Wow, that’s a headline I never thought I would write. Still in the concept phase, the 275 foot ocean cruiser designed for Devonport Yachts is a model of technical achievement, with a few green features thrown in for good measure.

If the project ever comes to fruition, the proud owner will get to luxuriate while enjoying the passive heating/cooling of the atrium that runs the length of the yacht and a noiseless journey made possible by the SkySails wind propulsion system.

Story from Superyacht Times.

Green Beans Coffee was started by two brothers who stumbled on the idea while traveling in the Middle East. They realized the area could use a U.S. style coffee house and open their first location in Saudi Arabia in 1996. Local military personnel began patronizing the café for a bit of relaxation and a taste of home. From there the business has been growing like crazy, branching out to several other countries in the Middle East and has even opened stores in the U.S. where franchises are becoming available.

In addition to a commitment to those serving in the armed forces, Green Beans Coffee is committed to sustainability. Customers can select from a wide variety of organic drinks and the company promotes recycling and re-use through in-store programs.

Green Beans Coffee website.

Even if you don’t watch his show, odds are you’ve heard of the incredible car collection owned by Jay Leno. From an electric car built in 1909 to custom rides you can’t even imagine, Jay’s collection is the envy of collectors everywhere. Jay’s interest in vehicles has spread to other mechanical endeavors, including his green garage.

As you might imagine, it takes quite a bit of resources to maintain his fleet so Jay is taking a few steps to reduce his impact. Projects include installing a wind turbine, super efficient water heater, and an ultrasonic parts washer that uses recycled water and biodegradable soap.

Story from Popular Mechanics.

As a former road warrior it was always tough finding a healthy meal, let alone organic, when traveling to a new city. More often than not dinner plans were made with a call to room service. Never an ideal choice.

However, several large hotel chains are starting to see the light and are finally offering balanced and organic meals. Omni Hotels now offers shade grown coffee and pork from a family farm in Colorado that uses methods that are certified to be humane. Even the expense report-friendly Holiday Inn is getting in on the act, serving only coffee that has been certified by the Rain Forest Alliance in each of its 1,000 hotels.

Story from the New York Times.

Forget everything you know about cheap box wine. Whole Foods is now offering its discerning shoppers the chance to purchase Green Path wines, an organic brand from Australia that will be sold exclusively through Whole Foods. Green Path wines are bottled packaged in Tetra Pak, an environmentally responsible alternative to the wine bottle. Of course, the sustainability of importing wine from Australia can be debated when so much is produced in the U.S.

According to the Green Path website, its wines are made using organic grapes and come in both Shiraz and Chardonnay.

Press release.

Wilson, the largest racquet sports company in the world, announced its Green Initiative last month. Under the terms of the program, Wilson will make significant changes to current products and manufacturing processes to develop a line of goods that is environmentally considerate.

Specific changes include the use of at least 25% recycled plastic in tennis ball cans, switching from non-recyclable plastic to cardboard for glove packaging, and manufacturing changes that reduce the amount of volatile solvents used in the production of the new [K]Factor tennis racquets.

Wilson press release.

Backed by venture capital heavyweights Khosla Ventures and Kleiner Perkins, Ausra has just added $40 million to its coffers as it looks to roll-out utilty-scale solar projects. At the most basic level, Ausra uses solar energy to drive a steam turbine which then creates electricity. An easily understood demo can be viewed on the Ausra website.

According to the company, a 92 square mile area could provide the power needs for the entire U.S. electric grid. Such an area represents only 10% of the Federal land in the state of Nevada.

Ausra website.

Sam’s Club, the warehouse sibling, of Wal-Mart, has opened its first “green” store in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The area is home to several endangered species so the company worked with the Sierra Club and National Audubon Society on development plans and the inclusion of features that would impart minimal impact.

Features include a retention pond for natural water filtration, rainwater harvesting, LED lighting, light harvesting, and more.

Story from The Morning News.

Burger King joins McDonald’s as the only fast food chains participating in the Better Business Bureau’s Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative. As part of the program, companies pledge to stop advertising to young children.

At the same time, BK is pushing Motts applesauce to the side and replacing it with organic applesauce with no added sugar. If your little ones prefer fries, you can try tricking them with a new apple product: apples cut to look like fries and served in a frypod. Executives from the chain think that kids will flock to the new product, evidently believing that the novelty of eating food with your hands out of a cardboard container is more important than the deep fried potatoes.

Story from AdAge.

I had to check the source twice to make sure this story wasn’t some clever spoof from The Onion. Evidently Libya, as part of a quest to join the developed world, has plans to develop an enormous ecotourism destination known as the Green Mountain Project. Libya actually has some of the last pristine coastline in the Mediterranean and is taking steps to preserve the coast as the area is developed.

Details for the project are light, as you would expect from a plan that was hatched just two short months ago, but there is a great deal of talk about preserving resources, limiting emissions, and carbon neutral development.

Story from the International Herald Tribune.