In the spirit of Earth Month -- and to get some good PR for Cotton Inc. -- select Guess locations will be giving 10% discounts on Guess denim with a donation of a pair of old jeans. So now, you can not only buy eco-jeans from Guess, but you can recycle your old ones there too. The jeans that Guess rounds up will go to benefit Cotton Inc.'s project: "COTTON. FROM BLUE TO GREEN," a denim recycling program that converts used jeans into a type of all-natural cotton fiber home insulation called Ultratouch. Sounds cozy doesn't it?

The campaign is part of an ongoing effort to donate the newly-recycled insulation to rebuilding efforts along the Gulf Coast. The first wave of Guess' denim drive will take place from April 19th - 26th, check Guess.com for participating locations -- I just checked and found nothing helpful on the website. Hopefully they'll get something up to actually promote the event. Otherwise, it would look like something dubiously close to greenwashing.

If you're interested in beefing up your insulation in an eco-friendly way, you might want to talk to someone at JBM Fibers. They're the company that processes the jeans and turns the into Ultratouch insulation. I'm not sure if it works as well as fiberglass, but using it would put you in the company of the #1 greenest musician of the year -- Jack Johnson.

 

Yet another freaky, disturbing way that air pollution is altering our ecosystem: according to researchers at the University of Virginia, pollution from power plants and vehicles are chemically altering flowers' natural scents.

This happens when the flowers' natural scent molecules waft into the air and bond with molecules from pollutants.

This then affects the bees, who rely on the scent of flowers to know where to pollinate. If they can't detect the scents, they have to travel longer distances and rely more on sight than smell.

To add to the researchers' findings, there have been other studies showing that bee populations in places like California and the Netherlands are dropping, quite possibly due to air pollution.

We need to stop [driving and burning fossil fuels] and smell the roses, already.

via [LiveScience]

 

 

 

Still stunned by ever-increasing food prices, I was trying to think of ways I could reduce costs if I had to. One glaring part of the grocery bill is the premium for organic foods. Which got me thinking. If I could only buy one organic food, which one would it be? For me, it would be organic milk. Besides the many benefits, and I'm not sure if this is just in my head, conventional milk doesn't taste the same as organic milk to me. Although I should probably do a blind taste test on that one to be sure!

So, if you could only buy one organic food, which one would it be?

Just as a reference, here are the Dirty Dozen, the foods that are most important to buy organic.

And here are some coupons for various organic foods through Mambo Sprouts (thanks to OrganicMania).

 

 

 

A recent survey suggests that most Canadians think Earth Hour should happen more often. According to the Harris-Decima poll, more than a third of Canadians wouldn't mind having an "Earth Hour" as often as once a month. Ten percent would do it each week, 12 percent for one hour a day. A third are happy with the once-a-year event and nine percent want to get rid of it completely.

More than 100,000 Canadians registered online for Earth Hour and another 775,000 joined an Earth Hour Facebook group. Seventy-three percent of Ontario residents took part, and 43 percent of Canadians elsewhere.

The organized Earth Hour was a great idea. For anyone who feels inspired, why not go ahead and have one of your own once a week? And don't forget all of Patrick's suggestions for a fun electric-free hour.

[Via Greenlivingonline]

 

That's the question Project BudBurst wants you to answer. The national project wants to document climate change through native trees and plants. Your mission, should you accept it, is to watch for the first bud, flower, leaf and berry of your native species; photograph the evidence and enter it in the national database.

You, citizen scientist, can enter the ranks of Thomas Jefferson and other people I don't know whohave made significant scientific contributions despite their lack of scientific background. teach English? Who cares! You don't need much training to join the ranks of the Nobel Prize winning scientists.

Okay, perhaps I'm overstating things. The project is a noble one, whether or not it wins you the Nobel Prize. Because the earth is warming, the life cycle of plants is changing. Some species are spreading to new areas because of the increased heat. Others aren't able to survive in the drier or wetter or hotter environs. Phenologists--people who study the life cycle of plants and animals--want to get a better sense of how regional climate change is affecting native species.

School groups, birders, gardeners and regular beer-drinking Uncle Lou can all participate. Just register and get to it.

[via Christian Science Monitor]

 

If you've stepped into a bookshop or stationery store lately you'll be familiar with the work of Sarah Gibb, even if you don't know the name.

Barbie as an eco-warrior raises a few questions, not least how it's possible to take on such a roll when you're entirely made of plastic. But Mattel has announced that it is to launch a range of accessories made from the leftover fabric from making the Barbie toys.

Nominations have opened for the Vegetarian Society's annual awards, and now is your chance to put forward your favourite animal friendly cosmetics in its brand new 'best vegetarian beauty product' category.

Nature photographer and surfer Aaron Chang has recently turned his talents to swimwear design, and his fabulous recycled bikini range is coming soon to an Urban Outfitters store near you.

There's recently been something of a kerfuffle over "eco towns"; Gordon Brown's plan for a smattering of idylic-sounding and supposedly carbon neutral villages and towns across the UK.