After nearly two years of dire predictions about the imminent extinction of honey bees, it appears that whatever was causing the mysterious Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) may be easing up.

According to a Journal of Apicultural Research survey of beekeepers, reported in the New York Times, beekeeping operations are reporting fewer lost colonies that do not have dead bees in or around the hive. An "empty" hive is the primary indicator of CCD.

Last winter the rate of colonies lost to CCD was 26%, down from 38% and 36%, respectively, during the previous two seasons. Even more heartening, only 36% reported colonies with symptoms of CCD, down from a high of 60% three winters ago.

Gisele gave birth in a what?! Will your siding last 100+ years? Which city wants to charge residents $13 for every gallon of rainwater that they let run into the storm drain? Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all the latest green news and tips.

Gisele Opts for Natural Childbirth Rather than book a room at a five-star facility equipped with the strongest sedatives and softest beds, the UN Environmental ambassador (and supermodel) gave birth to her son in her own bathtub -- no c-section, no sedatives, just breathing and self-hypnosis.

Bark Shingles Making a Comeback? Vinyl siding contains PVC and lasts about 20 years. Contrast that with organic, sustainable and maintenance-free bark shingle siding -- popular in craftsman style homes in the early 20th Century. Bark siding installed on buildings in 1895 is still going strong.

5 Eco-Friendly Tips for Apartment Dwellers Looking to make the most out of your apartment, but don't want to spend the big bucks on eco-upgrades for a place that you're just renting? Grist has a has a wealth of tips for renters who want to maximize their home's efficiency.

LA Mulls Rainwater Mandates Officials in Los Angeles are weighing an ordinance that would require new homes and developments to capture and reuse a 100% of runoff in a 3/4" or less rainfall. If you've ever tinkered with rainwater collection, you know that's a ton of water to figure out what to do with.

The Eco-Modding Craze Hits Pickups Thanks to the tireless tinkering of aerodynamics hobbyist Phil Knox, this '94 Toyota T100 gets 32mpg on the highway as opposed to the factory rating of 23mpg. I wonder if he can use the bed? The aesthetics are kind of a drag (though not literally).

Green in a Flash:

• Check out the details on Obama's $8B rail stimulus.
• Should you buy some stock when Tesla goes public?
• A Chicago artist has designed a mobile garden rail car that will be towed around behind CTA trains.

Packaging is one of those things that, once you start noticing it, you can't stop. Why does cereal need to come in a bag inside a box? Does that DVD really need to be shrink wrapped? And don't even get me started on wasteful individual serving packaging, like Starbucks Via.

I just read about an exciting development in liquid container packaging, over at Triple Pundit. Ecologic Brands is a new company that goes by the tagline, "packaging the Earth can live with" -- and it could change everything!

Ecologic created a recycled paper/plastic pouch "hybrid" bottle that can be recycled and composted. The outer shell -- the paper part -- is made from old cardboard boxes and can be composted. The inner pouch is made of highly recyclable #4 plastic and uses 70% less plastic than a traditional plastic jug.

As the world becomes more environmentally conscious, we're all paying more attention to our carbon footprint. Measuring carbon footprints is complicated -- different items are measured on different scales, and many of the measurements are based on research that weighs varied criteria.

When determining a carbon footprint, we must look at both the primary footprint that can be controlled (such as how much oil we use and how often we wash our clothes). We must also consider the secondary footprint, which is the amount of energy that is used to make the oil and water available to us. Still, it is interesting to compare different aspects of our lives to see what has the greatest negative impact on the earth.

Hamburgers vs Hummers: If you were going to compare the carbon footprints of eating meat versus driving an SUV, you might look at the carbon study of a hamburger by Jamais Cascia. According to the study, America's consumption of hamburgers leads to 941 to 1023 pounds of greenhouse gas per year. It is believed that eating hamburgers is equivalent to 7,500 or 15,000 large vehicles. Compare the average of habit of 150 hamburgers a year to the yearly footprint of a Hummer and you get an average of 56 kilograms of carbon emissions versus 11.1 tons of CO2. It's a good thing we don't eat Hummers, but even better that every hamburger eating American does not drive a Hummer.

Why would a schoolteacher reject an offer to turn her eco-book series into blockbuster films? Is Bin Laden really trying to appeal to environmentalists? Really? Think road rage is a fairly phenomenon? Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all the latest green news and tips.

Johnny Depp Gets Denied London school teacher/author Saci Lloyd turned down an offer from Depp's production company to turn her cult-favorite book series, "The Carbon Diaries," into a movie (presumably featuring Johnny himself). Instead, she chose to keep it local, going with a UK producer.

Osama Bin Laden Wishes He'd Joined Greenpeace In his latest demented video rant, the world's most wanted psychopath appears to have suddenly grown a deep love for the environment, blaming the US economy for climate change, desertification, and floods. His solution? Dump the US dollar and boycott US goods.

The US Added 9.9 Gigawatts of Wind Power in 2009 Finally, some positive green energy news! According to AWEA, the US added enough wind generating capacity to supply 2.4 million homes -- the largest one-year gain in US history. However, it looks as though 2010 probably won't be another record year.

Jerry Springer is an Environmentalist?! He's not a media parasite bent on destroying human decency, he just plays one on TV. At home Jerry Springer is apparently quite the outspoken environmentalist. He recently sat down with MNN to discuss his views on how to combat climate change.

A Brief History of Road Rage, from Disney Do you long for the "good old days" when a motorist could enjoy the open road, happily taking in the scenery along their commute without the fear of entitled, road raging drivers? Well, according to awesome Goofy cartoon, these good ol' days never happened.

Green in a Flash:

• Wanna make your own DIY snuggie out of recycled materials?
• Automakers are focusing on car-pedestrian collision safety.
• A town in Turkey has banned fireworks because they scare mating loggerhead turtles.

On Wednesday, President Obama dedicated a significant section of his State of the Union address to a pitch for clean energy, encouraging the Senate to pass a comprehensive clean energy and climate bill.

Today he backed up his words with a pledge to reduce the federal government's greenhouse gas emissions by 28% by 2020. The move will save the country $8 to 11 billion dollars. That's the way to lead by example!

It's a strong political gesture, for two reasons:

Why is Brad Pitt buying a cave? Will Apple's iPad change the face of green computing? What did you think of President Obama's State of the Union address? Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all the latest green news and tips.

Brad Pitt Buys Cave House The green housing advocate recently expanded the Jolie-Pitt compound with the purchase of a neighboring 1920s-era home with a cave built into its foundation. Does this cave fit into some kind of geothermal energy plan? Will he hide treasure in it?

Alicia Silverstone Shares her Shopping List Alicia is scheduled to share her eco-friendly shopping tips with Oprah's audience today. A few items that raised my eyebrows are: Hemp milk and field roast sausages. Do those taste better than they sound? Check out this video of Alicia at the grocery store.

How Green is the Apple iPad? The whole world is abuzz with news about Apple's latest web-surfing, e-reading, mp3-playing gizmo. According to Engadget, the iPad is "highly recyclable" and free of PVC, mercury, arsenic, and BFR. Still, will it replace old gadgets, or become a new addition?

Obama's State of the Union Although much of the green blogosphere's reaction to last night's SOTU address has been tinged with disappointment and frustration, there was a fairly significant focus on energy policy and green jobs. Check out Treehugger's breakdown of last night's address.

Florida's High Speed Rail Hopes If you tuned it to last night's address, you may be wondering about that high speed rail project in Florida the President mentioned. Well, today he's reportedly traveling to Tampa to announce that the nation's first bullet-train will get $2.5B worth of federal funding.

Green in a Flash:

• Check out this awesome, self-contained indoor herb garden.
• An awesome-looking DIY Honda Motorcycle mod gets 214mpg.
• Artists have constructed a comically small bridge, made from recycled materials, to draw attention to a leaky pipe in Queens, NY.

It's hard to believe that Earth Hour started just three years ago, in 2007. In this short period of time, a one hour, one-time action by two million people in Sydney, Australia, has grown into an international movement with nearly one billion participants.

The idea is simplicity itself: Everyone, at the same time, all over the world, turns off their lights for one hour. It's a symbolic gesture to show that people can work together to address the climate crisis.

Last year there were participants in 87 countries. Some of the major landmarks that shut off their lights for an hour included the Parthenon in Athens, Big Ben and Houses of Parliament in London, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and of course the Sydney Opera House. According to the Earth Hour site, it was the largest mass action in human history.

What did Kanye screw up this time? Is it safe to eat a tuna salad? Does London's Olympic stadium represent the cutting edge of eco-architecture? Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all the latest green news and tips.

PETA Bigwig Slams Fur-Bearing Kanye Responding to Kanye West and girlfriend Amber Rose's recent choice in floor-length fur outerwear (more pics here), PETA's VP Dan Matthews compared the their look to "pathetic creatures from a shabby roadside zoo." Ouch.

Dr. Oz Talks Tuna Although it may be safe to eat some types of tasty, solid white Albacore from an overfishing standpoint, Dr. Oz says "That has so much mercury in it now that you can't eat a can without exposing yourself to more than what we allow weekly."

Holiday Inn Offers People-Powered Bed Warmers Catering to customers with a fear of cold sheets, 3 Holiday Inn locations in the UK will offer "human bed warmers." What is that, exactly? Technically speaking, it's an employee in a fleece onesie that will lay in your bed until you're ready to get in.

Tips for Packing Eco-Friendly Lunches Concerned about sending your kid to school with the BPA-laden Scooby Doo lunch box you carried to elementary school? Need help finding healthy snacks that your kids will crave? Check out LilSugar's advice for packing green and BPA-free lunches for your tots.

London's Olympic Stadium Made Out of Knives Some of the steel used to build London's 2012 Olympic stadium will be made from recycled steel, melted down from knives, guns, and keys, confiscated by London's Metropolitan Police Service -- no kidding. The police have reportedly collected 52 tons of scrap metal in 2009.

Green in a Flash:

• Ted Turner has joined forces with a new solar developer.
• Check out this chandelier made from retire incandescent bulbs.
• Are these seven short-haul flights (about an hour's drive) really necessary?

Finding natural and eco-friendly makeup is a priority for many of us grownups. Well, it's even more important for kids!

Who puts makeup on kids, you ask? Indulgent Aunties, like me, who always have a bag full of lipsticks and the willingness to face down stern parents who frown on six-year-olds wearing heavy blue eyeshadow.

It's no secret that I love makeup -- I'm crazy for all beauty items. And I really do doll up my nieces, so I was excited to see the Lil Sugar round up of five all-natural beauty products made especially for kids.

Guess which green celebrity is expanding her mega-mansion? Can you trust organic cotton? Are your dryer sheets trying to kill you? Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all the latest green news and tips.

Gwyneth Paltrow Expands the Superhouse The GOOP founder tarnished her green image last summer when she and Chris Martin decided to buy the house next door to create a 33-room mansion in downtown London. Now, they've apparently decided to expand again, buying the house on the other side.

Two Species Named After Harrison Ford In honor of Harrison's admirable conservation efforts -- which include ripping out his chest hair to illustrate deforestation -- scientists have named an ant species (Pheidole harrisonfordi) and a species of spiders (Calponia harrisonfordi) after the stone-faced actor.

H&M's Organic Cotton Debacle Only weeks after it was busted by watchdogs for destroying perfectly good unsold clothes rather than donating them to charity, an independent testing lab has announced that the company's "organic cotton" is actually GMO cotton -- the complete opposite.

Are Dryer Balls Greener than Dryer Sheets? In the effort to reduce your laundry footprint (short of opting for a clothesline), are dryer balls a good way to reduce waste and cut down on the weird chemicals taking refuge in your clothing? According to Grist, many dryer balls contain PVC, but you can make your own.

Starbucks Goes Vegan/Food Allergy Friendly The world's greatest (in terms of size) coffee-slinger has expanded its menu to accommodate its vegan clientele. Starbucks will now be serving up Lucy's cookies -- free of dairy, gluten, and nut ingredients. Sheesh, what exactly are these things made out of?

Green in a Flash:

• Walmart has unveiled a 1MW solar array in California.
• The Volt is headed to California, Michigan and Washington DC.
• Wanna book a room in this luxury hotel built inside a re-purposed East German jet?

Chocolate might not rank up there with steak in the "bad for the environment/animal cruelty" index, but it does usually contain animal by-products, including milk. So if you want to adhere to the highest standards of cruelty-free expressions of love, vegan chocolate is the way to go.

Farm Sanctuary is an organization that rescues, protects and advocates for farm animals. They are vehemently anti-factory farm (although really, is anyone pro-factory farms?!) and have a mission to educate people about the suffering that occurs on these farms. Cruelty-free is sorta their middle name!

All of their good work requires funding. One way that they are raising money is with a special box of Farm Sanctuary vegan chocolates in time for Valentine's Day.

Wanna hear Ben Stiller's eco-advice for studio execs? What's the greenest way to dispose of toilet paper? Can you eat meat and still be a vegan? Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all the latest green news and tips.

Ben Stiller's Green is Universal PSA on Conan During a surprise appearance on "Conan" last week, Ben Stiller shared some green tips with NBC execs. Says Ben, "A good way to protect the environment is by switching to energy efficient light bulbs, using less water and not build $50M studios that you only use for 7 months."

Simon Cowell Recycles Music For Haiti To raise funds for disaster relief in Haiti, Simon Cowell is gathering a group of superstars to recycle REM's 1993 hit "Everybody Hurts." So far, Simon's convinced Leona Lewis, Mariah Carey, Jon Bon Jovi, Miley Cyrus and Rod Stewart to donate their voices.

Is it Greener to Flush TP or Trash it? Notice, the question isn't: 'Which is more sanitary or pleasant?' Lucky for all of us, the answer to both questions is: Flush it. According to Grist, toilet paper is more eco-friendly in the sewer system, where its broken down by bacteria, than in the landfill.

Tesla Shop Opens in Chicago Chicago EV enthusiasts have a new place to go drool over cars they probably can't afford. Tesla officially opened the doors to its Chicago store over the weekend, throwing a party for current owners in the Windy City and giving out free test drives.

Ted Danson is a Seafood Eating Vegan Have you ever heard of a vegan that eats fish? Probably not, because by definition, eating fish makes you a very borderline vegetarian, much less a vegan. Still, Ted claims the he lowered his cholesterol without meds by limiting his diet. He also claims to weigh 129lbs!

Green in a Flash:

• Japan's post offices are selling Nissan EV stamps.
• Check out this "meditation temple" built from recycled scraps.
• You've heard that swans mate for life, right? Well, UK researchers have discovered the first swan divorce.

method laundry demo from People Against Dirty on Vimeo.

In this, the latest installment of my ongoing pursuit of green laundry bliss, I present the new Method Laundry Detergent.

To those familiar with the Method brand of eco-friendly and beautifully packaged home and personal care cleaning products, this is more of the same good stuff. A plant-based formula, 95% natural and renewable ingredients, biodegradable and non-toxic.

The big news is that their new laundry product has an ultra-concentrated formula, which has several green benefits.

You can avoid headaches and the aggravation of allergies by using natural non-toxic household cleaners. Natural cleaners won't harm your lungs and they will save you tons of money. Here are the top five:

1. Lemons. The citric acidity in lemons is naturally anti-bacterial and lemons just smell fresh and clean, which is why the vast majority of toxic cleaners mask their harsh ingredients with a lemony scent. You can rub half a lemon on a cutting board after use to prevent unpleasant odors and to eliminate the build-up of grime. You can also polish metal surfaces such as sinks with lemons for a beautiful gleam.

2. Plain club soda. Pour plain club soda (not the low-sodium kind) into a spray bottle and spray on glass surfaces or mirrors. Use a lint-free cloth or paper towel to wipe.