More Hip Than Hippie #101 - A Chat With Bruce Littlefield

Bruce Littlefield, author of Garage Sale America, calls in for a chat.

Beer and Chocolate:

Beer: Eye of the Hawk Select Ale from Mendocino Brewing Company

Chocolate: Trader Joe's Figments, black mission figs in rich dark chocolate. You can't buy it online, but you can find a Trader Joe's near you.

Hip News and Finds

Finds:

• Madame Tussauds goes green. Madame Tussauds unveiled their first eco-friendly wax figure on May 23, 2007. The figure is of Prince Charles to reflect his efforts to combat climate change. Workers used recycled wax from a 1989 figure of the Prince of Wales, 82 pounds of organic beeswax, and 55 pounds of clay and fiberglass to sculpt the Prince's likeness.
• Green feet. Looking for an eco-friendly pair of shoes? Check out Sneaker Peek from NOW magazine online for some recommendations. Val recommends the green toe line from Simple shoes.

News:

• Global warming: it burns! Since 1987, forest fires in the Western U.S. have occurred more frequently, covered more area, and burned longer. Researchers believe that rising temperatures due to global warming could be responsible for the increase in forest fires.

Teenie Weenie Greenie™

This one comes from listener Tom. Instead of throwing away household items you don't want or don't use anymore, post them on an Internet list like FreeCycle.org or Craigslist.com. If someone sees your listing, they contact you to set up a time to come pick up the item from you.

A Chat With Bruce Littlefield

Bruce Littlefield, author of Garage Sale America, calls in for a chat about the eco-friendly art of garage sale shopping.

Listen in for Bruce's tips for finding treasures on your next garage sale outing. And don't forget to pick up your own copy of Bruce's book, Garage Sale America.

Listener Emails

Once again, we have a bunch of great listener emails. Keep 'em rolling in at hip@greenfeet.com. And don't forget to post articles, links, and speak your mind at our MHTH forum!

• Rain gear anyone? Paige is a camera operator and was wondering about eco-friendly companies that make rain gear. Val recommends Patagonia, which uses sustainable practices and resources in the production of their products.
• Carbon offset reviews. Smart Chick Sara wanted to let listeners know about a report by Clean Air - Cool Planet that reviews carbon offset programs.
• Save the chocolate! Stacy discovered Don't Mess With Our Chocolate, a web site forum about saving real chocolate. Apparently, members of the U.S. chocolate industry are supporting change in the basic formula of chocolate, by allowing the use of vegetable fat substitutes in place of cocoa butter.
• Super soy candles. Khristina wanted to spill a little secret. . . Soy Candles by Phebes are her favorite soy candles! They burn much cleaner than other candles and she's been hooked for years!
• News for knitters. Jennifer was excited when she saw that the latest issue of Knit.1 Magazine was a green issue. The issue went on sale May 15th.
• Controlling Poison Ivy in the yard. Don't let poison ivy get you or your garden down! Jenny recommends a formula to kill new poison ivy that uses ingredients you can find in your kitchen cupboard.

Email us at hip@greenfeet.com. Don't forget to vote for us at podcastalley.com and podcastpickle.com. Send us a voice message at our Skype address "morehip" or +1 530.554.2605. Don't have Skype? Get it - it's free!

More Hip Than Hippie #100 - Being More Hip Than Hippie

Can you believe it? It's More Hip Than Hippie's 100th episode! We'll be talking about what it really means to be More Hip Than Hippie and mentioning some of our wonderful listener's favorites tips and tricks for living a green lifestyle.

Pssst. . .there's a coupod in this episode, so listen closely for great savings at Greenfeet.com!

Beer and Chocolate:

Beer: Allagash Grand Cru from Portland, Maine.

Chocolate: Nestle Treasures Dark Chocolate Truffle and Perugina Bittersweet Chocolate sent to us by Dave in Nebraska.

Hip News and Finds

Finds:

• Your very own crime scene. Check out the blood puddle pillow from FromKeetra.com. When you lay down, it looks like a crime scene in your room.

News:

• Has your city made the pledge? On May 15, 2007, Tulsa, Oklahoma became the 500th city to sign the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. Cities that sign agreement make a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in their city to 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2012.
• Southern Ocean reaches its limit. A recent study found that the Southern Ocean around Antarctica is so saturated with carbon dioxide that it can barely absorb any more. Scientists say this will cause more greenhouse gasses to stay in the atmosphere and warm up the planet.

 

Being More Hip Than Hippie

Hipster Tool Kit. A handyman is nothing without the tools of the trade, and hipsters are no different! Here are some essentials for any well prepared Hipster:

• Chico Bag reusable shopping bag
• Stainless Steel Mug
• Stainless Steel Water Bottle
• Plastic Bag Dryer
• BioBags biodegradable waste bags
• Stainless Steel Bag Clip

 

Listener Emails

Listener emails will make their triumphant return next week. Instead, this week we'll be talking about listeners favorite green tips!

More Hip Than Hippie #99 - Eco-Tourism

Summer is right around the corner, which means it's vacation time! We'll be talking about eco-tourism and giving you great resources for planning an environmentally friendly trip.

Beer and Chocolate:

Beer: ACME IPA from North Coast Brewing in Fort Bragg, CA

Chocolate: Green & Black's Dark & Almond from Elizabeth in Snailwell, England.

Hip News and Finds

Finds:

• Win the war on weeds. Don't be discouraged if weeds start to encroach on your garden. An article from Mother Earth Living suggests using newspaper as mulch to smother weeds.
• Green giggles. Environmental issues are reaching kids through several new cartoons. The Unsustainables is an animated series that highlights the importance of being eco-friendly. The Greens sends a similar message by following an animated, quirky, eco-family.

News:

• California passes hemp farming legislation. The California Assembly has passed legislation giving farmers the right to grow non-psychoactive Industrial Hemp. Next, the bill will make its way to the Senate where it is expected to pass.
• Residue found in Oregon streams. Scientists testing beds of streams around Portland found residue from caffeine, Prozac, Benadryl, and other medicines in the streams. This discovery raises concerns about how the chemicals could affect fish and other life.
• Fly neutral. Silverjet, Britain's exclusively business class carrier and the world's first carbon neutral airline, launched in January of this year. The price for tickets includes a mandatory carbon offset contribution
• Eco-driving slow to catch on in America. Eco-driving, or driving to save gas, has not gotten the same attention in the U.S. as it has in other countries, like Britain. Beginning in 2008 in the UK, new drivers will be required to demonstrate eco-driving skills to save fuel in order to get their drivers license.
• U.S. cars contribution to global warming. A new study by Environmental Defense says U.S. cars are responsible for nearly half of all greenhouse gasses emitted by automobiles globally.

Eco-friendly Travel

It's vacation time! We've got some great resources for you to make sure tread lightly on the planet during your travels this summer. The International Ecotourism Society and SustainableTravelInternational.org great resources for everything you need to know about eco-friendly travel. Check out ResponsibleTravel.com for responsible travel tips.

Are you an EcoTraveler? EcoTravelling.co.uk is a collection of articles written by a team of experts about traveling responsibly. With so many articles to choose from, it was hard to pick a few to feature, but here are some of our favorites:

• Carbon Offsetting
• Eco-Friendly Packing
• Selecting the Right Travel Company

Booking your hotel. How can you tell if your hotel is green? Check out ResponsibleTravel.com's list of 10 ways to tell if your eco-lodge is really an eco-lodge and this article from MSN Travel that tells you what to look for when booking your hotel.

Planes, trains, and automobiles. When you need to get from point A to point B, consider making reservations with one the following companies that offer eco-friendly options:

• EV Rental Cars offers hybrid vehicles exclusively to those traveling in California, Arizona, and Nevada
• Hertz introduced a Green Collection last fall with four models that have an EPA rating of at least 28 miles/gallon
• Avis Portugal is the first rental agency in Europe to offer hybrid cars
• OZOcar is a New York limo company that bills itself as an eco-luxury private car service
• Travelocity is working with The Conservation Fund to provide carbon offsets for a flat fee
• Expedia is working with TerraPass to offer carbon offsets at rates of $5.99 for a short flight and $29.99 for an international flight
• British Airways has partnered with Climate Care to neutralize emissions
• Silverjet is the first carbon neutral airline

Be prepared on your travels. The Green Guide has some great tips for traveling healthy and being prepared for the unexpected when abroad.

The other side of carbon offsetting. Before you purchase carbon offsets for your summer travel, a little due diligence goes a long way. Make sure the company you purchase offsets from is really delivering what they say they will. Another Inconvenient Truth, an article in Business Week, gives you the low down on what to look for when buying offsets.

Listener Emails

Once again, we have a bunch of great listener emails. Keep 'em rolling in at hip@greenfeet.com. And don't forget to post articles, links, and speak your mind at our MHTH forum!

• Beer for all! Thomas in Ontario (eh?) has a suggestion for Wendy in Florida, who can't drink beer because of the migraines she suffers. While listening to another podcast about home brewing beer, Basic Brewing Radio, Thomas found out about gluten-free beer. Gluten is an allergen that may be the cause of the migraines. Thomas recommends that Wendy check out Mr. Goodbeer, a website where you can buy several different brands of gluten-free beer.
• Pet food FYI. A concerned listener with connections to the pet food industry wanted to share some important information with other listeners. Because he FDA has been slow updating the pet food recall list, check out the list from the American Veterinary Medical Association, which seems to be updated more often.
• Disposing of the poo. Laura has a suggestion for Amanda, who was looking for a more eco-friendly way of disposing of kitty litter. She recommends the Doggie Dooley, which works like a mini septic tank to breakdown pet waste.

Email us at hip@greenfeet.com. Don't forget to vote for us at podcastalley.com and podcastpickle.com. Send us a voice message at our Skype address "morehip" or +1 530.554.2605. Don't have Skype? Get it - it's free!

More Hip Than Hippie # 98 - Feeding Fido & Fluffy

The recent pet food recall left many pet owners wary about what we feed our pets. This episode we focus on natural pet foods to keep Fido and Fluffy happy and healthy.

Beer and Chocolate:

Beer: The beer was so bad this week that we have chosen not to link it! You'll have to listen in to get the name.

Chocolate: Waitrose Organic Swiss Dark Chocolate 70% sent to us by Elizabeth in Snailwell, England. Thanks Elizabeth!

Hip News and Finds:

Finds:

• Earth PC. Check out listener Doug's podcast, Sustainable Business Practices. On his latest show, Doug interviews Earth PC about energy saving computers.

News:

• Progress being made to slow climate change. A report complied by a network of 2,000 U.N. scientists approved the world's first 'roadmap' to slowing the effects of global climate change.
• More states backing hemp legislation. According to VoteHemp.com, eleven farming states are introducing hemp farming legislation this year. The states include California, Hawaii, Idaho, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Carolina, Vermont, and Wisconsin.
• Lead alert! Patrick sent along an article about baby bibs that have been recalled from Wal-Mart after lead was discovered in the fabric. The bibs, sold under the Baby Connection brand name, were made by Hamco exclusively for Wal-Mart.
• Beer for the ages. A collection of beer brewed in 1869 was recently discovered in a vault under the streets of Burton upon Trent. A tasting was held for the Guild of Beer writers, who were pleasantly surprised that the beer had developed a subtle flavor over the years and tasted quite good.

Natural Food for Healthy Pets

The recent pet food recall had most pet owners worried about the health of their dogs and cats. 60 million cans and pouches of dog and cat food were recalled. For more information about the recall and a list of brands in the recall, check out the FDA's website for animal feed/pet food recalls.

In light of this recent incident, we wanted to do a show about natural pet foods to keep the furrier members of our family happy and healthy! So today we'll be talking with Lucy Postins, owner of The Honest Kitchen, who has some great information about natural pet foods.

The Honest Kitchen produces raw dehydrated pet food. All ingredients are guaranteed 100% Human Food Grade.

Listener Emails

Once again, we have a bunch of great listener emails. Keep 'em rolling in at hip@greenfeet.com. And don't forget to post articles, links, and speak your mind at our MHTH forum!

• Electric lawn mowers. When Erica and her husband first bought their house, they tried using a push lawn mower, but soon became frustrated. Their yard was so large and had so many different kinds of weeds and thick grasses that they started looking for something that worked better and discovered the Neuton cordless electric lawn mower. They bought the mower and two rechargeable batteries, which hold a charge for over an hour, and have been happy with their purchase!
• A possible cause of SIDS. Diane wanted everyone to know about an article that links Sudden Infant Death Syndrome to toxic mold gasses in crib mattresses. A fungus that commonly grows in bedding interacts with the chemicals used as fire retardants to create poisonous gases that can fatally poison a baby.
• Busting the CFL myth. Doug wanted to help put the "it costs $2000 to clean up a broken CFL" myth to rest. An article on Treehugger explains where the myth came from, and why it's false.
• Cotton ball dilemma. Laura in Florida recently noticed that uses quite a few cotton balls during her daily face care routine and was wondering if there were any eco-friendly alternatives to the traditional cotton ball. Val recommends using organic cotton balls instead.
• Cat litter disposal. New listener Amanda is a big fan of the Chico Bag and wants to kick her plastic bag habit. She's looking for an eco-friendly alternative to plastic bags for cleaning out her cat's litter box. Try BioBags Dog Waste Bags, they're made from corn and are completely biodegradable.
• Keep your electronics clean. No-longer-a-lurker Brad wanted to share his own Teenie Weenie Greenie™ with everyone. Instead of using air in a can, which can release greenhouse gasses, to keep his electronics dust-free, he uses a Giottos Rocket air blower. It has an air valve to prevent it from breathing in dust, and blows out a powerful stream of air to blast away dust.

Email us at hip@greenfeet.com. Don't forget to vote for us at podcastalley.com and podcastpickle.com. Send us a voice message at our Skype address "morehip" or +1 530.554.2605. Don't have Skype? Get it - it's free!

More Hip Than Hippie #97 - Disposing of Household Hazardous Materials

What kinds of hazardous materials are lurking around your house? Take care of them safely and make your home a healthier place for your whole family.

Beer and Chocolate:

Beer: Terrible Ale by Unibroue in Quebec, Canada

Chocolate: Green & Black's Organic Cherry 60% Dark Chocolate Bar sent to us from listener Elizabeth in Snailwell, England

Hip News and Finds

Finds:

• World Fair Trade Day. Celebrate World Fair Trade Day, coming up on May 12. Host your own TransFair USA house party and kids can enter the Fair Trade art contest.
• Help name Amtrak's Environmental Engineer. Amtrak's Environmental Engineer needs a name and they're looking for your ideas. The Engineer is your guide to environment-focused content on their website.
• This GREEN Old House. Check out the gallery of 'after' pictures of This Old House's green remodel of a bungalow in Austin, Texas.

News:

• Global warming increasing insurance? According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, insurance companies should be preparing to pay more and bigger claims in the coming years. Rising global temperatures are expected to the increase the frequency and severity of natural disasters such as floods, hurricanes, and droughts.

 

Teenie Weenie Greenie

What have you learned from More Hip Than Hippie? With our 100th episode coming up, we wanted to know what you consider the best tip or piece of advice you've learned from More Hip. Ponder it for a few minutes and email us your favorite tip at hip@greenfeet.com. We're going to use your favorite tips in a special way for our 100th episode. Can't wait to hear from you!

Disposing of Household Hazardous Materials

Did you know? There are approximately 750 million gallons of used motor oil recycled in the U.S. every year, but it takes only 1 gallon of improperly disposed oil to contaminate a million gallons of groundwater.

From motor oil to coolant to paint, many household hazardous materials can be found in the garage. Keep yourself and your family safe by taking the proper precautions when disposing of these materials. To learn more, check out these sites:

• Ohio State University Fact Sheet: Disposal of Household Hazardous Materials
• How to Dispose of Hazardous Home Waste from MSN Lifestyle.

 

Listener Emails

Once again, we have a bunch of great listener emails. Keep 'em rolling in at hip@greenfeet.com. And don't forget to post articles, links, and speak your mind at our MHTH forum!

• Rest In Peace, rabbit ears! Kellie wrote in about the big switch to digital broadcasting for television. Dori and Val weren't sure how the two were connected, but Kellie found a great article about the transition to digital TV. Since the government owns the airwaves, they've decided that by February 17, 2009 they will stop broadcasting television statements in analog. Unfortunately, that means the end of the road for your favorite rabbit ears!
• A few things. Catherine, long time lurker from PA, wanted to share some of her favorite sites! She's excited about joining a CSA, Greensgrow Farms and wanted to recommend LocalHarvest.org for finding a CSA or farm stand near you. If you're looking for a good retractable clothesline, Catherine uses the Sunline Retractable Clothesline. Thanks for the great links, no-longer-a-lurker Catherine!
• Eco-minded Oklahoman's. Brian in Oklahoma wanted to let everyone know about the Oklahoma Sustainability Conference, held April 20-21, it was the first carbon neutral event in the state. At the conference, attendees discussed topics like pollution in the Arkansas River and the possibility of large scale mass transit coming to Oklahoma City. Thanks Brian, who also plugged MHTH during one of the sessions!
• Coke gets green makeover. Jerry, a self-proclaimed Cherry Coke addict was happy when he read an article about Coke's plans to give their Atlanta headquarters a green makeover. If you're looking for a more natural soda, Val just discovered DRY Soda. DRY is a natural, non-caffinated soda flavored with fruit and herb extracts and lightly sweetened with pure cane sugar.
• Connect with the best. Doug wanted to spread the word about EarthPortal.org, a new non-commercial website that directly connects you with scientists, policy makers, and journalists. It's a community that will keep you current with the state of the environment and environmental news.
• Do away with dandelions. Wendy was wondering about an environmentally safe technique to rid her yard of dandelions (other than picking them all, of course!). Check out Plantea.com for some great tips for doing away with dandelions.
• Teflon or PFOA? Brad thought it was perflourooctanoic acid (PFOA), a production byproduct of Teflon, and not actually Teflon itself that has been linked to cancer.
• GoLoco! When Jay read about GoLoco, a new way to carpool, he thought it was a great idea! The service brokers trips between people and automatically divvies up costs, seats in the car, and carbon dioxide emissions. The company was started by Robin Chase, former CEO of Zipcar.

Email us at hip@greenfeet.com. Don't forget to vote for us at podcastalley.com and podcastpickle.com. Send us a voice message at our Skype address "morehip" or +1 530.554.2605. Don't have Skype ? Get it - it's free!