Permaculture : Green Agriculture Movement @PaulWheaton

Permaculture is quickly spreading as if it's a new religion. One community's videos having over 2.5 million views! It's basic key principals date back to the 1970's.  It's concepts are simple, to respect the earth, with green design in mind--building key ecological systems that allow for living off the land. A sustainable agriculture movement perhaps, wherein "The Permies" respect one another, and share the wealth (or surplus) with others. 

Imagine not having to rely on mass produced or unhealthy foods any longer. Imagine living in a community where your neighbor brings you apples that haven't been sprayed with unhealthy chemicals. In exchange, you take them fresh corn.   Isn't that the key principals of our ancestors?  It's so much more than that--sharing ways to help live greener, tips and tricks for reducing your carbon footprint, and just being KIND.

Paul Wheaton, courtesy: Permies.com

 This movement is further being "permeated" so to speak, by King of the Online Permies, Paul Wheaton, who runs the largest online Permaculture forums. The Permies are the "Do-Gooders" of the environment.  The site Permies,com has an online forum where you can find out anything about growing, homesteading, raising your critters or find valuable resources. You can spend more time worrying about how to make the earth a greener and more sustainable place, than being "mad at the bad guys."

Paul Wheaton says, "The permies.com permaculture community is about building a better world one brick at a time, instead of being angry at bad guys.  Permaculture is about having a deep romance with nature. the benefits include a bounty of fresh food without irrigation or fertilizer.  This website is saving the world."

We couldn't agree more. In fact, you can click on the Permies link on the right side of this blog.

Connect with the Permies: 

Permies.Com
Permaculture Blog (contains Podcasts)
Permaculture Forums
Permies Rich Soil Articles
Paul on Twitter
Paul Wheaton Fans on Facebook

Suggested Reading We Think You'll Like: 
 Raising Chickens
Polyculture Food, Land, and Cancer Podcast

Sources:  About Permies,  Living Green   The Missoulian

Citizen Cashmere: For the Love of Wool and Goats

Citizen Cashmere is the GREEN face of cashmere.

Cashmere wool has been branded one the most comfortable and softest fibers out there. Cashmere gets its name from the soft wool of a certain species of goats.  In the past, mass production of cashmere clothing raised concern for eco friendly consumers. Mainly in regards to questionable unethical practices in the treatment of goats. Outlined here at Peta, a closer look into the wool industry blasts the way in which goats were sheared in cold weather and treated abusively. 

Greenies have long been upset that goats have been plied with unhealthy growth hormones in their feed or directly to promote either mass production of goats or cross breeding all in the name of made-in-china mass produced cashmere clothing. If that's not bad enough,  additions of harmful and toxic dyes to the clothing itself was just the final straw for greenies to look the other way before purchase of a cashmere sweater.  Until now...because for one company, they have vowed to do things differently.

Citizen Cashmere is taking a stand, this above is part of their constitution!

Citizen Cashmere (Paris) has taken a stand in the industry--actually having a creedo if you will, that they call their Constitution! Basically, they have green practices and want their goats to be treated fairly, and live to ripe old ages of 25!  They will wait for wool, and are using Mongolia's goats as the regions' people were for hundreds of years for such fibers. If cashmere wool production is low, they don't stress about it. They aren't going to pump their goats up on steroids like some manufacturers.  They say, "Our herders harvest cashmere by hand-combing the goat’s molting winter coat once per year. Left to nature, this fur would naturally blow away in the wind. Citizen Cashmere never uses anything that contains the non-combed fur from our own Mongolian goats. That means we are against fleece and shearling.."

Only $139.95, no matter what style you get. This is a VNeck Citizen's Cashmere sweater.

It's clear from their website that Citizen Cashmere is aimed at being greener in the manufacturre of clothing. Certainly they have integrity and values.   So I decided to dig deeper. Upon my inquiry, they issued a statement saying,, "We are doing something really unique because we own our own supply chain---so we are trying to do it right. We are super influenced from green peace's dirty laundry campaign when we started the brand. Our dyes come from Helsinki!"  In case you don't know what they are talking about, here's the video:



I really love the fact that in addition to their constitution, they have posted a strict quality control policy on their "fur"  and certainly don't cheat and use synthetic fibers. They just say NO to harmful or toxic dyes. They are on the cutting edge of fashion, offering many styles as opposed to just the traditional classic cashmere sweater.  Citizen Cashmere has found a way to offer a quality product with a green conscience.   Their sweaters are priced $139.95 and free shipping (and easy returns). They have a customer testimonial page where you share your video and may get it posted.  Here are customer testimonials.

Stylish half zip is an option as one of the sweater styles.

So now you can go feel all warm and fuzzy and soft, knowing this REAL cashmere goat sweater was made with green in mind. Now I know what I'm adding to my Christmas list.

Connect with Citizen Cashmere:
Website
Eco Friendly Store
Facebook
Twitter
See their Videos on YouTube!

Eco Friendly e-cloth® Reusable Cleaning Rag for Home

e-cloth® offers an Eco Friendly Green solution when cleaning!

Health and Green Solutions for the Home

Here's something for everyone who picks up a dust rag.  Do you constantly sneeze when dusting like I do? Are you worried about allergies or using rags that push the dust rather than trap it?  Do you go through a whole roll of paper towels loaded with cleaners ?

Well thanks to e-cloth® products, you can have a green alternative to all this.  They have developed a microfiber high quality cloth to trap the dirt, dust, and grease within it's fibers.  There may be others on the market that are higher priced, but don't be fooled.

How does this e-cloth® product help you go greener?  You can rest assured that you will have used less cleaning agents by getting the job done right the first time.

It's whole aim was to reduce household chemical use in cleaning for both professionals and home owners. By using just water, these cloths remove over 99% of bacteria, and are guaranteed to last for more than 300 washes. They are produced with the highest ethical production standards, allowing for peace of mind in purchasing.

Have you seen clothes like these? Yes, it's true, there are some, but their competitors all charge more for their products due to MLM financing demands. Now e-cloth® products just want to sell great products for the best price they can. That's why they offer free shipping to the continental US.

Read how they work. 
Go to the e-cloth® Site.

Vegetarian Vegan Online Shopping Site Store

Ecolution Hemp/Flax Hoody on Vegetarian Site

The Vegetarian Site is a one stop site for vegan or vegetarian lifestyles.  They offer everything from vegan news to vegetarian and vegan recipes. What's better? Their online store for vegan shopping.

Garmont Vegan Cambrelle (women's) are just one of the high quality Eco Friendly Vegan Shoes you'll find.

You will find everything and anything such as Wearables.  This includes Men and Women's Vegan Shoes, Clothing, Outerwear, High Fashion Belts, Bags, Wallets and More.   You'll find vegan items you can use in your home such as Vegan Personal Care, Books, Kitchen Items, and Hemp Products.  Vegan cooking items such as spices and food products.

thevegetariansite.com offers Vegan Ice Cream Mix

You can even find ONE CENT SAMPLE PRODUCTS, crazy closeouts, sale items and more.  I've not seen such a comprehensive vegan online store in a long time.

Some of my favorite categories:


VEGAN BELTS

VEGAN FOODS
 
VEGAN VITAMINS

VEGAN COSMETICS



Twitter: @TheVegSite

Slique : Whole Foods Using Scent Weight Loss

Slique has found a way to use natural botanical oils to "fulfill" the senses into weight loss!

Here's a green idea.   All Natural Weight Loss with the Slique™ System indicates that you can attain beautiful body wellness when you combine the best of Nature with whole foods and the power of scent.  According to D. Gary Young, founder of Young Living Essential Oils, there seems to be a direct correlation with the senses and appetite.

Enhancing the senses with a special botanical blend, (using natural products), he's found a way to come out with oils and teas which are said to:

• Lower excess daily calories by helping control appetite and cravings.
• Motivate your metabolism.
• Improve breakdown, absorption of fats and complex foods, digestion.
• Energizes without stimulants.
• Replenishes key nutrients missing from many diets.
• Cleanse and detoxifies.

Upon doing my own research it appears that studies have indicated there are learned associations between a food's taste (or smell) and its post-ingestive effects which may indeed produce weight loss (Schiffman, 1983, 1997). In fact previous weight loss products on the market have made such claims, but this uses GREEN and NATURAL products instead of harmful stimulants.

Go check out Slique website now and see what you think...

Solar Power Generator No Gas Green Product

Wow! Check this green and Eco Friendly item out!  Just found this - the Power Source 1800 Solar Power Generator  featured here   http://tinyurl.com/solarbackup is a perfect size generator that is a start in the right direction of green energy. This is perfect for people who can't afford a large solar system or do not have the time to build one.  Get rid of worrying everytime the power goes out, a thunderstorm knocks you off the grid or a hurricane wind comes and knocks out your power lines.

This generator is small, portable, and quiet as anything. You can use regularly to save on electricity in small places like apartments, RVs, trailers, high rise condos, or in any size home. It can run your freezer, or open your garage door.

Do you know the best part ?  There is absolutely NO GAS NEEDED. Oh, and I should also it is a fraction of the cost of a comparable gas one.  There is also a financing option button is available at the bottom of the website.


Go check it out.

Green Organics Vegan Five Alive Green Vitality Raw Energy

Green Organics Green Vitality, have you heard of this? It's actually an organic raw green powder. When one teaspoon is added to pure water it makes a good tasting alkaline green drink. This drink is organic, raw and pure and is an energy booster for your system!

Raw powders make this drink perfect for vegans !

Five Alive Green Vitality Drink - What can you do with it?  You can  drink it, add it to smoothies, or even food items like salad dressings. Not only is this perfect for vegans, but for those looking for healthy organic choices. You may not realize how important ph balance is.  As their website points out (high ph syptoms) if your body becomes too acidic, this can cause weight gain or loss, sleep deprivation, circulatory issue, headaches, cold hands, or something more! Relieve all that with one scoop a day in your tea or drink for starters to balance your ph and prevent high acidic issues!

This is considered the new biology of using organic ingredients and living green and pure without having to visit the doctor and use modern medicine, artificial man made medicines etc. 

On a side note, the company is always looking for new Green Organics distributors. Please contact Steve Dom if you, or anyone else would be interested in promoting high quality organic products.

Wave Power Generation Clean Energy Ocean Side

Eco Wave Power is an established Israeli "green tech" company that produces renewable and sustainable energy via its proprietary "wave clapper" technology.

The company was recently awarded the prestigious Frost and Sullivan Award for New Product Innovation in conjunction with the development and implementation of an an all-round solution for effective energy harvesting from waves.

Eco Wave Power was founded by tech guru and serial entrepreneur David Leb with a focus on rapid return in investment (ROI) due to highly efficient construction and production prices along with high tariffs for every kWh of wave energy.

Eco Wave Power's energy production system is highly competitive with other, competing renewable energy sources such assolar, wind, hydro as well as conventional modes of energy generation, like oil, natural gas and biofuel.

While a typical solar panel takes 10-15 years to provide positive ROI, Eco Wave Power's equipment provides positive ROI within a much shorter time frame, typically within 3-5 years while at the same time insuring equipment longevity exceeding 30 years.

Wave energy comes with its share of limitations that need to be properly addressed by the agents harvesting the energy. For instance, making the solution cost-effective, maintaining the floaters, finding the correct placement to leverage wave height without exposing the devices to rough weather, among others.

Read more via press release on wave power generation!

Anemometer Wind Turbines Monitoring Renewable Energy

These little gadget can save you money

Logic Energy isn't waiting for advancements in renewable energy. They are on top their game suggesting their customers get wind monitoring. A simple purchase of one of their recommended  anemometer devices could surely help. In case you are wondering what an anemometer is, it's an instrument used for measuring air speed. Why should you care?

This runs about  140GBP  which is about $226 USD, not a bad investment to monitor your wind power. 

Wind resource measuring and renewable energy monitoring is key.  For one, you must make sure your wind turbines are working efficiently and effectively which is part of making sure you are getting the most out of your eco friendly investment.

Treehouse Design : Become One With Nature

I would live here if I could.

Just the other day, a 26 year old I know indicated he was moving out of his house and getting his own place. The worst part about leaving his home, I thought, had to be leaving behind his childhood treehouse.  What had started as plywood and scrap wood had evolved to an apartment in a tree over time.

Cheeky Monkey Treehouses can make your kids a fortress of fun.

Over time treehouse design has moved from a few pieces of plywood into something that is so grand, you would be amazed.   Treehouses give children the ultimate play kingdom. A break from day to day life, or perhaps just to go and think.  Camp out with the friends, or be silly.  Read a book, or do their homework in their top secret lair.

A company in the UK called CheekyMonkeyTreehouses is doing wondrous design work with their treehouses. They blend the house into the tree to make natural look undisturbed, so that your imaginary kingdom can thrive around the existing glory of nature. Taking a unique approach to making these go-green houses all over Europe, for children and adults alike.  My only complaint? I don't have one.

Reusable Sandwich Bags are the Rage

Used with permissionf rom Reusable Bag Store

Green Tip:

Want to go greener in day to day life? How about when packing your kid's lunch, or taking your own to work? Well, maybe you'll fall in love with the products over at  ReusableBagStore.com like we have, specifically the  reusable sandwich bags! Not only are they priced at great prices you can afford, but help you go green in your daily life. 

The service from the store is exceptional, and the bags are quite fashionable.  Currently, orders over $50 ship free, or there's a $3.99 flat rate shipping. Get 'em while they last, and they make perfect holiday gifts!

Eco Friendly Handmade Shoulder Bags

Eco Friendly Shoulder Bags: Avoid Buying Mass Produced

All About Felts which we talked about their eco friendly slippers , also sells Eco-friendly handmade shoulder bags !

It's no secret that places like Etsy have evolved the fact of buying handmade clothing and accessories , putting the handmade back into marketplace, and couture back into our wardrobes. The blog from the maker of Eco Friendly Handmade Shoulder Bags eludes that the trend for buying handmade may be blamed on famous maker Nike.

She says, "Ever since the Nike press release and court case in 2001, people have tried to move away from mass produced commercialism and looked for a nobler cause. Handmade goods are a more expensive, but higher quality, more ethical alternative than buying from a mass distributor like Nike. But it is hard for people to change their ways when the determining factor is a leap in price."

Her All About Felts website also shows the ways of Eco-friendly manufacturing, and help educate consumers on why buying handmade shoulder bags is a step forward for the environment.

What Do We Think? 

With small indie handmade, you can feel confident knowing you are buying a product whose designer has taken great care in it's work. Most processes are more eco friendly, greener and eco conscious on the environment versus large scale overseas corporations whose mass produce practices may be questioned. 

Sure, it's true that some indie is more expensive, but a few extra bucks for a comparable item and you can sleep at night--not worrying how many children were worked in sweatshops producing your item, or how much pollution has been put into the air from overseas factories.

I've priced a lot of indie work and you may indeed be able to wear your indie designed OOAK couture purse for much less than any famous maker, so do consider buying handmade.
 
 

Baltresto Estonia Hot Tubs Europe's Eco Friendly Alternative

Wooden hot-tubs , the brand of BALTRESTO are produced in Estonia and made of high quality pine, spruce or larch converted timber. All wooden hot tubs are thoroughly assembled manually by experienced craftsmen using traditional methods of woodworking. These are eco friendly alternatives over commercially made plastic, fiberglass, or mass produced tubs.

The barrel sauna blends in with it's eco friendly environment!

Baltresto products have the most reasonable prices, broad assortment and high quality.  Not only do they manufacture wooden hot tub, assembled baths and all necessary staff for baths but they sell and deliver our products Europewide directly to the doors of your home!

Their products are delivered assembled; therefore they are prepared for use immediately.

If you are in Europe, check them out!

Felt Slippers are Eco Friendly Feet Love

Courtesy of All About Felts : 

Attractive felt slippers are an environmentally safe alternative to large scale commercially produced slippers!  Before you adorn your feet with something else, check out this cool blog about Felt slippers offered on AllAboutFelts! You can finally go green and become more eco friendly on your feet!

I really love these slippers, they come in a variety of styles.  This felt is 100% natural, biodegradable non-woven fabric made from sheep-wool. These beautiful handmade slippers would make a great gift idea.

These are the round toe felt slippers, love them!

Now just so you know these felt slippers are just one of the items All About Felts offers, they have a variety of handmade, eco friendly, crafted products from felt. You can find items for your home, embroidered bags, hats and other products, including unique felted silk scarves. I-Pod cases and shoulder bags are just some of the my favorite things you will find.  Check them all out on AllAboutFelts!

Solar Panel Leasing Zero Money Down Free iPad™

Solar Leasing is here. Save money and go greener.

Zero Money Down Solar Panel Installations and Free iPad™ Bonus


What's missing from my green and eco friendly home? Solar panels. If you are like me you are probably thinking solar panels are the way to go, but possibly can't afford the upfront costs. The money aspect has got you running scared from taking the next step to greener energy use.  No worries. You are not alone.

Special Offer for free iPad™ until 8/31/12

One green company has figured out how to help you afford them.  Let me emphasize that it is a no money down installation, and that it is solar leasing! This means instead of upfront costs of buying the actual equipment, you will only have to pay a monthly bill (for less money than your normal utility bill) to lease the equipment. Oh yeah, what's not to like.  Why didn't I hear about this sooner!

People that complete the signing up, the quote and the installation will receive a bonus** iPad™ , but this offer ends  August 31st, 2012.   After that, you are still doing your part to live greener, and save money in the long run!

CLICK HERE for to Sign Up for Zero Money Down Solar Panel Installations and Free iPad™ Bonus

**iPad™ is a registered ™ of Apple

Free Make Up Bags: Mineral Makeup

Best Mineral Makeup

Perhaps you have read our previous articles on the best mineral makeup that we wrote when reviewing the Best Mineral Makeup N Jewelry website.  I wanted to announce that Christina is giving away free makeup bags , if you buy a starter kit or bundle 3 or more!  You can make your own bundles, or buy what they suggest.

Here is our previous articles on it:

Best Mineral Hygienic Makeup All Natural Healthy
Best Mineral Makeup Returns

Source: mineralmakeupnjewelry.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Editors Pick:  For only $25 get the  best mineral foundation  ever, in various natural colors to match every complexion!  Be sure to visit the Mineral Makeup and Jewelry Website!


**Connect with Christina on her BLOG!

Nest Bedding Organic Mattresses : Sleep Green

Are you shopping for a new bed or mattress and want to go greener? I just found out about NestBedding.com
who offers value priced organic mattresses.  Compare their crib mattress $299, twin $499, full size $529 and queen $599 to those "other green mattress places" that want to charge you $1000-$2000 for an all natural mattress.

First off, Nest Bedding and Mattresses is an organic and natural bedding store featuring all Made in America products. Gotta love that, you are supporting American. 

Secondly, they have the best value-priced, made in America, green and natural mattresses and bedding.

Did I mention they can ship most of the mattresses anywhere in the US for flat fees?  So don't let their location (California) worry you.

Are you picky about your mattress? No worries!  There's something called the Build-A-Nest product, that allows consumers to build their own mattress from components they supply.

I think I'm off to check out the firm nest bedding, that seems to be the top eco friendly choice!

Check them out here:  NestBedding.com

Paperless Kitchen Skoy Cloth Biodegradable Solutions

Check out this cool company PaperlessKitchen.com.  They are a new business looking to help customers improve their environmental impact through individual decisions to use sustainable products over paper products.  Take for instance this Skoy Cloth - it is essentially a "biodegradable cleaning cloth".

Skoy Cloth from Paperless Kitchen on Shopify

Tests show this Skoy cloth from Paperless Kitchen breaks down into the earth in a short 5 weeks, and can do the same work as 15 rolls of paper towels!  Not to mention you aren't killing trees, and this little guy can hold up to 15 times it's own weight making it perfect for cleaning up around the kitchen, great on dishes, you name it

Just think of the savings to your wallet and the environment right there.  So just what is it?  The SKOY cloth is a European created product which is completely 100% biodegradable; made from naturally occurring materials like cotton and a wood-based cellulose pulp.

Aside from cleaning cloths and kitchen accessories, you will even find earth-friendly utensils and reusable dinnerware.  Make sure to check out Paperless Kitchen for all things super cool and eco friendly. 

Best Mineral Makeup Returns

Christina Sanchez runs the Mineral Makeup N Jewelry Site.

I am not sure if you read the Mineral Makeup article I wrote before, but I was just checking back with Christina to see what she was up to. Her eco friendly all natural makeup products really impress me. I have to say I think this is the best mineral makeup ever.  You will find anything from concealers, lipliners, blush, bronzers, eye shadows, and even wholesale cosmetics.

I use the Mineral Lipstick, it's free of dyes and stays a long time.

Imagine my suruprise when her whole Mineral Makeup site went a new redo!  New products, more information and even starter bundles are some of the items you will find here.  I really enjoy the bundle idea since I'm always so clueless of what to buy. Here is an announcement video from Christina:





The thing is, this site is very personalized. You can call Christina and she will explain to you the best products for your needs. I even saw something about free makeup bags wow--so you better go and see what they have to say.

Jump to site here:  Best Mineral Makeup ever!

Vegan Shopping Store Cruelty Free Cosmetics and More

The cute turtle is the mascot of the Shop Vegan store.

Hey, check this out, a  Vegan Shopping Store ! I was looking though this site yesterday, and I love it. Everything they sell is suitable for vegans, and vegetarians. The products they carry and select do not involve animal testing and are free from animal ingredients.

Vegan Vitamins for Kids.

Mr. Tumee vitamins are a big hit with kids and many varieties are offered.  In fact, you may find a wide variety of adult and children's supplements.

Dairy Free Chocolate: Perfect for the Vegan with a Sweet Tooth!

You can find products for your sweet tooth from dried fruit to dairy free chocolate in the Vegan Confectionary area. This is an entire shopping site, not just things to consume.

Cruelty Free Beauty Products are a big hit!

In fact, I'm particularly in love with the bunch of cruelty-free cosmetics they stock and carry.  In fact their wide range of different lines involve NO TESTING on animals. You can find lipstick, eye makeup, and nail polish at affordable rates and in great colors.


Now some would worry that the Shop Vegan Store is a UK based store--but don't be.  There is a flat rate shipping option to the rest of the world, no matter how much you order. Case in point, no matter how much you order you pay flat rate shipping to the USA. By ordering a large quantity of items you will save over buying products from several different sources within the USA. The rest of the world has a flat rate shipping, too!

You will also find:

• Pet Products
• Products for Baby
• Magazines
• Accessories
• and so much more!

What's better than that? Oh yeah, they are registered with the Vegan Society.