Chill out on the beach all day soaking up the rays and playing in the waves, all while keeping your cell phone, PDA, digital cam or other portable device charged even when you’re far from an electrical outlet. Made in the US, the Juice Bags Solar Tote allows you to do just that.  Just plug your device right into the bag’s universal car charger socket with your own charger. Turn sunlight into electricity!  Made of fifty-two solar cells, this seven watt solar panel is  flexible and the latest in flexible solar technology.  Military-approved, their fabrics and stitching are triple checked for quality before leaving their Texas or North Carolina warehouse.  And keep on eye on this company as they’re working on a solution to charge larger devices with the sun (like laptops for example).   And if you’re wondering how to clean it with the solar panel, no problem!  With their Reware SolarSistem, you’re able to remove the solar panel to use separately or take it out so you can clean the bag.  So pack your towel and sunscreen and head to the beach! 

Until now, there hasn’t been a channel dedicated to all things green & eco-friendly.  In collaberation with TreeHugger.com, Discovery launched Planet Green one month ago on June 4th.  On the air 24/7, you’ll find a wide variety of shows to help inspire you to live more consciously.  Offering a broad range of perspectives and ideas, all backgrounds and ages will be able to find something appealing.  

No matter what shade of green you are, learn how to reduce your carbon footprint on Wa$ted, follow the residents of Greensburg as they rebuild their town that was completely destroyed by a deadly tornado and how they are implementing eco-friendly design into their plans.  If you’re a bit (or a lot) star-struck, check out Hollywood Green as host Maria Menounos reports on how the stars are going green.  On location at Whole Foods Market, watch Emeril Lagasse whip up some healthy meals with local and organic foods on Emeril Green.  Hosted by Tom Bergeon (Dancing with the Stars host), each week Supper Club features a celebrity chef who cooks up a green meal for four green celebrity guests while they discuss latest happenings and controversies in the green movement.  If you’re into home design and renovation, tune into Renovation Nation, Greenovate or World’s Greenest Homes for some great inspiration and ideas. 

 To find out what channel it’s on in your area, click here. 

You have just one more week to prep for your 4th of July celebration…that day where family & friends gather together, eat too much food, play games or maybe just relax at the pool, park or beach in anticipation of the grand display later in the evening.  Lighting really sets the mood when you’re throwing a bash and what better way than to use the sun to power it; not to mention you won’t have to worry about the candles going out or unnecessarily using power to shed some light on your evening.  With a full charge these cool weather resistent, cordless, flame-resistent shoji lanterns will illuminate for 6-8 hours.  If you want to keep them up all summer, they have an automatic day/night sensor so when nightfall arrives, they’ll automatically turn on (or you have the option of manually turning them on or off).  They’re collapsible for easy storage and this set of three also comes in red, white & blue! 

Summer is almost here and with longer days and warmer weather comes air conditioning. If you’re in the market for an air conditioner, make sure it’s Energy Star certified.

Like most Energy Star products, Energy Star air conditioners use less energy—meaning less fossil fuels and lower utility bills. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), if just half of all American homes were cooled with Energy Star qualified products, the change would prevent nearly 70 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions, which is equivalent to the emissions of nearly six million cars. As said above, it’s always better not to AC, but if you can’t take the heat any longer definitely go for an Energy Star model.

In addition to staying cool with an Energy Star certified air conditioner, I also recommend keeping the shades down. This will help any room stay a few degrees cooler. You can also install an electric fan (Energy Star of course) and create cross ventilation by leaving doors and windows open. If you still can’t take the heat, then consider “gettin’ out the kitchen” and loitering in some already cool places. Museums, libraries, movie theaters are all public spaces that crank the AC all summer long. Or you can always go to your favorite café. Hang out; grab an iced latte and let “them” pay for the air conditioning.

Still looking for that unique and earth-friendly gift for Father’s Day?  I’ve discover a handful of great gift ideas that I’ll be sharing over the next week!   Here’s one of my top picks:

Awarded National Geographic’s ‘Best of Gear’ for 2008, the Solio Classic Universal Hybrid is a compact universal charger that uses the sun to power your cell phone, iPod or iPhone, PDA, Bluetooth headsets, MP3 Players, GPS devices, most digital cameras and handheld game devices.  With an internal rechargeable lithium battery, you can get power when you’re in a place that doesn’t.  On the beach or in the mountains?  Backpacking in Europe?  No problem.  The sun will charge it for you and will recharge your device at the same rate your electrical charger does!  Perfect for skiers, surfers, mountaineers, campers, hikers, backpackers, golfers, people with windows and anyone who wants to take advantage of free power.  It comes in black, hot pink, silver & white.  I love that you can charge it (for four hours) in an electrical outlet at home before heading outdoors so you can re-charge your device when it dies and you are nowhere near an outlet.  Then all it needs is eight to ten hours of direct sunlight to be fully charged again so that you can power your device when it’s out of juice.  This cool gadget is the epitome of renewable energy.   

If you have five minutes to spare, check out this video about how Solio is helping villages in Africa with limited or no access to electricity:

The Solio H1000 Universal Hybrid charger is featured in the video above. 

We all know fathers love appliances and gadgets. With Father’s Day coming up, what better way to thank your dad for . . . well, being your dad . . . than with some hand dandy green gadgets?

One of the best ways to ensure his gadget is green is with the purchase of an Energy Star certified appliance. Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy that identifies and promotes efficient products. Those appliances carrying the Energy Star symbol are better not only for the environment, but also your father’s energy bill. According to Energy Star’s website, “Americans, with the help of Energy Star products, saved enough energy in 2006 alone to avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 25 million cars — all while saving $14 billion on their utility bills.” Wow, that’s a pretty convincing statistic!

There are so many places to buy Energy Star products. Shop Green is a great place to start with a solid assortment of Energy Star dishwashers , air conditioners, cordless phones, showerheads, refrigerators, etc. The site picks the best Energy Star products and organizes them in an easy and convenient list so you can scroll by price, brand, or customer rating. Check it out . . . your dad, his energy bill, and the environment will thank you.

Wouldn’t your mother prefer a bouquet of chemical-free roses to a bunch of pesticides?

I know mine would.

A great way to show mom you care is with a beautiful and locally sourced arrangement of organic and/or fair-trade flowers. Search your area for a local and organic farm. You’ll cut down on carbon emissions without supporting those factory farms that douse their crop with insecticides, fungicides, growth regulators while fumigating with toxic methyl bromide.

Top off local organic flowers with a beautiful handmade glass vase. Eco-conscious co., Grandin Road offers hand-blown glass vases, that inspire infinite decorating options. Unlike the flowers, these vases will last forever.

Once the flowers have wilted, she can fill each vase with seashells, potpourri, pebbles, even bits of sea glass. By combining all three vases for an artistic arrangement or separate for a minimalist statement. Whatever she chooses, the sculptural glass will always hark back to your special Mother’s Day surprise.

The Common Threads Garment Recycling program is a fantastic success and has received worldwide recognition, inspiring other companies to do the same and make use out of discarded goods. I encourage you to donate your old, worn-out garments. It’s easy, just wash items first and pop them in the mail to:

Patagonia Service Center
ATTN: Common Threads Recycling Program
8550 White Fir Street
Reno, NV 89523-8939

If you live near a Patagonia Retail Store then drop them off directly–ideally, while you’re running other errands, to reduce environmental impact.

The Common Threads Program accepts:
- Patagonia fleece (including Synchilla® and Regulator® insulation)
- Polartec® fleece from other manufacturers
- Capilene baselayers
- Patagonia cotton T-shirts

Please note buttons, zippers and snaps do not need to be removed in advance. They come off in the recycling process.

In 2005, Patagonia launched the world’s first garment recycling initiative. Common Threads Garment Recycling Program is a system through which customers may return worn out clothing in exchange for discounts on Patagonia products.

The worn out garments are run through an innovative recycling process in which they are repurposed into polyester, which can be used for second-generation performance wear.

The program creates a full-loop of environmental responsibility. Rather than simply selling products produced from recycled materials, Patagonia creates an infinite cycle of reuse by reabsorbing materials back into its supply chain. This cuts back on virgin oil wasted, natural resources squandered and the discarding of clothing in the landfill or incinerator.

The Women’s Capilene 1 Scoop is a popular product made from 100% post-consumer recycled Capilene through Patagonia’s Common Threads Recycling Program. According to research sponsored by Patagonia, “the environmental impact of recycling worn-out Capilene base layers into new polyester fiber is significantly lower than making that same fiber from virgin materials. Taking into account that worn-out garments are diverted from trash incinerators, making new polyester fiber from recycled garments results in an energy savings of 76% and a CO2 emissions [greenhouse gasses] reduction of 71%, versus creating that fiber from new raw material.”

When the best in natural and organic materials isn’t good enough, Patagonia gets creative. The company regularly sends design engineers to work with and help suppliers invent environmentally sound fabrics. In many cases these fabrics are made from recycled materials.

Take for example Patagonia’s signature: fleece, Capilene base layers and Regulator insulation garments. All are made from various combinations of post consumer recycled plastic soda bottles, unusable second quality fabrics and worn out garments.

Patagonia Men’s El Cap Pants are made from recycled plastic.

There are many substantial benefits to making items out of recycled materials. For one, the process curbs discards, therefore reducing toxic emissions from incinerators while preventing the continued overflow of landfills. As landfills seep, this prevents the overall contamination of air, water and soil. Most notably, recycling post consumer plastic decreases dependence on oil.