Blogs & Ecology

Photos via Swell Foop

Who could resist a face like that! So cute. Or his tee-shirt that says " I give a hoot". They are both, baby and tee, courtesy of Inhabitot, TreeHugger's favourite new baby design website. The shirt is made out of 100% organic cotton, printed by hand with eco-friendly, water-based inks. It features their mascot, the green owl, and has a nice green message for the world.

:: Bottle feed baby? Seek out BPA-free and eco-friendly bottle brands.

:: Mocha Cocoa-lovers, delight in this sustainably sinful pair: organic Sumatran coffee and organic Flourless Chocolate Cake.

:: Revive dry and dull hair with this DIY beer-based home remedy....

all images from PVC: The Poison Plastic

Phthalates, the plasticizer used to make vinyl soft, have been known to be a gender-bender that has been shown to affect the masculinity of rats. Even the Bush Administration, not renowned for its defence of the public against the chemical companies, has banned it from childrens' toys.

Closet Environmentalist: Carnival of the Green #147! by Alina Beloussova
"As you can see, I am on a sort of hiatus right now (busy busy!) and this here little blog is looking as neglected as the environment in a Sh&ll board meeting. Well… sorry about that. I’ll be back soon. Don’t you quit on me now, all 6 of you!"

Ecomii: Greene's Organic Prescription Just For Babies by Dr. Alan Greene

Gavin Rosdale sings at the Roots and Shoots Festival. Image: Sarah Strack.

To celebrate the launch of ESKids -- that's fashionable website EcoStiletto's new section dedicated to wee-huggers -- founder and TH contributor Rachel Sarnoff set up a tent and gathered a venerable who's who of trendy moms and dads. But she wasn't in just any old backyard. The event, sponsored by Green Works Natural Cleaners, was part of the Jane Goodall's Roots and Shoots celebration at the United Nations International Day of Peace.

Organic baby apparel finds its ultra-niche in My Little Pakora, a clothing line that parlays its Indian heritage into a series of South Asian-inspired onesies, tees, bibs, pants, and blankets made from 100 percent certified-organic cotton and low-impact, AZO-free dyes.

Maternity garb might be considered the ultimate in disposable clothing. After all, they're not meant to last more than a few months.

Women who want to keep their pregnancy carbon footprints petite have a few options: Scrounge for hand-me-downs from their girlfriends, shop at consignment stores, or use belly bands, which are stretchy tubes of fabric that can extend the life of your "skinny" clothes and, more important, conceal unbuttoned pants.
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Maternity garb might be considered the ultimate in disposable clothing. After all, they're not meant to last more than a few months.

Women who want to keep their pregnancy carbon footprints petite have a few options: Scrounge for hand-me-downs from their girlfriends, shop at consignment stores, or use belly bands, which are stretchy tubes of fabric that can extend the life of your "skinny" clothes and, more important, conceal unbuttoned pants.
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:: Make baby happy with homemade organic baby food.

:: Spruce up your work pad with potted plants and herbs.

:: Live in NYC? Reap the benefits of renewable energy.
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According to researchers at Duke University Medical Center there’s a significant chance that a drug commonly prescribed to halt pre-term labor and stave off premature birth might leave the brains of children susceptible to other chemicals widely present in the environment. And with 20% of all pregnancies in the U.S. encountering pre-term labor and 1 million of those being treated with terbutaline or related drugs to halt pre-term contractions and premature birth, there’s a real chance the child who may affected could be your own....

Inhabitat is a must-read architecture and design site packed with information about new housing, architecture, transportation and design products. What happens when its editor-in-chief gets pregnant...Inhabitots is born. It's a new website with a baby and parenting focus; its motto: “Sustainable design for the next generation“. They say that "becoming a parent does not constitute having to sacrifice style" which is a bit optimistic (try that line out after a sleepless night with a cranky baby) but their postings so far have some pretty cool stuff.

Sanrio’s Hello Kitty line announces the release of their solar charger.

A multi-million dollar biofuels project compromises one of Kenya’s most biodiverse ecosystems.

CleanTechnica lists the top online green shopping sites.

Who’s the greenest country of them all? Find out in National Geographic's recent survey.

The Green Parent offers tips to make sure you and baby are BPA-free.

Made in the United States, Robbie Adrian's baby blankets are made from plush 100 percent U.S. Department of Agriculture-certified-organic cotton, then trimmed with natural silk. The cotton itself is grown in West Texas, and later spun and knitted on the east coast.

Available with ruffled, straight, or piped trims, as well as in velour and cotton fleece, the blankets—which are a favorite with celebrities such as Katie "Kate" Holmes, Jessica Alba, and Halle Berry—start at $44. ::Robbie Adrian...

For the urban baby or swingin' adult, Adrift's modern mobiles are handcrafted by designer Brian Schmit in his workshop in San Francisco’s SOMA district. The designs bear evocative names such as "Samara," "Rift," "Riven," and "Camber."

With a minimalist, almost Zen-like aesthetic, each mobile can be purchased in amber bamboo, natural bamboo, or a bamboo mix, as well as in maple or walnut. Prices start at $144. ::Adrift Mobiles...