A new addition to the SXSW Conferences and Festivals was announced yesterday with little fanfare: focusing on environmental issues, the SXSW Eco Conference is slated to occur October 4-6 of this year. The conference's goal will be to gather experts across various fields in sustainability to openly discuss solutions for the environmental challenges faced throughout the country. more ›

• BP says their costs to clean up the Gulf of Mexico oil spill have hit $2 billion
• Hundreds forced to evacuate because of a wildfire in Flagstaff, Arizona area
• Thousands flock to Stonehenge to celebrate the Summer Solstice

The Austin Center for Design is holding a virtual open house via webcast from 6-7 pm on Thursday. Center director Jon Kolko will talk about this program, which teaches how to apply design thinking to cultural problems. more ›

Our Gothamist and DCist colleagues may be suffering through an unseasonably cold winter, but here in Austin (right now, at least), it couldn't feel more like spring. We're planning on taking advantage of the sunny March weather by planting new vegetables and herbs in our garden. Lucky for us (and all our fellow Central Texas green thumbs), there are lots of plant sales and gardening classes taking place this weekend. Slip on some gloves and grab your favorite hoe - it's time to sow some seeds!Johnson's Backyard Garden's Heirloom Transplant Sale - March 6, 13, and 20 - 10am to 2pm - Johnson's Backyard Garden Johnson's, Texas' largest CSA farm, is located in Austin's very own backyard not even quite as far out as the airport. During the first three Saturdays in March, Johnson's Backyard Garden will be selling organically grown transplants of heirloom seeds at their farm, the Downtown Austin Farmers Market, and the Sunset Valley Farmer's Market. Many of the varieties being sold appear on the Slow Food Ark of Taste, a catalog of historically and culturally important foods that are now under-cultivated but still super-tasty. more ›

Edible Austin's Eat Local Week continues through this weekend. All week long, area restaurants are serving locally sourced meals with proceeds from the sales of those items going to support Urban Roots. Eat Local Week events are taking place all over town; here's a rundown of what's going on today and tomorrow... more ›

Surrounded by the literal fruits of area vendors' labors, the proclamation that this week shall heretofore be known as Eat Local Week will ring from the booths of the downtown Austin Farmer's Market this morning, accompanied by a 24 carrot salute, trumpeting (or should we say "rooting") in a week of events that highlight the bountiful goodness that is to be had in our fine city. more ›

This year's Maker Faire will feature many exhibits that focus on sustainability and green technology. Do-it-yourselfers of all backgrounds will be at the event to show off their eco-friendly creations. Intrigued tree huggers should start at The Green, Cost-Effective, DIY Extravaganza where attendees can learn how to make a solar oven, build a low-cost graywater system, make a pedicab, or set up an indoor garden. Visitors can also explore and talk to the makers of a hand built earthen oven and a solar powered water distilling device. more ›

Calling all people who want to look good, be good, and do good. A new kind of shopping is making its way into Austin and bringing sustainability to a whole new level – W3LL People is the ultimate skincare boutique located at The Bridges on South Lamar. No risk of greenwashinghttp://www.safecosmetics.org/faqs/#Doesn_t_the_government_ here. From the materials used in the décor and building to ALL the ingredients in the products, W3LL was created to bring a fresh, safe focus on skincare by providing products with proven, medical-grade nutrients that actually work and are not harmful for the planet. more ›

First Niece, model and Houston native Lauren Bush is teaming up with Whole Foods for her "FEED 100" reusable bag. Each bag will provide 100 school meals to children in Rwanda through the United Nations World Food Program's School Feeding Program. more ›

CNU XVI starts today. On Friday, City Green of Austin is hosting two free events that are open to the public. The first is a Sustainable Buildings Tour, which will include several of Austin's LEED and AEGB certified buildings. The second is the Sustainabash at Speakeasy. Click here for information on more free events. more ›

Austin is about to incur a hefty carbon footprint as SXSW kicks off, but thanks to the folks at MakeMeSustainable (MMS), people have an opportunity to walk the sustainability talk. The 'Interactive Carbon Tree' was designed specifically for SXSW in an effort to mobilize attendees at the conference to reduce their collective carbon impact. Check it out here: http://makemesustainable.com/sxsw more ›

Green Drinks gets computer savvy this month with a focus on greening computer usage and IT. Rebecca Thorburn, a member of the Climate Savers Computing Initiative, will be on hand to discuss the non-profit organization's dedication to promoting climate conservation through the widespread deployment of energy efficient hardware and power management software. more ›

As the trendiness of "going green" evolves more into an issue of long term sustainability, Austin continues to thrive when it comes to merging civic leadership, local business, and tactical implementation for more sustainable living. Popular Science recently released a list of the top 50 greenest cities and Austin rounded out the top 10. Other Texas cities making the top 50 include Fort Worth, Amarillo, and Laredo. more ›

This month's Green Drinks is kicking the New Year off with some eat-right type resolutions. Salila Travers, organizer of the Sunset Valley Farmer's Market and owner of Aztec Organic Pest Service for over 25 years, will be on tap to share her passion for organic foods and nutritional expertise with the environmentally aware and sustainability professionals that make up Austin Green Drinks. more ›

While high-end luxury transportation may not always be associated with sustainability, a new limo service is rolling into town to change all that. Clean Air Limo is Austin's first eco-luxury private car service. Traditionally, most limousine companies in Central Texas use Lincoln Town Cars which could serve as one of the many contributing factors to why Texas leads the nation carbon emissions. Clean Air Limo uses only eco-friendly vehicles in their fleet. more ›