Here is some information on the Living Climate Change Challenge as posted on the Design 21 website. There are two entry options: 18 years and older or under age 18. Check out the website for more information or:

For information about Living Climate Change, go to LivingClimateChange.com.  For information about IDEO, go to IDEO.com.

Envisioning Our Future: the Living Climate Change Video Challenge

Call for Entries

Create a video of no more than 2 minutes in length that depicts how you see climate change impacting or shaping our lives over the next 20 to 30 years.

This is a global challenge that is open to people of all ages.

Deadline for Submissions: TUESDAY, MAY 25 at 6pm UTC

This Brief provides the basic instructions only; for full information on how to enter, judging, prizes, and the regulations governing this Challenge, all entrants must read the Rules and accept them upon entering their video.

Overview

We believe that envisioning the future leads to new choices and opportunities.  Living Climate Change, an online community hosted by IDEO, a global design and innovation firm, curates a conversation designed to move the dialog about climate change toward inspiring, human-centered scenarios that create new choices for business and society.

The Living Climate Change video challenge, presented by IDEO and hosted by DESIGN 21, invites you to express what life will be like in 20 to 30 years as we move along a path toward reduced carbon emissions.

For information about Living Climate Change, go to LivingClimateChange.com.  For information about IDEO, go to IDEO.com.

Design Brief

Create a video no more than 2 minutes in length about how climate change will impact our lives over the next two to three decades.  Show us your vision of a future shaped by climate change.  Looking beyond the doom and gloom and the policy discussions that have dominated the debate, how would you envision a sustainable future from a human-centered perspective? Which behaviors will change?  Which will be preserved?  Design your short videos or still image/text animations to inspire change, through fresh thinking, new choices, and new opportunities.

Thought starters

This video showcase on climate change is more than a contest.  It is a call for new thinking that leads to new choices, conversations, and opportunities.

Frame the challenge: How do you see climate change affecting your life?

Future, not far-out: 20 to 30 years isn’t so far off (see LivingClimateChange.com for inspiration).

Context: Ground your scenarios in thoughtful insights and facts. Tell us why your ideas — big or seemingly small, everyday or extraordinary — matter.

Change: Which behaviors will need to change? Which will be preserved?

Impact: What is the scale of impact for your idea?

Inspire: Help the conversation move past all the doom and gloom.

Springs is almost here and now is a great time celebrate with sales and promotions. Here are 3 reasons to celebrate. 40th Anniversary of Earth Day April 22, 2010 Earth Day Network is galvanizing millions who make personal commitments to sustainability. Earth Day 2010 is a pivotal opportunity for individuals, corporations and governments to join together and create a global green economy. Join the more than one billion people in 190 countries that are taking action for Earth Day. Turn out your light, show support – Earth Hour 2010 In 2009 hundreds of millions of people around the world showed their support by turning off their lights for one hour. Earth Hour 2010 will continue to be a global call to action to every individual, every business and every community. A call to stand up, to show leadership and be responsible for our future. Pledge your support and turn off your lights for one hour, Earth Hour, 8.30pm, Saturday 27th March 2010. t Arbor Day 2010 We inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. This is the mission statement of the Arbor Day Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit conservation and education organization. Founded in 1972, the centennial of the first Arbor Day observance in the 19th century, the Foundation has grown to become the largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees, with nearly one million members, supporters, and valued partners. The impact we make on our world is accomplished through our conservation and education.

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Viva Terra Shopping made easy for your eco life style.

ThinkBamboo.com is a company dedicated to selling the most diverse collection of environmentally friendly Bamboo products. Bamboo is an amazing material. Its full potential has only begun to be tested. The benefits of growing bamboo are too many to mention, just check out the front page of our store for a few of them.

EcoSleep(tm) mattresses are a healthier alternative to traditional mattresses. Manufactured with the environment in mind, EcoSleep products use raw materials that are natural, recycled and sustainable.

Jeanne Beatrice: Our market baskets are hand woven in Morocco out of renewable resources, including water reeds and palm leaves. Market baskets are naturally beautiful, environmentally-friendly alternatives to paper and plastic grocery bags. Very green, very chic, very typical of Provence.

Ragaboo is an organic bamboo clothing line for children, that inspires those who wear it and those who see it to be ‘lighter’ human beings on earth today. Our goal is to provide the highest quality t-shirt without compromising comfort, and to spread the word about the importance of organic agriculture and lifestyle. Our current line features super soft, certified organic bamboo t-shirts for kids.

Baby Bambu (babybambu.com )bamboo baby clothing is the premier manufacturer of bamboo baby clothing and accessories in the U.S. Our unique, eco-friendly line of bamboo baby clothing includes onesies, rompers, gowns as well as accessories such as hats, socks, and blankets…all made out of bamboo.

Gorgeous and Green is an Eco-Chic Boutique that has a wonderful selection of eco-friendly products that are modern and beautiful. Gorgeous & Green brings together modern chic products that at the same time are environmentally responsible. Our product range is from the up and coming new artisan to well known respected brands. We believe in combining style with environmental responsibility.

Autonomie Project is a new Fair Trade fashion company offering stylish sweatshop-free & eco-friendly footwear, clothing and accessories. Eco-friendly practices are employed whenever possible at our business’s operational level as well as at the manufacturing level of all of our suppliers. We use organic cotton, all natural FSC rubber, and other eco-friendly & locally-sourced materials whenever possible to lessen our environmental impact. We never use animal products and encourage cruelty-free purchases and practices.

Our mission at Kulae is to bring you environmentally friendly, high quality, aesthetically pleasing yoga and fitness gear at a reasonable price. This is an ever evolving mission. We will add products, redesign products and continually develop innovative ways to enhance your yoga experience. Our flagship product is the tpECOmat. We have manufactured a 100% biodegradeable yoga mat that has no PVC, no latex, no rubber (that means NO allergies). Our mats are dual layer constructed using TPE (thermoplastic elastomer).

Rusty Zipper Vintage Clothing: You’ll find thousands of unique vintage clothing items from the 1940′s through 1980′s. Most items are close to flawless and very reasonably priced.

The Vector Group serves small businesses and non-profits, providing interim COO services and time-tested management consulting tools to improve business performance and management productivity.

LocalHarvest is America’s #1 organic and local food website. We maintain a definitive and reliable “living” public nationwide directory of small farms, farmers markets, and other local food sources. Our search engine helps people find products from family farms, local sources of sustainably grown food, and encourages them to establish direct contact with small farms in their local area. Our online store helps small farms develop markets for some of their products beyond their local area.

Numi’s vision is to inspire well-being of mind, body and spirit through the simple art of tea. Numi elevates the tea experience through quality, creativity, and authenticity. We are grateful to those who contribute to our tea journey, and we hope to have a positive impact on all members of our Communitea – from farmer to packer to our fellow tea drinker. Conscientious of the impact of our actions, we aspire to be environmentally responsible and globally sustainable by using recyclable and biodegradable packaging and sustainable bamboo in our merchandising.

Since 2001, Organic Bouquet has been the trusted source for eco-friendly flowers. Now, we’ve expanded our product line to include eco-elegant gifts and gourmet organic chocolates and gift baskets for people seeking high quality products that uphold the wellbeing of the planet and humankind.  New Alstromeria Peruvian Lilies Only $49.95. Valid until Jan 31st.

Special Valentines Day Promotion: Valentines Day Eco-Treats. Chocolates, Cookies & Gourmet Gifts. 1 Dozen Roses Plus a Free Vase From $49.95 Fresh Eco-Elegant Valentines Day Flowers from $29.95

Russell Organics is a leading luxury skin care brand. The company is a market leader within the eco-friendly skin care market. This is the fastest growing segment of the beauty industry. All of the company’s products are Certified Cruelty Free, Certified Vegan, and are 100% toxin free. The company is also a Carbon Free Company.

Upurea.com offers the largest selection of natural and organic beauty care products available online.

Bean Products: Organic and whole health essentials for every day and every budget.

Welcome to Paper Culture: modern stationery with exclusive designs, 100% recycled eco friendly cards and unparalleled convenience and personalization.

Bangalla is one of the leading distributors of quality eco-friendly products and gift ideas. Hundreds of items to choose from including our range of TuckerBag designer reusable grocery and lifestyle bags.

A-Z Eco LifeStyles

When updating our website we had an opportunity to review what our commitment to sustainability means to us. We looked around and here are some of the things we came up with so far. Not all inclusive, we feel these items make a difference and how we are committed to being an eco friendly business.

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We work from our homes and commute by walking or riding our bikes when possible.

We volunteer in our community and help out with eco friendly, green programs when possible. Some of our favorite green programs are the Yampa Valley Recycles, Yampa Valley Sustainability Council, and the Yampa Valley Stream Improvement Charitable Trust.In 2010 we will volunteer and hope to have our own organic garden at the new Steamboat Springs Community Garden.

Outside of our community, we promote volunteer opportunities when we see them and help to pass the word. If you are interested, visit our Green Trade Shows & Events page and share your events and any volunteer opportunities in your community: LinkedIn

We recycle all our paper waste and ink cartridges, use LEED lighting, buy only recycled paper, and recycle all plastic, glass, paper, etc. Furnish our spaces with recycled furniture when we can find it.  our favorite local place for recycled stuff is actually our local landfill where they have a salvage shop!

Our marketing materials are made only with recycled materials and we price Soy based or other natural ink for printing and other marketing purposes when possible.

Sponsor green events when we can. As an example, In 2010 we are a Sponsor of ECOngress2010 through the Sustainable Furnishing Council. In 2009, we sponsored a community event: Yampa Valley Sustainability Summit to promote sustainability on a local level.

Do you have a green business plan you would like to share? Let us know. We would be happy to spread the word and maybe even get new ideas!

Some of the more interesting are:

“Go camping or fishing? Here’s an old army trick to ward off ticks and mosquitoes: about three days before you leave, start taking 1 tablespoon cider vinegar three times a day. Continue throughout the trip and just could return home without a bite.”

“Ticks hate the taste of alcohol as much as they love the taste of your dog. Before you pull a tick Fido, dab with alcohol to make the beast to loosen its grip. Then grab the tick as close to the skin of the dog, and ou can remove it. Dab again with alcohol to disinfect the wound. This also works on people.”

“To make a scratch on a wooden table, much less clear, mix a bit ‘of distilled or cider vinegar and iodine in a small jar and paint over the scratch with a small artist brush. Use more iodine for darker woods, more vinegar lighter shades.”

“To remove white rings left by wet glasses on wood furniture, mix equal parts of vinegar and olive oil and apply with a soft cloth while moving with the grain of the wood. Use another clean, soft cloth to shine it. To get white water rings off leather furniture, dab with a sponge soaked in full strength white vinegar.”

http://www.handyman-source.com/3482/a-way-of-life-toxicity-in-our-environment-and-eco-friendly-products-you-can-make/

A recent seminar from the EPA offered a primer for small business and local governments on how to avoid the pitfalls of e-waste recycling, but the lessons offered apply to any organization that’s sitting on old electronics.

With e-waste popping up regularly in the news, and with some e-waste collections being less green than they appear, there is no shortage of reasons why companies should focus on doing right by the environment and their brands when they’re looking down the barrel of a tech refresh.

The online meeting, hosted by Chris Newman from the EPA, laid out the whys and hows of selecting the right recycler for your old machines. The whys are simple: to protect your data, and your customers’ data, electronics should be disposed of in a traceable and secure way. But that doesn’t necessarily mean shredding up any machines that are no longer in use; responsible recyclers can wipe computers clean and reuse in part or in whole old monitors and computers.

But the key to finding the best recycler for you and the environment is the simple motto “Trust, but verify.” The chart below lays out the simple steps for selecting a recycler.

Easy though it may sound, there are plenty of pitfalls on the road to responsible recycling. This is due in large part to the fact that much of the global e-waste recycling industry is located outside the United States — something Newman attributes to a lack of facilities for processing waste domestically — and that there are few regulations on the books for e-waste in the United States, something we’ve documented before.

If you’re going to work with a recycler that exports e-waste abroad, you’ll want to ensure that the company files the right paperwork, both at home and with the receiving country, and that that paperwork is accessible for you to review. The only electronics that ever fall under U.S. legislation are monitors and displays containing cathode ray tubes, and those can legally be exported if the receiving country approves the shipment.

To continue reading on Greenercomputing.com click here.

A very nice woman came up to me and asked me about the bananas and if I knew, truth or fiction, about bananas being sprayed.

I said I did not know. She then asked me “Why did you choose the organic bananas”?

I said “I guess out of habit”.

I did not even realize that I had picked the organics because it is always the first choice for me.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/18/science/earth/18family.html

To compliment your purchase of eco friendly furnishings, you will find all kinds of eco-friendly businesses, products and services to help you make wholesome sustainable and eco friendly lifestyle choices. While some of the products listed on our site are greener than others, the finished goods offered are more planet and people friendly, than their conventional counterparts. Our goal is to find green products and business services to match the lifestyles of all consumers to promote change.

http://www.futuresfurniture.com/azecolifestyles.htm