Eco Product #1: Water heating boiler fueled by old newspapers.

Eco Product#2: Plant watering system that uses recycled plastic bottles.

Eco Product #3: Thin solar panel that only needs reflected/indirect light to power small devices.

Eco Product #4: Hand crank operated that uses  absolutely no water.

via Japan Probe

Learn How to Make Your Own Solar Panels

Convert Your Car to a Electric Vehicle

And if you haven’t heard of the word Mottainai before, it’s a Japanese word that is often translated to mean ‘ what a waste’ or ‘waste not, want not’ and is often used to describe the regret or shame at having wasted something.

According to the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs the word “mottainai”,  became a universal catchphrase through the campaigning of Kenyan environmental activist, Prof. Wangari Maathai based on her experience from a visit to Japan in 2005.  Since then her mottainai campaign has even added a forth R to the eco slogan : Reduce, Resue, Recycle … and Repair.

Prof. Wangari promoting "MOTTAINAI"

image from mottainai.info

The trend has shown itself recently in Japan according to a news article that recently appears on AFP about a super store in Japan has seen increased popularity in its mottainai corner, which contains items such as old soft drinks and seasonings that sell for less than a dollar.  Another popular mottainai trend has been the ‘My Hashi’ or  the “My Chopsticks” campaign which encourages everyone to use their own personal chopsticks even restaurants which are also ecnourage to discontinue use of traditional chopsticks make of wood.

How about you guys… any personal mottainai moments recently?

And if you need some great energy saving ideas check out this ebook that offers surprising information about converting your vehicle into an energy saving electric car.

Convert You Car to an Electric Vehicle

And if you are interested in saving money in our current economic crisis, find information on how to build your own solar power system.

Build Your Own Solar Power System

About a month ago I returned from a long vacation in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and what I loved the most was the excellent transportation system of trams and subways and of course the dutch bikes! Most bikes were the traditional petal powered but I did occasionally see an electric bike. When I taught English in Japan almost over ten years ago, there weren’t any electric bikes to be seen but now they are all the rage in Japan.  Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd is on the right eco path their recent announcement that they will introduce a solar bicycle parking lot in southern Japan at the Tokushima Prefectural Government office along with three of Sanyo’s electric hybrid bikes ‘eneloop’  bikes in March 2009. Well bravo to Sanyo and I hope the lot and bikes head to sunny California soon.

via Crunch Gear

And although most U.S. citizen drive cars instead of bikes, there is still hope for those of us not able to give up our vehicles. This ebooks offers surprising information about converting your vehicle in to an energy saving electric car.

Convert Your Car into Electric

And for those of us who live in the sunny West Coast states who are interested in saving money in our current economic crisis, find information on how to build your own solar power system.

Build Your Own Solar Power System

Sexy and Eco French Lingerie from g=9.8

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I thought now would be the perfect time to take a closer at romantic gift ideas for that Eco-friendly loved one. Yes, I know some of you are thinking the words ‘ecology’ and ‘romance’ aren’t normally used in the same sentence but there are some great Eco-friendly options available online that will let even the hard core Eco-defender add a touch of romance this Valentine’s Day.

SuperNaturale.com: D.I.Y: Undies

In this current economic crisis everyone is looking for ways to save money on this Valentine’s Day from home made dinners to massage oils. But how about taking that red t-shirt and crafting it into a pair of sexy undies. Super Naturale offers instructions and patterns to turn your old or new t-shirts into a new pair of panties or boxers.

http://www.supernaturale.com/articles.html?id=70

Pants to Poverty: Fair Traded Undies

Pants to Poverty offers a wide range of underwear for both men and women made from fair trade cotton in fun and comfy designs from prints to chemical and dye free options.

http://pantstopoverty.com/

Vive la France: Eco-Friendly French Lingerie

The French have been considered the leaders in the area of romance. Therefore  should be no surprise that a french company, g=9.8, offers a line of great Eco-friendly lingerie, stockings and lounge wear made from cultivated pine and manufactured in France.

www.g98.fr (French and English)