Archive for September, 2011
Is green Nascar an oxymoron? After all, the sport is all about watching gas guzzlers drive at high speeds in circles for hours. Until 2007, race cars used leaded fuel. Tens of thousands of fans still drive to races in recreational vehicles and other gas hogs. However, an ethanol blend is the official fuel of Nascar this season. While the core of the sport remains unchanged, Nascar, its teams, track operators and sponsors are employing an ambitious set of green initiatives that includes collecting used fuel, planting trees to offset carbon emissions, and deploying sheep to keep the infield grass short....
With the spotlight turning this week to climate refugees, including the 30 million people in Asia reportedly displaced last year by environmental and weather-related disasters, the latest news out of Uganda seems even more poignant. More than 22,500 people, mostly poor farmers, have allegedly been forced out of their homes to make way for a project that purports to do something to counteract climate change: planting trees. Small farmers growing coffee and tending fruit trees and beehives in Mubende and Kiboga districts were evicted last year by the Ugandan government “to make way for the U.K.-based New Forests Company to plant trees, to earn carbon...
Kids may love the fun shapes in the Disney themed soups above, but parents should be concerned about what is inside the can. An alarming recent study has revealed the presence of BPA in Campbell’s Disney Princess and Toy Story Soups, along with other kid-oriented canned foods. The results prompted The Breast Cancer Fund to start a campaign called “Cans not Cancer” to fight agains the cancer- causing agent being exposed to children via the lining in their soup cans. Click ahead to see which other brands to avoid and how to keep your kids safe Read more: High Levels of BPA Were Found in...
Shopping for jeans, that notoriously difficult task that we all try to avoid, doesn’t have to cause a case of the blues. Just look to denim line Goodsociety for proof positive. Whereas other labels are overtly trend-centric, Goodsociety sticks to classic cuts—slim, straight, bootcut, and skinny—and flattering dark washes that are easy to dress up or down. You’ll find nary a whiskered finish or gaudy embellishment on their organic cotton pieces; they’re styles that you’ll keep for years on end. In addition to a tasteful denim selection, Goodsociety warms customers with a company vision that’s about giving back. Working with about...
Back in May, when she was still famously known as “George Clooney’s Girlfriend”, model Elisabetta Canalis posed for a series of sultry photos as part of PETA’s “I’d Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur” campaign. Four months later, the 33-year-old no longer is attached to the famous movie star, but is set to capture the hearts of Americans on her own as a contestant on the new season of “Dancing with the Stars”. And there’s perhaps no better way to make her an early favorite than with the release of those new PETA ads. I decided to go nude because I...
From a green roof to locally harvested trees, the National September 11 Memorial and Museum opens on the 10th anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center with a dedication and much media coverage of every angle, including Steven Spielberg’s The Rising: Rebuilding Ground Zero. Despite delays, this moving site centers on two dramatic waterfalls and reflecting pools in the footprints of the Twin Towers as the focus on the 16-acre site for contemplation and the commemoration of 9/11. The sustainable features in the design were intended to be viewed as a sign of hope. The 9/11 Memorial designed by architect...
Call him a shoe CEO with a sole. And a soul. Blake Mycoskie is the brains behind TOMS, a for-profit company with a feel-good twist, that aims to make philanthropy fashionable, while growing a global brand. Before launching TOMS Shoes, thirty-four year old Mycoskie already had five other startups under his belt, including a laundry and dry cleaning service, an outdoor billboard company, a 24/7 cable TV network and an online drivers education firm. Fun fact: Between business ventures, Mycoskie competed in the CBS primetime show, “The Amazing Race” with his sister, and came within four minutes of winning the $1M grand...
Getting young’uns to fulfill their five-a-day nutritional needs is often a trying task. In desperation, parents often resort to sweet talking, bribery, or find clever ways to disguise broccoli and brussels sprouts as more appealing foodstuffs. With sympathy for this plight, Peter Rabbit Organics has produced a line of organic fruit snacks and veggie blends, available in “squeeze pouches” that make downing the concoctions as fun as they are healthy. Rich in iron and beta carotine, the Mango, Banana and Orange blend will appeal to smoothie lovers, while the Sweet Potato, Corn and Apple pouch serves as a satisfying on-the-go meal during long...
Edun is putting its men’s business in the spotlight this season via an online marketing campaign featuring a roster of guys with both style and substance. Launched this week on edun.com, the dozen participants in the “Pioneers Project” are actors, artists, social activists and entrepreneurs, including Blake Mycoskie, the founder of Toms shoes; Adam Braun, the founder of Pencils of Promise; Neil Blumenthal and David Gilboa, founders of online eyewear retailer Warby Parker; Graham Hill, founder of Treehugger.com, and Jim Moriarty, founder of the Surfrider Foundation. These are real men doing great things, who are thinking outside the box, (said...
New Balance has introduced the newSKY which contains an upper that is made of solely post-consumer plastic bottles created a different looking texture than regular sneakers. Looking like a mix between a denim and a suede, this material will definitely turn some heads. Christine Hall and Design Lead for Wellness Drew Spieth recently discussed how they used recycled material to create a comfortable, stylish shoe. It was a big goal to keep it functional and looking stylish In traditional shoe design, materials like plastic and leather provide shape and structure; however, the designers reduced the need for conventional reinforcements. New Balance took the...
