Zero Charger

AT&T is releasing a USB charger (hello iPhone users), called the Zero Charger that shuts itself down to stop vampire draw. Sign up at the link below to hear when it get released.

http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/cell-phone-sales/promotion/zero.jsp

Green Waste Recycle Yard

These guys at Green Waste Recycle Yard take trees being cut down in the urban SF Bay Area and mill them into lumber flooring tabletops and much more...

http://www.greenwasterecycleyard.com/

Cardboard high chair

What an awesome idea from Australian company Belkiz, portable, recycled and recyclable.



thanks to:http://www.inhabitat.com/2010/02/06/portable-flatpak-high-chair-made-from-100-recycled-cardboard/

Top 8 Green Breweries

As selected by the Huffington Post:

New Belgium Brewery, Fort Collins, Colorado
The Fish Brewing Company, Olympia, Washington
The Alaskan Brewing Company, Juneau, Alaska
Full Sail Brewing Co. Hood River, Oregon
Brooklyn Brewery, Brooklyn, New York
Great Lakes Brewing Co., Cleveland, Ohio
Sierra Nevada Brewery, Chico, California
Lakefront Brewery, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 

for more info on each brewery check out the article:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/11/top-8-green-us-breweries_n_256368.html

Vast Recycled Pavers

If you have a paver project coming up, like a deck or a driveway, you might want to look into these recycled, permeable pavers from VAST. 

Info from the site:

• Vast pavers are 95% recycled material 
• Can be cut with a regular wood saw
  
• Every 1,000 square feet of VAST Composite Pavers saves 500 scrap tires and 15,000 plastic bottles from landfills
• Manufactured with zero toxic or harmful emissions and zero waste
• 100% of all VAST Composite Pavers can be removed and recycled into new pavers
• Gets you leed points!
  

Use their building tool to see what your patio would look like with the different paver combos.

Peak Season for Food

Eating food that is in season locally, reduces the amount of food that needs to be flown and trucked into your local grocer from other parts of the country or world.

Check out this cool interactive map from Epicurious that tells you what is in season in your part of the country for any time of the year!


I also found this great seasonality chart, published in the guardian which is specific to the UK. One thing I really like about this chart, is that it includes seasonal meat, which Is something I don't think we in the U.S. have any concept of anymore.

Old Bike Tires?

I need some ideas on how to reuse these old bike tires.

I can recycle them at any tire shop, but they seem like they might be useful for some other purpose. Any ideas?

Coroplast (Election Sign) Bike Panniers

find step-by-step instructions here:

http://kentsbike.blogspot.com/2007/01/tobys-coroplast-panniers-fenders.html

Lawn Alternatives

http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifLawns are wrong - especially out here in the west where we should have a beautiful golden straw colored-environment during the summer months. All these transplants from greener places are trying to recreate the green-ness that they are used to, in an environment that it does not belong in. Why can't they enjoy the green in the winter, and enjoy our golden California summers?

Out here in the west, they use up all of our fresh water, polute run-off with harmful chemicals and honestly, in my opinion, just do not fit into a California/southwest landscape. Sure they have their uses, soccer is a little hard to play on gravel... but the amount a typical lawn owner actually uses their lawn doesn't justify the harm they cause.

If you have a lawn - and just can't let go of the green sea, replace it with more water-friendly alternatives.

Better Lawn

If you absolutely need a turf area in your yard, really analyze how much of that lawn you actually use, and replace the outer sections that you aren't using with some planting beds for native plants that use less water.

Another way to keep your grass green and healthy is to not cut it shorter than 3", cutting it too short can strain the lawn and cause the tips to brown or to die back completely.

There have been great advances made in turf grass itself, with types that use less water, and are more adapted to dry environments. Check out some of these new grasses http://www.lawncare.net/drought-resistant-grass/

here are some great tips for healthier, greener, eco-friendly lawn care http://www.grinningplanet.com/2006/03-07/lawn-care-tips-article.htm

Visual "Lawn"

If you don't use your lawn a whole lot but want the look of a lawn without using water-sucking turf grass, use a ground cover to create the visual effect of a lawn. The great thing about this option, is you have a lot of flexibility with color and seasonal color - many ground covers flower so You'll have a punch of color at one point of the year, here are some ideas for ground cover.

Thyme - many kinds often strong scents
Sedums - Baby Tears is a perfect example
Herniaria - otherwise known as'Green Carpet'
Leptinella Platt's Black - Brass Buttons


here's link with a huge list of ground covers
http://www.datsplat.com/groundcovers-for-lawns-paths-and-walkways/
You can buy ground covers at any nursury or place online like here http://www.stepables.com

Xeriscaping


Chandler AZ, Xeriscape Demonstration Garden

A totally lawn-free alternative - xeriscaping utilizes gardening in ways that reduce or eliminate the need for supplemental irrigation.

Using plants that are native to the area, and allowing plants to go dormant when they naturally do, you can still create a garden that is beautiful.

Some links to get you started:

http://www.lawnreform.org/

http://www.lowimpactliving.com/

http://www.floridayards.org/

oyster bucket panniers

Using a standard container in the manufactured food industry, a #2 tub -- not recycle-friendly because of a strength additive required to give it rigidity. Cobbworks offers an alternative to the landfill.

http://www.cobbworks.com/