ecofabulous

It's Your Country...Represent

Nacional Records and Voto Latino have teamed up to release a benefit album exclusively on iTunes. The 15-track album features songs by Pitbull, Don Omar, Aterciopelados, David Garza, and Ozomatli and costs only $3.99. By using celebrity voices, technology, and the power of youth, Voto Latino promotes positive change in the Latino community—one of their most important platforms is voter empowerment. Proceeds from the album will be directly donated to the organization to help with voter registration, education and other initiatives. Plus, by downloading your music from services like iTunes, you’re drastically cutting down on the amount of waste a typical CD produces. And, you get to skip the frustrating task of removing that long sticker at the top of the case.

China Puts a Lid on Plastic Bags

This Reuters report details China's new crackdown on plastic bags. The Chinese government has banned the production of ultra-thin plastic bags and is forbidding markets and shops from handing out free plastic bags after June 1st. It's about time: In China three billion plastic bags are used every day, and our planet's oceans now contain over six times as much plastic as plankton. Reuters reports that this ban will be a boon for manufacturers of reusable cloth bags and that ultimately China will pursue a switch to bio-bags made from renewable resources.

San Francisco became the first US city to ban plastic shopping bags back in March 2007. A year later, it's good to see China following SF's lead!

Barneys Has a New Loomstate of Mind

You may have heard that clothing taken to Goodwill could easily end up reworked into new garments by William Good. Now Loomstate for Barneys Green will recycle your t-shirts into a limited edition t-shirt for their Holiday 2008 collection. From April 13-27, everyone who drops off old t-shirts to any Barneys or Barneys CO-OP stores will receive a 20% discount on women's Loomstate for Barneys Green and men's Loomstate purchases. Then the t-shirt fabrics will be "re-fashioned" (re-styled, re-dyed, re-printed...um resold). This is also a part of the Season 2 kick-off for the Sundance Channel show "The Green," (on Tuesdays) and a portion of the proceeds will go to Organic Exchange via 1% For the Planet, improving the cultivation and sourcing of certified organic cotton. Rogan Gregory of Loomstate says, "Recycling t-shirts to create something new and beautiful personifies the evolution and metamorphosis of the Earth. We are taking eco fashion to the next level." Pretty chic!

You'll Love Planet Earth

The TED gift bag that I wrote about last week was filled with less items than usual (which was a huge relief - not only did it save me time but it was an environmental blessing), but each goodie was really exceptional and much more eco-friendly than ever before. Planet Earth is my favorite item. Normally ecofabulous wouldn’t advocate sitting in front of the television for hours, but here is an exception worth making. BBC’s Planet Earth DVD's are likely the most beautiful biology lessons you'll ever have. Narrated by British environmental rock star David Attenborough, this 5-disc set covers almost every inch of the globe and is conveniently divided into shorter video vignettes, so you can take a quick escape to the Mongolian desert while getting dressed or watch birds of paradise strut their stuff for prospective mates while preparing dinner. Whether you listen intently to the descriptions of each animal, plant, and habitat or put the DVDs on mute and simply absorb the amazing visuals, Planet Earth will leave you with a sense of awe about our planet, as well as a sense of purpose for preserving it. Bonus: The last disc focuses on climate change and includes commentary by eco-leaders and provides hope for the future.

NOTES: There is a US version, narrated by Sigourney Weaver. I haven't seen that one, but the BBC version is the phenomenal original.

Gorgeous & Green is Out Spoken

I am excited to announce that you can now see coverage of the amazing Gorgeous & Green San Francisco benefit that I co-chair for Global Green USA. Jason Lewis, Stephen Jenkins, Nicolas Graham, Jason Behr, Michelle Branch and Global Green, Executive Director, Matt Peterson are among the interviewees. What I love about this special evening is the focus on stunning sustainability. Had we not mentioned it, you'd never know that every aspect of the event was eco-addressed. After viewing it you might get some ideas for your dramatic event.

Episode 115 of Out Spoken TV can be seen on Tuesday at 9PM, Wednesday at 7PM, Friday at 7:30PM, Saturday at 6:00PM and Sunday at 7:00PM, on ComcastSF "The City Station," cable channel 11, in San Francisco. Gorgeous & Green will air on Comcast ON DEMAND through March. When you have finished, feel free to email us with specific questions.

A GOOD Read

Trash those tabloids (of course, by trash we mean recycle!) and sign up for a subscription to GOOD. It'll leave you feeling far more informed than your weekly dose of Angelina vs. Jen, Lauren vs. Heidi or Britney vs. the world. A recent issue featured a two-page spread of food giants that own organic companies (Kelloggs owns Morningstar, Kashi, Gardenburger and Bear Naked) and a feature on the small-farm movement. GOOD is printed on 30 percent post-consumer materials - EcoLogo certified - and manufactured using Biogas Energy. In addition, 100 percent of your $20 subscription will be donated to the charity of your choice. Organizations include Room to Read, Teach for America, SlowFood USA, NRDC and Kiva, among others. So sign up and do some GOOD, for yourself and others.

Six Degrees...And We're Not Talkin' Kevin Bacon

The National Geographic Channel premieres their new special, Six Degrees Could Change The World, this Sunday, February 11th (8PM EST/9PM PST). Using scientific research and climatic models, the show forms a hypothetical look at how global climate change might affect the world, degree by degree. For instance, at One Degree, the world will experience a new American Desert, lose Australian rainforests and see massive coral bleaching (according to the show). To see what is predicted at Six Degrees (yikes), you'll have to tune in! The World is indeed changing, for better and for worse. We'll be watching, to reaffirm our commitments towards making it the former.