Art and Energy Join Forces in San Jose

Sometimes form and function unite in the most unlikely places. This is certainly what you will find at the San Jose Pearl Avenue library branch, where beautiful art glass walls actually contain solar panels.

The library features a colorful display of four art glass windows that were created by Lynn Goodpasture, in conjunction with Peters Glass Studios. Within the glass art panels are solar cells that collect solar energy and then use the energy to light a suspended LED light.

The photovoltaic cells are laminated inside two layers of tempered float glass. The photovoltaic cells are then combined with the glass artwork to create the final work of art.

The combination of art and energy is part of San Jose's Green Vision, a program designed to encourage sustainable and environmentally friendly growth in the city. According to their press release, this is the first permanent public installation of art glass that contains photovoltaic cells.

Via Interior Design

Bowling Alleys Live On As Eco-Friendly Furniture

I'm always on the lookout for new and interesting recycled/repurposed furniture, so I was very excited to learn about CounterEvolution NYC. The Brooklyn, NY company specializes in creating eco-friendly furniture from repurposed bowling lanes!

CounterEvolution NYC creates their beautiful contemporary furniture designs entirely in reclaimed wood, with the occasional addition of steel I-beams. Their designs range from slightly rustic, chunky wood pieces to more industrial designs that combine the reclaimed wood with steel.

They source all of their reclaimed wood from older bowling alleys, rescuing the wood from a certain demise. Rather than send the wood to a landfill, CounterEvolution breathes new life into the wood, in the form of clean, simple designs that highlight the beauty of the reclaimed wood.

The eco-friendly furniture has the warm glow and imperfections that only reclaimed wood can have. And if you are lucky, you may even end up with a few marks that offer a glimpse into the wood's previous life.

Via greenUpgrader

4 Easy Ways to Recycle CFLs

I have a few used compact fluorescent lightbulbs that I have been storing, for lack of a good recycling option. Since they do contain a minute amount of mercury, I decided it would be wise to finally research what my options are. I was surprised to find that although my town only picks up household hazardous waste once a year, it's become quite easy to dispose of CFLs.

1. Most municipalities offer some type of recycling program that will pick up old CFLs. Check the EPA site for your local CFL recycling options. Unfortunately, many towns or counties (like mine) only pick up these items semi-occasionally, so you may be stuck with your old bulbs for a little while. If you can't bear to store them until pick-up day rolls around, you can seek out a retailer that will recycle the used bulbs.

2. Retailers are offering more CFL recycling programs for unbroken CFLs. For instance, Ikea offers to take back their CFLs, with recycling bins at their stores for easy return. Home Depot also implemented a CFL recycling program at their stores, where you can return any unbroken compact fluorescent lightbulb for proper disposal. Other smaller, local retailers, such as Bartell Drugs in the Northwest, also offer free CFL recycling programs.

3. If none of these are viable options, you can always mail your old CFLs to a recycling center. Waste Management now offers a Compact Fluorescent Recycling Kit for $16.95. The kit can hold up to 13 used CFLs and comes with a pre-paid return shipping label. Just fill the box and return it via snail mail - what could be easier?

4. Lastly, Earth 911 is a wealth of information about any aspect of recycling. Enter "CFLs" and your zip code and you are guaranteed to find an assortment of different recycling options.

Repurposed Placemats With a History

Add some sparkle to your table this holiday season with eco-friendly placemats from BTC Elements. These simple placemats are an interesting juxtaposition of woven texture and shimmery hue, all with an interesting past.

That festive silvery sparkle actually comes from repurposed potato chip bags. The foil from the potato chip bags is cleaned and dried, wrapped around a natural grasss and then woven into the these lovely eco-friendly placemats.

The environmentally friendly placemats come from Nepal as part of a fair trade program for Vietnamese and Nepalese workers. The SPIRAL foundation imports the eco-friendly placemats and other products, helping to support 500 workers with fair hourly wages.

Whether your holiday of choice is Hanukkah, Christmas or New Year's, these silver placemats add an eco-friendly touch to the holidays.

Jetta Voted Green Car of the Year 2009

Green Car Journal has awarded the 2009 Green Car of the Year award to the unassuming Volkswagen Jetta TDI.

According to Sustainable Life Media, the Jetta earned the honor of green car of the year due to its cutting edge clean diesel engine and very reasonable $21,000 price. The environmentally friendly diesel engine uses new diesel injection and emissions technology, making it cleaner than diesels in the past. In fact, this green diesel meets very strict emissions standards in every state.

Other benefits of the green car of the year include increased fuel economy (41 mpg on the highway) and far fewer greenhouse gas emissions. According to the editor of GreenCar.com, the Jetta "epitomizes what the Green Car of the Year honor is all about."

This year, the environmentally friendly Jetta beat out the BMW 335d, Saturn Vue 2, Mode Hybrid, Ford Fusion Hybrid and the smart fortwo. This is also the first time that a diesel car has been named green car of the year.

Biodegradable Credit Card... Gone Long Before the Balance Is

Someone forwarded this post to me from the New York Times and I thought it was just too funny to pass up. The credit card industry is going green - with the first biodegradable credit card.

Discover is offering the industry's first biodegradable credit card, which will supposedly break down when exposed to landfill conditions. The green credit card is made of biodegradable PVC, 99% of which will be absorbed back into environment given the right conditions. In fact, with exposure to soil, water, compost and other microorganisms, the card will degrade completely within 5 years.

Anything that can completely degrade in 5 years is impressive. However, while certainly more sustainable, it seems like using biodegradable PVC for just one of their cards is sort of like entering the race and not crossing the finish line. Why not apply the technology to all of their credit cards and then they would really have something to brag about…

Is It a Compact Fluorescent Lightbulb or an Incandescent?

Actually, it's a CFL masquerading as an incandescent bulb. The slightly ugly, twisty, clunky looking compact fluorescent bulbs are getting a makeover! This is good news for those of us who love the energy efficient CFLs but hate the aesthetics.

General Electric has introduced their first CFL bulb that looks almost identical to the traditional incandescents. The new 15-watt bulb contain the electronics in the neck of the bulb, encasing the spiral CFL inside the traditional incandescent shape.

Reshaping the CFLs into a traditional silhouette will allow the new CFL bulbs to work in almost any fixture. The new CFL bulbs will now work with clip-on lampshades, many types of overhead lighting or any light fixtures where you can actually see the bulb.

According to Sustainable Life Media, the 15-watt CFL is equivalent to a 60-watt traditional bulb, but lasts approximately 8,000 hours! This might be the last bulb you have to buy for the next five years…

Chase Away the Chill with Environmentally Friendly Fireplaces

The cold, wet weather of December just begs for a good fireplace to warm up in front of. EcoSmart fireplaces are environmentally friendly versions of the cold weather staple that offer all of the benefits of a traditional fireplace and none of the disadvantages.

The environmentally friendly open fireplaces are striking for their good looks and their sustainable design. These environmentally friendly fireplaces are beautiful to look at, with a range of interesting styles that lean more toward the contemporary. Freestanding and flue-less, they work anywhere and require little maintenance.

Instead of burning wood, the EcoSmart Fire burns denatured ethanol, which is both renewable and clean-burning. Denatured ethanol comes from the fermentation of sugars from agricultural and forestry products. The eco-friendly fireplaces are very efficient at generating heat, with far fewer emissions than a typical wood-burning fireplace.

My personal favorites are the Cube, for its simplicity, and the Zeta (pictured above) for its ability to completely redefine the shape of fireplaces.

All in all, EcoSmart offers beautiful environmentally friendly fireplaces - Now, if only they came in sustainable materials.

Soft Eco-Friendly Toys for Toddlers

Need a few eco-friendly soft toys for your little ones? With safe, non-toxic materials, these four charming environmentally friendly plush toys will delight toddlers this holiday season.

1. Organic Plush Toys by MiYim - Need a new lovey for your toddler? From the cotton filling to the cute cotton clothes, these soft, stuffed animals are completely organic and healthy for little ones. They are also so adorable that your kids will fall in love with them. I love this brand for their eco-friendly materials and sweet, simple designs.

2. Organic Rag Doll - These charming dolls are perfect for babies and toddlers. Soft and cuddly, the eco-friendly dolls are handmade in the US using ogranic cotton.

3. Wonderworld Twistable Stuffed Animals - I wrote about these eco-friendly toys previously, but they are worth a mention again. Their stuffed animals are made with biodegradable fabric, in the cutest patterns imaginable. I want one fo each of these eco-friendly toys.

4. "Naturally Better" Peter Rabbit - Even classics are going eco-friendly this year, with a new all-natural Peter Rabbit and friends. The classic bunny is made of cotton and organic materials and packaged in recycled products.

7 Eco-Friendly Toys for the Holidays

Eco-friendly toys have come a long way recently. Materials are more innovative, toys are more colorful and business practices are more sustainable than previous years.… As a continuation of yesterday's post about toxic toys, here is a list of 7 top eco-friendly toys for the holidays.

1. E-Racer from HaPe International -These are some of the coolest cars around and deserve a spot at the top of eco-friendly toys this year. They are made entirely of bamboo, with non-toxic, water-based paint. The simple shape lends itself to little hands and the fun is completely child-powered. What's even better is that they are very reasonable priced.

2. Sprig Toys - These fun cars are another favorite eco-friendly toy for this year's gift list. These clever cars are made from a bio-composite called Sprigwood, which is made from recycled wood and reclaimed plastic. The lights and sounds on the cars are completely powered by kids and, thankfully, have the option of being turned off. The slightly chunky, indestructible shapes are ideal for little ones, as are the accompanying adventure guides.

3. Recycled Plastic Wagon - I have to admit I was very excited when I saw this wagon. Wagons are such a basic toy that inspires kids to make up their own fun. And now the eco-friendly version of the classic comes in recycled plastic - what could be better?

4. Orchard Game from Haba - This game is great for toddlers, preschoolers and young elementary school kids. The beauty of this game is that the kids work together, rather against each other, so you all the children win. It's made by Haba, who is known for their durable, wooden eco-friendly toys and games. Another really cute game from Haba is the Sleepy Princess and the Pea Game.

5. Xeko Mission: Costa Rica - Designed for slightly older kids, Xeco's eco-friendly trading card games teach kids about conservation as they try to save the biodiversity of the area. The game uses recycled paper and soy-based ink for the environmentally friendly trading cards.

6. Wind Power Science Kit - Another great toy for kids 8 and up. The environmentally friendly science kit teaches kids about the properties of wind power, letting them build a wind turbine and experimenting with it for greatest efficiency.

7. Nyokki - These eco-friendly "eggs" are both educational and adorable in one fell swoop. They give kids the chance to grow their own plant while learning how nature works. The easy-growing grass can be cut and regrown, and the cute painted eggs will bring a smile to everyone's face.

Check back tomorrow for a list of eco-friendly plush toys that your kids will love.

Toxic Toys: Why You Need to Buy Eco-Friendly Toys

Do you ever wonder just how safe your children's toys are? If you are a parent or grandparent, this is one post you don't want to miss.

A recent study of 1,500 toys found that approximately a third of the toys had levels of lead, mercury, cadmium, bromine and other harmful substances present . The Ecology Center tested toys from China, the US and other countries and here are a few of their findings:

• According to Green Biz, lead was detected in 20% of the toys tested.


• 21% of toys from China tested positive for lead.


• 16% of the toys from other countries also tested positive for lead.


• 17 toys that were made in the US were tested. 35% of those toys had lead detected, while two of them actually exceeded the federal limits.


• A shocking 54 products in total exceeded our federal limit for lead.


• And finally, here is the most worrisome statistic for me and probably any other parent of girls who like to play dress-up. 15% of the kids jewelry tested had lead content higher than the US recall limit.

Be sure to check out Healthy Toys, where you can see the results and search for specific toy names and brands. You'll be surprised to see that some of the most harmful toys come from reputable brands.

In the past, I've often wondered how important it is to buy eco-friendly toys, but after reading these statistics, I'm a convert. For a safer holiday season and upcoming year, the next two posts will be dedicated to finding healthy, trustworthy toys for the holidays.

Check my next post for a list of top eco-friendly toys your kids will love.

Luxury Organic Baby Blankets: Green From Beginning to End

Robbie Adrian creates some of the softest, sweetest organic baby blankets around. The luxury eco-friendly blankets come in sizes and styles that will satisfy everyone, from baby to adult.

The collection of organic blankets comes in luxuriously soft organic cotton or velour, with your choice of silk trim. The cotton is certified organic, so you can feel good about it next to your baby's skin (or your own). The ruffled trim blankets are my personal favorite, but they look just as beautiful with a plain silk trim.

Robbie Adrian has added a few more eco-friendly touches to their line. They started using "peace silk" to trim their organic fleece blankets. Peace silk is made from the cocoons of caterpillars that have been allowed to naturally complete their life cycle. The organic blankets are then packaged in eco-friendly wrapping tissue, recycled boxes and a seeded lotka paper receipt.

These organic blankets are the perfect baby gift. They certainly aren't cheap, but that is obvious just from looking at them. The baby blankets have that well-made, family heirloom quality to them, so it's worth the investment.

And fear not. Robbie Adrian also offers the organic fleece blanket in an adult size, for the parents who want one for themselves. Sadly, they don't come with the cute polka dots or ruffles.

Just AskNature for True Sustainable Design

Biomimicry and sustainable design are in the news a lot these days. The first public site dedicated to applying bio-mimicry to our everyday world, AskNature.org is a new collection of design solutions found in nature.

Biomimicry attempts to apply the same design principles used in nature in order to create sustainable solutions to our design challenges. In an effort to make these sustainable design principles more accessible, AskNature.org is a free database of nature's solutions to any number of design challenges. The database is meant to serve as inspiration for architects, designers, engineers, students, etc. to create more sustainable products.

AskNature's designs strategies are organized according to the more general challenge that nature solves. You can search or browse for specific strategies, such as capturing rainwater or keeping a structure dry.

As I was browsing through the site, I couldn't help but be amazed at two things...how efficiently nature handles these small (or large) design challenges and how ingeniously these same design principles are applied to products to create new sustainable designs. For instance, who would have ever thought that the topography of a butterfly's wing would inspire an innovative exterior paint that requires no cleaning.

As it states on AskNature, "it's amazing what a 3.8 billion year head start can do when it comes to problem solving."

How to Shop, Save Money and Support Green Charities

Around the holidays, I think most of us would like to be able to donate to our green cause or charity of choice. But this year, finances are tighter for almost everyone and charitable donations are way down. Well, GoodSearch and GoodShop have come up with a way for everyone to do their holiday shopping, donate money to a cause and not spend a dime extra…

Yahoo is powering a search engine and online shopping mall that will allow users to search for and make their purchases at their favorite online retailers. Every time the websites are used, a contribution will be made to one of more than 70,000 charitable organizations that has partnered with the sites.

How exactly does it work? By purchasing items through GoodShop, each store donates a portion of the purchase price to the cause of your choice. Donations can go all the way up to 37% of the price. There are more than 800 stores to choose from, including large retailers like Target, Barnes and Noble, Best Buy and Home Depot. You can still shop around online to find the best prices and GoodShop offers many deals and sales, so everyone wins.

The partner site, GoodSearch, works a little differently. For each search you do on the Yahoo-powered search engine, you will earn a penny for your favorite charity. Each week the money will be donated to the charity of your choice. While it doesn't sound like a lot of money, think about how many searches you do every day or every week. It adds up fast.

What exactly does this have to do with sustainable design or green living? Some of your favorite environmental causes stand to benefit from your purchases and searches. Organizations like the Nature Conservancy, Heal the Bay or Healthy Child, Healthy World.

While neither site is brand new, it helps to be reminded of how easily we can make a difference. So before you order gifts this holiday season, be sure to check out GoodShop and GoodSearch first.

Recycled Cardboard Trophy Heads from Cardboard Safari

Trophy heads get a dose of green with Cardboard Safari's line of recycled cardboard creations. In fact, they somehow make taxidermy look fun with their whimsical recycled cardboard trophy heads.

Their line of recycled cardboard puzzles include three dimensional representations of everything from bucks to rhinos to skulls, although my favorite has to be the moose. While it may sound a little morbid, their original take on a traditional idea is far from it. Instead, the recycled designs poke fun at themselves and add a little humor to any room.

The animals and décor are made from 100% recycled cardboard, which the company sources locally. Offered in natural brown or white, the material is completely non-toxic and environmentally friendly. That big buck's head in the den has never looked so good.