Green Unlimited

Biking green with Bambike

2012-01-23T02:02:00.000-05:00

Riding a bike instead of driving is certainly one way to live a more eco-friendly life. You can make things even greener if you're riding an eco-friendly bike, though. Bambike (Bamb EcoLogical Technology Inc.) offers a number of bicycles made out of bamboo and feature a rattan seat. The bikes are handmade by people who are involved with Gawad Kalinga, a Philippine community development organization for the poor. Check out all their different models here. You can find different bikes for cruising and even off-road biking.

Jessica Alba launches Honest.com

2012-01-22T00:58:00.003-05:00

Actress Jessica Alba has a new role: founder of The Honest Company, which came about out a desire to find safe, healthful, eco-friendly baby products for her kids. The Honest Company also makes sure to give back to organizations concerned with health and social issues and for this year, they are teaming up with Baby2Baby, a group that provides families in need with essential baby clothing and gear.

The Honest Company isn't just an online shop featuring green products. They can help you customize an online nursery containing all your preferences for your child, and you 'subscribe' to a catalog of products that you want to purchase, which you'll receive every month.

The site's product lines are set to expand in the future. The Honest Company is just the latest among the work Alba has done to support the environment.

The good green days of yore

2012-01-14T14:02:00.000-05:00

This particular blog post has been shared by a few people on my Facebook news feed. Simply put, it's someone hitting back at the cashier who told him or her that the older generation didn't do enough for the environment when they were younger, and the person who wrote this rattled off all the ways that things used to be done, from using cloth diapers to refilling pens with inks to returning glass beverage bottles.

Recycled bottles can create a dream home

2012-01-05T12:30:00.000-05:00

In El Salvador, a couple, Prudencio Amaya, 102, and Maria Ponce, 78, decided that not having enough money to build a home won't stop them from having their dream house. Their home, called "La Casita Encantada" or "The Enchanted Cottage", has drawn attention for its clever use of recycled bottles as building material. Prudencio and Maria are reaping the benefits of their innovation as well--tourists have been stopping by to see the house and leaving donations for the couple.

Slovenian biologist embarks on a green flight

2012-01-04T14:48:00.000-05:00

Matevz Lenarcic, a Slovenian biologist and environmentalist, has a pretty interesting project this year: fly around the world in the lightest plane while using up the least amount of fuel. His aircraft, a Virus-SW914, weighs only 640 lbs. While he's up in the air, the plane will record level of black carbon, and Lenarcic will also take pictures of various sights around the world to help emphasize the importance of protecting the environment. Learn more about his goals and his project at his website, GreenLight WorldFlight.

Good, wholesome products for your pups

2012-01-03T15:09:00.001-05:00

If you're trying to make a switch to organic products, there's no reason why you should leave your dog out of your efforts. The Welcome Mutt gives you a chance to shop for healthful, eco-friendly products for your dog. Organic treats are available here, as well as biodegradable poop bags, organic toys and shampoos, and hemp collars and harnesses. The store carries products from brands like Wagging Green and The Good Dog Company.

The Welcome Mutt also makes sure to help look after rescue dogs with its Rescue Rewards program, which allows people to link their order to a dog rescue organization of their choice. After you've placed 20 orders, The Welcome Mutt sends the organization a free Welcome Kit, which includes a collar, leash, poop bags and food/water bowls, helping to keep that organization well stocked with those necessities.

Eco-fashion predictions for 2012

2012-01-03T13:29:00.001-05:00

Happy new year, everybody! With 2012 just getting started, you can expect that people are weighing in on what will be fresh, hot, and new for the year. Even the eco-fashion world is coming out with its own predictions for the year. Ecouterre has all the details in its feature entitled "22 Eco-Fashion Predictions for 2012", with forecasts by Summer Rayne Oakes, Starre Vartan of Eco-Chick, and Safia Minney of People Tree.

Livia Firth teams up with Yooxygen

2011-12-06T10:52:00.001-05:00

Colin and Livia Firth have long been known to be advocates for the environment, and Livia, who is known for wearing some amazing upcycled outfits on the red carpet, is taking yet another green step by working on a clothing line with Yooxygen. The brand is known for collaborating with designers and other brands, and Livia is joining their ranks. She is teaming up with Reclaim to Wear on this project. So far, her collection features a fifties-inspired dress.

Hilary Duff goes for a green nursery

2011-11-27T12:01:00.001-05:00

Actress Hilary Duff, who I still can't believe is pregnant, is getting the baby's room ready, and it's going to be an eco-friendly room. Well, it won't be extremely green, but it's going to be safer than most. At an interview during a cancer charity gala she attended, Hilary said the nursery was going to be painted using low-VOC paint, and that she already bought eco-friendly bedding.

Matt Damon launches eco-friendly water bottle

2011-11-06T20:19:00.000-05:00

Water's a major issue for Matt Damon, which was why he created the non-profit company Water.org two years ago. Water.org teamed up with CamelBak recently to launch a limited-edition BPA-free water bottle, which comes in stainless steel and plastic. Ten dollars from the sale of every bottle will go towards supporting Water.org's efforts to bring clean water to communities in developing countries.

Meat Week NYC

2011-11-02T22:49:00.003-04:00

November 7 to the 12th is Meat Week in New York City! Help celebrate those farmers, markets who help work towards providing sustainable meat products to the Big Apple. According to Clean Plates, "Meat Week is organized by great folks at Food Karma Projects, in collaboration with Grow NYC, Food Systems Network NYC and Just Food. The festivities include tastings, demos, tours, talks and even parties. Organizers have also set up a Relief Fund for those farmers affected by Hurricane Irene.

Faeries Dance offers eco-friendly plus-size fashion

2011-10-25T13:48:00.000-04:00

At last, there are now some eco-friendly clothes available for plus-sized people, and we think it's about time this came out. Most eco-friendly clothes are usually designed for and modeled by slim people, so this is definitely a refreshing change--it's not only the skinny who are capable of having eco-friendly lifestyles after all. Eco-fashion boutique Faeries Dance now has a Plus-Sized department, making green and stylish clothing available for everyone. The clothes are made by Goddess Gear, which specializes in creating clothing out of natural fabrics such as hemp, organic linen, and recycled cotton, and they're all produced in Denver, Colorado.

Win a gift basket from The Kind Life

2011-10-13T14:17:00.001-04:00

Actress Alicia Silverstone has been a long-time vegan and green living advocate, and she's been pretty active in spreading the word about making positive choices for your health and for the planet. Her website, The Kind Life, is an online extension of her book, The Kind Diet, and has been a good resource for people who are looking for great ways to improve their lifestyles. The Kind Life is celebrating its second year, and Alicia wants you to share any ideas to improve the site--and get a chance to win a gift basket that's bursting with good stuff! Click here for more information.

Learn more about The Kind Life here.

Play the Green Economy Board Game

2011-10-12T15:37:00.000-04:00

Games, whether they be computer or board games, that present an alternative way to live and work are always interesting. We all know how other games are based on using up resources to support an undertaking. I'm put in mind of Starcraft where you pump a source of vespene gas which eventually runs out and gather minerals from a mineral field which is eventually depleted, or Dune where you harvest spice, but which utilizes wind energy to power your operations.

The Green Economy Board Game presents something a little different. Created by Scott Cooney, author of Build a Green Small Business (McGraw-Hill), and founder of GreenBusinessOwner.com, the board game is based on the sustainable economic development of the state of Hawaii, which needs a little help in order for it to achieve energy independence and be less reliant on imports for food. The game involves you playing as an investor who pours money into green businesses, helping chart the state's economic progress as well as generate green jobs.

Click here to buy your own copy of the board game.

Flip & Tumble

2011-10-12T13:14:00.000-04:00

It's easy enough to get reusable shopping bags these days, since we now have a lot of choices available to us these days. What tends to be rather difficult (although it's really not a huge problem) is remembering to bring our reusable bags when we go to the supermarket. How many times have you gone out to buy some groceries only to remember that, "Oops, my reusable bag was already hanging by my front door but I just forgot to pick it up"?

Hetal Jariwala and Eva Bauer, the creators of Flip & Tumble, decided to make reusable bags foldable so they can easily stay in your bag without taking up a lot of room. This helps to make sure that you'll always have a reusable bag at hand whenever you need it.

The world's most eco-friendly places

2011-10-11T18:33:00.000-04:00

Okay, so the entire world still has to catch on to the idea of becoming more eco-friendly and doing things in a sustainable manner. Fortunately, there are plenty of places that are making an effort to treat the environment better, although it's too bad that more often than not, they are often novelties rather than the norm. Tripbase Travel has a short list of eco-friendly places on the planet, including details on what made them green.

Find some eco-friendly B&Bs in Ireland

2011-10-11T14:57:00.001-04:00

As much as I like staying in hotels when traveling, a bed-and-breakfast has quickly become my favorite choice in accommodations these days. I love being in a homey setting, sitting down for breakfast, and having a chat with the owners. If you're heading to Ireland any time soon and are planning to book your stay in a B&B, you might as well stay in an eco-friendly one. B&B Ireland, a website which contains an extensive list of B&Bs in various parts of Ireland and allows you to make online bookings, has now categorized its B&Bs and included an Eco-Friendly category.

Don't you worry about the Atmosphere

2011-09-27T23:27:00.004-04:00

Radiohead discusses climate change with Stephen Colbert.

The Colbert Report
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A hobbit house in Wales goes green

2011-09-22T10:37:00.001-04:00

We're huge fans of The Lord of the Rings here, and 10 years after the first movie came out, we're still quoting lines from the trilogy. So expect us to be thrilled about anything that is remotely LotR-related, such as this cute little hobbit house built by a man named Simon Dale in Wales. Apart from looking like something Bilbo Baggins would live in, the hobbit house is an eco-friendly, off-the-grid structure as well. The house is solar-powered and the family gets water from a nearby spring. Check out Simon's website to learn more about how this type of house is built.

Green fashions at D.C. Fashion Week

2011-09-22T03:07:00.000-04:00

Not everyone is aware that Washington, D.C. has its own Fashion Week and that it's currently ongoing. September 19 was the date of the event's eco-fashion show, but today, people can also get a chance to see another eco-fashion show, "Fashion to Fight Childhood Cancer", which will take place from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. tonight at Beauty 360 on 1350 Connecticut Ave NW Washington, D.C. 20036.

Save Wildlife

2011-09-21T22:52:00.003-04:00

The Save Vanishing Species stamp is now available at all U.S. post offices. According to the World Wildlife Fund, "all proceeds raised from the premium will go to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Multinational Species Conservation Funds, which support efforts to protect wild populations of tigers, rhinos, elephants, great apes and marine turtles."

Be the Light

2011-09-16T06:51:00.003-04:00

A great use for those plastic soda bottles, and a way to save on electric bills. Mabuhay!

C'mon Irene

2011-09-08T18:25:00.005-04:00

This September 25, 2011, help local farmers devastated by Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene by eating out at some New York City restaurants.

Participating restaurants will give up to 10% of their sales to Just Food and Grow NYC.

Check out Dine Out Irene for more information.

Got Smog?

2011-09-04T09:20:00.009-04:00

President Obama continues his efforts to cave to the Republicans and disappoint his supporters. The White House has overturned the Environmental Protection Agency's new rules on smog. Brad Plumer states in his blogpost that:

" Right now, most states are still operating under the old 1997 standards. The EPA had earlier directed states not to follow the (somewhat stricter) 2008 Bush standards, because it was working on even tighter rules. But now those tighter rules aren’t happening. As Bill Becker of the National Association of Clean Air Agencies told me, the EPA now has the option of directing states to follow the Bush-era rules, but that seems unlikely, given the White House’s preference to wait until the 2013 review. Which means states would keep operating under the old 1997 standards, which are more lax than even what the Bush administration had proposed. “We would have stricter protections right now if we had just followed the Bush-era rules back in 2008,” says Becker."

Here's the White House official statement if you want to get riled up.

The greener way to eat a hotdog

2011-09-02T12:58:00.002-04:00

Now hotdogs aren't necessarily the most healthful food item out there, but many of us can't help having one or two hotdogs every now and then. If you've always wondered whether it's greener to eat a hotdog in a bun or by itself on a fork*, check out the Bun vs. Plastic Fork guesstimation over on design mind.

_{* I myself have debated the environmental issues of eating ice cream on a cone or in a cup.}