environment

Yesterday the crying-hippies video resurfaced on the ever-recycling Internet. (Well worth a watch!) Sobbing at the base of a North Carolinian forest, members of radical environmental group Earth First! cried for rocks and trees and pesky weeds that (they insist) are as alive as your typing fingertips. A young man cried until he wanted to scream. So he did.

But that's child's play! Environmentalists — extreme environmentalists — have more than tears and tree houses to show demanding Mother Earth. What does it take to go from eco friendly to eco terror? Check out my eight environmental no-nos, or do-dos (depending on your goal).

1. Arson. Particularly setting new housing developments, car lots, and SUVs ablaze. Another? Horse slaughterhouses. Neigh!
2. Not breeding because, obviously, Earth is better off without people.
3. Harassing, sabotaging, and sinking whaling ships is as old as my first recycling bin.
4. Poisoning bottles of POM Wonderful juice to protest animal testing. Guess it won't make you immortal after all!

To see four other acts of eco insanity, read more

Earth Day is a great time to think about going green in the kitchen. Having an environmentally friendly kitchen is easy — and affordable — if you make a few simple changes to your current living style. Here's how you can make your kitchen more green:

• Recycle! This may seem like a no brainer, but if you don't recycle your cans, glasses, cardboard and plastic containers, etc. start doing so now. If possible, start composting as well.
• Plant a garden. Growing your own fruits, vegetables, and herbs cuts down on the amount of fuel needed to transport the produce. Home gardens also cut back the use of plastic baggies.
• If you are remodeling your kitchen, use recycled materials, and look for eco-friendly, energy saving appliances with long shelf lives.
• Stop using plastic and paper bags. Instead transport groceries in reusable tote bags.
• Buy local products when possible.
• Substitute cloth napkins for paper napkins.
• Completely fill the dishwasher and only wash full loads.

What are your tips for an eco-friendly cooking space? Share your ideas with us below!

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A branch of the Yangtze River has turned red and bubbly due to a chemical spill this week. Sixty thousand people are without running water, and some schools have been forced to close as they cannot provide food for students. The cause of the spill is unknown, but is being investigated.

As China rapidly emerges as an economic power, it is leaving environmental damage in its wake. Recently, China banned plastic bags, resulting in the closure of China's largest bag factory, and over 20,000 layoffs. The plant had produced over $305 million worth of plastic bags a year!

The New York Times has described the catastrophic situation in China as: industrial cities where people rarely see the sun, children killed by lead poisoning; a coastline so swamped by algal that oceans no longer sustain life.

Are industrialization and economic progress mutually exclusive with environmental protection? This week, Britain's Foreign Secretary said rich nations must help the developing world pay for a shift to cleaner technologies to fight climate change? Do you agree?

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Subway recently announced a commitment to make itself a little more green. The chain's first "eco-store" opened earlier this month in Kissimmee, Florida, and it includes many environmentally friendly lighting and heating methods, as well as recycled products and furnishings. They've worked in collaboration with the U.S. Green Building Council to earn Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification for the eco-stores. The store will also give Subway a chance to measure energy and water savings against a regular Subway nearby.

In addition to the new eco-store, Subway also announced that it will now use paper napkins made from 100 percent recycled materials, and has switched the materials used in its cutlery and plastic drinking cups. These little replacements will save more than 610,000 pounds of resin and 13,000 barrels of oil per year.

All of these alterations, along with several other initiatives, are part of Subway's new eco-friendly policy. Here's more:

"We have made a commitment as a brand to become even more
environmentally accountable," said Bill Schettini, Chief Marketing Officer
for the Subway chain. "With more locations in the United States than any
other restaurant chain, and more than 28,000 worldwide, we are in a
position to make a significant and positive global impact on the
environment and the world around us."

So what do you guys think? Do you applaud Subway's new green exterior?

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Here is yet another reason to avoid red meat. This is no joke but a reduction in livestock flatulence could possibly slow climate change. Or so says a recent study published in the medical journal The Lancet, in their special energy and health series.

Cows, goats and sheep produce methane gas when they pass gas - methane really is a gas! Experts suggest decreasing our global consumption of steaks and hamburgers by 10 percent, would cut the gases emitted by livestock that contribute to global warming. They strongly recommend limiting beef intake to an average of 3 ounces per day (that's about 90 grams) to prevent an increase in these gasses. We already know that diets high in red meat contribute to breast cancer, heart disease and obesity so now there is another reason to avoid red meat!

Next time you think about ordering a burger, or making a steak, think about your personal health and the health of the planet then change your meal plans accordingly. I don't know about you, but the concept of meatless Mondays has definitely stuck around at my house (even though it is sometimes meatless Tuesday or Wednesdays, but we have a thoroughly meatless day once a week).

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We're all looking for more reasons to get out there and run. Sometimes, oddly enough, our health doesn't always make the cut at 8:00 am on a Saturday morning. What about doing it for the environment?

I've heard about Eco-Running in the past, but all this time I thought it had to do with running barefoot, something I am just not willing to do. In actuality eco-Running has nothing to do with what you're wearing and its principals are this: While you are out running, collect the trash that you find along the pathways, roads and trails. Stay on the move if possible -- Try to maintain your running motion while bending down to pick up the trash. Practice makes perfect! Get loads of more information at Eco-Runner.com.

I for one, love this idea. It's so easy to keep a plastic bag with you. Sure, if you're training for a race, maybe it's not the best training method, but if you're just running to run, why not pick up some trash?

Thanks to Diet-Blog for pointing Eco-Running out!

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