This won’t be a popular sentiment, but I don’t care, I’m going to say it anyway.

Folks, enough with this whole “going green” gimmick. The planets ecosystem is unfortunately fucked beyond repair, and too many companies are making a quick buck selling “green” products to a guilt ridden public.

I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m actually all for trying to save the Earth, but I don’t think driving a stupid Prius and using low wattage light bulbs that prevent me from seeing a fucking single thing are the ways to go about it. Hell, as it is, most of these “planet saving products” don’t even do what they advertise!

So with all of that pessimism out of the way, you could probably imagine my eye-rolling and groaning, when I was sent the Novothink Solar Surge for the iPhone 3G and 3Gs.

The Surge is the first Apple approved charging case available to consumers that features a solar-charging option. Think of it as a hybrid (pun intended) external battery and case/solar charger for your iPhone.

Does it make your not so slim iPhone even bulkier? You bet it does.

Still though, I’ll give the Surge this. It is made very well. Within it’s sleek packaging, the Surge boasts a 1500mAh lithium-ion battery that should double your iPhone’s already sub-par battery life. You can charge the battery via a USB 2.0 port, or more importantly, through the solar panels on its backside.

During my testing of the unit, I charged it by leaving it outside to soak up some rays for a few hours. Thanks to the LED battery status indicator below the solar panels, I knew I had successfully charged up the Surge once all four bars were the color … wait for it … green (of course they are.)

Once attached to my increasingly obsolete 3G, I proceeded to use the hell out of my phone more than usual, just to see if the Surge worked as promised. Much to my surprise, it actually did. It seemed to add a good hour or so of extra juice to my iPhone 3G.

I’ll put it to you this way. I normally wake up at 9 a.m., use my phone throughout the day, and I’ll need to charge it up again, usually around 4 p.m. By using the Novothink Surge, I didn’t have to charge up again until almost 6:00 pm. For that alone, I applaud the hell out of this product.

But, does all that extra battery life actually make the Surge worth buying? Well, I guess that depends on your frame of mind. If you’re like me, and you’re either tired of all this “going green” nonsense or, if you couldn’t deal with additional bulkiness added to your iPhone, then I can’t justify paying nearly $70 for this thing.

However, if you’re one of those militant Eco-Nazi types who won’t even let their
house guests use paper napkins (wait, you want me to wipe my mouth with this rag? Gross!) and you’d rather use solar energy while using your iPhone, well, then pick up a Surge. It’s definitely no gimmick.

The Novothink Solar Surge for iPhone 3g and 3GS retails for $69.99.

Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut declared states of emergency due to the record-breaking March rainfall, and Massachusetts even mobilized 1,000 National Guard troops. Needless to say, it rained a lot. While the water tables are now receding, many formerly flooded homes are — or soon will be — riddled with mold.

Mold occurs when porous surfaces like drywall and wood continue to house fungal microbes even if they were cleaned after a flood. Mold isn’t really something you want around your home either. The Environmental Protection Agency says, "wet materials are a breeding ground for microorganisms, such as viruses, bacteria, and mold. They can cause disease, trigger allergic reactions and continue to damage materials long after the flood."

Sounds bad, but if mold has made it’s way into your home, don’t worry. There are steps to take to get your home back to its happy and healthy self.

First, keep your home dry. The indoor relative humidity of your home should be between 30-50 percent, which you can maintain with dehumidifiers. Make sure areas of your home with high humidity or those containing water-producing appliances are well ventilated. Be sure to monitor these high-risk areas by looking for surface discoloration and being aware of an earthy, musty smell, as these are indications of mold. And, though it sounds like a no-brainer, make sure windows are shut in high moisture situations.

When you do find mold, be sure to throw out those infested materials that are inexpensive. For expensive or irreplaceable materials, one eco-friendly product that works really well to rid surfaces of mold is an EPA-certified, eco-friendly solution called Concrobium Mold Control, which eliminates and prevents mold without any harmful chemicals. Local Home Depots and Lowe’s are stocking up on the product, and if you are one of the many plagued by mold following the prolific amount of rain we have been receiving, it is the best eco-friendly option on the market.

Heed our advice and you’ll be mold free.

Nowadays everything is eco-something. There are hybrid cars, organic veggies, solar powered homes and many more to list. However, as consumers it is hard to get involved in a complete lifestyle of eco-friendly-isim. What if you rent, or cannot buy a hybrid car or don’t have a Whole Foods close to your neighborhood?

A simple solution may be to change the way you dress. With many designers creating eco-friendly lines it is a little bit easier to shop consciously and help the planet. One of such designers is Damali Ayo, who opened her online clothing store on May 5 ready to create a difference without draining your pockets.

"I love to make people feel sexy without being uncomfortable. I love making clothes and designs that people want to touch, in that way CROW tries to bring people together. I also love function. Clothes have to work well as well as look good, all of this goes into CROW," said Ayo, owner of CROW eco-friendly clothing.

CROW is one of the latest stores that opened on-line. In comparison with other sites though, Ayo’s products are made of 100 percent sustainable materials like soy, organic cotton, bamboo, hemp and lyocell. Her signature design, a crow, is featured in various shirts over the color “clay”; as said on the site it is a grey that “reminds us that whenever two opposite colors are mixed, the result is grey. We use this new grey clay to shape our world to be exactly what we want it to be.”

Although her business plan seems peachy, Ayo still has to run a business after all. Since other designers and labels compete with the new eco-friendly products CROW staffers aim to maintain a "we-can-do-it" attitude. Although they respect other fashion businesses views, the team wishes designers stayed away from conventional cotton use for example, which employs near-slave labor as Ayo said.

If more designers used sustainable fabrics there could be, as the owner explains, "a difference in environmental issues, in community issues, and create more options in fabrics that are accessible and affordable to all of us."

Currently Ayo buys sustainable fabrics that cost more than simple-cotton based ones, something that she says is frustrating. A general change in using sustainable materials would help the environment, those who work in producing it and customers that want long-lasting and fashionable products.

"The kind of company I run is the kind that truly believes ‘everything is possible’ as our shirts say. I knew that selling sustainable garments wasn’t enough- I wanted to combine all the new ideas in fashion with my ideas about business and create a dream model of ‘how to be.’ CROW strives to be that," Ayo said.

Because of this desire to do good and stand out, CROW engages in a distinctive way of recycling, reusing or composting fabric scraps, patterns and thread. Its "scrapology" line also reinvents leftovers into one-of-a-kind pieces and the company insists on using cold-water washable materials that are still soft and shapely after line drying. All production and assembly work is done by local sewers, both to offset CO2 emissions and to stimulate local economies; if you want to join the recycling circle CROW’s cradle-to-cradle system takes back all clothing that can be composted or sent back to the company to be reused through their donation system.

Another concept that makes this line different from others is that shoppers can actually name their own price for the items, much like bidding on airplane tickets. Some prices range from $75 to $15 and, as the owner claims, people pay the higher prices for the items.

"We offer a sliding scale pricing and excellent product- that resulted in people feeling welcomed and often paying the upper end of the range because what we offer is of such high quality. Customers are engaged in the process of capitalism, we invest in them and they invest in us," Ayo explained.

With a background in art, having degrees and jobs in the fine arts, Ayo has been prepared to launch CROW and face the highly critical fashion world. At the moment she is the main designer, but through her connections in the art field she is in the search of new talent. Looking to create unique graphics that can give her business even more distinction. Because she wants to give back and help other up-an-coming artists she has also decided to donate a percentage of her sales to Art Now grants which go to artists striving for social change.

As the clothing website says, this line is "perfect for fashionistas with a conscience, and green gods and goddesses, as well as those just wondering how they can look hot while still helping to slow global warming,.. Style and sustainability can coexist."

As thing develop Ayo wants to look for retail space, where not only clothing will be available. CROW was created to start a community where people actually care about you. "We want to see you healthy, eating well, learning cool stuff and expanding who you are as a person. It’s no longer an us- them model of commerce it’s a ‘we’ model." And when the first store is opened? "I’ll be teaching yoga to our staff," Ayo added happily.

Currently there are shirts, dresses, male dress shirts and eclectic accessories that are sure to embellish any outfit. Many ideas are still in the works and new designs being prepared for future seasons, possibly with more male items to offer as well. "So many designers are afraid of menswear, which is crazy to me. Men are delicious! I love to dress them," said the designer.