Green Daily

Wanna go dumpster diving behind Leonardo DiCaprio's house? What are your thoughts on butter statuary? Looking for a way to cut your A/C bill on the cheap? Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all the latest green news and tips.

Leonardo Takes the "100 Things Challenge" Battling the consumerism in his life, Leonardo has accepted David Bruno's "100 Things Challenge," kinda. Leo is reportedly shooting for a modest 150. I'm going to stake out the Goodwill near his house, he's probably getting rid of some awesome stuff.

Michael Jackson to be Immortalized in Butter Iowa State Fair officials had the bright idea to commission a MJ memorial statue carved out of butter, a medium that doesn't hold shape at room temperature, much less on a hot August day. PETA was, of course, up in arms and fair officials have reportedly backed away.

Tofu and You: A How-to I bet PETA wouldn't have complained if the Iowa State Fair wanted to make a Michael Jackson memorial statue out of tofu. This versatile and delicious little meat replacement goes great in all kinds of cuisine. Check out a few recipes that will get you hooked on the stuff.

Deck the Walls With Green Insulation One of the easiest ways to beef up your home's efficiency is to make sure you're properly insulated. The problem: most conventional insulation contains all sorts of dirty chemical irritants like formaldehyde or worse. There are some more earth-friendly options, however.

A Watercooler That Taps Into Humidity Scorching summer days are rough, but combined with high humidity, it feels like 100 degrees in the shade. What if you could exact a small revenge by drinking the moisture from the air? Chew on this: the Dewpointe actually sucks drinking water out of the air.

Green in a Flash:

• Which will California tap first to close the budget gap: weed or oil?
• Brooklynites are re-purposing dumpsters into swimming pools.
• Forget rubber soles, recycled rubber sidewalks put an eco-friendly spring in your step.

I'm on my way to Chicago for BlogHer '09 this week, so the combination of cute shoes, vegan and made in Chicago caught my eye when I saw a post about Mohop shoes on the Green Lashes and Fashion blog.

Mohop shoes, which have handcrafted soles made from maple, cherry and (my total favorite) walnut wood, come in three different heights -- low, medium and high. All of the heels are purported to be comfortable, like clogs, because they conform to the natural shape of your foot.

The best part is that the "top" part of the shoe can be changed around and customized to suit your mood. The ribbon or fabric straps -- you can even order straps made of fabric remnants, so very "reuse-chic!" -- can be laced several different ways through unique elastic loops on the side of the soles.

Annie Mohaupt, the designer, makes the shoes in her studio in Chicago. I'm hoping to have enough free time to get out and see a few sites while I'm there, and I'll definitely keep my eyes open for real life sightings -- and maybe even trying on -- of these groovy, green shoes!

How do you save marine animals with liquid dish soap? Are you living in one of the 15 most sustainable US cities? What the greenest way to take a dirt nap? Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all the latest green news and tips.

Minnie Driver Saves Wildlife With Dish Soap Pretty nifty, eh? Apparently, conservationists have used Dawn to wash oil-soaked marine animals for decades. Building on this, Dawn tapped Minnie Driver as the spokesperson for their new marine wildlife rescue campaign, Everyday Wildlife Champions.

The Most Sustainable Cities in the US When it comes time to relocate, few people consult the lists of most sustainable, livable, or healthiest cities ... but maybe they should. If you are one of those people, or you're just curious and want to know if your city's kicking sustainable butt, check out the current top 15.

2009 ESPYs Go Stealth Green This year's ESPYs were the greenest yet. With a red carpet made from recycled water bottles, compostable food and flatware, the ESPYs obviously put forth quite an effort, but they never mentioned it to attendees, athletes, or viewers. Way to not greenwash, I guess?

Reducing Your Eco Death-print When it comes to your final resting place, are you looking for real estate that's LEED certified? What's more eco-friendly -- burial or cremation? Considering mankind's obsession with mortality, it's no surprise that there are an astounding number of green funeral options out there.

Bernie Madoff Update You're probably aware that notorious rip-off artist Bernie Madoff was handed a 150-year prison sentence by a jury of his peers. What you may not have heard is that he's going to sit it out in the only LEED certified prison in the US. Seems fitting somehow, right?

Green in a Flash:

• Is making a dress out of condoms considered upcycling?
• A five-legged dog was rescued from a Coney Island freakshow.
  
• Watch the wind power industry's growth represented on an animated map.

(Photo by Adwriter on Flickr)

Last Thursday I was grocery shopping with a friend. Produce is amazing this time of year and I couldn't resist grabbing a couple of fragrant, juicy peaches.

"What are you doing?" she asked me, horrified. "Those aren't organic!"

I looked at her blankly.

"The dirty dozen? Thin skinned fruit? Pesticides?" she prompted, which jolted my memory. Reluctantly I put down the filthy fruit, and went in search of the clean(er) organic version.

With so many other things to remember, I honestly don't feel bad that I forgot about the dirty dozen. But it did make me think about ways to make it easier to remember them.

Wanna know all about Trudie and Sting's green living philosophy? Do you know how to properly dispose of your painting materials? Are hybrid drivers driving more and getting more tickets? Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all the latest green news and tips.

Trudie Styler Filming Green Living DVD Trudie's currently filming an eco-living DVD, on location at the couple's Tuscan mansion. It's sure to be filled with eco-friendly workout and eating tips that reflect Trudie and Sting's enviable yet benevolent lifestyle. Oh yeah, I almost forgot; Sting did the soundtrack.

Pamela Plans Green Spa in Montenegro The business-savvy bombshell is expanding her eco-empire with plans to build a sustainable (and mostly veggie) spa in Montenegro, a country she didn't even know existed six months ago. Come on, we all learned about Montenegro from "Casino Royale." Right?

Cleaning Up Your Painting Projects If you're like me, the second you've finished a painting project, you never want to think about paint or painting accessories ever again. Unfortunately, that's usually when hazardous chemicals like turpentine get poured down the drain -- not so great for our water supply.

Hybrid Drivers Cruising Too Much? A new study shows that hybrid owners are driving 25% more in non-commuting scenarios and they're getting more tickets. Of course, this could just mean that everybody is piling into the hybrid to do their errands and leaving the gas-guzzler in the garage.

Chandeliers on the Cheap Is "cheap chandelier" an oxymoron? Does anybody care? CasaSugar has an awesome slide show filled with upcycled chandeliers made from regular household junk. I really like the wooden coat hanger fixture. The Barbie hair chandelier ... that's just kinda creepy.

Green in a Flash:

• Green flag wavers rejoice! A company now offers recycled flags.
• Jumbo-sized squid have invaded shallow waters near San Diego.
• Two Red Pandas, rejected by their mother, have been adopted by a dog.

If you've been wanting to visit the zoo, now is the time. All the babies that were born in the spring are now big enough to be part of the exhibits, and, apparently, more are being born!

It's been a busy week at the Smithsonian National Zoo's Conservation & Research Center in Front Royal, Virginia, where they welcomed a clouded leopard cub, a Przewalski's foal, and five (so far) Red Panda cubs.

In addition to the feel good news about baby pretty much anything, these births are something to celebrate because all three species are seriously threatened.

Which celebrities have the most eco-fabulous homes? Is your freedom to dry clothes under attack? Do you have a "dog is my co-pilot" bumper sticker? Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all the latest green news and tips.

Top 7 Celebrity Eco-Cribs Johnny Depp's private island in the Caribbean took top honors in Treehugger's list of Fabulously Green Celebrity Homes. Lovingly named F*** Off Island, there's no doubt that this 35-acre, solar-hydrogen powered bungalow is fabulous, but the commute's gotta suck.

Radiohead Hawks Eco-Threads Next time you roll up to the merch booth at a Radiohead concert, you'll find more than just overpriced t-shirts with tour dates plastered all over. The eco-centric rockers are now offering raincoats and (gasp) unbranded t-shirts made of recycled plastic bottles.

The Right to Keep and Bear Clotheslines A bill protecting your right to clotheslines was shot down in North Carolina this week. The would-be law set out to ban the kinds of restrictive HOA covenants that prevent the unsightly outdoor drying of your fabulous threads. FYI, there is such thing as an indoor drying rack.

Pet-Only Airline Takes Off Two entrepreneurial pet lovers have crafted a brand new assault on the upper atmosphere: an all-pet airline. Not satisfied with the major airlines' pet accommodations? Now your pet can have its own carbon footprint! Pet Airways will fly between five major US cities.

Hitting the Trail Lightly Need a new pair o' running shoes? If you can stomach the McDonald's motif, Brooks has designed a pair of sustainable sneaks called the Green Silence. These eco-trainers boast recycled rubber soles, soy-based dyes, and laces made of recycled water bottles.

Green in a Flash:

• A brothel in Berlin is offering a biker discount.
• The first utility-scale hydrogen power plant is destined for New Mexico.
• Vancouver's über-sustainable Olympic village has hit a major funding snag.

(Photo by Getty Images)

Today Walmart is holding what they're calling a Sustainability Milestone Meeting at their corporate headquarters (aka "The Mothership") in Bentonville, Arkansas. Word on the street is that will use the conference to unveil their new "sustainability index" which they will use to rate the environmental impact of all merchandise -- yes, literally everything -- sold in the stores.

The index will take into account several factors, including manufacturing, waste management and how the product is used. Some presumably brilliant faculty members from University of California at Berkeley, Harvard, Stanford and the University of Michigan helped create the index, so in theory it should be all based on data and facts and fair things like that.

Walmart has been grinding the "how can we be evil if we're so green and sustainability-driven?" axe for a while. And yeah, you have to admit that they make a good gesture of using the power of their bulk for good -- if they demand that a supplier change their practices to reduce the carbon footprint of their production facilities, or engage in fair trade practices, then what choice does the supplier have? The result is what we should care about, in theory, although the bully methods are cringe-worthy.

Can Matthew McConaughey pull off a role as a headstrong, beer-chugging, troublemaker? Need some tips on destroying the insect kingdom natural pest control? Is your golf habit killing the planet? Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all the latest green news and tips.

McConaughey to Star in Eco-Flick Rumor has it that Matthew McConaughey has been tapped to star in a celluloid version of Edward Abbey's classic "The Monkey Wrench Gang." It's a novel about a group of gun-toting, meat-eating, saboteurs who target projects that pollute and damage the wilderness.

Natural Pest Control If you've ever had the pleasure of having your home infested with fleas, bedbugs, etc ... you know that nothing whips you into a chemical-spewing, bug bombing rage quite like sharing your home with tiny blood-sucking creatures. There are natural options, however.

Thomas Jefferson: Founder of Organic Gardening? The Obamas have drawn tons of attention to the organic gardening phenom, but they were hardly the first "first family" to get in on the action. Thomas Jefferson's estate, Monticello, boasts a 1,000 ft garden -- organic since 1770.

Mystery Blob Attacks Alaska Hunters noticed a gigantic gray blob floating a few miles off the shore at Wainwright last week. This week, the 15-ish mile long blob appeared near the town of Barrow. I know what you're thinking, but early reports say that it's not oil related; it's biological. Sea monster?

Tips for the Eco-Golfer Is there really any way to be a green golfer except trading the club in for a frisbee? Most courses use a staggering amount of water, fertilizer and pesticides. Check out some tips that will help you take baby steps toward achieving a sustainable golf habit.

Green in a Flash:

• The Chevy Volt has its own Facebook page.
• Bill Gates wants to fight hurricanes with giant, ocean-going tubs.
• Wal-Mart is working on a top secret sustainability index, detailing every product it sells.

So, remember how Andy Dick dressed up as a knife-wielding parody of childhood icon, Ronald McDonald, as part of a PETA demonstration? Well there's more!

PETA has an ongoing vendetta against McDonald's, basically involving food sourcing. They want Mickey D's to get their chickens from poultry suppliers who use the cruelty-free controlled atmosphere killing.

Sure, PETA's right, it would be better for the chickens. And better for us because it would eliminate PETA's need to hold "scalding tank demonstrations" with tanks of bloody water in public places.

Do you wanna dress like Woody Harrelson or Alanis Morissette (yeah, I don't get it either)? Wanna take a test drive in a Tesla Roadster in NYC this week? Need some eco-friendly lawncare tips? Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all the latest green news and tips.

Poorly Dressed Stars Launch Eco-Jeans Line Woody Harrelson and Alanis Morissette are the celebrity faces of Reco Jeans, an upcoming jean company that builds its eco-trousers out of 50% recycled denim. In a bid to create some pre-launch hype, Reco is holding a Dutch auction for 300 pairs. So, name your price!

The Movies Go Green Hollywood is making serious strides to go green, and we're not just talking about slapping a couple of solar panels on the iconic Hollywood sign. One example -- the major studios have diverted 63% of their waste (sets, props, etc.) to recycling as opposed to landfills.

Tesla Store Opens in New York The high performance, electric super car from the west coast is finally taking its show on the road. Tesla's first store outside of California is scheduled to open its doors this week in Manhattan. Take a test ride at the grand opening party on Thursday.

Slaughter Weeds Without Toxins Sure, it can be really annoying when weeds start growing out through cracks in your sidewalk, but don't go for the napalm just yet. Sometimes, the cure can be worse that the disease. When it's time to whack some weeds, go for a simple, non-toxic pot of boiling water.

The Case Against Gas Mowers When fighting back a forest of St. Augustine, your first inclination as an American is most likely to grab a gas-powered mower and crank it up. Forget the fact that gas mower emissions are super dirty, it literally takes 20 times more BTUs than a electric mower.

Green in a Flash:

• Texas A&M researchers can make gasoline out of nearly anything.
• Wall-E's cousin shows up on the streets of Peccioli, Italy.
• A new word for your hip, internet-savvy, eco vocabulary: greenbashing.

(Photo by Beautorium.com)

Reader Mary G. commented on last week's All Natural Beauty Round-up post, asking how to tell when a "natural" product was really natural, especially since so many of them have some skeevy sounding ingredients.

Good question, Mary! Interestingly enough, last week's Smart 2 Be Green newsletter addressed the same question, and guess what? Your husband is right, natural doesn't always mean what you hope it means. Unless it says 100% certified USDA organic, there's no certainty that all of the ingredients are organic. And natural can mean almost anything!

It takes a little work, but there are some great sites out there to help you sort through it all. For starters, there is the Consumer Reports Greener Choices eco-labels center that Smart 2 Be Green recommends. It's old school Consumer Reports meets the new eco-millenium.

Wanna bounce your eco-ideas off of Ed Begley Jr? Want some thrifting tips from Cameron Diaz? Which are greener: cloth or paper napkins? Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all the latest green news and tips.

Ask Ed Begley Jr. Begley is one the most well-respected gurus of green in Hollywood, and now you can have access to Ed's brain through the power of your keyboard (or mobile device). Ed's teamed up with Treehugger to create a forum where he answers your eco-questions directly.

The Great Napkin Debate Have you ever pondered the burning question: which has a lighter carbon footprint, cloth or paper napkins? Next time you're about to tuck the old cloth napkin into your shirt to chow down, take a moment to make sure your napery's not wiping out the climate.

Thrifting with Cameron Diaz So, you want to know how the stars find their amazing second-hand treasures? Cameron Diaz spilled some of her thrifting secrets in the latest edition of GOOP. Do you think she's a flea market junkie? Or a dumpster diver?

Are Convertibles Bad for the Environment? When shopping for a new car, IMO, two of the most important considerations are: gas-mileage and whether or not to go convertible. Driving a convertible is super-fun, but what's it cost you in the mpg department? Check out Grist's advice on buying a convertible.

The Human Shrub Cometh Guerrilla gardening is so popular that even mutants are doing it. A shrubbery-humanoid being has been photographed terrorizing the planter boxes of Colchester. His insidious plot: to fill all empty planters with brightly colored marigolds and begonias .

Green in a Flash:

• Cash for Clunkers trade-ins will be at least partially recycled.
• Will struggling zoos euthanize their animals to save cash?
• The next big phase of the environmental movement: greening the internet?
  

(Photo by Getty Images)

A little more than five years ago my husband and I, after a six month wait, became the proud, at times even smug, owners of a Toyota Prius -- or as my best friend says, a "Pious." Yes, we hybrid owners are guilty as charged for crowing over our gas mileage and early-adopter-coolness.

Five years later, I remain happy with our now slightly beat up Prius, despite the fact that it's not the best handling car I've ever had, and it has a blind spot exactly the size of the Port-a-Potty left at the foot of our driveway by the street construction team. (Thanks guys, for putting it there, and hope no one was hurt when I backed into it.)

Having just one car worked out great for us for more than ten years. We live in San Francisco, which has a variety of good (and colorful -- look, a live chicken in a pink plastic bag!) public transportation, and there are cabs galore. When we both worked downtown, we used the one car so infrequently we had to replace the battery -- a problem with the earlier Prius models.

Does Knut the polar bear need an attorney? Wanna watch Greenpeace scale and deface (re-face?) Mt. Rushmore? Looking for a new game to play while driving to work? Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all the latest green news and tips.

Update: Knut Stays in Berlin Everyone's favorite polar bear is at the center of an old-fashion zoo-on-zoo legal smack down. Knut's parents were on loan from another zoo when he was born and subsequently rejected by his mother. Since the Berlin Zoo saved his life, they get to keep him.

Mt. Rushmore Stunt Behind the Scenes OK, so you saw the banner hanging on Mt. Rushmore the other day, and it made you cheer/reflect/yell obscenities. Regardless of how you felt about the guerrilla banner action, you have to admit it took some major cojones. Watch the behind the scenes video.

iPhone App Makes for Blissful Driving An app called Bliss Trek uses GPS signals to gauge you speed, acceleration, etc. to turn your daily commute into a emissions-reducing game. The more efficiently you drive, the more points you get. You can even Tweet your score to show off.

An LEED Platinum Burrito They may serve burritos way too large for the average human, but at least one Chipotle restaurant is working to slash its carbon foodprint. With a wind turbine, rainwater catchment, and LED lighting, the Chipotle in Gurnee, Illinois just received Platinum LEED status.

Trees Get Barcoded In an effort to deter illegal logging, over a million hardwoods around the world have been given a plastic barcode. When harvested, the trees can be tracked from the forest to the lumber yard, even the stumps are barcoded. No barcode = illegal cut logs.

Green in a Flash:

• Mr. Postman's got a brand new eco-friendly ride.
  
• A man was gored to death at Pamplona's running of the bulls. Crazy.
  
• You know you want some crazy green sunglasses made from a recycled Sprite bottle.