff We Found This Weekend - 04.27.09


Honest Food Labels - Saturday Morning Cartoon (The Good Human)

Family, Kids & Health Stuff


Food Stuff

Home Stuff

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

Tech & Science Stuff


Work & Business Stuff

School, College & Student Stuff


Nature & Environment Stuff

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

International Stuff

Political, Social & Economy Stuff

Other Random Cool Stuff

Sunday, April 26, 2009

VIDEO: Greasy Rider



Fun documentary to watch.

"Follow filmmakers J.J. Beck and Joey Carey on a cross-country road trip powered by vegetable oil in a 1981 Mercedes-Benz. Interviews include Morgan Freeman, co-director of Earth..."

Quote of the Week - 04.26.09

"Smile, breathe, and go slowly. "
~Thich Nhat Hanh

"Smile, breathe, and eat Fair Trade chocolate."
~Coco-Zen
Coco-Zen Fair Trade chocolates

Friday, April 24, 2009

VIDEO: Captain Planet - The Ghost of Porkaloin Past, Part 4



Episode recap

"In The Ghost of Porkaloin Past, Hoggish Greedly inherits his Grandpappy Don Porkaloin's estate. While going through his Grandpappy's things, Greedly finds a golf resort idea his Grandpappy had written about in a journal and decides to follow through on it. The town, however, has been trying to conserve water and is outraged. Can the Planeteers come up with a plan to stop Greedly's wasteful ways?"

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Stuff We Found Today - 04.23.09


President Obama and 1st Lady

Family, Kids & Health Stuff

  • Visiting Animal Sanctuaries: Wishing for a Utopian Playground? - (Ideal Bite) "Visit an animal sanctuary with your kiddos and help care for critters rescued from abuse and neglect. The animals will enjoy the company, farm staff'll appreciate the support, and your brood'll have a total(itarian) blast."
  • Baby Gear: Pacifier Aggressive - (Ideal Bite) "Baby pacifiers and teethers free of the problem chem bisphenol A (BPA) that soothe baby gums without causing any eco-resentment."

Food Stuff

Beauty & Fashion Stuff
Work & Business Stuff

Nature & Environment Stuff

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

International Stuff

Political, Social & Economy Stuff

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

VIDEO: Earth Day: Who Owns the Rain - ZapRoot



"Celebrate Earth Day with these activities. Its becoming illegal to collect rainwater. Get your tech on with Green Gadgets."


VIDEO: Captain Planet - The Ghost of Porkaloin Past, Part 3



Episode recap

"In The Ghost of Porkaloin Past, Hoggish Greedly inherits his Grandpappy Don Porkaloin's estate. While going through his Grandpappy's things, Greedly finds a golf resort idea his Grandpappy had written about in a journal and decides to follow through on it. The town, however, has been trying to conserve water and is outraged. Can the Planeteers come up with a plan to stop Greedly's wasteful ways?"



Stay tuned for more...

Stuff We Found Today - 04.22.09


Stilt fishermen of Kathaluwa

Family, Kids & Health Stuff


Food Stuff

Home Stuff
  • Take shorter showers or suffocate - (Mother Nature Network) "How would you like an eco-friendly shower curtain that starts suffocating you if you take too long?" No joke...someone invented this.

Beauty & Fashion Stuff
  • Whole Foods Turning Banners Into Luxury Bags - (Fast Company) Turning old retail banners into handbags..."will also have an LED light attached inside for those times when you can't find anything in the dark depths of your bag." Whoa!!

Tech & Science Stuff


Work & Business Stuff

School, College & Student Stuff


Nature & Environment Stuff

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

Website Stuff
  • Earth Protect - "Earth Protect is a place to link videos, participate in the blogs and forums and in general share ideas about how to protect the earth." It's sort of like an eco YouTube...plus there's a business directory to find and buy environmentally-friendly products and services and learn about like-minded non-profit partners.
  • Green Groove - An online service allows consumers to create personalized "withdrawal" plans to help them organically adapt to more sustainable ways and embrace eco-conscious choices - helps you get started, and helps you keep track.

International Stuff
  • The Stilt Fishermen of Kathaluwa - (Environmental Graffiti) "Stilt fishing is a tradition that only about 500 fishing families in the southwestern-most Sri Lankan district of Galle practice..."
  • Afghanistan Establishes First National Park - (EcoWorldly) "The area of Band-e-Amir is near the Bamyan Valley, where 1,500-year-old giant Buddha statues once stood before being destroyed by the Taliban."

Political, Social & Economy Stuff
  • The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act - (Obama Pics Daily) Love these pics of the Pres, the 1st Lady and Former Pres Clinton digging in the dirt with students.
  • White House Gives Offshore Wind Big Push - (TakePart Social Action Network) "The White House gave the development of offshore wind & wave power facilities a huge Earth Day push today with the release of much anticipated regulations." (video in post)

Other Random Cool Stuff

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

VIDEO: Captain Planet - The Ghost of Porkaloin Past, Part 2



Episode recap

"In The Ghost of Porkaloin Past, Hoggish Greedly inherits his Grandpappy Don Porkaloin's estate. While going through his Grandpappy's things, Greedly finds a golf resort idea his Grandpappy had written about in a journal and decides to follow through on it. The town, however, has been trying to conserve water and is outraged. Can the Planeteers come up with a plan to stop Greedly's wasteful ways?"



Stay tuned for more...

Stuff We Found Today - 04.21.09


Giant sea worm named Barry

Family, Kids & Health Stuff


Food Stuff

Home Stuff
  • Glassware Made from Recycled Wine Bottles - (Inhabitat) "The Green Glass Company of Wisconsin takes used and unwanted bottles from wineries and has created a diverse collection of glassware that’s fun and chic." They also use beer and soda bottles...check out the Copenhagen and Assorted Pop collection...these are the coolest tumblers!
  • Way Basics - These colorful storage cubes, shelving, and playroom tables are made from 99% recycled materials...they're perfect for create kids furniture and storage.

Beauty & Fashion Stuff


Tech & Science Stuff


Work & Business Stuff

School, College & Student Stuff


Nature & Environment Stuff
  • Want some popcorn with you "Poisoned Waters"? - (Enviroblog) "...water pollution in the Chesapeake and Puget Sounds is a serious issue. At 9 p.m. Tuesday, 4/21, the PBS show Frontline is about to air a documentary called 'Poisoned Waters.'"
  • The Swirls and Waves of Antelope Canyon - (Environmental Graffiti) Some very cool pics.
  • Giant Sea Worm Terrorizes Aquarium - (Environmental Graffiti) "...four-foot long sea worm attacked and mutilated coral reefs and apparently maimed a prize Tang fish in the tank he had infiltrated...the cunning critter devoured not only the bait but also the hooks on traps that had been set overnight...bit through a 20-pound fishing line..." YIKES!

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

Website Stuff

International Stuff

Political, Social & Economy Stuff
  • 'Fair Trade' Market Growing Quickly - (NPR) "Companies which observe "fair trade" practices buy raw materials from suppliers that meet certain environmental and labor standards...."
  • The Cost of Inaction - (Al Gore) "When climate crisis deniers and their allies argue that cap-and-trade and other legislation costs too much, they always seem to ignore the price of inaction..."

Other Random Cool Stuff
  • Earth Day 2009: Green Events - (AboutMyPlanet.com) Some more events happening around the country.
  • Easy Earth Day Activities for Everyone - (ecomii)
  • Three Free, Green iPhone Apps - (Sierra Club: The Green Life) "...free during this week's Earth Day promotions..."
  • Pop Up Eco Exhibit - (Green Muze) Cool eco-friendly exhibit to showcase perfumes..."Sculptural forms made from silhouetted layers of white sustainable eco-board create natural elements — trees, stone formations, and a forest path." Sustainable visual merchandising!
  • ecofabulous Earth Day Guide - (ecofabulous) More Earth Day events...San Franicisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, Washington DC, New York.

VIDEO: Save the Humans!



"DO YOU KNOW... '18% of all global Green Houses Gases are from the consumption of MEAT and DAIRY?'"

Here's a
little music video that gets the point across on how our meat consumption is a large contributor to global warming and other environmental issues. You don't even have to go completely veggie...just consuming less meat is a tremendous improvement.

Chocolate Ratings Gives Coco-Zen Truffles High Marks

From Chocolate Ratings:

"If you love chocolate and mint, and want the ultimate creamy truffle I suggest you go to coco-zen.com right now, before even reading my review. Yes, they are that great..."

Read the rest of Chocolate Ratings' review...
Coco-Zen Organic Fair Trade Truffles

VIDEO: Captain Planet - The Ghost of Porkaloin Past, Part 1



Episode recap

"In The Ghost of Porkaloin Past, Hoggish Greedly inherits his Grandpappy Don Porkaloin's estate. While going through his Grandpappy's things, Greedly finds a golf resort idea his Grandpappy had written about in a journal and decides to follow through on it. The town, however, has been trying to conserve water and is outraged. Can the Planeteers come up with a plan to stop Greedly's wasteful ways?"



Stay tuned for more...

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Stuff We Found This Weekend - 04.19.09


Bottled water exposed - in pictures (Enviroblog)

Food Stuff

Home Stuff

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

Tech & Science Stuff


Work & Business Stuff

School, College & Student Stuff

  • Be A Green (Prom) Queen - (ecofabulous) "Last week marked the launch of Project Green Prom, a nationwide effort by environmentally conscious teens to transform their traditional springtime rite of passage into a planet friendly event."

Nature & Environment Stuff

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

Website Stuff
  • The Green Talk Network - (showtheLOVE) "After a nearly two-year hiatus to 'recharge', 'refuel' and 'refresh' her decade-long quest to bring green content into the mainstream media, eco-pioneer Betsy Rosenberg is back with a new call-in radio talk show."

International Stuff
  • The Podcar: A Cross Between a Taxi and a Personal Bus - (Gas 2.0) "Madsar City, located within Abu Dhabi, is introducing persona rapid trasit 'podcars'."
  • Mass Farmer Suicide in India - (GreenMuze) "...example of how global climate change will affect the poorest in society first. Perhaps some of the shame of these farmers debts and their subsequent suicides should be borne by those of us who over-consume and grossly contribute to greenhouse gases, for which others, who can ill afford it, actually pay the price."

Political, Social & Economy Stuff

Other Random Cool Stuff

Quote of the Week - 04.19.09

"He who learns but does not think is lost.
He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger. "
~Confucious

"He who eats chocolate but does not buy Fair Trade is lost.
He who buys Fair Trade chocolate but does not eat it is insane."
~Coco-Zen
Coco-Zen Fair Trade chocolates

Friday, April 17, 2009

VIDEO: Climate Watch: California at the Tipping Point

From KQED...

"The world's climate is changing and California is now being affected in both dramatic and subtle ways. Get an in-depth look at the science behind climate change as we explore the environmental changes taking place throughout the state."

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Stuff We Found Today - 04.16.09


Virupaksha Temple at Hampi

Family, Kids & Health Stuff

  • Loopwing Wind-Powered Toy Car - (Inhabitots) "Want your tots to grow up with an appreciate for renewable energy technology?...this is the perfect thing to inspire kids to learn some basic engineering principals, all while having eco fun!"

Food Stuff

Home Stuff
  • San Diego's Revolutionary Solar Plan - (CleanTechnica) "...a revolutionary program goes into effect that allows residents to pay for solar panels through property tax bills over a period of 20 years."

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

Tech & Science Stuff


School, College & Student Stuff
  • Your school could win $20K to go green - (Mother Nature Network)
  • Project Green Prom's winning video - (Mother Nature Network) "...Project Green Prom, the contest put together by Whole Foods and Teens Turning Green to help teens share prom greening tips with other teens. The contest asked teens to submit a 3-minute video that answered the question, 'How would you ‘green’ your prom?'" (video in post)

Nature & Environment Stuff

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

Website Stuff

International Stuff

Political, Social & Economy Stuff
  • Transition or Die: Four Timelines for Four Futures - (Chelsea Green) "...the four most likely paths that societies around the world will take when confronted with the realities of peak oil. All societies will struggle—some will go extinct. But with the proper foresight and planning, a few societies will thrive in the low-energy future."
  • San Francisco closes the lid on garbage - (Mother Nature Network) "Recycling and composting expected to be mandatory by year's end."

Other Random Cool Stuff