Stuff We Found Today - 08.29.11

Floating micro-country funded by Paypal Founder

Family, Kids & Health Stuff

• Why Pregnant Women in California Have High Levels of Toxic Chemicals - (TIME) Hmmm, definitely not good!
• Alternatives to Toxic Hands Soaps at your Kid's School - (Greenwala) "Most hand soaps used by schools contain nasties like fragrance, triclosan and other nasty chemicals."
• 9 habits that my do more harm than good - (Mother Nature Network) A few things here we never really thought about before...

Food Stuff

• Keep Pesticide-Ridden Corn Off Your Dinner Plate - (Center for Environmental Health) "Monsanto’s new GMO corn, intended for the frozen and/or canned corn market. This experimental corn will not be labeled, so consumers cannot know when they may be eating a GMO food that contains a toxic pesticide in every bite." Take action.
• Cocoa's benefits linked to anti-inflammatory potential: Human data - (Confectionery News) Cool beans... cocoa beans, that is - haha!
• Hershey's Chocolate Sweatshop Sullies its Image - (InvestorGuide.com) Right here in the good ole US of A! C'mon Hershey's... it's bad enough that you don't use Fair Trade chocolate.
• The Bicycle Coffee Company: Sustainable From Bean To Cup - (Dowser) We are huge fans of these guys...and their coffee!
• Cargill pays premium millions to cocoa farmers as sustainable sourcing grows - (ConfectioneryNews.com)
• Salmon Fish Cake [Recipe] - (Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution) Mmmm...going to have to try this out this weekend!

Home Stuff

• Cat Hammock in a Box - (CatAbove.com) For cat lovers, this has to be the coolest cat gadget/accessory ever... and it's made of corrugated cardboard!
• 8 lush green rooftops from around the globe - (Mother Nature Network) These are neat to look at!

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

• Christie Brinkley Launching Vegan Skin Care Line - (Ecorazzi) Set to launch this summer...keep an eye out!
• Stick Your iPad Down Bernie Madoff's (Recycled) Pants - (Ecouterre) iPad cases made from Madoff's auctioned off pants...kind of funny.

Tech & Science Stuff

• GE's Solar Powered Carousel Opens at the South Street Seaport! - (Inhabitat) Fun!!
• Lightning Motorcycles Break 200 MPH Electric Bike Speed Record! - (Inhabitat) For all you speedster bikers...

School, College & Student Stuff

• Announcing the Global Green USA Green School Makeover Competition: A Chance to Win $65,000 to Green Your School! - (Global Green USA)
• Enter to Win Inhabitat's Green Back-To-School Contest - (Inhabitat) "Worth a whopping $1155, our back to school prize package includes a HP Pavilion dv6 laptop with Windows 7, a set of notebooks from ecosystem, a creative bundle from Behance, some sweet recycled newspaper pencils from TreeSmart, folders, tabs and more courtesy of Naked Binder, and a Voltaic Converter solar backpack to put all of it into!"

Nature & Environment Stuff

• Shell Oil Leak in North Sea Raises Memories of BP Gulf Oil Spill - (Treehugger)
• Moving Planet: A Day to Move Beyond Fossil Fuels - Coming Sep 24th... check it out!! From the guys over at 350.org.

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

• Constance Hockaday's Boggsville Boatel Turn Defunct Boats Into Floating NYC Hotels - (Inhabitat) Maybe a fun getaway with kids??

Political, Social & Economy Stuff

• Fair Trade Chocolate Activists Upload Protest Photos On Hershey's Facebook Page - (Huffington Post)

Other Random Cool Stuff

• Apple Unveils Exciting New Pictures of It's Foster & Partners Designed Green Headquarters in Cupertino! - (Inhabitat) Self-sufficient curved glass building... cool!
• Paypal Founder Peter Thiel Invests $1.25 Million to Create Floating Micro-Countries - (Inhabitat) "...building his very own start-up countries in the far off, open ocean..."

Quote of the Week - 08.28.11

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

~Confucius

"The journey towards a kinder world can begin with a single piece of Fair Trade chocolate."

~Coco-Zen

VIDEO: Getting to Know Fair Trade in Four 2-Minute Micro-Documentaries

Fair Trade USA recently released a series of micro-documentaries that help bring a better understanding of what Fair Trade is all about and how it helps both people and environment. Take a look...

Fair Trade: Quality Products

"Fair Trade Certified products are some of the highest quality goods available on the market. Farming communities around the world are rapidly realizing that quality-not quantity- is directly related to profitability; leading many Fair Trade cooperatives to invest their premium funds in quality control initiatives. By strengthening their capacity to produce high quality goods these farmers are gaining increased market access, strengthening their business capacity and in turn earning higher wages to support the well being of their families and communities."

Fair Trade: Improving Lives

"Through Fair Trade certification not only do farmers earn a higher price for their goods, they also receive an additional premium fund for community development projects. These funds are used for things like building schools, health care clinics and clean water wells, as well as for home loans, scholarships and transportation. Fair Trade empowers communities to take their futures into their own hands."

Fair Trade: Protecting the Environment

"Fair Trade is not just about earning a higher price for the harvest, it's about learning techniques for sustainable agriculture that help protect the environment and make the world a better place for future generations. To become Fair Trade Certified, farms must adhere to a strict set of environmental standards, including but not limited to: no use of GMO's, minimal and safe use of chemicals, elimination of slash and burn techniques and responsible disposal of waste and water runoff. These standards not only ensure sustainable production practices, but also worker health and safety.

Additionally, while Fair Trade does not require organic certification, it does encourage organic conversion to further enhance environmental commitment."

Fair Trade: Power of the Consumer

"Fair Trade is a system that harnesses the power of the market to help alleviate poverty and generate significant global change; this is why the American consumer has so much power. By making small, simple changes to your everyday purchasing habits, such as choosing a cup of Fair Trade coffee or eating a Fair Trade banana, shoppers are able to vote with their dollar for a better world."

VIDEO: Playing For Change Day 2011

Check this out... great uplifting cause and chance to enjoy some great music!

"http://playingforchange.com/episodes/51 - As someone who makes or listens to music, you know the incredible power it has to connect and inspire.

You're invited to join our 1st annual Playing For Change Day on September 17, 2011 - a global day of action where musicians will perform on stages, cafés, city squares, and street corners worldwide to raise money to support music in the lives of young people.

You can create an event on that day - OR you can find our about PFC Day events in your community - by signing up at PlayingForChangeDay.org. Whether you're performing yourself, or heading out to see another artist perform, everyone's participation is needed to make September 17th a day to remember.

This year's event carries the theme Power To The People, drawing its inspiration from John Lennon's activism, thanks to the gracious support of Theatre Within and Yoko Ono who believe in our mission and recognize it as one manifestation of John's vision for the role of music in creating a better world.

Proceeds raised will go to support the work of the Playing For Change Foundation and Theatre Within to help build music schools, strengthen music and arts education, support teachers and performances, purchase instruments, and connect young people to promote cross cultural learning and conflict resolution.

You understand the power of music and the ways it can change the human heart and the human experience. Will you bring your passion and presence to a global day of music? Please visit PlayingForChangeDay.org to learn more and to participate."

Quote of the Week - 08.21.11

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."

~Eleanor Roosevelt

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of Fair Trade chocolate."

~Coco-Zen

Stuff We Found Today - 08.08.11

Vegetated floating island... gone missing!

Family, Kids & Health Stuff

• 6 Green Must-Haves for Back to School - (Inhabitots) Lovin' the art supplies!

Food Stuff

• Cool Down with 5 Easy Popsicle Recipes - (Greenwala) These are great to do with the kids...they'll have as much fun making them as eating them! Make sure to use Fair Trade chocolate for the "Monkey Tails" & "Fudge Pops"!
• Meatless Monday: 5 Wowsome Vegan Recipes - (Greenwala) We're always trying to add a couple of meatless meals each week... these look pretty yummy - especially the "sliders".

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

• Brooklyn-Based Designer Creates Solar Powered Bikini That Charges Your Electronics - (Inhabitat) Hmmm... how many beach bunnies do you think will be donning one of these?
• Air-Conditioned Clothing Helps Japan Beat the Heat Amid Power Shortages - (Ecouterre) Maybe this could be useful in the south??
• 14 Eco-Friendly Bikinis, Swimsuits, Board Shorts to Splash Into Summer - (Ecouterre) Now these are definitely more wearable.
• Is Snail Slime the Latest "Miracle" Ingredient in Anti-Aging Skincare? - (Ecouterre) Hmmm...what do you think?

Tech & Science Stuff

• How to Charge Your iPhone From Your Bike's Pedal Power - (Greenwala)
• T3 Motion Will Unveil Two Epic Electric Vehicles August 12th - (Greenwala) Okay, these are kinda nifty... wonder how much they'll cost. "Personal electric vehicles" for errands around town??
• The Vinci: A 7-Inch Touch Pad Computer Designed for Babies! - (Inhabitots) A new gadget to get our little ones hooked on tech asap... good or bad??
• Chevy Dealerships Install Solar Green Zones Capable of Charging 4,500 Electric Cars a Year - (Inhabitat)

Political, Social & Economy Stuff

• Biggest corporate front group runs fake campaign to support most polluting project on the planet - (350.org) Check this out and then pass the info along!!

Other Random Cool Stuff

• Eco-photos of the week: July 3-9 - (Mother Nature Network) Awesome pics!
• Satellite Photos Reveal UAE Billionaire's Name Carved Into the Earth - (Inhabitat) Holy cow... can we say EGO?!!! At least the guy donates to medical causes.
• A Throw Away Culture: How Much Do We Really Recycle? - (NextWorth) Cool infographic tells all...
• Brooklyn's New DeKalb Market is Made from 22 Salvaged Shipping Containers - (Inhabitat) Ahhh...total awesome.
• Vegetated Floating Island In The Sky Goes Missing From UK Music Festival - (Inhabitat) Haha...would love to see this go floating by!
• Gates Foundation: 'Let's Reinvent the Toilet' - (Mother Nature Network) "The Gates Foundation awards teams at 8 different universities $3 million in grants to design innovative commodes for use in developing countries where easy access to clean and safe sanitation is a rarity."

Quote of the Week - 08.07.11

"He who knows others is wise. He who knows himself is enlightened."

~Lao-Tze

"He who knows chocolate is wise. He who knows Fair Trade chocolate is enlightened."

~Coco-Zen