Green Daily

Aside from adding a bunch of those sweet fake bullet hole decals, what could possibly make the Hollywood sign more iconic? Are tree-huggers ready to laugh at themselves? Are you comfortable paying $50K for a glorified golf cart? Today's Eco-Beat has got the scoop on all the latest green news and tips.

Hollywood Sign May Get Solarized The movement to add grid-connected solar panels to the iconic Hollywood sign is growing. Sure, the revolution has been met with some resistance, but now it's got a Facebook page, so it's totally official.

Mike Judge Takes Aim at Tree-Huggers We know that Mike Judge can create a hilarious caricature of conservative, suburban family life. Now, he's launching a new series that will make us laugh, cry, but mostly laugh about an eco-conscious suburban family just trying to make a difference: The Goode Family.

The Official Results are In According to Disney, 2.7 million trees will be planted as a result of Earth's opening weekend ticket sales. 2.7 million tickets = 2.7 million trees planted by the Nature Conservancy in Brazil's Atlantic Forest!

Congressman Backs Cap-and-Dividend Bill When it comes to cap-and-trade, Rep. Chris Van Hollen has a solution that all the fence sitters can understand: a bribe. He wants to divvy up the proceeds and send Americans a monthly check. Before I take a stand, how much might that check be?

Tesla's Model S Gets First Test Drive The Model S has officially been test driven by someone who doesn't get a Tesla paycheck. I'd say the review wasn't exactly glowing. The writer described the Model S as "more like a glorified golf cart than a harbinger of tomorrow tech." Ouch.

Green in a Flash:

• Want an easy way to recycle your households CFLs?
• Fed-Ex Paris is adding pedal powered trikes to its fleet.
• Chrysler's filing for bankruptcy may bring about a greener fleet.

We have national parks all across the land, but until now our oceans have been left to fend for themselves, even though they cover the majority of the globe. In fact, they cover 71% of Earth, which is uncoincidentally also the title of this video by Ari Marcopoulos, "Greenlight Journalist."

Ari's film stars several well known big wave surfers, including Grant "Twiggy" Baker, Brian Conley, Greg Long, Rusty Long, Frank Solomon and Anthony Tashnick. Presented by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), these surfers share their first hand experience with the ocean, and lend their voices to a call for the creation of marine protected areas (MPAs), which would function the way national parks do on land.

It seems like a no-brainer. Oceans are filling up with trash, to the point that even Oprah is doing shows about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Once common species of fish are becoming extinct, and you have to double and triple check the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch list on your iPhone before you order sushi or even fish and chips. In Northern California and Oregon, salmon season was cancelled this year.

Obviously, something needs to change.

What celebrity has nightmares about going to poultry hell? Why is Prince Charles getting flack for his latest environmental awareness campaign? Are you sweating the swine flu outbreak? Today's Eco-Beat has all of the latest green news and tips.

Does Wolverine Have a Heart for Chickens? Hugh Jackman fears going to chicken hell for eating so much poultry. That's why he got a long-winded but well-meaning open letter about US chicken abuse. How will Hugh respond to that?

The Swine Flu and You What can you do to avoid the dreaded flu? It seems a bit ridiculous in our high-tech world, but the top three safety measures are: Wash you hands frequently, expand your bubble of personal space, and sneeze on your sleeve.

Can Hip-Hop Save the Planet? Russel Simmons has been a major influence in music biz and the fashion industry. Now he wants to use his powers to launch a green hip-hop revolution. Question: can hip-hop be hip-hop without bling, pimped out rides, and general overconsumption?

Prince Charles Crusades for the Planet on Private Jet Lately, Prince Charles has become like a more royal, less Nobel Peace Prize-winning Al Gore. Unfortunately, his many eco-quests have an enormous -- and kinda hypocritical -- carbon footprint. Hasn't he ever heard of video conferencing?

Behold the Poop Lamp It's not a new bathroom fixture, it's actually a floor lamp on display at Milan's Salone Internazionale del Mobile. And, yes, it's sculpted out of cow dung, sand and clay. I'm not immediately sure what type of "cycling" this represents: recycling? upcycling?

Green in a Flash:

• The 50 largest purchasers of renewable energy have been revealed.
• Red Pandas are the only non-primates to like artificial sweeteners.
  
• California's Air Resources Board has passed groundbreaking low carbon fuel standard.

What pop star/fashion designer is taking up the sport of mountain climbing? Why is a family going public with their power struggle? Is there such a thing as Vegan BBQ? Today's Eco-Beat has got the scoop on all of the latest awesome green news and tips.

JT is a Mountain Climber for Clean Water Justin Timberlake is hardcore! He's agreed to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro with Lupe Fiasco and singer Kenna to raise money for clean water charities. Are these guys up to the task? Will they yodel? We'll just have to wait and see.

Maine Family Tweets Their Energy Consumption Using a cool kW measuring gadget, an energy-conscious family in Maine has decided to go public with their home's energy usage ... for the betterment of mankind. Awesome!

Pamela Wants Her Own Bikini Vegan BBQ Show After last week's very un-vegetarian public appearance at a steakhouse, it appears that Pam wants to atone by showing off her bod as she teaches us the ins and outs of Vegan BBQ (an oxymoron?).

Air Pollution is Good for Plants? Uh huh... Apparently, the "global dimming" caused by clouds of pollution has actually increased plant production 25% since the 1960s. There's got to be a practical urban gardening tip in there somewhere.

Wal-Mart Shopping Now More Guilt-Free It's no secret that Wal-Mart is kicking butt in this recession. So, it's pretty convenient that they also happen to be writing the book on how to green the mega-retail industry. Yesterday they announced that they will double their solar initiative in California.

Green in a Flash:

• Study finds that the entire state of Texas could be solar-powered.
• Eat more blueberries. It's cheaper than diabetes or heart disease.
• Going to San Francisco? Be sure to book your stay at the Orchard Hotel -- the 4th hotel in the world to get LEED-EB certified.

Why did Morrissey throw a fit at Coachella? Is gaining weight good for the environment? Guess which tiny religious city-state is harvesting power from above? Today's Eco-Beat has got the scoop on all the latest awesome green news and tips.

Erykah Badu, Adrien Grenier Design for Kiehl's In time for Earth Day, Kiehls has released its fairly traded, organic body lotion in a limited edition 100% recycled bottle designed by Adrian Grenier, Erykah Badu, Kelly Slater, and students from Parson's New School of Design.

The Skinny on Obesity and the Environment Thinking about packing on a few pounds just for kicks? Not so fast, obese adults eat more and are less likely to walk rather than drive.

Morrissey Pulls a Britney Spears You heard about Britney walking off stage in Vancouver because she smelled pot smoke in the crowd? Well, Morrissey apparently had the same reaction at last weekend's Coachella festival -- to the smell of meat.

Vatican Constructing Europe's Largest Solar Farm I've always been jealous of the fact that the Pope has his own country and a car named after him (the Popemobile). Soon, he's also going to have Europe's biggest solar power plant too. Sheesh.

California Mandates More Efficient Flat Panel TVs Buying a new flat panel TV for the digital switch? California has proposed standards to make flat panels 50% more efficient by 2013 -- that's hardcore. Until then, look for the Energy Star logo.

Green in a Flash:

• Surprise! The EPA has declared that greenhouse gases are a threat to human health.
• This week is International TV Turnoff Week.
• Bikers: Ride on the road and risk getting run over, or ride on sidewalks and risk slamming into a pregnant celebrity?

If you wanna learn more about shrinking your lawn's footprint, a bike that pedals for you, or why Robert Redford is laying the smack down on a new eco-suburb, today's Eco-Beat has got the scoop on all sorts of awesome green news and tips.

California Homes Could be Energy Independent by 2020 It's a crazy long shot, but California lawmakers want all homes built after 2020 to be energy self-sufficient. While that would be amazing, it would pretty much require that your entire roof be covered with solar panels.

Robert Redford Campaigns Against Eco-Village You read that right, Robert Redford has joined a campaign to shut down a 380 home eco-development in Napa Valley. If you're like him, you're wondering: what could be 'eco' about a new 380 home development in Napa?

Spring is Here, Time to Cut Your Lawn's Emissions Emissions-free push mowers are getting way easier to deal with. The latest models weigh less than 20 lbs. and the blades never need to be sharpened. They'll still give you a good (408 calories/hr) workout, though.

The Moped Goes Electric It's greener than driving and a lot more fun. This little motorbike does 20mph for 20 miles, then it is on you to provide the pedal power.

Is Bo a Rescue Dog At All? The overwhelming consensus seems to be: not really. Some say there's a "gray area," but it seems pretty clear that Bo was not a true shelter puppy. Hence, the Obamas settled for making a donation to the HSUS.

Green in a Flash:

• Good news! US power plants will burn 2.6% less coal this year.
  
• Two major sports arenas have received LEED certification this week.
• Are recent pirate attacks linked to over-fishing?

Proud San Francisco Zoo giraffe parents, Kristin and Floyd, are pleased to announce the birth of a new giraffe calf!

The baby giraffe was born this week, and is the second calf born to the herd this year. In January, Bititi received a bundle of leggy joy named Camilla.

The zoo vets are keeping an eye on this new calf, who seems to be healthy. They don't know if it's a boy or a girl -- they haven't done a physical exam yet, and apparently these things aren't super-obvious, even to the trained eye.

Here's another little pearl of wisdom you might not know -- the gestation period for a giraffe is 14 to 15 months! Also, giraffes give birth standing up, and baby giraffes are up to six feet tall when born.

Admit it -- right this minute you're glad you're not a pregnant giraffe.

The San Francisco Zoo is seeing a bit of a baby boom lately. In addition to the two giraffe calves, there's also the irresistible baby gorilla Hasani and a baby howler monkey. They're celebrating with a four month long Baby Bonanza in May, June, July and August, inviting visitors to bring their babies to see the babies at the Zoo.

A word of advice if you decide to come visit San Francisco and see the Baby Bonanza at the Zoo this summer: please remember to pack a winter jacket! Those jokes about cold summers and fog? All too true!

CARB, or the California Air Resources Board to the layperson, has been on somewhat of a regulation rampage so far this month. A couple of weeks ago, CARB started batting aroudn the idea of banning of all dark colored paint jobs in order to lighten the load on your car's A/C, and therefore improve air quality (supossedly).

After scrapping that horribly misguided proposal, they went ahead and adopted a measure to require that all of California's auto maintainence businesses to ensure that your tire pressure is at factory reccomended levels. This, according to CARB would save the average Californian $12 per year on gas which will probably be offset by rising mechanic prices. As weird and draconian as regulating tire pressure may sound, at least it would almost certainly result in greater fuel economy across the board. That can't be said for the nonsense about outlawing cars with black paintjobs.

California's tire industry argues that the regulation -- which requires pressure readings and times listed on all invoices -- will be burdensome and expose mechanic shops to new forms of litigation from trial lawyers.

[via AutoblogGreen]

As CFLs continue on the path towards mass adoption (or bridging the gap until LED bulbs become more affordable) prices are going down, bulbs are being mass-produced, and consumer groups are complaining that the quality standards are deteriorating rapidly. Has the aggressive push to make CFLs more affordable hurt quality and therefore damaged some of the CFL's hard-earned reputation?

Even before its launch, one of the best things Tesla PR department had going for it was a general outpouring of celebrity support. Heck, there was even a rumor that a few of Hollywood's elite male actors would stage an impromptu Tesla parade at this year's Oscars.

But with that kind of high profile attention, there comes a slight risk -- and rumor would have you believe that at least one superstar isn't so happy with his electric Roadster. According to a piece in Gawker, a certain governator of the great state of California, has been trying to get his money back for months.

What's Tesla's return policy? I can assure you that I don't have any idea. Considering the weak status of the auto industry, coupled with news that Tesla specifically is having a tough time keeping their head above water, I really doubt that they're excited about giving Schwarzenegger his $100K back. What's the governor's problem? According to a tipster, Arnold has a tough time getting in and out of the tiny Lotus body, "he's more of a Hummer guy."

[via Ecorazzi]

Sure, homeowner's associations can be a good vehicle for enforcing neatness and keeping property values up -- in theory anyway. You won't find me paying a group of amateur lawn police a monthly fee to tell me what color solar panels I can put up on my own house. No thanks.

That's what happened to three homeowners in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA, when the HOA's illustrious Art Jury (no joke) denied their plans to put up photovoltaic solar panels based on their appearance. The US-made panels cost 30% less than the dark black panels preferred by the HOA, but they have a dreadful blue tint. Oh no! How will they possible match the neighborhood's uniform appearance?

Fighting back against the HOA, residents went to City Hall, to see if any of its occupants had a lick of common sense. Surprisingly enough, they did. Citing California's 1978 Solar Rights Act, the City of Palos Verdes declared a city override of the Art Jury's ruling. Oddly enough, it was the same Solar Rights Act that allowed one neighbor to force another to chop down his 10 year old redwoods because they were blocking his rays.

[via Treehugger]

On Tuesday, California's PG&E announced that they would be undertaking a 5yr program to add a whopping 500MW of solar generation to the company's renewables portfolio -- enough to power 150,000 homes. After a 10 year dry spell in which PG&E made zero direct investments in renewable energy, it looks like they're now going to be a front-runner in California's push to produce 33% of its power from renewable sources by 2020.

Where will these panels go? On dozens of rooftops across the Central and Northern part of the state. Instead of building one giant farm, PG&E has come up with a plan to build on substations and other company held properties to cut down on the cost of transmission lines. Kinda innovative. One of the motives pressing PG&E to take a direct approach to building renewable energy, rather than purchasing power from third parties, is the 30% tax credit for renewable energy investors which was passed as part of the recent stimulus bill.

[via CleanTechnica]

In the current sucky economic climate, politicians seem to be willing to review all sorts of policies meant to stamp out sinful behavior in order to take credit for "creating jobs." For example, politicians in Texas are angling to legalize casino gambling to boost employment and tax revenue. But casino magnates aren't the only ones making their pitch to the American public, marijuana advocates are seizing on the downturn to push their agenda forward.

With a new administration in the Whitehouse, it appears that medical marijuana/hemp activists might have their best shot and ending, or at least chipping away at the 72 year-long marijuana prohibition. Just yesterday, US Attorney General Eric Holder indicated that the feds will allow states to make their own rules on medical marijuana. Movements all over the place, most notably California, are advertising the employment and tax benefits of growing weed.

If the pot people can make their respective successfully, it could open doors to cultivating hemp to produce: paper, insullation, biofuel, and of course medicinal cigarettes. Although it contains nealy no THC, hemp production is currently illegal because it was lumped in with marijuana in 1937.

After driving around in the Jetta TDI last September, I knew it was going to make a splash in the US diesel car market -- which is small, yet significant. Well apparently, it's doing a little better than that. Right smack in the middle of this doom and gloom recession, Jetta TDIs are flying off the car lots all over the Western US. According to reports, demand for the Green Car of the Year is so strong in certain markets, that it's causing all sorts of distribution bottlenecks across the country.

It's easy to see why penny pinchers and environmentalists are enthusiastic about the vehicle -- it gets 30city/41hwy or 38city/44hwy depending on who's word you take and its got a very air-friendly particulate filter -- and I guess all of the gleaming reviews didn't go unnoticed. Surprisingly, the demand is spotty in some markets on the east coast, while its ridiculously jammed-up in places like California. According to one VW employee, "In Washington, D.C., there's no wait list... I could probably go there to buy one, but what am I going to do, drive it all the way back to California?"

[via AutoBlogGreen]

As places like California endure their worst drought conditions since 1977, now would be an excellent time for science to step in and tap into a new source of drinking water. Thankfully, Yale researchers Rob McGinnis and Dr. Menachem Elimelech have built a low energy desalination system that might finally make drinking the ocean a feasible alternative. Oasys, the scientists' Connecticut-based startup, claims to be able to convert seawater into drinking water for half the price.

How exactly do they achieve that? That's a trade secret, of course, but appears to have something to do with using a low heat method for sucking salt and contaminants out of water. The company's proprietary "Engineered Osmosis" process reportedly consumes only 10% of the electricity and fuel used by a conventional desalination plant. Water production is already the largest drain on California's energy grid. Oasys recently ended a fundraising campaign that brought in $10 million, so I guess their idea sounded as good to venture capitalists as it does to drought-ridden Californians and Central Texans.