Beau Soleil

A new eco-fashion label is set to launch later this month called Beau Soleil. The dress collection has some great items, including this gorgeous LBD.

The label uses fabric made out of bamboo, vegetable-dyed organic cottons, tencel (which is made from eucalyptus trees), and vintage as well as recycled leather trims. The company’s focus is on sustainability, fair trade and labor, as well as organic raw materials with the end goal to offer consumers environmentally healthy clothing choices without sacrificing fashion.

Beau Soleil will be available at the end of the month at fine boutiques such as Intermix and Shopbop.com.

Cage-free eggs

This morning the New York Times highlighted the newest consumer trend: cage-free eggs. “[Cage-free] eggs, from chickens raised in large, open barns instead of stacks of small wire cages, have become the latest addition to menus at universities, hotel chains like Omni and cafeterias at companies like Google. The Whole Foods supermarket chain sells nothing else, and even Burger King is getting in on the trend.”

Despite the current demand, most chicken farmers are not planning to retrofit their barns. Are the chickens really better off? Chicken farmers don’t necessarily think so, saying that “keeping thousands of hens in tight quarters on the floor of a building can lead to hunger, disease and cannibalism. They also say that converting requires time, money and faith that the spike in demand is not just a fad.” Going cage-free doesn’t mean that these chickens are living ‘the good life’.

There are certainly pros and cons to both cage and cage-free systems, but “either way, these are not free-roaming chickens living out in a pasture.” For consumers concerned with farm animal welfare (or interested in local and sustainable agriculture), organic and free-range eggs are a better choice.

NY Times article: Suddenly, the Hunt is On for Cage-Free Eggs

What is a “carbon footprint”?

A “carbon footprint” is the measure of the total amount of harmful greenhouse-gas emissions that people produce either directly or indirectly. These gases warm the atmosphere by absorbing heat that’s radiated by the earth, then releasing only a portion of that heat into space. The most dangerous, long-lasting greenhouse gases produced by humans are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and chlorofluorocarbons. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most pervasive of these gases – a molecule stays airborne for more than a century – and since it’s tough to separate and quantify each distinct greenhouse gas, scientists commonly uses CO2 to measure the global-warming problem.

[from the September issue of Marie Claire]

Eco-chic Olivia Luca

I love the idea of designing one’s own wedding gown. If you know exactly what you want, it’s a lot easier than searching bridal shops until you find ‘the perfect dress’. I recently came across an amazing company called Olivia Luca that allows you to create the dress of your dreams. You select the design, from bodice style to skirt length and shape, fabric, color, detail, and size. The eco-friendly part? Olivia Luca’s fabrics include a growing selection of sustainably produced, fair trade and organic natural fabric options.

The dresses in their online gallery are absolutely stunning. (And so is the photography – I would love to book this photographer for my wedding!)

Olivia Luca wedding gowns and bridesmaid dresses are totally affordable. The organic cotton sateen dress I designed was less than $800. So sweet!

Eco-Vegan Tees

This T-shirt by Tippitappi would be perfect for my brother (the vegetarian). The shirts are 100% organic fair-trade cotton and are eco-vegan friendly. Tippitappi uses recycled materials and supports waste recovery. Wear a T-shirt and speak out for the animals and the planet!

‘I don’t eat animals’ T-shirt, $41 at Tippitappi

Presidential candidates on the issues

Here’s a really simple way to find out which 2008 presidential election candidates share your views. Go ahead and take the ‘quiz… by choosing a stance and level of importance towards certain issues, your ideal candidate is returned to you via a point-based system. ANWR drilling and Kyoto are on the list of issues, so you can see which candidates support or oppose environmental issues.

When you’re done, check out this chart that shows the issue positions of 18 presidential candidates.

A caveat: The chart is a general guideline to the candidates’ positions on some of the top issues. Most of these issues are more complex than a ‘yes/no’ or ’support/oppose’ position. Visit the candidates’ official campaign sites for more details about each issue.

[Thanks to Nolan for the tip]

Laundry soap that grows on trees

Maggie’s Soap Nuts are an all natural alternative to commercial laundry detergent and fabric softener. Soap Nuts are the dried fruit of the Chinese Soapberry tree, and contain saponin – a natural cleanser that’s been used to clean clothes for thousands of years. 100% natural, effective, and safe (even for the most sensitive skin), Maggie’s Soap Nuts are sustainably harvested from India and Indonesia using no chemicals or pesticides.

Maggie’s Soap Nuts 10.5 oz box (36-50 loads), $18.99 at Better Life Goods; $10 at Whole Foods

Enamore shift dress

Ooh la la! I’m adding this 60s inspired dress from UK-based Enamore to my wish list! The creative fashion label produces beautiful clothing, lingerie and accessories from organic and sustainable fabrics.

Bette Shift Dress, $265 at Enamore

Apple vs. Dell – who is greener?

Everyone’s talking about global warming, but what can you do about it? Companies and the things you buy from them have a huge impact on climate change. Some companies understand their impact on global warming and want to reduce it. But other companies aren’t even talking about it, and they should be. Non-profit organization Climate Counts is trying to raise awareness to hold companies and consumers accountable for our impact on global warming.

Climate Counts uses a 0-to-100 point scale and 22 criteria to rate and determine if companies have measured their climate footprint, reduced their impact on global warming, supported progressive climate legislation, and publicly disclosed their climate actions.

So who is greener – Apple or Dell? According to Climate Counts scorecard, Dell received a score of 41 while Apple received a pathetic 2. Clearly both companies have work to be done, but Dell is greener than Apple. Let Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs know that climate counts to you!

Chipotle’s “Food with Integrity”

I love Mexican food. If I could only eat one type of food for the rest of my life, without a doubt, it would be Mexican. Having come close to wearing out the Mexican restaurants in the area, I was psyched when I found out that Chipotle was joining the ranks of Mexican restaurants in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area.

I am a huge fan of their burrito, but I’m also a huge fan of the company’s manifesto – “Food With Integrity” – which means seeking out ingredients that are sustainably grown and naturally raised with respect for the animals, the land and the farmers who produce the food. It is “as simple as better-tasting burritos, and no less ambitious than revolutionizing the way America grows, gathers, serves and eats its food.”

Chipotle serves fresh food, uses free-range meat (naturally raised without added hormones or antibiotics), and looks for organic ingredients when possible. They also offer vegetarian and vegan dishes.

To learn more about Food with Integrity, go to the Chipotle website