sustainable style foundation*

The folks over at Branch have been working hard to find new products that are both sustainable and stylish, and they've added some good stuff. We like bambu's "Plank" cutting boards (pictured); there's also some good looking stuff from some of our favorite sustainable designers: new cork floor tiles from MIO and some beautiful pillows by K Studio. Branch donates 10% of their profits to organizations that promote environmental responsibility, so when you shop there, you'll be doing something good for yourself and for the planet. Branch will also be at Greenfest in San Francisco, starting next Friday and running through November 12; stop by and check 'em out if you're there. [Branch]

Coming up next week, on November 9, The Brooklyn Center for the Urban Environment and Con Edison are sponsoring a daylong conference on sustainable development and preservation practices called the Green Brooklyn Conference 2006. With discussion panels, hands-on workshops, and exhibitor tables, the conference hopes to bring new energy and excitement to discourse on the built and natural environments and how to transform Brooklyn and all of New York into a more sustainable city. Included in the panelists will be the good people from Bettencourt Green Building Supplies, Green Map System & Sustainable South Bronx. The event is free, and will be held at Borough Hall at 209 Joralemon Street in Brooklyn. [Brooklyn Center for the Urban Environment] via [New York Times]

SSF just wrapped up its annual membership drive, and we want to give a round of applause and pat on the back to everyone who signed up. We say it over and over again, but we really appreciate the support and couldn't do what we do without it. So, for those of you who signed up: thank you!! For those of you who didn't, don't feel bad; you can sign up anytime at the membership page. We want to recognize everyone who has supported us with a membership in the past year, so there's a new page in the Membership section of the site dedicated to our current members. Again, thanks a million to everyone whose name is on the list! [SSF Membership] and [SSF's Individual Members]

Starting today, Whole Foods Markets in California will be selling wind power credits in handy card form; other regions in the US will follow shortly. The cards are on display up front, near the registers, among the lip balm and honey sticks. Whole Foods, which has made news before by being 100% wind-powered as a company, is taking an important step forward by offering their customers a chance to get involved with alternative energy projects with a quick, easy purchase. It's a great way to get wind power and clean energy further out there to the conscious consumers at Whole Foods, and we can see the future now: get free wind power with a pound of local, organic apples & the like. Cheers to Whole Foods & Renewable Choice (the company providing the wind power) for such a forward-looking, sustainable choice. [Whole Foods Market] via [Musings of an Eco-Entrepreneur]

Our friends at WorldChanging have been working really hard lately: a new site, a new book, and a tour to support the book, all at once. Worldchanging: A User's Guide for the 21st Century hits the shelves today (we mentioned this before), and they need your help to make it as successful as it deserves to be. By ordering the book via Amazon today at 11:11 am PST (or anytime, if you can't make it by then), it'll boost it up the hugely influential Amazon bestseller list (learn more about how that works here) and spread the good word about ideas, systems and products that will drive the future in a more sustainable direction. We're all for it, we've added the book to our print media online sourcebook, and we'll be ordering along with the rest of the Worldchangers today. If you're interested in learning about how to guide the future toward sustainability, please consider ordering a copy, too. We think the 21st Century will be better off for it. [Worldchanging: A User's Guide for the 21st Century] available at [Amazon]

Jill over at fiftyRX3 has written up a fabulous collection of the best in green jeans. Perhaps the ultimate sign that sustainability and style are no longer mutually exclusive, denim's foray into sustainability over the past couple of years have yielded some impressive results, and Jill has 'em all, from Loomstate to Del Forte to Kuyuchi; even Levi's and Linda Loudermilk (we mentioned the announcement here) have recently gotten into the act. Definitely worth knowing if you're a denim afficianado; check out our fashion online sourcebook for more great examples of sustainable style. [Green Jeans Roundup at fiftyRX3]

Scissor Sisters, the piano-pop rockers who brought the world the infectious dance hit "Take Your Mama," have teamed up with Global Cool to play a concert to save the world (or so they hope). Tonight they're playing to a sold-out, Halloween dress-up gig at the Brixton Academy in the UK to raise awareness about climate change; even though it's sold out, you can listen to the webcast here thanks to Global Cool. It was scheduled to start at 10 pm GMT (which is about 15 minutes ago), but the latest word is that they'll be going on late, so you still have time. Rock out with the Scissor Sisters, and help 'em show the world that climate change is for real. [Global Cool] via [The Green Guy]