"Human society sustains itself by transforming nature into garbage."  Mason Cooley

"It's a job that's never started that takes the longest to finish."  JRR Tolkien

"Do not wait for extraordinary circumstances to do good action; try to use ordinary situations."  Jean Paul Richter

It seems that we humans are caught in the crushing curl of our own giant wave of trash. A long, sad and glorious tradition of using and dumping that spans the entirety of our time on earth.

We have evolved in so many ways yet our methods of dealing with our detritus has not changed that much. Dumping, burning, waste minimization and recycling follow us everywhere we go on Earth, like the swirl of brown dust that follows the beloved Pigpen in Charles Schultz's Peanuts cartoon. Lovable and messy, that's us!

Here are some ways we can all help to green our less-than-stellar human trash-timeline:

1. If we won't or can't clean it up, do not bring unnecessary stuff onto a beach, park, campsite or any other dedicated open space. Always follow the "pack it in...pack it out" principle. Leave nothing, take only pictures. Birds, fish and wildlife everywhere will want to hug us! This also sets a really great example for our small humans, who will inherit the Earth.
2. Leave each place we go cleaner than we find it. I have always admired people on the street who pick up and properly dispose of other people's trash everywhere they go. These are true everyday heroes. It is a great green exercise to bend, pick and toss, any trash we come across, into the proper receptacle.
3. Become aware; keep our friends close, keep our trash closer. By keeping a close watch on how much trash we throw away we can begin to get an idea of the magnitude of our own personal trash cloud. Remember: out of sight, out of mind.
4. Can we please quit building giant floating trash islands in the middle of the ocean. Swear a solemn oath to never, ever again avail ourselves of the dreaded plastic shopping bag. Let's start and or sign a petition to get them banned in our state, province or country. Just imagine, if we can, a landscape without dirty plastic bags blowing in the trees, what a concept.
5. Keep it in our car and not on the roadway! Roadway trash--typically cigarette butts--is a huge problem for the environment. Newsflash: cigarette butts are extremely toxic and chock full of water, soil and animal poisoning chemicals. Yikes, did we know this before we smoked 'em?
6. If our tendencies run towards laziness, consult the Lame Environmentalist for some great ways to trick ourselves into being green.
7. Let's all go to our windows, open them and shout "Lets love the earth and leave it better than we found it!"
8. No more excuses, we all know the drill by now: reduce what we consume, reuse it till it disappears into thin air and recycle the rest.
9. The time is right for us all get over our big-bad-old-selves and just do it!

Have a really great green day one and all!

(Photo credit:thelastminute on flickr)

The cat litter issue is a messy quagmire with some greener alternatives but no real completely green solution. A case of low impact, instead of no impact. There are three major issues related to the question of what litter to use. The health of your cat, the health of your family, and the health of the environment. Clumping scoop-able clay and non-clumping clay litters seem to be the biggest offenders on all three counts.

There is also danger associated with flushing cat feces down the toilet. Cat feces can contaminate the water table, ocean and the food we consume with Toxoplasma gondii. Researchers in a case-control study involving more than 500 participants report that "T. gondii is a widely prevalent parasite that is potentially responsible for significant morbidity and mortality in the congenitally infected child and those with immunosuppression and for high morbidity in all persons in the form of ocular disease.”

After weighing all of these concerns, happily, there are some very good solutions for us and our feline family.

Repurposed newspaper litter is one solution. My family always had cats. I remember as a kid tearing long strips of newspaper--not the funnies!--about 1/2 inch wide and filling the cleaned cat pan about 3/4 full. Our cats always used the cat pan without complaint. Reusing newspapers seemed cost effective and expeditious. The one downside to using fresh newspaper is that the inks in newspaper can cause irritation and a kind of contact dermatitis in some cats and people.

Recycled newspaper litters like Yesterday's News and Good Mews are a better solution, though not as cost effective as the Sunday paper. Newspaper is recycled by using a process of re-pulping, ink removal and screening. During the re-pulping process, long fibers are processed back into paper. The short fibers are considered waste but when they are compressed to remove water, formed into pellets, and dried they make a very good conventional cat litter alternative.

Reclaimed sawdust cat litters like Feline Pine and Beauticat are good choices because they are made from a waste item. Sawdust litters are relatively lightweight and fairly dust free, they also have a great smell. These are also quite scoop-able.

Proper cat feces disposal protocols vary by state and municipality. Remember, eco friendly poop bags work for cats too!

Grain cat litters like World's Best Cat litter and Swheat Scoop, which are made from corn and wheat by-products, are very popular as well.

If our cats are strictly indoor kitties--as the Humane Society recommends-- we can try reducing their carbon footprint by using the CatGenie, self flushing litter box, featured on Treehugger. "Toxoplasmosis is almost a non-issue with strictly indoor cats" according to the product's inventors.

The key is to find a litter that we, our kitties, and our planet can live with.

Try one, try 'em all, please feel free to share your favorites with us!

(Photo credit:mslume on flickr)

Thanks to Xeros Ltd, a forward thinking company in the UK, the future of green washing machines is about to take one giant leap towards a more sustainable future.

According to Eco geek this new washer will hit the market by the end of next year. By cleaning clothes with tiny plastic beads, this new machine allows for a 90 percent reduction in water usage and could reduce utility bills up to 30 percent.

The 3mm-long recyclable nylon beads, along with a small amount of water and detergent, flood the machine during the wash cycle, then drain away with the water when the wash is done. The beads can be reused hundreds of times. The machine will also have the added environmental benefit of eliminating the need for dry cleaning delicate clothing.

The company claims that these machines will have a hugely beneficial environmental impact, stating that: " If all US homes converted to the Xeros cleaning system, the reduction in carbon footprint is equivalent to taking 5 million cars off American roads."

(Photo credit:parabola-pop in SuperEco group on flickr)

The evolution of dish and clothing washers into lean, mean, less-soap-guzzling machines, makes it more important than ever that we begin to use less and less soap.

The New York Times recently stated that most people are in denial about how much soap they use or should I say, overuse.

Our heavy handed soap usage is apparently making our clothing dingy looking, wearing it out sooner and not getting our dishes as clean. Also, at the same time, possibly damaging our machines. This goes for dish as well as clothing washers.

Here are some hints about how to use less:

1. The first step--and this is a hard one for me--is to actually read those handy dandy appliance manuals to find out what is recommended.
2. Using green versions of the high efficiency, low sudsing detergents for our dishes and clothing is best.
3. Marking the outside of cap with a black magic marker is helpful, many of the lines provided on detergent caps are sometimes really hard to see.
4. Find out if we have hard or soft water and adjust our soap consumption to suit our water.
5. With newer, more efficient machines less-is-more because they may tend to bog and work poorly with too much soap.
6. Always look for the Energy Star rating when buying a new appliance.
7. Remembering to recycle our detergent bottles and boxes is so important.
8. Try upcycling a plastic laundry bottle into a watering can!

(Photo credit:somegeekintn on flickr)

Know what bugs me? Those sanctimonious "green" pretenders who carry reusable bags around in their car trunks (but never remember to bring them into the store), buy bamboo sheets (oops—not green) and drop bucketloads of cash on eco-unfriendly stuff in the name of supporting a good cause. Talk about greenwashed ... Those poor souls have positively painted themselves into a corner.

Still, I suppose you have to start somewhere—and starting with the easy stuff is exactly what most people, in fact, actually do. Megan Quinn Bachman, a master's degree student in earth and environmental education, surveyed more than 2,000 early adopters of green lifestyle changes on two green listservs. Rather predictably, she found most of their efforts concentrated on easier undertakings such as cutting back on purchases, buying more local goods and services, conserving energy at home and gardening. More than two-thirds of survey respondants had managed to make those changes.

More life-altering changes remain much less popular. For example, only one-sixth of those surveyed had started new, greener careers, and anything involving driving habits or dietary changes proved to be a hard sell.

Perhaps the most fascinating part of the survey was seeing how feedback about the lifestyles they've made affects the attitude of green-leaning people. From the report:

• People are driven to act in the face of global threats largely by a sense of right and wrong—their conscience—with some encouragement and inspiration from books, movies, media programs and articles.
• Emphasizing the positive consequences of particular lifestyle changes and focusing on health and wellness benefits and a simpler, more satisfying life may be more effective ways to encourage change than promoting financial savings.
• The lack of support from one’s community and family and lack of assistance with overcoming unhelpful personal habits and attitudes are more significant roadblocks to effective response than not having enough information on what actions to take.
• Most people do not feel they need to measure the impact of their lifestyle changes, but some think such feedback would motivate and assist them with doing more. Setting goals, even without measurement, is extremely helpful.

(Photo credit:The Oil Drum: Campfire)

It's events like the recent death of a Sea World trainer who was drowned by a killer whale that make me doubt whether animals and humans really belong together. Even the casual observer can see that it's neither humane nor safe to keep oceangoing animals unnaturally confined for our entertainment. But how does this idea trickle down to, say, pets? When should humans leave well enough alone? Are pets and people a mix?

According to a new book from documentary writer Meg Daley Olmert, animals and people are in fact Made for Each Other. "The face that wolves stopped stalking us and we took them into our caves proved to be a miraculous leap of faith that changed our world forever," she writes. Her theories are far from sentimental. Drawing on behavioral psychology, neuroscience, anthropology and more, Olmert delves into how this bond developed in the first place and questions what happens when these ties are cut.

"Contrary to the romantic myth, these stunning emotional and therapeutic effects are not the product of our pet's 'unconditional love' for us," she writes. "The research described in this book pulls back that sentimental curtain to reveal the very real and even more wondrous science behind it—the physiological reality of why animals can love us, why we can love them, and why that love is so good for everyone it touches."

(Photo credit:white lion, SXC)

You want ride your bike, but you simply have no idea how to go about finding a safe route. Sound familiar? Google is coming to the rescue with new Google Maps options deliver optimized directions for bicycles.

The new feature does more than simply connect Point A with Point B. The software selects routes based on the availability and safety of routes specific for bicycles. First, it considers bicycle-only paths that are off-limits to cars. If there are no bicycle routes available, the software looks for roads with demarcated bike lanes. It also gives preference to flatter routes over steeper ones. The service also helps you discover new bike paths, which it highlights in (appropriately enough) green.

Still thinking that bicycle commuting sounds impractical? Allow us to help!

• Spring bicycle tuneup Dig your faithful wheels out of storage now for a pre-spring tuneup, so you'll be ready to roll at the first hint of sunshine.
• No-sweat bicycle commuting What you need to boost you along to your destination (minus the sweat) is a little motorized nudge.
• 5 ways your city can be bike-friendly What can communities like mine do to ensure they're friendly to bicycle commuters? The League of American Bicyclists makes it simple with its 5-E rating system.
• Super-size your bike Bikes for plus-sized and large people easily support more weight, feel more comfortable and safe and can inspire larger people to exercise. It's size with attitude—that, plus fitness and mobility.
• 5 ways to use your bike to carry stuff You're committed to the environment and you're doing your part by riding your bike more places. Great! Only problem: what to do when you need to carry stuff?

If you're like us, you feel better knowing where your food comes from. Did you know that you can trace the origin of your milk from a code on the carton? More than likely, there's a handy little code on your carton of milk or tub of yogurt that tells you exactly where it's from. Run to the fridge for a peek at the code—we'll wait right here—and then look it up on Where is My Milk From?.

Bonus tip: identify your produce

Before we go, let's run through a quick refresher on how to tell if your produce is organic, conventional or genetically modified. Take a look at that annoying little sticker you normally peel off and flick into the trash. You're looking for the Price Look Up (PLU) code, which is set by the International Federation for Produce Standards.

• Organic produce 5-digit PLU number beginning with 9
• Conventional produce 4-digit PLU number beginning with 4
• Genetically modified (GMO) produce 5-digit PLU beginning with 8

(Photo credit:Gizmo1408, SXC)

Snake oil or science? Food for a healthy life ... or merely food for thought? End confusion over contradictory research with this balloon chart showing the scientific evidence for various health supplements. You may see some of your own bubbles burst as you spy your favorites bobbing just below the "Worth It" line (or worse still, sinking below "Conflicting" into oblivion). Sort by compounds, enzymes, minerals, plant/herbs and vitamins in relation to overall health or specific conditions such as cancer, mental health and even sex.

The source information appears credible enough. The chart is generated from this Google doc, which updates the balloon chart automatically when new research results come in. Sources include PubMed and Cochrane.org, considering only large human blind-placebo controlled trials. And if you're still skeptical about natural remedies, you can do the footwork yourself with these objective, scientifically verified sources on complementary and alternative therapies.

Of course, there's no discounting the possibility of the placebo effect. NPR just published a curious story showing that scientists are finding signs that the placebo effect is getting stronger over time. Talk about the power of positive thinking ... Now that's a balloon we'll gladly hitch to our stars!

(Photo credit:InformationIsBeautiful.net)

March 8th is International Women's Day  a day on which hundreds of events that celebrate women occur all around the world.

For so many women green is the color of choice, the color of hope. Green initiatives offer a way out of poverty and oppression for women and cast a new light upon their role within the nuclear and Global family.

2010 being declared the International Year of Biodiversity, makes this year's celebration of women more poignant since biodiversity is key to the survival and livelihood of so many women worldwide.

The green movement has so many incredible women achievers to celebrate. Here are just a few interesting sites that celebrate women and the environment:

1. Going Green: Women and the Environment at Women Make Movies films by and about women.
2. The Green Women listing at Best Green Blogs
3. The Green Belt Movement whose mission it is: "to mobilize community consciousness for self-determination, equity, improved livelihoods and security, and environmental conservation."
4. The Eco Mom Alliance "a global organization of mothers working collectively to reduce global warming and propel an environmentally, socially and economically sustainable future.
5. Audubon Women In Conservation Program "was created for girls and women to discover the world of conservation and connect with the best and brightest women leaders in the environmental movement."

Happy International Women's Day 2010!

(Photo credit:blmurch on flickr)

In 1894 John Muir wrote: "When California was wild, it was one sweet bee-garden throughout its entire length, north and south, and all the way across from the snowy Sierra to the ocean."

He continues by describing the immense biodiversity before him: "The great yellow days circled by uncounted, while I drifted toward the north, observing the countless forms of life thronging about me, lying down almost anywhere on the approach of night. And what glorious botanical beds I had! Often-times on awaking I would find several new species leaning over me and looking me full in the face, so that my studies would begin before rising."

This sounds like a beautiful dream, a beautiful impossible dream. But biodiversity because of its very nature is still within our reach. Favoring  biodiversity over monoculture, that is the crucial task at hand.

Here are some simple ways we can all foster green biodiversity:

1. Become informed about the historical biodiversity of where we live. Find out about local organizations that aid in the preservation of local endangered species, habitats and watershed. Learn what efforts are being attempted to restore these habitats and how we can help. Get the whole family involved.
2. Support worldwide conservation efforts whenever we can.
3. Research threatened and endangered plants species and provide some space in our landscape for them whenever possible.
4. Remove invasive species that may be choking out biodiversity on our small or large acre. Buy our seeds and plants from ethical organic sources. Plant heirloom varieties. Kick the pesticide/herbicide habit!
5. Support our local birds, they are great sowers of seed and plant a  butterfly/bee garden. Compost everything that you can.
6. Dedicate a "wilderness" area on our property where beneficial insects, birds and small wildlife may shelter and thrive. Plant a hedgerow habitat.
7. Buying our meats and produce from local ethical and organic farmers and markets whenever possible is so important.
8. Dialing back our fast food consumption sends an important message to companies that thrive on the devastating practices of monoculture.
9. Buy less stuff: use it up, wear it out, donate it, gift it. Reduce, reuse, recycle, upcycle, repeat!
10. If you are going to buy things, buy handmade things that support local economies, cottage industries and craftsmanship.
11. Whether we live in an urban or rural setting learning what we love about where we live is so important. Taking a walk in nearby nature, noticing that life is happening all around us, becoming connected, breathing...

Have a beautiful green day!

(Photo credit:ms.lume on flickr)

Looks like there's something fishy about some of the most popular brands of fish oil supplements. A lawsuit filed in California earlier this week claims that many leading fish oil manufacturers are peddling products packed with toxic polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) compounds, despite labeling that states the products are "treated" and are safe from PCB contamination. Eight companies are on the hook: CVS Pharmacy, Inc.; General Nutrition Corp. (GNC); Now Health Group, Inc.; Omega Protein, Inc.; Pharmavite LLC (Nature Made brand); Rite Aid Corp.; Solgar, Inc.; and TwinLab Corp.

Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs) are persistent organic pollutants that continue to be a significant environmental hazard despite having been banned since the 1970s. PCBs are classified as a probable human carcinogen. Exposure has been linked with liver cancer, skin rashes, liver damage, irregular menstrual cycles, lowered immune response, fatigue, headaches, coughs and poor cognitive development in children.

Continue reading Fish oil supplements packed with PCBs ›

(Photo credit:Stephen Cummings, flickr)

We've talked recently about companies who dump surplus stock with no thought to the social and environmental consequences. Now, here's the flip side: teams that glean unused fruit from privately owned trees and get it into the hands of food banks and charitable organizations. Traditional gleaning groups like the Gleaning Network coordinate tens of thousands of volunteers to glean leftovers from farmers' fields. Now, urban gleaning efforts are picking off the low-hanging fruits in residential areas and passing them along to food assistance programs.

"I'm such a sucker for efficiency," gleaner Matt Jurach told Alternet.org. "It kills me to see all the effort people put into a tree and it produces all this fruit, then it falls onto the ground and rots. It's understandable, because we're busy people. But when you have a group, we complete the last step."

Groups like Harvest Sacramento in California have already harvested nearly 10,000 pounds of produce since the beginning of the year. The typical residential fruit tree bears some 200-300 pounds of fruit a year. That's a free source of healthy, seasonal produce—a virtual gold mine for food banks that rely on inexpensive, pre-packaged staples. 

Gleaning groups send out teams of trained volunteers to identify homes with fruit trees and convince homeowners to donate their harvest. Harvest teams visit a handful of homes during a typical harvest event. Volunteers keep bruised produce and fruit that appears likely to spoil quickly, then sorts and transports the rest to local charities. Gleaning groups exist in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Florida, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and California.

(Photo credit:sundaykofax, flickr)

When it comes to hitting the books, college students prefer to keep hitting the books—this, according to a new study on replacing traditional textbooks with e-readers. Students using Amazon Kindle DX e-readers at several major universities missed the ease of use in flipping through and taking notes in traditional textbooks.

Students' main concern was not being able to open more than one text at a time. According to a report at USA Today, "Students whose curriculum requires them to organize information culled from many different sources are particularly concerned with being able to navigate multiple documents at once, said Michael Koenig, director of operations at Virginia's Darden School of Business, which also ran a Kindle DX pilot program last fall. 'At the point where you need to highlight and notate in a fairly high-paced classroom—to be able to move back and forth between business cases, class readings, your own notations, your own highlights, your own analysis—it's just not as flexible or nimble as having your paper notes or your laptop right there,' he said, adding that the Kindle was 'not quite ready for prime time."

Old-fashioned note-taking techniques also proved hard to duplicate. With backpacks traditionally bristling with neon-colored highlighters for color-coding different types of information in different texts, students were unhappy with the difficulty of highlighting text. They also disliked the clunkiness of typing notes on the Kindle's keypad. "Many users thought that the addition of a touch screen and stylus would make for a much better device," wrote Princeton researchers.

Far from being a disappointment, the research results appear to confirm that Amazon has hit its mark with the Kindle. The e-reader was designed specifically for recreational use rather than hardworking study or professional applications. While 75% of the Darden students said they wouldn't recommend the Kindle for other students, about 90% gave it a thumbs up for casual reading. Whether or not it's a greener choice—now that's a topic for another day!

(Photo credit:Plutor, flickr)

If a small plot is your plight, fear not for, it's pocket gardening to the rescue!

Taking a lesson from good old mother nature, who can send up a shoot of something green through the cracks in almost any parking lot, some clever folks have come up ingenious green ideas for small gardens.

This new spin on window box gardening has people growing their own green vegetable bounty in the most unlikely places and containers. Pick a pocket, plant a packet and watch your garden grow.

Here are a few really great ideas for pocket and container gardens:

1. Handmade in the USA from recycled plastic bottles Woolly Pocket soft-sided garden containers are suitable for indoor or outdoor usage. Their breathable sides release excess moisture to aerate the soil and their waterproof lining helps keep walls and floors dry.
2. Upcycling an old colander or salad spinner for indoor lettuce and herb growing is a great idea.
3. Create your own attractive DIY hanging pocket garden by upcycling any number of beautifully designed and sturdy coffee or juice bags. Macrame some jute or twine to hang them on.
4. Stylish recycled tire planters are attractive, relatively lightweight and much easier to move around than heavy flower pots. The large handles are really convenient.
5. Eco-friendly and really quite attractive biodegradable rice hull pots and planters are great for green windowsill gardening.
6. Repurpose an old wheelbarrow by drilling drainage holes in the bottom and filling it with soil. This makes a great portable outdoor garden that can be repositioned easily to optimize sunny or shady spots around the garden.
7. Old teapots hung by their handles so that the spout is pointing downwards make great outdoor hanging planters. They usually have a strainer built into the spout to trap tea leaves but if their is no strainer a small piece of screen works just as well. Fill with enough soil so that it does not spill out and plant a hanging thyme, rosemary or other creeping herb and drape it out through the top of the pot.
8. A festive and colorful tin can garden can be made by upcycling large restaurant sized cans. Drill a few holes in the bottom and add some small stones or gravel to provide suitable drainage. Be sure to set these on a tray of some sort as tin cans tend to rust.
9. Always use a good quality organic planting medium to ensure good growth. Well begun is half done.

Don't be shy, if you plant it it will grow! Happy planning, happy planting and please feel free to share your favorite small space garden ideas with us.

(Photo credit:ms.lume on flickr)

We're all aware that certain seemingly innocent-sounding words on product labels hide some not-so-innocent ingredients (phthalates, parabens ...). What we may not all have realized is just how many pernicious little tricksters are hiding behind the word "fragrance" on cleaners, candles and cosmetics. We're not talking a dozen or so pseudonyms; we're talking about 3,163 ingredients. That fresh, fragrant feeling you were searching for? It very well could be stink-bombed by toxic additives.

The International Fragrance Association has compiled and posted this gargantuan list in an effort to help consumers who are struggling with chemical sensitivities to fragrance additives. The list includes both natural and artificial fragrances masquerading as fragrance.

The fragrance industry has struggled to strike a balance between detailing its ingredients and divulging proprietary blends and secrets. “The publication of the Fragrance Industry list of ingredients is a move towards greater transparency while still protecting proprietary details of specific fragrance formulae,” explained the IFRA's Jean-Pierre Houri. “This initiative shows the responsibility and accountability of the fragrance industry and our commitment to communicate our extensive safety program.” The ingredients listing initiative was led by the Consumer Specialty Products Association (CSPA), The Soap & Detergent Association (SDA) and the Canadian Consumer Specialty Products Association (CCSPA).

The best way to protect yourself continues to be the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep cosmetics database. Before plunking down your hard-earned cash on pricey cosmetics, candles or household cleaners that turn out to be toxic, take a few minutes to learn how Skin Deep can flag chemicals best avoided.

(Photo credit:ubik2010, SXC)

I daresay that climate change naysayers will be forced to sit up and take notice when the price of their beloved java rises through the ceiling, roof and beyond. Eventually we all may be dialing back our coffee consumption in the face of skyrocketing prices.

Global warming is having a devastating impact on coffee growers as they scramble to claim land at higher altitudes upon which to plant their crops.

According to Nestor Osorio, head of the International Coffee Organization "There is already evidence of important changes" he states that "In the last 25 years the temperature has risen half a degree in coffee producing countries, five times more than in the 25 years before."

Climate change has shifted the delicately balanced patterns of rainfall and aridity needed for coffee to flourish and prosper. From Brazil to Indonesia coffee is a mainstay export and one of the most important trade commodities in the world.

Fair trade coffee may be the coveted gift you want to give for any occasion as it becomes more and more precious.

Pero anyone?

(Photo credit:P.J. McAdie on flickr)

The frog was not talking about his garden when he sang "it's not easy being green" he was talking about his soul. Cultivating a green soul is not always easy but it is more worth the doing than just about anything I know.

When it becomes our goal to nurture nature we begin to cultivate a relationship that supports our entire ecosystem.

Remember, if it is poisoning the frogs, birds and insects, then it is probably poisoning us and our kids. So this year take a vow to ditch the pesticides and herbicides and grow a lawn and garden that the frog would be happy to sing his heart out in. Here are some helpful tips:

1. Let's begin by considering our home, garden and environs as part of our immediate family and treat them with the love and respect that they deserve.
2. Keep it simple, let some of the marginal areas of our small or large acre go native or wild. This makes less work for us and helps restore depleted habitats for pollinators and small wildlife. There is no shame in, as Jane Austen puts it, "a prettyish kind of little wilderness on one side of your lawn." You gotta love the style of those nature loving Victorians.
3. Growing grasses, flowers and vegetables that are suitable for our zone helps to maximize gratification from our landscape. Having our soil tested then amending it properly and organically is key.
4. Always choosing to go green with our dollar by sticking to organic and green gardening sites, seeds and supplies for our landscape, is easier now than ever.
5. Making Green Hour activities part of our family's daily routine helps us to build a healthy relationship with our environment. Remembering to dream green by visualizing our lives, our gardens and our planet greenly helps to reinforce their health via "ye olde power of positive thinking."

Happy green planning and I'll see you over the fence this spring with lots of green gardening tips!

(Photo credit:ms.lume on flickr)

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver's new TV series, Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, doesn't debut until March 26, but the healthy food advocate is already mixing it up with first graders and lunchroom staff alike. In the new show, Oliver brings his passion for healthier eating habits to Huntington, W. Va., recently dubbed "the fattest city in America." The 2010 TED Prize winner's goal: "I wish for your help to create a strong, sustainable movement to educate every child about food, inspire families to cook again and empower people everywhere to fight obesity."

Simple enough, right? Not where these children are concerned. Take a look at what happened when Oliver asked these first-graders to identify various fresh fruits and vegetables.

At least the kids gave his queries an energetic attempt. The reception was considerably less enthusiastic behind the scenes in the kitchen.

Looks like Oliver has his job cut out for him (the least of which is cutting out the junk food served at school). Still, we suspect his action-oriented philosophy will pick up steam. "Every child should be taught to cook in school, not just talk about nutrition all day. Good food can be made in 15 minutes. This could be the first generation where the kids teach the parents," he says.

Food Revolution premieres Friday, March 26 on ABC TV.

(Photo credit:JamieOliver.com)

It's almost the weekend! Set the mood with these eco-savvy and ethically aware artists. Check out our list of 15 green musicians for your playlist, or try our sampling of songs—from classic Joni Mitchell, to thought-provoking Cloud Cult, to the feel-good warmth of Bob Marley—below.

(Photo credit:uyo14, SXC)

Super Eco posts plenty about celebrity eco-philanthropists and do-gooders. Indeed, sites like Ecorazzi let fans follow the intersection of celebrity and environment. But here's a whole rafter of philanthropists who've managed to keep a much lower profile—and yes, we're fascinated. Who are these generous supporters of our planet's welfare? Treehugger recently dug up the goods on seven of them, including these quiet leaders you may never have heard of:

• Gordon (Intel) and Betty Moore give some $183 million each year toward environmental conservation, science and the San Francisco Bay Area. According to TreeHugger, they've donated to everything from the Alaska Conservation Foundation to the Woods Hole Research Center and developed initiatives to preserve the Andes-Amazon region, protect North Pacific salmon, and maintain marine ecosystems.
• Doug (Esprit and The North Face) and Kris (Patagonia) Tompkins have given some $275 million via two conservation organizations, Conservation Land Trust and Conservacion Patagonica, to preserve wild habitats in Argentina and Chile. As Kris told CNN, "'Buying land, conserving it, and shepherding it towards national park status, yes, it is probably legitimate to call us pioneers.'"
• The William and Flora Hewlitt (Hewlett-Packard) Foundation gave about $785 million in grants in 2008. Recent recipients include the National Resources Defense Council, Trout Unlimited, and the International Sustainable Systems Research Center.

Find out who else made the list of seven surprising eco-philanthropists at TreeHugger.

(Photo credit:svilen001, SXC)

Happy hump day! Take a few minutes out of the weekly climb to see what is going on around the green and sustainable world.

Australia uses cat food in fight against cane toads University of Sydney researchers found that cat food left next to ponds in the Northern Territory attracted meat ants, which then attacked baby cane toads emerging from the water.It is the latest idea in the battle against the cane toad, which was introduced from Hawaii in 1935 in a failed attempt to control beetles on sugarcane plantations. Their population, now in the millions, threatens many native species across Australia. (Guardian)

E-waste problem on our doorstep Sales of household electrical gadgets will boom across the developing world in the next decade, wreaking environmental havoc if there are no new strategies to deal with the discarded TVs, cell phones and computers, a U.N. report said Monday. (The New York Times)

Sea lions trickling back to San Francisco's Pier 39 While their numbers are currently in the dozens, as opposed to the record 1,700 jockeying for place on the docks mere weeks before disappearing completely, the famed sea lions of San Francisco's Pier 39 may be in the beginning stage of a return to their crowd-pleasing hangout of the past two decades. (Tonic)

Pete Wentz tapped for UNICEF Tap Project Breaking News! UNICEF announced today that musician/social entrepreneur Pete Wentz will be the national spokesperson for the 2010 UNICEF Tap Project. The UNICEF Tap Project is a grassroots initiative that will take place during World Water Week 2010 (March 21-27) and invites individuals to donate $1 or more for tap water at participating restaurants to provide clean water to children around the world. (Ecorazzi)

Alleviating factory farm-associated suffering? We are most likely stuck with factory farms, given that they produce most of the beef and pork Americans consume. But it is still possible to reduce the animals’ discomfort — through neuroscience. Recent advances suggest it may soon be possible to genetically engineer livestock so that they suffer much less. (The New York Times)

Al Gore and Richard Bronson team up on GreenRoad Rather than rubbing elbows together on a daily basis, the environmentalists are both channeling sizable sums of money into GreenRoad — $10 million from Al Gore’s Generation Investment fund and approximately $40 million from Richard Branson’s Virgin Green Fund. A seemingly simple two-inch long dashboard mounted light (conceived of by an Israeli entrepreneur in response to the harrowing experience of nearly being run off the road by kids with apparently nonexistent driving skills) is at the heart of the GreenRoad concept. (Ecorazzi)

(Photo credit:ks, SXC)

An international ban on bluefin tuna trade? An inconvenience to be ignored, says Japan. Japanese fishing negotiator Masanori Miyahara told The New York Times this week that Japan “would have no choice but to take a reservation”—that is, to ignore a United Nations ban and continue to accept bluefin tuna imports—if the bluefin tuna were granted most-endangered species status. “It’s a pity,” he told the Times, “but it’s a matter of principle.”

A proposed ban on the bluefin trade, requiring a two-thirds approval by 175 of the U.N.'s member countries, is slated for next month.

Japan, which consumes about 80 percent of Mediterranean bluefin tuna, lays the tuna issue squarely at the feet of economics. Miyahara says a U.N. ban is the wrong way to go about managing bluefin tuna fishing and that the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas would provide more appropriate oversight.

Scientists estimate that at current rates, the bluefin tuna will have disappeared within three years. The Sea Shepherd has announced that once its whaling campaign is complete, the organization will turns its focus to disrupting illegal bluefin tuna poaching in the Mediterranean.

(Photo credit:mtkopone, flickr)

We've been craving hybrid minivans for a while now. It seems counterintuitive that the vehicle that seemingly epitomizes the suburban American lifestyle has been so long shunned from the ranks of green engineering. What more deserving vehicle than the ubiquitous minivan for better gas mileage, hybrid technology, or even a diesel option?

Finally, it appears that an answer may be on the horizon, as Honda's head of automobile research and development lets drop this bright nugget of news: we may be looking at a hybrid Honda minivan within the next three years.

Honda had been looking at so-called clean diesel technology for the Odyssey minivan and the hulking Pilot SUV. It abandoned that direction in 2008, turning to a gas-electric hybrid system suitable for larger vehicles. "We've left the research stage and entered the field of development," Tomohiko Kawanabe, chief operating officer of automobile R&D at Japan's No.2 automaker, told Reuters in an interview.

Honda has lagged behind other manufacturers (notably Toyota, now being dogged by quality problems) in the hybrid market. A hybrid minivan and SUV would bring Honda back into the running, if not the forefront, of the growing hybrid market.

(Photo credit:Honda)

There's a secret about natural, non-toxic cleaners that we sustainable living types sometimes hide. I'm guilty of shuffling the truth underneath the rug, too. After all, everyone wants to read a fresh article on how to whip up an intriguing, all-natural concoction for cleaning, right? Here's the natural, unvarnished truth: There are only three ingredients you really need to keep a clean, healthy household. We're not kidding: just three.

1. Vinegar Your battle standard is a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water. It's cheap. Its antibacterial qualities make it perfect for cleaning in the kitchen, bathroom, floors and even the rinse load in the laundry. Because it's acidic, it dissolves and removes soap and mineral deposits from your drinking glasses and dishes, coffee maker, tub and shower. It cleans pet stains and removes odors. Yes, it smells a bit like salad during use—but you'll be surprised how quickly it evaporates, and vinegar's not toxic like the fragrances in so many toxic household products.
2. Baking soda Need more scouring power? Sprinkle on some baking soda. Need even more? Follow up with a spritz of water and vinegar and watch it fizz.
3. Soap Try a natural castile soap like Dr. Bronner's. A little dash in your all-purpose vinegar/water mix adds cleaning power and smells great, too.

Friends and co-workers who turn to me for advice on non-toxic recipes seem surprised and dubious when I shoot it to them straight. In truth, though, these three ingredients are all you really need to buy. If you enjoy mixing up specialized concoctions, you can branch out into all sorts of recipes. Our advice: stick with the Big Three to keep it naturally simple.