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Sustainable Shopping
 
 
 
Sustainable Shopping
Shopping that is: ORGANIC, FAIR-TRADE, SWEATSHOP FREE, MADE IN THE USA (OR THE EU) AND/OR SUSTAINABLE IN OTHER WAYS
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Ceiling Fans: A tool to keeping cool
2008-06-15 14:56:00
Using ceiling fans, floor fans, wall fans, attic fans, and all other types of fans is an excellent method to keep a little bit cooler in the summer time in a green and energy efficient way. In this post I want to talk about ceiling fans. Fans cool people not rooms!Ceiling fans can make the room feel 5 to 7 degrees cooler. So turn the thermostat up that amount and let the ceiling fan do the rest to save energy and those carbon emissions. Buying:What you pay for are a couple of different things: *Efficiency *Style (size, materials, aesthetics)*How long it is designed to run per day*Water resistant/not*Other add-ons such as remotes, fancy lights, etc.A lot of these depend on the fan's room and usage. What you should pay atte...
 
Grist Puts Out Its 15 Green Finds
2007-08-09 19:14:00
Click Here to Check Out Grist Magazine's 15 Green Finds...
 
Sustainable Shaving
2007-08-08 15:36:00
Shaving is a daily requirement for men and women. Why not try and "green" this practice. Check out theartofshaving.com for products that are long lasting and environmentally sensitive-- specifically their shaving products and strait or safety razors (the other razors don't count). Also, Avalon and Herban Cowboyoffer sustainable shaving products. Furthermore, a Recycline offers a recyclable razor. Furthermore, check out classicshaving.com for more great shaving products. Remember, many of these razors have high initial cost, but they are made to last and you will save (both money and the planet) in the long run....
 
Get them fast: Hemp Shoes
2007-07-29 13:46:00
http://www.rawganique.com/Hemp is one of the most- if not the most- sustainable and useful crops that man knows of. Unfortunately, for political reasons, we can't grow it in the US (maybe I'll go into this on my other blog and post a link). But never-the-less hemp products are available on the market. Rawganique offers a large selection the hemp products for the whole family. The prices are not cheap, but you get what you pay for. I encourage you to browse their selection and give hemp a try. Not all Rawganique's clothes are on the cutting edge of fashion, but they are practical and for the most part good looking and can replace the environmentally unfriendly cotton that controls much of our wardrobe....
 
Action Alert
2007-07-25 20:31:00
I want to post a link to something a ran across today:Please click and take action to stop prohibitive fashion copy-writing laws. LINK HERE...
 
Reusable Bags abound
2007-07-25 19:41:00
CLICK HERE To see my posting on my other blog about why plastic bags are bad and what you can do about it. Most notably, you can buy a reusable bag. I browsed the internet selection and am point towards these: Not your ordinary reusable bag. Click here for stylish prints and designs you will want to show off. For Bold Colors click here For more Reusable Bags then you every thought you would need click hereHere is a good review of them And another store with good pricing click hereHere is Threadless's Efforts (check out the t-shirts while your there). For your store: click or here...
 
A Review of Okabashi Shoes
2007-07-23 15:20:00
Looking for a great pair of flip-flops or sandals? Look no further then Okabashi Shoe Company for a great selection of comfort-geared footwear. The company has been producing comfort-geared footwear for over 25 year at their plant in Buford, Georgia. The company incorporates at least 15% recycled regrind (scraps ground up and reused) in the footwear, and they claim to strive for environmental sustainability by increasing efficiency and encouraging good practices at their company such as carpooling and recycling. On a different note, they are the only shoes I know of endorsed by the American Chiropractic Association because of their innovative design. Furthermore, the shoes actually do look good (not to fancy, but not cheap either) and are very well pr...
 
KidBean.com- A Family-Owned Vegan Superstore
2007-07-20 12:20:00
Today I wanted to point out a great example of how the power of the internet gives entrepreneurs a great platform to launch small business which can benefit us all. KidBean.com is a family owned "Vegan Superstore" tat offers a variety of sustainable products geared toward babies, young children, and mom. The site preferences products made in the USA and only provides product made with fair labor standards and in an environmentally conscious way. They are certified by Co-op America, which validates their environmental claims. With thirty-three plus brands and a variety methods of payment I don't think any mom (or dad) could go wrong with KidBean.comP.S. Vegan is "strict vegetarian: using no animal products, dairy or eggs; animal derived products (leather...
 
White background wastes energy- who knew?
2007-07-16 21:54:00
I came upon this somewhat profound fact this evening: Browsing with a white background (such as when using Google) wastes energy. This is because it takes more energy for the screen to produce light (white) then not (black). SOLUTIONS:1. For a simple solution when using google.com use www.blackle.com. Blackle is just the energy saving version of Google. Think of it as Google without the lights on. Or Google in powersaving mode. 2. Go to this link and use the Darken feature with your browser. (I don't fully understand it, but it works).3. Using a Mac? Well press contol+option+apple+8 (ctl,opt,apple,8 all at the same time) to, well, save power. Press again to revert. Go ahead, try it. Its pretty cool.4. And finally, use this Nocuture application. Nocut...
 
Sustainable Toothbrush for the eco-friendly mouth
2007-07-16 16:48:00
Today, I want to look at a product that is essential to daily modern life: the toothbrush. The average American replaces his or her toothbrush 1.5 times per year. This translates into about 50 million pounds of toothbrush trash going into landfills each year. But we can eliminate or significantly reduce this amount. A little research turned up these results:Recycled (and recyclable) Materials:1. My favorite toothbrush out of all that I looked at must be Recyline's Preserve. Made from recycled polypropylene (aka old yogurt cups), the toothbrush can be returned to the Recyline to be reused in other products! A near perfect product. The Preserve is sold at many retailers all around the country. Click here to find one near you. Watch a video profile ...
 
Reusable Coffee Filter Guide!
2007-07-15 16:57:00
From Ecofilter: "Do you realize that if 25% of Los Angeles residents make 1 pot of coffee in the morning using a paper filter, (one used filter measures 5cu. Inches) this amounts to 81,159 cu. Ft. of trash per day, yes, each day, 81,159 cu. Ft. is aprox. 10,000 sq. ft. an area, the size of two McDonald buildings." Now think about the world's usage.Disclaimer: I am not a regular coffee drinker, nor do I make coffee at home.Nevertheless, the idea of a reusable coffee filter seems brilliant to me. Here is what I have seen available so far:These are several different approaches to the reusable coffee filter, including the washable cotton filter, the washable hemp filter, synthetic filter, and metal filter. I have listed the...
 
Nanotech Paint (Big Savings!?!)
2007-07-09 12:15:00
A company called Industrial Nanotech Inc. has developed a new paint that uses nanotechnology to insulate whatever it is painted on. An insulating nanotech paint may not sound like a product with any home applications, but you would be surprised how many it actually does have. The most obvious is as house paint, and INI has developed both indoor and outdoor Nansulate paints. To cut costs, start by painting your attic and other “hot spots” around the house. (Here is a good guide). Other uses of the paint are coating the hot water heater, heating pipes, and ducts. In addition to having insulating properties the paint also doesn't allow mold to grow. So how much better of an insulator is this Nansulate pai...
 
Certified Jeans
2007-06-18 12:32:00
The Site: Certified JeansLooking to buy organic jeans made in the US from a small company? Well CERTIFIED Jeans of Seattle may be your ticket. Their website offers three styles of men's jeans, two styles of women's, and one women's work shirt— this no frills website is easy to navigate. Ordering is a little low tech (I wouldn’t use the email option). However, ordering by phone seems to be one of the safest ways to ensure security. Also, the check option is nice for anyone who doesn’t want to use a credit card. At $74-88 plus $4-6.50 shipping the jeans are not the cheapest available, but for the type of materials and where they are made, I think that the price is reasonable. I find that by spend...
 
Most Environmentally Friendly Clothing, Shopping!
2007-05-21 22:36:00
The most environmentally friendly clothing is recycled clothing, A.K.A second-hand clothing. I know, thrift stores and resell shops don't have great reputations for fashion and great clothing, but you would be surprised by what you can find. Need a few t-shirts for working in the yard or on the job? Go to a thrift store. Need a tie, but not willing to pay $30-$185? Visit a thrift store. Want to find the softest or best retro styles? Once again, visit a thrift store. Goodwill, the Salvation Army, and similar stores are best for a low impact buy. Better yet, these type of stores provide temporary jobs, fight local hunger, or support other charitable causes. The other option is a non-charitable resale shop. The classic example is Ebay, but any si...
 
American Apparel: Great Clothing (+ organic!)
2007-05-18 15:13:00
Vertically Integrated in the USA, American Apparel is a fashionable and sustainable. Because the whole manufacturing process occurs under American Apparel in LA, we can comfortably purchase from them knowing that the labor standards met US requirements. They offer a wide range of product for everyone in the family. All your basic fashion needs can be met from birth till death at a very reasonable cost by shopping at American Apparel. And although a store might not be near, you can always shop online- and even take advantage of sales! American Apparel clothing is defined by solid colors and down to earth style. I love their fashion throwbacks, drawing off the styles of the 60s, 70s, and even the 80s to provide the ...
 
Off Your Back Shirts
2007-05-17 15:13:00
A review of Off Your Back Shirtshttp://www.offyourbackshirts.com/store/index_oybs.phpTheir Tag-Line: "Your online source for organic, sweatshop free and fair trade apparel. We donate a portion of profits to poverty and the environment."This site offers great shirts that you can feel good about wearing. And better yet, their prices are very affordable! Most of tees are fashionable, and a few are sort of alternative. Of their slogan t-shirts, I like the "Do Justice, Do Something" one and the "Is This Living" one. Both are causal enough to wear anywhere and present a thoughtful message but aren’t offensive. The good thing about these messages is that, unlike some joke t-shirts, you won’t get tired of them. And the understated placement all...
 
Mission Statement
2007-05-17 14:32:00
I am constantly frustrated with the lack of a quality online shopping, so I am building this guide for organic, fair-trade, sweatshop free, made in the USA clothing. I made a commitment to myself to only purchase clothing, shoes, and accessories that have some combination the mentioned qualities, and for the last year I have succeeded in sticking to this commitment. With this blog I hope I can aid and direct you to good online shopping and to brands which have at least one of the following characteristics: Organic, Fair-trade, sweatshop free, made in the USA (I support American Jobs and Labor standards, but also recognize the EU standards as well). I hope you enjoy and give me good feedback....
 
 
 
 
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