More Hip Than Hippie #195 - Trystan's Tips

Yahoo! Green is a great source of news and ideas for sustainable living. Senior Editor Trystan Bass shares tips for a greener holiday season.

We can all use some last-minute tips for getting through the holidays with a lighter footprint. Find out how to set a waste-free table, opt out of the Christmas card crunch and avoid unrecyclable giftwrap. Also, Val reveals her favorite word, and a surprise visit from a listener leaves the Hipsters feeling Mavericky!

Beer and Chocolate:

Beer: When listener Spanky dropped by More Hip HQ, we took the opportunity to ease his beer burden by liberating 2 bottles of Alaskan Brewing Co.'s Amber Alt Style Beer from his overloaded car. You're welcome.

Chocolate: Thanks again to listener Michelle for the care package of chocolate bars. This week's Jacques Torres Brulee Crunch tasted better than it looked...why is it the color of baby poop?

Hip News and Finds

Finds:

• Bullseye! The perfect coat hangers for the quirky home have to be Dart Coat Hooks. Mount them on the wall and have guests toss their coats for points.
• Rock the votive. Crank out those homemade holiday candles with Microwaveable Soy Wax in 1-lb. containers. Don't worry, it comes with ideas and instructions.
• Ooh, sparkly! Create your own Snow Globe with a jar, some epoxy, a few plastic figurines and a bit of glitter. Easy enough for those of us who are craft-challenged.
• Scan I help you? Don't chat up that hottie in the bar until you've scanned their ShotCode. Look for the logo on clothing, then use your phone to link your target's online profile. Because saying hello is so exhausting.

 

Hip News

• Shotgun! The CEOs of the Big Three automakers are in talks to carpool together on their next trek to Washington. If only they could find a fuel efficient vehicle...
• Getta Jetta. Congratulations to Volkswagen, whose 2009 Jetta TDI is "Green Car of the Year". Don't worry Detroit, you'll get 'em next year!
• The need for Swede. A Swedish company plans to harness human body heat to warm a new office complex.
• Yep. Here it is, Oxford's Word of the Year for 2008: Hypermiling. Smug Hipsters smile knowingly.

Teenie Weenie Greenie™

Postal Toasties! Reuse your empty cereal boxes to ship holiday gifts. They're the perfect size for clothing, books and accessories. Or just give the cereal as a gift this year--it ain't cheap!

Trystan's Tips

We can all use some last-minute tips for getting through the holidays with a lighter footprint. Hipster Trystan Bass from Yahoo! Green provides ideas and inspiration for waste-free entertaining, as well as greener options for cards and giftwrap. She also attempts to pronounce "furoshiki".

• Entertaining. Trystan recommends a trip to the thrift store for dishes, silver and linens. Also, Bambu veneerware is both chic and compostable.
• Giftwrap. Look for 100% recycled wrap, or use old comics, maps or sheet music. Fabric bags like Wrapsacks are great too. Feeling knotty? Try furoshiki.
• Greeting Cards. Personality counts. Make your own photo cards on your computer with recycled paper. If that's not an option, look for recycled greeting cards or those with seeds embedded in them.
• Gifts. Trystan had a great time putting together the 2008 Green Holiday Gift Guide.
• Charity. Yahoo! is donating the profits from ads on Yahoo! Green to eco-friendly projects. Vote in their online poll by December 3rd.

 

Listener E-mails

Yahoo! We love to hear from you! Send an e-mail to hip@greenfeet.com. And remember to post articles, links and holiday memories at our MHTH forum!

 

• Shout-outs! Thanks to Carolyn's Blog for the mention, and to Lighter Footstep for the great info on green dry cleaning.
• Thomas in Ontario (eh!) wants us to help spread the word about supporting new pesticide regulations in his province. You betcha!
• Stacy in Los Angeles reminds us that our favorite dark chocolates are all dairy-free, like Dagoba and Green & Black's. D'oh!
• Melody in Seattle shares a funny family story about McMenamins brewpub and her neophyte nephew. Beer almost came out of our noses!

**Greenfeet's Pick-A-Present Promotion is on! Spend $75, pick a present worth up to $20 FREE!**

Show the world you're More Hip Than Hippie! Grab some merch for holiday gift-giving! Follow us on Twitter: GrnDiva, MoreHipDori and JRich9 at your service! 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 is sponsored by Greenfeet.com.

More Hip Than Hippie #194 - Conservation Conversation

Landowners can protect private property from development long after they're gone, using land trusts and conservation easements.

Did you know that about 2 million acres of land is being developed across the US every year? Listener Susan Armstrong works to conserve our open spaces for future generations. She unearths some great info about tools that landowners and concerned citizens can use to permanently protect private property. Also, Val's birthday draws near, and the Hipsters get a Brazilian!

Beer and Chocolate:

Beer: We love the beer-sipping bear on the label of Lang Creek Brewery's Huckleberry n' Honey Ale. So fruity and sweet, you could drink a pint with Boo Boo in Jellystone Park.

 

Chocolate: Our new favorite listener Michelle sent a care package of Jacques Torres chocolate bars. First up: Midnight Soul 80%, which asks the question, "Do you have the beans to eat this bar?" To which we reply, "We got yer beans RIGHT HERE!"

 

Hip News and Finds

Finds:

• Val's Favorite Things! Even on a cloudy winter day, you can charge your favorite gadgets with the Solio Solar Charger. It's power on the go directly from the sun. Val never has to be deprived of her iPhone, Kindle or any other gizmo again!
• Pick a Present! We're giving stuff away at Greenfeet.com, where the annual holiday promotion is underway. Spend $75, pick a free gift worth up to $20!

 

Hip News

• Breathing is overrated. The EPA is about to weaken the Clean Air Act, making it easier to pollute the air near national parks and wilderness areas. If an appeal is filed, the incoming Obama administration could reverse the policy. Does this mean Bush is stuck between Barack and a barred place?

Teenie Weenie Greenie™

Cleaning really sucks! Sprucing up the house for company? Reach the places in-between with a DIY extension for your vacuum cleaner. Just scrunch up one end of a wrapping paper roll or paper towel tube, insert it into the end of the vacuum's hose, and suck up those dust bunnies! (Recycle the tube when you're finished.)

 

Conservation Conversation

Did you know that about 2 million acres of land is being developed across the US every year? Hipster Susan Armstrong works to conserve our open spaces for future generations. She unearths some great info about tools that landowners and concerned citizens can use to permanently protect private property.

• Law of the land. Susan knows her stuff! She's an environmental attorney with Connemara Conservancy, a non-profit land trust in Texas.
• Wide open spaces. One of the biggest conservation organizations in the world is the Nature Conservancy. Established in 1951, they've protected more than 119 million acres of land.
• Ease into it. Landowners can manage their property into the future with a conservation easement. Many qualify for tax benefits.
• To Protect and Conserve. Who looks after the land when an easement is in place? Land trusts are the stewards of conserved property.
• Buffalo Stance. Billionaire Ted Turner is the largest private-property owner in America, and his goal is conservation. He's also crazy about bison burgers.

 

Green Gossip

• Arnold Schwarznegger helps L.A. terminate carbon dioxide. The Governator was on hand as the Staples Center unveiled its new rooftop solar array.
• Billie Joe Armstrong has a Green Day with (PRODUCT) Red. His custom designed Converse shoes are made with hemp and benefit charity.
• Madonna has a list of divorce demands which includes that the kids keep to a macrobiotic, vegetarian organic diet when they're with Guy Ritchie. OK, fine. But no TV, DVDs, magazines or newspapers? She scares the crap out of us!

Listener E-mails

Don't conserve your comments! Send an e-mail to hip@greenfeet.com. And remember to post articles, links and birthday wishes for Val at our MHTH forum!

• Liz in New York wonders if the bargains at Trader Joe'sare too good to be true. Happy Tofurkey Day to you too!
• Brian in Tennessee lets off some steam about the AirCar, which has been blowing in the wind for a while now.
• Meredyth in Texas finally asks the right people about hybrid car batteries and how they're recycled.
• Kristi in Minneapolis shares an article about the most eco-friendly car in America: the Honda Civic GX, which runs on compressed natural gas.
• Jessica found 2 great resources for the eco-friendly bibliophile: The Green Library and Greening Your Library.
• Rodrigo in San Francisco came here from Brazil, where he used this show to improve his English. Can you translate "teenie weenie greenie" without getting your ass kicked?

Show the world you're More Hip Than Hippie! Grab some merch for holiday gift-giving! Follow us on Twitter: GrnDiva, MoreHipDori and JRich9 at your service! 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 is sponsored by Greenfeet.com.

More Hip Than Hippie #193 - Ship It Good!

Eco-conscious consumers can find plenty of options for packaging and shipping this holiday season.

You've voted with your dollar by purchasing "green" gifts this holiday season. Don't undo all your good deeds with styrofoam packaging and carbon-spewing shippers! Dori and Val unwrap the greenest options for packing your presents and getting them to Grandma's house, whether it's across town or around the world. Also, the holidays are officially here as Greenfeet kicks off the annual Pick A Present promotion!

Beer and Chocolate:

Beer: In the name of fairness, we're trying Budweiser American Ale from Anheuser-Busch. They're now owned outright by InBev, the Belgian company who apparently thinks Yanks will fall for this crap.

 

Chocolate: For the poor confused vegan chocoholic, there's Tropical Source Raspberry Dark Chocolate by SunSpire. Dairy-free and gluten-free, it's actually quite tasty.

Hip News and Finds

Finds:

 

• For the birdies. Hey golfers, turns out there's more than one way to go for the green! Dixon Earth's eco-friendly golf balls improve the environment while improving your game. Don't forget the biodegradable tees!
• Mapquest. Say hello to someone on the other side of the globe with World Atlas notecards. Recycled vintage maps are fashioned into a set of 6 cards and envelopes.

 

Hip News

• The Decider. The Bush administration bows out with a flurry of last minute rules. See W ease restrictions on factory farms, mine waste, power plant emissions, and drilling in Alaska's Bristol Bay, among others. Don't let the doorknob hit you on the way out.
• Sign of the Times. The first eco-friendly billboard in NY's Times Square will light up next month, using only wind and sun power. Energy savings: $12,000 a month(!).
• Barack Star. President-elect Obama has begun making weekly addresses to Americans via YouTube and his website, Change.gov. Listen to one at the end of this show.

Teenie Weenie Greenie™

Time to polish the silver! Avoid icky chemical cleansers with a simple paste of baking soda and water on a sponge. Or cover the silver surface with white toothpaste, work it into a foam under warm water, and rinse tarnish away. Minty fresh!

Ship It Good!

You've voted with your dollar by purchasing "green" gifts this holiday season. Don't undo all your good deeds with styrofoam packaging and carbon-spewing shippers! Dori and Val unwrap the greenest options for packing your presents and getting them to Grandma's house.

• Packaging. When packing boxes, try to reuse paper, bubble wrap and other materials when possible. Or get biodegradable packing peanuts and leave no waste.
• Ground shipping takes a little longer, but generates just an eighth of the carbon emissions of air transport. Starting next year, UPS helps clear the air with hydraulic hybrid vehicles.
• The US Postal Service manages the largest civilian fleet of alternative fuel vehicles in the nation. Order their free envelopes and boxes that are certified green.
• International shipping gets greener with First Global Xpress. The company puts packages on a direct flight to the destination city, without stops at out-of-the-way hubs.
• Shipping rebates of up to $500 are available at FreeShipping.com, for a small monthly fee. Online shoppers can choose from over 1000 merchants.
• Carbon offsets have come a long way, and TerraPass has several excellent programs. Greenfeet purchases carbon offsets for every order shipped, without passing the cost to the customer.

 

Listener E-mails

• Lacy in NorCal rides green on her 2-dogpowered Xtracycle. Thanks for the blog mention!
• Jenny in Ontario, Canada (eh!) carried homemade lunch bags to school before they were cool! Her crafty mom made them from old jackets.
• Shayna shares the Green & Clean Mom Holiday Gift Guide. Check out picks from our pal Sommer!
• Ted in Michigan, aka our Beer Bitch, wants to invent a foldable take-out pouch for food, like the ChicoBag. It better carry beer too!
• Cindy in SoCal is living the green life part-time in Canada. She reviewed a beer for us...well, she tried! Thanks for the attempt, eh!

**200th Episode Alert!** We've booked Ken Grossman, founder of Sierra Nevada Brewery, as our special guest! Send us your questions for Ken! (Of course we'll ask him for his porn star name!) Post your thoughts, carbon-free! Send an e-mail to hip@greenfeet.com. And remember to post articles, links and tracking numbers at our MHTH forum! Show the world you're More Hip Than Hippie! Grab some merch for holiday gift-giving! Follow us on Twitter: GrnDiva, MoreHipDori and JRich9 at your service! 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 is sponsored by Greenfeet.com.More Hip Than Hippie is sponsored by Greenfeet.com.

More Hip Than Hippie #192 - Lithium

You probably use a lithium battery every day, in a watch or laptop. Discover where it comes from and why its future is uncertain.

If the car of tomorrow is electric, chances are, it'll run on lithium-ion batteries. But is there enough to meet our growing demand? Where does lithium come from, how is it produced and who profits? The Hipsters shine a light on this versatile metal. Also, Val gets herself in twouble with Twitter, and plans are afoot for More Hip Episode #200!

Beer and Chocolate:

Beer: Do we detect a little citrus in our Inversion IPA from Deschutes Brewery? Orange you ready to try some yourself?

 

Chocolate: A MARS bar? Has Val taken leave of her senses? Nope, turns out their Dove Origins Ecuador dark chocolate bar is part of the candymaker's new cocoa sustainability program. Oh, and it's damn tasty.

Hip News and Finds

Finds:

• Val's Favorite Things! Tease your brain with a tavern puzzle made of recycled iron. Based on centuries-old designs, these decorative puzzles are available in different levels of difficulty. Solve the Iron Heart? Now you'll have to deal with the Iron Maiden! (The puzzle, not Val.)

 

Hip News

• Cure for what ales you. Scientists at Rice University have engineered a life-extending brew called BioBeer. Wonder if we'll live long enough to see it hit the market?
• Blow rider. An air-powered car is on the horizon, thanks to Zero Pollution Motors. Plans call for selling the $20K vehicles directly from factories in nearly every state.

Teenie Weenie Greenie™

Wrap 'n Roll! Keep those rolls of pricey recycled wrapping paper in good repair with your old stockings or hose. Just slide 'em over the tubes, leaving a few inches exposed at the end so you can see the design on the paper. Knot the fabric so it won't slip down. Or use a garter!

 

 

Lithium

If the car of tomorrow is electric, chances are, it'll run on lithium-ion batteries. Is lithium the answer to our energy problems, or does it have a few problems of its own? Dori and Val shine some light on this metal and its future on the world's highways.

• Lithi-ummm... What the heck is it? A soft, lightweight metal found in low concentrations around the globe.
• Batteries included. Lithium helps to power lots of devices, from watches to laptops to space vehicles.
• Plugged up. With the advent of electric cars, automakers have big plans for lithium. Can the planet keep up?
• Buzzkill. At least one study finds that lithium production is environmentally damaging and unsustainable.
• La Pause. The world's largest deposit of lithium lies in Bolivia, which is not exactly on friendly terms with the U.S.

 

Listener E-mails

• Denise in Indiana is amazed by the maglev trains in China, which run clean and green on a magnetic field.
• James in PA has parked his bike for the winter, after logging more than 2,000 miles riding to work. Great job! Here's his blog.
• Faith in New Jersey has set some lofty green goals for 2009. She also blames us for that dream about Ringo Starr and a bar of Dagoba Lavender chocolate. Was there a Yellow Submarine involved?
• Jen in Portland is a former Chicoan who named her cat Sierra Nevada, after the beer! Which reminds us...

**200th Episode Alert!** We've booked Ken Grossman, founder of Sierra Nevada Brewery, as our special guest! Send us your questions for Ken! (Of course we'll ask him for his porn star name!) Flex your power! Send an e-mail to hip@greenfeet.com. And remember to post articles, links and pictures of Nirvana at our MHTH forum! Show the world you're More Hip Than Hippie! Grab some merch for holiday gift-giving! Follow us on Twitter: GrnDiva, MoreHipDori and JRich9 at your service! It's a new month, so 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 is sponsored by Greenfeet.com.More Hip Than Hippie is sponsored by Greenfeet.com.

More Hip Than Hippie #191 - Recycling Week

November 10th - 16th is Recycling Week all over the world.

This is the week to start that recycling program at home or in the workplace. The Hipsters sort through statistics and extract the facts about how materials are recovered and reused. You'll learn why you should put paper, glass, steel and electronics back to work! Also, Val celebrates her recent marriage (?) and goes on to win a Major Award!

Beer and Chocolate:

Beer: Gaze upon the amber goodness of Mirror Pond Pale Ale from Deschutes Brewery in Bend, OR. A fine, if unoriginal, offering that earned a combined 9 hips.

Chocolate: Yes, it's back! Dori chose the lesser of 2 evil nuts and came up with Green & Black's Organic Bittersweet Dark 60% Chocolate with Hazelnuts & Currants.

Hip News and Finds

Finds:

• Rudolph's secret. It's Solar Powered Christmas Lights! No power outlet required; they just soak up the sun by day, then you would even say they glow in the dark.
• Puffins & Meerkats & Lynx, oh my! Even the Meanie on your list will love the World Wildlife Fund's Animal Adoption program. Choose an endangered critter from anywhere on Earth; your $50 "adoption" fee includes a certificate, photo and adorable stuffed version of your animal.
• Hip Trips. The path to sustainability is dotted with hotels, tours and destinations. Find the greenest of the green at Whole Travel, and plan your journey.

 

Hip News

• Bushwhacking. President-elect Obama is reviewing all of W's executive orders, including the most recent attempts to open up drilling near national parks and monuments.
• Covering their ashes. Recycling companies announce their new e-Steward Initiative to certify safe practices in their industry. Watch 60 Minutes much?

Teenie Weenie Greenie™

Queasy does it! The next time you have tummy trouble, don't reach for the pink bottle. Cook up a pot of rice, using at least twice as much water as you normally would. Then strain out the rice and drink the water, hot or cold. The proteins in the rice will settle your bowels and hydrate your body. Note to self: sake is not a good substitute!

 

Recycling Week

This is the week to start that recycling program at home or in the workplace. Paper, glass and steel are easy to take out of the waste stream and put back to work. Electronic waste and household hazardous waste need special treatment, but are worth the effort.

• E-waste is growing at 3 times the rate of other municipal waste. But it's really a resource of reusable material. Learn more about e-waste recycling.
• Paper consumed in the US hit a record 56% recovery rate last year. That's 360 lbs. for every man, woman and child in the country! Paper recycling is easy and it works.
• Glass can be recycled infinitely without losing its purity or strength. But sorting colors can be confusing. Here's the lowdown on glass recycling.
• Steel is recycled in the US more than aluminum, glass, paper and plastic combined. It's easy to separate from aluminum; just use a magnet! Find out about the benefits of steel recycling.
• Household Hazardous Waste is anything that might blow up, catch fire, or poison someone. Americans generate 1.6 million tons of the stuff per year. Let the professionals handle HHW recycling.

 

Listener E-mails

Want to recycle an old question? Send an e-mail to hip@greenfeet.com. And remember to post articles, links and congrats to Val on her recent marriage (!) at our MHTH forum!

 

• Melody in Seattle wonders if compostable products are OK, since corn is such a resource-intensive crop. Look for goods made from non-GMO corn, organic if possible. Alternatives include bamboo and sugar cane.
• Joanne in Calgary (eh!) shares the Canadian Broadcasting Corp's initiative called One Million Acts of Green. We think it's positively brilliant!
• Fonda in Missouri is a traveling yoga teacher who likes the humorous approach to being green. Thanks for the praise, Fonda, but we're still not giving up beer for tea.
• Maggie in Spain is still looking for your eco-geek jokes...and provides one of her own. Please, bring the funny so she won't have to!

Show the world you're More Hip Than Hippie! Grab some merch for holiday gift-giving! Follow us on Twitter: GrnDiva, MoreHipDori and JRich9 at your service! It's a new month, so 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! Hey, thanks for reading all the way through the shownotes! Now buy yourself something nice! Take 15% off your next Greenfeet order by using this code at checkout: SHOWNOTES Hurry, offer expires November 17, 2008!More Hip Than Hippie is sponsored by Greenfeet.com.