When MINI Cooper burst on the U.S. automotive scene in 2001, it raised more than a few eyebrows, not just for its diminutive size but for its sassy and spot on brand positioning. Its arrival turned out to be perfectly timed with a global focus on ecological awareness. Late 20^th century excess was beginning to backfire and while the economic bubble had not yet burst, many were wondering how long we could travel along this path.

Fast forward to Summer 2010 and MINI has been ‘taking the states’ in a coast to coast promotion to unveil its cool new MINI Countryman vehicle while also offering MINI aficionados a spin on local race courses to both see – and feel – what the MINI is made of.

We at AdVinylize take our commitment to protect the earth very seriously, and are continuously looking for ways to participate and contribute. Thus we were thrilled to learn of an event last year being staged in our own backyard that brought together like minded businesses to share ideas and mobilize for action.

Now in its 4th year, Opportunity Green is the largest green conference in the world, providing a 3 day forum of keynote speakers, workshop sessions and trade exhibits that unite and engage industry leaders and connect them to environmentally forward companies who provide green goods and services.

This year's event is being held September 22-24 at Los Angeles Center Studios and is expected to draw close to 1,000 attendees. Not only is it a great place to learn about exciting new trends and information, it's the perfect setting to develop winning partnerships where profits, people and the environment truly connect.

New study finds certain reusable bags contained traces of E. coli, salmonella

Our friends at Times of India have written an article summarizing findings from multiple studies on bacteria levels in reusable shopping bags. One report noted that 97 percent of shoppers never washed their eco-friendly bags, and found high levels of bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella present. Scientists warned that these bacteria levels were high enough to cause a slew of health problems, especially among children. Many of these bags were made of jute or polypropylene.

We always knew there were others out there who loved billboards as much as we do. Jason, in Hollywood, CA, keeps a daily blog of interesting pieces of vinyl he spots in Los Angeles, and we love reading it here at AdVinylize.