Educating yourself on the different types of available fabrics may be the key to purchasing Sustainable fashions. This means you’ve been given the information of where the clothing comes from, who makes it and what it’s processed with to ensure the item is worthy of the eco-friendly message it’s sporting.

Organic Cotton – grown cotton packs a huge pesticide punch and is one of the most chemical-laden crops in the world. “Supporting the organic cotton industry is a big green step,” says Rob Grand, owner of Grassroots Environmental Products. “It’s not just your own health you’re supporting when you buy organic cotton but also an economy and a method of agriculture that’s good for the planet.”

Silk – is inherently natural because it’s made by silk worms, not chemical-based synthetic processing. But there’s a drawback: vegans don’t wear silk because to get at the silk fibres, the silk worms are thrown in a vat of boiling water once their hard work is complete. If that seems cruel to you, look for a new generation of the fabric: peace silk or vegan silk (it’s always clearly labeled, so accept no substitutes). This kind of silk is made from the worm casings gathered only after the moths have emerged and moved on. Also try looking for silk that’s been dyed naturally and made as close to home as possible. Easiest to find are fabulous silk dresses for summer like ones made by fabulous Canadian designer Sonja den Elzen of Thieves.

Bamboo – receives lots of eco-buzz because it’s easy to grow without pesticides and is quick to replenish itself. Another bonus – or so bamboo marketers insist – is that bamboo fabric is naturally antibacterial and repels odour. It’s when the processing starts that it potentially loses its eco status: “Bamboo can be beautiful, and is a very soft fabric, but there’s a chemical component to the manufacture that’s pretty toxic,” says Grand.

Check out http://www.greenlivingonline.com/article/guide-natural-and-eco-friendly-fabrics for more information on available eco-friendly fabrics

75% of genetic diversity of agricultural crops has been lost
75% of the world’s fisheries are fully or over exploited
Up to 70% of the world’s known species risk extinction if the global temperatures rise by more than 3.5°C
1/3rd of reef-building corals around the world are threatened with extinction
Over 350 million people suffer from severe water scarcity

To learn more please visit globalissues.org

There may be another route to avoid the potentially disastrous effects of climate change:
We can deliberately alter ourselves, three researchers suggest.

Human engineering, as they call it, poses less danger than altering our planet through geoengineering, and it could augment changes to personal behavior or policies to mitigate climate change, they write in an article to be published in the journal Ethics, Policy and the Environment.

“We are serious philosophers, but we might not be entirely serious that people should be doing this,” said Anders Sandberg, one of the authors and an ethicist at Oxford University in the United Kingdom. “What we are arguing is we should be taking a look at this, at the very least.”

By: Wynne Parry
For more information visit LiveScience.com

Perhaps the most important clash so far over these so-called “rare-earth minerals” opened up on March 13 when the United States, Japan, and the European Union filed a complaint at the World Trade Organization against China, which controls 95 percent of world production.

These obscure 17 elements are called rare, but they are actually common. They are just found scattered in such small amounts that the potential return seldom makes the cost of mining them worthwhile. But they help the modern world run, making cell phones buzz, producing the vivid colors we see on TV, allowing computer hard drives to store data. But what makes rare-earth minerals a strategic resource is that they are a crucial component in new energy technologies, enabling regenerative braking in hybrid cars, more efficient large wind turbines, high-efficiency fluorescent lighting, and photovoltaic thin films.

The U.S. Department of Energy says that deployment of clean energy technology could be slowed in the coming years by supply challenges for at least five rare-earth metals.

The new trade action seeks to force China to loosen export restrictions that other nations argue has kept the price of rare-earth metals artificially high outside the People’s Republic. But while the diplomatic process moves slowly forward, scientists worldwide are prospecting for breakthroughs that might circumvent China and win greater rare-earth metal independence for their countries.

By: Catherine T. Yang
For more information visit http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2012/03/120330-china-rare-earth-minerals-energy/

Nylon and Polyester -
These energy-hungry synthetics are non-biodegradable as well as made from petrochemicals. Nylon manufacturing creates nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Polyester uses large amounts of water for cooling along with lubricants, which can become a source of contamination. The Green Choice: Try shopping for recycled polyester instead. Patagonia has many options made from recycled drink bottles.

Cotton -
Cotton is the most pesticide-intensive crop in the world. These chemicals typically remain in the fabric and are released during the lifetime of the garments. The Green Choice: Purchase organic cotton instead. Organic cotton garments are free from chlorine bleaches and synthetic dyes. Blue Canoe, Gaiam and Xylem are just a few companies with fashionable, sustainable cotton fabrics.

By: Taylor Hilsabeck

For more information visit IowaStateDaily.com

In 2012, TreeHugger is presenting their fourth annual awards, and this year promises to be the biggest and best yet. We like to get input from you, dear readers, and so we’re launching our Readers’ Choice Awards first, to give you time to check out the nominees, tell your friends, make your voice heard by voting, and tweet your ideas and votes — we even have a hashtag at #BestofGreen.

Vote for Couture Cottons – your best source for comfortable, feminine, high quality, stylish organic lingerie!

Gorgeous styles –
• Modi French Cut
• Bikini
• Boy Shorts
• Thongs
• Camisole and Panty Set

Organic cotton, environmentally friendly bamboo, and organic soy fabrics are better for the environment, and for your body thus, making Mother Nature’s durable gifts last longer than conventionality!

Weigh in before 11:59pm on March 30 and decide on your favorites for TreeHugger’s annual Best of Green Awards in the Living category.

For more information on the amazing Couture Cottons’ organic intimates visit www.CoutureCottons.com

Reference: http://www.treehugger.com/best-of-green/

Couture Cottons lingerie is made of organic cotton and environmentally friendly fabrics to provide you with a quality “green” product that is better for the environment and your health. Wearing Couture Cottons lingerie has some great health benefits! Couture Cottons selected fabrics that were superior to conventional fabrics because they have considerably less chemicals and toxins that have the potential to be absorbed through the skin. Also, the attributes are healthier for women with health issues than conventional fabrics:

• Organic cotton is breathable, allergen-free fabric is a better product for women who have sensitivities to toxins in fabrics that can absorb through the skin.
• Doctors recommend women who suffer from urinary tract infections and yeast infections to wear breathable fabrics to help prevent reoccurring infections.
• Couture Cottons offers the perfect type of fabrics for lingerie products that are free from harmful chemicals and toxins in a “couture design”.

Check out CoutureCottons.com, Your best source for comfortable, feminine, high quality, organic lingerie!

References: Parentalguide.org
For more information on Organic and Natural Fabric Choices visit:

http://www.parentalguide.org/article-the-scoop-on-organic-and-natural-fabrics.html

Couture Cottons has been chosen to be part of the Green America’s seventh annual People’s Choice Award for Green Business of the Year! The following dates explain in detail how to nominate your Green Business and when the results will be revealed.

August 13- September 11, Submissions will be accepted for Green Business of the Year from around the country. The Top Ten nominees will be announced to 125,000 e-newsletter subscribers, via Facebook and Twitter. The nominees will be announced on September 15 and then there will be a run-off vote.

The business that has the most run-off votes will be named 2011 Green Business of the Year!  In 2010, gDiapers won Business of the Year. This year the award will be presented at the San Francisco Green Festival taking place on November 12 – 13. Other winners have included reuseit.com, Mountain Rose Herbs, LunaPads International, and Ten Thousand Villages.

People’s Choice Award is a way of encouraging our country to continue creating a green economy. It also helps promote new Green businesses and many wonderful events like Green America and the Green Festival.

To nominate Couture Cottons for Green Business of the Year, click this website, http://www.greenamerica.org/peopleschoice. The page will go live for 2011 on Saturday, August 13.

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that has been around for years and continues to rise. In the United States 1 out of 110 children develop Autism. Children with Autism have problems in different areas of development, social interaction, behavior and socialization. The disorder also creates the child to have abnormal immune responses and may even develop Thyroid.

Autism is a very expensive disorder to take care of. Throughout a persons life they will spend about $3.2 million. All this money is spent for behavioral therapy and medication, and both do not even help the Autistic person very much.

Copyright CNN 2011
For more information on Autism visit:  http://www.kitv.com/health/28162045/detail.html#ixzz1RtwbcwOx

Andrian  Angel Olvera, makeup winner found his passion at age 15 and continues today only at age 18. Not being an ordinary person he continues to stay true to his creative style of being different.

Future posts will include pictures and competition results.