First Organic Fast Food Chain Opens in Germany
On August 28, 2008 in Uncategorized
Organic. Regional. Seasonal. Fast. Fine. Nat.
Yep, Nat.. We really don't understand the period, but we get the concept. "Nat." is the name of an organic fast food restaurant which has opened in Hamburg as the first of a planned chain of fast-food locales to be run by both the parent company and under franchise. The menu starts with soups and salads, for a strong vegetarian or vegan basis. Entree offers include burgers -- either beef, lamb or vegetarian; grilled chicken, steak or fish plates; and a selection of seasonal hot casserole or pasta dishe...
How to Tell Real Fur From Faux Fur
On August 28, 2008 in Uncategorized
Image source: WashingtonPost.com
After reports last year of "raccoon dog" fur being used and labeled as faux fur, the Humane Society came out with a few quick tests you can use to test whether any animals were hurt in production. First, look at the base of the fur - fake fur will have a threaded backing while real fur will just have dyed skin. Second, animal fur tapers into a point - like a cat's whisker or a sewing needle. This one is harder to tell.
The third option is only for fur owners who want to check on a purchase they have already made - snip off a tiny portion of hair and light it...
4 Backpacking Tips, Cool Cucumber Salad and Eco-Brightened Linens
On August 28, 2008 in Uncategorized
:: Go backpacking this weekend--and take along these four eco-friendly tips.
:: Savor the last tastes of summer with Emeril's cool and refreshing Cucumber Salad.
:: Get your whites white without having to use a toxic bleach.
...
Smokey Gets Burned
On August 28, 2008 in Uncategorized
Be warned: This is a tale of a fallen American hero. Ever since the U.S Forest Service reported a very healthy decrease in forest fires, Smokey the Bear’s career has slowly declined. After recognizing the horrors of global warming, Americans have made a very significant effort to save the ecosystem, which has saved the West from burning. Last week, U.S Forest Service chief Abigail R. Kimbell released this statement,
“Mr. Smokey Bear has always held a figurehead position. His pay is exorbitant and many firefighters believe that the money should go to a more worthwhile cause. We know that Mr. Smokey Bear has been the face of the U.S Forest Service since 1944, but we need a more modern representative. We have extended Mr. Geico Gecko and Mr. Ben Aflac offers to replace Mr. Bear.”
Smokey the Bear has been spotted in the Sierra foothills in the Mojave, spending thousands of dollars in Indian casinos and rummaging through trashcans behind $10 seafood buffets. Lonepine native Shelley Birdsong reports,
“Mr. Bear sat next to me at the craps tables and ordered me a giant Pina Colada. He was wearing a Hawaiian shirt and was pretty drunk already. He asked me to come up to his room. I nervously declined, and he didn’t really notice; he just got up and went to puke in the back alley.”
Many Mojave residents have sent in complaints about Smokey falling asleep in their trees. He has been seen in Vons eating entire trays of sample Velveeta, and has been escorted out of a few more establishments for sexual harassment.
Just yesterday, Smokey was tranquilized while spotted sleeping in Nevada governor Jim Gibbon’s tree. He was then transported to an undisclosed Nevada state penitentiary on one count of trespassing and will be in court next week to address his other violations. Warden James Poole reports,
“The inmates are already beginning to call him ‘Pooh Bear.’”
Graphic Of The Day: US Natural Gas In Underground Storage
On August 28, 2008 in Uncategorized
Anyone see a long-term trend here? Besides the fact that the annual variation in underground natural gas storage volume is large, and seems correlated with temperate zone solar input. Who'd have thought that there'd be less stored this August than last?
Last winter was pretty cold in the northern US states. Could happen again.
Hurricane Gus is barreling across the US Gulf as we write; and natural gas is extracted offshore just as is oil. That could cut production/storage for a period. Just thinking. Bet those future marketeers are too.
The reduced storage might have to do with power generation moving away from co...
Vote for Architecture for Humanity and Lulan at Amex Members Project
On August 28, 2008 in Uncategorized
Christine wrote earlier about American Express' competition where cardholders and anyone else can vote to choose worthy projects, where the winner gets $ 1.5 million to "make the world a better place". Now TreeHugger hero Cameron Sinclair is asking for a little love for an Architecture for Humanity submission. Soon- time is running out.
It is "a locally driven social venture that creates an alliance of textile designers and gifted artisans in Southeast Asia to produce luxurious hand-woven fabrics. By providing economic opportunity, we help preserve hand-weaving in Asia while creating envi...
EcoZone - Advertising that Greens More than the Message
On August 28, 2008 in Uncategorized
Advertising. It’s a part of the scenery, just about anywhere you go these days. Like it or lump it, it’s here to stay. But what if it could do something more, or different then sell you things, end of story? What if it educated about the environment, and eco friendly behaviors? What if it went further than that and 50% of proceeds from advertising went to local community greening efforts, the use of which was advised by diverse, knowledgeable green organizations?
It can, and it does, via EcoMedia. The NY based company originally started by an LA surfer turned environmentalist to protect local watersheds from pollution has now expanded to find ways to improve and protect the air, energy, and green space of places across the US. This happens via partnerships with CBS and Worldwide Pants. Between the three of them, they cover national and local markets, online, and also produce original green oriented content such as the Daisy Fuentes hosted TV show The EcoZone Project.
It comes down to this -
Green School in Bali Focuses on Holistic Education and Environmental Stewardship
On August 28, 2008 in Uncategorized
The Green School opens its doors Sept. 1, 2008 to preschool through eighth-grade students. According to the Green School’s post at Ode Magazine’s Web site, the school’s faculty and student body come from 16 countries. The school aims to united Western and Indonesian students and, presumably, viewpoints. If interested in more information, Meliana Salim is the person to contact (Marketing & Public Relations Manager: meliana@greenschool.org.
Pie Footwear Opens in Portland
On August 28, 2008 in Uncategorized
Image source: Pie Footwear
Can your footwear be socially conscious and fashionable? Yes, according to Pie Footwear (the shoes are vegan, not edible), which just opened their doors in Portland, Oregon. JC and Stacey Matney own the store and began with the idea to have a comfortable shoe store, but realized they wanted their store to match their values and went vegan instead.
Pie even holds in-store shoe recycling, including their upcoming event September 13, where for every shoe donated, Teva will donate $1 to the Waterkeeper Alliance. Shoes collected will be donated internationally through Souls4Soles. Pie also works with Nike's <a hre...
Taking Algae Biofuel to the Next Level: Solazyme Gets $45 Million in Funding to Reach Commercial Scale
On August 28, 2008 in Uncategorized
According to reports, algae biofuel company Solazyme has raised $45.4 million dollars in Series C funding to take their unique algae diesel process to the commercial scale.
Major partners in this round of funding include Braemar Energy Ventures and Lightspeed Venture Partners, who were joined by return backers The Roda Group and Harris & Harris Group.
Solazyme’s novel biofuel production method involves growing algae in the absence of light. In nature, algae use light to make sugar and then make oil from that sugar. Solazyme skips the light part and just feeds their algae sugar to get them to make oil.