Limited Edition Bags Attempt to Make an Unforgettable Statement

Richard Nicoll is bringing awareness to Environmental Justice Foundation’s (EJF) Pick Your Cotton Carefully campaign using his amazing design skills to create these limited-edition bags.

The bag is being modeled by style leader and top fashion journalist Louise Roe. “Now more than ever, it’s crucial to be savvy about what you’re buying - customers need to take responsibility for the consequences of what they buy and where,” she says. “EJF are making a difference to children’s lives around the world, and I am proud to be supporting them.”

Most of us are unable to attend the London Fashion weekend, but by purchasing a bag we can feel not only uniquely fashionable, but also environmentally involved.

Tinker Bell Wants You To Save Energy

Disney’s best known and favorite fairy Tinker Bell is now in a series of PSAs that are urging you to participate in energy conservation.

The PSAs are viewable at EERE Kids and while also there you can check out the tips to using energy wisely at home, games to increase your knowledge about energy and conservation, and more information about renewable energy.

Gorgeously Green

Visit Gorgeously Green to get the answers you need in order to change your lifestyle to easy, simple, and fun. The site offers tips and resources for beauty questions, travel inquiries, and even exclusive coupons.

I personally recommend visiting their Ecolicious portion of the site for gourmet recipes! And for all you eco-inspired moms out there check out Eco-Mom. There they have posted several products and items for your leisure, pleasure, and just for fun.

Not yet convinced? Perhaps if you watch Sophie Uliano, she could change your mind. To see the video click here.

Green Mom: Julia Roberts

Julia Robert's is America's Sweetheart, a loving mother of three, and an example to all mother's that living green is possible. 

She is making her own eco-friendly cleaning spray, so be expecting to see that out soon. She also keeps a journal on her environmental concerns, checks labels, and plants an organic garden.

For much of her lifestyle changes, she credits her yoga instructor Sophie Uliano.

Dance to Save Our World

Club4Climate is a dance brand that is making its own contribution to saving our environment. It's essentially your typical night out dancing, but all the music and money contributions go to Friends of the Earth. So "all you really have to do is dance to save the world."

Stay tuned because they plan to have an island destination of serious luxury and relaxation that doesn't sacrifice the environment at any expense. It should be opened in 2010.

We Add Up

We Add Up - "is a tremendous marketing tool to promote the important message about the climate crisis." - Al Gore

They use organic T-shirts to make a statement. When you purchase a shirt you're literally counted in the fight against global warming. The number printed on your shirt represents your place in the sequential global count of all the people who are taking steps to help stop climate change. 

Along with the T-shirts they offer tote bags, mugs and water bottles. Make a difference and prove that every single person counts!

Be Eco Chic

"It's not just about 'Who' you're wearing anymore. It's about 'What' you're wearing."

Be Eco Chic launched last night with a full on fashion show. The greenest celebrities strutted their stuff on the catwalk and the most fashionable designers were in attendance.

Be Eco Chic it thriving to keep fashion alive and responsible at the same time. They want to make an example and show that you can live green without giving up your stylish identity.

Keep up with their site for other eco resources, tips, and events!

Get Up & Do Something

For most of you, summer by now has become a bit dull. Well it's time to get up and do something. Check out this website which will definitely inspire you to get up and do something. Do Something is a website which believes that individuals have the power to make a difference. They provide tools and resources to help convert your ideas and energy into positive action.

Just a few of the celebrity supporters are Kristen Bell, The Jonas Brothers, and Rhianna.

Click here to watch the cool video!

EPA Studies Cosmetics Waste in Our Waterways

So, we know that chemicals in cosmetics and personal care products are bad for people, but we can't forget that they're bad for the environment, too!

The Environmental Protection Agency is digging in on research into fish tissue to determine how cosmetics waste is affecting American waters. Along the way, they're developing important methodology that is going to allow them to detect steroids and hormones related to personal care products and pharmaceuticals, which are also included in the study.

Hormones, you say? In the Bay Area? Not in our town... Well, think again. Apparently, 95% of San Francisco's waterways are contaminated with "hormone-disrupting substances" traced to personal care products. Eighteen of the 19 samples collected contained trace levels of at least one of the following: phthalates, bisphenol A, and triclosan, according to a study conducted by the Environmental Working Group.

What is Sustainable Packaging?

Sustainable Packaging 101 - from an interview with John Delfausse, the vice president of package design at The Estee Lauder Companies...

Definition: Packaging that uses the maximum amount of renewable and recycled materials, but is also sourced, manufactured and transported using renewable energy. (Source: the Sustainable Packaging Coalition)

Materials: There are a range of materials available, including bio-plastics, recycled materials and recyclable packaging. But be careful to not sacrifice performance or add excessive costs, he said.

Challenges: Retaining a "quality" feel - especially for luxury brands - for which a possible solution is to divide packaging into parts that can be separated and sorted for recycling. Also, what about exotic materials that are hard to get?

On Top of It: By being creative and experimenting with different ideas, he noted that brands can come up with innovative solutions - using the Aveda take-back initiative as an example of a successful program.

Curious about sustainable packaging initiatives? See Environmental Leader's article.

Did You Know? Reading Grows Trees

Eco-Libris makes reading fun again by offering everyone the opportunity to plant one tree for every book they read.

Attempting to alleviate the publishing industry's need to cut down trees for their paper supply, this website offers a solution. It suggests that "Every book you read was once a tree. Now you can plant a tree for every book you read."

"About 20 million trees are cut down annually for virgin paper used for the production of books sold in the U.S. alone. That’s definitely a problem - trees are one of the most valuable natural resources we have. They literally form the foundations of many natural systems and provide us with numerous benefits (carbon dioxide absorption, soil and water conservation, avalanche control, desertification prevention to name a few)."

The organization allows every individual to chose how many trees they want to donate and Eco-Libris plants them globally in developing countries where their presence will be beneficial to both the local communities and the environment.

Every tree costs only one dollar balance out the books that you read. And for every dollar, you will receive a sticker to place on your books...for bragging rights of course. As well as to encourage and motivate your friends to do the same.

Bookworms unite and make a difference!

What does "Organic Cotton" Mean for Your Wardrobe?

Knowledge is Power.

Many companies these days are giving us the option of buying clothing made out of "organic cotton." And sure that sounds great. But do you know the intricacies of the label? Organic clothing is made from cotton grown on organic farms. Advocates say that it is better for the environment because it is made without pesticides, herbicides, or chemical fertilizers.

Treehugger.com gives it to us straight - saying, "Conventional cotton is one of the most chemically-dependent crops, sucking up 10% of all agricultural chemicals and 25% of insecticides on 3% of our arable land; that's more than any other crop per unit. That adds up to 1/3 of a pound of chemicals to produce enough cotton for a t-shirt, and 3/4 of a pound for a pair of jeans. And that's just not bad for the planet; 20,000 deaths occur each year from pesticide poisoning in developing countries, many of these from cotton farming, according to the World Health Organization (WHO)."

Organic cotton must be certified by a third party organization according to the rules and regulations of what is allowed in the cultivation process. In the U.S., the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has the final say to whether or not a product can be labeled "Organic Cotton."

However, this label applies only to the way the cotton is grown, not the way it is processed. And keep your eyes peeled, because just because a product may use organic cotton, it can also be made with synthetic materials as well. So look for those numbers that will tell you if something is 100% organic or not.