Design^Sprout | Your Guide to Green Design

Finally! Jewelry That Works For You.

     A necklace that doubles as a clock -  who figures this stuff out??? Thankfully someone does because few things sound better than giving my jewelry a day job. The designer Thorunn Arnadottir explains:

     Each bead in the necklace is 5 minutes. the whole necklace is one solar day. the orange and red beads

represent the whole hours. as the wheel turns, one bead falls off and drops down the string every 5 minutes.

to tell time one must count the beads from the silver bead (midnight) or the golden bead (noon) to the last

bead that fell off the wheel.

     The necklace can also be taken off the wheel, worn and even moonlights at Arby's on the weekends. Genius.

Why Do Garage Sales Start So F-ing Early?

   Rummaging through other people's junk is one of my favorite things in the world.  The fact that I have to drag my sorry ass out of bed at the crack of dawn to do it - not so much. Cue the design stylings of Tawny Holt.  She not only finds the cool, early-bird gems I'm always missing, but remakes them into modern, couture pieces you can pretend you paid a lot of money for. Check out her Etsy shop here and go back to bed.

 

Guilt Free Clothing with Kick-Ass Style

    So you wanna be good. You want to dress sustainably in organic cotton with bamboo thread manufactured only by fair-trade companies but paying $95 for a t-shirt seems a bit c.r.a.z.y. to you. I understand. That's why I'm so thrilled for the change of seasons when things previously waaaaay out of my price range suddenly become affordable.
   Sublet, a green clothing line, whose designs I DROOL over is having a humdinger of a sale with some options under $100 and Greenloop, the mac daddy of sustainable fashion, has loads of items for men and women up to 60% off. Now is where is where I say something cliché like "Go green without spending a lot of green" but what could be more fitting?

The Parisian Fantasy (Vicarious Living For Us Poor Americans)

   Sometime while perusing the internet I ran across this wonderful little design blog, A Great Apartment in Paris.  Dedicated to a couple's fantasy of moving to Paris and living the life the rest of us wish we could afford, they document the triumphs and pitfalls of designing the ideal European apartment all while trying to remain completely green. Their design is fresh and fun and the information useful. Viva la France!

Finally, Charging We Can All Afford

   Because keeping a real plant alive is beyond my capabilities - Vivien Muller has designed one that not only attends to itself but nurtures all your electronics in the process. 54 mini photovoltaic panels turn those nasty UV rays into hours of Ipod/cell phone/laptop power. Cleverly engineered to "grow" depending on your particular gadget needs, the tiny bonsai "tree" sits atop a tray that conceals all your cumbersome cords. Brilliant.

The Top 100 Environmental Blogs

   

     Break out the champagne! Design^Sprout has just been named to the Top 100 Environmental Blogs list by the X-Ray Visionaries. Woo hoo - I'm always looking for valid excuses to drink! Check out their veerrrrry comprehensive list below:

The Top 100 Environmentalist Blogs

News
Keep your ear to the ground on environmental news with these blogs.

1. environmentastic!: Environmentalist A. Caleb Hartley’s environmentastic! offers a refreshingly positive look at environmental news and developments.
2. Green Times: Find the latest news and issues for environmentalists on this blog.
3. The Environmentalist: Check out this blog for news on climate change, politics, and other important issues in environmentalism.
4. Greenzone Online: This blog serves up a well-balanced mix of environmental topics.
5. Fort Awesome: Find out what Fort Awesome says about peak oil, urbanization, and more on this blog.
6. The Everyday Environmentalist: Follow this environmentalist on a journey to go green every day.
7. Eco Beat: Neil Katz’ Eco Beat is all about environmental activism in the news, offering green technology, pollution, politics, and more.
8. Down To Earth: On this blog, you’ll find environmental news and information about sustainability.

Gardening Environmentalists

These environmentalists take their work outside.

9. Flatbush Gardener: Read along with this environmentalist who specializes in organic and native plant gardening.
10. Earth Friendly Gardening: Check out this blog to see sustainable gardening at work.
11. GardenPunks: Check out the blog of this family that attempts to live as organically as possible.
12. Green Bean Dreams: Follow this mom as she works to create a sustainable, environmentally friendly life for her family.

Climate Change

Learn more about global warming and what we can do to stop its effects on this blogs.

13. Global Warming is Real: On this blog, you’ll find discussions of climate change, politics, and energy.
14. cooltheplanet: This blogger aims to collect a wide variety of useful information for organizations who are working to address climate change.
15. It’s Getting Hot in Here: Follow the youth movement in climate change on this blog.
16. Global Warming Emergency Blog: Follow this blog along a campaign to stop global warming.
17. Climate of Our Future: This blog offers a discussion on global climate change with the latest news, resources, and information on what’s happening.
18. Climate Changer: This blogger is on a mission to stop climate change and global warming.

Energy

These blogs offer in-depth discussions on oil, alternative energy, and more.

19. Brighter Energy Solutions: SolReka shares strategies for free energy, solar cooking, and useful eco-geek gadgets on this blog.
20. Boiling Spot: Boiling Spot features information on alternative energy and beyond.
21. fuel-it-forward: Check out this blog to find out how we can all cut down on our fuel consumption.
22. Citizen Power Alliance: On Citizen Power Alliance, you’ll find news about regulating and improving upon energy and environmental policy.
23. Clean Break: Clean Break focuses on clean technology and clean energy in particular.
24. Vertigro: Follow along as this blog tracks the advancement of a highly useful biofuel.
25. Eco Friendly Driver: On this blog, you’ll read the latest news and developments in environmentally friendly driving.
26. Seacoast NRG: Blogger Adam discusses issues in energy, conservations, climate, and more.
27. The Energy Collective: Read about power, policy, and climate as it relates to energy on this blog.
28. EcoModder: Find hypermiling, fuel economy and ecomodding on this blog.
29. Damon Clifford: Damon Clifford’s blog focuses on current events in energy, political energy policy, and more.
30. Gas 2.0: Follow the biofuel revolution on this blog.
31. Beyond Petro: Beyond Petro discusses life beyond peak oil and what we can do to live without cheap energy.

Lifestyle

Take a look at how these environmentalists live their daily lives.

32. Urban Subsistence Living: Follow this family as they embark upon a project to generate more than 90% of their living needs with environmentally friendly methods and materials.
33. Greenfellow: On Greenfellow, you’ll find a celebration of sustainability in everyday life.
34. Halcyon Green: This “creative environmentalist” discusses the art of making crafts with minimal footprint.
35. Green Cotton: See how sustainability and fashion intersect in this blog.
36. An Urban Plot: This urban gardener chronicles her quest for organic self-sufficiency.
37. Off Grid Living: Learn about strategies for living off the grid with solar, wind, and geothermal energy on this blog.
38. Sustainable Motherhood: This “recovering consumer” offers an ongoing look at her quest to be more sustainable.
39. Victoria Everman: Victoria’s blog offers loads of resources for enlightened living.
40. Green Globetrotter: Take a peek into the world of eco-friendly travel with this environmentalist globetrotter.

Advice

These environmentalists will help you to be more eco-friendly.

41. Focus Organic: Focus Organic is a repository for all sorts of advice for living in an environmentally friendly way.
42. The Lazy Environmentalist: Josh Dorfman explores easy, stylish, and convenient ways for everyday people to go green.
43. Jolly Green Blogger: Check out this blog for great advice and products for going green.
44. Neutral Existence: On neutral existence, you’ll get advice on how to help theplanet and save money at the same time.
45. Practical Environmentalist: On this blog, you’ll find environmentally friendly advice that’s practical and useful for the average person.
46. It’s the Planet, Didiot!: This environmentalist serves up a variety of useful tips for saving the planet from its inhabitants.
47. EcoMerge: These budding environmentalists at Portland State University practice EcoMyth Busting, debunking bad eco-advice so that you can live a truly environmentally friendly life.

Conservation

Learn a newfound respect for our world in these blogs.

48. Izmet’s Dream: Izmet has a passion for nature, and discusses how we can all practice conservation in order to save our world’s natural wonders.
49. Treasure Nature: This environmentalist discusses how we can nurture nature, offering a look at issues in biodiversity and beyond.
50. Coffee and Conservation: Learn how sustainable coffee and other products can have a positive impact on the world.
51. Get Wise about Energy & Water Efficiency: Check out this blog that discusses energy and water conservation, and what people are doing about it.
52. Protecting Our Environment: Gina’s blog is full of resources, news, and information on environmental conservation.
53. The Only One We Have: This blog encourages readers to think of their environmental impact.
54. Endangered Spaces: Find out what you can do to protect our “endangered spaces” on this blog.

Reducing, Reusing & Recycling

These environmentalists focus on stopping the growth of our world’s landfills.

55. The Earth is Not a Trash Can: Barbara Mathieson considers the life of trash that others have left behind.
56. Every Day is Earth Day: Sarah Mint discusses a variety of ways you can reduce your energy consumption.
57. Trash Watch: This blogger encourages readers to do something about all of the trash in their neighborhood.
58. Car Free Family: Read how this family survives without a car in Minneapolis.
59. My Recycled Bags: This blog is dedicated to making crafts from recycled materials.
60. Look what I found!: Check out the journey of this blogger who designs her life and craft products using materials that others have cast aside.
61. Technocycle: Find information on technology recycling on this blog.
62. Recycleholic: Read along as this man tries his best to recycle everything he can.

Health

These environmentalists will ask you to consider the connection between the environment and health.

63. Asthma Mom: The Asthma Mom discusses how air quality and other environmental issues can affect children’s health.
64. Beyond Pesticides: This blog features posts on the health and environmental hazards of pesticides.
65. EarthForce Health and Wellness: Visit this blog for safe and natural ways to greate a safer, healthier planet.
66. Healthy Child: On this blog, you’ll read about what people are doing to create a healthy world for their children.

Development

Check out these blogs to learn about green development and how humanity’s growth intersects with the environment.

67. Building Seattle Green: On this blog, you’ll find loads of news and information about green building in Seattle and beyond.
68. Habitat OR Humanity: Visit this blog to see what’s happening to our world as we continue to develop.
69. My Green Home: This blog offers a guide to green and healthy homes.
70. Jetson Green: Stay on top of the latest in the green building revolution with this blog.
71. The Landscape Blog: On this blog, you’ll find news and information about issues surrounding lanscape architects and urban planners.

Consumption

These environmentalist blogs will help you consider the impact of the things you buy.

72. The Daily Green: This blog offers great advice for green consumers.
73. SaveChange: SaveChange asks readers to consider how their money impacts the world.
74. 100 Mile Diet: Follow this challenge to eat healthy and save the environment.
75. UseGreen: UseGreen highlights the choices you have when it comes to being green.
76. Envirovore: On this blog, you’ll learn how you can eat for environmental sustainability.
77. Design^Sprout: Check out Design^Sprout to find loads of innovative and environmentally friendly designs.
78. The Alternative Consumer: Here you’ll find news, product reviews, and information to help you be a more environmentally responsible consumer.
79. Fake Plastic Fish: Beth Terry Warns us that we need to stop consuming plastic, or the only fish we’ll have left will be plastic.
80. Eat Local Challenge: This blog offers a challenge and advice for eating locally.
81. Diane’s Big Green Purse: Diane encourages consumers to shop in an environmentally friendly way.

Activism

These environmentalists are pouring their passion into eco-friendly projects.

82. Califauna: Read this blog to see how eco awareness and art education are being brought into California’s schools.
83. WhatGives!?: This blog discusses and connects people to worthy social and environmental causes.
84. My Yellowstone Wolves Blog: Read about how this environmental activist in the Northern Rockies defends wolves.
85. 2 Wheels 4 Water: This couple is riding scooters across North and South Carolina to raise money and awareness for HydroMissions.
86. Ripples of Improvement: Blogger Cathy Crovis is on a mission to turn her life of occasional activism to one that consistently makes a difference.
87. Inca Kids: This project supports peruvian artisans, affording them a sustainable, environmentally friendly life.
88. Eco-Libris: The Eco-Libris blog discusses books and their crusade to balance out the paper used for books by planting trees.

Business & Politics

See environmentalism at work in these blogs that highlight green legislature, marketing, and more.

89. Green Advertising: Check out this blog to find out if companies are truly green or if they’re touting their credentials to sell.
90. Triple Pundit: This blog aims to bring people, the planet, and profits together.
91. Green in the Face: This marketing major discusses green marketing.
92. Environmental Leader: For the latest in green business, be sure to check out this blog.
93. Green Car Congress: Check out this blog for the politics of sustainable mobility.
94. Hill Heat: Watch environmental policy at work in legislation on this blog.
95. Sustainablog: Sustainablog regularly delivers the best information on sustainable business, environmental politics, and more.

Miscellaneous

Read about even more important issues in environmentalism on these blogs.

96. SurfaceTension: Surface Tension takes a clarified look at renewable energy, environmentally friendly teachnology, and energy alternatives.
97. EcoGeek: This blog explores technology aimed at improving the environment.
98. Dismantle Civilization: This environmentalist recommends that we radically change direction in order to save the earth.
99. Chemistry for a sustainable world: James Bashkin offers a professional view of green chemistry, and provides a view of what really helps our environment.
100. The Green Skeptic: This environmentalist challenges common assumptions about environmentalism and living.

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