Happy Biofools Day 2009! Today, we’re calling out some of the biggest perpetrators and promoters of false solutions to climate change and that includes industrial biofuels.

Who are you voting for?

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Nature moms is a neat web site based out of Ohio for natural organic family living. What I like about it is that it’s run by a mom as well. The content could be cleaned up a tad, but on the whole, I think it’s a nice resource for families looking for reliable advice.

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I’m talking about Kiwi magazine, a parenting magazine that has great information on how to raise your family in a sustainable, eco-conscious way. The web site isn’t all that impressive, but you gotta love their cutesy titles like “Bookworms” and “KiwiKids.”

After all, it’s a go green or go home world out there these days. Ain’t it?

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Green Drinks Chicago is having their next meeting March 18. They’ve actually got two monthly meetings, one for the purposes of networking, and another for sustainable businesses. That meeting is March 31. Check out their calendar of events for more information.

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So after a boat load of market research, surveys and more research, we decided we’d be a quarterly print magazine, but our primary focus would be on the web with an e-magazine and our awesome, awesome Web site. In our mock up of the first issue, we decided to focus on a place, and naturally we turned to the west coast.

I was all for California (home sweet home) but that’s been done. We wisely picked Portland, (and here’s a fun fact) which, as it turns out, is considered the greenest city in America.

So anyhow here’s a sample of our cover and table of contents. (Designed by yours truly.)

What do you think?? Comment please!

Our mock up cover page for the premier issue.

The table of contents featuring our department stories.

The table of contents for the feature stories.

Note: These stories were never written, nor are they something we pursued. They are just ideas we had. We own none of these pictures and thank the various web sites we got them from. This project was purely for educational purposes.

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And we likey sassy!

So according to this handy site, regular run-of-the-mill lip balm is oh so passé. It’s got all this icky stuff like petroleum in it!

Gross.

Instead, try lip palms that are eco-friendly, because they are plant-based. The bonus? Besides paying your does to the planet?

It’s healthier of course! Idealbites.com says petroleum impurities have been linked to breast cancer. Plus ever heard of the petroleum shortage? Yea, it’s kind of a big deal.

Check out Idealbite.com for more tips and information, and awesome lip balm suggestions.

I’m out to unchap my lips. The Chicago winds are unmerciful!

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Okay less vengeance and more happy spring thoughts now that it’s (hopefully) right around the corner, past the valley of snow and freezing gusts of wind.

So here’s the latest.

Got an electric car? Well what do you do if there’s a BLACKOUT? Stumped aren’t you??

Well never fear. The solution is to suck it up and go old school.

Seriously.

Sven Thesen of Better Place, a startup company for electric cars, says:

What happens if we had a major earthquake and all the pumps and the gasoline stations stopped working? A long blackout is unlikely.

Gee wiz. Thanks for that tip. Thesen does point out that in the event of a disaster like an earthquake, oil will be affected too. And he also says that in theory. a battery for your electric car will also have some range, leaving a reserve amount for emergencies, like that midnight hospital run. Cheers to that.

Read the full article in The New York Times with more helpful information.

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But don’t fear! Here are some ways to go green, and save green, this holiday season.

• Give it that homemade touch

This is cheap, sentimental, and everlasting. Make your gift for that special someone and save a little bit of cash. From holiday ornaments, picture frames, toys, to pottery, there are millions of touching, hand crafted items that will mean far much more than a gift certificate.

• Shop at Fair Trade stores

These stores often use eco-friendly materials, and support artisans in third world countries.

• Support local businesses

Sure, the best deals might be at a Wal Mart near you, but supporting local businesses this year will go a long way. Plus many of these kinds of hole in the wall stores have unique gift items that can’t be found anywhere else.

• Secret Santas

Why give one gift for everyone in your group? Organize a Secret Santa type system where everyone feels the love, and nobody feels the pinch in their pockets. Plus it’s oodles of fun trying to figure out who’s YOUR Secret Santa!

• Give back

The holidays are also a great time to give back. Make it a pact with your friends and/or family to spend money towards charities and shelters, rather than giving gifts to each other. The feeling of doing good will earn you extra brownie points with Santa for next year!

• Shop online!

Not to mention the fantastic deals you can get these days on the web, but shopping online let’s you save on gasoline!

• Birds of a feather shop together

If you like going to the store and don’t want to shop online, carpool. Save on gas, shop with friends, it’s a win-win all around!

• Gift wrap

Did you know Americans increase their trash approximately 25 percent between Thanksgiving and Christmas? Find alternative methods of wrapping your gift by either using recycled paper, newspaper, or putting it in a bag.

And that’s all the green shopping advice I’ve got for now. Stay warm!

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Ok yea, I’m so kidding. I wouldn’t be running for Miss America any time in the near, well, ever. But I would however love a greener, cleaner world. Right after world peace.

I must instead, introduce you all to Greener Cleaner.

Source: www.greenercleaner.net/

I saw this van turn around the corner as I was walking (yes, walking) home the other day. And of course, my curiosity knows no bounds. A quick Google search found me the answer, and here I’m sharing with you.

Apparently this is a nationwide service with (and I’m dead serious) “advanced wet cleaning technology” for ‘dry clean only clothes.’ And what is this “advanced wet cleaning technology, you ask? Your guess is as good as mine. Well, I’m thinking some super fancy alien hydropower crazy thing. But stop me if I’m wrong.

Basically, the Web site says they do away with all of that chemical mumbo jumbo and instead clean your clothese with eco-friendly mumbo jumbo. Since I don’t pay more than $1.25 a load for my regular clothes, and don’t dry clean my ‘dry clean only’ clothes, I’m not sure I’ll be using this service any time soon.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t! Take it out for a spin. You might want to ask for a bonus flowery after smell to your clothes. Go crazy.

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