Organic Wines
www.freywine.com (distributor in Japan)
The best wines in the world come from the finest grapes, and the finest grapes in the world today are those grown on a small number of organic vineyards around the globe. Vintners who take the time to grow their grapes the old way, without harmful pesticides and chemical fertilizers, are the vintners making the wine you have been waiting to find all these years.
Whether your taste is in Shiraz or Champagne, Riesling or Chilean, you can now find wines from every continent made organically and without artificial preservatives. A quick online search will turn up a plethora of mid-price to high-end wines of every taste and variety.
Eco Power
www.brunton.com
This month we bring you yet another great outdoor product from our eco-minded friends at Brunton. Their innovative SolarPort™ 4.4 is a lightweight (19 oz.) and sturdy solar charger that easily fits in your backpack for those weekend, off-the-grid adventures.
It comes with a USB port to power your MP3 player, digi-cam, cell phone and all the other little accessories such as fans, lights and air fresheners you can pick up at Tokyu Hands. Also includes a handy AA/AAA battery charger. It lists online for a very reasonable US$119.
Eco Weddings
Rings – www.greenkarat.com
Dresses – www.wholly-jo.co.uk
Planners – www.organicweddings.com
Space – www.earthembassy.org
So you are finally tying the knot, and you are wishing it could be a fair trade, organically grown hemp knot? Rather than dropping $30,000 on three hours in a stuffy hotel ballroom, how about wine and cheese in the park? Start your new eco life together with some of the many green wedding options popping up around the globe.
Custom dressmakers are waiting to create the organic cotton, vegetarian silk or fair trade hemp dress of your dreams. And don’t forget the ring! Recycled gold and manufactured diamonds are eco-friendly alternatives to toxic mining by African children.
Eco Corporation
http://brand.yahoo.com/forgood/
www.yahoo.com
Another corporation is breaking away from the dark side of the force and joining the eco crusaders. Yahoo!, the beloved internet service provider, is now buying power from Santa Clara Green Power which makes its electricity from the California winds and sun.
It is part of the Yahoo! for Good program whereby the company has committed to preventing the annual release of more than 800,000 pounds of global warming culprit CO2. That is basically the equivalent of planting 108 acres of forest every year! So next time you feel guilty about your dependence on corporate America and Silicon Valley, remember, the good guys are everywhere these days.
Eco Credit
http://usa.visa.com/personal/using_visa/charity/index.jsp
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/what_you_can_do/give_as_you_spend/creditcard.htm
http://www.americanexpress.com/pes/uk/benefits/red/microsite/card.shtml
It is time to start putting your dollars and yen to work for the betterment of the planet. Visa and American Express are making this easier than ever with special credit cards that automatically donate money to your favorite environmental and social causes. Every purchase you make with your Oxfam Visa helps buy a desk for a school in Zambia or a goat for a family in Rwanda.
Bono and Giorgio Armani are using the Amex Red Card which donates 1 percent to The Global Fund which fights AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria around the world. Visa is also partnered with the Nature Conservancy, Red Cross, Toys for Tots and more. Get online and make the change today.
