Sunflower Seed Walls

Now when you grab a yogurt at Oko frozen yogurt in Park Slope, Brooklyn you can feel good about supporting a business that has integrated solar panels and sunflower seed walls into the design of their shop. The New York Times reported yesterday that along with considering the menu and wine list, new restaurateurs are also considering the environment in their launch.   "Some do it to save money and others to tap into a popular trend, but many do it because they believe in it," said the Times.

Are there restaurants in your neighborhood that are taking steps to make their businesses more sustainable? Tell us about them in the comments.

Read the full New York Times article here.

Daily Tip: Feb 14, 2008

Happy Valentine's Day!

Thinking about spending some extra time between the sheets today? If so, spend it between sheets made from bamboo. Bamboo sheets are silky soft, and come from a rapidly renewable resource that doesn't require pesticides to grow.

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Daily Tip: Feb 13, 2008

With Valentine's Day on Thursday, the Green Life will be all love, all the time for the rest of the week.

Celebrate the many facets of your love with a rainbow of organic, biodynamic, or VerifFlora-certified flowers from a farmers' market, CSA, or natural-foods store. If you can't find any locally, try Organic Bouquet, Diamond Organics, California Organic Flowers, or other online purveyors of pesticide-free petals. (Check out "The Hidden Life of Cut Flowers" if you want to know what's wrong with the conventional variety.) Or give your sweetie a lasting reminder of your sentiments: a beautiful house plant. If your relationship's long-term future looks bright, think about growing your own bouquet next year.

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Daily Tip: Feb 12, 2008

With Valentine's Day on Thursday, the Green Life will be all love, all the time for the rest of the week.

Treat your honey's tastebuds at a restaurant specializing in seasonal, regional cuisine. If you're too late to grab a coveted February 14 reservation, hit your local farmers' market and gather the ingredients for an intimate home-cooked meal or romantic picnic.

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Daily Tip: Feb 11, 2008

With Valentine's Day on Thursday, the Green Life will be all love, all the time for the rest of the week.

Are you thinking about purchasing a Valentine's Day card or flowers? How about combining the two with a card that will sprout wildflowers when planted in the ground? The Green Field Paper Company sells Grow A Note Greeting cards that do just that. Check them out here.

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Movie Friday!

Winter weather getting you down? Escape to the movies with one of our "Film Fridays" selections. Each week we'll feature a movie with environmentally or socially responsible themes that’s currently in theaters or available on DVD.

Seen a good eco-flick lately? Send us a review of 100 words or less and we may feature it on the e-mail list!

The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill
a film by Judy Irving
on DVD/VHS
http://www.wildparrotsfilm.com/

The crowd-pleasing story of a former street musician in San Francisco and the flock of wild parrots he befriends and watches over. Salon.com calls it “one of the most beautiful and endearing nature films you've ever seen, despite being filmed almost entirely within a major metropolis.”

Recycled Runners

Are you a sports enthusiast and an environmentalist? RecycledRunners.com helps runners around the world find an alternative solution to tossing your old running shoes.

If your running shoes are "gently" used, RecycledRunners helps you find locations throughout the country where you can donate them to people in need. If you just finished the marathon and your shoes have seen better days, they can still be recycled and turned into new sports surfaces at playgrounds and basketball courts.

Check 'em out here: http://www.recycledrunners.com/

Daily Tip: Feb 6, 2008

Wondering what do do with all those leftover business cards when an employee leaves, or when you're clearing out your drawers at work?

The business cards would be perfect for the mail room's return address labels. Most business cards are set up so that you can cut off the person's name and title, leaving the company's mailing address.

Not exactly workable given the design? Instead of heaving the box of unused cards, turn them over, keep them by the phone, and use the backs for those short messages you'd put on sticky notes.

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Movie Friday!

Winter weather getting you down? Escape to the movies with one of our "Film Fridays" selections. Each week we'll feature a movie with environmentally or socially responsible themes that’s currently in theatres or available on DVD.

Seen a good eco-flick lately? Send us a review of 100 words or less and we may feature it on the e-mail list!

Steep
a film by Mark Obenhaus
in theaters December 21, 2007
http://www.thedocumentarygroup.com/featuredProject.php?pid=13

Outdoor adventurers can get a vicarious fix through this feature documentary about big mountain skiing. The sport began in the 1970s above Chamonix, France, where, the filmmakers say, “skiers began to attempt ski descents so extreme that they appeared almost suicidal…. Now, two generations later, some of the world’s greatest skiers pursue a sport where the prize is not winning, but simply experiencing the exhilaration of skiing and exploring big, wild, remote mountains.”