Lets face it, trying to determine which products really are safe, healthy, green and socially responsible is a drag. Even when we’re confident that products do, in fact, match our personal values, we’re not really interested in going that far out of our way to get them.

But what if there were another way?

Imagine, for a moment, if you had the power when shopping online to instantly reorganize any shopping website around your personal values. You could elect to only see products that avoid animal testing, are made by companies that respect human rights, or avoid controversial ingredients. Shopping would be based not on what retailers and brands want you to see, but rather on what you want to know.

That moment has arrived. It’s called the Transparency Toolbar developed by the team at GoodGuide. We’ve been working for the past few months to make it possible.

Once installed in your web browser, the Transparency Toolbar instantly reveals whether products you’re shopping for are safe, healthy, green and socially responsible. You can personalize your shopping experience by telling the toolbar which issues you care about – like nutrition, energy efficiency, organic, recycled materials, etc.

The Transparency Toolbar will then display whether products pass or fail on your key criteria, recommend alternative products that match your values, let you compare prices, and show you what other users think of those products.

It literally does all the informational gathering work for you and presents it in a clear, concise format at the bottom of your browser when you’re shopping. When you’re not shopping, it doesn’t appear at all. It’s the laziest and most convenient way I can think of to confidently shop for products online that match my personal values about my health, the health of my little boy, and the health of the planet.

To view more visit: Loll Designs

To understand the 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI you have to understand where it comes from: Just outside Chattanooga, TN there is a brand new, state-of-the-art, billion-dollar automotive production facility. The Passat is the only car they make in the new factory.

VW designed the new Passat at their headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany. Better still, they designed the new Passat specifically for the American market. It’s noticeably bigger than the old Passat; in fact, it’s noticeably roomier inside than the Camry and the Accord.

The torque-tastic TDI gets 43 miles per gallon on the highway which makes it the new industry class leader beating out the Camry, Fusion, and Sonata hybrids – yes you read that correctly, the TDI clean diesel technology outperforms hybrids when it comes to fuel efficiency. And there’s no fuzzy hybrid technology to be concerned about later. Officially, the TDI has a range of 795 miles per tank.

Because they designed the new Passat for Americans, they chose to include an impressive list of standard features: Bluetooth, dual-zone climate control, SiriusXM satellite radio, a sound system designed by Fender, and keyless remote entry and ignition in addition to the newfound legroom. The cockpit is both sleek and functionally convenient.

A Little More About Chattanooga

VW has created nearly 12,000 new jobs in Tennessee since opening the facility some months ago, on top of which they’ve taken some commendable strides toward green production.

They benefit from a number of environmental efficiencies including reflective white roofs on all buildings, a rainwater capture system that repurposes as much as 350,000 gallons of water every month for use in the plant’s cooling system and restrooms, high-efficiency lighting inside and out, and a high-efficiency paint application system.

When the cars are completed 80% of them are shipped by rail. When you consider that 85% of the 2,300 parts that make up the new Passat originate in North America, it makes for an impressive economic and environmental  strategy. It’s safe to say that Volkswagen has invested wisely in the great state of Tennessee. It was nothing short of uplifting touring the factory with twenty-plus automotive reporters who were noticeably taken by the sight of thousands of Americans working away proudly in quality manufacturing jobs.

“We are very proud of the new plant’s environmental efficiency. As well as collecting rainwater for re-use in the facility, we have reduced CO2 emissions by 20% in our paint process because we don’t use filler. There’s more: In most car plants, the waste paint (or overspray) turns into sludge that ends up getting diluted with 50,000 gallons of water a day. But the paint in our new factory drops onto dry limestone powder that is then recycled in a local cement kiln, thus saving all that water,” Mark Gillies, Manager, Product & Technology in Chattanooga.

TDI Means Clean Diesel

To be clear, we’re big fans of Volkswagen’s TDI clean diesel vehicles here at the Lazy E. To start, VW designs and produces excellent quality cars that are fun to drive. The TDI relies on a very advanced transmission that results in peppy yet smooth, high torque acceleration. Josh has owned his TDI wagon for more than a year now (yes, he paid retail, no hookups involved).

Diesel is very popular throughout the rest of the world, including much of Europe. As the price of gasoline continues to rise steadily, we’re predicting you’ll see more diesel cars here in the States, especially when you consider the superior fuel efficiency to the hybrids without the price premium typically associated with those models. Good for the planet, good for your wallet, and good for your leggy friends in the backseat.

Replenish’s design is so clever that it overcomes this obstacle. While many companies and people tracking green consumer behavior bemoan the fact that consumers are allegedly too lazy to use high concentrated products that require extra steps to use, Replenish just went ahead and designed a cool, real-world solution that dispenses with the issue. That’s green thinking at its finest.

See More: Replenish

Below is the Cycle Chaise which utilizes wood reclaimed from the once iconic boardwalk of Coney Island.

For More Visit: Uhuru

For More Visit: TRTL BOT

Via: Cool Hunting

Some perceive embracing a green lifestyle as sacrifice. Others perceive living a green lifestyle as an elitist enterprise. Well, a brand new site has arisen to promote a dialogue that counters eco-elitism and seeks to make environmentalism accessible. It’s called Eco-Snobbery Sucks. I laugh every time I think about the name. Check it out. I think you’ll like what you find.

Great ideas are often born of necessity. In Bora Bora, high fuel costs combined with warm temperatures forced the owners of the Intercontinental Hotel there to search for an alternative way to prove air conditioning to its remote, luxury, oceanfront hotel.

They hit upon an idea. Rather, they borrowed an idea from Marlon Brando. Yes, you read that correctly. Marlon Brando once conceived the idea of air conditioning buildings using deep sea water (the video attests to it).

Click here to view the embedded video.

So, in 2007 the Tahiti Beachcomber Corporation put the idea to the test when building the new hotel. Instead of relying upon fossil fuels for energy, air conditioning to the hotel rooms, spa and restaurants is powered by deep sea water. So is all refrigeration in the hotel’s kitchen.

It’s an awesome green idea, and it’s the kind of idea that if replicated in many parts of the world could have profound implications for cutting carbon emissions while staying cool and comfortable.