Taking the athletic shoe industry to a much-needed new level for both performance and ethics, Adidas has created a prototype for a sustainable shoe that’s made almost exclusively from recycled ocean trash.

Adidas, which worked with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society to source the trash during a 110-day expedition tracking illegal poachers, has launched the shoe in a partnership with Parley for the Oceans, a nonprofit organization working towards ending ocean pollution around the planet.

“We are extremely proud that Adidas is joining us in this mission and is putting its creative force behind this partnership to show that it is possible to turn ocean plastic into something cool,” Parley founder Cyrill Gutsch said to The Huffington Post.

According to the German company, Adidas’s new shoe’s upper is made entirely from illegal deep-sea gillnets and other ocean waste (there’s plenty of it to harvest). The shoe’s base comes by way of a sustainable cushioning material. “The concept shoe illustrates the joint commitment of Adidas and Parley for the Oceans and offers a first look at the kind of consumer-ready ocean plastic products that will be revealed later this year,” Adidas said in a statement.

A spokeswoman for Adidas told The Huffington Post the shoe is not currently for sale, and the company is unsure whether it would be in the near future—but that’s not exactly the point of the shoe. “This is not a plan, this is an action,” she said. “We did this to show what we are capable of doing when we all put our heads together.”

Ocean trash is an increasingly severe problem impacting every corner of the world’s oceans. All marine life is affected by ocean pollution, as are the communities who rely on ocean fish as part of their diet. Research continues to show levels of plastic-based toxins in numerous fish species.

Countless pairs of shoes could be produced from ocean trash (and certainly other types of trash as well), which is not only a very good way to help remove the debris from the waters, but also takes aim at another highly toxic industry: leather.

The leather shoe industry is massive. It’s a huge source of pollution, from the resources used to raise the animals to the methane they produce and the dozens of chemical processes involved in tanning, dying, and processing animal skins into leather—not to mention the immense animal suffering.

If Adidas is capable of mass-producing shoes from ocean trash, it’s proof any shoe manufacturer can—and should—start doing it now, for the oceans, for the cows, for the planet, and for our (guilt-free) feet.

Find Jill on Twitter and Instagram

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Image via Adidas

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“The True Cost” is filled with a lot of fashion industry truths. But one of the more disturbing truths it reveals is that more than 50 million animals are killed each year for leather.

The below clip features sustainable fashion icon Stella McCartney talking about the not-so-pretty or fashionable side of leather.

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A handful of recent studies continue to find high levels of toxic materials in shoes. Here are the four major offenders to be aware of.

No ingredient labels come attached your new shoes, and yet, it is still as important for your health to understand what they are made with. Shoe manufacturing is a complicated process with many steps to assemble, and pieces that come together are often filled with toxic materials that pose serious health risks for workers and wearers alike.

A handful of recent studies, detailed below, continue to find high levels of chemicals in shoes. The series of toxins used in making shoes lends to the fact that Greenpeace’s Detox campaign to encourage brands to eliminate toxic chemicals from their products, is extremely timely. Eighteen major global brands have already committed to Detox, including Nike, Adidas, Puma, H&M, Zara, Levi’s, Uniqlo, and Victoria’s Secret. As a customer, you can show your support for the campaign by signing the Fashion Manifesto.

Below are four toxic ingredients to be aware of that are found in shoes.

Chromium

Chromium tanning is present in 80-85 percent of all globally tanned leather. Chromium, a naturally occurring metal and known carcinogen, is extremely toxic to workers and still can be present even for the wearer. The element is also soluble in water, entering waterways and commonly accumulating in fish.

Plasticiser Phthalates

A recent study by the Consumer Council tested 28 pairs of shoes, in which 15 were found to have higher than regulated traces of phthalates. Phthalates are used to soften plastics, and the chemical was found in shoes that were made with plastic. Although this substance is not easily absorbed by the body, off-gases can be inhaled and increase risk of asthma, and even cause hormonal unbalance.

Nonylphenol Ethoxylates (NPEs)

Added to rubber and plastic products during the manufacturing process, companies like GAP, Disney, Adidas, American Apparel and Burberry were found to have detectable levels of NPEs in their products. Although stable and unreactive, NPEs can accumulate in the body and work as a hormone disruptor.

Dimethyl Fumarate (DMF)

Banned in Europe in 2009, DMF is still found in leather shoes, as well as handbags, and other leather products. Used as an anti-molding agent in leather, DMF can cause skin burns and rashes when the substance comes in contact with body heat. A recent three-month study by the Council of Textile and Fashion Industries revealed 25 percent of the shoes tested were contained with the toxic chemical.

Related on EcoSalon

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image: Luz Adriana Villa A

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Fall is here, and we’re all about the leather trend that’s hitting the streets after making its debut on the runways this Spring. We’re here to give you some eco-chic trending advice, and show you how to ride this trend in sustainable style by accessorizing your wardrobe with upcycled leather.

Whether you like to get crafty with your own hands, or admire the work of those that can turn one woman’s trash into every woman’s treasure, find out how to work the leather look this season. We’ll give you tips on DIY tutorials for cute earrings, bags and direct you to some of the nifty crafters that are turning old leather leather jackets and such into gorgeous, on-trend accessories. 

Bags
Leather bags go with almost anything, and what’s could be better than giving your tattered leather jacket a new life as your favorite new handbag? The woman that first brought this concept to the eco fashion market is the astounding Shannon South, who makes gorgeous bespoke bags from clients’ leather jackets under her ReMADe USA project. South also has a collection of finished bags made from remnant leather from the furniture industry—she’s one resourceful gal.

We’ve also got some favorite leather upcyclers on Etsy; TheCOBShop makes simple, useful and vintage inspired backpacks from old bomber jackets, while Apaluz makes super chic foldover clutches (below) out of upcycled leather pieces.

If you are a yogini or an aspiring one, check out this boho chic, DIY yoga mat bag from Sincerely, Kinsey. All you need is a rag rug, a circular piece of upcycled leather and a leather belt to make this colorful bag (below)!

Shoes
These customized and upcycled leather Esmerelda boots (above) from SnapDragonBoots on Etsy are cute, rocker chic and right on trend. Designer Holly Hattaway sources vintage cowgirl boots and turns them into stylish kicks to pair with skinny jeans, leather shorts or a figure-hugging dress. Contact her for a custom order in your size.

For something a little simpler and more feminine, and ideal for the indoors or winter getaways, go for Erinbonnie’s handmade and upcycled leather ballerina flats, available in a range of neutral and pastel colors.

Jewelry
Although leather is a tough material, it makes some of the most delicate and easy-to-wear jewelry. We love leather feathers, and especially these Flying leather earrings from underanewlight. They’re bright but delicate, and available in several gorgeous colors – wear them with your hair up to show them off!

To make your own upcycled leather earrings, check out this tutorial on Chelsie Daily Style—a super simple, quick and stylish way to upcycle and leather old belt or bag strap.

Upcycled leather necklaces are at the top of our list when it comes to accessories, especially the ones is HakNik’s Etsy shop. We went nuts over all the handmade creations in the collection, but the Petal Collection Necklaces have really caught our eye. Pair this statement piece with a simple dress or top.

We’re also loving this upcycled leather headband from Finnish shop Vietto, whose collection includes other upcycled leather pieces. Wear it with your hair up or down and pair it with a boho chic outfit.

Images:Shannon South, TheCOBShop, Apaluz, Sincerely, Kinsey, SnapDragonBoots, Erinbonnie, underanewlight, Chelsie Daily Style, HakNik, Vietto

Related on EcoSalon:

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As a by-product of the food industry, fish skin leather provides a more environmental alternative to bovine leather.

The idea of fish skin leather may seem a bit funky, but the material is in fact a fantastic choice for creating apparel and accessories that mimic the reptile skin look. The production of fish skin leather is based on taking waste from the food industry industry and turning it into a useful and desirable material for the fashion and textile industries.  Similar in strength to tough cowhide, fish skin leather can be used for anything from handbags, belts, clothing, small accessories and shoes, to furniture and interior decoration. How strange but fascinating it is to think that the fish on your dinner plate may also have given its life to become your new shoes, handbag or iPad case?

Several different companies produce and distribute fish skin leather, although some are particularly focused on sustainable manufacturing. Creel, Atlantic and Sea Leather Wear are among these eco-minded manufacturers, and make sure to use only skins from fish that have been farmed or caught for food. These producers also make sure to avoid rare or endangered species of fish, focusing on cod, salmon, carp, sturgeon, catfish, wolf fish and perch. When not used for leather production, canneries and other fish meat processing facilities will dump fish skins back into the oceans, heavily polluting them.

Although not entirely natural, the process of preparing fish skin leather is far less chemically intensive than traditional leather tanning processes. Instead of removing hair, the scales are removed, which is often a mechanical process instead of a chemical one that pollutes the environment with toxic, fibrous debris. Tanning fish skin involves a patented process that removes the oils but prevents the skin from drying out and becoming stiff. The end result is an entirely odorless leather that is supple and strong.

Fish skin leather is often mistaken for its more exotic counterparts of alligator, snake or lizard skins. The leather can be dyed into nearly any color, and is available in suede, silky and glazed finishes, the latter a water-repellent, scratch and stain resistant material. The variety in finishes makes this leather suitable for nearly any application that bovine leather is used for, although its texture and appearance give it a unique look. Contrary to common assumption, fish leather is actually the second strongest leather known to man, and is ideal for furniture, bags and belts.

Several top fashion brands have incorporated fish skin leather into their collections. Among top names are Nike, Salvatore Ferragamo and even Manolo Blahnik, who offered up tilapia skin sandals and heels in spring 2011. Possibly one of the most interesting uses of the material was employed by Isaac Mizrahi in his work with the Nature Conservancy’s Design for A Living World Project. Mizrahi crafted a short dress and mermaid trail jacket ensemble made out of salmon leather paillettes. The process of creating the paillettes involved shaving down the leather and die-cutting it into small disks that were perforated for sewing.

Other designers with sustainable values have committed to the use of fish skin leathers as more than a fleeting trend. LA-based Lindsay Long has been using salmon skin as a staple in her collections, incorporating it into garments, and is now offering a selection of sleek and stylish accessories featuring the distinctive material. Loffler Randall, SKINI London and Gwendolyn Carrie use fish skin leather in bags, bikinis and shoes respectively, showcasing the versatility of the unique material. Eel skin leather, also a by-product of the food industry, has popped up in the collections of accessory designer Heidi Mottram, offering another valuable alternative to exotic luxury leathers.

Images: ES Salmon Leather, Mackenzie Stroh, Lindsay Long

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The commercial leather industry is a pollutive, toxic and unjust, environmental hazard that can only change by awareness, choice and demand.

Leather is a controversial topic that has turned into a material often avoided by those who want to lead sustainable lifestyles and make conscious consumption choices. But most of us use leather on a daily basis, even if we don’t immediately recognize it. Leather is used in shoes, bags, wallets, garments (even as detailing), gloves, jewelry, books (in covers and binding), iPod or laptop sleeves, furniture, car interiors and even sports equipment. Leather is undoubtedly an amazing material that can provide numerous uses and can act as a sustainable resource to utilize once an animal passes, but the current leather industry is a far cry from an environmentally sound and just trade.

Most of the leather used in the products mentioned above is a by-product of the tremendously destructive beef industry. Cowhide accounts for 66 percent of annual leather production, and is harvested from the more than one billion cows that are slaughtered each year. These cows are often raised as beef or dairy cattle, while other types of leather come from pigs, sheep, goats and horses.

Commercial beef farming can be considered one of the most environmentally dangerous forms of agriculture that our country, and the rest of the world, is heavily invested in. It is incredibly resource-consuming, releases immense amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, generates tons of waste that ends up contaminating precious groundwater and soil. It eats up far too much of the world’s grain and water, and requires fossil fuels for fertilization and transportation.  And that doesn’t even cover the issue of animal treatment, which is not a sunny story.

After slaughtering, the hides of these animals are sold to tanneries for leather production. Tanning is another dirty business, which has been disdained as one of the filthiest jobs in our history. Brain tanning is the traditional method for achieving the softest leather, but both brains and animal feces were used in a very unsanitary way in the tanneries until the early 20^th century. This caused tannery workers to be considered so foul that they were excluded from society and banished to the outskirts of town and cities.

Modern tanning methods use substantial amounts of noxious chemicals that leach into waterways, soils and the air. Chromium, which is linked to cancer, eye damage, ulcerations and facial sores,  is the most commonly used tanning material and employed in 90 percent of tanneries worldwide. Chromium tanning one hide only takes about a day to complete, providing producers with a quick, low cost and effective method of leather manufacturing.

The chromium tanning process involves an initial pickling soak, which contains acids and salts (that kill beneficial organisms and bacteria in soil and waterways) and then a chromium sulphate bath, which softens the hide and protects it from decay and moisture. After these soaks the hides must be wrung out, creating copious amounts of waste water containing toxic mixtures of chemicals solvents, sulphites, heavy metals and salts. Added to the debris are animal hairs, hide scraps, skins and excess fat, causing solid waste to make up over 70 percent of the wet weight of raw hides. All of this untreated waste carries pathogens in it, posing a great risk for both environmental and human health.

According to the EPA there are approximately 111 tanneries in the U.S. that are subject to environmental and animal protections standards, although 90 percent of these tanneries do use chromium tanning processes. However, most of the world’s leather comes from South Asia, Central and South America, where tanneries are informal, unregulated and don’t have proper waste water treatment facilities. For example, the tanning center of Hazaribagh in Bangladesh has over 200 separate tanneries, which produce a total of over 2 million gallons of wastewater and 88 million tons of solid waste per year. Due to the health hazards of tanning processes, the Worst Polluted Project estimates that 1.8 million lives are at severe risk because of chromium pollution.

The Luhu Envelope Sleeve by Looptworks is made entirely out of recycled leather.

Leaving leather and meat out of our purchases has become the solution for some, but is not the only answer to preventing this destructive activity. There are labels that source their leather responsibly, such as Calleen Cordero, Jypsea Leathergoods and larger brands partnering with the Leather Working Group to change the leather industry.  Some leatherworkers produce their own handmade leather, using traditional brain tan or completely natural vegetable tanning processes, if you make your own leather goods. Etsy is a particularly good platform for finding hand worked leather items and responsibly tanned leather material. A fantastic choice is reclaimed and upcycled leather; check out Poketo’s and reMade USA’s beautiful bags made from leather jackets, Looptworks’ amazing iPad sleeve made from recycled leather, Olga Road’s rockin, upcycled leather jackets and Platinum Dirt’s chic clutches made from car interiors. You don’t have to give up leather, just kick the chromium and animal cruelty out of the equation!

Images: Funky Tee, krebsmaus07, Chrissy Olson, }{enry, Looptworks

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Got milk? You don’t have to just drink it. 

Love it or hate it, milk has a place not only in your diet but also in your tool box and cleaning closet as well as among your toiletries. Raw goat milk, in its unadulterated and probiotic-heavy state, is the best to use. But seeing that unpasteurized milk is outlawed for sale almost everywhere in the U.S., pasteurized goat milk is second best. While not all milks are created equally, you can use any animal milk to successfully benefit from these tips. From curing a hangover to tending to those stained linens, milk has got your back.

Appetite Suppressant

To prevent overeating at mealtime, drink a glass of milk 15 minutes beforehand. Milk fills you up and gives you enough protein – 1 cup of non-fat milk contains 8.26 grams of protein – to keep you feeling fuller and less inclined to go overboard when food is served.

Hair Conditioner and Mask

With its vitamin and mineral content, milk works great on smoothing and shining your hair. Rinse your hair with fresh milk and let it sit wet for a few minutes before rinsing with water. You could also mix powdered milk with water to form a paste and then comb through hair, letting it to sit for at least 5 minutes before washing out.

Hangover Cure

Milk helps to settle the stomach, rehydrate the system, and raise blood sugar levels. These make it a great morning-after hangover cure. Additionally, milk contains the amino acid cysteine, which is known to neutralize a lethal dose of acetaldehyde, which is an alcohol metabolite.

Fish Freshener

Place frozen fish in a milk bath and let sit until the fish thaws. The milk makes the fish taste fresher.

Make-Up Remover

Mix powdered milk with water until a paste forms. Apply the paste to skin to remove make up. Rinse thoroughly.

Crack Eliminator

Before you toss Grandma’s beloved china, enlist milk to the rescue! The protein in milk reacts with the mineral kaolin in china to close cracks. All you have to do is place china in a pan, cover it with milk, and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer for up to an hour.

Silverware Polisher

For glistening silverware, take advantage of milk gone sour. Simply soak silverware in sour milk, cover it completely, and let it soak over night. The next day, wash the silverware as you normally would. If the milk isn’t sour already and you want to make your own, for every cup of milk, mix in one tablespoon of lemon juice and one tablespoon of vinegar and let it sit for five minutes before use.

Bug Bite Soother

Mix milk powder with enough water until it resembles a paste. Apply the paste to the area affected by the insect bite to relieve pain. The enzymes in the milk will neutralize the venom.

Facial Cleanser and Mask

Milk is a natural cleanser. It contains vitamin A, riboflavin, niacin, and vitamins B6 and B12. The alpha-hydroxy acids in milk exfoliate the skin, reducing the appearance of wrinkles and discoloration. Use a cotton ball to dab milk all across your face. Let it sit for a few minutes and then wash with water before moisturizing. For a mask, take 1/4 cup powdered milk and add enough water until it becomes a paste. Mix thoroughly and apply to the face. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before rinsing.

Ink Remover

To remove ink from clothing, take the affected garment and soak it in a milk bath overnight. The next day, wash the garment as usual. The stain should be gone. To boost the milk’s effectiveness, mix two parts milk with one part vinegar as the soaking solution.

Body Skin Moisturizer

The butterfat in milk moisturizes the skin. And because the pH of milk is close to the skin’s natural pH, the skin is more receptive to the moisturizing effects of the milk. Pour a few cups of fresh milk or 1/2 cup powdered milk into your bathtub, Cleopatra style.

Dry Hands Softener

To relieve dry and chafed hands, rinse them in milk a few times a day. Over the course of a week or two, your hands will begin to feel softer and less Winter rough.

Leather Cleaner

Dab worn or dirty leather with milk and buff until clean. The milk removes debris and leaves the leather shiny and looking brand new.

Corn on the Cob Flavor Booster

Boil corn with some milk in the water – about 1/2 cup – and the corn’s sweetness will heighten and its flavors will become more developed.

Shaving Cream Replacement

Run out of shaving cream? Nothing powdered milk and water can’t fix. Mix enough water with powdered sugar to produce a paste. Apply the paste to your face, underarms, and legs and shave. This simple concoction is smooth enough to resemble the real thing.

Poison Ivy Soother

To reduce the itch from an unintended stroll through a poison ivy bush, dab fresh milk or a powdered milk and water paste on the affected area. The milk will reduce the itchiness, redness, and irritation.

Sunburn Soother

Delicately pat sunburned skin with fresh milk. The milk cools the burn and the enzymes in the milk help to offset the pain.

Fertilizer

A tip from farmers and seasoned gardeners themselves – use milk as a fertilizer. Milk has been used as an organic fungicide and fertilizer without harming the plant.

Furniture Polisher

Sour milk makes for a great furniture polisher. Apply sour milk to furniture surfaces through a disposable spray bottle and wipe clean. You can also make your own sour milk, outlined above.

Milk Carton Bird Feeder

No, we didn’t forget about offering you a way to re-use the milk carton! Here is a tutorial on how to turn the carton into a bird feeder.

Images: Muffet, Striatic, Sshreeves, Jenny Downing, Gagstreet, Markusram, Robert Benner, The Living Room

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Would you wear in vitro leather?

Modern Meadow is the start up behind SciFi-esque developments in leather and meat engineering by pioneering a method of producing skin and muscle tissues made in a laboratory. While the company has made headlines for its development of tissue engineered meat that could eliminate several issues caused by the beef industry, they’ve chosen to focus on leather first as a less controversial venture in the eyes of consumers.

Fake leather in the form of pleather, wax cloth and Naugahyde has been covering our bodies accessories and furniture for several decades, but often made with synthetics and toxic chemicals. Real leather is the skin of an animal, and is much simpler in structure than meat, making it a less demanding venture to begin with. The next few years will see Modern Meadow perfecting their materials and processes, with the aim of establishing a fully functioning leather manufacturing facility within 5 years.

So how exactly is engineered leather made? The process starts off by obtaining source cells from any animal typically used for leather production, whether it be livestock like cattle or exotic species of snakes. These cells are then isolated, extracted and genetically modified to make them ideal for leather production, although the cells would not require modification if used for meat production.

A bioreactor is used to multiply the extracted cells to produce billions of them, after which they are lumped together by centrifugal force. These sphere-like cell formations are layered and fused into a specific shape through 3D bio-printing. Once printed, the fused cell formation is put into a bioreactor once again, allowing the cells to mature so that they begin to produce a collagen casing for the cells that eventually turns into leather. If kept in the bioreactor, muscle growth among the cells inside the casing would eventually turn into meat.

Several weeks later, food is no longer provided to the cells, turning the skin into hide and the muscle and fat tissue into meat. The hide has no hair on it and is devoid of a tough outer skin, decreasing the amount of time, chemicals, and water required in conventional tanning. An inherent difference is obviously the complete lack of animal slaughter, making engineered leather and meat interesting propositions for animal rights activists.

Modern Meadows is definitely looking to eventually produce engineered meat for the food industry, although they know they have a long way to go in order to stimulate acceptance from the general public. Wearing seems to be one thing, whilst eating the technological substance is a completely different story. Although a whopping 40% would be willing to try the somewhat eerie idea of engineered meat, it is not a promising enough investment as the idea of eating meat grown in a bioreactor seems too futuristic even for our technology-addicted culture.

But what do we face with the prospect of engineered leather? Although a huge step for animal welfare and reduction of environmentally hazardous tanning processes, what else can the technological leap mean? Will we soon see someone cashing in on Beyonce-skin handbags or baby-skin gloves?

Image: PETA

The post Fiber Watch: Will the Fashion World Embrace Test Tube Leather? appeared first on EcoSalon.

Upcycled leather is sexy and eco-conscious, especially when it matches your jacket/boots.

Many products are recycled. Like paper, plastic, concrete and wood; even the Olympic swimsuits worn by the ab-tastic U.S. swim team have been made into dresses. Industry produces leftovers. With fabrics, for example, think about all the scraps that end up in the trash after a pattern’s been cut out. The leather trade is no different.

Looptworks sells cool computer accessories (clothes, too) made from high-quality, hard-wearing but good-looking waste material – neoprene laptop sleeves from offcuts of wetsuit material, as well as seriously buff iPad cases like the Luhu (above) and Shaxi (below). Oprah and Al Gore are both fans of the young Portland company, which aims to eliminate “pre-consumer excess.”

The Shaxi iPad case is made from soft burnished leather, a magnetic closure and folds back to double as a stand. It might match your favorite pair of boots, or cowgirl hat. And, even though it’s a hand-numbered limited-edition piece, will make less of a dent in your wallet than most footwear, at $80.

The post A Word to the iPad: Strap Your Leathers On appeared first on EcoSalon.

If you are well acquainted with EcoSalon, you know we don’t shy away from controversial issues. In fact, we welcome them. Rarely is there one right answer, and remaining open-minded in the face of difficult discussions is what EcoSalon strives to achieve.

And 2010 was no exception. It was indeed a stellar year for serious and many-sided environmental discussions. We hope you enjoyed the controversy, I mean year, as much as we did!

Here’s our greatest hits list for 2010:

GINK (Green Inclinations, No Kids) – Want to help the environment? Stop procreating. Turns out, going childless is the greenest choice of all. GINK describes women who decide not to have kids for any number of reasons, but mainly they consider the childless choice a huge gain for the environment. And furthermore, did you know that women can find peace, contentment and even happiness sans baby? Amazing!

Gulf Series – The BP Oil spill last April was tragic and terrifying to witness from afar, but when one of our writers traveled to the Gulf of Mexico and reported back, we got much more than we bargained for, including the devastating details of the aftermath and cleanup.

Gyre Series – Plastic pollution is collecting in the earth’s waters. It’s a catastrophic problem and one that we followed first hand (well, almost) while sailing the South Atlantic Gyre. Actually, Stiv Wilson, one of our editors, went on the adventure and yes, he lived to tell us all about it. In fact, the saga continues.

Politics versus Science – It was a big year for politics and science, with solar panels reappearing on the White House, emails leaking with twisted facts and figures, and a newly elected Republican Congress and the resurgence of climate change denial. One battle after another. We faced the Global Warming deniers and naysayers but in the end it seems, Americans still trust science. Phew!

Fur? Leather? Vegan? Oh yes! – Debate and controversy ran rampant in the fashion arena this year, and no one came out wrong. The fur versus leather discussion continued, while vegans consistently said no to anything animal. But if anything artificial and man-made only adds to the mess we’re in, why not wear fur? So many questions, all sorts of answers. In the end it comes down to personal preference and hopefully, an earnest attempt to pay attention to the planet.

Gender & Sexism – 2010 was also a big year for the ladies, or wait – is it gals or women or dames? It was a big year, as in, we’re still not making as much, still being asked why we’re not married and having babies, and still can’t be both smart and pretty. Further complicating the matter, green itself has been accused of sexism! How’s that for progress, eh?

Apple – One of the most anticipated events of the year was the launch of the iPad. We also saw a plethora of eco-friendly iPhone covers, and others made of rosewood, plants and bamboo. But no matter how green our gadgets, will we always wonder whether we can live without them? Yep, probably.

Food Revolution – 2010 saw schools saying adios to junk food (and Sara Palin getting mad about it), urbanites saying yes to farming, and more discussion about the problem that is the global food system. In other news – the concept of being a foodie rose in our consciousness this year, as people became increasingly fascinated with culinary culture and great cuisine. From food carts to all things pork to urban wineries, the foodie has arrived – your table is ready!

Electric Cars – It was a year to remember for the electric car. With the new EPA fuel efficiency labels meaning business, car manufacturers did the same. It seems everyone who’s anyone had an entry into the electric lineup – Mercedes and BMW, the Nissan Leaf (which was already sold out in the U.S. by July) and the Chevy Volt. And it appears we’ll be seeing more charging stations in the next year as well. Good thing!

Gorgeous Green Living – 2010 was full of talk about prefab, small spaces and McMansions, but EcoSalon saw a subtler, deeper theme at play: how green, vintage and good taste combine to make gorgeous living. We immersed ourselves in all areas of art and design and garnered loads of green lessons from what we found. We researched and scoured the web to bring you design insights, ideas and inspiration. Because in these not-so-stable times – when we can control our spaces, our immediate surroundings, but not much else – a visceral dose of art and color and gorgeous is oh-so-wonderful.

and last, but definitely not least…

We decided that Green Needs to Grow Up – It cannot be coddled nor supported uncritically. We owe it to ourselves and our future generations to insist upon good standards and good products in green. So when things like deodorant and amusement parks announce they are green all over, we investigate. We’re tired of greenwashing and false advertising, and you should be, too.

Images: Deepwater Horizon Response, kevindooley, Stiv Wilson, NASA Goddard Photo and Video, jessjamesjake, xjyxjy, Robert Scoble, bokchoi-snowpea, Lisa Cohen (via Living Inside), CoCreatr.

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