The 2007 Annual National Shopping Behavior Survey has released its findings for the holiday season and things are looking up: Shoppers have placed the environment on top of their buying priorities. Read more about it.

What green businesses will be big in 2008? If you're interested in getting more involved with the environment and sustainability, take a look at Sustainable Life Media's list of up-and-coming green businesses you can consider in 2008.

Live in Chicago or Seattle? Turn to A Fresh Squeeze for some local information on green living.

Red Jellyfish provides news and interesting products, the profits of which go to the environmental groups they support.

Ever had something in your house and wondered, "How can I recycle this?" This website will show you how you can recycle anything from old swimsuits to wiper blades to lettuce!

People sharing their greening tips, businesses showing how they're becoming more environmentally responsible--sound like the perfect elements for a green party, or more accurately, a Green Festival!

Sure we're just about to start the year, but in a few months, it'll be summer here in the Philippines. Instead of getting ready to hit the beach for some fun, head out to sea to do some good with EcoRescue.

Have you ever sat down and started to think about the ways many other things in the world could be much more eco-friendly? You can get a chance to throw your ideas around with friends by playing Play Rethink. Each card in the game poses a question/challenge for you to come up with environmentally friendly alternatives to a product, or a better way to create that product.

You spin the wheel. You take your chances. You get a card with a brief to rethink a particular everyday object. It might be a chair. Crikey, it might be a vacuum-cleaner. You rack your brains. You stare out the window. You scratch your head. You have a flash of inspiration! You write / draw / doodle your idea onto the card. You show me yours. I show you mine!

It will help if you know about the manufacturing processes of everyday things (furniture, clothes, etc.), but if you have a good enough imagination or understanding of environmental issues, you can get by just fine. This is one game that will really make people think (or rethink, as it were)!

Via Inhabitat

Spotted on Jackson Free Press: Eco-Resolutions to Live By. Kelly Bryan Smith has listed down some pretty realistic changes she's going to make in her life every month in order to become more environmentally friendly. It puts me in mind of my own green resolutions. This year, I think I did fairly well. I managed to reduce the use of the air conditioner during summertime, encourage the nearby supermarket to look into reusable shopping bags (they have yet to make them available, but they said plans are underway), and bring reusable bags to the local Sunday market.

It could be better, of course, so for 2008, I pledge to:

• Start paying bills online, where available. I hope this means my credit card company, for example, will quit sending billing statements with all those extra print materials.
  
• Keep bringing reusable bags where they're accepted. Bringing your own bag is still considered a security issue for other establishments.
  
• Get more involved in environmental issues, and get in touch with local groups.
  
• Refrain from purchasing unnecessary items, such as clothing (because I honestly have more than enough and don't really need more)
  
• Get the leaky faucet fixed!
  
• Find alternatives to disposable pens.
  
• Stop eating out at restaurants so much and whip up more meals at home.
  

What are the green pledges you're going to make for 2008? I hope you get to follow through on all of them!

Yesterday, my boyfriend and I headed out to Manila to go on the Manila Bay Cruise. It's an extremely cheap date at PhP120 for a ticket, which is $2.85, and you can get tickets the Metrostar Ferry terminal beside the Shrine of Jesus Christ near SM Mall of Asia. The trip takes about an hour along the coast of Manila. It's definitely an interesting way to spend time--and a great eyeopener. During the trip, numerous plastic bags were constantly bobbing along in the water. I suppose it's too much to hope that people who choose to use plastic would be disciplined enough to dispose of them properly. The sea is not our trash bin!

Here's a company that walks the walk. Haworth, a company which makes flexible workspaces, has started making its operations and its products more environmentally friendly a few years ago, committing to reducing their emissions and making sure they use eco-friendly materials that are not wasteful. Earlier this month, they unveiled their showroom in the Pershing Square Building at 125 Park Avenue, New York City. And it's not just their products that are eco-friendly--the showroom itself is.

The space was constructed of materials that are almost all sustainable, meaning that they are not at risk of depletion. The goal, said Franco Bianchi, the president and chief executive of Haworth, was to sell the idea of conservation along with the products.

The showroom was given a gold LEED rating. We just love hearing about companies who try doing everything in a sustainable way. Read more about it here.

Forget the cheerleader--a good solid drink is what people need to save the planet! Manufacturers of alcoholic drinks such as 4 Copas Tequila and Anheuser-Busch are going organic, with the former taking pride in providing the world with the first organic tequila.

Unlike organically grown food however, organic liquors don't really mean that you're drinking something more healthful or better tasting. This simply means that the liquor you're drinking was produced in a more eco-friendly manner.

Read the rest of the article to find out more about these organic drinks. The holiday season isn't over yet, so you might want to check out one of these drinks to serve at your New Year's Eve celebration.

This is kind of old news, having been published a couple of months ago, but it's still interesting nonetheless. A European study conducted showed that organic is indeed a better option.

Professor Carlo Leifert, the co-ordinator of the European Union-funded project, said the differences were so marked that organic produce would help to increase the nutrient intake of people not eating the recommended five portions a day of fruit and vegetables. "If you have just 20% more antioxidants and you can't get your kids to do five a day, then you might just be okay with four a day," he said.

A barrage of spirited comments can be viewed at the bottom of the article.

The article on organic food deals more with health matters rather than the environment, so in this case, organic wins. Planet-wise, however, I don't think it is the best option; just think of the food miles, for example.

People are increasingly learning how all this development and our structures are affecting animals. About time, too (although some people use this love for animals as a way to protest against wind turbines that may kill birds). Even light can have a negative effect on wildlife, I'm surprised to know, so it's a good thing plenty of companies are already ensuring that the lights they are using or manufacturing are wildlife-friendly.

Lights can cause confusion in animals, such as in newly hatched turtles who normally head towards the brightest place, which used to be the moonlit sea. Lights on the land are overpowering this, though, and the poor dears now start heading towards well-lit buildings and thus their eventual demise.

If you live near the beach or sea--or anywhere, really--you should seriously consider replacing your lights with wildlife-friendly ones. Turtle Safe Lighting is one such company making lights safer for turtles, and Starry Night Lights looks after all animals.

Photo of light bulb by sufinawaz on stock.xchng

Who knew that a company like Furnature existed? Why isn't a company that manufactures chemical-free furniture and mattresses more well-known like those national furniture retailers? It should be out there for everyone to know. I only stumbled upon Furnature's website today. Check out their "Why Furnature" page.

I surfed some more and saw them in GreenHomeGuide. TreeHugger wrote about this company before way back in 2005. Like them, I feel like this company was under the radar for the longest time. They were also listed in Co-op America's National Green Pages "the nation's only directory of screened & approved green businesses".

I wish they included furniture prices on their website. Most of the furniture on the site have "Please contact a dealer for pricing" under the item specifications. Thank goodness, the prices for the fabrics, mattresses and bedding accessories are available on their site.

I wish I knew about it when we were buying furniture and mattresses for our home. Maybe next time. I'm adding it to my Bookmarks if and when we need new furniture.

Best Buy's Magnolia Home Theater stores are now carrying eco-friendly media consoles courtesy of Maria Yee.

The consoles are made of environmentally friendly materials, including BambooTimbre, Yee’s patent-pending, eco-friendly technique that flattens, layers and bonds bamboo culms in defined patterns. All Maria Yee products are hand crafted with a proprietary process rooted in stringent environmental practices and innovative techniques.

It would be nice if the Best Buy website had a more detailed announcement regarding this partnership, but other than that, we really think this is yet another encouraging step. Speaking of encouragement, Maria Yee's work is extraordinary, but it's her life story that truly inspires. Read more about her at MariaYee.com.

Do you want your own green home but don't know where or how to start building it? How about trying to win one instead? HGTV is building its first green home in South Carolina, and anyone could get a chance to win it! Viewers can enter the contest from March 21 to May 9, 2008.

The HGTV Green Home is a traditionally styled, low-country cottage under construction near Hilton Head. At just over 2,000 square feet, the fully furnished home includes three bedrooms and two and a half baths and features both construction and design elements that are known to contribute to an energy efficient, cleaner and even healthier living environment. Public tours of the home will be available in spring, 2008.

View the full press release here.

Christmas Day is over and a lot of people are starting to take down their trees. Even if you still have your tree up and don't plan on disposing of it anytime soon, you should think about where you'll be taking your tree when the season's over.

All over the United States, cities are offering to recycle Christmas trees. Here are some links you should check out.

In San Diego, the Christmas Tree Recycling Program will run until January 23.

Chicago will offer gifts to anyone dropping off their trees on January 12.

The Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful Foundation will turn trees into mulch on January 5, and provides a list of drop-off locations.

Boy Scouts in Seattle are mobilizing to collect trees and recycle them.

Tree recycling centers in northern Arizona have already put up collection bins in several locations.

If you're from Longmont, Colorado, you can check out five recycling sites for your tree.

North Carolina's Durham and Wake counties are also recycling trees.

We all know about computer companies like Dell and Apple taking back their products and recycling them for their customers. The old computers and other parts are taken apart, with still-functional portions being reused and what's left and unusable being disposed of properly.

Of course, it would be really nice if we get to see what becomes of these computers once they've been recycled. There are other creative, innovative people however who turn computers into art and fashion. Finnish company Secco has taken a whole bunch of things, from keyboards to seatbelts to vinyl records, and turned them into some pretty stylish things, like this hairband made out of keypad buttons and this pot stand made out of computer ventilation grills and the ball found inside a computer mouse. The company aims for "the closing of the material cycle, while at the same time providing meaningful and enjoyable results for everybody involved." They're doing a pretty good job with their well-designed products!

Another company making fashion accessories out of recycled items is Connecticut-based 925Works. They make items out of old coins and even use computer power buttons to make earrings!

Laptops are starting to look even sharper and shinier these days, but Taiwan's Asustek is looking to break away from that trend by coming up with a prototype laptop--one that is encased in bamboo. It's quite a different but not unusual step to take in the field of more sustainable computer manufacturing; other companies have set up recycling and takeback programs, and smaller ones have come up with monitors, mice, and keyboards made of wood.

Harvesting bamboo, an abundant, flexible, durable and fast-growing grass, is unlikely to harm the environment as processing wood from trees might, Asustek said, although glues and laminates for shaping and fortifying the material sometimes contain toxins.

The product is still in the prototype stage and engineers are checking to see if bamboo is suitable for laptops, which have to endure extreme conditions while allowing heat from microprocessors and monitors to escape.

Should this laptop be distributed in the future, it will definitely help you stand out from the sea of Macbooks and other black or silver laptops. Still, a bamboo-encased laptop is not without its problems. It has to be able to take the heat generated by the computer, plus processing the wood should be done in an environmentally friendly manner to be consistent with its green claims. There's also the issue of sourcing the bamboo for the laptop--sure it's not a tree on the verge of disappearing, but that's no reason for people to take the bamboo for granted.

We've heard of vehicles powered using different fuels, even cooking oil, but this one could top any list of vehicles using an unusual fuel source. Pete Bethune of New Zealand and his wife mortgaged their house and gave up everything they had just to finance their project, the Earthrace, which runs on--get this--human fat!

On 1st March 2008, from Valencia, in Spain, Earthrace will attempt to set a new speed record for a powerboat to circumnavigate the globe running 100% biodiesel, and with a net zero carbon-footprint, in order to increase awareness of the environment and the sustainable use of resources.

A noble cause indeed, and we're sure you're also quite curious how the human fat will be processed into biodiesel. Bethune himself underwent liposuction, which yielded enough fat for 100mL of biofuel. Everyone's sure to keep an eye on this venture. Just think of the possibilities! I can't help imagining though that people all around the world who are contemplating liposuction will finally go through with it, seeing that their fat could actually go to a good cause.

And we don't mean kitchen as an obtuse term for some other business practice. We mean kitchen as in the food preparation area. It looks like companies all around have turned their attention to their kitchens and cafeterias in an effort to be more environmentally friendly all around.

With their broilers, fryers, refrigerators and ovens, kitchens use five times more energy than any other part of a typical corporate campus except data centers, yet they're frequently the last on the list when companies "go green."

Companies like Yahoo! and Google have started composting leftovers and discouraging the use of disposable utensils, and more steps towards greener kitchens are on the horizon. There are also plans to develop energy-efficient appliances, and even the food items are being scrutinized.

Companies are scrambling to do the clean, green thing lately and a lot of them have had success with using renewable energy, LEED certification, teleconferencing, carpooling, and now with their kitchens, among others. I wonder what's next on the list?

BioDepot takes pride in being the first "green courier" franchise in the UK--and with good reason. The company sells cooking oil to commercial kitchens and collects them after use, and will then process the oil into biodiesel.

BioDepot's operationally and logistically sound, low carbon footprint eco-business model focuses on establishing bio-diesel production facilities at a local level, close to both feedstocks and customers. Even the new cooking oil which BioDepot supplies is produced from sustainable plantations and, naturally, all BioDepot vehicles are themselves powered by the biodiesel produced.

I can see how this one could work really well, and the best part is a business like this can work everywhere. Who doesn't use cooking oil, after all? The company aims to set up 50 BioDepots in the UK, so if you've got a burning desire to help the planet and £35,000 for the franchise fee, check out their website for more info.

Law firm Nixon Peabody is working hard to make sure its offices get LEED-certified, with its building in San Francisco already receiving the certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The firm is also implementing numerous changes to make their operations even greener, all the way down to choosing environmentally friendly cleaning substances.

Whether a company becomes LEED certified or not, Kaplan, who works out of the Nixon Peabody office in Boston, says she believes internal education is key to starting to turn the tide on becoming more friendly to the environment.

"Education is a big piece of this program so that people are less resistant to change," Kaplan said, referring to changing the work environment.

Something a lot of businesses should keep in mind, no doubt. You can learn more about Nixon Peabody's greening efforts here.

Everyone knows that businesses can be very un-green, not just because of their policies or their manufacturing arm, but also because of the day-to-day operations. Offices, the daily commute to work, power being used in the building--all those details can certainly bulk up a company's carbon footprint. Not least of these details is the business trip, or conferences. Flying halfway across the country--or even the world--on a regular basis for work is something unavoidable for a lot of business people, but it's not doing any favors for the planet. Even companies that deal with environmental matters, such as greener urban planning and green architecture, have to travel to meet clients or complete projects, and that kind of defeats the whole purpose of working for the environment, I think.

If you want your office to cut back on the business trips and meetings, take a look at Green Conferencing. The website offers plenty of alternatives to business travel and also shares some great tips on how you can make your green conferences even more environmentally friendly.

Keen on greening your office? You can take their quiz too to learn more about running a more eco-friendly business.

Papemelroti manufactures reusable shopping bags, but I noticed they still provide plastic bags in their shops. Not very admirable, but they do have this note on their bags. I wonder if you can reuse the plastic bag until it's all tattered and if they'll accept it anyway.

Where does all our stuff come from? The Story of Stuff can open your eyes to how we all use up stuff. Pretty chilling, really. The movie is available as a 50 MB Quicktime file, so if it has affected you and made you think, better be sure to pass the word.

I got a Sun Jar as an early birthday gift earlier this month, which thrilled me no end because I've been coveting it since I saw it online. While it works perfectly--nice warm light for a few hours, gets its power from sunlight--the jar I got has proven to be of weak construction. The little black thing in which the battery is encased is attached to the solar panel using glue and the glue has already come off :( Worse, the end of the black case that is supposed to be attached to the positive end of the battery has already come off, rendering the jar useless (it's something like the black container shown in this picture, the one with the yellow battery). Oh, it still works, but the battery's container needs serious fixing. I don't blame the Sun Jar at all; it's a gorgeous invention and gives off a lovely light. I just wish that particular component was made of better material.

From Environment America:

"Absurd." 1... "Disgraceful." 2... "A mockery of law and sound public policy." 3
That's what governors, attorneys general and members of Congress have had to say about the Bush administration's decision to stop California and 17 other states from adopting global warming pollution-slashing Clean Cars programs.

Even though cars and trucks are one of the largest and fastest-growing sources of global warming pollution...Even though the EPA has granted California permission to go beyond federal standards on 50 previous occasions...Even though California's program would begin a decade earlier and eliminate three times as much carbon pollution as the new federal mileage standards by 2020.

You can register your protest with the EPA here. The decision, frankly, stinks, especially coming just hours after the president signed new auto fuel efficiency standards into law. Observers already are speculating that the fix was in for the auto industry. We're ready to push for whatever action it takes -- including a congressional investigation, legal action and more -- to overturn this wrong-headed decision. But step one is registering our outrage with the Bush administration's EPA and Stephen Johnson, the president's hand-picked administrator.

Coming just a week after the meeting on climate change in Bali and Al Gore's acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize, this latest decision is more evidence, as if we needed it, of the Bush administration's head-in-the-sand approach to global warming. Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised by it, but we don't have to stand for it.

New Year's Eve is a few days away! It's one of the days I look forward to the most, and not least because of the whole wipe-the-slate-clean-and-start-anew thing. Plus, it's also probably the noisiest day in the Philippines, because everyone loves playing loud music, playing with noisemakers like trumpets, and, of course, breaking out the firecrackers.

The firecrackers are probably the most memorable bits about New Year's Eve here, except nowadays, one has to be a lot more sensible and practical. For one thing, they don't come cheap, and they can be dangerous when incorrectly handled, but most of all, they put the environment in great danger. Just think of all the smoke that covers Metropolitan Manila alone when majority of households spark up the firecrackers, then imagine the mess they leave afterwards and all the ashes and burnt materials that need to be cleaned up and will eventually be taken to the landfills. No one expects those items to be made of environmentally sound materials, so add that to the dangers they pose.

We're expecting a more subdued New Year's Eve this year, and by subdued, we mean none of the elaborate, expensive firecrackers our family usually gets to ring in the new year. I reckon we will still get some sparklers though. The EcoWaste Coalition has some nice suggestions for welcoming 2008 in a more eco-friendly manner, so that's something I should look into.

The alternative `"noisemakers" include tambourines made of bottle caps, maracas from tin cans, cymbals using aluminum pot lids, shakers made of plastic bottles, and cans or soap and toothpaste boxes filled with seeds, or coins.

Good suggestions, and they're all reusable too. It would be really nice if people tucked these away for the year and bring them out every New Year's Eve. That will mean great savings AND being able to reuse old materials wisely.

More Ideal bite gift-giving tips:

For that special kid in your life, how about a bamboo zoo? It is a book and coloring book made with recycled paper. Branch offers hand puppets, backpacks and toys hand knit by a collective of women in Kenya. They are made with natural wool yarn treated with vegetable based dyes. Ever heard of a solar-powered lego style helicopter? Neither have I. The rotors turn when placed in sunlight.

For the green fashionista in your life, shop at Stewart+Brown, Turk+Taylor or Kaightshop.
Happy shopping!

We've made elves of ourselves! All in good green fun.

Happy holidays from Green Unlimited! Click on the image below:



Thanks to OfficeMax.

Former US Veep and Nobel Laureate Al Gore has said that his country is responsible for blocking progress at the UN Climate Conference in Bali. The White House of course denies that. The conference began 03 December and is wrapping up 15 December. An Associated Press report states that:

The United Nations warned that time was running out for an agreement aimed at launching negotiations for a successor to the Kyoto Protocol when it expires in 2012 and the talks in Bali were in danger of "falling to pieces." The United States, Japan and several other governments are refusing to accept language in a draft document suggesting that industrialized nations consider cutting emissions by 25 percent to 40 percent by 2020, saying specific targets would limit the scope of future talks.
European nations said they may boycott a U.S.-led climate meeting next month unless Washington compromises.

"No result in Bali means no Major Economies Meeting," said Sigmar Gabriel, top EU environment official from Germany, referring to a series of separate climate talks initiated by President Bush in September. "This is the clear position of the EU. I do not know what we should talk about if there is no target."
It is a continuation of the September White House meetings called the Major Economies Meeting on Energy Security and Climate Change, proposed for Jan. 30-31 in Honolulu, according to Kristy Hellmer, spokeswoman White House Council on Environmental Quality.

Celebrate the holidays with your pet the eco-friendly way. How about some toys from West Paw? If you want to splurge on your four legged friend this Christmas, Ideal bite recommends the Whiner and Diner eco-chic luxury beds and feeders. They will even hand-paint your pet's name. If you don't have an animal friend, why not adopt one? Adopt a penguin for $50 in yours or someone else's name.