The ever opinionated Grist is running a campaign – Screw Earth Day, that pretty much shouts out my concerns about this one day a year event. I bet they didn’t like Earth Hour either (although, don’t quote me on that). But I digress. Each year I post about my Earth Day concerns, talk about my Earth Day concerns, and while some agree with me, others get a little huffy about it. It’s nice to know someone cool (Grist) is on my side.

Here’s what Grist has to say, (among other things), “One day is for amateurs… Screw Earth Day was born from mixed emotions about a day that we purists think doesn’t do enough to get the message across about what individuals can and should be doing to protect the environment. While even the most jaded Grist staffer gets a little excited on Earth Day, as lots and lots of people gather together in communities around the world to do something good for our dearly loved Mother Nature, in the back of our heads we’re thinking, “It’s not about a single day, dude, it’s about living green every day.””

Amen. TreeHugger responded to said campaign with their own green take, which I get, but don’t totally agree with because saying that Earth Day is not enough, is not particularly “Crapping all over Earth Day” – if anything I think Grist’s take is the greenest way to think and go.

Bonus, as part of the Screw Earth Day event, Grist is offering an exclusive free download of their award winning book, Wake Up and Smell the Planet just for registering for a free Grist account. This book, by the way is awesome – I highly recommend it.  Register at Grist and you’ll also be entered for a chance to win tickets and airfare for two to the 2009 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, TN June 11-14.

What’s your take? Do you think Earth Day is cool as beans, or are you more Grist flavored?

[images via Grist]

Post from: Blisstree

Screw Earth Day!

Why you should care…

• The Best of Green Awards highlight all sorts of green goodness. With 8 major categories you’ll find all the green you need to make eco-decisions, learn something new, or just have fun soaking in the green.
• Covered are items like the best-looking endangered species, the best magazine that gives a damn, the best solar boat, the greenest celebrity, the best green fashion, the best electric scooter, the best green brewery,  the best environmental film, best green twitter pal to follow, the best hybrid car, the best bio-fuels and more. There’s a little something for everyone.
• Winners in each category are featured in a cool slide show with crispy images and great info.
• You can make your own voice heard. Don’t agree? Think they picked some green losers? Want to tell everyone your faves? Say so at the TreeHugger forums or go vote in the View & Vote Slideshows. Readers’ Choice picks will be announced on April 23.

What I like about these slide shows is that they’re a nice intro to the best of green for newbies – sometimes all the eco-info out there can feel overwhelming. This is just good green stuff in small slices. Nice.

Check out the Best of Green Awards.

[image via TreeHugger]

Post from: Blisstree

TreeHugger & Planet Green’s Best of Green

Now we stay home. I think we need to draw the neighbors in. You can do that with an offbeat house for sure. Another way is to consider your interior. Is it inviting? Quirky enough to keep people mesmerized? Does your furniture say , “You better come sit down or else?”

These pieces do:

Well, as you can clearly see this piece is from vitra. A company I love for their vivid interior and exterior design visions. This Marshmellow Sofa is from an older line but they have some slick newish pieces out as well. Like the Ravioli Chair:

Oooo, handy. Don’t know that I like the white of this Bibliochaise, featured at good old Treehugger, but still there is the useful factor.

This Road Tested Chair from the always neat Oddpodz, does actually say something.

You can always serve wine at the bar on your new Circle Stools also available at Oddpodz (Some people don’t drink tea).

Lastly, you could entice people with your environmental consideration. “I only own cardboard furniture” is always a good opener.

This unique chair is from the from ever amazing architect and designer Frank O Gehry.

That was fresh. I don’t think we look at enough offbeat interior items. Your offbeat home is not much good with the boring stuff inside.

Which chair is your favorite. Notice that today I refrained from mentioning my favorite. It’s a whole mystery deal I’m working on.

Post from: Blisstree

Sit, Visit, Have Some Tea

Deborah over at Simply Thrifty covers how to save money. But so do lots of blog. What makes Deb’s blog the best is how she’s always incorporating green-friendly tactics; which of course Offbeat is a fan of (and me). She’s got a great post right now about the new Nalgene water bottle — you have to see its fresh design.

Other memorable post as of late include ways to recycle soap bits (which we all have) and 66 ways uses for vinegar. Quick tip about me; I hate vinegar it’s insanely fascinating to me that someone could find 66 uses for it. You’ll be fascinated too.

You also may be fascinated in this neat home. Which incorporates all the best parts of Simply Thrifty; thrift, eco-sensibility, and reuse.

This is the 100% recyclable cardboard house by Stutchbury and Pape. From Houses of the Future:

“All the material in the house is recycled, and recyclable, making it an excellent environmentally sustainable option for housing. The cardboard House is made of recycled cardboard supplied by Visy Industries. This is completed with a waterproof roof made from HDPE plastic, which also forms the material of the flexible under-floor water tanks and the novel kitchen and bathroom ‘pods’.

• Recycling the house saves 12 cubic meters of landfill, 39 trees and 30 000 liters of water.
• Extremely low cost, transportable, and flexible, this is a genuine
• housing option that could be used in a variety of temporary applications
• Autonomous servicing: uses only 12-volt batteries or small photovoltaic cells for power generation
• Composting system produces nutrient-rich water for gardening”

You can’t tell very well but there’s a good sized loft area up above which looks easy to expanded from the design plans; thus providing more living space.

Currently the architects see this home as an alternative to vacation homes or temporary housing that drain natural resources. It has a composting toilet and the whole home is collapsible and transportable. It can be built by two people in six hours. The architects are working on making this a larger and more viable option for regular home dwellers. In the not too far off future it may be a reality.

Next up are two different blogs I like; Rebecca’s blog, Mother Earth’s Garden. With summer in full swing you really should visit. She’s got beautiful summer gardens, baby corn, and other seasonal treats.

The other blog is Unplugged Living. Noel at Unplugged has cool posts all the time, but I narrowed it down to some nice recent finds like green musicians (green + music = super-fly!), an electric Porsche, and an interesting post on wind turbines. I love turbines, they always remind me of road trips for some reason.

I found a beautiful house on Treehugger a long while back that I’ve been obsessing over. I grouped these two blogs together because I keep going back and fourth over which blog it suits better… Unplugged or Garden?? Then, I realized, sharing among the nature-minded blogs is a-ok.

Honestly though, I want this house.

Starting with the sign:

When I get another house it’s pretty much decided. I’m putting this sign up and getting some chickens and plants.

It gets better:

Isn’t this beautiful! I know I say all the time, “I love this house, I love that house.” This time it’s a serious crush. The homestead, Rainbow Valley Farm is in New Zealand, like reader Talia’s home earlier this week.

Treehugger had an inclusive interview with the owner Joe Polaischer and got some amazing info on the home and on Joe and his wife Trish’s lifestyle:

“Both Joe and Trish have followed a no debt lifestyle which means that they have supported themselves and developed Rainbow Valley Farm in a completely self-sufficient way without any loans… He built his house using local Macrocarpa wood for windows and doors, the walls are adobe mud brick and the roof is constructed from 800 year old Kauri wood which was reclaimed from a demolished warehouse. The house is designed to be energy efficient using passive solar energy. It is earth sheltered with a green roof, which goes into the side of the hill it is built against… Herbs, grasses, succulents and flowers grow on the roof. Honey, strawberries and eggs are just three edibles that go from the roof to their table.”

I’m telling you, if you are at all interested in living less harshly upon the earth go read this interview. Treehugger has it in two parts and it was amazing.

Here’s an incredible wall from the home.

Treehugger has more pictures and the interview. Plus you can always visit Rainbow Valley Farms directly via their website.

Who thinks I should get a rainbow sign like this? Who else wants a sign (or house like this)?

Also, unruly home obsession aside, I hope everyone has a nice beginning of the week! Especially now that I’m feeling all rainbowish and jolly.

Post from: Blisstree

Home & Dining Channel: Offbeat Style, 3rd Edition

An interview with John Rattenbury, apprentice to FLW. Pro-PreFab-er’s a must listen [via PrairieMod] [via PrairieMod Podcast #10]

Looks nothing like music. [via Design Sponge]

Most functional hooks around! [via design milk]

Want to live in a Green home? Don’t want to build it, but find an existing one? Need help finding a reliable Green contractor? GreenWorks Realty. [via Inhabitat]

One of the first residential LEED homes on the west coast. [via Jetson Green]

Post from: Blisstree

re:Friday Link Love