This duet of Lace Fans Fabric Pillows (in Olive) from Ink & Spindle stole my heart. It was love at first sight. Nothing freshens a space as quickly (or as inexpensively) as a handful of throw pillows – a pop of color or a rich texture can instantly add life.

I immediately headed over to Ink & Spindle for further intoxication. The artists (Lara Cameron and Tegan Rose) have charmed me with graphic prints in pretty colors. In my humble opinion, the worth of a textile is realized through imagination. Fabrics are like well cared for art supplies. When I see a great fabric, visions of pillows, art, and upholstery dance through my head. These amusing textiles have me dreaming up a myriad of fabric-enveloped furnishings and accessories.

Ink & Spindle plays the conscientious role of a green business through the usual route (water based solvent free inks, recycled products whenever possible, organic, sustainable, and fair trade base cloth, etc.), and have added a sweet effort, including using a water board certified separation system to prevent foreign particles from entering the water system. The company walks the walk, and I like it. Oh, and did I mention they are entirely carbon neutral?!

For pricing information, please visit Ink & Spindle’s online shop or email info@inkandspindle.com.au.

The post Hand-Printed Loveliness appeared first on EcoSalon.

As most of us linger in blogland, the paper-free platform makes it easy to forget the footprint left behind; even if the footprint is a tiny computer mouse-shaped print, it is still brimming with carbon emissions. Luckily for us, there is an effortless way to offset a blog’s dent in the environment.

An initiative started in Germany, the Make it Green program reaches right into the United States to help you square up with Mother Earth. The My Blog is Carbon Neutral initiative has partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation to plant a sapling in Plumas National Forest on behalf of your little piece of online real estate. Your blog and/or website can be responsible for a fir or pine sapling planted in Northern California, offsetting your site’s carbon footprint for fifty years. Now you can use “˜ecologically conscious’ as an adjective for your website in addition to the rest of your life.

The preservation of forests is a great compensation toward excess carbon dioxide (and thus global warming); take it one step past forest preservation toward forest creation by participating in this program. Isn’t it poetic for the intangible cellulose-free online demographic to collaborate for a tangible change in oxygen production?!

The post Blog for Oxygen appeared first on EcoSalon.

Coffee makes the world go around. Well, at least my world anyway. Without it, I’m a bit like one of  Snow White’s dwarf’s – sleepy, grumpy and dopey.

But I won’t drink just any coffee. Bad coffee doesn’t get past my lips. It not only has to taste good to me but it also has to be good for the environment. Which makes the Seattle based roaster Grounds for Change my perfect coffee match.

And here’s why. Grounds for Change:

– Deals not only in certified organic and fair trade coffee but also shade grown coffee which helps ensure healthy and safe habitats for migratory birds.

– Contributes 1% of all their sales to environmental groups worldwide through the 1% For the Planet organization.

– Their policy of offsetting 100% of the global warming emissions associated with their coffee has resulted in Grounds for Change becoming the first U.S. coffee roaster to obtain a CarbonFree® Certified Product label.

– They use sustainable energy (wind, solar and biomass) through Puget Sound Energy’s green power program. In turn, the energy company gives its customers Grounds for Change coffee as an incentive to join the energy-saving program.

– They support community-based programs in coffee growing countries such as the Café Femenino Mexico programthat provides a blend of coffee that is grown, processed and traded exclusively by a group of women in the southern Chiapas state.

In other words, Grounds for Change coffee is seriously green.

In fact, this company is so green that it was one of the top ten nominees for this year’s Green America’s Green Business of the Year award.

All in all, Grounds for Change may be just the right brew for anyone who has a well-developed coffee conscience.

Editor’s note: this is a sponsored post. See giveaway rules.

The post Grounds for Change Giveaway appeared first on EcoSalon.

Ever want to just pack up and move…your country?

If you haven’t heard by now, President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives insists buying a new homeland may be the only option for the 300,000 islanders who selected him last year as the country’s first democratically-elected leader.

That’s because nightmarish climate change could drown the emerald chain of 1,200 islands and 26 coral atolls that make up the territory located 435 miles southwest of Sri Lanka in the Laccadine Sea of the Indian Ocean.

Location, location, location.

Yes, that’s the draw to this magnificent tourist escape, as well as the exact cause of the looming threat of a paradise lost under rising waters by the year 2100, as forecast by the United Nations. The ground level averages 1.5m above sea level and the highest point is at 2.3m – which is the lowest high point in the world, according to Wikipedia.

So, what’s a new leader to do? Shop and save.

“We can do nothing to stop climate change on our own and so we have to buy land elsewhere,” Nasheed told the British Guardian after taking office. “It’s an insurance policy for the worst possible outcome. After all, the Israelis [began by buying] land in Palestine.”

The President told the Guardian that even a “small rise” in sea levels would inundate large parts of the archipelago.

Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed (right) and Vice-President Hamid Ansari in Male

All eyes are on this rising star of Asia and his plan to set aside a portion of the Muslim country’s billion-dollar annual tourist income to invest in a new home, perhaps in Sri Lanka, India or Australia.

The Maldives is an unbelievably exclusive travel destination with spectacular resorts visited by the rich and famous. It’s where Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes went on their honeymoon; they rented a boat and just sailed around the atolls. No cameras can get to you there. It’s as far away as you can get. And naturally, those running the resorts do well as everything costs a fortune.

The Four Seasons resort at the Maldives is one of many ultra luxury hotels

Speaking out against the government once cost a fortune in terms of freedom for Nasheed, who was arrested and sentenced to prison several times for his political activism, which included writing a popular magazine called Sangu. Having ascended to power he is wasting no time advocating for his people, including unveiling a plan last month to make his country a carbon-neutral nation within the next 10 years.

According to The Observer, the plan developed by British climate change experts Chris Goodall (author of Ten Technologies to Save the Planet) and Mark Lynas seeks to establish a near-zero carbon economy by eliminating all fossil fuel use on the Maldive archipelago by 2020. Instead, it is calling for clean electricity to power homes, businesses and vehicles.

Features of the bold initiative include a new renewable electricity generation and transmission infrastructure with 155 large wind turbines, half a square kilometre of rooftop solar panels, and a biomass plant burning coconut husks. Battery banks would provide back-up storage for when neither wind nor solar energy is available.

As Goodall put it: “We don’t want to pretend that this plan is going to be easy to implement. There will be hiccups, and electricity supply will occasionally be disrupted. But we think that building a near-zero-carbon Maldives is a realistic challenge. Get it right and we will show the apathetic developed world that action is possible, and at reasonable cost.”

Norway also wants to be zero-carbon by 2030, but The Observer says the Norwegian plan lets a good percentage of global emissions to be offset by investments in forestry schemes abroad.

Meanwhile, Lynas believes Nasheed is on the “front line of climate change” as the Maldives is the most vulnerable country in the world. “It is a poor country, but here we have a government that is throwing down the gauntlet to the rich, highly polluting countries,” he said.

The price is huge, said to be about $110m a year for 10 years, but could pay for itself in time as the nation will no longer rely on imported oil products for electricity generation, transport and other functions.

As Nasheed sees it, it’s a small price when you consider the alternative of watching rich polluting world powers ruin your land.

“Climate change is a global emergency,” he reminds us. “The world is in danger of going into cardiac arrest, yet we behave as if we’ve caught a common cold. Today, the Maldives has announced plans to become the world’s most eco-friendly country. I can only hope other nations follow suit.”

The post Sink or Swim? President of the Maldives Gets Busy Bailing Out His Island Nation appeared first on EcoSalon.

Mayor Phil Gordon thinks it’s possible to turn Phoenix, Arizona into the nation’s first carbon neutral city.

His recently announced 17 point plan for Green Phoenix is designed to cut the city’s greenhouse emissions by about 70% within three to four years. The scope is ambitious, but the plan, developed in collaboration with the Global Institute of Sustainability at Arizona State University, shows promise.

The Green Phoenix plan involves reducing vehicle use in the sprawling sunbelt metropolis by providing alternative transportation, planting more trees, and promoting alternative energy such as solar energy. In fact, solar energy could be considered the key component of this plan, with the aim of installing solar panels and solar water heaters in all existing city buildings and making them a requirement for all new buildings. Plus all lighting at park-and-ride and light-rail stops would be powered by solar energy.

In fact, Mayor Gordon hopes that one day Phoenix will be seen as the “City of the Sun” with it’s own solar-power plant on 1,200 acres at the city’s landfill.

Fitting, given that the one thing that Phoenix has plenty of is sunshine.

Image: http2007

The post And the Country's First Carbon Neutral City Will Be… appeared first on EcoSalon.

Show of hands: how many of you dream about moving to the country, growing your own food and living off the grid? It may not be for you, but my husband and I talk about this all the time. Our biggest obstacle? Affording the land and infrastructure and then making enough money to get by until we become self-sufficient. The people who have done it are inspiring.

Take the story of Mr. and Mrs. Phillipe-Johnson, who gave up steady employment, moved to the country, assumed a lifestyle of Voluntary Creative Simplicity and made their dream come true. It wasn’t always easy, and some commuting was involved, but with experimentation and innovation, they were able to live off-grid, grow their own food and start a small, local business selling fresh sourdough bread to their neighbors. They live happily and comfortably on $6,500 a year.

They started with the snowball approach to debt: they worked as hard as possible to eliminate all debt, one loan at a time. After that, they got creative with reducing expenses and saved up for a small parcel of land. They built their own temporary shelter; then their own home. The transition period involved a lot of testing and ingenuity – not to mention plenty of odd jobs – but they did it. They learned to garden. To build. To survive.

Admittedly, this lifestyle is not for everyone. Personally, I love access to the internet. But I also love the land. We all need to find our own balance, but we can all simplify. Remember, the lifestyle is called Voluntary Creative Simplicity – so how creative can you get?

Image: fosforix

The post How to Live on $6,500 a Year and Love It appeared first on EcoSalon.

A year in Lifestyle – from dire rumblings over biofuel to the unprecedented eco-promises of President Elect Obama, from ravaged coral to eco sunscreen, personal sustainability to green careers. It’s been a whirlwind 12 months…and here’s why.

January: we first look at the menaces of urban tumbleweed, plastic hotel toiletries, greenwashing, and pondered the wisdom of using silicone cookware and fuel in place of food.

February: Kim checks out Japanese holistic toothpaste; salmon stocks crash in north California; we suggest shedding some light; orangutans swipe chopsticks for a good cause; Freecycle helps us get household essentials entirely for free; a mousetrap even mice might like; catalytic converters lose their green credentials; Luanne finds a coral cemetery; travel journals are an Art form – look!; and the bamboo that helps you read in the bath.

March: the first Seattle Green Festival; find out what “Touski” means; See Spot Recycle; not all City Slickers are lost in the country; it’s been a good, green year for laptops; how to lunch on brown bags (or green up your lunch bag); greenwashers on the run; my number 1 fan; AllTop launches; the joy of spring asparagus; how easy it is to give; nobody’s mowing the lawn; the Wabi Sabi way; cleaning without nasty chemicals; bringing back Slow Shaving; magical (not magic) mushrooms; a chat with Aaron “King Corn” Woolf; where else to keep strawberries?; one angry bird; vitamins for the needy; and how does your house score?

April: picnicking with (not against) the environment; You Are Beautiful; what is carbon offsetting anyway?; sustainable scrubbers; sardines are the new salmon; hogging rainwater; giving the almost-green a nudge; the complicated ethics of fur; how to spot if a restaurant is eco; upcycling the softest of brushes; what’s for Earth-dinner?; stain removal without skin removal; how to celebrate Earth Day, quick!; exactly how bamboo is sustainable and green; Harry Potter turns over a new leaf; the sense in embracing the ridiculous; when “reducing” apparently doesn’t mean “less”; the sudsless car wash; the right way to arrange a steamy tumble; and flagging down the right kind of (luxury) cab.

May: 60,000 pounds of shrimp every day – it has to be Las Vegas; plug those sizzling leaks; sneaky, sneaky plastic; chewy rope for furry friends; lunches you won’t want to wait for; sexy soil; greenscouring; the unacceptable nature of animal food-farming in America; the busy, buzzing farming assistants under mysterious threat; how (and how not) to charm a green goddess; plastic – out with the new, in with the old; the Why of rising prices; LEED-certified ELEMENT hotels launch; and lastly, lots of sex.

June: George W. Bush is “honored” by green activists; we’re unimpressed by the Eco Kettle; how to throw a party right; feeling good about eating meat; first steps (first revolutions?) with bikes; political greenscouring abounding; how we’re becoming Nature’s noisy neighbors; how much of our groceries get thrown out?; even matches can be re-thunk; the tranquil – and threatened – Joshua Tree National Park; gardening with the wind; the science of Shh!; Earthship ahoy; eco-friendly sunscreen; why individual choices matter; Do-It-Ourselves cities; the grass is always greener if it’s not faux; and Method get a makeover.

July: the enduring problem with palm oil; the first worldwide climate change pressure group; pack smarter, not lighter; a sustainable spread; 25 ways to fill your piggy bank; the unfairly-maligned clothespeg; as much soda as you can make; festival of destruction?; good habits start young; your SUV is redeemable; what’s cookin’ in the White House?; green buildings you can munch on; pingg!; 30 unusual compostable items; greenwasher is Bond villain; 10 ways to avoid eco-snobbery; marine conservation that works; hitting the spot with eco sex toys; new urbanism; a yoga mat that in every sense isn’t square; and 10 eco gifts that aren’t crunchy, preachy or political.

August: eco-friendly dining venues; curly light bulbs, explained; You vs. Junk Drawer; scoop the poop; Germans champion the passive approach; tips on first date butterflies; in the future, electricity will be weird; on your bike!; making sure your shade makes the grade; a very Italian recession; 15 life-changing books; green gadgets you won’t be able to keep your hands off; school supplies for budding greenies; worlds of meaning; 9 inventions they said would never work; eating out of palm leaves; Barnstable’s beach smoking ban; environmental art you’ll never forget; and lights out for England’s churches.

September: the rinse & return of milk bottles; shoes that never get wet?, e-book readers finally arrive; capping escaping caps; what the stars (the twinkling kind) can tell us; building a 21st-Century home; recycled specs; the gift of an eco action pack; SGF seeking SGM; crayons!; Mom, I think I solved the energy crisis; autumn yard decor; chain stores shrinking?; the navy shower; models wearing parachutes, and other madnesses; Greenbottling it; Solay cleaners; Greenpeace’s Guide to Greener Electronics; and 15 glimpses into houses of the future.

October: 10 lean, green fashion and decor deals; VroomVroomVroom; October Fair Trade roundup; the Virtual March; a dangerous love of olive oil; the innate profitability of organic farming; Starbucks in hot water; guilt-free roadtrips; of oil and ANWR; gits for an eco hostess; TripAdvisor’s More Than Footprints; greening your junk, 16 creative ways; Nokia’s wooden phone – well, maybe; 10 green collar jobs for 2009 and beyond; interview with Starre Vartan; a better Halloween (here too); 7 endangered species we’ll be seeing more of; USBCELL; cloth diapers fill with controversy; 10 tips for personal sustainability; 10 ways to unlock your inner green goddess; sustainable sushi; save the Angel Oak; shoes that fall apart for a good reason; and biomimicry – how we’re learning from the best.

November: prison inmates gathering moss; traveller’s gadgets; rain harvests; eco promises from the new guy in the White House; more worries over cellphones; the power of Maatiam; Nature’s healthy architecture; Facebook friends frenzy; Oceana Adopt-A-Creature; 12 DIY projects; the magic of England’s Cornwall (home of Eden); 10-4 10-4, top restaurant on the road; One Million Acts of Green; Smart Biking, smartphones and smart networking; Amazon rationalize their packaging (and about time); creative bookworming; the well-named Good Hotel; soldiers and civilians plant 6 million trees – in one day; 7 ways of giving meaningfully; Eco-Libris; eBay‘s environmental record gets spotty; party punch; Madeleine Pickens and wild mustangs; mulching Nature’s cast-offs; and the real cost of 10 everyday items.

December: Africa’s Last Eden; are e-book readers truly green?; Vroom, Woosh, Dig, Sizzle!; Canadians losing their bottle; interview with Robyn Griggs Lawrence; the generation that knows best; 9 reasons not to buy pets from a pet store; elephants are better off in the wild, suggests study; getting there greener; environmentalism 2.0; a viral Brighter Planet; Go-Ahead Group set standards for travel; 7 outrageous PETA stunts; pocket markets take a stand; a new perspective on camel humps; the marvellous Bicycle Commuter Act; your plastic “friend” goes green?; the Surfrider Foundation; 10 reasons to love being on a train; electronic recipe books (at 20 times the price); eco board games; Dubai cons the environment; humane veal?; Australia’s Sunshine Coast; one teenager makes a difference in Darfur; questions to ask your printer; and Vegan Hoppin’ John!

Image: Sir Mervs

The post The Best Green Tips and News: 220+ Lifestyle Links to Start Your New Year appeared first on EcoSalon.

Did you know that the average American emits 136 pounds of carbon dioxide each day? 36 pounds of that is through driving, flying, and other forms of travel. Pile on another 22 pounds for heating, cooling, and powering your home. The remaining 78 pounds is stacked up from what we buy (producing, transporting, and disposing) and shared services (such as schools and street lights) that we, as a community, use.

That doesn’t sound like much for one person until you multiply the poundage by 300 million people. Ouch.

I was therefore pleased to learn about Brighter Planet, a Vermont-based company committed to building a clean-energy future by educating people on how to reduce and manage their dependence on environmentally harmful CO2-emitting activities. Believing that small, day-to-day actions can make a huge difference for the environment, Brighter Planet has set up One Day, a viral online campaign which allows people to give the gift of carbon neutrality for one day.

Curious to see how the viral campaign works, I signed on as a participant (guess I “caught” on). It was as easy as providing my name and email address.  Almost as soon as I clicked the send button, I received a reply email and three days later, I received a second email saying “Congrats, you’re now carbon neutral for a day! Thanks for your patience. 136 pounds of carbon offsets have been donated in your name by Brighter Planet.”

I was then given a chance to pay the gift forward by making friends and family also carbon neutral for a day. Or I could pay it forward in cyberspace by letting the first five EcoSalon readers who click on this link claim a gift of being carbon neutral for one day.

Happy Holidays!

Main Image: The Green Party

The post Going Viral for a Brighter Planet appeared first on EcoSalon.