Who doesn’t love a nice, comfortable pair of flip flops?

The summer is almost here, so flip flops are the perfect shoes for guys to wear with shorts and a t-shirt, or for ladies to make a fashion statement in a cool summer dress.

One way you can sport flip flops while also saving the environment is to purchase recycled flip flops…

Who doesn’t love a nice, comfortable pair of flip flops?

The summer is almost here, so flip flops are the perfect shoes for guys to wear with shorts and a t-shirt, or for ladies to make a fashion statement in a cool summer dress.

One way you can sport flip flops while also saving the environment is to purchase recycled flip flops. These flip flops are often made from reused materials such as rubber tires, fabric and cork, so they help reduce landfill waste. They also happen to be very comfortable.

Make a Flippin’ Decision

No matter what music festival, baseball game, green gathering or other casual event you attend, you’ll see people wearing flip flops.

Whether you practice living an eco lifestyle or not, it’s important to choose a pair of well-made, recycled flip flops instead of a cheap pair that you’ll just throw away after a few months. Instead of ending up in a landfill, your flip flops might just make it through a few extra summers.

Check out these cool recycled flip flops for women and men, and decide which pair best suits your personal style:

Women

Teva Lennox Sandal

Canvas and leather upper is made from 100% recycled material, and there is a 50% recycled rubber outsole.

Ocean Minded Laguna Sandal

Cushioned sandals with 100% recycled bottom sole.

Simple CA Bana Sandal

These sandals are made from washable suede, cork and rubber, and recycled paper forms are used to construct them.

Chaco Sunflower Sandals

These are embroidered with cute flowers and have a recycled rubber sole.

Body Glove Castaway Sandal

Made with organic cotton and cork, plus recycled foam and tire rubber.

Chaco Intersect Eco Tread Sandals

Provides great arch support and is made from 25% recycled rubber.

Men

Reef Remixed Sandal

Soles are made from recycled rubber tires.

DVS Ziggy Wolfgang Sandals

Midsole is made from a blend of cork and Ecotrue, and the sole is made from 100% recycled tires.

North Face Ex-Girlfriend Sandals

Top straps contain recycled PET lining.

Body Glove Castaway Sandal

These are made from organic cotton and cork, as well as recycled foam and tire rubber.

Timberland Rippler Thong Sandal

Contain organic cotton canvas and 30% recycled rubber outsoles.

Gravis Hempurpedic Sandal

Made with renewable hemp and recycled foam that shapes to your foot.

Unisex

Lazy Boy Natural Flip Flops

Vegan and cruelty-free, these are made from natural hemp and recycled race car soles, bicycle inner tube straps and rubber footbeds.

Splaff Flopps

Produced in a 100% waste-free environment, these flip flops are made from recycled car tires and bicycle inner tubes.

Ho Chi Minh Tire Sandals

100% recycled tire sandals made in Cambodia.

You really can’t go wrong with a pair of flip flops in the summer. And with a pair of eco-friendly flip flops, you’ll not only be doubling their lifespan, but you’ll also be helping out the environment.

We’ve all heard the familiar saying, ‘Milk: It does a body good.’ Well, there’s something else from a cow that’s doing the farmers and people of Vermont good: manure.

We’ve all heard the familiar saying, ‘Milk: It does a body good.’ Well, there’s something else from a cow that’s doing the farmers and people of Vermont good: manure.

The people of Vermont have discovered a renewable energy source that is reliable, easy to acquire and friendly to the environment.

Through the use of new technologies that can capture methane gas in cow manure to generate electricity, these ‘Cow Power Farms‘ are quickly becoming the talk of the town.

The Farms

Right now these farms in Vermont all have over 500 cows to help with the cow power process.

The farms are:

• Blue Spruce Farm in Bridport ‘ in 2006 produced 1.3 million kWh of electricity
• Green Mountain Dairy Farm in Sheldon ‘estimated to produce 1,828,000 kWh of electricity a year
• Montagne Farm in St. Albans – expected to produce 1.4 million kWh of electricity a year
• Newmont Farms in Fairlee – estimated to produce about 1.4 million kWh of electricity a year
• Pleasant Valley Farm in Richford – expected to produce 3.5 million kWh of electricity a year

These farms get a portion of the money from customers to help fund the cow power process and future renewable energy developments.

How Does Cow Power Work?

There’s a nice cartoon that illustrates how the cow power is created. Here are the steps summarized:

• Cows are housed in free-stall barns to easily collect waste
• The manure is pumped into a digester that captures the methane, and this gas is used to fuel the generator and to heat the milk house
• The solids and liquids are separated and bacteria is destroyed
• Solids replace sawdust for bedding and composting
• Liquids (which are odorless) are spread in the field as fertilizer

You can see the full process here.

The use of manure to generate electricity has become so popular that in an article in CNNMoney.com, the Long Trail Brewing Company has signed a contract to become the largest commercial customer of Cow Power.

If the whole idea of Cow Power wasn’t genius enough, you can even buy a t-shirt with a clever slogan on it to support the program:

Since one cow’s waste can power enough energy to light two 100-watt light bulbs for 24 hours, and excess waste can be used for commercial farming, this seems like a win-win deal for the farmers and citizens in Vermont.

We’ve all heard about foreign exchange programs that let you stay with families from other countries, but have you ever heard of an organic farm exchange program?

Well that’s exactly what WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) is: a program that gives hosts a chance to share their organic farming experience with volunteers and allows volunteers to help hosts with daily organic farming activities…

We’ve all heard about foreign exchange programs that let you stay with families from other countries, but have you ever heard of an organic farm exchange program?

Well that’s exactly what WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) is: a program that gives hosts a chance to share their organic farming experience with volunteers and allows volunteers to help hosts with daily organic farming activities.

There are currently over 500 hosts in the U.S.

What is WWOOF?

WWOOF was created in the UK in 1971 as a way to find help for people working on organic farms.

The organic farm hosts provide housing and food for the volunteers, who in return help them with their daily farming tasks.

In exchange for helping hosts with daily tasks, volunteers:

• Don’t have to pay hosts for their stay
• Get free accommodations and food
• Learn about organic growing and lifestyles

The volunteers not only get to travel to different states or countries, but they also get to learn about the unique eco-lifestyles of these organic farmers.

Neither the hosts nor volunteers pay each other for the experience, but there is a small fee charged by the WWOOF network to maintain the program.

The best thing is that the program is available in so many different countries, from Australia and Costa Rica to Spain and Uganda. You can see a complete listing of countries here.

If you’d like to be a volunteer you can click here, or if you’d like to be a host you can click here.

This is truly a great opportunity for students or anyone interested in organic farming to get first-hand experience from professional organic farmers. There really are so many more things you can learn in person than by reading a book or watching a television show.

Californians are about to get a taste of the new zero emissions hydrogen fuel cell car from Honda.

Actually, some famous Californians such as Jamie Lee Curtis and 24 star Laura Harris, will get first dibs on the FCX Clarity, the latest green vehicle from Japan to come to America…

Californians are about to get a taste of the new zero emissions hydrogen fuel cell car from Honda.

Actually, some famous Californians such as Jamie Lee Curtis and 24 star Laura Harris, will get first dibs on the FCX Clarity, the latest green vehicle from Japan to come to America.

No Need to Clarify

There really is no need to tell consumers why the FCX Clarity is an amazing car.

Some of its green features are:

• Runs on hydrogen and electricity
• Emits water’not gas!
• Seating is made from Bio-Fabric, which is derived from plants
• Uses an efficient lithium-ion battery pack
• Twice as efficient as gas-electric hybrid
• Three times more efficient than standard gas car

Right now the Clarity is only being offered to a few dozen people over the next three years.

It will cost about $600 a month for a 3-year lease.

You can read the entire article on CNNMoney.com.

This new zero emissions vehicle was created by Honda to help them stay in the green technology market. It’s obvious that the Toyota Prius is the #1 green vehicle in America, but Honda hopes that the Clarity will be successful enough to outsell the Prius.

We’ll just have to see how the stars in California rate the greenness of the car.

Comic book fans were pleasantly surprised when this summer’s monster-sized film, The Incredible Hulk, became the #1 film of this past weekend. But the star of the film isn’t the only thing that’s green about this movie.

World Land Trust, an international organization dedicated to saving rainforests, and Universal Pictures, one of the largest motion picture companies in the world, are the new dynamic duo…

Comic book fans were pleasantly surprised when this summer’s monster-sized film, The Incredible Hulk, became the #1 film of this past weekend. But the star of the film isn’t the only thing that’s green about this movie.

World Land Trust, an international organization dedicated to saving rainforests, and Universal Pictures, one of the largest motion picture companies in the world, are the new dynamic duo that is encouraging fans of the movie to reduce their carbon footprint.

There are three different carbon calculators you can choose to use: flights, transportation and home.

You can see them here.

Just by filling in your information you can find out how much carbon you are emitting, and find ways to balance these emissions.

Once you complete this cool calculator, you can make a donation. All donations will go towards the World Land Trust’s Paraguay project, which helps restore various ecosystems in Paraguay that are home to over 117 species of mammals and 600 species of birds.

Read the full article here.

So you see, major Hollywood consumerism may be out to get your money, but at least one studio is going green in different ways.

Instead of boosting an actor’s salary, this money will boost the life of a natural habitat.

Let’s just hope an actor doesn’t buy the habitat and build a mansion on it.

Part of living an eco-lifestyle involves learning how to live peacefully with all creatures on Earth.

So imagine your surprise if you were admiring the beautiful environment of Italy and came upon a unicorn!

Well, it’s not actually a unicorn, but it is a 1-year-old Roe Deer that has a single horn in the center of its head…

Part of living an eco-lifestyle involves learning how to live peacefully with all creatures on Earth.

So imagine your surprise if you were admiring the beautiful environment of Italy and came upon a’.unicorn!

Well, it’s not actually a unicorn, but it is a 1-year-old Roe Deer that has a single horn in the center of its head.

You can see it here:

Born into captivity at the Center of Natural Sciences’ nature preserve park near Florence, it is believed that the animal might have acquired the unique horn due to trauma early in its life.

You can read the entire article here.

Horns always grown on the side of a deer’s head, so this is truly an amazing find.

This find proves that the unicorn, which inspired countless myths from past to present, might have been an actual living breathing creature.

An animal like this doesn’t come around often (or ever), so we hope the scientists at the center take good care of it.

Over the past 15 years water usage in the average UK household has risen by 23%, and most of the water consumption is contributed to washing machines.

But Xerox Limited, a company created by the University of Leeds, has come up with an amazing new trial washing machine that would use as little as a cup of water for each wash cycle…

Over the past 15 years water usage in the average UK household has risen by 23%, and most of the water consumption is contributed to washing machines.

But Xerox Limited, a company created by the University of Leeds, has come up with an amazing new trial washing machine that would use as little as a cup of water for each wash cycle.

Are you serious?

Absolutely.

The washing machine uses plastic chips that remove dirt and stains from clothes. The clothes remain dry and there is no need for a dryer.

These new machines would be an amazing alternative to traditional washing machines. Not only would water use be reduced, but so would the energy that it takes to heat the water.

You can read the entire article here.

Considering that 2 billion washing machines are sold every year in the UK, think of how much overall energy the country would be saving.

If these machines work, let’s hope they find their way to the U.S.

As gas prices continue to rise to over $4 a gallon, eco-conscious consumers are quickly trying to find alternatives to fuel-guzzling cars.

That’s why it’s great to know that Optibike, America’s largest electric bike manufacturer, is going to increase its electric bike production by 230%…

As gas prices continue to rise to over $4 a gallon, eco-conscious consumers are quickly trying to find alternatives to fuel-guzzling cars.

That’s why it’s great to know that Optibike, America’s largest electric bike manufacturer, is going to increase its electric bike production by 230%!

Bigger and Better

The Optibike Boulder, Colorado facility has more than doubled its size by taking over a Beech Aircraft building. That means more bikes and less gas consumption for commuters.

So what makes the Optibike so cool? Here are a few features:

• Powered by Motorized Bottom Bracket (pedal power is balanced with electric power)
• Uses a large lithium battery
• Range of 50 miles
• Speeds of up to 35 mph

Not to mention, it looks cool:

Also, in most states, riding the Optibike requires no registration, car insurance or license. So it’s readily available to almost anyone who is looking for a cheaper way to travel.

Well, it’s not so cheap to buy an Optibike. The prices range from $4,995-$12, 995, so if you can afford to buy one, then you’ll definitely get your money’s worth the more you use the bike.

You can read the entire article here.

If you’re a college student who likes to zip around campus, or a city resident that likes to get downtown quickly and efficiently, these bikes are perfect for you.

At the 2008 FORTUNE Brainstorm Green Conference, Think Global, a Norwegian company that owns the electric TH!NK vehicle, announced a partnership with energy giant General Electric.

With the growing demand for zero emissions green vehicles in North America, this partnership signaled an exciting joint venture to start production of the TH!NK Ox in November of 2010…

At the 2008 FORTUNE Brainstorm Green Conference, Think Global, a Norwegian company that owns the electric TH!NK vehicle, announced a partnership with energy giant General Electric.

With the growing demand for zero emissions green vehicles in North America, this partnership signaled an exciting joint venture to start production of the TH!NK Ox in November of 2010.

The TH!NK Ox will be the first ever 4/5-seater fully electric vehicle.

TH!NK Green

At the Brainstorm Green Conference, Chairman of TH!NK North America, Ray Lane said, ‘Today we are witnessing a seminal event – the first highway-capable electric vehicle intended for mass production, representing a big step towards a zero emission transportation industry.’

So why is this the TH!NK Ox so cool?

Here are some vehicle features:

• 100% emission free
• 95% recyclable interior material
• Solar panel roof
• Choice of sodium or lithium battery packs
• Can reach speeds of up the 62 mph in 8.5 seconds
• Can travel up to 155 miles on a full battery charge
• Using a high power off-board fast charger, batteries can be charged to 80% in less than an hour
• Key-less entry
• Features connectivity platform system with a personal desktop that displays music, internet and GPS navigation
• System is automatically charged during off-peak times
• Meets all European and U.S. federal motor vehicle safety requirements

Plus, it looks amazing:

You can read the full press release here.

If these TH!NK Ox vehicles become popular in the U.S., just ‘think’ of how much energy we’d be saving. Not to mention the amount of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions we’d be reducing.

And with such great green features, this might just lead to the production of more zero emission vehicles.

I recently came across one of the coolest gadgets I have ever seen on YankoDesign.com.

For all you green enthusiasts out there who struggle daily to keep your plants healthy and strong, the Pet Plant by Junyi Heo will make your life much easier.

The pet plant has an LCD display screen that shows various pictograms when it needs some attention…

I recently came across one of the coolest gadgets I have ever seen on YankoDesign.com.

For all you green enthusiasts out there who struggle daily to keep your plants healthy and strong, the Pet Plant by Junyi Heo will make your life much easier.

The pet plant has an LCD display screen that shows various pictograms when it needs some attention.

Yes, I did say LCD display.

Check it out:

The pot measures:

• Soil conditions
• Humidity
• Temperature
• Water

It’s apparently smart enough to tell you when any of these factors are negatively affecting the plant, and it can even drain itself into a water vessel.

It also gets its power by a USB interface that hooks up to your computer.

This is truly a cool and innovative gadget for greenies, and even though it does use energy from your computer, it’s also keeping alive a plant that will help circulate oxygen and clean air throughout your home.

Now, where can we get one?