Ok, geography buffs, what city in Japan shares a name with a US presidential candidate? If you said Ronpouru (Ron Paul) you’d be wrong.

But the city of Obama in Fukui Prefecture has been following the race closely and rooting for Barack Obama and the notoriety that would come to the city, should their unwitting namesake be elected.

So how could we resist making our own Obama-on-Japanese t-shirts? We offer them in three styles;

• Bold katakana — which is usually used for foreign names
• The kanji as used in the city’s name,
• “Obama - not just a city in Japan.”

We think these are tons of fun, as well as making a statement.

Last week’s Earth Hour, when we were asked to turn off lights for a full hour, didn’t look like much where we were in L.A., but the effect in Tel-Aviv was noticeable:

Not only that, but according to Haaretz:

Vats of oil used to fry Tel Avivians’ lunchtime falafels and chips were brought on Thursday to Rabin Square, so a concert that evening could be powered without aid from the Israel Electric Corporation.Rock group Knessiat Hasechel later played to a crowd of tens of thousands who had gathered in the central square to mark “Earth Hour,” a worldwide off-the-grid campaign against global warming and energy waste.

Technorati Tags: earth hour, tel-aviv, environment, earth day, global warming, bio fuel

We admit it — we’re Mac-heads. And one of our favorite resources is SmallDog.com. Not only are they knowledgable and authorized Apple dealers, but you’ve got to love a company whose employees bring their dogs to work, regardless of size, *and* you get small (toy) dogs in every order they ship out.

Beyond all that likeability, though, is their commitment to “striving to reduce the environmental footprint of running our business, including the environmental impact of the electronic products we sell and service.”

Last Saturday, the day before Earth Day, Small Dog Electronics offered free ewaste recycling at their South Burlington, Vermont store. They collected well over 35 tons of old electronic junk that might have simply been tossed in to the landfill, where toxic elements such as lead and mercury would leak into the ground. This junk will be parted out and ultimately ground down. The powders will be elementally separated, recycled, and reused in new gear.

According to the EPA, 2.5 million tons of electronic waste, or “ewaste” is generated every year, including iPods, cell phones, printers, monitors, and especially computers. More than 60 million computers are buried in landfills around America, containing elements such as lead, mercury, and arsenic. Unfortunately, only 10% of this waste is ever recycled.

SmallDog has recycled over 65 tons (!) of electronic waste since the program began.

See? It’s not just the toy dogs we like
(Source: SmallDog’s TechTails Newsletter)

Have an old computer that still has life in it? Consider putting it up for adoption at your local freecycle.

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Today’s Eco-Reco:

We love the one-of-a kind glass baubles — pendants, bracelets, rings and buttons — that Sprout Studio creates with reclaimed, found imagery. There’s something magical about the clear glass — maybe it reminds us of sea glass, or maybe it’s the unique image in each one, like a crystal ball image of a moment frozen in time. Our advice is, if you see something you love, grab it, because once it disappears, it won’t be be back!

Earth Day is around the corner (April 22) and we’ll be posting some of our favorite eco-friendly links and resources throughout the month, called, respectively, Green Links and Eco-Reco!

Since Ben & Jerry is foremost in our mind right now because of their free ice cream give-away (Tuesday, April 17!!!) we’re going to share their “Guster Getaway” Contest. Play their Eco-Mission game to be eligible. Here’s the run-down:

Win a trip for two to see Guster and friends at the first 100% carbon neutral festival in America…The Telluride Bluegrass Festival, June 21-24, 2007. One Grand Prize Winner will receive:

• 2 Four Day Festival passes
• Round Trip Airfare
• 3 Nights Hotel Stay
• A years supply of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream - 52 free pint coupons

Six Weekly First Prize Winners will receive gear from Guster and a years supply of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream - 52 free pint coupons … mmmmm…

Yeah, there’s that irony that the prize involves a plane trip but they do so many good things (like free ice cream) and are partnered up with some good organizations, we’ll post it anyway.

Caution– the game’s a little funky/OldSkool and slow to respond to your keyboard arrows … we got lost, using up lots of gas, as well as got in several fender-benders and mowing down CO2-vanquishing trees And who the heck is Guster?

Todays Green Link: GreenGirl LA
She’s totally up on eco-issues, she really walks the walk, and she’s coffee-obsessed. A gold mine of info — check out her blog for the latest issues, especially on what’s happening in California and L.A. environs.
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Eco-Reco: Ideal Bite blends green living with fashion, pets, gardening, and just about everything else, and sends you a slick little easy-to-read one-page e-zine by email.

Technorati Tags: earth day, greengirl la, eco-friendly, environmental, ben & jerry, free ice cream, ideal bite

Israel has recalled its ambassador to El Salvador after he was found drunk and naked apart from bondage gear.
Reports say he was able to identify himself to police only after a rubber ball had been removed from his mouth.

Full story here

We think he deserves one of these. And a spanking.

Props to JewSchool.

Technorati Tags: israel, israeli_diplomat_recalled, el_salvador,

The stars were there but we didn’t get to see or hobnob with any of them, as they were safely ensconced in the VIP Lounge, guarded by diamond-earringed bouncers from the riffraff. Apparently attendees included Penelope Cruz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Orlando Bloom, James Blunt and Petra Nemcova, Sharon Lawrence, Chevy Chase, Daryl Hannah (no surprise there!), Bai Ling and Kelly Hu. But we did see Maroon 5 play a great set.

The celeb entry area with the green carpet was partitioned off and with the exception of spotting what may have been James Blunt’s shoulder, we have to see the same photos as everyone else.

In the dance floor and bar area a giant screen showed videos of Global Green’s efforts toward sustainable rebuilding in New Orleans. In the lobby a mock kitchen displayed non-toxic and green products like elegant bamboo flooring and recycled glassware, while another exhibit created a mock bedroom where guests lounged on a bed with a natural latex and wool mattress under soft energy-efficient light.

Lightning-quick bartenders dispensed organic and sustainable drinks (for us, a beer and a yummy mojito made with natural ingredients from Brazil.)

Here’s our slideshow of the event!

A special shout-out to our good friend K. from Living Green who invited us, and to her colleagues.

More coverage from:

ABC
Digital50
GristMill

Technorati Tags: global_green, environment, sustainable, organic, pre-oscar_party, Penelope_Cruz, Leonardo_DiCaprio, Orlando_Bloom, James_Blunt, Sharon_Lawrence, Chevy_Chase, Daryl_Hannah, Bai_Ling, Kelly_Hu, Ed_Norton, green_carpet, green-cars