GREEN TIP:

Here is a link to where you can check your carbon footprint FREE

GREEN TIP:

Next time you travel, stay at an eco friendly hotel. At Eco Friendly Hotels, they list bed and breakfasts, hotels, inns, motels, and resorts, and all the eco friendly actions they take.

Recycled Mother Boards...Going Green

Recently, at San Francisco's Green Festival, they had some really neat ideas to recycle "Mother Boards" Here are a few pictures from the event.

I really like this journal, with the unique "Mother Board" cover on it. It would probably make a unique gift for anyone that is a webdesigner, or someone that is a eco warrior.

These coasters would fit into any decore, and be a real conversation starter too.

This clock is rather unique, and will definitely appeal to the eco green people on your Christmas List. This clock will set you back $30, and all of the products can be found at Motherboard Gifts

Motherboard Gifts, started in 1991, and creates many gifts ranging from picture frames to key fobs and everything inbetween. As the company states, "These products capture the intrinsic beauty of technology while providing an environmentally friendly alternative to the circuit boards being disposed of in landfills. Each product may vary by color and pattern making every item unique - virtually one of a kind." Yes, they are unique, and I am sure there are many people that would enjoy a one of a kind gift like this.

Go Green, and Save water while washing your hands.

As the Flu is running through the general population, there are many young children that need to learn to wash their hands more often. With this bright and cheery Mons Lavabo, which is a short listed entry in Designboom's Green Life Contest, is this small version of the washroom sink. It has been designed by Teng Chuan Tey and Romualdo Faura Bernabe from Spain, and this kid sized sink is catering to teaching children good hand washing habits. It is made from biodegradable and recyclable crushed almond husks...which keeps with our green theme. It has a motion sensor which turns on/off the water to prevent waste.

Go Green and run to power your MP3 Player.

Do you like to listen to your MP3 Player, while your going for your daily jog? Many people claim it really helps to keep them going, and the right music puts that extra umph into your workout. Now, you can wear Dancepants Kinetic Music Player, which converts kinetic energy from running, hopping, jumping, and moving around, into electricity to power an iPod or other music player. According to the Dancepants designers, the product is 100% interactive way to feel the value of energy on your own.

Go Green with the Fair Trade Gift Guide

The Fair Trade Gift Guide is here, and it is full of possibilities for the season. This 32 page gift guide has an array of stylish eco conscious, fair trade gift ideas, with everything ranging from kids toys, to hand made gifts of chocolate, and even Chondonnay and Vodka. The kids will love some of these great puzzles and wooden toys, that bring every adult back to their own childhood.

Take a look at this great guide, and vote with your own dollars for fairly treated and paid artisans, field workers, and farmers to be fairly paid, as they do so much to help mother earth.

For Not Going Green- The Angry Mermaid Award goes to...?

The Angry Mermaid Award goes to? Yes, that is correct, there is now an award to be presented to the company that is doing the most to sabotage effective action on climate change. Some of the TOP nominees include:

SHELL for it's promotion of carbon capture while investing in environmentally destructive oil extraction from the Canadian Tar Sands.

SASOL due to it's lobbying for carbon capture and storage to compensate for the conversion of coal into petrol.

MONSANTO for presenting Genetically Modified crops as another climate change solution

AMERICAN PETROLEUM INDUSTRY for spending millions lobbying against climate legislation.

EUROPEAN CHEMICAL lobby for attempting to undermine EU attempts to cut carbon emissions.

AMERICAN COALITION FOR CLEAN COAL ELECTRICITY for promoting "CLEAN COAL" and funding a letter writing campaign in an attempt to weaken the US climate bill.

According to Paul de Clerk at Friends of the Earth International, "All the candidates have lobbied to protect their own profits and prevent effective action to tackle climate change. This influence by major polluters and lobbyists needs to be exposed. Climate Change can not be tackled, while doing business as usual, and that is what these companies and lobbying groups want to do."

PUBLIC VOTING for the "ANGRY MERMAID AWARD" starts TODAY. Visit Angry Mermaid and cast your vote.

Go Green & Fix things instead of Replacing them

In my parents and grand parents days, things always got fixed, before they were replaced. It was in later years that society just disposed of things whether they were broken or not.

I have learned to do many things myself, including touching up a nick with a paint job, mending a blouce and sewing on a button. It is gives you a feeling of accomplishment, and your helping to save our environment.

I have found a great place to have my shoes and purse fixed and he is very reasonable too - $10 to fix a zipper in a handbag. I appreciate how much effort goes into making things run more efficiently, and treat my stuff with more respect. Many people say that if it is going to cost you more than 50% of the original cost of an item to fix it, then just replace it. I tend to take things apart and see how it works...sometimes a friend has an idea how to fix it, sometimes you do have to replace it. Here is another great link to show you how to recycle things.

I know of a person that has found several uses for duct tape, and has helped keep her car running, when she could not afford to have it fixed until pay day. This same person discovered how to barter and makes a great meal in exchange for having the vehicle worked on.

Next time you need to go shopping for an item, check to see if the original item is fixable first...do your part and help save our landfills and environment.

Going Green - Solar Powered Blanket

Going Green in Africa, is done by using a solar powered blanket. Health Care in Africa is improving, as the people in Africa are encouraged to use a Solar Powered Blanket. The blanket is hooked up to a cell phone to help charge it. In this manner, the African people can text and recieve text messages, in regards to health information for people inflicted with HIV and Tuberculosis. This go green blanket is called the "Portable Light iTEACH Blanket".

iTEACH and the Portable Light Project have collaborated to develop a comprehensive home treatment program, which is helping save lives. The local women in sewing clubs, integrated flexible solar kits into a locally produced African cloth, fastening it to an emergency blanket, making a detachable solar textile lanter.

In the day the patient uses the blanket to stay warm, while exposed to the outdoors. The sunlight then charges the unit in three hours, which creates 6 watt hours of energy stored in a rechargeable battery. During the night, Portable Light powers a cell phone and provides about 10 hours of light to facilitate the night time home care treatment. Then, the next day the solar blanket is recharged by the patient, which is helping to power the patients own treatment, as well as providing energy and light for family members. It is definitely a real Go Green Blanket.

If you wish to help with microfinancing, for this exciting Go Green Project then please visit:

http://www.netsquared.org/projects/iteach-portable-light-treatment-blanket-south-africa

Scap School Buses Reused into Bus Shelter

In Atlanta, Georgia, Christopher Fennell has created this brilliant yellow bus shelter, from old school buses. He selected school buses from 1962, 1972, and 1977, then carefully took the pieces required to to make this unique bus shelter. He got the seats from an old city line bus, and welded the pieces all together. It certainly is a creative solution.

2010 Olympic Medals made from E-waste

Yes, that is correct, the 2010 Olympic games that are going to be held in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, are going to reuse electronic waste to make the Bronz, Silver, and Gold Medals. This means that the Olympic Medals are going to be made from sustainable materials. The artist/designer is Corrine Hunt and industrial designer Orner Arbel, have collaborated on the design of the medals, which incidentally are the heaviest in Olympic history.

These Olympic Medals, have a unique wave design to them, which is suppose to resemble the gorgeous landscape of Vancouver, B.C. The absolutely beautiful laser etched art on the medals features an "Orca" for the (Olympic) and a "Raven" for the (Paralympics). The Canadian Mint will produce each medal. I am willing to bet that the athletes will really treasure these uniquely designed medals, made from circuit board scrap.

This is something new...the "Savior Bud" designed by Seol Ah Sun and Kim Hyo Jin. It is a portable device that can easily attach to tree leaves and slowly collects water. After about 4 hours, a full cup of water is ready for drinking. Just turn the handle, and the water drips down into a cup for consumption. It does not include a filter, so depending on where you use, you may need to filter the water.

The Savior Bud, is made from a silicone rubber body, which ensures it stays resistant to heat, cold and corrosion. It has many applications for use in countries like Africa, where the water supply is low, but also polluted and not fit to drink.

The process goes like this:

1. Find a broadleaf tree with lots of leaves.


2. Opening the Savior Bud like a giant clamp, surround a few leaves, and release. The Savior Bud should contain the leaves like you see in the picture, sort of like a greehouse.


3. In about four hours, the leaves will have produced about one cup of water. Turning the bottom of the bud like a faucet will release the water to be put into a glass for drinking.

There is no price listed, but word is, it will be inexpensive. It would make a great gift for those of us that enjoy camping.

Very Sleek & Sexy iPhone charger by Regen

Take a look at this, very stylish, and very useful. Regen ReNu has designed a solar panel charger that is eye appealing, and fits in with your decore. The solar panel can charge several electronic gadgets including your iPod & phone. What is new though, is that it will alert the user to how much electricity they have generated, and how much is currently stored in the battery, so that you know when you need to move the solar panel into the window to recharge.

Unfortunately, this great charger will not be available until 2010, just missing the Christmas season. It is expected to sell for around $199. US plus any additional accessories you may want.

Suzuki's first Fuel Cell Scooter

If I lived in a warmer climate, this would be the perfect way to get around. Unfortunately, I live in Canada, and our harsh winters make this scooter obsolete.

For those of you, that do live in a warm climate, then you will be happy to know that the light, air-cooled hydrogen tank holds 70MPa, which is great for getting around. It can go 300 miles on one "fueling" , so depending on where you travel, it could last quite a while. The cities that get this scooter, will be the ones that have hydrogen fueling stations - California.

There is no word about the colors that will be available, but it is virtually silent and has no emissions. It looks just like every other scooter out there, so it will definately blend in.

Water Geeks New Filter Water Bottle

WaterGeeks has a new water bottle that filters the water as you drink it. Very Cool!!

http://www.thewatergeeks.com/Water-Bottles-More-p-1-c-3.html These bottles are made from stainless steel, so there is no need to worry about BPA leaching into your water, and then your body. They are specifically designed to filter out lead, chlorine, and heavy metals, odors, and other potential contaminates from TAP WATER. That is the catch, you can NOT use these in the woods when your camping, and decide to get your water from a near by stream.

They come in a couple of curvy designs with 60 different color combinations - something for every discerning taste. They retail for about $11. US and would make a great gift for just about everyone on your gift list.

Green Life Competition Winner

The Green Life Competition Winner is a "ROCKING CHAIR".

The rocking chair that won, uses the kinetic energy produced by rocking back and forth, to produce power for the attached OLED lamp. During the day it stores the power, and at night your can sit, rock and read a book...very cool!

According to Rochus Jacob, the designer, he was looking for opportunities to generate energy through activities we naturally do. I hope this inspires others to look at everyday objects and see how it can be improved upon. If you are looking to compete, then check out the website listed and see what category would best suit your design.

Green Life http://www.designboom.com/contest/winner.php?contest_pk=28 has all the results listed on their website.

VIOlight Toothbrush Sanitizer

I know several of you are wondering what a toothbrush sanitizer has to do with going green, but it really does. Any time you can prevent disease from spreading, you are helping the environment...thus it is green.

This is a really neat little toothbrush sanitizer, so please go to their website http://violight.com/. It claims to even work on H1N1, and they have the scientific proof to back it up.

A study* performed on the VIOlight Toothbrush Sanitizer by Dr. Philip Tierno, Jr., PhD, Director Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Associate Professor, Departments of Microbiology and Pathology, New York University Medical Center, found that the VIOlight eliminated up to 99.9% of bacteria tested on toothbrushes.

Another study* by Bureau Veritas, a global independent testing laboratory, also found that the VIOlight Toothbrush Sanitizer eliminated up to 99.9% of germs tested on toothbrushes.

The Violight countertop sanitizer works with all electric toothbrushes, including Sonicare, Oral-B, and other brands. You can insert just the heads, or the entire electric brush and handle. The unit also works with battery operated brushes like SpinBrush and other popular models...so it is perfect for EVERYONE.

The Violight Countertop sanitizer has a special UV bulb that needs to be replaced every 12-18 months depending on how often you use your Violight. This ensures the maximum level of germ-eliminating power.

All of our other Violight products, including iZap and the new Zapi, use a LIFETIME bulb! These bulbs are similar to long-lasting fluorescent lights, which is why they last so long, especially since your sanitizer is only used for several minutes each day.

Christmas is coming, and this is a really great gift for anyone on your list, especially anyone with a compromised immune system, or anyone that is worried about H1N1. Order early, so you get the model and color you want.

"Fun Theory" project for Stairs.

Well this is a little different, but it definitely belongs here. In Odenplan station in Stockholm, Volkwagen did this Fun Theory Project, to see if they could get more people taking the stairs.

They installed pianio keys on the stairs, and tuned them up, then started filming. What they discovered was when you make something fun to do, then more people want to do it. They increased people taking the stairs by 66%, which is pretty impressive. They don't just walk up the stairs, they dance, jump, hop, and enjoy themselves. Taking the stairs is better for the environment, as it does not use electricity to move between floors, thus it saves on pollution.

The amount of electricity used to generate the pianio stairs is minimal. They also noticed that even the elderly and frail people, wanted to join in on the fun and take the musical stairs. Enjoying yourself and life, makes people happy, and getting some good exercise can improve your health, thus prolonging life.

I wish Volkswagen would come here and do this in Calgary. Perhaps all those C-Train stations could be transformed into a thing of beauty, and music to our ears with a project like this. If you want to watch the video click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lXh2n0aPyw&feature=player_embedded

Check out the fun theory website for other projects http://www.thefuntheory.com/

NatureMill XE Series of Automatic Composters

Nature Mill has gone back to the classroom, and redesigned their brand new automatic composter. I saw Nature Mills automatic composters back in 2005, but what they have come up with is really great.

They now have a two in one composter, tables scraps and animal waste. For all of us that have a pet, this is great, as it means we don't need two composters. They are a great size, and fit comfortable under a sink with their great new sleak design and colors. The machine can comfortable handle 100 pounds of food scraps per month, then you just toss the nutrient rich compost back into the garden.

The Natures Mill composter has to be plugged in, but it uses a minimal 5 kWh of energy, which can be lowered even more in its energy saver mode. Althought Nature Mill does make composting easier, it still needs to 1 cup of sawdust pellets for every five cups of food waste, as well as baking soda, but in my opinion this sure beats the heck out the old method using worms.

Litterless Lunches - good examples

I know many people shutter at the idea of litterless lunches, so I thought I would give you some great examples.



FIESTA includes: 1 cup of bean salad, 1/2 cup melon wedges, handful of whole grain tortilla chips with 2 Tb spoons of salsa, and 8 cubes of reduced fat cheddar cheese.



HOLE NEW PB&J includes: Peanut butter and jelly on a whole wheat mini bagel, 2/3 cup of cherry tomatoes with 2 Tb spoons of low fat Caesar dressing, 1/2 cup pineapple chunks and 4 mini oatmeal cookies.



PIZZA PARTY includes: 1 slice of left over cold veggie pizza cut into squares, 3/4 cup cucumber moons with 2 Tb spoons hummus, 1/2 cup purple grapes, and 1/2 cup of popcorn.



POWER PITA includes: 2 mini whole wheat pita pockets with grilled chicken strips and veggies, 3/4 cup low fat vanilla yogurt with sliced strawberries, 1/2 cup sugar snap peas, and 8 animal crackers.



These are just a few examples of litterless lunches, there are many more variations, just let your imagination take over.



The important thing is to make it LITTERLESS.