Stephen Colbert: Fourth of July Under Attack! Eco-activist Benjamin Schroeter is suing Seattle to block its 4th of July fireworks display -- set to be held at a defunct coal to gas plant -- because it may release all sorts of nasty toxic stuff, harm wildlife, etc. Is this dude talking sense, or taking his quest a bit too far?

Lowering Your 4th of July's BBQ Emissions Burgers and hot dogs are one of the most fundamental elements of a proper 4th of July par-tay, but when it comes to emissions, not all methods are created equal. Simple tricks like using lump charcoal and flipping your meats frequently can help you avoid extra carcinogens.

The Tastiest Organic Ice Creams Don't get caught with a tasteless, fake tasting ice cream this Fourth. The tasters at Grist have put together reviews of both the top organic and the top non-dairy ice cream options. The importance of flavorful, satisfying, ice cream can't be overstated, don't mess this up.

Eco Fireworks Aren't Necessarily Green The greenish color in fireworks is created using Barium, a particularly nasty chemical to breathe or find in you public water supply.There are eco-friendly fireworks available ... and they are considerably more expensive, but they won't blow up your local ecosystem.

Better Know Your SPF While soaking up rays at whatever body of water you choose to crowd around this weekend, it would behoove you to know what SPF (solar protection factor) is right for your epidermis. Hint: the SPF number has nothing to do with how long the sunscreen lasts.

• Check out some eco-tips on proper flag flying.
• UK and US leaders call a swine flu crisis meeting.
• Bull sharks are swimming deeper into Louisiana swamps.

Eco-Beat, 7/3 originally appeared on Green Daily on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST 0. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• ride your bike to the fireworks instead of driving
• bring a refillable water bottle (for some of us, a.k.a. "flask") instead of buying individual bottles or cans
• check out this list of energy-efficient ways to stay cool from Sustain Lane.

It's Energy Independence Day! originally appeared on Green Daily on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 12:04:00 EST 0. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jessica Alba's Green Lifestyle Makeover After last month's shark poster incident, we know that Jessica Alba is a serious eco-activist (an outlaw even). In an interview with Vogue, she shared some of the ways she's gone green at home. My favorite: Her lawn is made of recycled tires -- no watering or mowing.

Exploit Your Creativity to Protect Our Waterways Looking for a way to combine your love of nature with your disgust for litter? Every Friday in July, Wend is holding a photo contest to help inspire activism by showcasing outstanding snapshots of exquisite beauty or exquisitely trashed beauty. Details here.

Ant Colony is Taking Over the World An Argentine species of ants has spread across the planet, viciously attacking all rivals while recognizing each other as if they were all part of one unstoppable, globalized super-colony. Of course, humans unwittingly spread them to every continent except Antarctica.

Dry Farming is Not an Oxymoron Farmers in drought-ridden California are boldly making the water-wise transition to "dry farming." Sounds like a excellent plan ... for a cactus farm. Right? Well, apparently these farmers have discovered that certain apples, tomatoes and grapes thrive with very little water.

The Future of Highway Taxes For me, there's just no topic more fascinating than how we will pay taxes in the future. I'm kidding. Still, when everyone is driving solar powered cars, the gasoline tax will be a woefully inadequate way to fund highways. The alternative: A GPS monitored mileage tax.

• Is the McMansion dead? Or is it just hibernating?
• Yahoo! is investing in green data centers and renewable energy.
• Is "LEED certified" the latest victim of the greenwashing movement?

Eco-Beat, 7/2 originally appeared on Green Daily on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST 0. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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(Photo by Solo)

• Niman Ranch Sausages -- delicious sausages made from humanely raised and slaughtered beef, pork or lamb, all guaranteed free of antibiotics and hormones
• Applegate Farms uncured, organic, grass-fed beef dogs -- they also do frozen organic turkey burgers and grass-fed beef burgers
• Free-range Chicken -- look for the words: organic, sustainable and hormone-free. I'm loving my favorite local chicken brand, Petaluma Poultry, for moving to styrofoam-free packaging!

• Vegan Hot Dogs -- options include soy and veggie dogs, some of which are organic and tastier than you'd suspect
• Veggie Burgers -- Amy's makes several flavors of veggie burgers, all suitable for grillin'.
• Chik'n Patties -- the folks at Boca offer a range of good-for-you, soy-based "chicken" in several delicious flavors.

• Bambu Veneerware -- single use plates and utensils that are sturdy enough for a "nice" outdoor party, made from a renewable resource
• The new Bare by Solo line -- includes renewable, compostable and recyclable plate options
• Compostable beer cups from Eco Products.

Green Your 4th of July Celebration originally appeared on Green Daily on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:02:00 EST 0. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Emily Deschanel is Green to the Bone We may know her as Dr. Temperance Brennan on Fox's "Bones," but those who know her best, know her as an environmentalist, animal activist, and green fashionista. Like most of us, she wants solar panels on her roof and a Tesla in the garage. Check out the interview.

Moving Tips: What's the Greenest Way to Pack? Packing up all of your belongings -- only to load them onto a truck for a couple hours and then unload them -- sucks, to say the least. Still, what's the greenest way to move your junk: boxes, plastic containers ... rented plastic crates? Check out Grist's eco-moving tips.

The Energy Bar Taste Test An energy bar (or two) can replace a meal when you're out on the trail, but some of them are severely lacking in the flavor department. The taste of some bars has been compared with "bear scat" and "kitty litter." Compare the Sierra Club's ratings with your personal faves.

Would You Wear Solar Clothing? As we've seen with the solar tie, solar bra, and now the ugly solar (fishing?) vest, clothing that features PV panels can catch a few geeky headlines and charge a few cellphones, but overall they seem way too geeky for mass adoption. I'm still confused by the solar bra.

LaGuardia Birds Attack Again! Even after NYC's controversial move to gas thousands of the Canadian geese around LaGuardia, birds are still terrorizing passenger jets! Maybe they're taking revenge for their fallen comrades, maybe they're protesting high carbon travel. We don't know their demands yet.

• Trader Joe's may not be the best place to pick up your seafood.
• Would you trade in your wheels for an electric shopping cart?
• Germany leads G8 on climate change performance, US is second to last.

Eco-Beat, 7/1 originally appeared on Green Daily on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST 0. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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(Photo by Nature\'s Inventory)

• Leave your pet at home -- no pet wants to see fireworks up close
  
• Make sure all pets have a collar and ID tag (that's smart all the time)
• Ask your vet for advice on keeping your pet calm -- music, low lights, a comfortable bed, could all make a difference.
  

Help Your Pet Enjoy the 4th Despite Loud, Scary Fireworks originally appeared on Green Daily on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:02:00 EST 0. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Use Endangered Animals As Crash Test Dummies? The latest ads for Fiat's gas-sipping hatchback features pandas, walruses, and penguins testing the vehicle's crash worthiness. The message: the 500 is safe and has a low environmental "impact." Don't freak animal lovers, I'm pretty sure it was Photoshopped.

My Morning Jacket Donates to Animal Sanctuary Jim James, front man of My Morning Jacket, is releasing a George Harrison tribute album and all the proceeds will go to the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary. The timing seems a little unfortunate though. Most of my money's tied up in Michael Jackson tribute memorabilia.

These Polluted Cities Up Your Cancer Risk Is the city you live in increasing your risk of developing cancer? According to the EPA, about 600 neighborhoods in the US have a cancer risk that exceeds 100 in one million. That means 100 people that live there over a lifetime will develop cancer from pollution alone.

Oh Crap, it's the Dog Flu! Could your dog be incubating a deadly superbug in order kill you and take your spot on the couch? According to experts, the H3N8 canine flu has infected some 10,000-30,000 dogs in the US, but has yet to infect a human. Paranoid? There is a vaccine available for dogs.

Is Boxed Wine Really Greener? If you're going to endure the disrespect from you wine snob friends, you might as well make sure that your boxed wine has a lower eco-footprint than their beloved bottles (so you can be an eco-snob and judge them too). Pablo from Treehugger says feel righteous box drinkers.

• Novato wine fest rocks out to a solar powered sound system.
• Great Lakes gray wolves are temporarily back on the endangered list.
• Air pollution from some major roadways extends out about one and a half miles.

Eco-Beat, 6/30 originally appeared on Green Daily on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:00:00 EST 0. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PETA Says Thanks to Sprint and a Big Naked 'No' to Bullfighting originally appeared on Green Daily on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:01:00 EST 0. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Michael Jackson's Green Chart Topper Did you know that MJ's #1 best-selling hit in the UK -- topping both "Thriller" and "Beat It" -- was an eco-jam about environmental degradation entitled "Earth Song?" OK, it's no "PYT" or anything, but still it was huge overseas. Watch the video.

Maximize Your Garden Space Looking for a way to grow a respectable garden, but you've only got a balcony or studio apartment to work with? Go vertical. With the right plant selection and shelving, it is possible. Indoors or out, vertical gardens help filter your air and they look awesome!

Green Tips for Moving Cross Country Is it better to rent a gas-hogging moving truck, or buy a plane ticket and just sell all of your furniture and replace it all with used/vintage gems when you get there? There may be options you haven't thought about, like Amtrak or moving pods, or, my favorite: hire a pedicab.

Madonna: Urban Chicken Revolutionary? Rumor has it that Madonna misses her British country estate so much, that she wants to bring some chickens along to her new pad on the Upper East Side. Ya know, to make it feel more like home. Is Madge a local food enthusiast? Or are these simply pets?

Stella McCartney on Meat-Free Mondays Don't worry. Stella reassures us that giving up meat for one day a week "doesn't make you a cranky, hemp wearing pot smoker ... If everyone gave it up on a Monday it would be more effective than everyone stopping driving their car on a Monday."

• Valero has built 33 wind turbines to power a Texas oil refinery.
  
• The climate change bill passed narrowly in the House on Friday.
• This piece of legislation will save Americans an average of $13.93 on gas per month by 2020, supposedly ... one gigantic "supposedly."

Eco-Beat, 6/29 originally appeared on Green Daily on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:00:00 EST 0. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Importance of Pollination - It's Not Just Bee Sex originally appeared on Green Daily on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:05:00 EST 0. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Michael Jackson's Orphaned Tigers Shocking the world of pop culture to its very foundations, Michael Jackson died yesterday at age 50. His tigers -- Thriller and Sabu -- have gone with Tippi Hedren to join the pride at The Roar Foundation's Shambala Preserve, north of LA.

Ray Romano and Queen Latifah are Green Tipsters Ray Romano and Queen Latifah took time out of promoting their flick "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs 3D" to give MNN some of the cheesiest celebrity green tips I've ever heard. Sell your recyclables? Buy a giant thermos? Seriously? Check out the video.

The Search for a Greener Cold One The craft beer movement has exploded recently. That's awesome because, by definition, craft breweries market locally, support local agriculture, and many have embraced a sustainable business model. So, drink up guilt-free (then sell the bottles, right Queen Latifah?).

Sears Tower Gets Eco Makeover Wind turbines, solar panels, LEED certification. .. the Sears Tower is pulling out all the stops in an effort to make it the tallest and greenest building in the Western Hemisphere. The renovations will save the energy equivalent of 150,000 barrels of oil per year.

City Commuters Emit 70% Less than Suburanites I know this might come as a shock, but driving an SUV five miles every time you need a carton of milk produces more emissions than walking two blocks. Still, 70% fewer emissions is a pretty enormous gap. Moving to the city is one of the easiest way to shrink your footprint.

• Oh crap, endangered animals are getting cancer too!
• Germany is protecting its ice sheets with giant solar tarps.
• The Sea Shepherds just bought the incredible Earthrace boat. What will they ram with it first?

Eco-Beat, 6/26 originally appeared on Green Daily on Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:00:00 EST 0. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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(Photo by Target)

No Leather, No Vinyl - Are Organic Cotton Bags the Only Green Option? originally appeared on Green Daily on Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:07:00 EST 0. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If You're Not Green, Celebs Won't Date You Eco-friendly habits are the new personal hygiene. OK, so maybe hygiene is still pretty high on some people's lists, but TV personalities like Spencer Grammer (Kelsey's daughter) won't even date you if you're not water conscious. Just FYI.

Traveling Nudists Pack Light Worried about your carbon-intensive vacation plans? To offset some of your impact, some nudists naturists would say 'leave the clothes behind.' Apparently, there's a whole culture of green naturists that preach the virtues of skipping laundromats and detergent altogether.

Composting: It's the Law SF Mayor Gavin Newsom signed the nation's first mandatory composting law yesterday. The city has set a goal to divert 75% of its landfill waste, and they're currently at 72%. I'm forecasting some stinky green compost bins baking in the heat this summer.

Should I DEET or Get Eaten? When it comes to mosquito repellents, DEET is pretty much hands-down the most effective chemical -- but there are some pretty serious concerns about its safety. DEET can cause fatigue, memory loss, etc., but of course malaria sucks too. There's got to be a happy medium.

Reducing Your Dishwashing Footprint Has anybody tried these Seventh Generation dishwasher pacs? From what I can tell, just pop these tablets in your dishwasher's soap compartment and whammy -- clean dishes. The box is recyclable, the only waste is the baggies where the tablets live.

• A waterless toilet built from poo -- that also creates energy.
• A third of all sharks are facing extinction due to overfishing.
• Al Gore is headed to Capitol Hill to champion the contentious climate bill.

Eco-Beat, 6/25 originally appeared on Green Daily on Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:00:00 EST 0. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Al Gore Asked Me to Help Repower America originally appeared on Green Daily on Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:10:00 EST 0. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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(Photo by NatalieMaynor/Flickr)

What's at Your Farmers' Market? originally appeared on Green Daily on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:02:00 EST 0. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Daryl Hannah Gets Locked Up Eco-warrior Daryl Hannah can't seem to steer clear of Johnny Law. She and about 30 other protesters got loaded into the paddy wagon after blocking West Virginia's State Route 3, which leads to a Massey coal plant. Rock on! Daryl's a repeat offender!

The White House has a Compost Bin Actually, make that three compost bins. After importing her compost from celebrity chef Dan Barber for this year's ridiculously successful planting season, the First Lady is taking her organic gardening up a notch with on-site kitchen waste composters.

Minneapolis Pays Big Bucks to Promote Tap Water In most US cities the tap water is not only safe, but it's just as pure as many bottled waters. The trick is getting a bottle-addicted populous to give it a chance. Minneapolis recently launched a controversial $180K campaign to encourage people to tap into city water.

Is it Ever Green to Eat Factory Farmed Meat? If you're at a dinner party and you notice that someone's going to throw out some perfectly good, factory farmed meat, is it greener to take it home and make meatloaf despite your anti-factory farm principles? Check out Grist's answer to this philosophical dilemma.

The Country by Country Water Footprint Breakdown I don't know why, but I just love maps, no matter what they're attempting to document. It could be radioactive monster sightings, I don't care. This one happens to be the various water footprints of the world -- an issue that's gaining more awareness these days.

• Could massive geothermal power projects trigger earthquakes in SF?
• Apparently, America really likes the new Prius commercials.
• Cash for Clunkers scams are already popping up, and the bill hasn't even been signed yet.
  

Eco-Beat, 6/24 originally appeared on Green Daily on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:00:00 EST 0. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PETA's Latest "Sexiest Vegetarians" originally appeared on Green Daily on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:09:00 EST 0. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fatboy Slim Has the Climate Change Blues Blue is the new green for Oxfam protesters at Copenhagen's climate conference. To help roll out the new "Demand action until you're blue in the face" campaign, Fat Boy Slim and others are showing how easy it is to get the new paintjob on video.

Reduce Your Office's Footprint Energy Star and Danny Seo have developed a website to show you how to slash your office's energy bill and even create a "Green Team" of coworkers (not modeled after Will Ferrell's trash-talking Green Team). A penny saved is a penny earned, and that's job security, people.

But I like Coffee and Bananas! If you tend to obsess over your carbon foodprint, you've probably come across a startling revelation: most of our favorite food vices come from the tropics! Though there's no silver bullet, Grist has come up with some ways to help combat those food miles.

More Mowing, Mo' Watering Of all the suburban lawn farmers I've met, virtually none of them enjoy mowing the grass in the summer heat. Good news! Letting your grass grow a little longer will actually save you some water. Longer grass = more shade = recipe for laziness.

Coke's Trashy Art Installation In support of UK Recycle Week, Coca Cola commissioned a sculpture that sorta kinda blurs the line between art and trash. Artists built a Coke can sculpture that delivers a pro-recycling message to birds and UFOs flying over the English coastline, but looks trashy from the ground.

• NYC taxi drivers won't get penalized for refusing to buy hybrids.
• Speaking of NYC, Moby's vegan restaurant burned down.
  
• Climate legislation working its way through Congress would cost about $175 per household.

Eco-Beat, 6/23 originally appeared on Green Daily on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:00:00 EST 0. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• Walking or biking instead of using the car: 47%
• Spending more money for organic food: 21%
• Using recycled toilet paper: 14%
• Taking shorter showers: 11%
• Giving up bottled water: 7%

Sometimes It's Hard Being Green originally appeared on Green Daily on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:09:00 EST 0. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Andy Dick as Evil Ronald McDonald There are few things in this world more disturbing than seeing Andy Dick dressed up as Ronald McDonald and wielding a meat cleaver ... but that's the horrendous sight that greeted passersby during a PETA protest in Chicago. Check out the video.

Is Sparkling Water as Bad as Bottled? The general rule of thumb here is this: if it comes to you in a disposable container and rides on a truck, it's not eco-friendly. That said, slamming sparkling waters all day in place of Coke or Red Bull has to yield some kind of green benefit due to the health factor.

Succulent Tips for the Xeriscaper These hardy little plants have developed quite a following over the last few years, mostly because they look awesome, but also because, in terms of maintenance, they're second only to fake plastic flowers. Still, do you know how to ignore these plants properly?

The Dot-Eco Revolution Could GreenDaily one day drop the ".com" in favor of a spiffy new ".eco" domain name? A growing number of eco-geeks (including the inventor of the internet, Al Gore) are backing the idea of giving environmentally-oriented sites their own top-level domain.

All Natural Beer Soap Want to smell like you've bathed in a pool of your favorite beer without exceeding the legal limit? The Beer Soap Co. not only makes cleansing suds enhanced with your favorite premium beer, but you can even wash your hair with it. It's the bar of soaps (sorry for the pun).

• Recycled tire materials could be the next big thing in heavy construction.
• They could also be poisoning our playgrounds.
• Why are all the Joshua trees disappearing?

Eco-Beat, 6/22 originally appeared on Green Daily on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:00:00 EST 0. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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