Quote of the Week - 02.15.09

"Reputation is what men and women think of us;
character is what God and angels know of us."

~Thomas Payne

"Reputation in chocolate is found with big brand names;
character in chocolate is found in Fair Trade."

~Coco-Zen

Stuff We Found Today - 02.11.09

Family, Kids & Health Stuff

• Common Chemical Linked to Female Infertility - (EcoSalon) "...looks like infertility is nature’s way of saying “Your environment is way too poisonous to sustain healthy life - this is not the time or place to reproduce the species.”
  

Food Stuff

• Food from the Heart - If you're in SF this Fri the 13th, go to the Ferry Building and check this out this benefit event for Slow Food from 5-8pm...there's sure to be lots of yummy food and wine for the tasting!
• Chocolate Company Scorecard - "Has the chocolate industry made any progress toward ending child labor in its cocoa supply?... Here is an update from the International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF) on who has delivered, and who has not."
• Oceana.org's Green List: A Guide To Grocery Stores That Protect You From Mercury - Just type in your zip code and find out which local grocers post mercury warnings at their seafood counters (and which ones won't after having been asked by Oceana)
  
• RECIPE: Banana Oat Bran Pancakes - (FoodieTots) Now this sounds yummy for kids and adults.

Home Stuff

• Made in the Shades - (EcoSalon) Eco-friendly Roman shades, woven of chemical-free substances.
  
• A Living House by R&Sie Architects - (Jetson Green) We've heard of living roofs...well, here's an entire living house!
• Housefish Flatpack Green Storage - (Jetson Green) These could be great for a home office.

Tech & Science Stuff

• Clean Renewable Energy, Courtesy of Rainforest Tree Fungus - (EarthFirst)
• Offshore Wind Turbine? Put it on an Oil Rig! - (EcoGeek) Now there's a way for the oil companies to adapt.
• First Satellite Fender-Bender Show Why Space Needs a Clean-Up - (Fast Company)
  

Work & Business Stuff

• Jobs with Causecast.org - If you're looking for a job that will help make a difference (and you want to work in Santa Monica, CA), check out the job opportunities with this great social media site.
• Was you last hospitality gift a clear foul? - (Ideal Bite) "Rebound with an eco gift basket. Great for clients and employees alike, when you gotta give a gift, baskets full of green goodies (like eco-chocolates) make for an easy slam dunk." Coco-Zen chocolates are perfect for corporate gifting!! We personalize labels too!
  
• The Fast Company 50: The World's Most Innovative Companies - (Fast Company) "...each company on the following pages illustrates the power and potential of innovative ideas and creative execution. These are the kinds of enterprises that will redefine our future and point the way to a better tomorrow."
• Green Job Listings - Feb. 12, 2009 - (Green Gigs)
• Green:Net Startup LaunchPad - Deadline This Friday! - (Inhabitat) "...great opportunity for new companies to pitch their business plans while receiving publicity and live feedback from a panel of judges..."

Nature & Environment Stuff

• Save The Waves and Shred Mavericks - (Village Green) Calling all fellow surf and beach lovers!
• 'Arctic unicorns' in icy display - (BBC News) "Remarkable footage of elusive narwhal has been captured." These are just the coolest looking whales!
  

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

• Jay-Z's Cause-Crazy! - (Celebs Gone Good).
• Ted Danson Fights "Drill, Baby, Drill" With Capitol Hill Visit - (Ecorazzi)
• Pompous Treehugger Ass Given Spotlight On Wife Swap - (Ecorazzi) Way to go dude, giving us environmental advocates a bad name.
  

International Stuff

• Canada's Oil Sands Declared Most Destructive Project on Earth - (The Good Human)

Political & Social Stuff

• Take Action: Tell Hershey, Mars & Nestle to Stop Child Labor! - (Change.org: Fair Trade)
• Steven Chu calls for alt-energy "revolution" - (Scientific American) Thank goodness there's a man of science in the cabinet.
  

Other Random Cool Stuff

• Backlash Branding: Cessna's Bizarre New Ad Campaign - (Fast Company) W-T-F?!!
• SolarDay 2009 - The first annual SolarDay has been announced. Check out the press release.
  

Big Chocolate Companies & Child Labor

Just came across an interesting article/post from Change.org's Fair Trade blog. Although we're listing it in today's "Stuff We Found" post, we thought this deserved it's own special mention, as this issue is near and dear to us. We hope you'll take a moment to read and perhaps "take action".

Take Action: Tell Hershey, Mars & Nestle to Stop Child Labor!

You can also download the below PDF file to see how various chocolate companies/brands are doing in their efforts to combat child labor/slavery in the cocoa industry.

Chocolate Company Scorecard 2009 - by the International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF)

VIDEO: Valentine's Day Special - ZapRoot

"Valentines Day Special: Go green this Valentines day with these eco friendly gift ideas."

*Warning: Some adult content - NOT for kids.

Stuff We Found Today - 02.11.09

Home Stuff

• Verterra: Leaves of Sustainable Style - (EcoSalon) Plates and bowls made from fallen palm leaves that are compostable and biodegradable...and they're rather nice looking too.
• Green Decor: 8 Eco-Friendly Ways to Spice Up Your Home - (WebEcoist) The recycled paper couches are something we've never seen before...wonder if they're comfortable?
  

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

• The Kiss of lead: The FDA stays tight-lipped about lead in popluar lipsticks - (green LA girl) If you wear lipstick, read this post!
  

Tech & Science Stuff

• California to get World's Largest Solar Project - (EcoGeek)
  

Work & Business Stuff

• Green Bid Madness - Feb. 11, 2009 - (Green Gigs) This week's list of green jobs to bid on.
  

Nature & Environment Stuff

• Global Warming Pushing Birds Hundreds of Miles North - (TheDailyGreen) The Great Backyard Bird Count can also be a great activity to do with kids.
• Carbon Debt Explained - (Global Warming Is Real) "...the concept of carbon debt - how the release of carbon stored in the soil, when land is cleared, can make corn-based ethanol worse than we may have thought in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to climate change." Video in post.
  

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

• Electric Chevy Volt To Be One Of The good Guys In Transformers Sequel - (Ecorazzi) Ahhh, and the big marketing machine of Hollywood kicks in.
  

Website Stuff

• F*** My Life - Here's a hilarious community website where people post - er, vent - about whatever. Reading about other people's problems and mishaps can sure help put things into perspective...and give you a little chuckle.
• EcoPerks: Save the planet. Get the perks. - Earn "ecopoints" for doing green things and then trade in the points for stuff from their "green rewards store".
  

International Stuff

• Earth Hour Gets Ready To Hit The Lights And Dim The Planet - (Ecorazzi) Video in post.
  

Political & Social Stuff

• National Renewable Electricity Standard Introduced in the House - (Global Warming Is Real)

Other Random Cool Stuff

• Smarter Street Lights: On, Off, and Somewhere in Between - (New Dream Blog)
• Book Review: The Green Year (Small Tips That Make a Big Difference) - (Eco Child's Play) "...a perfect book for anyone who wants to green up their life but not does not want (or simply does not have time) to read reams and reams of information to do so." Think this book was written for us!