More Hip Than Hippie #87 - Green Science

We've all been there before. It's dissection day in Biology class and as you walk into the brightly lit lab you can't help but notice the overwhelming smell of formaldehyde. It's practically an adolescent rite of passage. Whether it was a worm, fetal pig, or frog, dissection has long been considered an integral part of grammar school education. But does dissection do more harm than good? Find out as Dori and Val explore the impact of classroom dissections on the environment.

Beer and Chocolate:

Beer: Train Wreck Organic with a whopping 10.6% ABV from Butte Creek Brewing Company here in Chico, CA.
Chocolate: Shaman's Heart organic dark chocolate with ruby raspberries from Shaman Chocolates.

Hip News and Finds

Finds:

• More Hip Contest! Create the design that will be on the official More Hip Than Hippie Chico Bag!
  • Design must use only one color.
  • Design should be suitable for men and women to use.
  • The winner will receive 20 chico bags with their design on it!
  • The deadline for entries is March 31, 2007.
  • Email your submissions to hip@greenfeet.com.
• This Old Green House. "This Old House" has begun its first-ever green renovation in Austin, Texas. Get a sneak peak of the house and check your local listings to catch the show when it airs on PBS.

News:

• Would you like some lead with your lunch? When the government tested 60 soft, vinyl lunch boxes, they found one in five contained hazardous levels of lead, but neglected to tell the public. Buy these lead-free food storage containers at Greenfeet.com:
  • To-Go Ware Stainless Steel Lunch Box
  • Glass Storage Dishes
• A win for industrial hemp. North Dakota has issued the first U.S. industrial hemp licenses.

 

More Hip Book Club

Discussion is open in the MHTH forum for our second book, Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan.

Classroom Dissections and the Environment
For more information about classroom dissections and alternatives, check out these sites:

• About.com - Dissection and the environment.
• National Science Teachers Association.
• TeachKind.org - resource list of alternatives to dissection.

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!

• A new take on SUV design. Patrick found an interesting take on the SUV vs. the environmentalist in this comic.
• Beth was wondering if was paper is a good alternative to plastic when it comes to food storage. It is! Check out the wax paper and wax paper bags available at Greenfeet.com.
• Steve really liked episode # 85 about greenbelts. Why? Because he is an environmental planner in Pennsylvania! He recommends these sites for those interested in joining the greenbelt movement where they live:
  • Pennsylvania's Greenways Clearinghouse
  • Planning.org
  • Planetizen.com
  • Cyburbia.org
• Colin and his seven year-old son Carrick decided to enter the Convenient Truths video contest. Check out their submission "A Kid, a Car, and an Idea!".

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!