voluntravel and get dirty

"Voluntourism" closely follows ecotourism as the next hot travel trend. The idea is just as it sounds - combining volunteering with travel, as a way to give back, meet locals, learn a skill, save the world...

It has its negative nancies just like anything else, but for the most part, voluntourism really is a great idea. Treehugger recently named working on organic farms as the best volunteer vacation in its "Best of Green 2010: Travel and Nature."

You can meet local farmers while harvesting rice in Japan for example, or growing mangoes in Belize. There are a number of reputable travel companies offering volunteer vacations - we'd recommend Projects Abroad or BaseCamp International.

But do your research! Unfortunately, there are a number of unsavory characters out there more than happy to take your money. Our friends over at Verge Magazine are a good place to start if you're keen. And they're really nice - promise ;)

best description of 'upcycling' I've come across
http://ping.fm/ALlwQ

it's green because it says so

From CTV today: Consumer advocates say labeling on products needs to be clearer since some items claiming to be green may not be more environmentally friendly...Environmentalists are concerned about the labeling of products and the process of "greenwashing."

As words like eco-friendly, natural, and green permeate our collective vocabulary, companies looking to profit need go no further than simply labeling their products as such. Most consumers, unfortunately, are duped by what is in reality, very simple marketing.

Picture it: you're in the supermarket aisle, choosing dish soap. Two different brands stare back at you (realistically, more like 43, but go with me here), both the same price for the same amount of liquid. One bottle is green and says 'all-natural' next to the little smiling flower on its label; the other bottle is yellow and says dish soap.

Which will you pick up? The green one, most likely, if you're reading this blog. But what the hell makes dish soap A all-natural? I'm willing to bet the ingredients are the same in both. And hey, triclosan, IS an organic compound ... meaning it is a chemical compound that contains carbon, not to be confused with a natural compound, which comes from a plant or animal source. But I digress...

The point is, as consumers we need to buy less. Period. And what we do buy, we need to be smart about. Read the full article at CTV Winnipeg ~>

No Impact Man, the Film http://ping.fm/dGG8f

What would constitute real progress? http://ping.fm/XXhcZ

IBM Goes All Bio Plastics on Us

IBM researchers have discovered a way to make Earth-friendly plastic from plants -- that could replace petroleum-based products tough on the environment.

Almaden and Stanford University researchers said the discovery could herald an era of sustainability for a plastics industry rife with products notorious for cramming landfills.

The "green chemistry" breakthrough using "organic catalysts" results in plastics that could be repeatedly recycled, instead of only once as is the case with petroleum-based plastic made using metal oxide catalysts.

Read more at Treehugger and Green Inc.