Three Leaf Cards.com Launches Consumer Blog - "Conscious Spending"

The news just keeps coming from Three Leaf Cards.com, which is a Santa Barbara-based online greetings company, serving a greater good.

To help facilitate the green movement online, Three Leaf Cards.com launched their new consumer forum called "Conscious Spending." Here, anybody who has interests in environmental and social issues can come to discuss the hottest topics, share stories, get tips, read what's new in the industry and more.

The link is http://consciousspending.blogspot.com/. Topics covered include green living, tips, online greetings, conscious consumerism, great causes and more.

This open forum encourages sincere discussions around the topics that are most significant to the preservation of our earth for future generations. The intent of the blog is to provide an online avenue to share stories, ideas and reports on how consumers can take small steps to make big changes.

Also check out their free climate cards HERE.

[Conscious Spending Blog]

eVent® fabrics Launches New Ad Campaign

eVent® fabrics unveils its new “Live Outdoors” print advertising campaign, which is breaking now in major outdoor publications worldwide.

Created by Boulder, Colo.-based TDA Advertising & Design, the ads contrast everyday images with the rugged outdoors, suggesting that eVent fabrics allows its core, authentic users to experience the outdoors as part of their daily lives.

Jetboil. Everywhere you go, there they are.

I have a google alert set up for Jetboil. But I am thinking about canceling it because of the sheer volume of emails it generates. Just yesterday I read an article in the Chicago Tribune about a Martha Stewart-esque woman (named Mary Jane Butters if you can believe it) running a picture perfect B&B in Idaho complete with organic sheets from Butters' own collection and chocolate bars from her own line of organic backpacking food. Every room (walled tent, actually) features a Jetboil and Java Press for guests to make their own coffee. You can read the story here.

And then I learned that the PCS was included on the Food Network's mini-series, Feasting on Asphalt 2 - a series about the culinary discoveries of Alton Brown (also of Good Eats and Iron Chef) as he cruises the country on his motorcycle. I guess some folks at a Civil War reenactment festival were using it to boil water as they explained the history of coffee preparation during civil war times.

Like I said, everywhere you go, there they are. (Sorry for the bad Photoshop job)

Why Mions won't rip your toenail off on an escalator

In the news this week were articles on the dangers of wearing certain injection-molded shoes on escalators. One Website reports that Washington D.C. Metro has even posted warnings to subway riders to yield caution when wearing such shoes on their escalators.

According to Mion General Manager Erik Burbank, what drives the escalator issue is that Crocs shoes don't have an outsole, just raw EVA molded to look like an outsole. "That EVA is soft and can get pinched between the gaps of the escalator," Burbank explained.

Though it is injection-molded footwear, Mion makes its shoes with an outsole, and a GripStick(TM) rubber outsole at that.

So, rest assured, Mion is pretty much insurance for your toes.

Osprey Sponsors Reel Rock Film Tour

For its second year, the Reel Rock Tour is spreading the word of climbing everywhere rock zealots can be found with Chris Sharma in the spotlight. The tour made its stop in Durango last week, and with Osprey Packs signed-on as a sponsor, I decided to check it out. Not being the most avid of climbers (or biggest dirt bag, whichever term makes you more accredited), and also not knowing much about Chris Sharma's story, I was unsure about what to expect.

As it turns out, Chris Sharma's ability and gusto for climbing, even on screen, transcends the deferential bounds of just the climbing-enthused. Suffice to say that this guy is not human when it comes to climbing rocks and watching him is really entertaining. The cinematography is equally top notch and helped to give the climbing scenes a lot of added power and appeal. Watch the trailer to get an idea.

I opted for day two of the Durango tour, and the turn-out was impressive. Osprey had a major presence there for their home-town tour stop and helped to make the locals welcome with gear giveaways and local mountain trivia.
Check out the tour calendar for the remaining locations and dates.

Junto Venture Uses Jetboil for Sustainable Road Trip

Junto Venture has recently completed a 60-day trek across some of the most pristine environments of western North American in an attempt to create a documentary that will "awaken people to the fact that living sustainably must go beyond our daily habits. It must accompany us when we are traveling, vacationing, backpacking, taking business trips, and taking weekend jaunts."

Their goal in doing so was to make the journey in a way that would retain a neutral carbon footprint. In order to do this, they had to make choices beyond their mode of transportation, it had to include all aspects of the trip including food, hygiene products, clothing, backpacking and alpine gear and lodging.

After looking at all the options, the Junto Venture crew chose a Jetboil stove to handle all cooking on the trip. The Jetboil burner's fuel efficiency, combined with the FluxRing technology, means not only using less fuel, but producing less carbon emissions and fewer canisters used and discarded. Jetboil's durable construction also makes it a product that will last for many years.

For a complete look at Junto Venture's project, visit www.juntoventure.org

GoPro featured in the New York Times...again

In its third appearance in the New York Times in the past six months, the Digital HERO 3 is seen on the wrist of a wakesurfer: a growing sport that has over three million participants in the U.S., according to the article.
(photo: New York Times)

Backpacker Hails Two Rab Jackets In Their Fall Apparel Guide

The October issue of Backpacker features two Rab jackets in their 2007 Apparel Guide. The Generator is named the "most compact" of the synthetic puffy jackets with editors claiming that they had to "check the tags to make sure it wasn't down." The Latok Alpine, featuring eVent fabrics, was named "most breathable" among the rain shells. The editors say it is the "first waterproof shell we've tried that's so breathable it doesn't need pit zips." It's like we've been saying all along here at Verde - no pit zips are the new pit zips.

But don't take my word for it, check out the review here.

GoPro cited as case study in viral marketing

GoPro is cited as a case study in viral marketing on the blog Web Ink Now.

I encourage you all to click on the link below and read the entire post; however, many of you are busy so I will provide you with the CliffsNotes version:

The author, an avid surfer, identifies GoPro as following the easy 1-2-3 steps of marketing:

1) Find a problem to solve
2) Build a product that solves it
3) Encourage your customers to tell your story

http://www.webinknow.com/2007/09/marketing-1-2-3.html