Some bright spots Girlawhirl's particularly happy to see:

The US Government is really on board when it comes to the greening
of American homes and buildings. Tax breaks of up to 30% are up for
grabs for new windows and doors, better insulation, and building green
from the ground up with solar panels and/or geothermal heating systems.
See the whole list of tax credits for homeowners online here.

Electric cars are coming on strong: Check out Better Place's plan to
create a world where everyone drives a battery powered vehicle. Broad
strokes: they won't cost more than the cars of today, we'll buy mile
plans like we currently do for cell phone minutes, and there will be
charging stations in parking lots, home garages and anywhere else
they're needed. Guess what? The plan's already being enacted! Renault
and Nissan have built prototype cars that allow for batteries to be
changed instead of charged (to accommodate long trips), charging
stations are being built in Israel and Denmark. Australia and Ontario
have signed on along with Hawaii and the San Francisco Bay area. Find out more at betterplace.com.

Parabens, Phthalates, and other nasties are becoming a thing of the
past: Most of Girlawhirl's favorite brands of cosmetics have
re-formulated their products to eliminate the ingredients that have the
public up in arms – giving her plenty of options and choices. And yes,
that thrills her, but it also reminds her that this is one issue where
public awareness and pressure can make a real difference. Skin
Deep, a cosmetic safety database from the Environmental Working Group
is her favorite resource for information on these ingredients.

Big Business is participating as well. Maybe it's because Wal-Mart
led the way by showing Wall Street that green was good for the bottom
line, but now it's almost a necessity to have a sustainability expert
or team in house. Dow Jones rates companies on a Sustainability Index
where environmental concerns are one of the elements that are
evaluated. And sustainable investing – where investments are made in
companies that make decisions and follow practices with the environment
in mind – is a new way of looking at investment portfolios.

That's plenty to celebrate this Earth Day – all of the above signal big changes to come…

From our friends at Girlawhirl

This Earth Day, celebrate with an
eco-friendly fashion sense! These chic oversized bangles
are crafted from recycled magazines, and are the perfect complement for your
groovy cut-offs and T shirt! Oversize shades and a slouchy bag complete the
look. They're $48.00 each from Artfulwears.com.

From our friends at Shopalicious!

Payless unveiled the first items in its green line, Zoe & Zac, this month. For every item sold until May 4, Payless will donate to The Nature Conservancy $1, the cost for the group to plant one tree, with a commitment to give at least $100,000.

The money will go towards The Nature Conservancy’s Plant a Billion Trees campaign, which aims to plant 1 billion trees by 2015 in the Atlantic Forest, which has been degraded to seven percent of its original size through coastal development, urban expansion, agriculture, ranching, exotic plantations and illegal logging.

As part of this effort, Payless is running a buy one, get one half off sale on all items, including the Zoe & Zac line, which was first announced last October. The first set of items includes eight women’s shoe styles, two handbags, three girl’s shoes, and jewelry and socks. All of the items sell for less than $30 each, a conscious decision Payless made, it says, “to democratize green footwear and accessory products” by making them widely available and affordable.

The products are made with organic cottons and linen, natural hemp, recycled rubber soles, water-based glues in the shoes, natural materials like dyed Tagua and Acai nuts in jewelry, 100 percent recycled content shoe boxes and soy-based inks.

Payless also released a reusable shopping bag made from at least 50 percent recycled plastic, and will donate $1 to The Nature Conservancy for each bag sold through May 4.

From our friends at Deal Hippie

Ever since I got mine, I haven't spent a dime on bottled water. Saving cash, and saving the planet, one landfill at a time!

Always
do everything with style, and in-style is my motto, so of course I will
be planting my geraniums, in something chic, fabulous, and Eco-friendly
of course. I found tons of Earth Days discounts on fashionable items,
below are some of my faves.

Edun's online store is doing 25% off all its S/S 2009 collection with code: THEFIND25.  Two really great pieces for our upcoming warmer months.

Spreegirl.com
is offering its customers 25% off all its comfy, sustainable,
Eco-friendly undergarment wear items. I found this romper, and was
instantly smitten considering, jumpsuits are H-O-T this season! I love the neutral piping on this otherwise bold shade. At only $45,
with discount: EARTHDAY25, you are sure to find this and other
undergarments to suit your liking.

Other goodies include… 

- bring 3 empty water bottles to any Disney Store, and score a free reusable one (value $8.50)

- free roll of recycled Reynolds wrap, download rebate form here

- Home Depot is giving away 1 million CFL bulbs, no purchase necessary.

- Walgreen's is hosting 15% off all items in store, plus free reusable tote bag for all shoppers,  just print this coupon 

Wow, don't you wish everyday were Earth Day?

From our friends at BrandHabit

EDUN is our featured Green Shopaholic Company of the Week. Why are they our company of the week? Because one of the founders is Bono and we love cranking up the U2 when finding green shopping deals.

This socially conscious clothing company, founded in 2005,  is the
creation of Bono, Ali Hewson (Bono’s wife), and Rogan Gregory. They
specialize in organic clothing, graphic tees, and eco clothing. Their
clothing has elements of Art Nouveau style and many designs are inspired by nature.

Like the old adage, give a fish and you feed someone for a day but show
them how to fish and you have food for a lifetime.  EDUN tries to do
the same thing for developing nations. According to their website, EDUN
was founded “on the premise of trade as a means of building sustainable
communities in developing countries to help foster economic growth
rather than provide charity.”

EDUN uses locally run factories in Africa, South America, and India
to create their eco-conscious designs.  For example, 40% of 2008’s
Spring/Summer line was produced in Africa.

From our friends at Green Shopaholic

Here are a few ways you can stay fashionable and earth-friendly all
year long -some of these might be “duh!” but a little reminder every
now and then doesn’t hurt anybody:

1) Read the label-where is the product made, does it include any organic or recycled fibers? A great brand to check out: Alternative Apparel.

2) Support fledgling, eco-friendly brands and designers.

3) Shop  Etsy.com, shop vintage, and try to reduce your dry cleaning. Wash by hand, using products such a Woolite when possible.

4) Donate your too big/too small/never worn/wear too infrequently apparel items to resale shops; those in need will appreciate it more than your closet!

5) Fix clothes that may need a slight makeover, like getting shoes
resoled or those stiletto “tips” put on, instead of trashing them and
getting new items.

From our friends at Fashion Pulse Daily

To celebrate Earth Day and TheFind’s green shopping launch, retailers
Edun Online, Gaiam and Delight.com are offering exclusive green
discounts to shoppers on TheFind.

• Edun
  Online is offering 25% off of the Spring/Summer 2009
  Collection from April 20 until April 30^th, 2009 with online
  coupon code, TheFind25
• Delight.com
  is offering a 15% discount and free shipping on orders of products
  from the eco-delightful collection of $40 or more through May 1, 2009
  with online coupon code, TheFindDelight
• Gaiam.com
  is offering free shipping on purchases over $25 through June 1,
  2009 with online coupon code, TheFind4.

Get the full story here

Bag Snob: Nourish your handbag obsession and help fight global warming in one fell swoop – Louis Vuitton will embrace Earth Day on April 22nd. For one day only 15% of your purchase will be donated to The Climate Project.

Beauty Snob: Drugstore Deal– Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse. How does the $9 drugstore brand compare to the pricey bottle at your favorite department store counter?

TheFind's editors were on hand recently to celebrate EDUN's Spring/Summer '09 collection, "Origin of the Species", with the launch of a pop-up shop at the San Francisco eco-luxe shop, Clary Sage Organics. EDUN founder Ali Hewson was on hand to present the collection to fans of the sustainable fashion brand.

EDUN is the socially conscious clothing company launched in 2005 by Bono and his wife Ali Hewson. EDUN's vision is to create beautiful clothing while helping to build sustainable communities and encourage apparel production in sub-Saharan Africa.

EDUN's Spring/Summer '09 collection takes inspiration from "The majesty of the kingdom of Africa fused with the artfulness of the French." Sweaters knit from organic cotton bearing open weave tribal patterns. Satin and silk are woven to create intricate dramatic patterns adding a luxurious feel to free flowing silhouettes. Cut out motifs add a noteworthy edge to sweaters and dresses.

Embrace sustainable fashion this Earth Day and receive 25% off the entire EDUN Spring/Summer 2009 Collection from 4/20 thru 4/30 with online
coupon code, TheFind25
. Thanks to our friends at Edun.com for this exclusive discount available only at TheFind. Search Edun.com on TheFind.

Our top picks from the Spring/Summer Collection pictured here: (from left)

Hexagon Sweater – African Violet, 100% Organic Cotton

Leopard Sash V-neck Tee in White, 100% Organic Cotton
Sacred Straight Leg Jeans in Serengeti Denim Jeans 6-Pocket straight leg

Nyasa Camisole Top in 100 % Silk Georgette

Conservation Top in Black, 100% Organic Cotton

The truly green way to manage the plastic water bottle issue is to
not even engage in it – instead using a purifier at home and some nice
re-usable bottles for the gym and other outings. But the reality of
travel and other occasional everyday activities means that every now
and they she's purchasing a drink that comes in a plastic bottle.

While there's still a long way to go until every bottle's collected
and recycled, there is a bright spot when it comes to PET plastic
bottle recycling. According to two new studies, plastic bottles are now
the most recycled items in curbside recycling programs and 23.4% of
water bottles were recycled in 2007 – that's up from 20.1% in 2006.

Another interesting part of the bottled water equation is that over the course 
of two months ending on February 21, 2009, sales of bottled water were
down 11%, a casualty of recessionary spending. In addition, the new
kinds of bottles – made with less plastic – have also brought plastic
consumption down.

Little by little, Girlawhirl can see that as the water bottle
problem is more and more on the minds of consumers; they're buying less
and recycling more.

From our friends at Girlawhirl