Valentines day is less than a month away, if you’re shopping for your environmentally conscious girlfriend or you want to look sexy for you eco-hero boyfriend this is the Valentines Day to do sexy right - by the earth’s standards.

Here’s our top picks for Valentines Day 2009 - Be sure to order your Internet purchases early to ensure delivery by Saturday, February 14th 2008!

BambooDreams Cleo Gown by DreamSacks, Inc

This lovely nightgown is an empire waist, tank top that comes just above the knees. Made from 85% pesticide free bamboo - a sustainable and renewable resource. A beautiful cozy nightgown is a great deviation from PJ pants and will get much more wear for you dollar! Make every night as sexy as Valentines Day! Available in 6 colors, from small to x-large.

Price: $57 USD
Available from Dreamsack.com

Perfectly Imperfect Organic Cotton Lace Nighty

A beautiful imperfect gown - it’s fitted through the bodice with adjustable straps. Made from 90% Organic cotton the contrasting lace adds beautiful detail in numerous shades. The line is inspired by the wabi sabi way of life, an ancient Chinese philosophy for thos who like fresh simplicity and rustic natural beauty. Available in 5 colors, from small to large.

Price: $62 USD
Available from TheGreenLoop.com

O Girl Babydoll

Soft, delicate with all the bows, frills and lace a girl loves. An eco-conscious girl will love that it’s 100% Organic cotton jersey. As seen in Lucky Magazine in December 2008. Available in 2 colors, from small to large.

Price: $57 USD
Available from Eberjey.com

Mya Underwear by g=9.8

This hot bra and boxers set is made from ultra soft recycled white pine-tree pruning. Available in red and blue using low impact dyes. Sizes A-C and small - large.

Price: Separates are 38.95 / 21.40 ea. EU
Available from By Nature

Bedrock Betty Chemise by Enamore, Ltd.

How about some Flintstones for Valentines Day? This racy number is made from soft bamboo leopard print jersey with delicate details and a pink bow to complete the look. Get some animal on in the bedroom! Available in sizes small to x-large.

Price: 75 EU
Available from ENAMORE, Ltd.

Camisole & Boy Short Set by CEL Lingerie

This hot two piece is fair trade friendly 95% Organic cotton. The French embroidered lace accents perfect the pieces with beautiful detail. She can be comfortable and sizzle in this machine washable number! Available in two colors in sizes small to large.

Price: $155
Available from Noblivity.com

Sleeper Set

Simple can be sexy too! This cozy two piece sleeper set is made from Organic cotton with adorable ruffled edge accents. Available in black in small and medium sizes.

Price: $54 (marked down from $90 thru Jan 31) Available from Kaight

Lacey Set Handmade by Urban Fox

A sexy two piece - this perfect pair features wide lace details and a perfect unfinished touch. Adjustable or silk ribbon straps tie options at the shoulder and the lace detailed panties have extra tiers of wide lace across the bum. Too cute! All of it is sewn by hand using Organic cotton and bamboo blends. Available in sizes small - large.

Also check out their stocking and garter panties sets that would compliment the lacy cami look perfectly!

Price: $85 Cami set / $75 Stocking set
Available from Urban Fox xoxo

Green Knickers

These adorable panties are one size fits all with adjustable straps. They are low carbon, 100% recycled, with Organic cotton gussets. Each pair is unique and their site has a number of different colors to chose from. Each order includes an optional fair trade, recycled gift box. Guys, you can’t go wrong with a one size fits all gift! Just find a cure simple organic cotton cami to go with it and you’ve got a beautiful set.

Price: 15 EU
Available from GreenKnickers

Victoria’s Secret Organic Cotton Wireless Bra and Hip Huggers

Victoria’s Secret is starting to get into the Organic game and this new set is beautiful. In the past they have typically stuck to Organic cami, panties and shirts, but this bra is adorable. It’s refreshing to see them continuing to step into the Organic cotton apparel market. I own a number of VS Organic cotton cami’s and panties and i love them. I prefer them over all the other bottoms I own! There’s two matching prints for the set and it’s available in x-small - large.

Price: $26 USD Bra / $10 USD Hip Huggers
Available from Victoria Secret Online

More Ideas?

Got any other ideas, post ‘em in the comments! Don’t forget to find ways to jazz up boring lingerie you already own, a little lace, bows and some ruching will spice up any piece.

This feed comes from Green Behavior The specific article's link is: Top 10 Eco Lingerie for a Very Green Valentines Day

I stopped at Walgreens earlier this week to pick up a prescription and found all the holiday gift packs on sale. Amongst them a green product that caught my eye.

I snagged a 5 brush set of EcoTools makeup brushes and bamboo holder for $5 usd in a post-holiday gift set sale. I’ve been using the brushes ever since and I love them.
Even when not on a super duper clearance EcoTools’ makeup brushes and bath products are really affordable. The powder brush is only 7.99 usd, the blush brush 6.99 usd and the eye shading brush only 3.99 usd.

I’ve use cheap drug store makeup brushes in the past and those end up in the trash quickly. I also own a number of MAC brushes that I adore and would highly recommend to any woman looking to play up her makeup a bit.

Even beauty blogs picked up on these great brushes earlier this year noting, as I did, that the brushes were not like those other synthetic brushes you’ve used before.

This earth-friendly brush set is packed with the 5 high-quality brushes you need to look beautiful.

What makes EcoTools Makeup Brushes green??

• Bamboo handle has a low impact on the earth’s resources as it is a highly sustainable plant that can grow up to 4 feet daily
• Synthetic taklon bristles are made from soft and pliable synthetic hair and are 100% cruelty free.
• Sleek ferrule (silver band that holds bristles) is made from recycled aluminum.
• EcoTools utilize resources that minimize the negative impact on the environment
• EcoTools (a product of Paris Presents) is part of the 1% for the Planet program

They often come in very un-green, PVC packaging and while noted in last months’ post on treehuger the company states they use the acid-free PVC packaging with plant-based inks intending the consumer will use it to protect the brush or a great case to use when traveling or on-the-go.
You can get a set of 5 brushes inside a natural cotton and hemp case. Which might be more along your green lines of ‘reusable packaging’ standards.
The gift set I purchased with the bamboo cup came in recyclable plastic and cardboard - so maybe in the future we will see this company use greener packaging solutions and let us buy a vinyl case on our terms only.

I can’t fault a company for not going 100% with their products or product lines. As far as I’m concerned it’s always better to start getting green then wait till it’s convenient to go 100% green. Do what you can - to go as green as you can - now!

More Info

• Learn more about ecoTools
• Buy ecoTools at Walgreens
• Buy ecoTools at Target

This feed comes from Green Behavior The specific article's link is: Eco Makeup Brushes - EcoTools

Organic, by definition, is the practice of creating, involving or growing something using renewable resources of carbon origin (animal or vegetable) while using environmentally friendly, if not environmental enhancing, methods.

USDA Defines Organic

But what organic mean as it pertains to USDA certification of organic produce? As defined by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) website:

“What is organic food? Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation^[1].

Translating USDA’s Definition of Organic

Time out, there’s a lot of terms in that definition that elude to radioactive giant tomatoes taking over the world and fields of crops filled with toxic sludge and littered with the barrels clearly labeled with a scull and crossbones.
I apologize, I have an overactive imagination.

So let’s stop guessing about what sewage sludge, ionizing radiation and growth hormones are and do some digging and research into the topics and how they affect our non-organic (also known as conventional) food.

Antibiotics / Growth Hormone

Antibiotics and growth hormones are given to animals to reduce the time in which it takes for an animal to have enough meat to be profitable or used to keep the cycles for producing milk and laying eggs shorter to increase profitability.

The steroid hormones used in food production are restricted by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Steroid hormones are usually released into the animal from a pellet (ear implant) that is put under the skin of the ear. The ears of the animals are thrown away at slaughter.^[2]

Conventional Pestisides

Conventional pesticides are non-organic pesticides. All pesticides are evaluated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) thoroughly before they can be marketed and use in the U.S. This evaluation checks that the pesticides mean with federal standards to protect the environment and human health.^[3] Organic pesticides are made from organic products and carbon based solutions where as conventional pesticides are man made and use non-organic chemical compounds.

Over the years pesticides have been linked to different diseases such as breast cancer, infertility and other birth risks and childhood behavior and physiology.

Synthetic Ingredients in Fertilizers

Synthetic ingredients are man made ingredients or ingredients not carbon based or naturally occurring in nature. Remember, the quote form the USDA states “fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients” regarding synthetic ingredients. Some synthetic ingredients are still allowed in USDA Certified Organic food which has caused controversy in the organic community since since the National Organic Standards went into effect in 2002.

Sewage Sludge / Biosolids

Yes, I said sewage sludge, which by definition is waste material from industrial, waste water or water treatment processes. Sewage sludge is treated into a material called biosolids which are then often used as fertilizers or soil conditioners in conventional growing methods.

Though the biosolids go through a complicated chemical process, called the activated sludge process^[4] it can still contain toxic material as the process does not always remove 100% of the pathogens (germs) which can regrow after the process is complete and the biosolid based fertilizer/product is created. In order for a product to be USDA-certified organic sludge or biosolids, cannot be used, though it is often used in conventional farming.

Sewage sludge has been under fire for it’s effects on the environment since as 1972 when the EPA authorized regulations on dumping sludge and other waste in the ocean through a permit program, in the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act of 1972. Five years later in 1977 the act passed by the U.S. Congress as Public Law 95-153, amending the 1972 act. This 1977 law prohibits ocean dumping that “may unreasonably degrade the marine environment” by December 31, 1981.^[5]

Sewage sludge has been under fire for it’s effects on the environment since as 1972 when the EPA authorized regulations on dumping sludge and other waste in the ocean through a permit program, in the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act of 1972. Five years later in 1977 the act passed by the U.S. Congress as Public Law 95-153, amending the 1972 act. This 1977 law prohibits ocean dumping that “may unreasonably degrade the marine environment” by December 31, 1981.^[5]

The President [Ronald Reagan] on November 18 signed into law the Ocean Dumping Ban Act of 1988, which prohibits all municipal sewage sludge and industrial waste dumping into the ocean after December 31, 1991.^[6] The Ocean Dumping Ban Act of 1988 made significant amendments to the 1972 act and now landfill, incineration, composting and pelletization are some of the alternative disposals and uses of the biosolids.

For me this explains a lot about why the USDA won’t certify matter fertilized with biosolids as organic when the EPA deems this matter unsafe to dump in the ocean.

Bioengineering

Bioengineering is when scientist use the modern biotechnology tools to insert new genes into a crop to give it more favorable new characteristics.

To say that bio engineered crops are the only generically modified crops would be inaccurate. For thousands of years horticulturalist have been genetically modifying plants in more traditional (or classical) plant breeding methods. Classical plant breeding uses deliberate interbreeding (crossing) of closely or distantly related individuals to produce new crop varieties or lines with desirable properties.^[7]

In additional to bioengineering and classical plant breeding there is also organic plant breeding which follows it’s own set of rules.

Ionizing Radiation

In relation to food, ionizing radiation is used in sterilization, and enhancing mutations of a plant. The growth of a seedling may be enhanced by radiation, but excessive radiation will hinder growth^[8]. There are strict regulations from the FDA to prevent the occurrence of induced radioactivity in the food we eat. The FDA’s ionizing radiation regulations can be found in the FDA guidelines Title 21 - Chapter I - Subchapter B - Part 179 on the FDA Website.

Outlined on an online excerpt from Dr. Vanee Komolprasert’s 2007 publication Packaging for Non Thermal Processing of Food you can see a table simply defining the regulations and how they pertain to certain foods (see table 6.2)

Summary

So for USDA certification food must be produced:

• Without antibiotics (animal)
• Without growth hormones (animal)
• Without using most conventional pesticides
• Without using fertilizers with non-carbon based ingredients or sewer sludge (biosolids)
• Without any bio engineering
• Without ionizing radiation
• With conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality

Find out more about what other regulations there are on USDA certified organic foods on the USDA’s National Organic Program web page.

Additional References

• Organic & Farming
  • USDA’s National Organic Program web page - Find out more about what other regulations there are on USDA certified organic foods
  • Organic - Organic as defined on dictionary.com
  • Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 / 2008 Farm Bill - More information about the 2008 bill
• Biosludge & Ocean Dumping
  • Ocean Dumping Ban Act - Article about the 1988 act
  • Marine protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act - From Digest of Federal Resource Laws of Interest to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• Irradiation & Pesticides in Food
  • Ten Most Commonly Asked Questions About Food Irradiation - March 1995 - Radiation Information Network’s: Food Irradiation from Idaho State University
  • What is Ionizing Radiation? - Information from the World Health Organization
  • Food Irradiation: The treatment of foods with ionizing radiation - July 1998 - U. S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition
  • Pesticides and food - The Library of Congress Science Tracer Bullet Series - Science Reference Services
• Bioengineering, Antibiotics & Hormones in Food
  • FDA: are bioengineered foods safe - February 2000 by Larry Thompson
  • How much of our food is bio engineered - May 22, 2003 - Genitically modified food by Brendan I. Koerner
  • The Use of Steroid Hormones for Growth Promotion in Food-Producing Animals - July 2002 - FDA responds to the use of steroid hormones in animals

This feed comes from Green Behavior The specific article's link is: What is Organic?

Welcome to the brand new green behavior!

Here we are about going green in any way shape or form. Over the next few months you’ll see this site really start to get going with articles reviewing green/organic products as well as discussions about what different buzzwords associated with the green movement really mean.

We’re about educating the public about what all of this means to you and what you mean to all of this. Hope you stick around, subscribe to the RSS feed to keep up to date!

This feed comes from Green Behavior The specific article's link is: Green Behavior is Getting Started