Coco-Zen

Quote of the Week - 06.16.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 04:24:00 +0000

Laughter is an instant vacation.
~ Milton Berle

A piece of Fair Trade chocolate is an instant vacation.
~ Coco-Zen

Stuff We Found Today - 06.06.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 23:08:00 +0000

Floating Mangrove Forest Springs Up in a Wrecked Coal Ship

Family, Kids & Health Stuff

Exposed: Lung Cancer Risks from Fracked Natural Gas in NYC Kitchens - (EcoWatch)
Conventional Feminine Hygiene Products: A Women’s Issue With Toxic Implications - (NaturallySavvy.com) Yeah... ladies, do we really want toxin/chemical laced "things" up in and around our nether regions???

Food Stuff

10 Ways To Use Up Old Spices - (Earth 911.com) Love the idea for making kids paints...they'll have just as much fun making them as using them!
Don't throw out that pickle juice - (Mother Nature Network) Turns out you can use it for all sorts of things.

Home Stuff

12 Ways to Upcycle Thrifted Furniture - (Earth911.com) Some great ideas for all you DIYers.
The Coolest Thing To Hang On Your Wall: DIY Wood Block Photos (GirlieGirlArmy.com) - another fun DIY project to try out!
Tetris-Like Micro House Can be Stacked to Form Expanded Housing Suites - (Inhabitat) How cool to plop one of these into your backyard for an instant guest house?!
Incredible Treehouse Built by Grandparents Features Amazing Antique Details - (Inhabitots) Wow!!

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

How to Go Nontoxic at the Salon - (Green America) Some things to consider the next time you get your hair or nails done.
Orange Fiber: A High-Fashion Textile Derived From Citrus Waste - (Ecouterre)
15 Major Retailers That Haven't Signed the Bangladesh Safety Agreement - (Ecouterre)

Tech & Science Stuff

Eighteen-Year-Old Invents Device That Can Charge Your Cell Phone in 20 Seconds - (Inhabitat) Love smart kids!
MindDrive: World's First Social Media Powered Electric Car is Fueled by Tweets and Likes - (Inhabitat) Created to engage at-risk youth by giving them the skills to build an electric vehicle. This is such a cool program!! Be sure to watch the video!
Student Science Experiment Shows Plants Won’t Grow Near Wi-Fi Router - (Inhabitots) ...uhhh, guess that means it's not healthy for us!

Nature & Environment Stuff

Coastal Cleanup 2012: Top 10 Items Found During Trash Collection Program - (Huffington Post) Of course, 7 of the 10 are plastic related.
The weirdest square mile of ocean on Earth - (Washington Post) Video of some cool, strange, deadly sea creatures.
Floating Mangrove Forest Springs Up in a Wrecked Coal Ship - (Inhabitat) Hmmm...eventually, nature prevails.
Internet Mogul Sean Parker Trashes Big Sur Redwood Forest to Create a Fantasy Wedding - (Inhabitat) The arrogance of some people...
Conservationist shares home with 200 sloths - (Mother Nature Network) They are so cute!
Beautiful Close-Up Underwater Photos of Luminous Sea Creatures - (PetaPixel) Cool to look at.

Other Random Cool Stuff

MSNBC anchor Dylan Ratigan gives up fame and fortune to become a farmer - (Mother Nature Network) ...and he's creating sustainable farming while helping veterans get back to work - awesome!!

Quote of the Week - 06.02.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 02:12:00 +0000

It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.

~ Confucius

It does not matter how slowly you eat your chocolate as long as it’s Fair Trade.

~ Coco-Zen

Stuff We Found Today - 05.20.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Tue, 21 May 2013 05:22:00 +0000

Do The Green Thing: "Don't Bottle It" by Stuart Watson

Family, Kids & Health Stuff

What is Teflon: The Infertility Connection - (Mommy Greenest) Knew teflon was bad, but didn't know it was linked to infertility!
Unacceptable Levels Trailer - (YouTube) Movie coming out summer 2013 about all the chemicals we're exposed to everyday and have seeped into our bodies.
EWG's 2013 Guide to Sunscreens - (Environmental Working Group) Get ready for the hot days ahead.

Food Stuff

$325,000 Lab-Grown Burger to be Served Up in London Next Month - (Inhabitat) Hmmm...right or wrong? Would you eat it?
UN Report Says We Should Be Eating More Bugs - (Inhabitat) Unfortuantely, don't think us westerners will be able to get over the barf factor.
Dark chocolate enhances mood... - (ConfectioneryNews.com) "Study particpants consuming a cocoa flavanol-rich dark chocolate drink reported being calmer and more content." Hmmm...think any chocoholic could have told us that!
27 Ways To Make Your Groceries Last As Long As Possible - (BuzzFeed) Really good tips here!!
Superbugs Invade American Supermarkets - (Environmental Working Group) "Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are now common in the meat aisles of American supermarkets. These so-called superbugs can trigger foodborne illness and infections that are hard to treat."
Tell the FDA to Reject More Aspartame in Milk! - (Food Democracy Now) "...the giant dairy lobby is trying to force the federal government to redefine 'milk' to include artificial sweeteners such as aspartame in children’s school lunches without proper labels."

Home Stuff

Nurseryworks Stylish District Crib Transforms Into an Adult-Sized Desk or Daybed - (Inhabitots) Wish all cribs did this!!

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

More Western Brands, Retailers Commit to Bangladesh Fire and Building Safety - (Ecouterre) Gap and Walmart are NOT among them!

Tech & Science Stuff

Amtrak Unveils New High-Efficiency Electric Trans for Northeast Corridor - (Inhabitat)

Nature & Environment Stuff

Study: Gulf oil spill is sickening fish vital to seafood industry - (Los angeles Times)
7 places for top-notch stargazing - (Mother Nature Network)
Cicadas continue East Coast march - (Mother Nature Network) Scientists expect this brood's population to be up to 30 billion this year.
A Black Mound of Canadian Oil Waste Is Rising Over Detroit - (NYTimes.com) "Detroit’s ever-growing black mountain is the unloved, unwanted and long overlooked byproduct of Canada’s oil sands boom."

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

Best hiking in the U.S. and how to prepare for it - (Mother Nature Network)

Quote of the Week - 05.20.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Tue, 21 May 2013 05:05:00 +0000

Every new day is another chance to change your life.

~Unknown

Every new day is another chance to have some Fair Trade chocolate.

~ Coco-Zen

Quote of the Week - 05.12.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Mon, 13 May 2013 06:27:00 +0000

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

~ Confucius

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

Stuff We Found Today - 05.07.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Wed, 08 May 2013 00:01:00 +0000

Extreme Algae Bloom - algae-covered waters off the coast of Qingdao, China

Family, Kids & Health Stuff

You Are a Guinea Pig in the Greatest Uncontrolled Experiment Ever Launched - (EcoWatch) Must read this...

Food Stuff

FDA to probe impact of caffeine on kids' health following launch of Wrigley's Alert Energy Caffeine Gum - (ConfectioneryNews.com) "The FDA says it will take a “fresh look” at the health effects of caffeine on kids following the launch of Alert Energy Caffeine Gum - a new caffeinated gum from Wrigley (Mars)." Seriously...do we really need caffeine in gum?!!!
This map will tell you where to forage for food in your neighborhood - (Grist) Check to see if there's anything around you...http://fallingfruit.org/
How Government Cover-Up on Fish Farming Affects Your Health - (Organic Consumers Association) Video worth watching.

Home Stuff

HOW TO: Grow an Herb Garden in Eggshell Planters - (Inhabitots) Perfect spring activity to do with the kids.
Square Building Blocks from Living Gourds - (Inhabitat) OK...pretty cool.

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

Bride wears wedding dress made from 10,000 bread tags - (Mother Nature Network) "An Australian woman and her fiancé started collecting tags 10 years ago and decided they would marry when she had enough to make a dress."

Tech & Science Stuff

Portable Solar-Powered Outlet Sticks to Windows, Charges Small Electronics - (Inhabitat) How cool is this?!!
ELF: Are these 'the most efficient vehicles on the planet'? - (Mother Nature Network) "This electric-assist tricycle is ready to win hearts and take on the city streets."
America now has more solar energy workers than coal miners - (TreeHugger) "The Solar Foundation, which has been releasing reports for a few years on the state of the solar industry in the U.S., has just launched a very cool interactive map that breaks the stats down state by state."

Nature & Environment Stuff

Poachers Completely Wipe Out African Rhinos in Mozambique - (Inhabitat) Very sad.
Bee-Killing Pesticides Banned in Europe! - (Inhabitat) Think it'll ever happen here in the US???
Pictures: Extreme Algae Blooms Expanding Worldwide - (National Geographic) "Some of these blooms can create dead zones, or areas that are deprived of oxygen, in the water. And some algal species can also produce toxins that wreak havoc on human livers and neurological functions and cause seizures in marine mammals."
Earth Day photos: Celebrating the beauty of our planet - (Mother Nature Network) Beautiful pics of our beautiful planet.

Other Random Cool Stuff

10 Things to Recycle for Charity - (Earth911.com)

VIDEO: Carbon Omissions Animation

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 03:53:00 +0000

Although this short animation speak directly about the UK, it can easily describe any other western "developed" society.

A new animation about consumption, climate change and wellbeing by PIRC, George Monbiot and Leo Murray. For more info, see: http://carbonomissions.org.uk

Quote of the Week - 04.28.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 04:06:00 +0000

Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted.
~ John Lennon

Time you enjoy eating Fair Trade chocolate, was definitely not wasted.
~ Coco-Zen

Stuff We Found Today - 04.23.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 16:33:00 +0000

Deep Dark Chocolate Tart Recipe - gluten-free and vegan!

Family, Kids & Health Stuff

5 Amazing DIY Forts! - (Inhabitots) These are pretty cool.
How nature can help us heal from grief - (Mother Nature Network) "It's no accident that many children's books on grieving follow nature-based themes." A timely article in the wake of recent tragedies.
3D Ultrasound That Reveals a Baby in Utero Like Never Before - (Inhabitots) How cool is this?!!! Anyone having gone through pregnancy, how much would you have loved to have had this technology when your kid was in utero???

Food Stuff

Regular cocoa flavanol intake could help maintain brain health - (ConfectioneryNews) Hmmmm...would that make us chocoholics smarty pants??
Deep Dark Chocolate Tart Recipe - (Mother Nature Network) ...and it's gluten-free and vegan!
Mediterranean comfort food recipes - (Mother Nature Network) Love the "Chicken with Orzo Pasta" recipe...great way to use up leftover rotisserie chicken.
Frankenapple: Bad News No Matter How You Slice It - (Organic Consumers Association) New GMO apple that won't turn brown expected to be approved by USDA
The Easiest Beet Chips You'll Ever Make - (MindBodyGreen) Seriously, this is that easy.
EWG's 2013 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce - (Environmental Working Group) Yes, there's a smartphone app too...perfect to take to the grocery store with you.

Home Stuff

What's in a home? Our housing choices and the environment - (Mother Nature Network) "... the United States' obsession with big houses and the general lack of concern of what impact that has on the community." Very interesting read.
Natural and Innovative Materials at the 2013 Milan Furniture Fair - (Inhabitat) Especially love the Gu Paper Chair and the coconut fiber material that can be used for food packaging.

Tech & Science Stuff

3,587 MPG Hypermiling Vehicle Wins 1st Place at the 2013 Shell Eco-Marathon! - (Inhabitat)
New, Cheaper Tesla EV to Hit the Market by 2017, Says Musk - (Inhabitat) Hmmm...how much cheaper??

Nature & Environment Stuff

Storm hits Mayflower, Arkansas site of Exxon oil spill. Contaminated water pumped into Lake Conway as citizen journalists report live. - (TreeHugger) Gotta check out the video in this article.
CICADAPOCOLYPSE: Billions of Red-Eyed Cicadas to Swarm Tri-State Area - (Inhabitat) This should be quite the event for bug lovers!
Inhabitat: 12-Year-Old Girl's Letter to Mayor Helps Save a City Forest in Canada - (Inhabitat) Love acitivist kids!

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

San Francisco's Exploratorium Reopens as the Country's Biggest Net-Zero Energy Museum - (Inhabitat) We've always loved the Exploratorium... now even more!

Other Random Cool Stuff

Boston Marathon: Good Samaritans shine in time of tragedy - (Mother Nature Network) As the city reels from the marathon bombings, an outpouring of love and altruism prevails.
Trash Cafe: Newcastle Students Unveil Pop-Up Coffee Shop Made from Recycled Cardboard - (Inhabitat) "...cafe will be dismantled and flat-packed at the end of the week to be moved to other locations..." Cool!

Quote of the Week - 04.22.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 17:59:00 +0000

If you are too busy to laugh, you are too busy.

~ Unknown

If you are too busy to enjoy some Fair Trade chocolate, you are too busy.

~ Coco-Zen

VIDEO: "Sacred Economics" - A Short Film

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 23:13:00 +0000

Some quotes from the film...

"Economic growth means you have to find something that was once nature and make it into a good, or was once a gift relationship and make it into a service. You have to find something that people once got for free or did for themselves or for each other, and then take it away and sell it back to them, somehow."

"We didn't earn any of the things that really keep us alive, or that make life good. We didn't earn the air. We didn't earn being born... We didn't earn having a planet that can provide food. We didn't earn the sun... on some level, people have this inborn gratitude because, on some level we know that we didn't earn any of this, we know that life is a gift. Well if you know that you've received a gift, then the natural response is gratitude, the desire to give in turn."

"...the old world falls apart, and a new world is born. A child plays and develops his or her gifts, but doesn't apply them to their true purpose yet, and that's what humanity has been doing. We've been messing around, playing with our gifts of technology and culture and developing these gifts. Now we are coming into adulthood and it's time to apply them to our true purpose."

"Sacred Economics traces the history of money from ancient gift economies to modern capitalism, revealing how the money system has contributed to alienation, competition, and scarcity, destroyed community, and necessitated endless growth.

Today, these trends have reached their extreme - but in the wake of their collapse, we may find great opportunity to transition to a more connected, ecological, and sustainable way of being."

Quote of the Week - 04.15.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 21:09:00 +0000

The smallest deed is better than the greatest intention.

~ John Burroughs

The smallest piece of Fair Trade chocolate is better than the greatest that is not.

~ Coco-Zen

Stuff We Found Today - 04.09.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 06:39:00 +0000

Yummy PB&J recipes

Family, Kids & Health Stuff

Top 10 Chemicals Most Likely to Cause Autism and Other Learning Disorders - (Inhabitots)

Food Stuff

Tumors Linked to Genetically-Modified Corn - (Care2) "...severe effects of Round-up tolerant genetically modified (GM) corn, even when the pesticide Round-Up was not used."
13 New and Unique Ways to Eat PB&J - (VegNews) Some yummy recipes here!

Home Stuff

Why You Need to Ditch Dryer Sheets - (EcoWatch)

Tech & Science Stuff

Robotic jellyfish could stand guard over oceans - (TreeHugger) Cool.
2014 Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid Debuts as Porsche's First Plug-In Hybrid - (Inhabitat) Got $99K laying around?
SP:01: Detroit Electric Unveils the World's Fastest Pure-Electric Production Car - (Inhabitat) Or maybe you have $135K??
New microbe makes fuel from CO2 in the air - (Mother Nature Network) Cool.
19-Year-Old Develops Ocean Cleanup Array That Could Remove 7,250,000 Tons Of Plastic From the World's Oceans - (Inhabitat)

Nature & Environment Stuff

Exxon pipeline breaks spilling 84,000 gallons of Canadian crude oil near Arkansas lake [VIDEOS] - (Treehugger) Not Good!
Mystery Malady Kills More Bees, Heightening Worry on Farms - (NYTimes.com) Uh...can we say pesticides (and Monsanto)???
Record Dolphin, Sea Turtle Deaths Since Gulf Spill - (Discovery News) What more is there to say?
Arctic Going Green from Warming - (Discovery News) "What's happening now in the Arctic is a faster version of what will be happening at lower latitudes..."
EPA Declares More than Half of US Rivers Unfit for Aquatic Life - (Inhabitat) "Phosphorous and nitrogen, both key ingredients in fertilizer, have long been recognized as a problem in US water health, and this latest study found a lot of it."

Other Random Cool Stuff

Even Doubters Want to Prepare for Global Warming - (Discovery News) "...even 60 percent of climate-change doubters favored preparations..."
Crafts Made from Recycled Food Packaging - (Earth911.com) Fun projects for the kiddies!
10 Reuse Ideas for Takeout Waste - (Earth911.com)

Quote of the Week - 04.01.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 15:28:00 +0000

Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace.
~ Buddha

Better than a thousand pieces of chocolate, is one piece that is Fair Trade.
~ Coco-Zen

Stuff We Found Today - 03.28.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 17:44:00 +0000

Do The Green Thing: The Same As Oil by Andrew Rae 16/23
Artist and illustrator Andrew Rae wanted to convince people to choose tap water by highlighting the sheer madness that is mineral water.

Family, Kids & Health Stuff

4 activities to wean your kids off TV - (Mother Nature Network) Love the arts & crafts corner filled with "stuff" that kids can use to make whatever.

Food Stuff

Industry pledges reach $10m on cocoa child labor but ‘job is not done’ - (ConfectioneryNews.com) Hershey is once again way behind the other chocolate companies when it comes to child labor/slavery in the cocoa industry.
HOW TO: Make Vegan, Organic Marshmallow Peeps for Easter - (Inhabitots) No questionable (artificial) ingredients here!
World's largest indoor vertical farm opens in Chicago - (Mother Nature Network) "FarmedHere, a new 90,000-square-foot indoor farm, just opened in the suburbs of Chicago and is now the largest facility of its kind in the world."
'Honey laundering' an international scandal - (Mother Nature Network) "Food experts have found that much of the honey sold in the U.S. is a concoction of corn or rice syrup, malt sweeteners and a small amount of genuine honey."
Use baking soda for easy-to-peel hard-boiled eggs - (Mother Nature Network) Great tip...just in time for Easter egg making season.
DIY Diva: Natural food dyes for Easter - (Mother Nature Network) "Fruits and vegetables give Easter eggs and foods safe, healthy color."

Home Stuff

EWG's Guide to Healthy Cleaning - Great guide to check on all those cleaning products we use at home. Interesting...not all "green" product rate well.
5 Materials from Your Home Repair You Should Recycle - (Earth911) Good to know as you plan for this summer's fixit project.

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

Will At-Home 3D-Clothing Printers be the Future of Fashion? - (Ecouterre) Whoa...that could be pretty cool! Even cooler - "Unwanted garments can be returned to the unit to be cleaned, broken down, and recycled, eliminating waste."
Marc Jacobs Faux Furs Revealed To Be Dog - (GirlieGirlArmy) Nasty.

Tech & Science Stuff

Scientists Develop Robobees To Pollinate Flowers As Bee Populations Decline - (Inhabitat) Cool... but sad that this even needs to be done.
17-Year-Old Builds Algae Biofuel Lab in Her Bedroom to Win $100K Intel Science Talent Search Prize - (Inhabitat) Smark kids rock!
Scientists Develop Wonder Nanomaterial that Can Produce Energy, Clean Water and Hydrogen - (Inhabitat) Hmmm, interesting stuff.
Detroit Electric to Debut Battery-Powered US-Made Sports Car Next Month - (Inhabitat) Another new sexy electric car coming our way??

Nature & Environment Stuff

Monster mosquitoes about to invade Florida - (Mother Nature Network) Watch out... "Gallinippers are 20 times the size of normal skeeters and their bite feels like you're being stabbed."
Starfish rush hour: Delightful video shows traffic jam at bottom of the ocean [video] - (Mail Online) Super cool video!

Other Random Cool Stuff

New Flood-Proof, Prefab Beach Buildings NYC Plans to Roll Out This Summer - (Inhabitat)
7 Creative Ways to Decorate Easter Eggs - (Inhabitots)
39 Insanely Cool Vertical Gardens - (BuzzFeed)
Upcycle a Dinosaur Toy into a Succulent Planter - (Inhabitot) Cool idea...can see these lining the wall of an office cubicle too.
10 Things You Can Recycle Through the Mail - (Earth911) Wow...who knew?!

Quote of the Week - 03.24.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 01:16:00 +0000

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

Quote of the Week - 03.17.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 05:38:00 +0000

A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book.
~ Irish Proverb

A good laugh and some Fair Trade chocolate are the best cures in our book.
~ Coco-Zen

VIDEO: Toyeba Yo | Playing For Change

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 21:35:00 +0000

Listening to this just makes us happy... another great performance brought to us by the folks at Playing For Change.

"The PFC crew is here in Congo recording new songs around the world. On our second day of filming we met this group of amazing musicians in Kinshasa and within minutes they where playing us some songs and sharing their stories. Today's video is a song titled "Toyeba Yo."

The TP OK Jazz Band in Kinshasa keep the memory of the Immortal Congolese Guitar player, Franco, alive and well. These musicians truly represent the soul of Congo and they teach us that even in terrible circumstances the artist and the musician must rise up to bring joy and hope to all those who will listen."

Spring chocolate critters are here...and save 20% on Easter pre-orders!

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 21:06:00 +0000

Butterflies, bunnies and chicks...adorable little critters will warm your heart and help thaw the winter chill. Made from organic & Fair Trade Certified chocolate, these treats are both good for planet & good for people!

Pre-order your Easter treats by Sun 3/17 and save 20% off your entire order. Use promo code PREEAS2013.

*Orders will ship week of Mar 25th.

Stuff We Found Today - 03.12.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 20:40:00 +0000

Meat causes 18% of all greenhouse gas emmisions...

Family, Kids & Health Stuff

Biodegradable Wooden Lego Bricks Stack Up To Sustainable Play - (Inhabitots) Finally something other than plastic!
The World's First Seat Belt Designed Especially For Pregnant Women - (Inhabitots) About time!!!

Food Stuff

Japanese Restaurant Fines Diners For Not Finishing Their Meals - (Inhabitat) Maybe not such a bad idea considering how much we waste.
Energy bars you can make at home - (Mother Nature Network) Easy to do and perfect snacks for the kiddies' lunchboxes!
Monsanto's Seeds of Deception [video] - (YouTube) GMO seeds...toxic to bugs, toxic to us.

Home Stuff

Gorgeous Studio Completely Wrapped in Living Plants - (Inhabitat) How cool to have this for a home office space, play space, anything?!!

Tech & Science Stuff

Volkswagen Confirms Production Plans For the 261 MPG XL1 Plug-in Hybrid! - (Inhabitat) Wonder what the sticker price will be.
The 3D-Printed Urbee 2 Hybrid Car is Light, Strong, and Nearing Production - (Inhabitat)
Stick-On Solar Cells that can Power Your iPad - (Inhabitat) So awesome for working outdoors.
Hyundai Unveils the World's First Production Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle! - (Inhabitat)

Nature & Environment Stuff

Japanese Macaque Monkeys - (Mother Nature Network) Just a great pic.
Indian man single-handeldy plants a 1,360-acre forest - (Mother Nature Network) Pretty amazing.
Spanish sperm whale death linked to UK supermarket supplier's plastic - (The Guardian) "Sperm whale on Spanish southern coast had swallowed 17kg of plastic waste dumped by greenhouses supplying produce to UK"...lovely.
Where has all the ice gone? - (TreeHugger) "...seas are projected to rise nearly 2 meters (6 feet), inundating coastal cities worldwide, such as New York, London, and Cairo."

International Stuff

Wind Power Surpasses Nuclear Energy in China - (Inhabitat) No, they're not the greenest country in the world, but at least progress is being made.
London to be an 'ultra-low emission zone' by 2020 - (Mother Nature Network) "London Mayor Boris Johnson is proposing that only electric cars and other unspecified green vehicles be admitted downtown..."
World's First Algae-Powered Building Opens This Month in Germany - (Inhabitat)

Quote of the Week - 03.10.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 05:13:00 +0000

An idea that is developed and put into action is more important than an idea that exists only as an idea.

~ Buddha

A piece of Fair Trade chocolate that has been eaten and enjoyed is more delicious than a piece sitting in a box.

~ Coco-Zen

Quote of the Week - 03.03.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 04:57:00 +0000

Make finding the good in others a priority.

~ Zig Ziglar

Make finding the Fair Trade in chocolate a priority.

~ Coco-Zen

Stuff We Found Today - 02.18.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 01:47:00 +0000

Cute eco-friendly indoor playhouses

Family, Kids & Health Stuff

The Hidden Chemicals You're Feeding Your Kids - (Dr. Oz Show) About presence of BPA in so many of our food items.
Eco-Friendly Indoor Playhouses - (ApartmentTherapy) These are so cute!
Recycled Conversation Heart Crayons Are A Colorful Valentine's Day Gift For Kids - (Inhabitot) Great idea.

Food Stuff

Germany busts choc giants for price fixing; ordered to pay €60m - (ConfectioneryNews.com) "Eleven chocolate companies including Nestlé and Kraft have been fined over €60m ($82m) for colluding to raise chocolate prices in Germany, while price fixing investigations continue in the US and Canada."
Chelsea Girl Chili - (GirlieGirlArmy) Mmmm...this vegan chili recipe looks perfect for all this cold weather.
Oxfam Photo Essay Shows What Seven Families Across the Globe Eat in a Week - (Inhabitat) Definitely interesting when you think of what we eat here in the US.
Raise the Bar on Chocolate Fundraising - (Global Exchange) Campaign to get World's Finest Chocolate to go Fair Trade...please help!
Hazardous Virus Gene Discovered in GM Crops after 20 Years - (Institute of Science in Society) Just lovely...
The PowerPot Uses Heat to Charge Your Electronics as You Cook - (Inhabitat) Calling all campers...this is awesome.

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

Greenpeace Takes On Levis - And Wins - (EcoStiletto) "They say you can tell next season’s hot color by looking at the rivers in Mexico and China, where global fashion brands dump the hazardous chemicals and dyes that they use to make clothes."
Oprah Draws Criticism for Endorsing Face Cream Made From Foreskins - (Ecouterre) WHAT????

Tech & Science Stuff

Thin-Film Solar Power to Be Sold For Less Than Coal Power in New Mexico - (Inhabitat) Awesome!
Top Gear Bravely Tests World's Smallest Car on England's Hectic A3 Highway - (Inhabitat) See video in article...hilarious!
17-Year-Old Creates a 3D-Printed Robotic Prosthetic Arm for $250 - (Inhabitat) Smart kids make us smile.

Work & Business Stuff

Working Less and Playing More Could Slow Down Climate Change, New Study Shows - (Inhabitat) Uhhh...love this idea.

Nature & Environment Stuff

The Ozone Hole: It's Still Up There, Changing Oceans, Maybe Climate - (Mother Jones) Video in article is pretty interesting to watch.
Catching a 200-Year-Old Whale - (Fora.tv) See video.
Beautiful pictures of underwater ice bubbles... that are actually created by plants releasing gas - (DailyMail) Cool pics.

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

Stay in a Giant Wine Barrel Room Overlooking The Black Forest in Germany - (Inhabitat) Would be cool to have one of these as a guest house in your backyard.
Sleeping Around: Belgium's Pop-Up Shipping Container Hotel Is Always On the Move - (Inhabitat) Cool looking and fun.

Political, Social & Economy Stuff

Obama picks REI chief for Interior secretary - (Mother Nature Network) Interesting to see how this play out.

Other Random Cool Stuff

10 Year-Old Boy Launches His Own Recycling Business, Donates 25% Of Profits To Homeless Children - (Inhabitots) Smart and environmentally/socially conscious kids make us happy.

Quote of the Week - 02.17.13

noreply@blogger.com (Coco-Zen) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 05:32:00 +0000

The saddest summary of life contains three descriptions: could have, might have, and should have.

~ Unknown

The saddest summary of life contains three descriptions: could have had Fair Trade chocolate, might have had Fair Trade chocolate, should have had Fair Trade chocolate.

~ Coco-Zen