You know those movies where scientists tunnel to the center of the Earth, and they have to use magic technology to survive the heat coming from the molten lava core?

That's not real. But there is some pretty amazing -- yet simple -- technology that allows us to use the naturally consistent temperature of Earth just below the frost line to heat and cool homes. It's also very eco-friendly: you don't burn anything, nothing is emitted, and you don't produce any waste.

Geothermal power is one of the greenest ways to keep your house warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Even better? It's also one of the most cost-effective sources of energy!

Has Jack Bauer added CO2 to his terrorist watch list? Is there something hypocritical about rock stars flying private jets to China to perform at an Earth Day concert? Are you ready for someone to finally win the Automotive X-Prize already? Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all the latest green news and tips.

Fox's "24" Gunning for Carbon Neutrality Starting in 2007, the cast and crew of the long-running espionage series began to hunt down and destroy it's own carbon footprint. While they haven't quite made it yet, Jack Bauer says: "We've made a marked improvement from where we were in season one."

Aerosmith, Black Eyed Peas to Play Earth Day Concert To celebrate Earth Day's 40th birthday (yes, it's already over the hill), Beijing is holding a massive concert in the Olympic Green park. So far, Jimmy Page, Aerosmith, and the Black Eyed Peas have signed up to rock the not-so-cleverly titled "Show of Peace."

Tree Mugging on the Rise In Resort Towns What's the opposite of a tree hugger? A guy carrying a chainsaw in a resort town, hacking away at trees in order to raise his property values by giving his home an ocean view -- aka a tree mugger. Apparently, it's a growing problem in Britain's priciest seaside town.

Auto X-Prize Announces a Start Date Alternative vehicle enthusiasts, start your engines. The Automotive X-Prize has finally set a date for when the 51 qualifying 100+mpg vehicles will square off in a battle to conserve fuel. The road tests that will eventually determine a winner run from April 26 - August.

Free Farm Sanctuary Stuff Looking for the hook-up on animal-friendly tees? Ecorazzi's teamed up with the livestock rescue operation Farm Sanctuary to give away a bunch of limited edition "Tweet me Don't Eat Me" tees over Twitter. Check here for contest rules and details.

Green in a Flash:

• Scientists have found a link between BPA and heart disease.
• T. Boone Pickens has revealed details about his new revised plan.
• Does James Cameron's Avatar promote nature worship? The Vatican thinks so.

Standing in line at the hardware store, I was delighted to look up and see a new brand of eco-friendly kitchen scrubber-sponge-things made from loofah: RubBits from Loofah-Art.

I like that they're biodegradeable. I like that they are compostable, and non-toxic. I like that they are made from natural materials, and the packaging is printed on post-consumer recycled paper.

But most of all, I like that they are pretty! At last! Bright colors are challenging the eco-supremacy of the cardboard brown and sage green!

Want 25% off your next pair of Aéropostale jeans, just for recycling? Is there anything we can do to prevent phone book waste? Want your toddler to get a head start on green living? Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all the latest green news and tips.

Aéropostale Launches "Teens for Jeans" Justin Long and Ashley Greene have teamed up with Aéropostale to help get the word out about the 3rd annual "Teens for Jeans" event. Bring in a pair of gently-used jeans (any brand) to an Aéropostale store and get 25% off your next pair.

Summit on the Summit Team Reaches the Summit Lots of celebrity do-gooders are criticized for not practicing what the preach, but Emile Hirsch, Jessica Biel, Lupe Fiasco, Isabel Lucas, and Elizabeth Gore have shown major dedication to solving the clean water crisis by clawing their way to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Phone Books: By the Numbers Tired of tripping over giant paper bricks that randomly appear on your porch? According to Treehugger, 650,000 tons of phone books are distributed in the US each year, 18% of which are recycled. In CO2 emissions, that's about 1,474,000 (Walt Disney emits about 1,650,000).

KT Tunstall Headlines UK Eco-Festival Eco-conscious songstress KT Tunstall confirmed this week that she, along with many others, will be rocking out at the SHIFT festival on London's south bank later this month. The climate-focused festival celebrates the art and science dedicated to battling climate change.

Trend Alert: Eco Playdates Want your child to start worrying about conservation and global warming from day one? Green parents in NYC are rounding up the rugrats and taking them to earth-friendly playdates like Unplugged on a Rug, where kids can enjoy eco-toys and sustainable-living singalongs.

Green in a Flash:

• Tesla built 1,000 Roadsters in 2009.
• Check out this solar-powered dog sweater.
• Need some tips to make your winter bike commute a little more comfortable?

It's practically a post-holiday tradition: averting your eco-eyes as you drive past piles of non-recyclable, non-compostable, non-reusable trash crowding the curb, waiting for a ride to the Landfill of Non-biodegradeable Limbo.

Don't look away! Things can be different. We can use that trash for good!

Waste to energy plants take solid trash like non-recyclable plastic, and incinerate it, capturing the energy produced by the burn and sending it into the grid to heat homes and supply electric power.

Will Heather Mills' vegan skates help the amputee ice dance to victory? Does PETA realize that Gilbert Arenas might not be a good spokesman for anything right now? What kind of dryer should you be shopping for: gas, electric or clothesline? Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all the latest green news and tips.

Heather Mills Ice Dances on Vegan Skates The former Mrs. Paul McCartney is hoping to parlay some of the skills she picked up on "Dancing With the Stars" to the UK's "Dancing on Ice." As part of her contract, Heather's demanded that all of her costumes, skates, and refreshments be entirely vegan.

Gilbert Arenas Hates Mink In a case of extremely poor timing and even worse character judgment, it seems that PETA hooked up with Arenas just before the Wizards point guard was suspended from the NBA indefinitely. Oddly enough, PETA's kinda pretending that nothing happened.

Ikea Debuts New Solar-Powered Lighting Lineup The store that wrote the book on cheap yet stylish furniture is hoping to write the book on cheap, stylish, and eco-friendly furniture as well. In just a few weeks, Ikea will unveil a new lineup of trendy, solar-powered lamps outfitted with LED bulbs.

Should I Buy a Gas or Electric Dryer? Sure, clotheslines are by far the greenest way to dry your laundry, but line drying takes more advance planning than some of us are capable of. Some electric dryers are equipped with automatic moisture sensors to help cut down on unnecessary drying, but gas is best.

Cleaner Air Through Houseplants It may sound strange, but if you're concerned about you indoor air quality, what you need is a houseplant ... inside a plastic bubble. The Andrea air purifier is 40 times more efficient than conventional filters and looks pretty and organic because it's got a houseplant inside.

Green in a Flash:

• Check out Barack's environmental report card for 2009.
• Toyota has confirmed that its working on a "Prius family" of vehicles.
• Animal rights lawyers have filed for habeas corpus on behalf of a 26 year-old chimpanzee.

There is something incredibly aware about elephants. No, they can't talk, but they have well documented social behaviors like mourning their dead and showing joy when they greet each other. You can just tell that they have feelings -- look at them! Those eyes! The way they hug each other with their trunks!

This obvious sensitivity to their surroundings and companions makes it even more incomprehensible that anyone can be abusive to these gentle giants.

PETA (yes, them again, already) has a well-known and aggressive campaign targeting Ringling Brother's circus that links to some terribly depressing videos of jerks in uniforms hitting elephants with sticks with hooks on them. Probably worse things happen, but it made the elephants look so sad that I couldn't bear to watch any more of it.

Who would win in a fight: Tarantino's "Bear Jew" or the Hemingway's "Old Man and the Sea?" Wanna keep up with the eco-celebs trekking up Kilimanjaro? Is it OK to switch back to a plastic water bottle? Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all the latest green news and tips.

Eli Roth Almost Swallowed by a Sinkhole, Sea Urchins To remind us all that there are greater dangers lurking in the world's oceans than a fleet of Japanese whalers, Eli Roth is sharing his life-threatening encounter with the high seas on his website. The "Inglourious Basterds" star may never go kayaking again.

Jessica Biel and Emile Hirsh on Kilimanjaro: Day 5 Those of you dying to know how Jessica, Emile, Kenna, and Lupe Fiasco are faring on Kilimanjaro can track their progress, sponsor a foot of their clean water quest or even communicate with the hikers via the expedition's energy-sipping mobile devices.

Water Bottles: Plastic, Aluminum or Stainless? Now that the BPA controversy has more or less blown over, and many plastic bottle manufacturers have loudly denounced plastics that contain BPA -- is it OK to go back to plastic? According to Grist, plastic still has the greatest environmental downside; stainless is your best bet.

Cold Kills 100,000 Tropical Fish (on a farm) The latest arctic blast caught South Florida fish farmers by surprise, freezing 76 ponds and all of the colorful exotic fish that live in them. Can all the fish be upcycled into fish sticks? Colorful compost? Let's hope they didn't all die in vain.

Is Organic Beer Worth the $$? Sure, nobody wants to eat an apple soaked in pesticides, but when it comes to beer, how important is that organic label? I mean, we drink it specifically because it contains our favorite toxin: alcohol. Check out FitSugar's rundown of the benefits to drinking organic.

Green in a Flash:

• The new Toyota Yaris will get up to 46mpg.
• President Obama announces $2.3B in green tax credits.
• Ted Turner (creator of Captain Planet) is being labeled an eco-villain in a buffalo relocation controversy.

Sometimes I feel like every other post I write is about PETA -- and there's a good reason for that. Those vegan wacktivists are busy, and when they pull a stunt, they make sure it gets pushed out with a newsworthy angle.

I'd forgotten half of PETA's antics in 2009. Lucky thing they released this handy video round up of their greatest hits! First thing you'll notice: it's 10 minutes long. See? Busy!

Second thing? They convince a huge number of people, celebrity and "regular folk" to take off their clothes in the name of animal-rights. Paul McCartney, Jenna Jameson, and "Lettuce Ladies."

The Ady Gil sinks, we learn the difference between climate and weather, and there's a crack in the mysterious case of why bees, bats and frogs are dying off. Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all the latest green news and tips.

The End of the Ady Gil After yesterday's bruising skirmish with Japanese whalers, Sea Shepherd lost the struggle to bring their high tech ship, the Ady Gil, back to port for repairs. But never fear, fundraising has already begun for a replacement: actress Isabel Lucas has already recorded a new ad -- from the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro! -- encouraging people to donate to Sea Shepherd Conservation Society!

Make a Home for Birds and Bust Those Winter Blues Care 2 offers six reasons why you should hang a bird feeder in your backyard, including connecting with nature and meeting some nice new friends. Bonus: DIY instructions for making a fun orange and cherry "Bird Chandelier"

No, Global Warming Isn't Over Just Because You're Freezing The national cold snap has doubters and smarty-pants making lots of noise of about the demise of climate change. By way of the HuffPo, UN Dispatch contributor Matthew Cordell explains the difference (using small words for the confused and slow) between weather and climate. Not to mention, it's extra hot in lots of places around the world right now!

The "Cradle to Grave" Sustain-a-Bear Mechanical engineering students at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute won the 2009 Manufacturing Student Design Competition for their sustainably designed and produced teddy bear ... but they might want to get a more kid-friendly name before taking it to market!

Pesticides Behind Bee, Bat and Frog Deaths Bees, bats and most recently frogs have been succumbing to mysterious diseases, which are threatening to kill entire species. Sonia Shah's new report, published in Yale Environment360, reports new data indicating that pesticides, long suspected to be the culprit, may be weakening their immune systems.

Green in a Flash:

• Science news just in: blowing up mountains for coal mining is really bad for the mountains
• Looking for a job and got a great head for heights? Wind power might be your industry!
• When driving in Florida, go slow in "panther zones" -- you don't want to be the one who kills one of the nearly extinct felines!

How many times have you walked or driven past a vacant city lot and wished that someone would do something with that space?

In some case, Guerrilla Gardeners are taking action themselves, transforming neglected land into community parks, flower patches or urban vegetable gardens.

Richard Reynolds, the subject of the video above, is the author of "On Guerrilla Gardening" a book about this form of green direct action, which is almost 400 years old and practiced in more than 30 countries.

The classic recipe for beer includes four simple natural ingredients: barley, hops, yeast, and water. While many brewers already eschew any artificial flavorings, coloring, or preservatives, select breweries use only organic components in their brewing process. As more consumers purchase organic products, these breweries are meeting demand with several organic beer varieties. Try one of these organic beers.

Pinkus Organic Hefeweizen
Enjoy the mild, refreshing flavors of this German brewed hefeweizen. You'll notice its fruity aroma, with hints of banana. This organic beer boasts a clean finish and low bitterness. Despite going unfiltered, sediment is not substantial. Overall, this is a pleasant beer to relax with on a lazy summer day. Even if wheat beers are not your usual favorite, you will find this beer enjoyable.

New Belgium Brewing Company Mothership Wit
This beer is organic through and through, right down to its spices. Savor the notes of spice in its finish, particularly of coriander and nutmeg. You may also note the taste of cloves as you consume this beer. Somewhat milder in flavor than Hoegaarden, another popular beer in the wit style, Mothership Wit is a pleasing and flavorful beer. This selection from the New Belgium Brewing Company would complement a crisp fall evening by the fireside. An earth-friendly note, the New Belgium Brewing Company utilizes wind power at its facilities.

What's Bob Barker think of the Sea Shepherd shipwreck mess? Wanna get 15% better gas mileage? What's your thermostat set at right now? Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all the latest green news and tips.

Japanese Whalers Collide with Sea Shepherds They're at it again. The Japanese "researchers" and the pesky ocean activists are playing bumper boats on the high seas. In the latest round demolition derby, the SS put their speed boat up against a Japanese research vessel and lost big time. Check out the video.

Bob Barker Weighs in In case you didn't know, Bob Barker recently donated $5M to the Sea Shepherds, some of which I assume was used to purchase and outfit the boat that we watched get destroyed on YouTube. Says Bob: "I absolutely continue to support them, more so than ever."

DIYer Boosts Mileage with a Boat Tail Wanna improve your gas mileage by 15%? Round up some cardboard, aluminum scraps and duct tape and start building a tail for the back of you car. Hey, I didn't say it was going to be easy ... or pretty, but Darin Cosgrove now gets 64mpg in his Pontiac Firefly.

Winter Thermostat Tips If you're looking to keep comfortable yet energy-friendly (and thus wallet-friendly) this winter, experts suggest you keep your thermostat at 68 degrees. Each additional degree bumps your energy use up by 6-8%. Layer up and save yourself some cash.

Nissan Will Recycle Hybrid Batteries Since hybrid cars first hit the streets, critics have been asking: What will happen to all of those toxic batteries? Now, we know. Nissan has formed a company that will recycle hybrid car batteries and use them to store energy from solar panels.

Green in a Flash:

• 31 renewable energy projects have been fast tracked by the BLM.
• Check out this house in Portugal, carved out of 4 giant boulders.
• Solar-powered sling bag made from recycled plastic bottles: Yea or Nay?

One of my resolutions is to be more sustainable in 2010 by making more meals at home. And while it's great that I'll be disposing of fewer take out containers, grocery shopping has a few challenges, too.

Namely, in these tight economic times, when is it worth shelling out for the organic stuff? Is "all natural" good enough, and does it really make a difference if the chicken got to play outdoors before it became dinner?

Actually it's easier than you might think to make good choices at the supermarket -- plus there's are even a few iPhone apps to help!

Has the First Lady been exploited by the anti-fur industry? What's Michael Pollan's most important eating guideline? Has the Loch Ness Monster finally joined its ancestors in the afterlife? Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all the latest green news and tips.

Michelle Obama Photoshopped into PETA Ad It's a little known fact that the First Lady's wardrobe contains no fur and she's perfectly happy to keep it on the DL. However, upon learning about Michelle's fur-free ways, PETA photoshopped her into one of their ads without her consent. PETA must be low on funds.

Michael Pollan on the Daily Show What's food expert Michael Pollan's number one tip for Jon Stewart's audience? "Eat Food," as opposed to edible substances. Watch as Jon Stewart and the author of "The Omnivore's Dilemma" discuss how Americans can better access healthier and more food-like food.

Loch Ness Monster Deathwatch According to reports, Nessie sightings are way down over the last three years, with only one reported in 2009. We could be witnessing the end of an era, the disappearance of a species that never really appeared, a tourism industry based on an unseen attraction.

Judi Dench Wants Your Old Christmas Cards The Woodland Trust has launched a new Christmas card recycling program in the UK and the Dame Commander is helping to get the word out. For each card recycled, a tree gets planted. Has anyone heard of a similar tree-planting program going on in the US?

Green Tech Highlights of 2009 Wanna take a cruise through the best technology happenings in 2009? GeekSugar put together a list of its favorite green tech stories from the past year, from the upcycled Vancouver Olympic medals to making your gadgets more fashionable with tube socks.

Green in a Flash:

• America's car population dropped by 4 million.
• Would you drink sake from an edible dried squid bottle?
• Norwegian electric car company Think will build electric cars in Elkhart, Indiana.