Here’s a cool site I found through Sustainablog. It’s “Dave Pollard’s environmental philosophy, creative works, business papers and essays. In search of a better way to live and make a living, and a better understanding of how the world really works.” It looks really interesting, although I haven’t had the time to really look closely at it yet. Check it out.
Green Jeans are catching on!
July 31, 2006 at 6:47 pm (Environmental Issues, Green / Eco Fashion)
Sweatshop Watch reported earlier this year about the growing interest in green fashion. Sales of organic fiber products hit $85 million in 2004 (up 23% from 2003, but still a fraction of the $173 billion U.S. apparel industry) according to the Organic Trade Association. Check the full article out here.
Loomstate on sale at eLuxury.com
July 31, 2006 at 6:42 pm (Green / Eco Fashion)
eLuxury.com has a couple of Loomstate items on sale, including the uber-cute Apostles of the Sun sweatshirt (marked down to $89 from $135). Check it out.
Edun on sale at Saks.com
July 31, 2006 at 6:31 pm (Green / Eco Fashion)
Saks Fifth Avenue has a few items from Edun (the green clothing company started by U2’s Bono and his wife) that are on sale now, including their Vega Cotton Jacket ($179.90 down from $450), Cornwall Riding Jacket (down to $133.90 from $335), the Sybil Trouser Jeans ($107.90 down from $180) and the Dreamweaver Bootcut Jeans (same discount as the Sybil Jeans). Check them out!
Consumers increasingly choosing renewable energy sources
July 31, 2006 at 6:27 pm (Environmental Issues)
According to a Washington Post article from Saturday, an increasing number of consumers in the U.S. are willing to pay a premium for energy that comes from renewable and sustainable sources. In Minnesota, 23,000 households paid as much as $150 extra last year for renewables (up 30% from the previous year). Utilities in 36 states now offer some form of green pricing, and 430,000 households last year bought green power (up 20% from the year before). You can read the full article here.
Volkswagen’s new 60mpg diesel
July 31, 2006 at 6:22 pm (Eco Travel)
According to Edmunds.com, Volkswagen has just released the new Polo Blue Motion in Germany, getting an impressive 60mpg (combined highway and city). It’s a 3-door hatchback, based on the Polo 1.4TDI, with 80 horsepower coming from a 1.4 liter 3-cylinder turbo-diesel. Performance is moderate (0-62mph in 12.8 seconds with a top speed of 109 mph), but has a range of 717 miles. Starting price is under $20,000. If you can read German, you can check out Volkswagen’s webpage for the Polo here.
Green Mountain Coffee using compostable cups
July 30, 2006 at 9:33 pm (Organic Food)
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters is now using compostable cups. Check out the Treehugger article here.
Organic Cocktail Mixers…
July 30, 2006 at 9:30 pm (Green / Eco Entertaining, Organic Food)
just in time for that end-of-summer barbecue (hey, we’re in Vermont, summer only lasts from about the last week of June until the third week in August, but with global warming, it’ll be like Florida here in about 50 years, just in time for retirement!) Modmix makes organic cocktail mixers. They have three flavors listed on their website: Citrus Marguerita, Lavender Lemon Drop and Pomegranate Cosmopolitan. I’m thinking the Pomegranate Cosmopolitan is sounding perfect for a Labor Day barbecue!
300-Thread-Count Organic Cotton Sheets
July 30, 2006 at 3:25 pm (Green Interior Design)
So, I got married a couple of months ago, and one of my sisters (I have five) bought me some really great 300-thread-count sheets. Only one problem, they weren’t made with organic cotton. Now, since they were a gift, I’m still using them and not complaining. But I want to get another set (I’m really spoiled now, it’s really hard to go back to 230 thread count after you’ve slept on 300+), but I’ve been having a hard time finding them in organic cotton. Then I found Coyuchi. They make really great organic cotton sheets in a pretty decent selection of colors and patterns. So, that’ll be my next purchase. Check them out.
Hummers are more efficient than hybrids?
July 30, 2006 at 10:49 am (Eco Travel, Environmental Issues)
That’s what this study claims. Looking at the overall environmental cost over the life of the vehicle (from planning to manufacturing to driving to disposal), Art Spinella (uber-auto analyst and President of CNW Marketing Research) has compared the total environmental cost of vehicles to see which ones are more wasteful than others. The main conclusions have to do with the lifespan of the vehicle (hybrids often have much shorter life spans) and the “fanciness” of the cars (the fancier, the more environmental costs — sorry to Bentley and Rolls Royce). You can check the article from the Reason Foundation, or on Treehugger.
