TreeHugger

In Defense of the Cow: How Eating Meat Could Help Slow Climate Change

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:27:44 -0500

Photo via stock.xchng by bouwm019 Should we be eating more beef in order to slow global warming? It sounds counterintuitive, but it may be so: Cattle could be part of the whole ecological equation to solving climate change and restoring healthy, bio-diverse ecosystems. I am a vegetarian, but I maintain there is a place for grass-fed beef on family menus—and pasture-raised cattle in global warming solutions. Cows can help more than harm if they are sustainably raised.]]>...

Drink Clos LaChance Wine to Save Endangered Hummingbird

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:24:00 -0500

This is neither a Honduran Emerald or Clos LaChance, but it is a hummingbird drinking nectar from a wine glass. Image via: HummingbirdsLiberty on Flickr.com It may not be organic or biodynamic, and it might not be saving the planet, but drinking Clos laChance endangered hummingbird series wine will (help to) save one hummingbird species a yea]]>...

WanderLust Festival Unites Sustainability With Simplicity in Tahoe

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:55:00 -0500

Dreamers, yogis, greens, lovers of the outdoors and fans of indie, alternative music, rejoice! The Wanderlust Festival is coming to town. Bringing with it some of the hottest names in music and some of the most experienced yogis around to offer a unique experience in a unique location.]]>...

Should Al Gore Take on Hunger Next?

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 12:11:05 -0500

www.AskAlGore.org Can Al Gore do for hunger what he did for global warming with An Inconvenient Truth? That's the goal of Action Against Hunger, a NGO dedicated to tackling world hunger. To recruit Gore, the organization has started a guerilla marketing campaign that makes it appear as if their film, No Hunger, is Gore's next film. A little investigation on their web site reveals ]]>...

Speak Up for Energy Independence Day

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:00:19 -0500

Assembly Room, Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where in 1776 the Declaration of Independence was signed; and, in 1787, the U.S. Constitution was drafted. Image credit:Flockr, Dailyville photostream. Excerpted. Perhaps that title is becoming common from those of us who've been fighting for clean energy for the U.S. instead of the same old dirty fossil fuels, but as chants of "Drill, baby, drill!" continue to emanate from some corners, we must stick with it. We've hit summer's stride - It's time for the 4th of July holiday weekend, people are traveling, ]]>...

Eco-Activism, Charitable Donations, and You

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:00:00 -0500

Photo via N.ico Natural Papa is running a fundraiser drive that reminds us how vital taking action is to environmentalism. Some of the bigger names in the green blogosphere, including TheGoodHuman and TwilightEarth have gotten together to rally funds for some important environmental groups. And the best part is, you get a say in how the fundraiser goes down. Check out how this special eco-charity drive works.]]>...

Ten Ways to Avoid Carbon from Barbecues This 4th of July

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:43:18 -0500

Hmmm, the smoky flavor of carcinogens give PAHs for thought. Photo via Flickr by brandi666 Stand out of the line of fire of smoky fumes. Sure, that's the first defense. But what about the dangers of grilled dogs, ribs, and salmon? I've long heard tales of how a charcoal grilled burger is the equivalent of a carton of cigarettes. So when flipping through Cure magazine at my acupuncturist’s office, I discovered an article from Lena Huang about “Good Grilling” with easy steps t]]>...

Enter MTV's Copenhagen Climate Video Challenge

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:32:12 -0500

They used to play videos but now they air reality shows 24/7 that feature a bunch of rich knuckleheads. But MTV isn't all bad. In fact, they are sponsoring a really cool contest for youth around the climate negotiations in Copenhagen later this year. MTV is inviting its viewers to enter the Internews Earth Journalism Awards Competition by entering the MTV Positive Change category of the competition "with your best, most original piece of conte]]>...

Celebrate 4th of July the Vegan Way in Austin Texas

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:47:47 -0500

Video: YouTube Celebrate America’s Growing Independence from Meat We recently included Austin, Texas in the runner? Or an exercise-oholic? And you want your workouts to reflect your green lifestyle? Well, the race is ON…or at least for me and a few friends to find the best performing green running equipment. Since February of this year (2009), I’ve made it my personal mission to seek out the most excellent green products in the running world as I train for my first marathon in No]]>...

Cool It Schools Invites Positive Action From Young People Worldwide

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:35:58 -0500

The Butterfly Effect, it really is the kids who are most clued up about what's going on, plus they're the most adaptable humans on the planet - change doesn't scare 'em! The new global initiative Cool It Schools knows this too and]]>...

To Donate, or Recreate: Where Should Your Old Jeans Go?

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:11:00 -0500

Photo Courtesy of Neatorama Next time you're home, look around your closet. Your attic. How many pairs of jeans do you have there, unworn for months, years, decades even? I have four. Aside from the ones you keep for "some day" when you're skinny again or returning to fat, which ones of those could go? And where should they go? I'm betting your first thought was Salvation Army or some local version of such a thing. A commendable thought, but there's a]]>...

Tel Aviv Cyclists Out in "Thongs" To Protest Lack of Bike Legislation

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 08:00:40 -0500

(Screenshot of the YouTube video showing the protest in "thongs" in Tel Aviv). Hot bodies alert! You heard it right. Clothing was optional as Tel Aviv cyclists and roller bladers protested against lack of bike legislation in thongs, and other combinations of underwear (or lack of underwear). Protesting a helmet law, the cyclists used the forum to balk about the lack of government support for cycling as a form of transportation. The streets of cities like Tel Aviv and Jerusalem are blocked with congestion and stuffed up with pollution. Putting their bodies in front of the l]]>...

Natalie Imbruglia Invites Ecover + WaterAid Into Her Home (VIDEO)

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 07:00:00 -0500

Natalie Imbruglia got up close and personal about water conservation recently when she invited ecological detergent brand Ecover into her English home. In the short film Natalie talks about the benefits of Ecover products and the brand's partnership with WaterAid. Earlier this year I was fortunate enough to travel ]]>...

There's No Such Thing as Local vs. Organic Food

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:12:37 -0500

Photo via stock.xchng by ortonesque Let’s clear up one issue: There is no such thing as local vs. organic. When it comes to consumer choice, we should be buying local and organic, though for mostly different reasons.]]>...

Plastic Irrigation Trays Make The Most of Dew and Weeding Obsolete

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 08:45:34 -0500

fog and dew collectors. Here's something new: The company Tal Ya - for God's dew in Hebrew – have devised a simple and why-didn't-I-think-of-that solution for collecting dew. Made from recycled materials, and recyclable, using them means your farm or orchard (yes they c]]>...

Reusable Coffee Cozies: Upcycled, DIY, and Silicone Sleeves Reduce Cardboard

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:27:37 -0500

Mykl Roventine Yeah, its best to bring your own ceramic mug with a handle to the café to fill your cup with coffee or tea, but when it’s left at home and you’re in line waiting for your fair trade organic soy latte, at least BYOC (bring your own cozy) instead of using a cardboard sleeve, even if it is recycled. ]]>...

Fatboy Slim and Friends Go Blue in the Face Fighting Climate Change (Video)

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:02:11 -0500

Image credit: Oxfam Oxfam Launches Celebrity Summer Climate Campaign There was a time when environmental charities and development charities seemed to be fighting each other for public attention. But as the links between poverty, environmental destruction and security become increasingly evident (and with climate refugees on the]]>...

Green Challenge Puts Up Major Money for Your Top Green Ideas

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:00:00 -0500

Green Challenge is on the prowl for the best ideas to solve climate change through products or services that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and that are ready or close-to-ready to launch in the market place. Last year saw some interesting ideas that have already gone far, and this year hopes to gather even more brilliant concepts. And a big fat reward hangs at the finish line. ]]>...

Wend Magazine Goes Into Bat for World Bicycle Relief

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:00:26 -0500

latest issue of Wend magazine, they not only asked if wave farms might attract sharks, but also gave over their Platform section to F.K. Day, President of the World Bicycle Relief . WBR are the guys who are on a mission to see 50,000 bicycles donated to Asian and African countries, alongside 450 locals trained as bike mechanics. Anyhow to help them along their way, Wend magazine recently threw a Bicycle Bash, including a table tennis tournament, to raise a penny or two f]]>...

Preview: Rhodes Ecofilms Festival Begins This Week

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 13:41:00 -0500

Image via Rodos International Films + Visual Arts Festival Ecofilms. New films about Canada's tar sands, the damage caused by extractive industries in the Amazon rainforest, and Aristotle's philosophy on nature will be among the opening-day fare Tuesday at the Rodos International Films + Visual Arts Festival Ecofilms, held annually on the Greek island of Rhodes.]]>...

Guerrillas Bullish on the New Green Economy

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 07:44:12 -0500

Leaserad Contemporaneous with the LOHAS Forum in the USA, activists and green thinkers came together for the third annual Karma Konsum (Karma Consumption) conference in Frankfurt Germany. A guerrilla action greening the Bull on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange raised attention for the event. (Unlike the persecuted barrel monster artist, Joseph Carnevale, the guerrillas kept their identity secret in the YouTube video (over the fold). This year, the first annual Karma Consumption ...

Coal Exec Challenges James Hansen to a Climate Change Debate

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 09:19:55 -0500

Some think Big Coal is on the ropes with the new ACES climate bill moving through the House. The evidence that Big Coal is getting twitchy and saying goofy things might be this: Massey Energy President Don Blankenship has challenged Dr. James Hansen, one of the world’s top climate scientists, to a debate on global warming. I think I'll put my money on Hansen.]]>...

Plane Food Café Delivers the Joys of Flying Without The CO2

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 07:41:25 -0500

the view inside George Monbiot told us that flying is dying; London artist Richard DeDomenici tells us that a return transatlantic flight is equivalent in CO2 and pollution output to driving a car 30 miles a day for a year. So the artist/humorist has developed the Plane Food Café to "help discourage the environmentally conscious and paranoid from further flying, whilst simultaneously enabling the 95% of people in the world who have never travelled by plane to inexpensively experience the delights of aviation cuisine." ]]>...

Do It Yourself Father's Day Gifts by MAKE Zine

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 08:15:40 -0500

Image via: Shapeways Cufflinks You may feel the pressure, know that it's getting down to the wire to get that perfect Father's Day gift and get it sent, or maybe you didn't even realize that this sunday is Father's Day. Not to worry, the gang over at MAKE has several tips for the perfect do-it-yourself Father's Day gift. ]]>...

MAKEA your life, other furniture is possible

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 05:52:30 -0500

MAKEA stands for fixing it, customising, personalising, tuning things, adapting or basically making it beautiful yourself. It is an alternative to the throwaway culture (hence the reference to IKEA!). MAKEA, active since 2006, is a multidisciplinary group from Spain, fed up with our current way of consumption, the brands and their products that loose personality when they are not associated with the brand name any more. But MAKEA is a brand that sells nothing, they are doers and warn us about the infectiousness of the MAKEA ]]>...

Gore's Alliance for Climate Protection Urgers Viewers, Gov't To Give Up Foreign Oil in New TV Spot

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 06:15:18 -0500

Al Gore's Alliance for Climate Protection today released a new TV spot, “Do Right,” which stresses the importance of getting off foreign oil and onto clean energy. The ad seems to be an effort to reach out to a different audience than the green groups usually do.]]>...

7 Simple, Unexpected Ways to Save Water

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 08:53:00 -0500

Photo credit: Carolina Even though three quarters of our planet is considered water, there is still a demand for it in almost every community, and a scarcity in many. That’s because we can actually only use one to two percent of it, which is why we’ve written a slew of articles over the years about conserving water. And with so many items that are now more available, like low-flow showerheads, faucet aerators, Photo via planetsave.com Enemy Number 1 for the Sierra Club is coal. In recent years, they have successfully stopped dozens of new coal plants from being built and now they have set their sights set on mountaintop removal, the devastating mining technique that blows up mountains and destroys communities.]]>...

Black Pixel: Is it possible to Save Energy one Pixel at a Time?

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:18:50 -0500

Image: greenpeaceblackpixel.org. Greenpeace Brazil has a simple proposition: let's save energy by annulling a square of 50x50 pixels of our computer screens (on CRT and plasma monitors). The campaign presentation is claiming that if one million people join, they can save up to 57 thousand watts an hour. But keep reading and tell us, Do you think this can make a difference?]]>...

How to Go Green to Bonnaroo, the "Greener Festival"

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 09:29:22 -0500

Make it a Good Trip If, like us, you're headed to Bonnaroo this weekend -- the granddaddy of American music festivals -- it probably has something to do with the fact that Phish, Bruce, Snoop, Erykah and David Byrne are headed there too. Or maybe it's just all that green: last year, Bonnaroo won the "Outstanding Greener Festival" award, the highest eco-accolade that a huge festival can receive. As organizers ]]>...

Man Auctions Own Carbon Offsets on Ebay

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 06:55:49 -0500

Image via: Getty Images We're not sure if this is legal, or if it's the first of its kind, but thanks to Tipster Jason for the scoop on this latest in carbon offsets. Seems where there is a need, there is a market and one man has decided to test this theory out and make a few bucks on ebay in the meantime.]]>...

You're Invited: DC's First Earth Ball

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 05:30:52 -0500

Image via: Getty Images It's a party for the planet and for just USD$25 you too can get in on the action at DC's First Annual Earth Ball. Mark your calendars for June 19, 2009 and be prepared to be amazed by all the green in the district. ]]>...

How to Make Just About Damn Near Anything... Last Longer

Sun, 07 Jun 2009 22:39:26 -0500

anomalous4 Duct tape is wonderful stuff! While there are some individuals who will tell you that you can fix just about anything with it, the best way to ensure your things last a long time is through plain old fashioned common sense and proper care. Here are a few preferred ways to take care of all your stuff...]]>...

300-Mile Brita Climate Ride Aims to Inspire, Educate

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 23:31:22 -0500

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