Labor Day is over, the kids are back at their desks and autumn is nibbling at our sleeveless outfits with a few crisper mornings. Need a boost to nudge you out of your post-holiday weekend haze? We've discovered so many intriguing eco-tidbits and green ideas floating around that we decided to round up the whole lot for you—inspiration to carry you forward into a greener fall season.

• Grow your own energy-reducing curtains Here's an idea that goes way beyond windowsill gardening—why didn't we think of this? One Japanese company is growing indoor window trellises to filter sunlight and cut down on energy bills.
• Repel pests with plants No matter how little you use, pesticides (and their health effects) linger. There's no need to spray your yard and house to get rid of bugs. Grow plants that repel bugs naturally.
• Community controversy: pool vs. pond Doesn't a natural swimming pond sound like a good idea? We thought so, too—but one community seems to have doubts. 
• Ed Begley on living green NaturalNews.com talks with Ed Begley, Jr., the star of the hit TV series Living with Ed on Planet Green.
• Chill your fridge's energy use Did you know that refrigerators gobble about one-quarter of a household's energy use? Here's how to boost its efficiency.
• Patagonia cuts ties with SIGG Patagonia terminates sales and relationships with SIGG in response to the drinking bottle manufacturer's wishy-washy approach to BPA in its bottle liners.

(Photo credit:Brian Gratwicke, flickr)

Well, not really (and it probably has nothing to do with that large disembodied head of Penny Marshall, either). But living with Ed must get  a teensy tiring after awhile, even if you're Ed. We're betting he'd like to loosen his belt and sink his teeth into a nice juicy cheeseburger once in awhile. (Maybe not. He's a vegan.) After all, how much pressure can one man handle? Could you deal with being the guy whose name vegetarian star Emily Deschanel screams in the dark? We didn't think so. You'd crack, too. So it doesn't surprise us that poor Ed has had enough.

We like the idea of eco celebs and green leaders walking the walk they talk, but there's a line there somewhere. The guy's got 60-year old knees; does he really have a ride a bike everywhere? Let's give the man a break, shall we? We're pretty sure he has CFL bulbs in every socket and he probably composts and we just know he's gotta load his dishwasher really full before running it. So why not let him ride around in his electric car once in awhile? We ooh and ahh over the fact that Laurie David got her ex to drive a Prius on TV (a laudable action in its own right for sure), but we don't cut poor Ed Begley Jr. some slack now and then?

Maybe we could all chip in and get Ed a bus pass. And let him leave his bike at home. After all, he's done a lot for people. It's the least we can do. (Thanks, Ed!)

(Photo credit:Alan Light, flickr)

Roll out the green carpet—the Go Green Expo is coming to L.A.

Environmental activist celebrities, fair trade fashion designers and eco-gadget makers and marketers will all come together to promote their causes (and wares), all under one LEED-certified roof.

The everything-eco convention makes its West Coast debut at the Los Angeles Convention Center tomorrow and lasts for three green gadget-filled days. The Jan. 23-26 Go Green Expo LA kicks off biodegradeable plastic bag maker Perf Go Green's four-city environmental edutainment tour. Keynote speakers Ed Begley, Jr. and Mariel Hemingway are among the famous eco-activists scheduled to appear. Other notable attendees: Julie Edelman, The Accidental Housewife, Greg Wendt of the Green Business Network, Ralph Avallone of The Green Energy Council and Rob Holmes of the Green Living Project. Some 200 exhibitors will show off their latest recycled, ecycled, upcyled (spin-cycled?) gadgets, toys, tastes, threads and thingamabobs.

Continue reading Go Green Expo coming to Los Angeles ›

(Photo credit:crabers.crab, Flickr)

Celebs, fashionistas and 15-minute fame anglers promoting themselves (who else?!) and their stuff—it's everything you'd expect of L.A., only all green, and all under one ginormous LEED-certified roof. Yep, its time to roll out the green carpet, ecorazzis. The Go Green Expo is landing smack dab in my smoggy backyard (well, close enough—the Los Angeles Convention Center) for three green glam-filled days next month. Finally, a good excuse to bust out those vegan Charmoné eco-chic stilettos.

The Jan. 23-26 Go Green Expo LA kicks off biodegradable plastic bag maker (talk about glamor?) Perf Go Green's four-city environmental edutainment expo tour. The venue will fittingly take place at the LACC, a truly green structure, from the outside in. The solar-paneled emerald landmark is the first convention center of its size to snag the U.S. Green Building Council's coveted LEED certification.

The Go Green Who's-Who? So far, Ed Begley Jr. (naturally) and Mariel Hemingway are the first two confirmed eco-stars of the dozen expected to appear. Other environmentalists in the lineup: Julie Edelman, The Accidental Housewife, Greg Wendt of the Green Business Network, Ralph Avallone of The Green Energy Council and Rob Holmes of the Green Living Project. About 200 earth-friendly exhibitors will show off their latest recycled, ecycled, upcyled (spin-cycled?) gadgets, toys, tastes, threads and thingamabobs. Look for me by the Positively Earth fashion show, if my pregnant sister doesn't drag me off to Happy Green Bee first. 

No need to get your unbleached organic panties all up in a bunch about tickets. Ten bucks is all takes to get in! And there won't be any green cred background checks/cavity searches, so no worries if the only green thing about you is star envy. I won't tell.

Can't make it to L.A.? Pencil in one of the Go Green Expos coming to your neck of the 'urbs:
Philadelphia—March 13, 14, & 15, PA Convention Center
New York—April 17, 18 & 19, Hilton New York
Atlanta—June 26, 27 & 28, 2009, Cobb Galleria Centre

(Photo Credit: TechnoCycle)