Green Daily

(Photo by Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images)

Wondering what to do with the kids this weekend? How about getting into the great outdoors at one of the amazing National Parks we're lucky enough to have, thanks to conservation minded Presidents like Theodore Roosevelt? They're on sale this weekend!

August 15th and 16th, 147 parks are waiving the entrace fee, saving families anywhere from $3 to $25 on a visit to some pretty spectacular wonders, like the "three parks in one" of Big Bend National Park in Texas, or the rugged Maine coast line of Acadia National Park.

President Obama is taking his family with him on a tour of several western parks this week, including the very first one, Yellowstone National Park, which was established in 1872. The first family will also be part of the reason for those long lines at the Grand Canyon, but believe me the view is totally worth the wait!

Many of you out there are trying to squeeze in an end-of-summer vacation. One last hurrah before starting the back-to-school hustle and the post-Labor Day push at work.

One reason that travel can be so fun is because we give ourselves permission to bend the rules a little -- who hasn't ordered dessert, or had french fries instead of salad "because I'm on vacation"? It's great to relax and indulge, but one area where you should stay vigilant is in your green practices.

This great video from Howcast has some smart and easy tips for ways to keep your vacation from inflating your carbon footprint beyond all recognition. The big surprise for me was that day flights cause less damage to the environment than night flights. Who knew?

How did this whole Earth Day thing get started anyway? Looking for some eco-chic back to school threads? Will your neighborhood golf course become a soybean field one day? Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all the latest green news and tips.

"Earth Days" Trailer Hits the Web What's even more interesting about a documentary about the environmental degradation going on right now? How about a documentary film about the beginning of the movement that made us start watching documentaries about environmental degradation.

Back to School Goes Green For all of you parents out there faced with the task of outfitting your child in an eco-conscious, yet socially-adept fashion, there's some sweet stuff out there. I wish there were hemp shoes and recycled Ramones shirts for kids when I was in school.

Life in the Agriburbia "Suburbia" has pretty much become a slur in the green blogosphere, but could those sprawling lawns and golf courses one day be re-purposed for something more sustainable -- like agriculture? Developer Quint Redmond has already trademarked the term Agriburbia.

Good News for Meat Eaters Humanity's love of tender juicy beef may not in itself be a driving force behind climate change. It's not the livestock themselves that make conventional meat-eating so carbon intensive. As it is with many factory farmed foods, it's the cultivation process.

Are You Eating Water Hogs? A big part of that wasteful process involves one of our most precious resources: Water. Agriculture uses about 70% of the world's water. Obviously, livestock accounts for a large chunk of that. Other water intensive products include: Nuclear energy, plastic bottles and Coca-Cola.

Green in a Flash:

• Why having a baby is not bad for the planet.
• A UK grocery store is using 5,000 lbs of bad meat to power homes.
• TINSTAFL: The potential downsides of the Cash for Clunkers program.

Will there be thrills, chills, and celebrity spills at Jay Leno's green car raceway? What's the latest last-ditch scheme to save the planet? Have you heard about this crazy bunny lady? Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all the latest green news and tips.

Leno's New Green Car Segment? We know Jay Leno has a thing for electric cars ... OK cars in general ... OK anything with an engine. Anyway, the word on the street is that Jay might feature a segment where celebrities race each other in electric cars on his upcoming hour-long Tonight Show-ish show.

Can Cloud Ships Stop Global Warming? Unfortunately, these ships have nothing to do with space crafts that hover around Cloudy City. These giant boats would blast water vapor into the sky, creating clouds that would theoretically block the sun's rays and save the planet. I love armageddon scenarios.

Industrial Hemp Production Legalized in Oregon As a consequence of the Drug War, this prodigious crop, used for textiles, building materials, paper, etc. has been illegal to cultivate in the US for 50 years. Of course, it has been perfectly legal to import (go figure). Oregon has become the 6th state to drop restrictions in 2009.

Crazy Bunny Executioner Makes Headlines One Petland worker not only made headlines for posting pictures of herself drowning rabbits at her store on Facebook (always a bad idea), but for outing the chain for the horrible conditions that their rabbits face. I can only imagine how their kitties and puppies are treated.

Crow Proves Aesop's Fable True On a lighter note, researchers at Cambridge filmed a big-brained crow dropping rocks into a beaker of water, raising the level until it was high enough for the bird to take a drink -- just like the fable. Of course, this bird goes to Cambridge, so he probably has a high IQ.

Green in a Flash:

• Is farm-raised catfish safe to eat?
• The NRDC has released its ranking of the cleanest US beaches.
• Developers may build a mall out of shipping containers in the Upper West Side.

Shark Week 2009, one of the Discovery Channel's most popular annual features, is wrapping up. Those of us who grew up during "The Jaws Years" will probably always view these muscular creatures with a healthy dose of fear, but these days sharks also have a healthy and active fan club.

Several organizations, like Ocean Conservancy and the Monterey Bay Aquarium, hope to capitalize on the cultural phenomenon of Shark Week and draw attention to the plight of sharks around the world.

Every year millions of sharks are killed by "shark finning" -- fishermen slice off their fins and throw the bleeding carcases back into the sea, where the helpless, maimed sharks bleed to death, starve, drown or are eaten by other fish. The majority of the fins are used in shark fin soup, a delicacy in Asian cultures.

How clean and green is your bathroom? It's easy to rely on toxic, chemical-laden cleaners to make sure we get rid of all the icky germs in the bathroom, but those chemicals aren't good for you or the environment. Add to that the amount of water that gets wasted and all the crazy ingredients in your shampoo, and this little room starts to have a big impact.

From choosing the right light bulbs and showerhead to using the right cleaning products, the video above has tips for making your bathroom as eco-friendly as possible.

Got some tips of your own? Share them in the comments!

Why did Lady Gaga wearing a pile of dead Kermits on French TV? What's the most delicious veggie burger you've ever tasted? Does washing your hands in the toilet seem weird to anyone else? Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all the latest green news and tips.

Lady Gaga Says No to Fur .... and yes to coats made of faux frog skin. To drive home her anti-fur sentiment, Lady Gaga wore a jacket made of frog plush toys on French TV. Says Gaga: ""I really loved this one in particular because I thought it was [a] commentary on not wearing fur."

The Battle of the Veggie Burgers Are you brand loyal to a particular veggie burger or flavor? FitSugar has put together a side by side nutrition breakdown of all the major veggie burger brands on the market, so you can do all the snooping to see how your burger stacks up against the competition.

Why Do Most Eco-Songs Make Me Wanna Puke? Songs about climate change ... well, almost all of them are bad. It's strange, but I'd much rather listen to a song about a highway to hell than taking public transportation anywhere. Grist has put together a list of 10 of the most cringeworthy eco-jams -- pretty hilarious.

Wanna Become a Window Farmer? For those of us living in cramped apartments, the idea of growing your own veggies seems kinda far-fetched. Nevertheless, it is possible. A group of enthusiasts have come up with a window-farming system ideal for an apartment. You can get the supplies at any hardware store.

The Toilet that Doubles as a Sink I'm all about efficient plumbing fixtures, but the idea of a sink/toilet just isn't very appealing. The Profile Smart directs fresh water through the sink after flushing, then the grey water is routed into the tank. Ingenious? Maybe, but not from a marketing standpoint.

Green in a Flash:

• The Prius is so popular, battery makers can't keep up.
• If private jets aren't OK for auto execs, are they OK for Congress?
• A chunk of the Brazilian Amazon roughly the size of LA was cleared in June!

(Photo by Daniel Berehulak, Getty Images)

I know I'm a little late to the No 'Poo Party, but I love -- no really, love -- hair product and styles and rituals. I'm a loyal salon customer, and my bathroom looks like a beauty supply store. So the thought of completely giving up shampoo puts an icy shard of fear in my heart.

Instead of indulging in the rich lather and floral fragrance of store bought shampoo, people are "cleaning" their hair with baking soda. And "conditioning" with apple vinegar. Please say it isn't so!

But loads of people are doing it, and not just the ugly hemp-ghetto girls and dirty hippies. To my amazement, the No 'Poo movement was started by Lorraine Massey, a stylist. The blasphemy! She swears that swearing off shampoo is what helped her curls become the envy of the hair world, and inspired her to write the best-selling Curly Girl, a guide to managing your waves and ringlets.

Did you know that Heath Ledger directed a Modest Mouse video? Is peeing in the shower gross or green? Does Octomom have America's largest carbon footprint? Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all the latest green news and tips.

Heath Ledger's Sea Shepherd Legacy The highly anticipated music video for Modest Mouse's "King Rat" premiered yesterday. The video, which features backwards world where whales hunt men, was directed by none other than the late Heath Ledger. Proceeds from iTunes will go to the Sea Shepherds.

Peeing Your Way to Conservation A Brazilian eco-group is running this hilarious video to encourage the water-wise practice of peeing in the shower. Geared towards kids, the video features all sorts of characters like Ghandi, Hitchcock, and King Kong all taking a whiz in the shower.

Mother Earth Wants You to Have Fewer Children? According to a group of researchers at Oregon State University, less is more when it comes to families and the environment. Having a child is 20 times more important to your footprint than any other eco-choice you make. Similarly, divorce is super carbon-intense.

Are Attic Fans the Answer? If you've ruled out painting your roof white, then you're left with the options of improving your insulation or installing a solar-powered attic fan. When you break it down, insulation and radiant barriers might be more costly, but they're also more effective.

The Recycling Police are Watching Recycling bins in a handful of cities around the country are now equipped with RFID chips, letting recycling truck drivers know which households are recycling and which are being naughty. Uncooperative households can then be educated on the need to recycle.

Green in a Flash:

• Hiking is a cure for depression, say eco-therapists. Side effects: Fun.
  
• The Tour de Fat asks drivers: Would you trade your car in for a bike?
• A group of UCSD scientists have a date with the Great Pacifica Garbage Patch.

(Photo by intrepidtraveler.com)

Ever since I was a little kid, zoos have fascinated me. My brother and I would beg our dad to take us to the Franklin Park Zoo practically every weekend. As a grown up, I love to spend an afternoon at the San Francisco Zoo, photographing gorillas and giraffes. And whenever I travel, zoos are high on my list of attractions to visit, so I'm totally the target market for a travel guide called "America's Best Zoos"!

The publisher was nice enough to send me a review copy of the book, written by Allen W. Nyhuis and Jon Wassner. This afternoon I meant to flip through it, and instead spent an hour creating a new must-see list of zoo exhibits, like the Range of the Jaguar at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens in Florida, and the Congo Gorilla Forest at the Bronx Zoo.

Since the book is organized by geographic region, I basically mapped out a cross-country zoo visiting wishlist. Set up like a traditional travel guide, each entry includes with logistical information like address, admission fees and hours, and highlights the "don't miss it" exhibits at each location.

What's a former 007 think about slaughtering dolphins? Need some eco-fabulous shades for summer? Do you think your unique brand of geekiness can save the planet? Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all the latest green news and tips.

The Brosnans React to "The Cove" Pierce and Keely Brosnan have long been involved in protecting marine life, so it's no surprise that they pretty much flipped when they saw "The Cove" (a new documentary about a mass dolphin slaughter in Japan). Check out their thoughts about the film here.

Five Shades of Green Wanna see the world through green colored lenses? The fashionistas at Treehugger have put together a list of their five favorite pairs of sustainable sunglasses. A tree is planted with the purchase of some pairs, others are actually made of bamboo.

Harness the Power of Geekdom to Save the Planet You know what this week is, don't you? It's Global Geek Week, a period of seven days in which you can submit videos of your awesomely geeky self pontificating on the problems of the planet. All funds raised go to benefit the WWF, OXFAM and other social causes.

The W Hotel Saves Suicidal Sea Turtles The W Fort Lauderdale had a serious problem: suicidal turtles were trying to cross the street just to check out the W's stylish amenities. It turns out, it wasn't the wine bar, but the lighting that attracted the turtles. The lighting was switched, and no more senseless death.

Your Ode to Two-Wheeling Wanna exploit your eye for photography to win some sweet KEEN biking gear? In order to promote zero-carbon bike travel, Wend Magazine is holding a photo contest every Friday in August -- details here. I've certainly prostituted my biking skillz for lesser prizes.

Green in a Flash:

• NASCAR's Pocono Raceway is building a 25-acre solar farm.
• Forget about the $2B, Cash for Clunkers might be in real trouble.
• EcoStiletto turned one year old last week with a star-studded, green bash.
  

Taking a page out of the PETA Playbook, relatively radical environmental group Friends of the Earth staged a pants-free protest last Friday. TGIF indeed!

What prompted this display of angry, pasty, activist skin? Nothing less than fraud and forgery by D.C. lobbying firm Bonner & Associates. In an effort to prevent the Waxman-Markey energy and climate bill from passing, an employee of the firm reportedly sent forged letters (arguing against the bill) from two Virgina grassroots organizations, the NAACP and Cresciendo Juntos to Rep. Tom Perriello (D-Va).

Bonner & Associates, which is in the pay of the fossil fuel industry, swears that they fired the employee responsible for the fake letters. But seriously, you know they have half a dozen (at least!) amateur Photoshop whizzes on the payroll, probably already working on an forged epistolary novella detailing Ralph Nader's love for dirty coal power and strip mining.

Are Heidi and Spencer DIY biofuel junkies? Will President Obama declare his Monday meals meat-free? Are your appliances stealing from you? Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all the latest green news and tips.

Celebs Love Fermented Garbage You might remember the awesome DIY backyard biofuel refinery, a.k.a. the MicroFueler, from previous posts on GreenDaily. Apparently, we're not the only ones taking notice. The MicroFueler's launch party was attended by Heidi Montag, Spencer Pratt, Corey Feldman, etc.

Will Obama Embrace Meat-Free Mondays? Perhaps noting his openness to The Beer Summit '09, PETA is hoping that President Obama will adopt Paul McCartney's Meat-Free Mondays as a means of promoting, well ... not eating meat on Monday. Who does he need on his good side: PETA or Big Ag?

Taking on Your Home's Electricity Vampires When it comes to taking control back from your home's energy vamps -- appliances that suck electricity when they're switched off -- you can skip the garlic and wooden stakes. Should you buy a ton of power strips, or just switch off your GFCI outlets?

Wind Turbine Syndrome: Myth or Malady? Once again, based on a somewhat anecdotal evidence, wind turbine noise has been "proven" to cause heart disease, panic attacks, and insomnia for those who live within 1.25 miles of the turbine. Would you want to live near one of these bad boys?

Emeril Goes Green Again Planet Green has ordered 30 more episodes Emeril Lagasse's green cooking show. The superstar chef will be taking culinary tourists to some of the country's most sustainable farming and cooking locales vicariously -- starting November 30th.

Green in a Flash:

• Letting your lawn go brown is supposedly in style.
• Cash for Clunkers might get $2B from Congress -- maybe.
  
• Taking an endangered animal you just shot to the taxidermist: Priceless.
  

Every day it seems like another new all-natural and organic brand hits the market. It's hard, and kind of a hassle, to try to track down the story and to verify that all of these products really are made with TLC ... and not BPA!

It used to be that you could take a stroll or bike ride down to the local food co-op and chat with the folks behind the counter to get scoop on all the products sold there. Often you could even meet the producers or farmers, because practically everything was sourced locally.

For better or worse, times have changed and we have literally the entire world at our finger tips. And soon we will have a resource that blends that co-op feeling with the convenience and choice of the internet. Abe's Market is a new online marketplace where you can shop for all-natural beauty, food, kids' stuff, and home and garden goods, plus participate in a community to exchange information and tips. It's sort of like the co-op with the bulletin board except you can go there at 3 a.m. if you feel like it, and have it all delivered to you.

Did Obama miss a chance to show support for sustainable breweries? Should you buy a heavy-duty bike lock for your Smart car? Which is greener: recycled paper towels or hand dryers? Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all the latest green news and tips.

The Beer Summit That Could Have Been Let's try to forget the fact that dorky Joe Biden crashed the party with non-alcoholic beer for a moment and focus on something more environmentally relevant, but no less unfortunate. None of these gentlemen took the opportunity to highlight a local, green beer!

Is Your Smart Car Safe? I'm not asking about crash-ratings here. I'm asking, is it safe from the clutches of your local vandals? Pranksters in Amsterdam have discovered that the Smart is a cinch to pick up and literally throw into the city's canals. Will this euro-trend migrate to the States?

Green Hand Drying Etiquette We make the decision at public restrooms almost everyday: paper towels or hand dryer? If you notice that your bathroom stocks the unbleached recycled stuff, and you partake, you're not a complete miscreant. However, you should utilize the blow dryer when available.

The Prius is Trouncing the Insight I was pumped to see that Honda was bringing back the Insight, but apparently the rest of the country is not so impressed. Thanks to the new and improved third-generation Prius, the Insight is likely to achieve 30% of its US sales goal. Is the Prius really that superior?

Are CFLs All They're Cracked Up To Be? By now, everybody and their mother has a house full of these low-energy bulbs -- but does their energy-saving potential really outweigh the fact that they contain mercury? I hope so, because I just moved into a new place and bought like 20 of them.

Green in a Flash:

• Cash for Clunkers may already be out of money. Surprised?
  
• A new threat to our pristine forests: illegal marijuana plantations.
• Is the sour economy zapping California's enthusiasm for climate change legislation?