Green Daily

Why is Brad Pitt flippin' his lids? Is there ever a justification for paying $300 for a fan? Is Michelle Obama launching a super secret sneak attack on Big Food? Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all the latest green news and tips.

Brad Pitt Launches Cap and Donate Over the last year or so, Brad has become the hat industry's greatest non-bald ally (aside from Aretha). His collection of head gear has grown so large that he's decide to narrow it down a bit, sending a few of his old favorites to various charities to auction off.

Eat Like Michael Pollan Food expert Michael Pollan has put together a list of rules to live (and eat) by for the NY Times. One of them is: "Don't eat egg salad from a vending machine." What about egg salad from one of these vending machines, Michael?

Dyson's Blade-less Air Multiplier You may have seen Dyson's awesomely futuristic, technologically-advanced ... cooling fan. While it's hard to argue that a bladeless fan will stem climate change, it will certainly blow some minds (mine included). It could also save a ton of electricity.

Michelle Obama Poised to Take on "Big Food?" First, it was a harmless little veggie garden. Then, an thinly-veiled attempt to brainwash American children with gardening knowledge on Sesame Street. Now, there are whispers that the First Lady is holding "secret meetings" with her team and the USDA.

Designer Green Cookware on the Cheap Looking for some stylish, Le Creuset-style cookware for the new home but don't want to miss a mortgage payment for it? GreenCookingPots is offering up some fabulous Teflon-free, enamel-coated, cast iron sets that will inspire jealousy but won't break the bank.

Green in a Flash:

• Is the LEED council about going to dump FSC certified lumber?
• Decommissioned coal gasometers make awesome apartments.
• Required reading for school administrators: Making ice at night saves lots o' money and electricity!

Is Michelle Obama engaged in a hideous plot to teach children that veggies don't grow at the supermarket? Need some recession-friendly fall decorating ideas, courtesy of mother nature? Will you take your EV for a cruise on the electric highway? Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all the latest green news and tips.

Michelle Obama Live On Sesame Street Did you miss the First Lady's appearance on Sesame Street? Yeah, so did everybody else who's lucky enough to be gainfully employed these days. Thankfully, you can watch Michelle's enlightening gardening tips (aka commie food witchcraft) at your leisure on the interweb.

Fall Decorations You Can Literally Scoop Up for Free These days, decorating your abode with flowers you picked out of the field next across the street isn't cheap -- it's sustainable. CasaSugar has a ton of ideas to help you steal designs (don't worry they're public domain) from mother nature and enhance your home's aesthetic.

China Masters the Art of Cloud Seeding Using what they learned during the Beijing Olympic Games, Chinese officials sprayed a cocktail of miraculous chemicals into the sky to ensure that their parade -- celebrating 60 years of communist rule -- didn't get rained-out on Thursday.

California's Highway 101 Goes Electric For the next few weeks, those lucky enough (and wealthy enough) to drive a Tesla Roadster will get to charge up for free at stations between LA and San Francisco. Eventually, Solarcity will equip the stations with universal chargers for all e-cars to "fill up" for a fee.

Wyclef Jean Launches "Earthkeeping" Campaign Timberland has hooked up with Wyclef to launch one of those campaigns that blend music, commercialism and environmental activism. As part of the campaign, Wyclef will host a series of urban greening events, then head to Haiti to build a tree nursery with his nonprofit Yéle.

Green in a Flash:

• Iowa State researchers can boost wind turbine production by 35%.
• Droughts in the Southeast were caused by population growth.
• Banish bum wipes from your bathroom with a toilet top add-on called The Blue Bidet.

Who is Sting's latest message in a bottle addressed to? Can the First Lady bring sustainable gardening to Sesame Street? Why the heck are school kids forbidden to ride bikes to school? Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all the latest green news and tips.

Sting Helps Trees Send Out an SOS The latest celebrity to join forces with Prince Charles' Rainforests Project, Sting is lending one of his most famous tunes to the cause. He hopes that leaders at the climate talks in Copenhagen get his message in a bottle. Watch Sting's latest "Message in a Bottle" video.

Michelle Obama Brings Green Thumb to Sesame St. Want some elementary gardening tips mixed with some awesome muppetry action? The First Lady will share some of the lessons she learned in the White House veggie garden with the furry denizens of Sesame Street and you, of course.

Salad Engineering 101 Grab some of the tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce that Michelle Obama taught you to grow on Sesame Street and get to work on a leafy masterpiece that eats like a complete meal. FitSugar has some tips to turn your low-carbon appetizer into a superfood.

Refuting the Car Idling Myths Should I warm the car up for a few minutes in winter? Are frequent starts rough on my starter? Is idling more fuel efficient than turning the engine on and back off? Or are we needlessly idling our way to a hotter dirty planet? The short answer to the last question is: Yes.

School District Bans Biking/Walking to School In the middle of a child obesity epidemic, schools in Saratoga Springs, NY, have actually banned students from biking or walking to school. Why would a school district enact such a ridiculous policy? Thankfully, at least one family is standing up to the ban.

Green in a Flash:

• Is Dell's new wireless charging system an energy sinkhole?
• Check out these awesome shipping container offices!
• Will the climate bill end up like a promiscuous teenager in a slasher film?

Do First Ladies get a discount at the White House Farmers Market? Are you going to the inaugural NYC Climate Week? Why are people always doing dramatic stuff to the electric car? Give it a little time to recover, sheesh. Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all the latest green news and tips.

White House Farmers Market: Day One The farmers market on Vermont Ave. (right across from the White House) opened its gates yesterday and the first customer was, quite appropriately, was the First Lady Michelle Obama. Despite rainy and cool conditions, the market was packed for the grand opening.

Hugh Jackman Gives a Boost to NYC Climate Week Monday marks the launch of NYC Climate Week, and to make sure the event is well-attended (by throngs of swooning women), organizers have booked People Magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" -- who just also happens to be an eco-warrior.

Do You Strive to Green Your Gadget Print? Last week marked the launch of a newer, more eco-friendly iPod Nano. Last month it was Samsung's Reclaim. Are you rushing out to upgrade to a handier, energy-efficient model? Or are you trying to squeeze all the life out of your old gadgets?

Uh, Oh: Someone Stole the Electric Car Yup, the legacy of "Who Killed the Electric Car" is so gargantuan that it's inspired its own satiric B-movie. "Who Stole the Electric Car" isn't a documentary, or a mockumentary, it's a straight up comedy about a dude who steals an electric car to impress his hippie girlfriend.

BBC Global Warming Skeptic Gets Steamy Surprise Oh crap! The host of BBC Two's "Top Gear" was greeted by a steamy pile of horse manure when he arrived home yesterday. It was left there by environmental activists, protesting his jaded attitude towards climate change. How persuasive! That oughta change his mind ...

Green in a Flash:

• SF is considering a soda tax. But what about organic soda?
  
• Check out this house made from reused shipping containers.
• Critics say the First Lady's visit to the farmers market left a huge carbon footprint.

Did you know that Alec Baldwin was an green tennis guru? Want an inside look at the Obama veggie garden? Who's behind this insidious Captain Planet movie hoax, because a lot of disappoint fans want to rip them a new one? Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all the latest green news and tips.

The US Open Goes Green Thanks to stars like Billie Jean King, Venus Williams and even Alec Baldwin, the US Open has launched a wholesale effort to make the tournament more eco-friendly with recycling and t-shirts that read "Save Our Planet - It's the Only One with Tennis." So true.

Inside the White House Veggie Garden First Lady Michelle Obama has given the masses an opportunity to take a behind the scenes look at the famous White House organic veggie garden. Check out the video where Michelle discusses her philosophy on gardening and revolutionizing America's eating habits.

Captain Planet Movie Rumors Won't Die Ever since a prankster posted a rumor that a live action Captain Planet movie was in production on Wikipedia, the rumor refuses to pass on into oblivion. At this year's Comic Con, the CP fans were once again whipped into a frenzy by a well-crafted, fake movie poster.

Is Bubble Wrap Recyclable? For most people, the only known way to reuse bubble wrap is to simply enjoy the pleasure of popping each individual bubble and then toss it. Though it's not universally welcomed at recycling centers, there are plenty of people who may want to take it off your hands.

Want to Check Out "No Impact Man" for Free? No Impact Man hits theaters a week from Friday and the eco-flick's promoters are offering free tickets for pro-active Twitter addicts. Check out the "No Impact Man" trailer and details on how to win free tix.

Green in a Flash:

• Is climate change stoking California's wildfires?
• McDonald's is going to install electric car charging stations.
• On the first day of Japan's dolphin slaughtering season, the notorious cove is empty.

(Photo by Richard Termine)

As Josh mentioned earlier this week, First Lady Michelle Obama has finally made the big time: she did a PSA for Sesame Street! She and Elmo star in the spot, which promotes the benefits of a healthy diet and exercise.

We know that Michelle is big into gardening, which helps you get both, so in her honor here are some tips for starting your own garden in your backyard.

Step One -- Pick Your Spot
Plants needs sun, space, water and dirt. You'll also want a spot that is safe from rabbits, deer, and light-fingered neighbors who crave fresh strawberries or zucchini.

Step Two -- Make a Plan
The experts at BackyardGardener are very clear about this: for a successful garden you need to figure out what you're going to do before you do it, and then you need to stick to your plan. This includes drawing a scale plan of your garden, deciding what you want to grow, and planning for different growing season so that your garden yields as many carrots, tomatoes and beans as possible.

Step Three -- Figure Out Your Soil
Knowing your soil will tell you which plants will do best in your garden, and what fertilizers you need to balance out any acidity or alkalinity, or to compensate for a lack of nutrients. There are ways to test at home, or you can send a sample to a lab and have it done for you.

Step Four -- Get Some Tools
I have to admit, this is my favorite part -- shopping! Your individual needs will depend on your preferences -- do you care if your shoes get muddy, or do you want gardening clogs? Is it more fun to get on your hands and knees and dig, or is it better to have a long pole between you and any odd mushrooms?

Whatever your preferences, some of the basics you'll want to pick up at Target or order from Gardeners.com include:

• sun hat
• gloves
• trowel or rake
• bucket
• watering can
• one of those cool kneeling things
• shovel
• bucket

Step Five - Pick Quality Seeds (Or Just Buy Some Plants)
If your seeds are duds, no amount of water, fertilizer or prayers to the Gods of Green Things will makes your garden grow. Purchase seeds from somewhere well-known to you, like your local organic co-op, or go to a big store like Home Depot where the high volume of shoppers means the inventory is probably fresh. There are also many well-known online seed sellers, like Burpee. Just remember, this is no time to pick up a deal at a garage sale down the street!

If the seeds thing is stressful, skip this step and buy seedlings, which are plants that have been started for you.

Step Six - Water and Weed
A lot of gardening is about hanging around, making sure everything is neat and orderly (weeding) and getting enough water. Some folks consider this to be the best part: A reason to spend time outdoors, getting a little (but not too much, that's why you bought a hat) sun and fresh air.

Step Seven -- Harvest and Share!
If you've done everything right, after a reasonable period time your plants should bear fruit -- or vegetables or flowers, depending on what you planted! Imagine your pride when you sit down to a big meal and savor food you grew yourself. And it's always a treat to visit a gardener and leave with a big bag full of produce, so enjoy the chance to be generous, even to those light-fingered neighbors. They'll probably appreciate it the most!

Of course there's a bit more to it than what I've outlined here, but remember that gardening is a fun, easy and rewarding way to spend time with your family, or as a time out from the hustle of everyday life. Check out some of these helpful online resources for more information:

• BackyardGardener
• How to Grow A Garden
• The Helpful Gardner
• Weekend Gardener
• How To Grow a Vegetable Garden by Cynthia Rice
• How to Grow a Low-Maintenance Garden by C. Colston Burrell

Photo caption: First Lady Michelle Obama visited Sesame Street, Tuesday, May 5th, to tape a Public Service Announcement with Elmo as part of Sesame Workshop's Healthy Habits For Life initiative. Mrs. Obama and her pal Elmo talked about eating right, exercising regularly and being a healthy and positive role model for children. (c) 2009 Sesame Workshop. All Rights Reserved.

What's Michelle Obama's greatest thrill since moving to Pennsylvania Avenue? Are you ready to join the humanure revolution? Would you buy a car at Best Buy? Today's Eco-Beat has the scoop on all of the latest green news and tips.

Mrs. O Makes Sesame Street Debut Michelle Obama has had plenty of lofty moments since moving into the White House, but apparently nothing compares to the thrill of appearing with Elmo and Big Bird in a PSA about healthy eating and nutrition. "I'm still thrilled. I'm on a high."

The Humanure Revolution is Coming A growing number of tenacious composting enthusiasts are getting down and dirty with what they claim is the next level of composting: i.e. going sewer-free. With just a bucket filled with wood chips, you too can enjoy recycling your own poo.

Religion Goes Green Mega-church pastor and registered Republican Dr. Joel Hunter is starring in commercials supporting a US climate bill. Faith and military groups are teaming up with directors from Hilary Clinton's campaign to get the word out. Politics sure makes strange bedfellows.

VW Dares to Take the Coffee Filter Challenge Would you drink coffee from a filter that had been stretched over the tailpipe of an idling diesel car? I don't think I'd even want to try coffee made with Prius emissions, but hey, I'm particular when it comes to my coffee. Check out the video.

Your Next EV Might Come from Best Buy Best Buy is set to sell Brammo motorcycles in its West Coast stores "very soon," and then other electric-powered transportation products. While that would be super convenient, I somehow don't feel all that comfortable buying a car at Best Buy just yet.

Green in a Flash:

• Amsterdam converted sewage treatment silos into a climbing gym.
• It takes about 34kg of CO2 to make a book, but who's counting?
• Tennessee Senate will soon vote on whether to put an Al Gore statue on the capitol grounds.

The nation's "first dog" has been selected, polar bears and humans don't mix, and Kanye's launching a green beverage. Today's Eco-Beat has got the scoop on all sorts of awesome green news.

Obamas Disappoint with Kennel Puppy Most animal activists were expecting the Obamas to pick out a rescue puppy for the "first dog." Instead, it looks like they've decided not to recycle. Are you feeling betrayed right now, or are you OK with dogs from breeders?

Woman Bitten by Polar Bear at Berlin Zoo Yet another great example of why not to jump into a polar bear enclosure. Police haven't revealed why the woman thought it was a good idea to jump in. FYI, it was an older, grumpier bear -- not Knut.

Kanye: The Guru of Organic Energy Drinks? We knew Kanye had a flair for hip-hop, fashion, and moody blogging -- but did you know he was an energy drink connoisseur? He's teaming up with GURU to release his own line of natural, organic energy drinks. Get ready to guzzle some "Clean Energy for Dirty Minds."

Eco-Tourism Takes Off With the Airplane Hotel Wanna get away from it all in your own private jet? Book a night in the Airplane Hotel, near Quepos, Costa Rica. This awesome hotel (looks more like a B&B) was built in the fuselage of a retired 1965 Boeing 727 -- no need for carbon offsets.

America's Shrinking Weedprint Along with a rising interest in gardening across the board, many in the cannabis industry are switching to homegrown pot rather than importing it from Mexico. Does that mean the locavore movement has spread into the drug culture?

Green in a Flash:

• The Obama administration is going to buy 17,600 of the most fuel-efficient cars from the Big 3.
• Today's container ships are now traveling slower than yesteryear's sailing freighters to save gas money. Hmm.
• Watch Woody Harrelson talking about the end of the world as part of the hype-building for his upcoming flick 2012.

Last Friday a group of fifth graders from Bancroft Elementary joined Michelle Obama on the White House lawn with shovels in hand. The long anticipated organic vegetable garden reported earlier by Christina is now under construction. The 1,100-square foot garden will include peas, onions, a variety of greens and perennial herbs. Garden walkways will be lined with veggie friendly flowers like marigolds, nasturtiums and zinnias.

Seedlings will be raised in the White House's greenhouse and transplanted as soon as they are ready. The resulting produce will go to feed the first family and their guests while extra will be sent to nearby Miriam's Kitchen, a place for the area's homeless to get healthy, homemade meals.

Michelle Obama announced, "this is a big day. We've been talking it since the day we moved in" and led the kids in raucous cheers for vegetables and fruits. She also expects all of the family members to take a role adding that even though her husband is "leader of the free world," he will still be expected to do some weeding.

Since the fashion world has taken a sudden notice of Michelle Obama and her Jackie-O-esque dressing, the Democratic fashionistas of New York want to support her husband Barack, the presidential candidate. They decided the best way to do this would be via a green clothing swap!

The event hosts, Consuela Nance and Maureen Martin said, "We planned this event with a "go green" theme. We all love designer fashions and what better way to protect the environment than recycling your wardrobe? Plus you are supporting Barack and Michelle Obama, and networking with other fashionable New Yorkers."

Proceeds are going straight to the funding of Obama's campaign. Ticket price is just $10 with the donation of any gently used item of designer clothing.