The big city guide to going green

Consumers in San Francisco now have a handy resource to turn to for information on eco-friendly restaurants and retailers—and one that will save them money to boot!

The Green Zebra Guide is a shopping guide and coupon book, offering savings of over USD 12,000 at more than 250 local organic restaurants and shops, spas, yoga and Pilates studios, independent bookstores, bike shops, museums and more. Priced at USD 25, many customers will find that the guide pays for itself in just a few purchases.

Not only are customers inspired to go green, but the Green Zebra Guide is a great marketing tool for participating businesses, many of whom are local independents whose brands aren’t as recognizable as their larger chain competitors. The Green Zebra Guide’s outreach to the local community doesn’t stop there. Green Zebra donates a portion of their profits to the Conservation Connection Project, an environmental science initiative for area public schools. Schools and non-profits also can sign up to sell the guides as a fund-raiser, earning USD 10 for each copy sold.

The guide also features articles and tips on eco-friendly living, including a list of 20 steps you can take today for a greener tomorrow—all in all, a great reference for area residents who want to feel better about their impact on their community and environment. Currently, the Green Zebra Guide is limited to the San Francisco area, but as consumers everywhere become more environmentally conscious, this concept could gain popularity in almost any major city.

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Greener bricks, made from cow dung (Or, how Indonesian cows sh*t bricks)

We’ve covered the value of worm poop, and now it’s time for the merits of cow dung to come to the fore.EcoFaeBrick turns cattle waste into bricks that are greener, stronger and 20% lighter than regular clay bricks.

The Indonesian organization was set up earlier this year to tackle the problem of excessive waste in farming areas. From this, the ecological and economical solution of the Cow Dung Brick was born. There’s no visible difference between a traditional brick and the dung brick—and before you ask, there’s no smell either. Instead of using wood fire the dung bricks are fired using biogas, helping to further reduce carbon emissions. The new product also lets land be retained for farming, rather than being excavated for clay for conventional bricks, or becoming a health risk due to ‘too much dung’.

A green product that boosts the wealth of rural Indonesians, it’s not hard to see why EcoFaeBrick came first in the 2009 Global Social Venture competition. The company has identified 22 areas around Indonesia that they want to expand the project to, plus 22 more in other parts of the world. One to support, or otherwise get involved with!

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Socially responsible flip-flops upcycled from old newspapers

PaperFlops create flip-flops made from old newspaper, benefiting the underprivileged as well as the environment.

Recycled and upcycled products feature regularly here on Springwise. Just recently we’ve seen fortune cookie purses, surfboards and even shoes made with waste materials. Now a company in Indonesia,PaperFlops, are next to tread the eco-friendly footwear path with their flip-flop made from old newspaper, benefiting the underprivileged as well as the environment.

PaperFlops are made entirely from biodegradable materials; newspapers, coconut shells, palm tree roots and 100 percent natural rubber. They employ mentally and physically disabled workers as well as street children in Jakarta, Indonesia, providing education and training in arts and crafts to manufacture the handmade products. It takes approximately 1kg of old newspaper to produce a pair of PaperFlops, which keeps production costs low, while a natural sealant is used to ensure they are water-resistant and hard-wearing. Priced at EUR 31 a pair, PaperFlops are available in a range of models and sizes, and are currently seeking funding through Ulule.

Boasting green credentials is becoming a standard requirement for companies looking to boost their public profile. When this can be achieved at the same time as benefiting the less privileged, so much the better. Could your business kill these two birds with one stone through some equally creative thinking?

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Impact evaluation and interventions to address climate change: A scoping study

Source: Zunia, Tandfonline

This article argues that to ensure effective allocation of these resources, the selection and design of climate change mitigation and adaptation interventions should be based on evidence of what works, what doesn't work, under what circumstances and at what cost. Currently the evidence base on the impact of climate change interventions is minimal and there is a need for wider application of rigorous impact evaluation (IE) in the field.


Climate change interventions have much to learn from experiences in related fields, notably international development and conservation. The paper highlights some of the challenges faced when conducting IEs of climate change interventions and discusses how these can be tackled. Moreover, it discusses some of the key areas of mitigation and adaptation interventions and suggests how IEs could be implemented, using IEs from other policy fields as examples. It argues that despite the limited experience so far there are ample opportunities to conduct IE of climate change interventions.


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Change the way you think about your laptop

Source: WWF, Youtube

Change the way you think about food

Source: WWF, Youtube

Change the way you think about your morning latte

Source: Youtube, WWF

Good News for Indonesia's Forest

The U.S. and Indonesian governments signed an agreement on Sept. 29 that will result in $28.5 million in funding to protect a large block of forest land in Borneo, Indonesia. This land provides a home to various wildlife, absorbs harmful carbon emissions and supplies local communities with jobs and firewood. More ...

Source: WWF