University of California Professor, Ruihong Zhang, has led the development of a new system that turns restaurant leftovers into electricity. The Biogas Energy Project recycles leftovers from Northern California restaurants and turns out methane and hydrogen.

For each ton of input, this clean energy system outputs enough energy to power ten average size California homes for one day. With an estimated five millions tons of food scraps going into California landfills each year, the Biogas system could prove to be a major source of renewable energy.

Complete article from the U.C. Davis web site.

For the third year in a row, Intel is ranked tops on the list of commuter-friendly companies to work for as compiled by the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Transportation. An astounding 40% of the Intel workforce works from home, thus reducing traffic, pollution, and the need for office space.

The top-20 list is clearly dominated by tech companies, particularly those based on the west coast. If working for Intel isn’t an option for you, you may want to check out Microsoft, Google, Oracle, QUALCOMM, or Yahoo.

Complete story from MSNBC and Best Workplaces for Commuters web site.

We generally stay away from celebrity sightings and the like, but had to report that Sandra Oh, of Grey’s Anatomy and Sideways fame, was seen purchasing several pieces from the Undesigned collection this week. With access to countless world famous designers, it’s refreshing to see that she is choosing clothing that is environmentally-friendly.

Of course, it helps that the Undesigned line is beautiful and looks great on celebrities and us regular folks just the same.

Undesigned Collection.

It seems like just about every day we hear of yet another reason to shed a few of the extra pounds that have appeared from nowhere and attached themselves to our ever expanding waistlines. Well, get ready to add another one. The increasing girth of the American population is resulting in lower gas mileage and thus adding to the pollution problem.

The article frames this as more of a financial issue, but regardless of your perspective, lower fuel efficiency results in greater use of gasoline. Of course, reducing weight in the car isn’t just about reducing your bodyweight, remember to remove heavy, non-essential items when you are motoring around town. The authors estimate that since 1960, the amount of fuel wasted because of extra weight in cars, is 938 million gallons, enough to fuel 2 million cars for one year.

Complete story from the Associated Press.

The Daily Special is a new feature exclusive to our blog readers. Now through mid-December, we will periodically offer one day specials on various pieces of merchandise on our web site. Whether you are shopping for yourself, or looking for a gift, this is a great opportunity to save a few bucks. In addition to the discount, shipping is always free on orders $75+.
So what’s the catch?

*The special will run for one day, or until we run out of inventory on the advertised item.

*If you purchase an item using the Daily Special coupon code it cannot be returned for a refund. However, you are able to exchange an item for a different size, different item of clothing, or store credit.

*Enter the coupon code listed in the Daily Special post to receive your discount. Offers will vary from post to post.

Pangaya will not preannounce the Daily Special or schedule, so be sure to check the blog on a daily basis. We hope that you enjoy the program and feel free to leave any comments, questions, or suggestions by using the comments link in this post.

According to a just-released study by the WWF, we will be using two planets’ worth of natural resources per year by 2050. This unsustainable level of consumption is led, on a per capita basis, by people in the United Arab Emirates, United States, Finland, and Canada.

In addition to consumption patterns that exceed the ability of nature to replenish itself, an exploding population, and growing amounts of land dedicated to farming, are also impacting various species. Population levels of some fish and mammals have declined by more than 30% during the last few decades.

Complete story from Reuters.

If organic wine and beer aren’t your thing, but you still enjoy the occasional adult beverage, you may want to consider the world’s first organic cream liqueur. Bloom Mountain is produced in rural Ireland using organic cream, sugar, alcohol, and flavors.

The product is being unveiled this week, so it may be a bit before you can find it in the States. Visit the company web site for more information.

Via The Moodie Report.

Historically found in high-end and natural food stores, fair-trade coffee is starting to make inroads with some of the largest mass market chains in the country. While still only accounting for just over 2% of the U.S. coffee market, fair-trade coffee can now be found at McDonald’s, Dunkin’ Donuts, and Starbucks. In fact, Starbucks is the largest purchaser of fair-trade coffee, responsible for 21% of the U.S. market.

So what is fair-trade coffee anyway? Glad you asked. Fair-trade means that the coffee farmers receive more money for their crop, don’t use child labor, ensure safe working conditions, and are encouraged to farm in a manner that is environmentally responsible.

Complete article from the Seattle Times.

Market research firm Mintel, published an article today projecting aggressive growth in the organic food market through 2011. The firm wrote that sales of organic foods enjoyed explosive growth from $1.5 billion in 2001 to $3.6 billion in 2006 and expects that the trend will continue for at least the next five years.

People are shopping across traditional retail channels in their quest for organic food with 65% shopping at supermarkets, 45% at health food stores, and another 25% purchasing their organic food at Wal-Mart.

Read the complete article.

Paris played host to the Ethical Fashion Show this past weekend and glimpses of what we can expect to see in the coming seasons were on display. From sweet potatoes to silk dyed using Japanese fruit, there was unlimited creativity and resourcefulness on display.

Bamboo, still relatively new in the U.S., also garnered a fair amount of attention for its incredible fit. Bamboo is also great for the environment because it grows extremely fast and does not require any of the chemicals used in cotton production.

Complete article from Yahoo.

View the Bamboo Denim Pencil Skirt and Bamboo Denim Trousers from Undesigned.