Inhabitat

    +0

Will(or is) those bags be available in the Inhabitat store or somewhere else?? Would really be interested in one soon if I not win =)

The price makes me a bit wierd though..

    +0

This bag is too hot not to have! I NEED it for so many practical reasons but mostly I need it to help boost my fashion style. Plus, showing off this bag would be easy as my office is mostly on the go and what designer wouldn’t look sweet carrying a sexy solar bag on a bike?

    +0

I need this bag because I have a 3 hour commute each way (by train, NEVER drive) and need a way to work on my side projects, helping non-profits with their web design.

    +0

I’ve recently dived into the world of all things eco and am trying to take steps to do my part. Now that I’ve taken an interest, I’d like to get my girlfriend involved as well and The noon solar bad seems like a great way to jump start her into the eco world, by showing her how cool and functional eco can be.

    +0

Being a second year university student, I am constantly looking for ways to try to save money. I wear things until the holes are so big they could fit another appendage, if there’s a sale at the grocery store I’m first in line and I have a tendency to buy child priced tickets at the movies “accidentally” (yes, you caught me). Being a student has made me pretty cheap, to say the least. Having this bag would be a perfect way to shave off those few extra dollars on the power bill each month. I am already anal about unplugging things when they’re not being used, not running hot water if it’s not needed, and only using necessary lighting (I have a feeling this will not bode well when I’m doing my papers at 4am). Even if it’s just saving a couple bucks by powering my electronics else where, it’s a few dollars in my pocket that I didn’t have before. Also, it’s a really cool way to spread eco-joy, and show my peers that being eco-friendly doesn’t have to be lame and ugly. Also, I really just need a new bag.

    +0

I really really hope I was one of the first few to respond to get the Tee, but also, I’m hoping to win some awesome gear too. This is a great giveaway!!!!

    +0

I live in Florida, the sun (and lightning) capital of the country/continent/world. The bag would get no better use ALL year round than here. Besides, until someone invents a way to transfer my bike power into electricity to charge my phone etc, a solar bag is the best thing around.

I could rock out at the beach all day without a single battery…

    +0

Good luck to me

    +0

I need this bag. I need it to lead by example in the South Georgian town that I live in. I live beside a college campus of 12,000 students that may not be as tuned into green lifestyles. They might see me walking/bicycling on campus and think to themselves, \”hey maybe I do not have to be a slave to Georgia power, maybe there are alternatives within my grasp?\” Because here in South Georgia, even with $4 a gallon for gas, we still have people buying and driving big trucks and SUVs. No one in my area is converting to solar, and that is one think we have an abundance of (even though I am currently in the midst of Tropical Storm Fay). Maybe, just maybe, if I am seen with this bag charging my phone or Ipod, some people will start to believe that energy independence is within their grasp.

Patrick in Valdosta, GA

    +0

I need the bag
to charge my heart
So much pollution
Makes my world fall apart
Restore my faith in humanity
And reduce my reliance on electricity

    +0

It is a curious thing that at my age–eighteen last birthday–I should find myself taking up a pen to try to write a future. I wonder what sort of history it will be when I have finished it, if ever I come to the end of the trip! I plan to do a good many things in my life, which already seems a long one to me, owing to my having begun work so young, perhaps. You see, I realized early on that I was not meant for a traditional life. By my tenth year on Earth, I had already planned out various career endeavors involving the relatively new medium of the Internet. Six years later, I chose to abandon a religion and life philosophy centered around the prospect of marriage, family and a white-collar job. And two years post, as I pen this brief mémoire, my personal plans overshadow the supposed customary practice of entering the workforce.

You see, I can be considered an entrepreneur of sorts. Or rather, an entrepreneur of the heart. I admit that I have an immense love for the natural world. But I have also given myself to photography as my preferred medium of art. It is my personal belief that visual art has the ability to change an individual, transporting him/her to a former state of innocence during that initial shock of discovery experienced upon the first glance of an image. But alas, if photography is my lover, then I suppose nature is my mistress. To make a thorough story more precise, I was born with a personal manifesto. My purpose in life is to communicate to civilization the importance of the natural world, and to express the dire aid our humble planet requires due to human intervention in a natural environmental cycle. Climate change is a real, and photographable, threat. And I wish to document this moment in history, whether it is seen in the end as man’s finest hour, or man’s worst blunder.

Like Dorothea Lange, Arthur Rothstein and the other great FSA (Farm Security Administration) photographers who dedicated their lives to documenting the human face of the Great Depression in the early half of the twentieth century, I wish to capture this monumental human-fueled disaster in a way that will genuinely motivate individuals in order to invoke change. Like the FSA photographers, I must be dedicated to my work. And with this dedication will come extreme amounts of travel. My mind can barely comprehend the immense scope of the locations I may find myself in. And in many instances, I may be forced to spend weeks or months at a time away from any sign of a power outlet. A photographer relies on a vast amount of equipment, and unless I wish to alarm transportation security agents with suitcases full of laptop and camera batteries, a portable charging solution is a must. I cannot imagine a greater pain than encountering a lack of power, usually such a simple commodity, while existing as a mere dot in the vast realm of, say, the far northern edges of the Canadian Arctic documenting the rapid plight of the quickly changing environment in the region. And unfortunately, this fear has the potential to become a reality.

Unlike the FSA photographers before me, I do not have a governmental agency to provide me with much needed funding for my work. Everything I do is done on a tight budget composed entirely of personal funds. And as a college student, these funds are scarce to say the least. It is for this reason that my first attempt at an expedition will more than likely not occur for a matter of a couple years. And there is a very good chance that I will still be using my current camera and equipment on that very adventure. Nevertheless, my dedication holds firm. Like the protagonist Allan Quatermain of Sir H. Rider Haggard’s “King Solomon’s Mines,” on which this epistle’s introduction is based, I am embarking into relatively unknown territory. I wish to create images that emotionally change individuals, and any degree of contribution in terms of handy equipment will help me achieve that dream. The FSA photographers defined a generation in the former half of the last century. It is my goal to define our current generation through the same medium, and ignite change with the most effective medium I know. Thank you.

    +0

I’m studying abroad in Rome this semester, and the residents of this city don’t exactly live the ideal green lifestyle. For example, there’s not even a city-wide recycling program, and you have to make your own (costly) arrangements! As an architecture student, I feel like it’s partially my job to introduce green strategies and technology to people who don’t think this way on a daily basis. With this bag, I could be a green embassy over there. Italians love fashion, and this could be a great stepping stone.

    +0

I am a graduate student doing research on energy efficiency in data centers, and (with any luck) I will be graduating with my PhD at the end of this school year. I will be going out on interviews to companies and universities all over the country in the next few months. A Noon Solar bag would be a useful, not to mention stylish, asset on the road to keep my cell phone and iPod powered up. More importantly, it would be a great conversation starter with the students, professors, and researchers that I meet to show how new technologies can make an impact in achieving sustainability.

    +0

I need this bag. It would be perfect while I’m jamming on my mind box, trying to tune out all the pollution and useless waste i see on the daily. I’ve got a crappy blackberry with a worthless battery. I’ve got too many chargers raising my electrical bill. It would be a great compliment to the progressively green city of Austin. Finally, when people ask where i got the kick *ss bag, I can happily tell them Inhabitat.

p.s love the website

    +0

@BethHa

I’m in Atlanta, so I’m a stone throws away from you. What are you looking to do? I’d love to get something off the ground. You’re right, the south is stuck in it’s ways, but I think there’s a change possible. I get the feeling Atlanta (and the surrounding area) is on the verge of something great. Decatur’s always been a few steps ahead, and they set a nice example.

    +0

This bag is the shiz (to translate the vernacular, it is really a great thing). I need it desperately for the reasons to follow.

1. Fact: I have been going to my university for four years now and have gotten no fewer than fourteen tickets from the university police department for locking my bike up to an \”unofficial bike rack,\” i.e., a railing or something like that ( there simply are not enough on campus and what is a student trying to get to class on time to do?) I do make sure my bike isn\’t going to be in the way, I just have no other option…
Maybe if I could offer to charge up an officer\’s tazer for them or warm up their coffee with my usb drink warmer or even just offer to tote their donuts back to UPD headquarters in style, I can persuade them to rethink their tickets or put more bike racks on campus via an eco-conversation sparked by a great conversation piece (read:sweet solar bag), thus making my graduate years spent at this school a bit more affordable by saving me the scads of money that these tickets are costing me.

2. Fact: My parents are interested in solar power for their home, but aren\’t convinced of how great it is. I can use this bag to show them how even something as small as my uber-chic shoulder bag can charge up all the devices I carry in it. \”Oh, wow, that is great,\” they will say,\”just think if the whole roof of the house was covered in that stuff.\” This small bag can spark a trend on my folks\’ street, and eventually a small, California Central Valley town can be the catalyst for greening one of the least eco-friendly regions in the west.

3. Fact: My \”Energy for a Sustainable Society\” professor is by far one of the coolest people I have ever met. He is at the forefront of research for solar thermal technology and wind energy, and still makes time to impart his passion for all things sustainable to us students. This bag would be a passive way to say, \”hey, I dig it too, and in a big way.\” His interest piqued, I would become his ward, and he would impart his massive library of knowedge to me, maybe I\’d even help him research the new solar thermal fields that went up near the university, and I could take my newly-imbibed wisdom into the architecture that I design and build (that is what I am studying at the afore-mentioned university).

4. Fact: I love green architecuture. I want to work for one of those firms that has a bike field trip every friday afternoon, and is working on becoming a paperless office, and who is not just greening up for the money, not just holding their LEED certificates up to demand another zero on the end of a designer\’s fee. I want to work at the kind of firm that gets into the dirt, that really knows how passive solar works, that can build a strawbale wall with their own hands and explain in plain words to the client how stack ventilation works and why it can work, even in a place like Arizona. The kind of firm Ed Mazria would high-five. At my interview, I would be sure to bring this Noon Solar bag in, and set it just so so that the principal would notice the solar panels, sparking a conversation between two green freaks, thus cementing my position at the firm, where I could learn and practice immeasurable amounts of greeny goodness and be doing precisely what I should be doing in my field in this day and age.

5. Fact: I need this bag.

    +0

Hi there! I\’m currently an architecture and environmental design student (wow, an actual student!) at the very alternative Hampshire College.

I\’m not here to tell you that I need this bag. Last time I checked, I can survive without that $2,000 Macbook or that oh-so-necessary \”Moto Q\”. I\’m here because after 5 long years of tattering up the gaping holes of my old backpack with botched sewing jobs, I\’m going to be forced to purchase a new bag before the semester begins. I wouldn\’t ask for this bag if I didn\’t already have one that was suitable–that\’d be a waste of material! So I\’m currently on the lookout for a new, environmentally friendly bag (on the budget of an intern blogger for an emerging sustainable architecture blog. Hmpfh.). I\’m willing to bet that this bag will reduce the greatest amount of electricity use in my possession, and isn\’t that what Inhabitat is all about?.

I can\’t tell you that I need the bag for epic photography ventures or to sustain my heart (?), but I bet I could challenge any contributer to this post and say that with me, this bag will see more light of day (har har) than with anyone else. For the next five years (at least!) I will be able to charge the various electronics of myself, my family members, random strangers in dire need, and of course my friends. The bag would of course serve as a symbol for small-scale alternative energy sources, and serve as a starting point for many, many conversations about the benefits of solar power.

Also, I\’m heading off to the Ecovillage of Findhorn, Scotland to continue my studies of abroad for the spring semester. As far as I\’m concerned, they have different AC outlets, so having this bag would relieve me of quite a bit of dead battery stress.

I appreciate your consideration,
Robert

    +0

I think that I could justify this bag as a need for a few simple reasons. As an IT admin and business owner, I’m constantly on the go and usually away from an outlet. I live in the sunny state of Colorado and thus a solar bag would be useful and often utilized. I preach to many of my peers and customers the importance of making green decisions and looking for alternative ways of doing things- this bag would outwardly show that I practice what I preach (even though I have solar at home). I thank you for your consideration.

–
backpackingnerd

    +0

In the very near future, we\’ll all need things like this. Currently the sun is the longest lasting thing around for energy. Oil is becoming to difficult to gather, and will take a very long time to come back to the surface. Small things like this solor energy bag is whats needed to make a change. It may not be a need at the moment, but it will definatly help until the time comes when it really is needed.

PS: My family is poor and cannot afford the novelty known as \’gas\’. That\’s why I want it.

    +0

I work as am EMT in Boston, but I live 50 miles from where I work. I take a train, a subway, and a bus to get to work everyday. My poor little iPod has gotten washed and dried and still surprisingly works. Not really sure how it works but it still does. However I can only get it to work for half the day. I charge it while I\’m at work but sometimes the ambulance I\’m in doesn\’t charge the batter at all so when I\’m on my way home my iPod doesn\’t work. I use my iPod to study. I listen to music with no words to drown out the surrounding noise so I can focus on what I\’m studying. I just finished my undergrad degree with a bachelor\’s degree in biology and I will start my graduate work in the spring of \’09 in forensics.

    +0

I can’t truly say I “need” this bag; it’s more of a “want” because of the convenience it would offer me. Believing that we “need” environmentally friendly products only feeds into the current trend of eco-consumerism, but in the long run we have to ask ourselves if consumerism is EVER an environmentally sound practice when compared to reducing our total consumption.
The reason I want this bag is because I am a college student planning on touring Europe this upcoming summer, but in a very unconventional sense. I am planning to enjoy the natural beauty and rural culture of Europe by touring the continent on bicycle and by doing so hope to minimize my environmental footprint along the way (though, there’s already a dent from the flight over). On my trip I will be packing the bare minimum: a few changes of clothes, water sacks and a purifier, a tent for camping out most evenings, basic utensils and cutlery, two days worth of food (to be replenished with locally grown foods when in towns), a cell-phone, a camera to document my journey, and my laptop so that I can share my experiences with friends and family. Because I am camping most evenings I will rarely have access to several hours of conventional electricity to power my electronics; And because I’m traveling by bicycle all day, I have plenty of sunshine at my disposal that won’t be put to much use without a solar powered bag! I’m hoping to win this solar powered bag so that I can power these electronics and increase my independence on this cross continental journey and perhaps even inspire some “green” interest in those rural locals gawking at that “crazy American” riding by.

    +0

I see that a couple of photographers have already commented, and at the expense of being repetitive, I believe that this bag would be immensely useful in keeping the batteries of my camera equipment charged and ready to go, not to mention the ubiquitous phone and iPod. I\’m raising money to be able to get to Africa next summer to spend several months with the locals in a humanitarian aid project, which I will do my best to document through photography, and hopefully spread awareness. In an area of the world where electricity is coveted, I would prefer to stay off grid, and leave it for those that really need it. The bag would help me do that, and would be a testament to emerging technologies that are extremely useful to sun drenched, third-world countries that need them the most.

    +0

i’m starting graduate school in a few days — beginning a several year slog towards a PhD in history. my focus is environmental history, and i am particularly interested in exploring relationships between people, nature and industry. (obvious connection there to the bag) — but i am entering your contest because i think this bag could go a long ways towards initiating conversations with my new colleagues. i’ve found that sadly, people of the environmentally-minded variety tend to be characterized as “outdoorsy hippies” — and while i probably fit that bill, having worked several seasons in the backcountry and been involved in environmental education/non-profit work, i’m more than that. this bag would help me to elevate the discussions i hope to be having with my colleagues and the broader academic community i am joining by demonstrating that green thinking can be about more than the composter in my backyard and the tent in my closet. it will also help me to make sure that i maintain a balance in my own life — allowing me to spend more time writing on my laptop outside — something that i think i’ll need in order to preserve my sanity and remember some of the more visceral reasons for my career choice.

thanks for all you guys do.

    +0

I need this bag because I just got the new iPhone 3g. As heard in lots of places on the internet, the battery life sucks and lasts only about half a day. Getting this bag will allow me to not only charge my phone during the day (like all the other college students that posted I am running around most of the day), but also feel better about purchasing this energy sucking phone. Knowing that I am using energy from the sun to power its electrical gluttony, I can get rid of the shame I have each time I plug it in. Now some may argue I should just be using a normal phone that doesn’t die in half a day, but then how am I going to check Inhabitat for updates all day long?

    +0

Well, yes, “need” is a difficult word to use in this context, but if I had this bag, it would be seen and noticed by any number of people that probably don’t often spend a lot of thought on renewable energy.

I’m a musician, addicted to my ipod, mp3 recorder and cell phone. I spend plenty of potential charging time waiting at outdoor public transit stops, and (alas) also plenty of time in the car. But when I get where I’m going, it will be an Arabic or Persian-Jazz fusion session, or to a language class, or to farmer’s market, or the Afghan bakery, or a fencing club, or any number of other places full of people who will be fascinated with the bag. I confess that I get a bit of extra attention on account of being a grey-haired nearly-old woman, which tends to be unusual in the places I frequent.

So, if you want the bag and all that it implies seen and noticed be people who don’t read Inhabitat, I could make that happen.

    +0

[...] reading Inhabitat this past week, you might have noticed that we’ve been running a little Back-to-School contest to giveaway some fabulous green goodies, including an awesomely stylish solar powered bag by Noon [...]

    +0

A recent illness has caused some brain damage and physical issues which make my previous career impossible.
So it is back to school for me. PDA to keep me organized, laptop to compensate for the sometimes shaking hand, and a portable game system to train and sharpen up what is left. With such a heavy dependence on technology it would be very handy to power my equipment anytime I am on the train, near a window or studying outside.

(Hey, you asked for a sob story. I was just going to write that fighting over the outlets in classrooms is a pain.)

    +0

I need this bag because everytime I go back to visit my home country I can tell them there is another way of harnessing energy that is easier that most people think that it doesn\’t have to be on a roof or some acres of land. Some people really dont\’ know and don\’t care to find out, but I want them to know and care. I want to encourage people to utilise solar energy in more ways by setting an example, letting people ask what\’s on the side of my bag and why I am using it. I am hoping that soon solar energy will be cheaper so that anybody can efford to buy it and it will be common and not just a luxury (I mean, this bag is very expensive and I can\’t efford it!!!).

    +0

I need this bag to make my wife happy (we all know how important that is).
She is eco-conscious and she would love this bag because she is also a gadget freak :P

    +0

Firstly, I do not need this bag, no one really needs much (we only really need water, food and shelter), however I would really like to own this bag. As much as this bag would be helpful during my daily life (never having to worry about running out of batteries for my camera, phone dying or lack of music on long commuting trips). But the truth is this bag would really be helpful when I go on location for projects. As an industrial designer, my focus has always been about need based design vs. consumption based design. In turn this has lead to opportunities to work/design in and for other parts of the world. Within the past year I have traveled to India (for design education) and hopefully planning to travel to Uganda (for children education toys) or Mozambique (for locally designed wood product for Western market). Owning this bag would really be a wonderful when traveling, never having to worry about finding a power source (for camera, phone….). As well, this bag would be a good representation about who I am as a socially and environmentally conscious designer, both here in nyc and abroad. Truthfully, no matter what the reason, owning this bag would be wonderful treat and much appreciated!

    +0

I wouldn’t say that I “need” this bag, However, it is a coveted item. As an architecture student on a very topographically challenging (hilly) campus, I am accustomed to hauling many things around in my backpack from high school, even though I am beginning my fourth year at school. Winning an eco-conscious and useful bag would help me teach those around me of technologies available for sustainable design. It would also help me to be more professional and as I move out into the workforce allow me to show where my design focus lies. I envision the bag as a conversation piece to open the dialogue about green design. It is also a valuable tool for myself as an on-the-go student to keep my technological entourage up and running. Thanks Inhabitat!

    +0

America needs this bag, as a metaphor more than an accessory, as vision before vanity.

The lesson the sun wants to teach is that we need nothing, because everything we think we need is freely provided.

Everything we think we need already belongs to us.

This bag would help me maintain my vision of myself as some kind of Independent bohemian new media design generalist, who sheds light and has no footprint.
This bag is a producer, not a consumer.
This bag would make me a Generator.

This bag has a philosophy that transcends form.

This bag cannot belong to anybody, because it already belongs to everybody.

The lesson this bag wants to teach is that what we need is already everywhere, all around us.

Our grandchildren will look back on this bag as the beginning of the time when stupidity went out of style

In the future, this bag will store solar power in a hydrogen fuel cell, which will also run your car.

I will upgrade this bag, then give it to my son, who will upgrade it and give it to His son.

one day, a small village in Vanuatu will draw its power exclusively from this bag.

the villagers will bow down before it, and wonder at its enigmatic power.

a rogue child will steal it, and lose it in the woods,

where it will sit for 1,000,000,000 years,

and at the end of time, this bag

will rekindle the suns.

    +0

I need this bag so that I can work on my laptop on the go and have enough power to get the job done.

    +0

To convince you that i need this bag! I will not do all the work….Y’oull have to visit my site and see for yourself how it could be convincing for you to see a poor artist designer begining is bussiness so small because he eats crums and can’t even pay is electric bill, for ” pete’s sake you should bye a bag from me at my all new virtual store for green evoluc visit: http://www.zazzle.com/evoluc*

Thank you again for the support you will give this poor humble designer that would even do jobs online if you would give him a job…. or pay him for designing stuff for your company!

My God a bag and a job

That would be a real win ……..evoluc a poor retired home working artist designer looking for a bag. and a job …

Wow how my day would be changed to receive a phone call telling me yes you won and we are going to give you a bag and a home job to make you live and be able to design the rest of your life and take care of your old parents 75 that have never said no to help me……im at the end of my rope ……I need a bag and a job or money in the bag to make dream append and to save life’s with my inventions…..yes a bag money , a job and a cel phone…….i would be set ……I think you get the message…..lol

Love
evoluc
http://www.zazzle.com/evoluc*

    +0

because im broke. really.

    +0

unlike many people, i don\’t own tons and tons of eco-unfriendly-gadgets: no iwhatever, no mp3 player, no bluetooth earset, no portable computer.
in fact, should you deem this reason to be worthy, and send the bag this way, it would only serve to charge the old cellphone we both use in my couple (we reasoned that one among the two of us was really enough to handle the kind of telecommunication we want)

however, i have plenty of friends, coworkers, even relatives, who are in need of charging their gadgets. the reason the bag could be useful is that it would not only be used as a charging station for all these people, it would also help them realize there are options they may not have considered regarding their energy consumption.

after all, in my family we are sharing the one car we have, time, services… why not start to share the energy?

best of all

    +0

Hi There!

I study at the art-academy in Holland! My dream is to live totally biological and to be one with the nature. Oke, it is very difficult but not impossible. I try to live as green as i could be. Even if I am a pour student. Many friends of me like my live style and respect the way that I always think about the nature and environment. I also give them some tips and tricks to live more green. (like starting to make your own biological food). To win this bag should be a fantastic present! Than I’ve got something wearable, so I can show the bag on my art-academy. I can show them the fashion off the future! Give some fashion students idea’s about combing fashion and green together. With this bag I’ve got a chance to make my school friends alert about what is going on with this world. So this bag will give me an extra satisfy feeling. I hope you all understood what I mean because my English is not very well. Love you all and always try thinking green!

    +0

Hallo, I am the only one (like says Freddy Mercury) which can really and better use this solar bag ‘cause I live in the best sunny country of the world…Naples Italy.
Now you are thinking I can’t participate ‘cause I’m not a U.S. or Canada resident, there is not problem I can give you a U.S. address for the shipping. So give me a chance to use at best my sweet Sun, I need it.
Oh I forgot, my name is Sulaj and it means “shining sun”.
It’s all. Bye.

    +0

Being a car-free transportational cyclist in a winter country like Canada for the last decade has many challenges.

To add to the complications, I have ten different disabilities. I do my best to contribute to my community by being the best Green example that I can, but many ecological products are beyond my grasp, due to a tiny disabilty pension.

Because I ride an unusual trike, while riding to do my transportation, I get about 20 positive comments per hour, several people per hour who actually stop me for curious questions and lots more second and third looks.

Can you imagine the extra information I could convey in a glance or a chat if I also had a solar bag on that unusual practical human powered vehicle?

In the past, I adminstrated or was a feature speaker at up tp 40 exhibits and displays per year that focused on transportational ( practical cycling) for a myriad of groups including multipy-disabled people, seniors, children, commuters, homebike builders, ecological associations, etc)

I would really like to win one of these bags to be more functional in my continued car-free lifestyle, to integrate it into the casual chats I have with people about practical cycling and as part of the features in my presentations about practical cycling and car-free living.

Thanks for the opportunity!

    +0

I live in a college town where the hippie townies think that the best way to make a stand for eco-matters is to paint your face and put on a parade. Don\’t get me wrong, I love a good parade (esp. when that guy with the bird suit and the stilts goes hobbling down the street…that guy\’s the best), but that kind of thing seems like a very loud bark w/o any kind of bite–sure, you have people looking at you while you\’re talking about a corrupt administration that passes environmentally irresponsible measures, but there\’s no positive example presented.

My aim has always been to be the quiet example–I own a fair trade coffee shop where we offer many local sundries, I commute on a bike, I print tee shirts with my wife that are both organic cotton and sweat-shop free. And I see upwards of a hundred people a day, with whom I often share my views on sustainability and environmental matters. I need this bag so that I can set it in the window to collect light–it will start many conversations and, hopefully, enable me to present one more option for practical, sustainable change a person can make in his or her own life.

    +0

I want this bag so much that if I don\’t win it, I\’ll save up and buy it instead of entering these contests each week.

    +0

As a student at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design I have taken on being certified as a sustainable designer on top of my normal studies. I have been inspired by my lessons and this blog to continue to become more and more eco-friendly to hopefully one day reduce my footprint to zero or potentially to the negatives by replenishing. In the last two weeks I moved from the outter suburbs to a home in the metro near my job, (although I drive a Prius hybrid) I ditched that to bike to work on Minnesota’s greenway instead, I shaved my head to remove my need of chemicals to clean and style hair and have switched over to all home eco products (cleaners, flurescents, etc).

I continue to try and infulence others with my choices and being a “brand evangelist” for the green movement convinving my parents to invest in hybrids and green energy credits. Along with getting my friends that live in the urban areas to switch over to predominate transportation by bike as well.

This bag seems perfect for me because as a designer I always have to carry my mac with me. I need a good sturdy bag that can hold it, a few books and a shirt change for when I go to school or work in downtown. On top of that I am the worst and remembering to plug in my laptop to charge while working at night and having this would help me keep my laptop charged on the go (or at the very least keep my iPhone at optimal levels as I listen to music on my bike ride).

That is why I would greatly appreciate the solar bag. :-)

    +0

The Spanish sun rains down its rays onto my brow but I pay no attention to its effects, the focus of my senses are on the path that I walk, the sights that I see, and the music I hear. Step after step walking the Spanish 700km Way-of-St.James I know I am closer to my goal but I am also closer to an empty battery for my iPod!! No music, but most importantly no instant access to a digital voice recorder to log the epic tales of my journey as they happen.

Moments of history risk being lost.

You have the power to prevent this horrific twist of fate when I travel to Spain this November with my brother. Fresh out of school, it is time our real world education began!

    +0

I need this bag because I will be studying abroad next semester in Europe and will have no way of charging my electronics due to the voltage differences there. It would be very handy to me, and save me the misery of buying an adapter that would eventually become useless to me. Also what better way to represent the States then with a solar charging bag that shouts out \”hey we care too!\”?

    +0

The Noon Solar Bag would charge all my small electronics like cellphone and ipod, that way i don\’t have to plug the appliances into the wall outlet. I would tell my friends that whenever they are in my dorm room they could easily charge their handheld gadgets, and I would encourage them to leave those outlets free of charges while not using them. I tend to unplug any small appliances when i\’m not using them, I share this green idea to my friends, but now with the Noon Solar Bag I would add that they could purchase a Solar Bag that would enhance their electricity efficiency within their house/apt./dorm room.
Plus, I would also use the bag for school use. In that same manner, other environmentally conscientious students could ask me what\’s its purpose, and where did I get it. I don\’t really have a \”school bag\” for school… i just use my laptop bag without the laptop to transport some notebooks. The solar bag would be of great use. Not only that, but my university\’s campus has an arboretum and plenty of green areas around, I could easily bring the bag and sit down under a tree to charge it.
I am involved in several clubs that promote environmental changes for my school, such as eliminating styrofoam from the university\’s dining center, implementing green roofs (roofs with plants) to lower down the heat temperature of buildings, among others. I need this bag to promote solar panels in my school, prove the importance of solar power in our everyday lives, and how it can save us money just by reusing solar energy. I think it would serve as a medium to demonstrate the small savings that I get from the use of the Noon Solar Bag, and how solar power could be incorporated in the university to create big savings and increase the green footprint.

    +0

As a webdesigner I need my laptop with me everywhere. The problem is, my laptop battery has been quickly losing it’s ability to hold a charge. Since the cost of a replacement battery is still so ridiculous, and because I can’t bring myself to putting another polluting battery in to the world, this bag would bring with it a world of difference.

    +0

as sunlight for farmers
makes green fields turn gold,
and sunlight for oak trees
sees majesty unfold;
so sunlight by backpack
would help this student,
now enrolled!

    +0

I work for an organization that has spearheaded a green initiative. We dedicate ourselves to teaching consumers about the importance of indoor air quality. IAQ is one of the important factors for the U.S. Green Building Council and LEED certification. If you utilize the right products in a normal household setting, you too can achieve indoor air quality that meets EPA standards.

We strive to bring information to the consumer market, who is so often misled, that truly informs on all aspects of green. We bring only the best to consumers.

Other than making my life dedicated to an aspect of a green initiative, I live my life through ways of sustainable practices.

I ride my bike to the store. I have been taking my own bag to the grocery so long that people didn\’t know what to do when I said, \”Oh I brought my own bag.\” I take public transportation as often as possible. I don\’t drink bottled water. I carry my own to-go containers. I shop primarily at second hand stores. I recycle, compost, and teach others about the importance of doing whatever we can. Recently I hosted a preparty for a concert that was held in downtown Louisville. We all took the bus to the show (40 of us). I also recently became a home owner. I have done my best to reduce the amount of water we put into the sewage by planting a rain garden and redirecting a downspout that went directly into the sewage system. I am hoping by the end of the fall I find time to add a new downspout with a rainbarrel and a pump to utilize the grey water in my yard.

I do my best to conserve energy as well. I have all my electrical outlets equipped with surge protectors so that I may turn off my electric items that go to standby. I use CFLs. I use NMhi batteries in most items.

I strive daily to utilize my resources to my fullest ability. For me, winning this bag is not for the fashion statement. For me, this bag is taking my efforts to another level. It will be a way for me to stimulate conversation, educate others, and functionally provide me with a bag ;)

    +0

Good day to all,

This bag is truly impressive in it\’s marriage of design and functionality.
In addition to being a manufacturer of eco-energetic and ecological modular homes ( enovo.ca), I have been remotely involved in promoting the sustainability agenda through political channels!!
I would gladly offer my shoulder as a partnership in displaying the future today.

Best

    +0

I need this bag for so many things. My current mountainsmith bag has been my daily companion for the last ten years. It has been patched and repaired a few times, but is starting to look a bit ratty for my day day to day professional life, so I really need a new bag and what better bag could there be than the noon solar. I am an architect and the green spokes person for our office (currently working on 2 LEED projects) I always carry my cell phone, camera, and ipod with me everywhere I go. Just imagine what a statement I could make by having a bag with solar panels for my bike ride to work and to carry around the jobsite meeting with clients and contractors!

    +0

More than my needing the bag, you need me to have this bag because between now and November I am going to need to spend a lot of time on the phone with my grandmother and other Hillary Clinton supporters convincing them why it is a bad idea to vote for McCain because he picked a woman running mate. I am writing my doctoral dissertation on climate change impacts on indigenous people in Alaska who are feeling the warming effects first hand. When I am not writing my dissertation, I am promoting the need for renewable energy such as solar to address the climate and energy crisis. McCain’s move to select Alaska Governor Palin is strategic for 2 reasons from my perspective: 1) to gain the women voters who are on the fence about Obama because they are scorned Hillary supporters and want nothing more than to see a woman in the White House, and 2) to position himself to gain leverage in drilling offshore in Alaska and for getting natural gas out of the ground in Alaska to market. We cannot let McCain and Palin win, and I can tell you that my grandmother and many other older women out there have one more reason to not vote for Obama and/or vote for McCain and Palin. I need to spend the next 2 months calling women around the country campaigning for their vote for Obama and advocating the dire need for investment and policies to support the renewable industry and SOLAR. The bag will help me in my effort in both a practical sense (keeping my cell phone charged when I am making these calls) and a symbolic one (as a walking advocate for solar energy!). You need me to have this bag!

When I go to my office at the National Center for Atmospheric Research carrying my new solar bag, it will further spark dialog with the rest of the NCAR scientists who must be rallied to get out from behind their computers and make sure that Obama is elected and is guided by smart people on energy policy. For the consequences to the further diminishing of funding for their important work on the impacts of continued planetary warming, the implications for the future of our planet and all life on Earth will be dire if we have four more years of the same. I will carry my solar bag with pride up to NCAR and rally the troupes there too!! We need solar energy NOW more than ever! There is possibly no more critical of an issue in the history of humankind….

    +0

I am a forestry research assistant in Arkansas. I came here (all the way from Asia) just to study forestry and I will have to be in the forest A LOT to take data. The thought of anything happening to me out there with no way to contact anyone scares the daylights out of me, especially since I don\’t have any family here and I\’m in unfamiliar surroundings in a foreign land. But as scary as this is, I wouldn\’t trade it for a comfortable desk job back home. I will be taking this knowledge back to Asia with me so I can help keep our forests from being totally denuded. It\’s one of the things I promised myself I\’d do (another being to put up an orphanage back home).

People know me as someone who walks the talk and this bag would be a great way to show everyone that being sustainable doesn\’t mean you have to make major changes all at once; it starts with the smallest steps.

    +0

this is perfect for my wife, shes always having her cell phone go dead!

    +0

This bag will allow me to do what I do best.

LIke it or not, mass politics is a part of today’s society. People debate issues, consider the pros and cons, and eventually the all-important grants are allocated and budgets are approved. The local political game, once a long and arduous process, has been sped up by the ubiquity of cell phones and personal communication devices. A budget that used to take weeks to pass may now be approved within a single day.

In my own community, I lobby local officials to make eco-friendly decisions: funding green technology, buying hybrids, and - most importantly - making the green movement a large part of their campaign. When my cell phone dies, the candidates and officials I advise cannot get in touch with me. This next election season is ESPECIALLY important, with many local issues and candidates that I care about deeply. Solar power would actually be helping create green legislation by charging my cell phone.

This coming November, the green movement takes center stage in my community and others around the nation. Charging my cell phone with solar power would be the environmentally, politically, and ethically responsible thing to do.

    +0

Hello Everyone,

Well the Contest has come to a close and thanks so much for all the amazing comments. We are filtering through them right now to find the person that “needs” the Noon Solar powered bag the most. We really do wish we could give it to all of you. Truly, the responses to this contest have been amazing and we appreciate each and every comment we have received. The judging has not been easy but we will have our winner soon enough.

Once again thanks so much for all the funny, honest, heartfelt, creative responses that we have received. You all have made this one of the best competitions that Inhabitat has put on.

Thanks and take care.

Sincerely,

Team Inhabitat.

    +0

Holy moly-

Who knew we would get so many amazing responses to this contest! Thank you everyone for your fabulous comments and participation in this competition - we were really overwhelmed by your enthusiasm and creativity. I would like to announce that the competition is officially over and we will announce the winner soon. I really wish we had 10 Noon Solar bags to give away, but unfortunately we only have one. The winner will be announced within the hour- stay tuned!

Thanks again-
Best wishes-
Jill

Editor-in-Chief
Inhabitat.com

    +0

I need this bag to give to my husband. He cycles work, goes to the farmer’s market and jaunts around town unconnected to any charging opportunities. We stay in touch via text message during the day and if he could charge his phone, there’s that much more of a chance we get to send sweet nothings to each other. Plus it would be fantastic advertising for this technology if he could carry it around everywhere he goes.