Kayakas!

Called the “Cafe au LED“, this curious LED lamp from Japan comes in the shape of a coffee cup. Designed by Ryuichi Abe, it can be set to flicker like a candle — just like the Candela LED lamps we featured previously. This lamp is made with glass and steel, and runs for 11 hours on a single charge. You can read more about the lamp on this page (translated from Japanese).

Via: Hugg

Google has launched its first mashup — a map-based Web site with information about earth-friendly locations in five of the U.S.”s top travel destinations.

The site, at maps.google.com/green, features information on and video tours of spots in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York and Orlando, Florida., as well as tips for “traveling green” during the summer using Google Maps. Click here to advertise on thousands of blogs including mine

TreeHugger covers a lot of bases when it comes to alternative energy; solar, wind, biogas, hydrogen and the list goes on. One of our favorite up and coming forms of alternative energy is wave and tidal power. Check out our picks for diving in to the world of wave power.

1) Get started with a primer on the different version of the technology. Click here to advertise on thousands of blogs including mine

Ooooh TreeHugger News gets sexy this week with Brad Pitt getting all hot and bothered about the construction industry, Al Gore getting hot under the collar about global warming and Prince showing the luuuurrrrve to his vegetables, I wonder if he still drives his Little Red Corvette though?….hmmmm, let’s hope not. As well as exclusive sneak peaks of Brad’s narrated documentary “Design: E2”, M ss ng P eces and Simran Sethi bring you exclusives on “Who Killed the Electric Car” and the feedback on Al Gore’s film “An Inconvenient Truth.” Not forgetting lovesexy news on the world’s hottest vegetarian – his purpleness, and a German study on the ever-warming sun. See, we told you TH News is hot! Click here to advertise on thousands of blogs including mine

World Environment Day is coming (mark your calendars for June 5) and to support it this year, Honda will be giving away a green gift with each of their cars sold in June. The gift pack will include a carbon emission offset certificate for the month, with an option to extend it beyond June, and will also contain a box of organic Green and Black”s chocolates, a “Greener Driver” car bumper sticker and a booklet on tips to help reduce environmental impact. That”s right; the driving logged by each new Honda in June will be made climate neutral, and while we aren”t huge fans of buying whole new cars, if you”re going to do it, might as well take it easy on the planet. ::New Car Net via ::Hugg (site in Beta)

It”s a bit sad that environmental awareness in the middle east is years behind that of Europe and the US. But then again, have you ever tried hugging an olive tree or cactus? Although it may be an adventure, being ecologically aware in Israel is not always so simple. Click here to advertise on thousands of blogs including mine

Telling consumers to “Turn down. Switch off. Recycle. Walk.”, the European Union recently launched a campaign to get citizens to make small changes in their daily routines to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pull in the reigns on global warming. Headed by European Commission President José Manuel Barroso and Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas in Brussels, the campaign aims to empower the European citizenry and “complements and reinforces our political and legislative efforts. It makes clear to which extent we all are responsible for climate change and what individuals can and need to do to limit this threat,” according to President Barroso. Among other things, it explains climate change and its effects and gives some 50 tips how to reduce emissions, ranging from turning down the heating by 1ºC (up to 10% of the energy used for heating saved) to avoiding the stand-by mode of TV sets, stereos and computers (10% of the energy they use saved) and printing double-sided (up to 50% of paper saved). A carbon calculator calculates the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) saved by each action, and visitors can also download a power-saving screen saver for their computers. While the website will be available permanently, the campaign will be carried out in three concentrated waves:in June, September and November 2006. ::You Control Climate Change via ::Green Car Congress

In late 2007, The International Polar Foundation will begin building the first polar station to be powered by renewable energy. It will utilise solar, and wind, with the latter being in ample supply in Antarctica. When completed the station will house 20 staff and signal Belgium’s return to the southern polar region. Costing 6.4 million euros, it will support scientists studying climate change. The green targets they are chasing are greater than 98% renewable energy, 100% grey/black water treatment with a minimum of 50% (and up to 90%) of that being recycled for reuse. Get all the details, right down to funky windloading imagery in a hefty 53 page PDF from the IPF site. ::International Polar Foundation, via Click here to advertise on thousands of blogs including mine

Click here to advertise on thousands of blogs including mine

The details are sketchy, hot off a press release, even their own website currently says “check back soon”, but it looks like Apple have just enhanced their computer take-back program. They will, as of June, accept any brand of computer for free recycling. That’s so long as the customer (in the 48 contiguous United States) is purchasing a new Mac. Sounds like a trade-in type deal. The recycling itself is said to happen within the US, and no hazardous material will be exported. Free shipping is included. The press release goes on to say, “Apple’s recycling programs have processed more than 21 million pounds of electronics worldwide since 1994. Apple continues to offer a free iPod® recycling program through its US retail stores, providing environmentally friendly disposal of any unwanted iPod and a 10 percent discount on the purchase of a new iPod.” ::Apple, via Mac Daily News.