Photo by Tod Seelie

It’s been a tough couple of weeks for the East Coast. Residents of New Jersey and New York City are still feeling the intense effects of Hurricane Sandy. The devastating storm has destroyed entire homes in its wake. The hardest hit areas, including Rockaway, Queens, are still struggling to get heat and hot water. The freezing nor’easter last week just added salt to the wound. No matter where you are, there’s lots you can do to help. Recovery efforts have already revealed how strong we are as a nation to pull together after a disaster.

If you’re on the ground, consider volunteering time to help clear basements or distribute donations. You can find the most up-t0-date information at Occupy Sandy.

The easiest way to help out if you already have an Amazon account is to contribute something to the Occupy Sandy wedding Registry. Instead of cleaning out your closet to come up with donations consider fulfilling a specific request. People on the ground are constantly updating what is needed most. You can buy cleaning supplies, hardware, or baby items that will be delivered straight to relief efforts.

Architecture for Humanity is a global community that helps to rebuild spaces, often in green ways, in post-conflict areas.Their recent report just how much is needed to rebuild the coastline. Text REBUILD to 85944 to make a $10 donation.

The American Red Cross is on the ground feeding hot meals to people and distributing blankets. You can contribute directly on the website.

It started as a Kickstarter campaign. Designer David Mayer set out to create the perfect water bottle. The result is a square bottle that never rolls. Although the stainless steel bottle looks simple enough, it’s made from 16 different parts, in a process of 65 steps. Best of all, the bottle has a top and bottom lid that can be removed for easy cleaning. That comes in handy especially if you’re the type to tote around juice or smoothies and know the annoyance of washing a regular bottle.

“My goal is really to get people thinking about bottles not as these clunky, utilitarian pieces, but as statements–in the same way women think about handbags and shoes and that we all think about our clothes, watches and sunglasses,” he told Co.Design. “The bottle is one of the most visible things we use–there is absolutely no reason that it shouldn’t be beautiful, iconic and send a message to people about who we are.” Retailing for $40, the Square is an ultra-premium water bottle. It’s pricey, but if it’s the last water bottle you’ll ever need, it will be well worth it over the years. The BPA-free bottle is leak-proof and guaranteed for life. Check it out here.

There’s no shortage of portable speakers on the market. But it’s hard to find ones that aren’t bulky or battery-draining. Designers Lin Nien-An and Cheng Ya-Fang have found the answer, creating the funnel-inspired Green’s Voice Speaker System, that turns any empty plastic bottle into a party. It’s the perfect picnic accessory this fall.

Just screw the rubber cradle onto the top of a used bottle. The speaker creates a beautiful low-tech sound, using the bottle as an enclosure to amplify the sound. The Green speakers are made from an environmentally friendly, biodegradable plastic, and the long-life battery lasts 10 times that of an average lithium battery. These smart speakers give a whole new meaning to music on-the-go. Keep them on hand, and you’ll be prepared for any spontaneous party that comes your way.

If you find yourself sitting in front of a computer for eight hours a day or more, longing to be out in nature, perhaps a desk makeover might help lift your spirits. The new Orée Board is an eco-designed keyboard fashioned from a single piece of wood, offering a warmer desktop experience for the user. The name has a double meaning: “the outer edge of the forest” and “the brink of something new.” Orée chooses wood varieties from sustainably managed forests, offering natural and renewable material sources with each product. Each board is cut into three sheets to preserve the wood grain and minimize waste.

But as outdoorsy as it looks, the Orée Board is highly functional, powered by a Bluetooth 3.0 chipset to link to your computer. You can even customize the keyboard by choosing a unique font. In a world surrounded by technology, sometimes it only takes a few details to bring us back to nature. Try adding a few eco-friendly products to your work station along with a selection of desktop plants. The constant influence of nature throughout your workday will do wonders for your state-of-mind, and serve as a gentle reminder that it’s time to get outside, as often as you can.

Did you have time to get a vacation in this summer? If not, that’ll give you all the more reason to visit one of our National Parks this fall. The amazing Sierra Club has put together a fun subway map depicting all of our country’s great treasures. How many stops have you made along the way? Unfortunately, getting around our parks isn’t nearly as easy as this map would have you believe. However the clever design reminds us just how rich our country is in natural wonders.

There are the over two million acres of Yellowstone, home to Mammoth Hot Springs, Old Faithful Geyser, Yellowstone Volcano, each a destination in its own right, not to mention grizzly bears, bison and wolves. Or take a visit to the Everglades, with over a million acres of protected area. This tropical paradise is home to mangrove and cypress trees, the endangered Florida Panther and Indian Manatee, and of course more than a few alligators and crocodiles.

The Sierra club has been working to protect our national parks for over a hundred years from the Everglades to the Grand Canyon to Redwook National Park. Now our future generations can enjoy them in their natural state. Plan a trip today and use the above map for inspiration.

Back in the day, being eco-friendly often meant automatically having a flagrant disregard for good design in favor of a more hippie aesthetic. Today all that has changed. Indeed, to earn the title of eco-design today, a product has to not only be good for the environment, but also look great in the home, in your wardrobe, in the school or office. A new trilingual handbook, Ecodesign: Ecofriendly Objects for Everyday Use, written in English, French and German by Silvia Barbero, Brunella Cozzo, Paola Tamborrini serves as a guide for designing with an eco-conscious today.

The book provides ten practical approaches to sustainable design production, ranging from green technology to eco advertising to zero emission design. True ecodesign must take into account the entire lifecycle of a product from design to disposal (or reuse). The best products are multifunctional, flexible and recyclable. The book is full of rich images showing everyday products such as household objects, furniture, clothing and toys. There are many products that will be familiar to you, but also a wealth of surprises. It’s a must for anyone serious about ecodesign to learn the history of the movement and start designing for the future.

If you’re like us, you’ve had your fill of reusable totes. At one point our closet was so over-flowing with canvas tote-bags, we felt guilty of over-consumption. And then came this $290 Jill Stuart “designer” paper bag that made us roll our eyes. But then we came across this adorable creation straight from Japan, and realized our bag collection is not yet finished. Enter the bunny bag.This adorable bag from Eding:Post is a fold-up tote that folds up into a plush bunny rabbit.

It’s one bag I wouldn’t mind adding to my collection. And it’s a good excuse never to be without a reusable tote to avoid having to use plastic or paper. Your child can take this cute toy anywhere, and when you’re in need, voila, instant reusable tote. Think of it as an eco-friendly transformer. The bag is on sale for $19 from A Plus R.

We’ve seen a bamboo water-bottle, BPA-free bottles, bottles built for tiny hands, and now when you’re craving a healthy fruity mix, the Aqua Zinger! The device is simple. Add some berries, mint, or fruit of your choice to the small capacity in the bottom. Twist it on, shake it up and let it sit. The mesh screen allows flavors to seep through without adding any pulp to your drink. You have an instant fruit-infused water that sure beats artificial sodas.

The Aqua Zinger makes it easy to get your eight required glasses a day. The bottle retails for $25.95. Personally, we don’t mind a little pulp in our water. Make your own delicious drink by adding lemon and mint, or blueberries and raspberries to your water. Let sit for 15 minutes, add ice and enjoy. Use carbonated water for a real soda-like alternative.

Move over fold-up bike. Researchers from MIT and DENOKINN have developed a new electric car, the HIRIKO Fold, that literally folds in half to fit into tight parking spaces. The new car is expected to go on sale in 2013 for around $16,000. It could be just the solution for congested urban traffic. This 100% electric car passes all the tests for sustainable mobility.

Before you think this car will handle about as well as a golf cart, keep in mind that it can go up to 75 miles in-between battery charges. And the coolest feature? Zero-turn radius wheels allow for sideways driving, making parallel parking a breeze. The car fits two people. And while it’s not quite the vehicle for taking trips to IKEA or grocery-shopping with the family, if you’re living in a high-populated urban area where commuting is difficult, it might just be your new best friend. I’d take one over a motorcycle any day.

Artist Olafur Eliasson, known for bringing among other things, waterfalls to New York City, has just released a new project that is aiming to bring light to the world, literally. With his studio team in Berlin, he created Little Sun, a solar-powered light that can be placed anywhere, bringing a sustainable light source to the developed world where electricity is not always reliable.

Little Sun is available for people living in areas with normal access to electricity for $25 and for those living off the grid for approximately half price. The goal is to spread electricity to people who need it most. Five hours of natural light produces five hours of solar-powered light, and the battery has a lifespan of three years before it needs to be replaced. That’s a 90% savings over three years over kerosene lamps. It’s easy to see how this innovative business model and product can help out in a big way around the world. The light is small and practical, able to help light up a room, use as a campfire lantern, or as a bicycle light. Eliasson has big goals for the product, aiming to distribute 50 million lights by 2020. You can be one of the first to spread the light by ordering one here.