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Post tags: alternative transportation, collaborative consumption, conservation, e-waste, earth day, Gardening, hiking, Nature, recycling, solar chargers, Solar Power

‘It’s easy being green’.

‘Green is the new black’.

Are you tired of simplistic eco slogans and soundbites yet? This may come as a bit of a surprise — but I’m really starting to hate Earth Day. One might think that the editor of environmental-leaning publication like Inhabitat would live for Earth Day, but the opposite is true for me. I’m starting to come to the conclusion that Earth Day is just a shallow marketing opportunity for companies to jump on the green bandwagon and try to make some extra cash using eco-caché. Having one single day designated as Earth Day gives people and corporations an excuse to pay less attention to the environment the other 364 days of the year. The greenest and most innovative companies are not the ones running Earth Day marketing campaigns and giving out eco totes on April 22nd. In fact, you wouldn’t believe some of the ridiculous green-themed press releases I received over the past few weeks leading up to Earth Day. Read on for five of the most egregious examples of greenwashed Earth Day marketing gimmicks I’ve seen, and chime in with the most ridiculous gimmicks that you’ve run across in the comments – we’ll be collecting your submissions and adding them to our post!

Read the rest of Top Five Dumbest Greenwashed ‘Earth Day’ Gimmicks

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Post tags: carbon offsets, earth day, earth day 2010, eco tote bags, eco water bottle, environmental activism, environmental responsibility, gimmicks, green design, Greenwashing, sunchips bag, sustainable design

In light Earth Day and Earth Week, I wanted to share what “Earth” means in the Feng Shui world. When people ask me to describe Feng Shui, I tell them that it’s about much more than moving furniture around. Feng Shui is the original “green design,” and it is about creating harmony with Mother Earth by unifying our inner and outer environments. The inner and outer are not separate, because everything that we do to our earth – positive and negative – affects our daily experience. In Feng Shui we believe that everything is alive, including the earth. Read on to learn more!

Read the rest of Celebrate Earth Day With Feng Shui!

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Post tags: Chinese Five Elements, earth day, earth element, eco space, feng shui, feng shui your house, green home, green interiors, green you home, green your spaces, peaceful spaces, Sustainable Interiors

There is no bigger issue for the environmental movement right now than the Keystone XL Pipeline, a 3,400-mile pipe that would transport oil extracted from the tar sands in northern Alberta to the Gulf of Mexico. Because the pipeline would span two countries, the decision of whether or not to approve the Keystone pipeline ultimately rests in the hands of President Obama, and he has given no indication that he will oppose the pipeline. The public comment period for the pipeline ends today, April 22nd (Earth Day), and we urge you to send a personalized message to President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry asking them to reject the pipeline.

Read the rest of For Earth Day, Tell President Obama to Reject the Keystone XL Pipeline

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Post tags: earth day, earth day 2013, james hansen, Keystone pipeline protest, Keystone Pipes, keystone xl, keystone xl protest, oil pipeline, oil spill, Sierra Club, stop the pipeline, tar sands, tar sands pipeline

Read the rest of 6 Fun DIY Projects to Make for Earth Day

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Post tags: crafts, DIY, do it yourself, earth day, earth day crafts, earth day diy, eco design, green design, make it yourself, recycled crafts, recycled design, sustainable design

Earth Day is tomorrow – and our inboxes are already filled to the brim with marketing gimmicks and greenwashed products. In a sad turn of affairs, the environmental message behind Earth Day has been drowned out by marketing bravado and buried beneath mountains of “eco” tote bags and redundant reusable bottles. We’ve shared what we think are the 5 dumbest Earth Day gimmicks – and now we want to see the worst examples of Earth Day greenwashing that YOU have ever run across. Leave a comment below with the most audacious Earth Day greenwashing gimmicks you’ve seen and we’ll publish the most deplorable!

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Post tags: earth day, earth day 2013, earth day gimmick, earth day sale, eco incentives, Environment, green design, green products, Greenwashing, is it green, sustainable design, Waste

There are many ways to celebrate Earth Day but next year you can do it in style with your very own cuff from Wrecords by Monkey. Enter our drawing and you could be one of six people to receive this cool recycled vinyl cuff etched with geeked-out graphics depicting earth from space! A limited edition accessory, the “Looking Back” cuff comes with important words printed in bold type: Celebrate Earth Day. Hit the jump to find out how to enter this giveaway before April 23rd, 2013.

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Post tags: accessories, Competition, cuffs, earth, earth day, eco design, eco-fashion, green design, green fashion, Recycled Materials, space, sustainable design, Wrecords by Monkey

Earth Day 2013 takes place on Monday, April 22nd, and activities and events to celebrate our planet and mother earth will be taking place throughout the weekend. If you’re looking to celebrate with your family, and introduce the kids in your life to some eco-friendly ideas and facts, check out these eight easy Earth Day activities that kids of all ages can enjoy.

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Post tags: children earth day, children enviornment, earth day, earth day activities, earth day party, eco-friendly activities, eco-friendly games, eco-friendly kids, green holiday, kids activities, kids environment

Read the rest of 6 Awe-Inspiring Designs Made From Food!

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Post tags: 6 best, agricultural waste, Alison Knowles, Andrea Trimarchi, Art, arti performance, biodegradable designs, biodegradable materials, boom!, building blocks, cacao, canned food, Canstruction, chocolate weapons, Design Academy of Eindhoven, earth day, Eleanor Roosvelt High School, Eric de Laurens, fish scales, flour, Fluxus, food, food design, food photography, Formafantasma, french design, glasses, goggles, Héctor Galván, healthy eating, Israel, limestone, local produce, matthew carden, mexico, NYC, Omelette, orange peels, Ori Sonnenschein, political message, recycled fish scales, Recycled Materials, Recycled Plastic, recycles materials, Royal College of Art, salad, Simone Farresin, Skidmore Owings and Merrill, small landscapes, Small World, soft colores, Solskin Peels, sustainable food, tangy orange

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Post tags: 2012, Charity, earth day, eco design, energy audit, Gardening, green design, Nature, rooftop garden, sustainable design, vegan, volunteer

Happy Earth Day 2012!

Here at Inhabitat we like to treat every day like Earth Day – but that doesn’t mean we’re not going to give Mother Earth a little extra attention on April 22nd. The Inhabitat editors and contributors are celebrating Earth Day in a multitude of ways, from the foothills of the Rocky Mountains to the shores of New York, San Francisco, Buenos Aires, and beyond – read on for our plans! If you’re joining in with an environment-themed activity of your own we’d love to hear about it – sound off in the comments below. And if you don’t have any plans yet then make sure to check out our list of 10 awesome Earth Day activities for a little inspiration and read up on the history of Earth Day.

Read the rest of HAPPY EARTH DAY! What Are You Doing for Earth Day 2012?

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Post tags: earth day, Earth Day 2012, earth day activities, earth day ideas, Earth Week, inhabitant earth day 2012, Inhabitat Earth Day, inhabitat team earth day, what are you doing on earth day

Philips has announced that it will be launching the most energy-efficient, high performance light bulb ever made – the award-winning L Prize LED Bulb in stores on April 22, 2012, just in time for Earth Day. The bulb, winner of the U.S. government’s $10 million L-Prize, uses a mere 10W of energy to glow significantly brighter than a 60W incandescent bulb (at 940 lumens) – meaning it uses less than 1/6th of the electricity to output more light. The L Prize bulb retails for $60 but Philips will be discounting it to $50 for consumers and government rebates could reduce the price even more to $30. $50 might seem like a lot of money, but when you consider the energy bill savings each month, the durability and lack of mercury, and the fact that you won’t have to replace this bulb for 20 years, it becomes apparent how smart of an investment this is over the long term.

Read the rest of Philips’ Innovative New L Prize Winning 10W LED Bulb Will Launch for $50 on Earth Day

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Post tags: "energy efficiency", Award Winning LED Bulb, best bulb, CFL bulbs, earth day, eco design, eco lighting, energy saving lights, green design, green light bulb, green lighting, l prize, LED, LED bulb, LED light bulb, LED lights, LEDs, light emitting diode, phasing out incandescent bulbs, Philips, sustainable design, sustainable lighting, utility rebates

As Earth Day approaches this Sunday, many of us will contemplate our concerns over climate change, environmental destruction or dangers to our food supply, but do you know how this holiday first came to be? 42 years ago, the word “environment” was rarely used in daily conversation, until a picture in Time Magazine changed everything. Read on as we take a look back to the late 1960s to see why Earth Day started in the first place and how far society has come in caring for the earth.

Read the rest of The History of Earth Day: When and Why This Celebration Came to Be

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Post tags: central park, Cleveland, cuyahoga river, earth day, earth day history, environmental destruction, first earth day, gaylord nelson, history of earth day, New York., Pollution, republicans, smog, when did earth day start, who started earth day

Looking for a neat way to celebrate Earth Day with your family this year? Get your kids excited about honoring the Earth with one (or several) Earth Day activities. From planting seedlings and starting a school garden to creating an eco-friendly art project, we’ve come up with eight great Earth Day activities for you and your kids. But whatever you choose to do on this most important of holidays, remember to spend some time outside!

READ MORE >

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Post tags: arts and crafts, earth day, Earth Day art, Earth Week, Environment, green parenting, recycling, vegetarian food

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Post tags: alternative energy, bee population, Biodiversity, canopy loss, carbon emissions, Climate Change, deforestation, deforestation carbon, earth day, Earth Day 2012, energy issues, environmental destruction, extreme weather, food security, food wastage, fossil fuels, fsc certified wood, fuel efficiency, global warming, great pacific garbage patch, oceanic dead zones, overpopulation, Pollution, recycling, renewable energy, rising sea levels, tree planting, water pollution, water scarcity

Most energy-conscious people remember to turn lights off when leaving a room in order to save energy, but one conservationist named Randy Sarafan has taken this practice to the next level. In light of Earth Day, Sarafan has used his electronics skills to create a lamp that only turns on when your eyes are open, and shuts off when they are closed! The device hooks onto the user’s face, transforming them into a cyborg-looking energy conservation machine!

Read the rest of Energy Saving Light Only Turns On When Your Eyes are Open

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Post tags: earth day, eco design, energy conservation, energy conserving lamp, green design, ikea, Randy Sarafan, sustainable design

Do you know how to build solar panels? Convert a motorcycle to electric? Breed an endangered species? Make a house more earth-friendly? Earth Day San Francisco is seeking cool DIY projects that save energy, wildlife, or the earth. Exhibitors will be able to showcase a working demo, a hands-on activity for visitors, and build instructions. There’s no booth fee unless you’re selling something and space is limited so don’t miss the deadline! To apply, go to earthdaysf.org, or contact diy@earthdaysf.org by Friday, March 23, 5 pm PST.

+ Earth Day SF

The article above was submitted to us by an Inhabitat reader. Want to see your story on Inhabitat? Send us a tip by following this link. Remember to follow our instructions carefully to boost your chances of being chosen for publishing!

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Post tags: DIY, earth day, Earth Day Festival, earth day sf, earthdaysf, eco design, Green Design Events, green diy, San Francisco, San Francisco's Earth Day Festival, sustainable design

To get everyone excited about making every day Earth Day, we’ve teamed up with Linus Bikes to offer one lucky reader a chance to win a shiny new bicycle – and today is the last day to enter! What better way to green your lifestyle than by swapping your carbon-spewing car for a stylish and eco-friendly bike? Linus is offering the winner a sweet Roadster Sport or a Dutchi 3 bike with a Linus Market Bag in their choice of color. All you have to do is tell us what your resolution to make Earth Day every day is. Whether it’s switching to a veg-only diet or ditching plastic bags completely, pick one sustainable action that you will commit to for a whole year and post it in the comments below. The commenter with the best resolution will nab an awesome Linus Bike – so show us what you’ve got! Remember, the deadline is tonight, so if you haven’t already, enter now!

TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY:

1. SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER HERE > (If you are not already a subscriber). We’ll be announcing all the winners of our Earth Year Resolution Contest in our weekly newsletter, so if you want to find out if you won, you’ll need to receive it in order to claim your prize!

2. LIKE US ON FACEBOOK Just click on the “Like” button on the upper right hand corner of your screen right now.

3. LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW and share your Earth Year resolution for living a greener life! The deadline for this fabulous giveaway is Friday, April 29th. We’ll pick the comment we like best and announce the winner in our newsletter, so make sure you’re signed up!

Read the rest of LAST CHANCE to Win a Shiny New Linus Bike and Bike Bag (worth $730) for Earth Day!

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Post tags: earth day, earth day 2011, earth year resolutions, green committments, green resolutions, inhabitat earth day contest, inhabitat earth day giveaway, inhabitat earth year contest, linus bike, linus bike contest, linus bike earth year contest, linus bike inhabitat giveaway, linus bikes, linus bikes giveaway

LAST CHANCE TO WIN SOME AMAZING CRADLE TO CRADLE PRODUCTS – we’re giving away over $1000 worth of eco-friendly prizes!

In honor of Earth Week, last week we teamed up with eco design partnership MBDC to give four lucky readers four awesome Cradle to Cradle green home prize packages. But just because Earth Week is over, that doesn’t mean it’s too late to get in on this great giveaway! If you haven’t already entered to win a bounty of Method products and a Casabella Cleaning System (worth $100), a soft Shaw Ultra Shag Rug (worth $439), an ultra luxe Pendleton Eco-Wise Wool Blanket or the fabulous new SAYL Task Chair from Herman Miller, designed by Yves Behar (worth $749), you stil have ONE MORE DAY to make one of these prizes all yours! Contest ends midnight on Monday - jump ahead for all the deets on how to win!

Read the rest of LAST CHANCE: Enter Our Earth Week Giveaway to Win Over $1000 of Cool Green Products!

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Post tags: cradle to cradle certified, Cradle to Cradle philosophy, cradle-to-cradle, earth day, earth day giveaways, earth day prizes, Earth Month, Earth Week, earth week giveaways, earth week prizes, free stuff, giveaways, green giveaways, MBDC, William McDonough, win this

HAPPY EARTH THURSDAY INHABITAT READERS!

If you’ve been reading Inhabitat, you know that we’re celebrating Earth Day in a big way with our Earth Week Giveaway. In addition to offering up a super cleaning package from Method and Casabella, a luxe Eco-Wise wool throw from Pendelton and a super plush Ultra Shag Shaw Rug we’ve teamed up with MBDC to give one lucky reader this drool-worthy SAYL Task Chair from Herman Miller (worth $749*)! An envy inducing design created with the help of Yves Béhar, and inspired by the Golden Gate Bridge, the SAYL is made of 21% recycled content and can be easily disassembled for refurbishing and recycling. And with an intelligent frameless back support, this new Cradle to Cradle Certified^CM Silver product is designed to adapt to a person’s shape and movements all while giving the proper support. The lucky winner of this fabulous chair will also get to choose his or her own specs! Enter to win today!

*with the options shown in the image above

Read the rest of Enter to Win a SAYL Task Chair from Herman Miller (Worth $749)!