More Hip Than Hippie #179 - GEMology

They didn't kill the electric car! Battery-powered vehicles are buzzing down a road near you, and the GEM is leading the charge. The Hipsters chat with Kent Collins, owner of Chico Eco Cars, and learn what it takes to make the switch to an EV, then they take a test drive. Also, the Chico Air Show approaches, and Val feels the need for speed!

Beer and Chocolate:

Beer: If Mother Earth herself brewed beer, this would be her signature ale! Green Lakes Organic Ale from Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Oregon rocks the planet and gets all 12 hips.

Chocolate: The holidays have arrived a little early, thanks to Divine Chocolate. They sent a box of their seasonal goodies, including the Divine Dark Chocolate After Dinner Mints. Give them as a hostess gift, then eat 'em up before the other guests do!

Hip News and Finds

Finds:

• Val's Favorite Things! Interactive giftwrap? Take re-gifting to a new level with reusable cloth Wrapsacks. Each comes with a tracking number, so you can log online and follow its progress across the land.
• Control geek. The Plogg is a simple device that tracks your electricity usage, controls your appliances and connects wirelessly to your computer, phone or Blackberry. Want one? Gotta move to Europe!
• What, no Garbage-Patch? A new line of Method hand and body washes will be available in October. The scents, inspired by the ocean, include Water-Flower and Refresh-Mint.

 

Hip News

• Power surge. China is rushing to build a network of charging stations for electric vehicles. The US is rushing to Panda Express for lunch.
• Evolving doors. The world's greenest museum opens this month in San Francisco. The new California Academy of Sciences asks, "How did life evolve?" "How will it survive?" and "Does a pig wear lipstick?"

Teenie Weenie Greenie™

Switch gears! Sit down with your family and evaluate your driving habits. Do you spend a lot of time navigating neighborhood streets? If so, you might benefit by switching to an electric vehicle. Solo commuters should consider electric scooters or bicycles.

GEMology

They didn't kill the electric car! Battery-powered vehicles are buzzing down a road near you, and the GEM is leading the charge. The Hipsters chat with Kent Collins, owner of Chico Eco Cars, and learn what it takes to make the switch to an EV. (Turns out, just a good extension cord!)

• Plug in. The basics: GEM stands for Global Electric Motorcars, a division of Chrysler, headquartered in Fargo, ND (dontcha know!).
• Power points. EV's save money and cut pollution. They also make people point and wave at you. Need to know more? Ask the Electric Auto Association.
• Stay current. Chrysler has declared 2010 the year of its electric car. Meanwhile, there's GEM's latest offering: the Peapod NEV.
• Electric outlet. Kent's brand-new eco-car dealership has Chico buzzing!

Listener E-mails Keep the energy flowing! Send an e-mail to hip@greenfeet.com. And don't forget to post articles, links and shameless plugs at our MHTH forum!

• Shout-out! Cheers to Robin, who listed us among her faves on Green Option's Sustainablog. You like us, you really like us!
• Sara in Colorado checked in on Facebook to tell us about her recycling project at Western State College. Way to go!
• Jenny in Ontario (eh!) presents a blog that focuses on the downside of wind farms. OK, but clean coal still blows.
• Elizabeth in Minnesota is a self-proclaimed "cheesegirl", and teaches us a thing or two about rennet and annotto. What a cheese whiz!
• Mary in New Hampshire (Live Free or Die!) wants to know which of her plastic water bottles won't kill her. Magic numbers: 1, 2, 4 and 5.
• Katie in Austin, TX shares a recipe for a More Hip libation: 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream in a pint of Young's Double Chocolate Stout. Sounds Hipsterlicious!

Tiara Alert! Nominations are open for the Podcast Awards! There's no swimsuit competition, but we can still kick butt in the People's Choice and Education categories, so click the link and choose More Hip Than Hippie! Follow us on Twitter: GrnDiva and MoreHipDori, at your service!Post a review at iTunes, and don't forget 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