Brown-bagging lunch is cool again, thanks to the green movement.

I confess, I've never been a big fan of bringing your own lunch. I always associated it with eating cold food for lunch. No matter how cute and adorable my lunch containers were when I was younger, it didn't make up for cold meals. As can be expected, when I started working, I became a big fan of takeout. But takeout meals also posed some problems. You end up with a plastic bag, a brown bag, the takeout containers, plastic cutlery, tons of paper napkins, and/or paper plates.

Something had to be done. Eating my lunch was producing more waste than it should. What was the solution? Back to basics - bringing my own lunch. Now my husband uses Zojirushi Mr. Bento Stainless-Steel lined Lunch Jar, Silver, while I use Zojirushi Ms. Bento Stainless Lunch Jar, Beige

There are a lot of other containers out there that can do the job very well. Be on the lookout for them.

I recently joined the Philippines Freecycle Group. It's really interesting that many people are ready to part with their still-useful, but belongings they don't use at no cost. There are still a few people who think it's a buy-and-sell group, but hopefully, they'll catch on.

Tonight, a question popped up in the mailing list; someone is looking for recycled paper to use in the office. She already asked a bunch of paper manufacturers and suppliers and met the same response: "There is no recycled paper in the Philippines." Very odd, she thought, and so did I. Luckily, my friend Andre mentioned that National Bookstore carries the PaperOne brand. Check out their environmental statement here.

As for local manufacturers, if it is indeed true that no one makes and carries recycled paper here, then we are sorely behind in environmental efforts. Tsk tsk tsk. I guess from their perspective, being able to slap a "100% virgin pulp" label on their products is still a thing of pride.

Green pets are animals you can rescue from open access shelters, humane societies and foster groups. Petfinder.com has a great database of adoptable pets waiting for their forever home. You can also check out your local town shelter.

Once you've found the green pet of your dreams, check out earthdog.com for their eco-friendly dog products. Petfinder also has a "Pets Can Go Green Too!" page.

Yes, there IS a way to extend your green efforts to pet ownership. There are lots of dogs and cats out there waiting for you.

A charming new bed-and-breakfast recently opened in Ridgefield, Connecticut. Green Rocks Inn prides itself on its use of organic materials, organic food made from locally available ingredients, and recycling program. It looks like a very charming place, and it also has its eco-friendliness going for it!

I stumbled upon a rack of Bio Block and Bite Blocker products at my supermarket this morning. Nice to see there are less toxic alternatives to DEET and other pest control products. So this summer season, try them out.

I went to the library and borrowed True Green: 100 Everyday Ways you Can Contribute to a Healthier Planet. It's an easy read. The tips are straightforward and doable, so those who are dipping their little toes into the green scene will definitely be off to a good start if they'll apply some of the tips.

First, I heard about Prince Charles's eco-town, today I read "China, Singapore build eco-city in Tianjin".

It's a great plan. Hopefully it can be easily replicated in other places as well.

The National Geographic Society's new "Greendex" survey studied consumer behavior in 14 nations - Australia, China, India, Japan, Canada, United States, Mexico, Brazil, France, Germany, Hungary, Russia, Spain and United Kingdom.

To find out more how the 14 countries stacked up, check out their NGS Greendex website.

I've always been fascinated with those Jenny Craig and Nutrisystem diets which simply involve having food delivered to your house. Apparently, someone figured this concept could be applied to benefit vegans as well, especially those who don't have time to prepare meals everyday or are stuck for mealtime ideas. Enter Vegin' Out. You can have an entire week's meals delivered to your home or your office, and the best part is that they use organic ingredients and make sure that the food will keep for the whole week. The sad part? Vegin' Out is available only within Southern California. It's an incredible concept though, and hopefully it will catch on in the rest of the country.

The folks over at Life Goggles wrote a review on Stubby Pencil Studio. What caught my eye were the Smencils.

According to Stubby Pencil Studio's website, Smencils are:

"Gourmet scented pencils made from 100% recycled newspapers. Each Smencil comes packaged in its own (recyclable) Freshness Tube. Made from recycled newspaper wrapped around #2 graphite and soaked in environmentally-friendly fragrance liquids, Smencils not only smell great they're also great for the planet. Perfect for adults and kids alike - they sharpen just like a regular wood pencil!"

I have to admit, the gourmet scents pique my curiosity. Plus the fact that they're made from newspapers. Imagine pencils with scents like Cotton Candy, Tropical Blast, Cherry, Watermelon, Root Beer, Orange, Chocolate, Bubble Gum, Very Berry, and Grape. I should get two sets of five to try them out! Then again, I'm not exactly a big pencil user, so that might be a waste. Nevertheless, if you are, do try them out and let me know.

Okay, this bit of news is late by a whole month, but it's still pretty intriguing. Last month, the Philippines's Department of Environment and Natural Resources fined six companies for breaking the anti-pollution law. Some of the companies are questioning the penalty. Others, like SM Megamall, chose to comply; for SM Megamall's part, they say that they're paying the fine to show their commitment to environment and social responsibility. Seems to us like it'll be more responsible of them if they didn't pollute at all.

A few months ago, we posted about Abu Dhabi's plans to make Masdar City the greenest city in the world. This month, the project is inching its way towards becoming a reality. Chicago-based firm Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture has been tapped to design a zero-waste, zero-carbon output building for the Masdar Headquarters.

Smith and Gill’s design features a sprawling canopy lined with photovoltaics, resting on 11 massive glass hyperboloids. Underneath the canopy, a series of interconnected volumes, topped by green roofs, provide space for offices, retail stores, and residences. The hyperboloids serve as cooling chimneys that exhaust warm air while also creating interior courtyards with water gardens; they are sculpted to bring diffuse daylight into the facility and prevent the glare of direct sunlight.

The building will also be made to produce surplus energy to be used in powering other structures.

The Pacific Asia Travel Association conference was recently held in Bangkok, Thailand, but observers noted that majority of the participants came from Western nations, thus leading them to conclude that Asian airline carriers and tourist firms have yet to get involved in the issue of climate change. A number of Asian companies were invited to take part in the conference but invitations were reportedly met with indifference.

I'm sure the environment is a major concern for a lot of Asian companies, but it's probably more difficult to take direct action on the matter. At the same time, I think the focus for a lot of people is bringing in more tourists rather than making air travel and tourism itself more eco-friendly. But the way the green trend is spreading, countries ought to take note of the fact that the greener you are, the more attention and assistance you can get.

Even with all the environmental issues the planet is facing, Earth is still filled with incredible natural wonders. All the more reason why we should protect them then. The New 7 Wonders is currently accepting nominees for the next seven wonders of the natural world--and a lot of people have been nominating places like mad. Find out more about the New 7 Wonders and cast your vote!

There just seems to be no stopping the march of the green movement to change every aspect of our lives. Now, even clubbing can go green. Sustainable Dance Club offers great options that allow dance clubs to green their venues. Club Watt in Rotterdam is the first dance club to implement their environmental practices and it looks like more club owners are getting interested in the concept.

So what things can make a dance club more eco-friendly anyway? According to SDC,

• 30% less environmental impact than average clubs
  
• Sustainability integrated in both building and organisation
  
• Installation of 3 SDC spectaculars that show sustainability to the public (Energy Generating Dance Floor/ Zero Waste Bar/ Waterwall etc)
  
• Communication plan on how to inform the public about sustainability
  
• Sustainable business plan with yearly targets and evaluation

But the biggest and most unusual step they've taken is to actually make use of the clubbers themselves to generate energy for the place! Click here to find out more about how SDC works.

Here are some simple ways you can improve your home this spring in an eco-friendly manner:

• Share, borrow or rent tools and equipment with your family, friends and neighbours, instead of buying your own. You can also go to your local Home Depot and Lowe's to check if you can rent the equipment you need. Upside? No need to occupy space in your house.If you really must buy tools and equipment, select quality tools and equipment that will serve you for a long time. And yes, do share or rent it out to others. Donate unwanted tools to charities.
• Use natural light to the max. Paint your walls a light color. Use mirrors to reflect the light. Clear out window ledges. Pull the curtains back.
• Use hedge plants, instead of fence panels.
• Plant local flowers and shrubs.
• Use a walk-behind or self-propelled mower. Benefits? Zero emissions that is good for the environment and exercise that is good for you.
• Use solar-powered lighting in your yard or patio.
• Check out tag sales, auctions, reclamation yards and secondhand shops.
• Reuse old furniture instead of buying new.

By the way, Home Depot has an Eco Options Home Page that will make it easy for you to buy.

I saw this on Good Morning America:

TerraPass.com sells products that will help lower your family's carbon footprint: The Kill a Watt meter measures your electricity usage. The Shower Watch is a waterproof timer to help save water by cutting down your shower time. (The recommended time of most water companies and governments is 4 minutes.)

Self magazine's Buchan says the Synchilla Fleece Vest from Patagonia will also be a meaningful gift for your green mom. The $70 vest is made from 85 percent recycled polyester and works well for layering or outdoor activities. Through the company's Common Threads Recycling Program, your mom can drop it off at a nearby Patagonia store or mail it in so they can be recycled into new garments.

K Studio, a mother-daughter company committed to sustainable manufacturing practices, offers organic cotton pillows along with other "eco-chic" home decor such as biodegradable dinnerware and bamboo utensils at Branchhome.

For more gift ideas for your environmentally-conscious family members, visit Dominomag.