Two Prominent 'Eco'Mags Go Under, Thanks to Economy

Plenty Magazine and Domino have seen their final days due to the current economy. Both magazines covered environmental news and living green.

“In making the announcement, company president/CEO Chuck Townsend said the decision was purely based on the softened economy, which has already claimed a handful of other shelter books. This year through February, Domino’s ad pages tumbled 51 percent to 22 percent, per the Mediaweek Monitor. Launched in 2005, the title achieved a rate base of 800,000. But observers have said that in addition to the hard-hit housing market, the title had some difficulty explaining its positioning in the marketplace.”

We pray that once the economy becomes stable and once again thrives that Plenty and Domino will come back in full force.

Top 3 Controversial Ingredients of 2008

This year, three cosmetics ingredients were main topics of consumer and policy-oriented discussion, Cosmetic Design reports.

Phthalates were found to be linked to baby care products and the discussion began about how the buildup of such compounds have an effect on the human body. The EPA jumped into the argument, positing that personal care and pharmaceutical products may be leaking the chemical into US waterways.

Parabens, the preservative found in many cosmetics products, were highly criticized in the European arena - France in particular.

And triclosan, the antimicrobial used in personal care products, was linked to endocrine system disruption, cancer, and increased dermal sensitization in addition to noting its ability to persist in aquatic environments.

Dicaprio Documentary In The Works, Again

Leonardo Dicaprio has never been shy about his commitment to improving this world. He currently is working on a follow-up to his environmental documentary, The 11th Hour. The previous film highlighted the effects of global warning and expressed a demand from us all to start rescuing the world from the perils of climate change.

Dicaprio had this to say about his reason for developing The 11th Hour:

"The environment has been a huge passion of mine ever since I was very young. I was really affected by documentaries that I saw as a kid about the rainforests, the mass extinction that's going on right now. We were trying to make a film that would really impact on people, to the point where they leave the movie theatre facing the harsh realities of what will happen to this planet and us in the future if we dont make a change. But we also wanted to highlight and, hopefully, inspire people to realise there are a lot of solutions out there if they become active."

"That's the whole key to making this movie inspiring people to become more educated about this subject and to take action personally. And hopefully, when people see this movie, they'll be emotionally impacted and want to do something about it."

We hope his next documentary will have the same impact.

Eco Stiletto

Eco Stiletto is a site helping you and everyone to make their carbon foot-print the size of a Manolo Stiletto instead of a ginormous Ugg. The site offers tips and feature articles on green picks in Fashion, Beauty, and Parenting.

EcoStiletto.com was created by Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff, a writer, producer, and marketing consultant who focuses on sustainable fashion, beauty, lifestyle and parenting.

She co-founded GreenGirlGuide.com in May 2007 and launched EcoStiletto.com in June 2008, retaining archived GreenGirlGuide content.

COCO ECO

The absolute latest in style-driven eco-fashion has come forth in COCO ECO, the perfect magazine for all of you green fashionistas.

It will launch late this fall. The brains behind this magazine is Anna Griffin. She has been featured and spotted on Ecorazzi as the host of some of their video highlights.

Keep Your Summers By Saving Our Oceans

Many of us spend at least some of our summer time at the beach. With the way that global warming is quickly affecting our world, we need to take an active part in saving our summers and indefinitely our oceans.

Jack Johnson is one man behind the cause. He is not only a pro-surfer and singer, but a strong supporter of The Surfrider Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s oceans. The mission is to raise some much-needed funds for our beaches and oceans. The foundation is offering a $45 donation deal which lands you a membership plus Jack’s new CD Sleep Through the Static, a hot Rise Above Plastics (RAP) SIGG bottle, and a chic RAP tote bag.

Donatations to the Surfrider Foundation are also greatly appreciated and free through the YouthNoise Just 1 Click program throughout the month of August. Just click–as many times as you want–and YN will donate up to $1,000.

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!

Green Glossary

I know I'm not the only one out there who isn't fully aware of all the words used in a very 'green' conversation. I try to to keep up with the events, but sometimes the green vocabulary will have me lost. I've found that The Green Glossary, provided by Life Goggles, is really helpful. It may sound silly, but it is an easy go to source to get environmental terms explained.

For example, how many of you know what blackwater is? I personally thought it was mud, but according to The Green Glossary, its the waste water generated by toilets.

There are many more terms with layman terms explanations. If you can find it you can ask for an explanation and if you know a word and don't see it you can add to their list.

TOPSHOP Loves Rubbish

Do you have a pair of old jeans that you aren't using anymore? Donate them to TOPSHOP. Topshop has created a variety of eco and fair trade collaborations for several years now. 

Their most recent project with the help of recycling aficionados, Rubbish Magazine, is going to show you that there’s more to going green than simply recycling newspapers and your old jeans. Topshop Wants Your Rubbish week lets you get your hands dirty with a week of reusing and recycling activities.

Fiji Water is Green n' Clean

Fiji water claims that every drop is green. They have promised to remain negative with carbon, save the rainforest, reduce their packaging, and help recycle. You can read up on their progress on their carbon footprint, becoming carbon negative, and their recycling efforts at fijigreen.com.

While you're checking up on their progress be sure to check out the latest news on their site as well as their blog.

Pick up the Marie Claire UK June issue!

Marie Claire UK's June issue is hot! 

Cate Blanchett is on the cover and in the magazine she discusses green issues, her personal life, and filming the Indiana Jones movie. She is now one of many celebrities who are choosing an "eco chic" lifestyle.

The issue also covers the hottest fashion and beauty buys that are green and gorgeous... as well as a guide to (safely) being a total beach babe.

Eco-Razzi Reporting Banana's 'Green' Shirts Are, Well, Not So Much

Eco-Razzi reports on all the latest green gossip. We here at Edelbio have to admit we're addicted and regular readers of the blog.

Recently we posted a blog about Banana Republic's new eco-clothing line. We later noticed that Eco-Razzi had done the same. Heres what they had to say:

"Kicking off Monday with a little fashion news, we received a tip that Banana Republic has a new line of “eco-friendly” clothing that’s taking baby steps towards really being green.

Take for instance their new tank tops labeled as “an eco-friendly staple this season“. They are made from 87% cotton, 8% spandex, and 5% organic cotton. A source has revealed to us that these shirts “come in plastic bags that most of the stores just throw away because they can’t recycle.” Are we seeing here a classic case of greenwashing?

I guess it really depends on how you view their efforts. On one hand, BR is incorporating sustainable materials such as organic cotton, soy silk and bamboo that previously were not purchased for any percentage of their clothing empire. On the other, labeling something ‘eco-friendly’, even though 95% of it is not, seems a bit of a reach. Alessandra Brunialti, Banana Republic’s vice president of design for women, had this to say (via The LA Times): 

“A year ago, when we started this, we were trying to be super pure about it — have everything be completely organic,” she said. “And it was all becoming too much to do at once. Then our mantra became ‘One step at a time.’”

The lesson here is do your homework. If you really want to shop green, make sure you take a look at the labels so that what you’re buying actually makes sense for the planet. Something with 5% organics that comes wrapped in plastic might not make the cut." - Michael

Thanks Michael for the insight.

Barack, Hillary and John - How Green are They?

The presidential race continues, with Pennslyvania's big democratic primary this Tuesday. The race gets closer and closer, and we're trying to figure out who will take on John McCain in the fall race for the presidency. Will it be Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama? 

As you listen to the results and do the mental comparisons in your head, here is something else to consider: Where does your candidate stand on everything green?

Grist.org has summed up the positions on global warming of our three main candidates. Here they are, below.

Hillary Clinton has long recognized climate change as a problem but was vague about solutions until early November 2007, when she released one of the most comprehensive and well-researched energy plans of the campaign season. Like plans offered earlier by John Edwards and Barack Obama, it proposes a cap-and-trade system that would cut greenhouse-gas emissions 80 percent from 1990 levels by 2050, and would auction 100 percent of the pollution permits. Overall, the two biggest areas of focus are efficiency and investment. The former would boost standards for everything from vehicles to buildings to the electricity grid; the latter would channel money to renewables, plug-in hybrids, and carbon sequestration. Clinton would also create a National Energy Council to coordinate action across federal agencies. The plan is not radically different from those put forward by her Democratic competitors, but in typical Clinton fashion, all the i's are dotted and t's crossed. -- DR

Barack Obama was largely platitudinous on energy and climate for the early part of his campaign. His rhetoric soared, but his policy ideas were tepid. He even, to the horror of greens, did some cheerleading for liquefied coal. All was forgiven when he released his energy and climate plan in October 2007. It was thoughtful, detailed, expansive, and ambitious. His cap-and-trade system would aim for 80 percent emission reductions by 2050 and would auction 100 percent of the pollution permits. The proposal also described a $150 billion investment plan to boost clean energy and create green jobs, along with fine-grained proposals to boost efficiency, build a smart electricity grid, and encourage public transportation. -- DR

John McCain has been outspoken about global warming. He introduced the first major bill in the Senate to address it: the Climate Stewardship Act of 2003, cosponsored with Joe Lieberman. Reintroduced in 2005 and again in 2007, it would establish a cap-and-trade system aimed at lowering greenhouse-gas emissions 65 percent by 2050 -- and heavily supporting nuclear power. McCain has supported modest increases in fuel-efficiency standards, and has spoken out against handouts to Big Oil. He used to be almost alone in Congress in opposing ethanol subsidies, but since launching his current presidential campaign, he has changed his tune. -- DR

For more information on the candidates green position, check out this chart or the candidate's websites.

Happy voting...