Boxed wine is usually reserved for NASCAR rallies and hanging out behind Wal-Mart, but since Manhattan restaurant Sojourn switched to wine stored in a bag, packaged in a box, and served out of a barrel, they’ve saved a bundle on shipping costs and cut down the amount of bottles and packaging they go through.

The bag-box-barrel wine has saved Sojourn $30 to $40 per case of wine and the savings are passed on to their customers. At Sojourn a glass of Pinot costs $9 to $11, it can go for $16 at other restaurants. Cheap and green, very cool.

And just look, Sojourn is no Arby’s, switching to boxed wine has done little to tarnish their chic reputation. I want some wine out of a barrel stat!

Via Green Inc.

Image credit: GreenIncNYT

The plaza at New York City’s famed Flatiron Building will be flanked through Aug. 2 by “Solar Flowers” up to 18 feet high.

The oversized sculptures are partially powered by solar panels on their petals and stems.

Each flower can seat up to 10 people, who can access free Wi-Fi service and charge cell phones and laptops. Charging stations will be available 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

The flowers are part of Toyota’s 2010 Prius advertising campaign, whose theme is “harmony between man, nature and machine.”

After their New York run, the flowers will travel to Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

For Your Organic Bookshelf: Plug-in Hybrids: The Cars That Will Recharge America

Photo courtesy of Toyota

As I reported back in December 2006, the New York City Board of Health voted to ban trans fats in restaurants—a move that sparked protest from many restaurateurs and fast-food establishments.

As of November 2008, the city required that all artificial trans fats be eliminated from prepared dishes.

So, how has the city fared?

In a study published in yesterday’s edition of Annals of Internal Medicine, city officials reveal:

Estimated restaurant use of artificial trans fat for frying, baking or cooking, or in spreads, had decreased from 50% to less than 2%. Preliminary analyses suggest that replacement of artificial trans fat has resulted in products with more healthful fatty acid profiles.

The saturated- and trans-fat levels in French fries, for example, decreased by more than 50% after the ban, officials note. And while restaurants initially voiced concerns about the extra costs they would incur by switching to more healthful oils, officials say no increases actually occurred.

Needless to say, fried foods—even the organic kind—should be consumed in moderation. Click here for information on monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

Fortunately, it doesn’t. The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) may implement a program allowing riders to purchase green MetroCards.

Regular MetroCards replaced traditional tokens for subway rides in 2003.

But the new green MetroCards will donate money towards environmentally sustainable operations. It’s all part of the MTA’s $1 million proposal to lessen the environmental impact if its operations.

Spokespeople for the MTA say the new cards may be a little more expensive than regular cards, but the extra money will only go towards funding earth friendly projects.

Riders will be able to buy the green MetroCards at vending machines.

Sounds cool! All New Yorkers, including the homeless guy playing a guitar with no strings in the Union Square station, thank the MTA for being more eco-conscious.

Via Red Green and Blue.

New York City has already passed similar legislation.

Statistics show nationwide plastic bag recycling has increased 24% since 2006. New York’s new law, along with legislation passed in California, is expected to significantly reduce the amount of plastic waste headed to landfills.

Recycled plastic bags can be used to make consumer products, like shopping carts and new bags. So retailers across the nation have stepped up efforts to educate consumers and promote in-store recycling programs.

Now, to see how recycling works. RecycleBank breaks down the process step by step, from paper and metal to plastic and glass. It’s actually pretty cool!

Via ENN.

For starters, all the lights are LED. It’s covered with 2,256 Philips Luxeon Rebel LEDs and at 12-feet wide, weighs nearly 12,000 pounds.

And the green innovation doesn’t stop there. Despite being twice the size of any other ball ever dropped in Times Square, this LED masterpiece is 20% more energy efficient than last year’s ball.

Here’s the cool part. All the lights can make 10 million different colors and generate billions of unique patterns. Check out this video in case you missed it.

Now, since the ball is so awesome, the city will leave it up year-round. So it’s bound to attract tourists from all over the country.

Via inhabitat.

Nope, that’s not a bad acid trip. HSBC Bank commissioned Oglivy & Mather, an advertising agency in India, to help create interest in their global warming website. So, they painted an overhead view of New York City at the bottom of a local swimming pool in Mumbai.

It worked! The idea boosted web traffic by 300%, with many people pledging their support to fight climate change. It’s simple, but it makes a point. Global warming and rising sea-levels could threaten coastal cities, like New York which is an important world financial center.

Via inhabitat.

Restaurants will be barred from using most frying oils containing artificial trans fats by next July, and artificial trans fats must be eliminated from all foods by July 2008.

“Trans-fatty acids are not just from the cook and his poor choices,” note David and Stephanie Tippie, directors of the Anti-Aging Clinic Association, Inc., in Florida. “Trans-fatty acids make unhealthy cell walls in the body because we are lacking in omega-3s. Food manufacturers in this country routinely remove the long-chain fatty acids—omega-3s—by way of processing food to give it a longer shelf life. This is the beginning of our troubles because it sets up weakened cell wall syndrome. Trans-fatty acids combine with excess sugar in our body from poor diet and create triglycerides, which create plaque, and that leads to atherosclerosis and heart attack.”

Some restaurant owners made the switch long ago.

“For years, I have been aware that trans fat is worse than cholesterol, and so I began searching for alternatives in cooking oils,” says Roger Berkowitz, owner of Legal Sea Foods. “I saw this as an opportunity for us to supply a healthier dining experience.”

Two years ago, he required all 30 of his East Coast restaurants, including those in New York, to conform to his “no trans fats” rule.

When shopping for conventional and organic food, be sure to read product labels to identify trans-fat content.

Suggested Reading

Fat Tips for Heart Health
Lifestyle and Stroke Risk
A Healthy Diet for Men
The War on Trans Fats (Part 1)
The War on Trans Fats (Part 2)