We see a lot of plans for new green buildings but an existing iconic tower is getting an eco-makeover. The famous Sears tower in Chicago was the world's tallest skyscraper when it was built in 1973. The new plan calls for installing wind turbines and PV to reduce energy use by 10% (the building has already reduced energy consumption by 50%). Adrian Smith of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture spoke about the project at this week's Cityscape conference and said it also calls for new lighting systems, extra insulation and a green roof. The Building website has video of Smith talking about the greenification which is expected to cost over $145 million.

In what is touted as the "art of beauty without artifice," Fekkai & Co. introduces its new Au Naturel line, hair care made from luxurious plant-based ingredients such as calendula petals, tonka bean and ginger--and no evil sulfates, parabens or synthetic fragrance. Shampoos, conditioners and styling products start at $23 per 40%-recycled-bottle.

In Los Angeles, Derringer Cycles are the new Bentley. Whether you want to go green or just look good doing it, you'll want one of these moto-hybrids.. You can reach speeds of 40mph, pedaling not required. (Hence the hybrid in moto-hybrid: you can pedal as if on a traditional bike, use the engine for assistance, or rely completely on your bike's 4-stroke engine.) Depending on how often you choose to pedal, your moto-hybrid can get up to 180 miles per gallon.

The Derringer cycle was conceived by famed industrial designer Adrian Van Anz (Brad Pitt is a fan) to "take the compromise out of environmentalism," riffing on parts Ducati and parts Schwinn. You can order up your hand-built cycle in splashy colors ranging from Fresco Blue to Bad Girl Pink (there's Good Girl Pink, too), or custom paint jobs like 22-carat engine-turned gold. Check out the gallery for all the cool options.

Derringer has a retail store at 7954.5 West 3rd St., L.A. and can talk bikes with you over the phone at 323-944-0091. Cycles sell for $3,500.

The Ray from Quicksilver: it looks tough and it means business when it comes to being earth-friendly. Designed for and made of eco-conscious materials and concepts, THE RAY features ebony wood from sustainable forests, 100% recycled steel and aluminum, 100% solvent-free links, and it needs no batteries thanks to automatic movement (which has an awesome lifespan of up to 10 years).

The watch is 86% recyclable and there's a special program in place for getting the watch back once it's long little life is over. Only 1,000 of them will be made and available starting this November for about $500 each, and you can see a cool video of how they're put together here.

Rising fuel prices have some curious and wide-ranging consequences. The Financial Times reports it may be making your Champagne bottles thinner. Champagne bottles traditionally weigh more than a bottle of still wine in order to contain the pressure of sparkling wine. Bottles used to be smashed against ship bows for launching are thinned for easy breakage. But thinner bottles take less energy to create and are cheaper to ship.

G.H Mumm, the Champagne house owned by Pernod Ricard has completed a trial production run of bottle which weigh 835 grams (around 1.84 pounds which is a couple of ounces lighter than regular bottles which are 900 grams). The lighter bottles will be put in caves where the bottles will age.

The lighter bottles will save money on fuel because more of them can be loaded on each truck. Pommery, which already uses the bottles, says that if all the Champagne houses switched to lighter bottles there would be 3,000 fewer trucks on the road each year.

Prince Charles has long been known for his eco-efforts including driving a wine powered car. But Queen Elizabeth is green-minded too. The Daily Telegraph reports that Queen Elizabeth who has also set up an energy-saving committee at Buckingham Palace, is turning Balmoral, her Scottish estate, into a property that is completely energy self-sufficient. A small hydro-electric plant has been installed at at Balmoral and it sells electricity to the national grid. The plant was developed on the Gelder Burn, a stream in the estate forest and generates enough power for Balmoral and for 1,000 private homes in the area. A water-driven turbine was originally installed in the 1920s to provide electricity, in the 1950s it was used to power the estate sawmill, and now since the mill is no longer in use a generator was installed which allows the turbine to be connected to the National Grid and offer power to the surrounding homes.

The Balmoral woodlands are registered with the Forestry Stewardship Council which supports sustainable forestry worldwide and all farming practices are registered with the Soil Association, which promotes organic food and farming. The estate is also a big recycler turning tons of organic waste into compost each year. Even the royal protection officers pedal around the estate on bicycles and use their vehicles less. It's all part of the Queen's commitment to climate change initiatives, a stance which she has urged other nations to adopt.

It's not quite Brad Pitt body wash but the architecture-loving dad has teamed up with Kiehl's on their new new Aloe Vera Biodegradable Liquid Body Cleanser. The product is the popular skincare brand's first item that is completely eco-friendly right down to the packaging and is certified by Cradle to Cradle. Pitt won't be appearing on the bottle or in the advertising but he did pen a hand-written note that will be on the bottle. All the profits benefit JPF Eco Systems, a charitable foundation created by Kiehl's and Brad to support global environmental initiatives. The project hopes to raise $1 million for charity with the first funds raised earmarked for Pitt's Make It Right foundation, which builds eco-friendly housing for those affected by Hurricane Katrina.

A new Facebook application has been launched to help winelovers go green. Four Napa and Sonoma County vineyards: Girard Winery, Iron Horse Vineyards, Windsor Sonoma Vineyards, and Windsor Vineyards, are behind Green My Vino. The application lets Facebook users to give each other free online gifts worth an one, five or ten minutes of renewable energy. For each of these gifts Village Green Energy will purchase the equivalent amount of renewable energy on the user's behalf. Each winery has a set minutes goals and once the goals has been met at one, the focus moves to the next winery. First up, Iron Horse Vineyards which has has agreed to power their entire operation with renewable energy when Facebook friends have gifted each other with 10,000 minutes of solar and wind power. Girard Winery has a goal of 17,000 minutes, Windsor Vineyards has a gold of 30,000, and Windsor Sonoma's goal is 45,000 minutes.

Village Green estimates that if the app is successful the wineries will purchase over 1.2 million kWh of renewable power to power the four initial wineries entirely with green energy for a year based on their past electricity use. They will purchase the renewable energy certificates from Mountain View II Wind Facility in Palm Springs and several solar arrays in Los Angeles.

[via Wine Business]

Going green is all the rage and it's seeping into everything -- even into the casino gaming industry! EGM Green is now offering what they tout as the first ever 100% eco-friendly line of casino gaming products. The main attraction is their line of gaming tables (like the poker table shown above) plus they also make seating for tables and slot machines and luxury lounge furniture. Everything for indulging your hobby and getting the complete casino experience, whether in your home or business.

Speaking of that, does anybody know of any eco-friendly/LEED certified casinos?

So you do yoga, and love it. But your mat is, well, a big bore. And sharing mats at the gym ... um, no thanks. Go upscale and green with a Mindful Mat from Plank Designs ($85). These cool-looking mats feature high-quality photos in four themes, Cobra (main photo; get it? snake in the grass?), Pill, Plank and Shag (gallery), and are made with eco-conscious materials. They're constructed of EcoLite, an eco-composite synthetic rubber, and EcoCell, a recycled polyurethane foam, and are biodegradable and recyclable. They do not contain rubber, later or PVC and don't use a lot of energy to produce. You'll have a clear conscience, to go along with your clear head, when you leave class.

P.S. Also offered are three text design mats ($65, gallery), "Bling," "Me," and "Chocolate," though I'm not sure whether these meet the eco-standards of the photo mats.

It couldn't be more true that in order to have a healthy world we have to have healthy children, and Healthy Child Healthy World is a non-profit organization that makes that principle their main aim by working to protect our youth from harmful environmental exposures. Working through education, laws, governmental agencies, advocacy, and spreading awareness of environmental issues this charity is a no brainer because not only are they helping kids but they're also helping the environment (something we could all be doing more of).

Richard Branson, the charismatic chairman of the Virgin Group of companies, is planning a new eco-friendly resort on Mosquito Island. The island, which is part of the British Virgin Islands, is one of two Branson owns in the Caribbean. His Necker Island is already a private retreat for the wealthy and famous, even hosting the wedding of Google co-founder Larry Page. Mosquito Island is a tiny piece of land off the island of Virgin Gorda and within view of Necker Island. Branson's dream is to plop down 20 villas and a beachfront restaurant powered by wind turbines and solar panels on the uninhabited land. The buildings would capture cool thermal airflows, eliminating the need for air conditioners, an organic orchard would provide food and beach buggies would run on biofuels.

The British Virgin Islands planning department is currently reviewing Branson's design plans for the Mosquito resort. The government response seems positive so far and they are especially impressed by the green angle. Branson is also planning to launch a consulting group, Virgin Green Owls, which will advise governments and corporations on carbon neutral projects this August.

Philippe Starck has been pretty busy designing stuff lately, considering just a few months ago he was proclaiming that "design is dead" and announcing his retirement. I guess the most creative minds have the most persuasive demons, and it seems Starck is trying to learn from his: after proclaiming that "everything he had ever designed was useless" he's now on to designing something truly useful and trendy: a mini-turbine designed for people to use at home to generate their own wind power.

The mini-turbine is made of clear polycarbonate (the lack of color is apparently a statement about there being so much materiality in the world) and is capable of providing 20-60% of the power needs for the average home. It will be available this coming September with a price tag around $600.

I'm not going to say that these Recycle Lights by Johanna Keimeyer are pretty because they really aren't (in my opinion), but that doesn't mean I don't like them. Inspired to re-purpose the ugly plastic bottles we all see laying all over the place to into something use-able again, Johanna Keimeyer took a trip through Europe that resulted in this unique collection of eclectic lights that incorporate bottles from water, soda, detergent, and numerous other products. They're especially interesting to me because they look so completely different when the inner bulb is illuminated versus when it isn't. Plus with all that melting and twisting they look really fun to put together!

Since 1986, Rails to Trails Conservancy has been repurposing old railroad tracks into hiking and biking trails with its goal to create "nationwide network of trails from former rail lines and connecting corridors to build healthier places for healthier people."

I'd heard about this group, but forgot about it until a few days ago, when taking a different route home, I noticed two nearby streets had dedicated bicycle lanes, and my memory was sparked. I think this group has more significance than ever, as more and more people are going green, and walking and biking more. The conservancy even has a pledge you can sign to "Burn Calories, Not Carbon!" I like that this group was ahead of its time, and isn't just jumping on the green bandwagon, or "greenwashing" its claims.

The conservancy has a strong political arm, defending the federal railbanking statute in Congress and the courts as an essential tool to preserve unused rail corridors. Read about how you can get involved.