Who: EnergyHub – New York, NY

What: The Smart Thermostat

Where: EnergyHub – coming soon!

Why We Love ‘Em: Not sure if any of you have ridden in a Prius, but we got to take a tour of Oregon in a Prius through wine country to the coastal sand dunes and along the Columbia River.  Along the way, it was hard not to get caught up in the game of how high the miles per/gallon was particularly the amount of energy we were gaining on the downhill from Mount Hood. Felt like we were able to get better mileage because we were more aware of the amount of energy we were using at any point in time. So imagine if you could monitor your household energy consumption in the same way… Click to continue »

Who: VersAudio; Wayland, MA
What: iPod Nano & iPhone Cases

Where: Vers Audio – $39.99 & on black friday they are offering a 50% off special with coupon code vers50!

Why: You were the first to get and iPod, the first to get an iPhone and the first to clumsily chuck them on the sidewalk…oops. But have no fear, now you can get a ‘beautiful, tough and very renewable’ case to protect your ‘precious.’

The Vers cases are handcrafted from your choice of sustainably sourced hardwoods or mature bamboo. Steel pins in the corners and a UV and moisture resistant finish provide added strength and protection.

Click to continue »

Who: Motorola; Albuquerque, NM (HQ)

What: Motorola W233 Renew Cell Phone

Where: T-Mobile or AT&T, $9.99 when you renew your existing plan. Through April 30th, new T-Mobile subscribers qualify for a free phone and $100 cashback. For other providers, look for an unlocking code – see PC Magazine.

Why: Wish this phone was on the market when I was shopping for my last phone. I spent a week looking for a more environmentally friendly option and the best my Verizon rep could offer was a phone that was green, as in the color green…..meet Motorola’s Renew, a cell phone that is actually green. Click to continue »

I have been in the market for a new laptop and ideally would like to find the greenest model out there. You know one that is Energy Star rated, made of recycled or sustainable materials, can be recycled, refurbished, easy to upgrade, long lasting materials and battery, etc. And that’s when I stumbled upon the Wood Shell prototype by Fujitsu Limited…..a laptop shrouded in wood instead of plastic!! So incredibly cool. The shell is made of a thinned cedar and bio-based plastics are used for the housing and parts. Alas doesn’t look like this will go into production anytime soon……….

On a side note, when shopping for a laptop or a PC, be sure to check out the EPEAT rating (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool). EPEAT is very comprehensive and strict rating system implemented by the GEC (Green Electronics Council) that analyzes criteria across eight categories including Reduction/Elimination of Environmentally Sensitive Materials, Material Selection, Design for End of Life, Product Longevity/ Life Cycle Extension, Energy Conservation, End of Life Management, Corporate Performance and Packaging. To find out if your PC or laptop of choice has qualified for a bronze, silver or gold rating go to EPEAT.com, and if it hasn’t – keep looking!

Who: Vers Audio; Wayland, MA

What: Bamboo iPod Docking Station

Where: Vers Audio, $179.99-$199.99, free shipping & get $30 off if you recycle your old docking station

Why: Not all i-pod docking stations are created equal. Vers Audio offers a unique and sleek solution to the i-pod docking station. With sustainability in mind, they avoided plastics, glues and non-recyclable components to create a high performing audio system. Using all natural woods from sustainable managed forests, using screws instead of glues and using recyclable packaging along with an 80% more efficient amplifier, the result is an eco-friendly system that looks great! Will keep you posted on the sound quality-it would make sense that the tones resonating from woods would be far superior to those from plastics………

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Update: July 28, 2008 – Thanks for the votes of confidence–I am now the proud owner of a Vers!! And I have to agree the sound quality is great and the design is impeccable.  Note to buyer’s, word is that Vers most recent order from the manufacturer got lost in the mail so there is limited supply right now and the Vers site only has cherry availabe.  Also, have heard the complaint that if you use your i-phone with the Vers, the i-phone automatically switches to ‘airplane’ mode meaning that you will not be able to receive incoming calls.