Stuff We Found Today - 06.23.10

Brian Williams slow jams w/ Jimmy Fallon on the Gulf oil spill

Family, Kids & Health Stuff

• Chemicals in Food Blamed for Early Puberty in Girls - (Inhabitots)
• Is your sunscreen in EWG's Sunscreen Hall of Shame? - (Enviroblog) Worth taking a look at before you slather on that sunscreen and head out for the sun.

Food Stuff

• Urban Foraging: Some hardcore foodies are going even more local than the greenmarket - (TrendCentral) New green food trend? If so... cool!
• The Food Movement, Rising - (The New York Review of Books) Great article by Michael Pollan...worth a read.
• Crispy Cajun Chickpea Cakes - (VeganDad) Came across the recipe...looks delish - kind of like a cajun falafel.
• How to make stainless steel pans stick-free - (green LA girl) Wow...super cool trick to know. Bye-bye teflon!

Home Stuff

• The European Solar Decathlon Kicks Off Today - Exclusive Photos! - (Inhabitat) Some very cool looking solar prefab homes here...would love to have one of these!
• Kleenex Had Towels: Pay a nickel every time you wash your hands - (green LA girl) Seriously...what are they thinking?!!

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

• 365 upcycled dresses in 365 days for $365 - (Mother Nature Network) "A West Hollywood woman kicks off her 30s with an eco-fashionable project: Turn a vintage dud into a chic outfit every day -- for $1 a day." Some of her creations are pretty darn cute!
• Underarm Clothing Patch Eliminates Body Odor Through Nanotechnology - (Ecouterre) Hey...if this works, we can finally ditch the deodorant!
• Who Says It's Good For You? The Truth About "Non-Toxic" Nail Polish - (EcoStiletto)
• Brooklyn Designer Makes Jewelry From Human Hair: Cool or Creepy? - (Ecouterre) Little creepy to us...what do you think?
• Artful Undergarments: Rio Wrenn's R.A.W. Eco Lingerie Collection - (Eco-Chick) Seriously sexy undergarments...love the vintage inspirations.
• 14 Eco-Friendly Bikinis, Swimsuits, Board Shorts to Sizzle Your Summer - (Ecouterre) Cute, cute, cute... and some boardshorts for the guys.

Tech & Science Stuff

• Europe Will Be Powered by Saharan Sun in Five Years - (EcoGeek.org) Wow...when will we be powered by sun??

Work & Business Stuff

• Join MNN's local correspondent program - (Mother Nature Network) Love to write about all things green and want to make a difference? Check this out!

Nature & Environment Stuff

• 9 jaw-dropping caves - (Mother Nature Network) Some very cool pics!
• Tree Museum With a Collection of 2,000 Trees Opens in Switzerland - (Inhabitat)
• 10 Most Brilliantly colored Birds on Earth - (Environmental Graffiti) Some beautiful bird pics...
• Still Deny That Climate Change Is Real? This Is Who Agrees With You. - (The Good Human)

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

• 'Gasland' Filmmaker Josh Fox Ignites Conversation On The Daily Show - (Ecorazzi) Rather eye-opening...definitely worth a listen (video in post).
• Brian Williams Slow Jams The News With Jimmy Fallon - (Ecorazzi) "Slow jam" about the Gulf Oil Spil...OMG, freakin' hilarious (video in post).

Other Random Cool Stuff

• Stop unwanted phone books: Easy online opt-out options - (green LA girl) Who uses phonebooks anymore when you can look up numbers online...get rid of the books and save on paper and clutter!

Stuff We Found Today - 03.26.10

Ed Begley Jr. Just Says NO To Bottled Water

Family, Kids & Health Stuff

• 5 Eco-Friendly, BPA Free Baby Bottles That Are BPA-Free - (Inhabitots)

Food Stuff

• Michelle Obama Encourages 'Food Giants' To Stop Making Junk - (Ecorazzi) "'We need you not to just tweak around the edges but entirely rethink the products you are offering, the information that you provide about these products, and how you market those products to our children,' she said." LOVE this woman!!!
• Kids' Food a Fly Won't Touch - (Enviroblog) This is seriously disturbing... they're talking about the "Happy Meal" here.
• Chocolate Paves the Path to the Dark Side - (Change.org: End Human Trafficking) "...a journalist from Denmark, Miki Mistrati, has gone undercover to see what’s really happening on the Ivory Coast’s cocoa farms in a new documentary called The Dark Side of Chocolate."

Home Stuff

• Green Cleaning this Spring - (Environmental Working Group) Tips on safer products and practices for spring cleaning.

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

• Faux-Leather "Project Runway" Outfit Made From... Trash Bags! - (Ecouterre) Go Jay!!!
• Japanese Company Upcycles Scrap Tires Into Cool-Looking Sneakers, Bags - (Ecouterre) Kind of diggin' these...

Tech & Science Stuff

• Scientists Use 3D Printer to Create First "Printed" Human Vein - (Inhabitat) "...a printer that can build body parts from cells!" WHOA!!! Cool and creepy!
• GM Reveals EN-V All Electric Vehicle That Could Drop You Off and Drive Itself Home - (Inhabitat) Hey... could this be the answer to the "designated driver", hmmm???

Work & Business Stuff

• Startup Aims to Make Corn-Based Plastics Even Greener - (GreenBiz.com)
• Wells Fargo Green Financing Surges to $6.2 Billion - (GreenBiz.com) "...loans and investments for green building projects, solar and wind power installments, clean technology and firms that develop it..."

Nature & Environment Stuff

• 7 Incredible Nature Time-Lapse Videos - (Ecorazzi) These are pretty cool! (videos in post)
• Top 10 Global Warming Denier Arguments Debunked: Part 1 - (EcoSalon)
• Top 10 Global Warming Denier Arguments Debunked: Part 2 - (EcoSalon)

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

• Avatar Release To Kick Off Million Tree Planting Initiative - (Ecorazzi) "...James Cameron announced a partnership with the Earth Day Network to plant one million trees in honor of the film by the end of 2010."
• Pierce Brosnan To Narrate Disneynature OCEANS - (Ecorazzi) Looks like another great nature flick! (trailer in post)
• The Green Quote: Ed Begley Jr. Just Says NO To Bottled Water - (Ecorazzi) Gotta love Ed!
• 'Sarah Palin's Alaska' Reality Nature Series May Head To Discovery - (Ecorazzi) Oh...say it ain't true!!! "Obviously, this one is all about the potential ratings — since linking Sarah Palin to environmental conservation is laugh-out loud tenuous."

Political, Social & Economy Stuff

• Tackling Child Labour in the Chocolate Industry What Role Can Fairtrade Play? - (FrenchBuyers.com)

VIDEO: Chocolate Country (documentary)

Can't believe we missed this film...

"In the isolated hill towns of the Dominican Republic, cacao farmers have been fighting a losing battle with the global economy (and hundreds of opportunistic middlemen) for as long as anyone can remember. “Chocolate Country” is the story of a village with a plan to turn the system on its head. Like many poor farmers, the people of Loma Guacanejo have never been able to afford herbicides or pesticides. Shifting demands in the first world are about to turn this disadvantage into an advantage. If the farmers can certify their cocoa beans “organic”, and leverage the benefits of "Fair Trade", their product could instantly double - even triple - in value...

What the Loma Guacanejo cooperative is fighting for amounts to a win-win situation for consumers and growers. For consumers, it provides an alternative to the unsanitary and unappetizing conditions of conventional production, where cacao is dried on roadside tarps and exposed to rain, mold, car exhaust and wandering livestock. For growers, it promises a fairer, more direct relationship with the marketplace, and a better income for households where running water is still a rarity and electricity a far-off dream."

~ ChocolateCountryFilm.com

Stuff We Found Today - 01.19.10

Rolling Stone magazine article...

Family, Kids & Health Stuff

• Autism Cluster in California May Have Environmental Link - (EcoSalon) "Researchers at U.C. Davis are trying to connect the dots leading to 10 autism clusters in California. One theory is that those parents are using certain hazardous household products, exposing their kids to dangers linked to the neuro-developmental disorder that usually surfaces by the time a child turns three."

Food Stuff

• The Mysterious Monsanto Unmasked - (EcoMatters) Monsanto's monopoly over our food supply... hmmm, not so good!

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

• For the Guys: Best Natural and Organic Shaving Products - (EcoSalon)
• Some Dude's Mom Will Reknit Your Old Sweater Into a New Scarf for $30 - (Ecouterre) Seriously!
• 18th Century "Queen Adelaide" Gown Made From Discarded Radiator Copper - (Ecouterre) Okay... just some fun, fantasical upcycling...

Tech & Science Stuff

• Recycle Your Old Phones and Help Haiti Quake Victims - (EcoGeek)
• Sponge-Like Glass Cleans Contaminated Water - (EcoGeek) "A new glass material...has the ability to clean polluted water by absorbing contaminants like a sponge." Pretty cool!
• Cell Phone Radiation Blog Series - All In One Place - (Enviroblog) Great resource for cell phone radiation info.

Nature & Environment Stuff

• Tons of Trash: Tour America's Top 10 Biggest Landfills - (EcoSalon) A good reminder of how much we waste.
• Insects Poke Fun at Photographers - (Environmental Graffiti) Just some fun bug pics.

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

• The Cove Coming To Animal Planet This Summer - (ecorazzi) "Considered an Oscar contender in the documentary category, The Cove exposes the hidden slaughter of thousands of dolphins in the small town of Taiji, Japan — and the efforts of those determined to end it."
• Kiefer Sutherland Says '24' Staying Green For Season 8 - (ecorazzi)
• Rolling Stone Covers Enemies of Climate Change - (ecorazzi) "Rolling Stone magazine has shot back at critics of climate change with an in-depth spread titled 'The Climate Killers: 17 polluters and deniers who are derailing efforts to curb the climate catastrophe.'"
• Avatar's Super Secret Eco-Brainwashing Conspiracy Exposed! - (ecorazzi) Check out what some people are saying about Avatar... are these people kidding us??!!!

International Stuff

• All Londoners Will be Within a Mile of a Charging Station by 2015 - (EcoGeek) Hey US cities... why not us??
• Earth Hour 2010 Set For Lights Out March 27th - (ecorazzi)

Stuff We Found Today - 11.19.09

Treehouse prep school in UK

Family, Kids & Health Stuff

• Pregnant moms are exposed to toxic chemicals - (Safer States) Video in post.
• Don't Be Fooled: Target and Walmart Caught Selling Lead-Tainted Products for Children, Again! - (Center for Environmental Health) Take action and sign this letter... we did!
  
• High lead levels found in popular holiday toys - (Mother Nature Network) "How safe are the toys on your holiday shopping list?"

Food Stuff

• What Is Really In Your Olive Oil? - (ShowTheLove) Who knew that many "olive oils" aren't really olive oil???

Home Stuff

• Natural Pet Toys - (ShowTheLove) ...and they're adorable too!

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

• Power Your Music Player With Your Running Pants - (Ecouterre) For real... " the Dancepants converts kinetic energy from running or dancing into electricity for your MP3 player."
• DIY "Colour-In" Dress is a Coloring Book You Can Wear - (Ecouterre) "...the fitted A-line shift is covered in a black-and-white print that you can fill in with the included textile markers." This would be super cool if made for kids!
• Human Teeth Jewelry: Creepy or Cool? - (Ecouterre) We're all for upcycling, but this is just a little too weird, huh??
• Hair Gloss: Hair to the Throne - (Ideal Bite) "Try some eco hair gloss on your crowning glory. Postpregnancy (and with aging, unfortch), hair starts to turn dull and dry; these planet-friendly balms and oils for all hair types court shiny locks."

Tech & Science Stuff

• Now you can hear electric cars - (EcoTube) Cool sounds for your electric car...and makes it safer for vision impaired pedestrians.
• ChargeCar Aims to Create Crowdsourced Electric Vehicles - (Inhabitat) Video in post.
  
• CO2, Methane Ousted as Worst Global Climate Change Chemicals - (Gas 2.0) "The majority of 'greenhouse gases' are created by humans." See what they are... and which human made products contain them.

Nature & Environment Stuff

• GPS-fitted marine animals create first-ever atlas of the Patagonian Sea - (Mother Nature Network) "An unprecedented 300-page atlas of the Patagonian Sea has been 'written' by the marine animals that live there -- with the help of fitted GPS collars."

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

• Eco-Movies: Movies & Shakers - (Ideal Bite) Some great eco-themed movies to check out... and not just little indie films, but some big budget Hollywood ones, too. Personally, we can't wait to see Avatar! (Yeah, we're sci-fi geeks.)
• Jimmy Fallon's eco-jam session - (Mother Nature Network) "Jimmy Fallon turns pop songs into eco-anthems. Will they inspire Justin Timberlake to start 'bringing bottles back'?" (video in post)

International Stuff

• Solar Powered Treehouse Classrooms Unveiled in the UK - (Inhabitat) Wow!! Wish we had a treehouse school when we were kids!

Political, Social & Economy Stuff

• Everything is OK - (EcoTube) Hiliarious video of protest in the UK... "Thinking is boring! ...sheeple, not people..."
• Cash for caulking? - (Mother Nature Network) "Bill Clinton is behind a home weatherization variation of the cash for clunkers program that he hopes will give the sagging economy -- and the environment -- a boost."

Other Random Cool Stuff

• Terrafon Plays the Earth as an Instruments - (Inhabitat) "If the earth could make music, what kind of songs would it sing?" Kinda crazy, but interesting... (video in post)
  
• TerraCycle: Outsmart Waste! - (Recycle Your Day) Upcycling what normally can't be recycled... brilliant!
• San Francisco Offers Christmas Trees that Live on After the Holidays - (Inhabitat)

Stuff We Found Today - 11.12.09

Recycled Billboard Housing

Family, Kids & Health Stuff

• H2Go Fuel Cell Car Makes Great Eco Christmas Gift for Kids (and Dad) - (Gas 2.0) "...a toy car aimed at teaching kids about alternative energy in a fun and exciting way... this little number runs on a combination of solar and zero-emission hydrogen."

Food Stuff

• Nestle may move Fairtrade with Kit Kat - (BeverageDaily.com) Great news if really happens...but, currently only in the UK.
• Be a Green Lush: Eco-Chic Fall and Holiday Cocktails - (Eco-Chick) Green cocktail anyone...bring 'em on!
• Michelle Obama On Iron Chef - (GreenMuze) Love it!!
• Michelle Obama's Honey Crop - (GreenMuze) "For the first time, as part of First Lady Michelle Obama’s healthy and local eating project, honey is being produced at the White House..."

Home Stuff

• Paper, Full Circle: Recycler 360 Bins By Way Basics - (Green Your Decor) Made from recycled paper... love the espresso colored one!
• Recycled Billboard Housing - (GreenMuze) How'd you like to live right behind a billboard? ...literally!!

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

• Dutch Designers' Modular "Refinity" Clothing is Like Legos for Fashion - (Ecouterre) Not sure how wearable this really is, but super cool idea!
• Borrow Designer Dresses for Less at Rent the Runway - (Ecouterre)
• Stunning LED Fashion - (GreenMuze) "More than 24,000 color LEDs and 4,000 hand-applied Swarovski crystals were used to create the stunning Galaxy Dress..."

Tech & Science Stuff

• Detroit sees green future - (Reuters.com) "For decades Detroit has been known for building big gas-guzzling SUVs but these days it looks as though the country's automakers, both big and small, see green in their future." (video in post)
• Forecasts for Future Oil Supplies Are Unrealistic - (Culture Change)
• Fueling the Modern World with... Air? - (EarthFirst.com) Could this be for real??
• Europe Testing "Road Trains" to Cut Fuel Use - (EcoGeek) This is an interesting concept.
• NPR Uncovers Natural Gas' Dirty Secrets - (Enviroblog)
• Ultimate Youthmobile 2030 - (GreenMuze) "Design studios for Audi, GM, Honda, Mazda, Nissan and Toyota, attempted to envision what young people (and middle-aged men seeking their youth), raised on cell phones and online communities, will want from their vehicles in the future..."

Work & Business Stuff

• Great Green Job of the Week: Accountant, Appalachian Sustainable Development - (EarthFirst.com)

Nature & Environment Stuff

• U.S. Fish Contaminated With Mercury And PCBs - (AboutMyPlanet.com) Hello...can't just keep dumping things and think it'll go away.
• Bears Gone Bald! - (AboutMyPlanet.com) Some crazy looking bear pics here...
• Mount Kilimanjaro May Soon Be Without Snow Or Ice - (AboutMyPlanet.com)
• Birth of an Ocean Occurring the the Ethiopian Desert - (Blue Living Ideas)
• 5 Animals Most In Need of a Haircut - (Environmental Graffiti) Just some cute animal pics...

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

• Daryl Hannah's 'Kill Bill' Trans Am Now Running On Pure Alcohol - (Ecorazzi)
• Planet Green To Debut 'Burn Up' In US - (Ecorazzi) "Burn Up is a two part tele-pic about the international conspiracy behind the oil industry and climate change."
• Fox Show 'Bones' Features Real Factory Farm Footage - (Ecorazzi) "Last week, the hit Fox show featured gruesome footage (courtesy of Farm Sanctuary) of the cruelty that chickens face on a daily basis in slaughterhouses." (video in post)

Political, Social & Economy Stuff

• Keep Offshore Drilling Out of Climate Legislation - (Oceana.org) Sign this petition... we just did!
• Senator John Kerry Calls On American Youth For A Green Movement - (Causecast) Video in post.
• Who Says Saving the Planet Has to Cost a Fortune? - (Spiegel Online International) "One of the nagging issues in the run-up to the Copenhagen climate summit are demands that the US and Europe provide massive aid so poorer countries can buy expensive emissions-free technologies. Activist David E. Martin claims many of the patents for today's low-carbon technologies -- including some used in wind power and hybrid cars -- are already in the public domain."
• John Kerry knows his climate science - (Mother Nature Network) "Senator John Kerry makes a good case for a robust, smart, and effective response to the dangers of global warming during a recent Senate hearing." In the words of this writer, Kerry gives a "verbal smackdown"!

Other Random Cool Stuff

• Buying Fair Trade: Real Life Inspiration - (see Jane Advocate) Great little story...everything we do, even small has an effect somewhere or on someone.
• Recyclables Used To Create Blankets For Disaster Victims - (Causecast) "The Tzu Chi Foundation, the largest Buddhist charity in the world, has collected millions of empty plastic bottles from the city’s waste and turned them into 244,000 polyester blankets that it donates along with other relief supplies to victims in disaster areas..."
• Forbes Names America's Top Toxic Cities - (Causecast) A couple surprises...
• Finally! A Recycling Plant for Dirty Diapers - (EcoGeek) This one is planned for the UK...maybe it'll catch on over here??
• The Urban Sleepbox - (GreenMuze) "The small container (2m x 1.4m x 2.3m, 6.6ft x 4.6ft x 7.6ft), proposed for train stations, airports and shopping centers, can be rented for anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours and allows weary tourists to grab a quick nap without the expense of renting a hotel room."
• Moms Against Climate Change Video - (GreenMuze) “If our children knew the facts we do they would take action. Shouldn’t you?”
• Dissolving Magazine Packaging - (GreenMuze) Wow, this could be amazing!

Stuff We Found Today - 11.05.09

1st Lady Michelle Obama in the White House garden

Family, Kids & Health Stuff

• MomMaps: Kid spots on the go - iPhone app that helps you find kid friendly locations - parks, playgrounds, restaurants, museums, etc.
• Wearable Teething Jewelry - (Ideal Bite) Made from non-toxic materials... Moms of babies, what do you think...cool or just more greenwashed junk???

Food Stuff

• Your Choice of Chocolate Matters - (Treehugger.com)
• California vineyards: Swirl, sip, solar - (Mother Nature Network) "West Coast vineyards harness the energy of the sun in new and inventive ways."
• What to do with leftover Halloween candy - (Mother Nature Network) There's even some fun science experiments...haha!

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

• The Perfect Tee Shirt, Made From a Glass Bottle - (The GirlieGirl Army) Great stuff for guys and gals here.
• Kid's Eco-Boutique - (Ideal Bite) Entertaining Elephants has super cool kid's clothes made from "organic cotton (colored with low-impact dyes) or vintage or locally salvaged fabrics." The shop is in L.A., but you can buy online as well.
• Are Mass-Market Eco-Fashion Lines a Good Idea? - (Ecouterre) Interesting question...
• New! Ecoist Candy-Wrapper Bags Inspired by Jackie Kennedy - (Ecouterre)
• 6 Terrifying Crimes of Eco-Fashion That Will Make You Scream - (Ecouterre) Yup...these are pretty scary. Although the Julia Stiles video is pretty funny.
• Want a Closer, Smoother, Greener Shave? Check Out The New Azor... - (Feelgood Style)

Tech & Science Stuff

• America's Electronic Waste Is Filling Landfills Worldwide - (Causecast)
• Universal Cell Phone Charger Can Save Million Of Tons Of Carbon Emissions - (Causecast) About time!! Do we really need to get a new charger whenever we get a new cell phone??
• Toyota to release solar charger for electric vehicles - (Physorg.com)
• The Governator Introduces Short Haul Fuel Cell Semi-Truck - (Gas 2.0) "Getting truckers on board with the green movement will play an integral part in the widespread acceptance of alternative fuel vehicles."
• Four wheels good; three wheels better? - (Mother Nature Network) "EV trikes are now eligible for lucrative federal loans, so expect a flood of new (and very strange-looking) plug-in cars on the market."

Nature & Environment Stuff

• Oil spill Off Australia Harming Marine Life And Humans Alike - (AboutMyPlanet.com)

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

• Art Paints - (Ideal Bite) List of eco tempera paints...perfect for the kiddies.
• Al Gore And Stephen Colbert Debate Global Warming Solutions - (Ecorazzi) Haha... pretty funny! (video in post)
• Sam Waterson: Stop Killing The World's Oceans - (Ecorazzi) Hey...it's Jack McCoy talking here...
• Eco-Themed "Avatar: Epic Gets A Full Trailer, Will Dazzle Your Eyeballs - (Ecorazzi) Calling all enviro sci-fi enthusiasts out there...this is awesome!

International Stuff

• Indian Engineer Builds Glaciers To Fight Global Warming - (Causecast) 76 yr old civil engineer trying to do something about global warming in his lifetime...cool!
• Windsor Castle Goes Vegan For 24 Hours As They Celebrate Faith And The Environment - (Ecorazzi)

Political, Social & Economy Stuff

• 1st Lady Michelle Obama works the White House Garden - (Obama Pics Daily) Awesome pics...diggin' her purple Converse!
• Special release of the Green Tax Guide, 2009 - (Green Building Elements) Useful resource to navigate all the "green" government incentives available.

Other Random Cool Stuff

• Fun Theory - (YouTube) Getting people to recycle more by making it "fun"...neat idea. Check out this video.
• What's Beck's Beef? Vegetarians, This Time - (TreeHugger.com) OMG...Glen Beck is a paranoid freakazoid!! Do thinking people really listen to this guy??
• The Living Christmas Company - If you live in the Los Angeles area, check these guys out...they rent potted Christmas trees! They'll deliver to you, and then pick up on Dec 31st...awesome!!!

Stuff We Found Today - 10.29.09

Michael has an eco message for us all...

Family, Kids & Health Stuff

• Toxins Make Halloween Face Paints Scary - (U.S. News) "Report finds all product tested contained lead and some had know skin allergens."
• Boys will be ... girls? - (Mother Nature Network) "Everyday chemicals may be feminizing an increasing number of babies."

Food Stuff

• Take Action!: Is There Life on Mars? - (Center for Environmental Health) Tells Mars Candy to stop using sugar made from untested GM sugar beets in their candy...sign the letter - we did!
• Organic Sparkling Wine - (Ideal Bite) Korbel now has a sparkling wine made from 100% organic grapes - California Brut!
• 22 Fish You Mustn't Eat - (EcoWorldly) See the "red fish list" published by Greenpeace. Maybe if the market price of fish reflected the "real" price of the fish, we'd eat accordingly.

Home Stuff

• Planet Green Announces New Green Material Guide - (Twilight Earth) "...a fabulous source for information on wall coverings, flooring, insulation, windows, heating and cooling, bathrooms, kitchens and general green building techniques."

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

• Organic Underwear - (Ideal Bite) "...eco-underwear made from organic cotton and recycled polyester..."

Tech & Science Stuff

• Build your own cheap electric car? These guys did - (Mother Nature Network) "Starting with junkyard finds and bargain buys, people are converting common cars to state-of-the-art electric vehicles." (video in post)

School, College & Student Stuff

• EPA Names Top 20 Green Powered Schools - (Twilight Earth)
• HS students: Get $1K for you eco-idea - (Mother Nature Network) "Got a good idea for saving the planet? Planet Connect may give you $1,000 to make it happen."

Nature & Environment Stuff

• 100 coastsiders spell out 350 on Linda Mar Beach to promote environmental awareness - (SFGate.com) Our little town of Pacifica came out to support 350.org's International Day of Climate Action...Joyce & family are at the top right corner of the "5".
• Concern About Climate Change Waning - (NPR) Interesting radio story/interview. Sad...there are actually people out there that believe "scientists making up statistics for their own job security." WHAT???!!!
• Gorgeous But Deadly: 13 Unassuming Poisonous Plants - (WebEcoist) Who knew such pretty plants could be so deadly?
• Inland Seas Worth Seeing: The 10 Most Amazing Lakes - (WebEcoist) ...and some of them are shrinking...fast!

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

• Eco-themed Cartoons - (Ideal Bite) Online and TV shows "for ages 4-12 (and up) cover stuff like wildlife and global warming, and are fun to watch."
• World Series gets eco-friendly in game 2 - (Mother Nature Network) "The Natural Resources Defense Council adds some green to Philly red and Yankee blue."
• Without cheap oil, it all will Collapse - (Mother Nature Network) "The new documentary/horror flick Collapse from the director of The Yes Men examines life in a world without cheap oil." Definitely NOT a feel good film!
• Michael Jackson's 'This is It' movie sends an eco-message - (Mother Nature Network) "Over the next two weeks, millions are expected to flock to theaters to see the King of Pop's final concert. Besides catching a terrific film, they'll also get a glimpse of Jackson's eco-activism."

Political, Social & Economy Stuff

• Michelle Obama on cover of Glamour - (Obama Pics Daily) What can we say? We love this lady...and what a great looking staff of White House interns!
• Obama Administration Outlines Newest Economic Sustainability Retrofitting Plan - (Green Energy News) "Initiative Allows Homeowners to Support Cost of Energy Improvements via Property Tax Assessments-"

Other Random Cool Stuff

• Geeks, Gamers, Gory Flick: 114 Cool Pumpkin Art Carvings - (WebEcoist) Some of these are pretty amazing.
• Bill Gates Forced to Support GMO's (cartoon) - (Red, Green and Blue)
• Climate Change Commercials - (Twilight Earth) Check out their top 10 picks.

Stuff We Found Today - 10.23.09

1st Lady Obama at Healthy Kids Fair

Food Stuff

• Corn-based meat and ethanol: burning the planet to a crisp - (Grist) "What do industrially produced meat and corn-based ethanol have in common? ...they both got tagged as major drivers of climate change this past week."

Home Stuff

• Eco Moving Services - (Ideal Bite) "Go for green movers, who transport your stuff with less pollution and waste."

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

• Why You Should Replace These 3 Beauty Products Now - (TheDailyGreen.com) "How to choose the best natural deodorant, perfume and face cream."
• Fashionable Solar Jackets - (GreenMuze) "...new Zegna Sport Ecotech Solar Jacket is made from recycled plastic and features solar panels on the sleeves that power a heating device to keep the jacket warm." Plus, there's a solar battery pack to recharge your iPod or cellphone! (cheesy video in post, as well).

Tech & Science Stuff

• Smart cars, smart meters: Recharging battery vehicles on a consumer-friendly grid - (Mother Nature Network) "As EVs plug in, they'll need to interact with a more sophisticated electric grid. And that's exactly what a platoon of wised-up utilities has in mind."
• Harvard Scientists Create Dirt Powered Bacteria Batteries - (Inhabitat)

Work & Business Stuff

• Hot Spots for Green Jobs in Solar, Biofuels and More - (EarthFirst.com) "The clean-tech sector remains a bright spot in a dull economy..."
• Three Reasons Why New Green Jobs Hold the Key to Economic Recovery - (TheDailyGreen.com) "Solar and wind energy are hot, but opportunities extend far beyond that."

Nature & Environment Stuff

• How does groundwater pollution occur? - (Mother Nature Network) "Farms, freeways and front yards are flooding underground aquifers with dangerous toxins, slowly poisoning many communities' water supplies. But how can this happen?"
• Overpopulation to Blame for Southeastern U.S. Water Shortages - (Blue Living Ideas)
• Livestock Responsible For Over 50 Percent Of Emissions, According To New Report - (Causecast)
• 7 Species That Won't Survive Global Warming - (TheDailyGreen.com) "The Arctic won't be the only region to lose wildlife due to climate change. These U.S. species are threatened, too."

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

• Even Climate-Change Skeptics Are Condemning New Anti-Gore Documentary - (Ecorazzi)
• The Green Quote: Russell Simmons Is Afraid Of America's Future - (Ecorazzi) "I’m worried that the karmic effects of our negative actions will finally come home to roost. Our lack of compassion and love could actually consume us." Read full article by Simmons on Huffington Post.

Website Stuff

• Speak up to save the Internet - (Credo Action) "Who do you want to decide which websites you can visit or what Internet content you can access -- you or a big telecom company?" It's about "net neutrality"...please read and sign the petition!
• Climate change Interactive Map - (GreenMuze) "The map is a visual representation of what scientists believe the planet may experience in less than 50 years if global warming continues unchecked..."

International Stuff

• Oct 24 International Day of Climate Action - (350.org) Check it out and then find an event near you (see map).

Political, Social & Economy Stuff

• 1st Lady Michelle Obama at Healthy Kids Fair on South Lawn of the White House - (Obama Pics Daily) Awesome pics of Michelle hoola-hooping, jump-roping and just having fun with the kids...LOVE THIS WOMAN!

Other Random Cool Stuff

• Joyce Kushner uses chocolate to wake people up - (San Francisco Examiner) Check it out...Joyce is in the SF Examiner!!
• San Francisco starts mandatory composting this week - (Mother Nature Network) "Becomes first city in the nation to require people to properly dispose of their organic garbage waste."
• Have a Coco-Zen Halloween: Get Your Reverse Trick-Or-Treat Kit! - (Eco Child's Play) Thanks for the shout out Leslie!!

Stuff We Found Today - 09.28.09

Green roofs of a French high school

Family, Kids & Health Stuff

• Treating Lice - (Ideal Bite) "Now that kids are back to school, protect 'em from rogue head lice or treat the buggers with safe, natural agents."

Food Stuff

• Cocoon Cooker Grows Meat and Fish from Heated Animal Cells - (Fast Company) Say what???!!!!!
• Diet Coke Can Kill You - (Eat. Drink. Better) "...the National Cancer Institute identified a significant and impressive increase in brain cancer starting in about 1984. Why did brain cancer shoot up? It looks like it is because of articial sweeteners such as those found in diet drinks and food!"

Home Stuff

• Sleek Sink/Toilet Combo is an All-in-One Greywater Recycling System - (Inhabitat)

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

• Denim Therapy Takes Your Jeans Form Here to Maternity And Back - (ecouterre) Denim Therapy "can insert expandable side inseams into your favorite pair, so they stretch as you (and your bebe) grow. Then, when you’re ready to get back to fighting, pre-pregnancy form—no rush, ladies—Denim Therapy will restore your jeans to their original condition at no extra cost." Denim loving mommies-to-be, rejoice!
• Nau Fill Mens Eco-Fashion Voide With Basics Every Guy Can Appreciate - (ecoterre)

Tech & Science Stuff

• Juice Up Your Roadster for Free - (EcoGeek) If only we all could afford a Tesla Roadster...
• Apple Finally Reveals Exactly How Bad Its Computers Are for the Environment - (Fast Company) "...Apple and the Environment website, which reveals all the dirty details of the company's environmental practices, including its overall carbon emissions (10.2 million metric tons, more than 2 million metric tons over HP's and Dell's reported emissions)."

Nature & Environment Stuff

• Greenland's Ice Sheet Decreases by Five Miles in a Decade - (Blue Living Ideas) That's not good...
• Summer of 2009 the Warmest on Record for Oceans - (Blue Living Ideas)
• 9 Environmental Boundaries We Don't Want to Cross: Wired - (Chelsea Green)
• The Myth Behind the Lantern Bug - (Environmental Graffiti) Interesting little critter...
• Climate Change Outpacing Recent Projections: UN Report Sees 7 Degree Warming This Century - (Global Warming Is Real)

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

• Trudi Styler Invites Chevron Employees To See "CRUDE" For Free - (Ecorazzi) "...tells the story of the 30,000 Amazon rainforest dwellers facing down the 5th largest corporation in the world for the dumping of 18 billion gallons of toxic wastewater and abandoning over 900 unlined crude oil pits in the midst of rainforest communities."
• Mario Van Peebles' New Eco-Living Comedy Premieres This Week - (Ecorazzi) "...a comedic look at how his family renovates their new home and lives to have less impact on the planet." (video in post)
• Harrison Ford Wants You To Join Team Earth - (Ecorazzi) "...Harrison Ford is supporting and voicing a new campaign called 'Team Earth'."

Website Stuff

• Take a Climate Change Tour on Google Earth - (EcoGeek) "Google Earth is launching a series of layers that allow users to look at possible future climate scenarios depending on our actions now." (video in post)

International Stuff

• Ecomafia Radioactive WAste Dumping in Mediterranean: International Catastrophe Coming to Light - (EcoSalon) "Imagine the consequences of 20 years of nuclear waste dumping in the blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea that surround the Italian Peninsula and its islands..."
• Stunning Green Roofed High School by Off Architecture - (Inhabitat) French school to be covered in green roofs. See pics...very cool!

Political, Social & Economy Stuff

• President Suggests Elimination of Fossil Fuel Subsidies - (AboutMyPlanet.com)

Other Random Cool Stuff

• Bottom of the Barrel: Newsweek's Least Green Companies - (EarthFirst.com)
• Reverse Trick-or-Treating Promotes Fair Trade - (EcoSalon)
• CO2 is Green Takes Climate Change Skepticism to New Heights - (Fast Company) Check out their video...are they freakin' kidding us?!!!
• Largest Green Wall in North America - (Jetson Green) "... approximately 14,448 plants covering the wall of this 30-story building...wall is 25% cooler behind the green wall than ambient temperatures."
• Pacific Gas & Electric Rejects U.S. Chamber of Commerce Position on Climate Change - (Red, Green and Blue) "San Francisco based power utility Pacific Gas & Electric has announced it will leave the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in protest over the organization’s “extreme” position on climate change."

Stuff We Found Today - 09.24.09

The Giant Hand Buried in the Atacama Desert

Family, Kids & Health Stuff

• Swine Flu: A Guide for Parents - (Parenting.com) For those of you with kids heading back to school.
• iPhone Apps for Parents - (Ideal Bite) "...programs to find recycling centers, shop for organic foods, or entertain your kid sans paper - all stuff to make green living easier and cheaper for your fam..."
• Green Energy Technologies: Fuel Cell Kit - (Green Energy News) An experiment kit for kids..."provides 30 research experiments to offer youngsters a practical familiarity with fuel cell technology and electrolysis." Whoa...think how smart you're kids will be!
• What Is BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene) And Why You Should Avoid It. - (The Good Human) Yeah...you should read this.

Food Stuff

• Organic Beer - (Ideal Bite) Some to try.
• Blood and Chocolate - (Gourmet.com) "After 10 years of promises, protocols, and initiatives, the children of West Africa remain at the mercy of the cocoa industry."
• Beer Wars: A brewing fight - (Mother Nature Network) "Is your favorite 'organic craft beer' really brewed by Anheuser-Busch? A documentary reveals the fight over good beer."

Home Stuff

• Earthship home first to hit European market - (Mother Nature Network) "For a little under half a million dollars, you can own a beautifully constructed French earthship with three foot thick walls, solar panels, and a small indoor greenhouse garden." Hmmm...always thought of living in the French countryside...
• Lonely L.A. rain barrels seeking green homes - (Mother Nature Network) "Los Angeles continues to give free rain barrels to homeowners interested in rainwater harvesting ... rain not included." Given current drought conditions, this is not such a bad idea.
• 7 Products Earn Green Good Housekeeping Seal Certification - (TheDailyGreen) "Cleaning and beauty products not only live up to marketing claims for efficacy, but for sustainability, too."

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

• Strip Away Unwanted Hair Naturally - (Feelgood Style) This is for all you ladies who like to wax.
• Killspencer Bags Salvaged From Battle-Tested Materials - (Inhabitat) Geared towards guys, these are some seriously cool bags made from recycled military truck tarps (adding to the coolness factor).
• ecouterre - Great new fashion (and beauty) website showcasing designers that are really focused on sustainability.
• Why is Eco-Fashion So Expensive? - (Ecouterre) Good article...puts things into perspective.

Tech & Science Stuff

• Surface Area Required to Solar Power the World - (information is Beautiful) Kind of puts things into perspective.
• California sets biggest energy efficiency plan - (Yahoo! News) "...$3.1 billion to retrofit homes and other programs that will cut power needs equivalent to three medium-sized power plants... and create between 15,000 and 18,000 jobs."
• EV Charging Stations to Green a Scenic California Highway - (Sierra Club: The Green Life) "...along Highway 101 from San Francisco to Los Angeles." Woohoo!

Nature & Environment Stuff

• 20 million displace from homes by climate change - (Mother Nature Network) "Shocking UN report indicates that 4x the number of people were displaced by climate change than by political conflict."
• Nature Photography: 29 Rare & Exotic Animal Photographs - (WebEcoist) Animals are so cool!

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

• Video: Harrison Ford talks climate change - (Mother Nature Network)
• Earth Cinema Circle - It's like a Netflix for environmental films...except you get to keep the DVDs! Films can change the world...
• The Giant Hand Buried in the Atacama Desert - (Environmental Graffiti) "It looks like the extremity of a giant man, buried by a monumental sandstorm."
• It's on! Fighting back against Mother Nature - (Mother Nature Network) "The Daily Show's Assif Mandvi warns us about the dangers the planet poses and asks, what can we do to fight back?" (video in post)
• Limbaugh to be Unlikely Green-Car Contestant on Leno - (Sierra Club: The Green Life) "...surprising because of Limbaugh’s anti-green-car tirade in late March." See the car race here...notice that Rush exclaims he loves the electric car after driving it. Green ain't so bad, is it, Rush?

International Stuff

• UK's Tony Blair Finds Climate Action Will Increase Global GDP & Create Millions of Jobs - (CleanTechnica)
• Watch Global Climate Week Live - (Live Earth)
• India Agrees To Limit Carbon Emissions; Will The U.S. Follow Suit? - (Live Earth) "India agreed for the first time to set numerical targets for curbing its greenhouse gas emissions!"

Political, Social & Economy Stuff

• Obama gives his first real climate speech - really - (Grist) At U.N. Climate Summit.
• Hummer owners view themselves as morally superior - (Mother Nature Network) "A new study reveals that Hummer owners believe that they are defending 'America's frontier lifestyle' against 'anti-American critics'." Are you freakin' kidding us?!!

Other Random Cool Stuff

• Four Infographic Morsels - (Information is Beautiful) These are interesting and kind of make you think.
• If Twitter Was 100 People - (Information is Beautiful)
• The story of Fair Trade - (Mother Nature Network) Video in post.
• Why a Nice Jewish Girl Write Holiday Carols - (Fair Trade Resource Network) Great article... "a self-described 'nice Jewish girl,”'is sharing the faith-based reasons behind her Fair Trade work."
• The Chronic Misconception of Hemp - (Sierra Club: The Green Life) "Betsy Ross made flags from it, George Washington farmed it, and the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were reportedly drafted on it."