Author: Yahoo! Green

(Photo: Getty Images)

Last year, I  threw a
birthday party for my father, and while the event made him all smiles, I could
see how a traditional party can put a big sad face on the planet with all the
gift wrapping, decorations, and food ordering,. I got to thinking about how
many birthday parties must be thrown for kids and adults every year and how
much waste we create celebrating the people we love. So I created this list of
easy tips for a more eco-friendly event.

Invitations

Paying for paper invites and postage is so 2001! Online and
email is the way to go these days. Evite is
a great way to invite people to an event — it’s free and easy to set up.
Facebook also has an event invite feature.

If you use Outlook, Microsoft
Office Online offers lots of free email party invite templates, and Yahoo! Mail has a nifty Pingg
invitation app to design professional-looking invitations right in your
mail program. Yahoo! Mail also has a variety of fun backgrounds and font
choices to spice up a regular email.

Gift wrap

Challenge yourself not to buy any new gift wrap paper and
rethink ways to wrap. Look around your house and see what can be repurposed —
those stacks of newspapers and magazines can make excellent, creative wrap.
Save the fronts of birthday and holiday cards and make a collage. A lone pillowcase
that no longer matches your sheets can be repurposed into a gift bag with the
help of a ribbon. A paper grocery bag can be cut to fit and decorated on the
blank side with glitter pens.

If you feel your creative skills really don’t cut it, look
for gift wrap made from recycled paper that is also recyclable when you’re
done. Be sure to save the ribbon, bows, and paper that doesn’t get too torn or
crumpled for reuse. Gift bags are also great reusable options.

Search
for gift wrap made from recycled paper.

Gifts

Choose something the recipient can use, instead of giving
useless clutter. How many cutesy trinkets or silly gag gifts does a person
need? Most of those end up sitting on someone’s shelf collecting dust until
they are tossed in a landfill.

For adults, try giving gadgets that do something useful or
save them money, or give gift cards/certificates that can used on practical
items or a wonderful experience such as movies, gas, maid service, a massage, a
class, or a dinner at a favorite restaurant. You could also consider a donation
in a person’s name to a charity you know the recipient is passionate about.

For kids, party stores would love you to fill up your goodie
bags with plastic do-dads and noise makers. Instead, opt for something the
little ones can use to get their minds and bodies working such as art supplies,
educational games, or sports gear.

Look for gift ideas
on the Yahoo! Green Gift Guide.

Food

While the party may be focused on fun and socializing,
everyone will appreciate a little something to nosh on, so plan to serve a few
light and healthy snacks. Fruit, nuts, and appetizers should suffice.

Shop local by purchasing ingredients from your nearby farmer’s market. If the neighborhood
natural food market is more convenient, check out the books filled with recipes
using the unique foods found in both Whole
Foods and Trader
Joe’s.

If you don’t have time to pull this off, consider catering
because organic options are now widely available. Or try the organic pizza menu
from the Z Pizza chain. And don’t forget
the cake!

Search
for healthy party appetizer recipes.

Search
for organic cake recipes.

Search
for organic catering.

Set up and decor

Use real plates and utensils instead of paper and plastic
disposables. If you have kids and know you’ll be having birthday parties every
year until they hit their teens, invest in a stack of colorful plates that
you’ll be able to reuse for every party. They’ll know that special set is just
for them on their special day.

The same goes for decorations. It may be worth making one
trip to the party store for some streamers and cardboard cutouts if you plan to
keep them and reuse them (go for generic themes such as stars or color schemes).
But skip the balloons — the material is treated with toxins, and once
deflated, they are dangerous if ingested by wildlife.

So party on, with an event that leaves everyone happy,
especially the planet.

Check out Yahoo! Green on Twitter and Facebook.

The green movement has gone from esoteric to popular over the last several years, a good sign for both the environment and those of us who live in it. But most Americans need to streamline, rather than complicate, their lives. And this is one of the greatest threats to making environmentally conscious choices. With her book Do One Green Thing: Saving the Earth through Simple, Everyday Choices, Mindy Pennybacker quashes that problem.

From foreword to index, the succinct book is fewer than 300 pages, but Pennybacker manages to cover a broad range of everyday questions. She divides them neatly into four sections/chapters: Food and Drink, A Green and Healthy Home, Personal Care and Apparel, and Transportation. The guide is ideal for those who are looking for easy and achievable ideas for their daily lives.

“The key to making green a byword in everyone’s life is ease of access,” Meryl Streep wrote in the foreword. “This focus is what makes Do One Green Thing such a pleasure to read.” Incidentally, Streep is much more well versed in green living than the typical Hollywood legend, since she co-founded the seminal (yet ill-fated) publication The Green Guide with Pennybacker some years ago.

In Do One Green Thing, Pennybacker weaves easily between basic fact-sharing and recommending actual products. Her question-and-answer format helps make that possible. Here’s an example: “I get confused by all the different ‘green’ labels on meat, poultry, and eggs. Which labels ensure me the best choice for my money?” Pennybacker organizes her response into easy-to-comprehend (and color-coded) “Choose It” or “Lose It” categories.

The book may not seem like the go-to for those already full of environmental factoids, but there are still surprises. Does it make more sense to buy a washer or dryer if you can only afford one new environmentally friendly appliance? And what are the best options, once you have decided?

“The eco-friendly world is a bitch to navigate,” argues Donna Bulesco, the Deputy Editor of In Style magazine. “Do One Green Thing makes it simple, but not simplistic.”

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More from The Daily Green

• How I Got My Big Fat Energy Star Refrigerator
• Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs Save Her $400 Every Year
• The Lazy Environmentalist’s Green Tips for Slackers
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Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc

Cabbage is a very underrated vegetable. It’s been ranked one of the 10 best foods you aren’t eating. It’s packed with vitamins, iron, and calcium and it’s been shown to help fight cancer.

For cabbage novices, a head of this slightly bitter stuff might seem a bit overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Coleslaw is a great way to dress it up.

In case you’re turned off by the idea of a salad dripping in mayonnaise, this is a relatively fat-free alternative to that picnic-time staple.

Here is a recipe for a mayonnaise-free coleslaw that takes just about 10 minutes to make.

Green Cabbage Coleslaw

Ingredients:

• 1/2 head green cabbage
• 1/2 head red cabbage (or you can use simply a head of green, but the red adds nice color)
• 1 juiced lemon or 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil (or sesame for an Asian-style slaw)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Pinch of salt
• A bit of pepper

As an option, you can add more color by using up wilting veggies from your refrigerator.

Optional ingredients:

• 2-3 carrots, shredded or chopped
• 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced or chopped
• 1 apple, thinly sliced or chopped
• Handful of fresh parsley, chopped
• Small yellow or red onion or scallions, thinly sliced
• Red peppers, thinly sliced or chopped

Directions:

1. Mix together the dressing ingredients: the oil, vinegar or lemon juice, salt, pepper, and sugar.
2. Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Toss the salad with the dressing.
4. Refrigerate for 15 minutes to a few hours to let the flavors combine.

More from ecomii:

• Discover healthy soy snacks
• Five ways to spot green laundry products
• Learn more about the potential of nutritional supplements
• What is your carbon footprint?
• What is a cap and trade system and how will it affect you?

You may think of peanut butter as more of a childhood staple, but it’s also a great source of protein for adults.

Surprisingly, it may also be a great for weight control: one study found that peanut eaters tend not to overeat their daily calories. As a source of antioxidants, peanuts- according to recent studies- may rival some fruits.

By making your own peanut butter you can be sure to avoid the trans-fats of some commercial brands. Plus, it’s a way to avoid all those containers that tend to pile up if you’re a fan of the spread.

Making peanut butter from peanuts is very easy. All it takes is a food processor and peanuts, though a bit of peanut oil (or even olive oil) can help the process. Salt is optional.

Homemade Peanut Butter

Ingredients:

• 2 cups shelled peanuts (roasted or plain, depending on your preference)
• 1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil* (optional with food processor)
• Additional add-ins: Try adding honey or cinnamon if you want to get creative

Directions if using food processor:

1. Put ingredients in food processor and blend for a couple minutes.
2. If the ground peanuts begins to stick to the sides, stop the processor and scrape it down.
3. You will see the chunks of peanuts form a ball and disappear as the mixture forms a paste.
4. If you want crunchy peanut butter, add chopped nuts to the creamy mixture.

Directions using a blender (this method is more difficult):

1. Put ingredients in the blender and blend.
2. If the peanuts begin to stick to side, stop the blender and scape it down.
3. The peanuts will become a paste after a few minutes: This may take an extra minute or two than the food processor version.

*Notes on using added oil: 
With the food processor it is possible to make peanut butter without oil, but it may take more mixing time. With either the food processor or the blender, if either machine seems stuck and the peanuts aren’t getting smaller, simply add a bit more oil.

Store in a closed container in the refrigerator for up to two months. Like all natural peanut butter, oil separation will occur during storage. Simply mix with a knife before using.

Peanut butter, no oil:

Homemade peanut butter with oil:

More from ecomii:

• Discover healthy soy snacks
• Five ways to spot green laundry products
• Learn more about the potential of nutritional supplements
• What is your carbon footprint?
• What is a cap and trade system and how will it affect you?

(Photo: Johan, Wikipedia)

By now you may have heard the hazards of extreme cleaners
that perform anti-bacterial overkill and the toxic
potential of synthetic chemicals such as ammonia and chlorine.

You do have a
choice when it comes to how you clean your house, and there are a number of
green-friendly brands on the market.

I’ve personally tried and tested quite a few of them,
looking for ease of use and affordable price. I really do hate to clean, so
anything that makes it easier, faster, cheaper, and better for the planet is a
win.

Here are some of my favorite options:

Do the earth-friendly
laundry

Everyone wants clean, soft, fresh-smelling clothes and
linens, which may be why eco-friendly laundry detergents have felt they can get
away with charging more to do the right thing. I found Ecos Laundry Detergent by Earth
Friendly Products to be a good detergent at a good price.

I tried several other brands from Seventh Generation to Trader
Joe’s, and Ethos works just as well without charging more. It smells good (with
three scents to choose from), it only takes a couple of ounces to clean a full
load, and it includes a coconut-based fabric softener. I was also happy to find
it in my local grocery store so I didn’t have to make trip to a specialty
boutique.

Search
for more eco-laundry detergents.

Find
an eco-friendly dry cleaner.

Wipe up the greens

There’s nothing like a quick wipe-down to make a place feel
clean. Save on paper towels with pre-moistened biodegradable wipes. In my
personal test, Clorox
Green Works Natural Cleaning Wipes beat out Method’s Flushable
Bathroom Cleaner Wipes, which tended to fall apart while wiping. These are
great for toilet sets and bathtub basins.

Countertops that need a little extra help get the natural
treatment with Seventh
Generation All Purpose Cleaner. I found that this plant-based, nontoxic
cleaner is great for removing counter stains. Spray a bit directly on the spot
and let set for a few minutes.

For simple dusting and cleaning mirrors, I’ve become a big
fan of microfiber towels. These handy little reusable cloths don’t even require
a liquid cleaning product to get the job done — just get one cloth damp with
water to wipe away dirt and dust, and then use a dry one to wipe clean.

The
micro fibers really pick up, and even mirrors and faucets come clean without
streaking. When you’re done, toss them in the laundry to wash and use again.

Search
for more eco-friendly cleaning wipes.

Scrub the nontoxic floors

While you can use Seventh Generation All Purpose Cleaner to
do a quick mop on tiled floors (not wood), I also like Method’s Squirt + Mop Floor
Cleaner in lemon ginger. This nontoxic, biodegradable cleaner contains a
hint of baking soda to mop kitchen tiles. It dries fast and leaves no residue.

Method also makes a similar product for hard wood floors. The
company’s products for “People Against Dirty” have a huge following for being affordable,
having nice-looking and eco-friendly packaging, and being easy to find at big
chain stores including Target and Bed Bath and Beyond.

Search
for more eco-friendly floor cleaners.

Make your own
cleaners (and save money)

Pretty much everything in your house can be cleaned with a
few simple natural ingredients picked up at your next trip to the grocery
store.

A big $2 jug of white vinegar will go a long way when all you have to do
is mix it 50/50 with water in a spray bottle and make an all-purpose cleaner
that also helps disinfect.  A few drops of
orange natural essence, (available at natural food stores such as Whole Foods) will
help temper the vinegar smell.

Scrubbing with a little lemon juice and baking soda will
remove stains from countertops and inside kitchen sinks. And try olive oil or
flaxseed oil to polish wood furniture.

Get
tips for removing stains with natural ingredients.

Search
for more homemade cleaning recipes.

Hire green cleaning help

No time or energy to clean?  Delegate! Eco-friendly maid services are
starting to boom with demand. Most come armed with a host of eco-friendly
products; others have their own brands they use exclusively.

Let them do all the wiping and scrubbing while you sit back
and enjoy a clean, fresh-smelling home that doesn’t leave any harmful
afterthoughts. If you can’t find a green maid in your area, hire a regular one
and insist they use the eco-friendly products you provide for them.

Search
for eco-friendly maid services.

Search
for eco-friendly furniture upholstery and carpet cleaners.

A clean home shouldn’t be a toxic hazard for you, your
children, your pets, or the planet. With a host of products on the market or
some easy (and penny-conscious) DIY recipes, there’s no reason to pick up a
chemical cleaner again.

Check out Yahoo! Green on Twitter and Facebook.

(Photo: Peter Schuchert)

The turritopsis nutricula
species of jellyfish may
be the only animal in the world to have truly discovered the fountain of
youth.

Since it is capable of cycling
from a mature adult stage to an immature polyp stage and back again, there may
be no natural limit to its life span. Scientists say the hydrozoan
jellyfish is the only known animal that can repeatedly turn back the hands of
time and revert to its polyp state (its first stage of life).

The key lies in a process
called transdifferentiation, where one type of cell is transformed into another
type of cell. Some animals can undergo limited
transdifferentiation and regenerate organs, such as salamanders, which can
regrow limbs. Turritopsi nutricula, on the other hand, can regenerate its
entire body over and over again. Researchers are studying the jellyfish to discover how it is able
to reverse its aging process.

Because they are able to bypass
death, the number of individuals is spiking. They’re now found in oceans around
the globe rather than just in their native Caribbean waters.  “We are looking at a worldwide silent invasion,”
says Dr. Maria Miglietta of the Smithsonian Tropical Marine
Institute.

Bryan Nelson is a regular contributor to Mother Nature Network, where a version of this post
originally appeared.

More from Mother Nature Network

• Jaw-dropping ‘Planet Earth’ series gets sequel on Discovery
  
• Make your dog more hybrid, less SUV
  
• Top 20 countries with most endangered species
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Check out Yahoo! Green on Twitter and Facebook.

(Photo: Marcal)

In a recent interview on Blog Talk Radio, Tim Spring, president of Marcal Paper, explained to me that virgin tree pulp is the most common source for paper towels, napkins, bath, and facial tissues found on store shelves.

However, virgin tree fiber is obtained only one way: By killing trees.

As we all know, cutting down trees contributes to the release of greenhouse gases, whereas planting trees sequesters them. This, of course, can have a direct impact on the effects of global warming.

While industry spokespeople like to say that the virgin fiber industry actually supports sustainable forests, which can take up carbon, there’s no denying the fact that it takes less energy to make something out of recycled fiber than to harvest and transport pulp from a felled tree.

As I stated in another article I wrote about Marcal Paper’s Marcal Small Steps campaign, 98% of all paper towels, napkins, bath, and facial tissue used in American homes is made from virgin fiber, whereas Marcal uses 100% recycled paper.

This information has to get out there. So my friends here’s a top 10 list from Marcal Small Steps:

10. Americans uses approximately 800 pounds per capita of paper per year. — Resource Conservation Alliance

9. Every 17 trees saved helps the earth absorb 250 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere annually. — AmeriFlow Recycling Inc.

8. Every American uses approximately one 100-foot-tall Douglas fir tree’s worth of paper and wood products per year. — American Forest and Paper Association

7. A single tree produces approximately 260 pounds of oxygen per year. That means two mature trees can supply enough oxygen annually to support a family of four. — U.S. Department of Agriculture and Bombay Natural History Society

6. Half of the world’s forests have already been cleared or burned, and 80 percent of what is left has been seriously degraded. — Environmental Paper Network

5. One tree can absorb as much carbon in a year as a car produces while driving 26,000 miles. — U.S. Department of Agriculture and Bombay Natural History Society

4. The average U.S. office worker produces two pounds of paper waste per day. — Envirowise

3. Manufacturing one pound of paper requires three and a half pounds of wood and produces three pounds of carbon dioxide. — Nature Canada

2. Discarded paper is one of the largest contributors to methane emissions from landfills. (Methane is a greenhouse gas that is 20 times more potent in its effects than CO2.) — Ernest Mayer, “What Evolution Is 2001”

1. An EPA study concluded that “Federal subsidies of virgin paper product undoubtedly cost the taxpayer hundreds of millions of dollars.” — Federal Disincentives: A Study of Federal Tax Subsidies and Other Programs Affecting Virgin Industries and Recycling (Washington, DC: EPA, August 1994), pg. 5.

For the sake of our planet, why not try to at least embrace some of the concerns in this campaign for at least one second per day?

Now imagine if everyone in the United States for just ONE DAY bought a recycled paper product, we can save 1 million trees from deforestation. Imagine if we just buy a product that deals with our hands, face and, well ya know, to save the planet today. That’s a great step in the right direction.

–This is a guest post by Seth Leitman, editor of the TAB Green Guru Guides. Check out the recent book he edited, Build Your Own Electric Motorcycle.

Also from Seth Leitman:

• DIY Home Energy Audits
• Meet Leilani Munter, the Gorgeous Green Race Car Driver
• Why Parks Make $ense

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Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc

The Auto X stand at the recent Specialty Equipment Market
(SEMA) show. (Auto X Prize photo)

The field is narrowing, and three lucky ducks are going to walk away with their share of $10 million. The money will be awarded in September by the Progressive Automotive X Prize, whose winners will be the best at building production-ready cars and trucks capable of the equivalent of 100 miles per gallon.

According to Eric Cahill, senior director of the X Prize Foundation, “We’re trying to create and stoke awareness about the new technologies, and helping to familiarize people with them, so they’ll be comfortable when they’re introduced.”

Cahill points out that since there are many different types of cars in the competition — electrics, biodiesels, E85 ethanol, straight diesel and hydrogen, even a steamer — it’s impossible to measure them with the city and highway mpg ratings we’re all familiar with. Instead, X Prize and Consumers Union both advocate what they call MPGe, which uses several factors to arrive at a miles-per-gallon equivalent for alternative technologies.

It gets interesting when you add in plug-in hybrid vehicles, which have both electric and gas modes, yielding dramatically different performance characteristics in each. For instance, Porsche just unveiled a 918 Spyder that can travel 15 miles on a charge (experiencing zero emissions) but then lights up a a humongous 500-horsepower V-8 that’s not nearly as green.

“You’ve hit the nail on the head,” Cahill said. “Electrification introduces substantial variability in fuel economy. For some of these cars, it makes a big difference if you’re traveling 10 miles or 100 miles, and how fast you’re going matters, too.” For that reason, Cahill said the X Prize is working on a definition of fuel economy for plug-in hybrids that includes two phases, charge-sustaining (when the gas engine is running) and charge-depleting (when it’s off).

“People are used to two mpg figures — city and highway,” Cahill said. “But they don’t apply to some of the new vehicles, and part of our job in fostering wider adoption is in helping consumers who are not technically savvy get used to new metrics.”

The Auto X Prize is partnering with the Morey Corporation, which is charged with creating a level playing field for judging cars’ eco-performance. Each car will be outfitted with Morey’s wireless telematics equipment that can measure fuel economy and other metrics, then transmit the data via cellular technology to central servers. According to Emad Isaac, Morey’s chief technology officer, some data on each car will be publicly available on Auto X’s webpage. “We’re going to great pains to make sure there is equivalence between vehicles,” Isaac said, “even monitoring cabin temperature.”

In February of last year, when registration closed, there were 111 teams fielding 136 vehicles (some have more than one). Today, with some entrants disqualified and others dropping out, there are 39 teams and 49 contenders. And they’re coming from the four corners of the planet, from Hong Kong to Helsinki, from Bellingham (Washington) to Blue Ash (Ohio). There are 13 international teams, including India’s Tata (the only mainstream carmaker entered). Aptera, which builds a futuristic EV right out of The Jetsons, is also an entrant. Aptera’s Marques McCammon said the company, which has suffered production delays, will use Auto X as a validation of its technology. Here’s a quick look at one of the more exotic cars, on an auto show stand in Vancouver:

From Finland comes the Electric Race About (E-RA), which is a 2+2 lithium-ion battery electric built from the ground up by a team at Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences (pictured below). From China there’s APET-X, the only Asian entry, a unique nickel-metal-hydride battery electric. Britain’s Delta Motorsports is entering a sleek EV coupe, the E-4. Edison2’s pod on wheels, from Charolottesville, Virgina, is internal combustion. And Cornell University, a formidable contender, has an eco-diesel.

Next month, the competition moves to Michigan, for the shakedown stage at the Michigan International Speedway. Cars will go through safety inspections — electrics will need to have a high-voltage kill switch, for instance. They’ll go through braking tests, lane-changing evaluations, recharge time checks and acceleration trials. The public will meet the challengers at a public ceremony in Lansing April 29.

In June, they’ll be back to demonstrate that the cars can achieve at least two thirds of the 100 MPGe figure, while also demonstrating real-world performance and low emissions. The finals are in July, followed by a final validation stage in August at the EPA Labs in Ann Arbor and the Argonne National Labs in Chicago.

To win, cars will have to be production-capable (in quantities of 10,000 a year), plus meet safety and emissions criteria. Prize winners will be in two divisions, competition (in the race for the money) and demonstration (no purse), and in both mainstream (standard five-passenger economy cars) and alternative (innovative designs). Half of the $10 million goes to the fastest mainstream class car, and the remaining $5 million will be split between two alternative class winners. It’s too late to enter, so you’ll just have to follow the results vicariously.

From Popular Mechanics: 41 Teams still in the Auto X Prize
Ferrari’s Hot Hybrid Concept

Friend us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Follow Jim Motavalli on Twitter.

More from The Daily Green

• See Some of the Leading Auto X Designs
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Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc

Photo via
Andrew Evans of the National
Geographic.

King
Penguins are notorious for their prim, tuxedoed appearance — but a
recently discovered all-black penguin seems unafraid to defy convention.
In what has been described as a “one in a zillion kind of mutation,”
biologists say that the animal has lost control of its pigmentation,
an occurrence that is extremely rare. Other than the penguin’s
monochromatic outfit, the animal appears to be perfectly healthy — and
then some. “Look at the size of those legs,” said one scientist, “It’s
an absolute monster.”

The under-dressed penguin was photographed by Andrew Evans of National
Geographic on the island of South Georgia near Antarctica.
As the picture circulated, some biologists were taken aback — including
Dr. Allan Baker of the University of
Toronto. His first response was disbelief:

Wow. That looks so bizarre I can’t even believe it. Wow.

While multicolored birds will often show some variation, Dr. Baker
explains that what makes this all-black King Penguin so rare is that the
bird’s melanin deposits have occurred where they are typically not
present — enough so that no light feathers even checker the bird’s
normally white chest.

Andrew Evans:

Melanism is merely the dark pigmentation of skin,
fur — or in this case, feathers. The unique trait derives from increased
melanin in the body. Genes may play a role, but so might other factors.
While melanism is common in many different animal species (e.g.,
Washington D.C. is famous for its melanistic squirrels), the trait is
extremely rare in penguins. All-black penguins are so rare there is
practically no research on the subject — biologists guess that perhaps
one in every quarter million of penguins shows evidence of at least
partial melanism, whereas the penguin we saw appears to be almost
entirely (if not entirely) melanistic.

Whether or not the all-black look catches on in the penguin fashion
world, it’s nice to see someone dressing-down for once.

Stephen Messenger is a correspondent at TreeHugger,
where this post originally appeared.

More
from TreeHugger

• TreeHugger Goes to Antarctica, Meets Penguins, Seals, and More
• Marine Protected Areas Are Crucial to Save the African Penguin
• David Burdeny’s Incredible Iceberg Photography: TreeHugger

Check out Yahoo! Green on Twitter and Facebook.

Dr. Shukri Souri of Exponent: Explaining the Toyota pedal
issues on Monday. (Photo: Toyota )

From a public relations point of view, this one is for the record books. Just after Toyota staged a lavish webcast to try and put sudden acceleration behind it, a Prius ran wild to 90 mph on a California highway, resulting in sensational coverage on every website, TV station and newspaper in America.

But the real story was a bit more subtle: The 2008 Prius driven by hapless motorist James Sikes had not been “fixed” by Toyota (he claims he was turned away from his dealership) but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) “defects and recalls” database has recorded more than 60 sudden acceleration incidents in cars that were fixed.

Here are a few, just involving 2010 Camrys:

“I own a 2010 Camry. I just had the recall done last week. Since the work has been done, I have had nothing but problems with the idle and the engine. Before the recall was done, I never had a problem. Something needs to be done before more people are killed.”

“My vehicle has been recalled and ‘repaired’ — gas pedal, floor mat, brake override system. Prior to the recall, the gas pedal was sluggish and I would experience mini, sudden accelerations. There has been no improvement since the repairs (done March 2). In fact, it appears to have become more frequent. The sudden accelerations are not dramatic and braking does take care of the problem.”

“While parking my 2010 Camry at the grocery store, I slowly turned into the parking space and my car suddenly accelerated, jumping the curb and hitting a cement surrounded light pole … I was not noticeably injured. The car had just had the replacement pedal installed on March 2, 2010 as ordered by the recall.”

And here are a few involving the 2010 Prius, which has a separate acceleration problem connected with braking over broken pavement:

“Since I purchased the car in September of 2009, the brakes fail when I am braking and hit a bump, pothole or uneven road surface. The brakes fail for a second or two, and sometimes the car lurches forward … On March 6, 2010 I had the recall software for the 2010 Prius done in the service department at the Mike Calvert Toyota dealership in Houston, Texas. On the way home, I experienced the brake failure again when I was braking and drove over a small pothole.”

“I visited my local dealership for repair of the brake recall of the 2010 Prius in early February. I do not believe that this repair has fixed the problem. A few days after the fix, my car seemed to accelerate as I was braking and happened to be going over a pothole.”

I’m aware there is such a thing as the power of suggestion, and the fact that runaway Toyotas are blanketing the news may make some people see problems where they don’t necessarily exist. After Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds broadcast in the 1930s, many people reported seeing his Martians or Venusians or whatever they were.

John Hanson, a Toyota spokesman, said to me, “It makes no difference if the car has been repaired or not: If there has been an incident reported, we have to investigate and see what caused it. Out of more than a million cars repaired in the recall, there have been a very small number of complaints, which we are investigating. The number is not necessarily significant.”

Hanson told me, as did another spokesman, Mike Michels, during the Toyota webcast yesterday, “We have a couple of cases of errors being made in the installation of the remedy. It’s a handful of cases.”

Toyota, with its recalls, apologies and reassuring commercials, keeps trying to put sudden acceleration behind it, but the genie refuses to stay in the bottle. The Christian Science Monitor got to the heart of the issue when it said, “[I]n playing defense, Toyota is not addressing owners’ and buyers’ core concern: Is my car safe?”

ABC-TV investigative reporter Brian Ross, whose reporting sparked the Toyota webcast, told me via email today, “I’m on vacation this week but it seems there are still many open [questions] about Toyota and its insistence of no electrical or computer problems.”

David Gilbert, the Southern Illinois University professor who ignited the most recent round of bad publicity by testifying before Congress that he had found an electronic glitch in Toyota’s pedal systems, informed me via email that he will meet next week with Toyota’s hired consulting company, Exponent. “I am committed to working with industry, government and other interested[ed] parties and hope to provide more conclusive opinions and input as more research and analysis is completed,” he said.

Here’s Bloomberg News in a video report on the latest events:

But Gilbert’s work — the subject of Toyota’s webcast — is something of a diversion at this point. Toyota demonstrated fairly definitively that a wiring fault similar to the one he used to make cars run away is very unlikely to occur in the real world. But Gilbert was trying to prove something else entirely. As Eric Evarts noted on the Consumer Reports blog, “In his Congressional testimony, Gilbert says this shows Toyota’s system is not infallible. His primary conclusion is that his test should have triggered an error code. In his report, he does not claim his procedure explains how unintended acceleration occurs in the real world.”

The real question now: Is there a “ghost in the machine” — a software problem — that is causing this intractable problem? “There isn’t a ghost issue out there,” Toyota’s Kristen Tabar said during the webcast yesterday, and the company continues to express confidence in its electronic systems.

Hanson also says there’s no electronic gremlin, or at least Toyota hasn’t found one. “We have investigated this many times, and it is also gone over in the R&D process,” he said. “We have yet to find any evidence of a software issue, or the ‘ghost in the machine’ that people are trying to find. If there was one, it would have occurred many, many times. Our computers compare notes with each other in milliseconds, and there are layers of fail-safe that would make it pretty darn tough for anything like that to happen.” But Hanson also said that engineers “never say never,” and that both Toyota and Exponent are continuing their probes.

More from The Daily Green

• Toyota Sudden Acceleration Problems Spread Through Industry
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• “Doomsday Seed Vault” Reaches New Milestone
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Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc

Image credit: AP Photo

A small frog that had been declared extinct more than 30 years ago
has been rediscovered in Australia. Litoria
castanea, better known as the “yellow-spotted bell frog” or
the “tablelands
bell frog,” was found in a creek bed on private property by
biologists Luke Pearce and David Hunter.

Hunter, who is a frog expert with the New South Wales Environment
Department, commented
that “this was definitely the most exciting moment of my career and
I will be surprised if I repeat it.” He went on to say that the
discovery highlights the important roll property owners play in
conservation efforts.

He explained:

The property owner at this particular site is extremely
excited about having this critically endangered frog species on his
land, and is very much looking forward to working with us in
collaboration towards the conservation of the bell frog.

The exact location of the discovery will remain a secret to protect
the fragile frog population and the homeowner’s property.

State Environment Minister Frank Sartor said he
was “advised that finding this frog is as significant a discovery as
a Tasmanian tiger.”

One of the frogs and a tadpole were collected and brought to
Sydney’s Taronga Zoo where biologists and conservationists hope to establish a
captive breeding program.

David DeFranza is assistant editor at Treehugger,
where this post originally appeared.

More from TreeHugger

• 10 Animals That Will Be Extinct Within Your Lifetime
• 7 Weird Endangered Species Only a Mother Could Love
• Quiz: Test Your Knowledge of Endangered Species

Check out Yahoo! Green on Twitter and Facebook.

Photo: Tony Crider/Flickr

Okay friends, this is as much for me as it is for you. I
have become lazy when it comes to using coupons at the store. I don’t
spend much time tracking them down. The few I have, I forget to take to
the store with me most of the time.

 

So I’m gathering a list of websites to visit while I’m creating my
grocery list. These are websites that offer coupons on the foods that I
buy — some frequently, some infrequently. You can save up to 30% on healthy staples such as milk, yogurt, meat, and more. Of course, how much you save depends on the prices at your local grocery store. 

 

These are sites that offer access to coupons immediately, but in
some cases you need to register to get access. Once you register, you’ll likely receive email newsletters, but those newsletters
might have more money-saving offers in them.

 

There are many other manufacturers that don’t have immediate
coupons on their sites, but they send out coupons in newsletters if you
sign up for them. I’ll leave them for another blog post.

 

• Arm & Hammer – A while back,
  home blogger Matt told us how to clean
  naturally with Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda. You can
  get coupons for Arm & Hammer products after registering on this
  site.
• Bordon – Organic
  milk coupon.
• Brown Cow –
  Register to get e-coupons on Brown Cow’s yogurts.
• Coleman – Complete a quick
  survey and get $5 in coupons for Coleman’s natural and organic meats. Save around 17% on bacon depending on where you live. 
• Earthbound
  Organics – You have to work for this one. Take a quiz about
  organics, score 100 percent, and get a coupon. Save up to 26% on salad mixes depending on the prices at your local store. 
• Earth’s
  Best – Coupons for organic baby food, infant formula, and
  toddler snacks.
• Laura’s Lean Beef – Sign up
  for the newsletter and receive an instant e-coupon.
• Lighthouse – You
  need to sign up to receive a coupon good for Lighthouse products
  including organic salad dressings.
• Hill’s
  Science Diet Pet Food – Natural dog and cat food coupons. Must
  register.
• Horizon
  – Sign up to get access to the coupons.
• Marzetti – Marzetti
  has a line of organic salad dressings and dips.
• Mombo
  Sprouts – Lots of various coupons for different natural and
  organic products. Changes frequently.
• Newman’s Own – The company founded by the late Paul Newman allows you to print coupons twice and lets you know when the
  coupons will change so you can get the new ones when they go up. You can use 50 cent coupons on numerous products. Count on saving around 25% on lemonade, 20% on salsa, and 16% on salad dressings and pasta sauces depending on the prices at your local store. 
• Organic Valley –
  Coupons for organic milk, eggs, cheese, and butter. Save as much as 30% on a half-gallon of organic milk depending on prices at your grocery store. 
• Pacific Foods
  – Coupons for soups, beverages, and frozen foods. I love the creamy tomato soup.
• R.W. Knudsen –
  Register for coupons for natural juices.
• Santa Cruz – Organic beverage
  and peanut butter coupons.
• Seeds of
  Change – Organic rice, pasta, and chocolate.
• Simply
  Organic – Coupons for a variety of Simply Organic products.
• Seventh Generation –
  Register and get instant access to coupons for household products. Save up to 27% on dish-washing liquid depending on prices at your grocery store. 
• Stonyfield – You need to
  register for access to the e-coupons. Save around 20% on a box of organic yogurt tubes depending on prices at your store. 
• Tribe Hummus – Tribe
  makes an all-natural hummus and an organic hummus.

Remember, any of these sites can change or omit their coupons at
any time.

 

• Six foods we could lose in an outbreak
• Videos: How to throw eco-friendly parties
  
• Facebook app helps you find a job — for your friend
• 10 great eco-bars
• 10 recycling rules to remember
• Environmental news

We change our wardrobes with the seasons, we should be changing our salad ingredients as well. Eating seasonally not only tastes better, but it requires a lot less energy to create.

In wintertime, instead of basing your salad on something light like a butter lettuce, consider something that weathers the cold climate, like endive, escarole or a more common spinach.

Once you’ve chosen your base leaf, move on to the add-ons. New York City-based chef Carlin Greenstein recommends building the salad around the green and in fall and winter, she likes to add a cooked element for those cold days.

Here is her recipe for a winter spinach salad complete with seasonal fruits (pomegranate, persimmon, and pear).

Winter Spinach Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of red spinach
• 1 persimmon
• 1 pomegranate
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 Bosc pear
• Olive oil for sautéing
• A handful of thyme

Direction:

1. Spread walnuts on a tray and place them in the oven for a few minutes, until lightly browned.
2. Cut and de-seed pomegranate.
3. Slice persimmon.
4. Slice pear. She uses Bosc rather than Bartlett because it’s firmer and it stays firm when sauteed.
5. Heat saucepan with a coating of olive oil.
6. Once oil is hot, add thyme. The oils naturally occurring in the thyme come out in the hot oil.
7. After a couple minutes, add the pears to the pan. Turn the stove down to medium. You don’t want to darken these, you just want to get them a little bit caramelized which means the sugars in the fruit are coming out.

A pomegranate, molasses, lemon vinaigrette

Ingredients for vinaigrette:

• 1/2 squeezed lemon
• 2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Pepper
• Sea salt

Directions for vinaigrette:

1. Squeeze half lemon into your hand to catch seeds.
2. Add pomegranate molasses, olive oil, pepper and sea salt.
3. Whisk together.
4. Taste using a piece of spinach.

Directions for putting it all together:

1. Add the greens to the bowl and toss with the vinaigrette.
2. Then add the persimmon, pomegranate seeds and the pear.
3. Sprinkle the roasted walnuts on top.

(Photo: Getty Images)

I recently moved out of my apartment, and as I packed my
10-years’ worth of belongings under the strain of a deadline to leave my old
place, I discovered how easy it is for even the most eco-minded person to be
extremely un-green and create a lot of waste during this one very big event.

So I decided to make a plan for how to do it right:

1. Throwing out

The key in the moving process is time. Plan for time ahead
of your move to assess which belongings are going with you and what it’s time
to part with. Clean out closets, cabinets, and under the beds so you can review
and responsibly deal with your stuff.

Set a personal goal to not put anything in the trash. I always see piles of belongings next to
the trash dumpsters of apartment buildings from people who moved hastily and
just put their unwanteds by the curb thinking the local homeless dumpster-divers
or junk collectors will take it. While this may be true for some items, in the
meantime, it’s a major eyesore for the neighborhood and a lot of it just ends
up in landfills.

Yes, one man’s trash is truly another’s treasure, and there
are plenty of resources for you to post all those impulse purchases,
ill-thought gifts, mismatching sets of housewares, and outgrown clothes. While
you may think of it as junk now, you may be surprised what people are willing
to take off your hands by posting it to Craigslist, Freecycle, or eBay.

You could even make a little money from it. Or just have a
good ol’ fashion garage sale and whatever doesn’t sell, donate to charity.

Don’t know what to do with your stuff? Get tips from the
Green Cheapskate’s post: “When
you can’t decide if it’s clutter or treasure.”

2. Repurposing unwanted
items

Take a good look at the items you no longer want – there may
be a plethora of scraps that can be repurposed into something else. Now is the
time to embrace your inner Martha Stewart and get crafty.

An old coat or pillowcase could be cut up and made into a
tote bag, those CDs of bands from the ‘80s could be a groovy set of coasters,
some earrings and pendants you no longer wear might make dazzling Christmas
tree ornaments or wine glass charms. Sites such as Instructables and HowStuffWorks
provide lots of ideas and how-to’s for making new items from old ones.

Search
for more craft websites.

Make a pile of potential craft projects and put them in a
box to tackle after your move. If you don’t get around to it in six months, try
posting the supplies section of Etsy
– other crafty people may be thrilled to use what you’ve got.

3. Recycling

Before you do a big clean-out, get up to speed on what can
be recycled through your city’s curbside program. Stacks of magazines and
newspapers, piled-up junk mail (be sure to shred anything that could be used
for identity theft), phone books, and metal clothes hangers are likely
contenders.

Some items are actually hazardous and may require special
handling (and can be illegal to toss in the trash). These include TVs, computer
monitors, and batteries to name a few. But they can be recycled at surprisingly
convenient drop-off points at major retail locations like Staples, Office
Depot, and Goodwill.

To find out who takes what, go to Earth 911.com and type in the type of items you
have and your ZIP code for a list of places near you that will recycle at no
charge. Be sure to plot your course so you can load up the car and hit all the
places you need in one trip to save even more carbons.

Find
your city’s curbside recycling information.

4. Packing

Once you get down to just the items you want to take with
you, the trick will be how to pack it in a green way. A quick search on Craigslist,
Freecycle, or your local classified should turn up plenty of free or super
cheap boxes you can take off the hands of people who just moved.

Movegreen offers a
cardboard box swap program for residents of California. When you’re done, be sure to pay
it forward and post the boxes for someone else to reuse rather than trashing
them. Reusing is even better than recycling in this case. The clever folks at Rent a Green Box and The Green Box Guys have
upped the ante on this idea and created more durable reusable plastic bins made
from recycled materials. Then when you’re done, they take the bins away for
you.

For packing materials, save bubble wrap and packaging from
items you’ve purchased online, and reuse the stuff. Or repurpose that stack of
newspapers sitting by the couch, even use your own clothes or linens to wrap
breakables – then you’re moving two items at once!

Find
more green packing supply services.

5. Get moving

Transportation of people and property is one of biggest
environmental hazards we face today. When we move, if it’s within the same
city, it usually requires lots of trips back and forth to haul our goods.

Consider renting a large moving van after you have
everything completely packed and ready. Then load it up. If you’ve estimated
how much stuff you have correctly, this should only take one trip and you’re
done.

Or get some help by looking into professional movers that
have eco-friendly practices. For example Movegreen, mentioned above, will
transport your belongings using B20 biodiesel vehicles. They also plant trees
and purchase carbon offsets to counter any unavoidable, un-eco actions.

Search
for green movers in your area.

When it’s all over, you can settle into your new place with no
waste and the peace of mind that you relocated on the planet without being
harmful to it.

Check out Yahoo! Green on Twitter and Facebook.

There is a basic contradiction in the phrase “green SUV.” That hasn’t changed, but SUVs have nonetheless evolved along more environmentally friendly lines, especially as they’ve hopped off truck platforms and become much more car-based. Some of these SUVs are as fuel-efficient as cars. And it certainly helps that many are now available as hybrids. Soon, we’re likely to see plug-in hybrid SUVs — with 40 to 50 miles of all-electric range.

The new SUVs are called “crossovers,” and they’ve been skyrocketing in popularity as consumers become more interested in fuel economy. According to Edmunds.com, price spikes in 2008 sent crossover sales soaring 50 percent over 2007 levels. Compact cars also saw a jump, as large SUVs plunged 20 percent in the first five months of 2008.

The most popular small SUVs today combine utility with sedan ride and handling and near-30-mpg mileage. In many cases, minivans are a good alternative to SUVs and provide better fuel economy and space utilization, but the “soccer mom” tag is death to many consumers.

Here are seven of the most fuel-efficient SUV crossovers:

Ford Escape Hybrid

You’ll pay a $9,000 premium over the base Escape for the $30,000 hybrid version, but you’ll be buying probably the most fuel-efficient SUV there is (32 mpg combined).

The Escape (the Mercury Mariner Hybrid is a close cousin) has enjoyed success as a New York taxi, and it’s proven quite durable. U.S. News and World Reports ranked it seventh of 22 affordable compact SUVs.

All-wheel drive is available, but you probably don’t need it and fuel economy suffers. There are Base and Limited models, with the latter adding a fair number of creature comforts — and more than $2,000 to the bottom line.

Porsche Cayenne Hybrid

Believe it or not, Porsche will introduce a hybrid SUV in 2010, a version of its performance-oriented Cayenne with a 150-mph top speed and a rumored 27 mpg.

Would Porsche make a minivan?

Volkswagen Touareg

For the rest of us who can’t afford a Porsche, a Volkswagen SUV alternative is soon to arrive.

The 2010 Volkswagen Touareg BlueMotion Hybrid uses a supercharged V-6 engine and a hybrid system that will also be shared with Porsche, in this case the four-door luxury Panamera sedan.

Like the Cayenne, it’s fast (zero to 60 in 6.2 seconds) and gets around 26 mpg combined (in the European cycle).

Honda CR-V

This is Honda’s venerable workhorse small SUV, and it has remained justifiably popular (though it is due for a makeover; this version dates to 2007).

The good news, however, is that for 2010, the CR-V (starting at $21,545) was significantly freshened, and Honda achieved the neat trick of both getting 14 more horsepower out of its 2.4-liter four and improving fuel economy to 21/28 mpg (2WD) and 21/27 (4WD).

Other choices offer an optional V-6, but Honda likes what the four offers. Road noise has also been reduced in the 2010 model.

Toyota RAV-4

Like the CR-V, this midsized crossover at $21,675, the RAV4 is a survivor, dating from the mid-1980s, with little alteration to the basic small-and-utilitarian concept.

This is one of the rare instances where it might makes sense to go for the bigger engine, since the available V-6 sacrifices little in terms of fuel economy (but adds nearly 100 horsepower and a 7.2-second zero to 60 time).

The four-cylinder 2WD RAV4 clocks in at 24 mpg combined, and its V-6 big brother 22. But you’re fine without the 4WD.

Subaru Forester

Not much changed in 2010, the $20,295 Subaru Forester (a favorite of greens with stuff to move) is, says Consumer Reports, “among the best small SUVs.”

Stick with the base 2.5-liter four, which offers lively performance and 22 mpg overall. If you feel you need it, the XT model adds turbocharging but declines to 20 mpg.

The Forester is perhaps the most carlike of these choices, and like all Subarus it comes with 4WD. The back seat has room to stretch out, and is one of the best things about this small car, which has enjoyed excellent reliability ratings.

BMW X6 ActiveHybrid

This is BMW’s first full hybrid vehicle, and it’s a luxurious but pricey choice at $89,725.

This is an SUV for performance-oriented techies, since its big twin-turbo V-8 produces 400 horsepower, and they are supported with a pair of beefy electric motors (480 peak horsepower total). There is no better option for zero to 60 in just 5.4 seconds while carting around a Cub Scout pack.

Take it up to 130 mph if you dare, then throttle back and go 1.6 miles on the nickel-metal-hydride batteries alone. Fuel economy is much better than the standard X6, but still no Environmental Defense Fund member’s dream at 17 in the city and 19 on the highway.

Carbon emissions are down 20 percent from the standard car, but they’re still double that of a Toyota Prius.

(Photos courtesy of each car maker.)

More from The Daily Green

• The Most Fuel-Efficient Cars and SUVs of 2010
• How to Pay 69 Cents per Gallon for Gas (or Less)
• The Eight Weirdest Fuels That May Take Over for Gas
• Six Next-Gen Electric Cars That Are Here Today
• 10 Easy Ways to Save 20% on Gas Every Day

Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc

Check out Yahoo! Green on Twitter and Facebook.

Banana bread is a great way to use up those bananas going soft on your counter. Bananas are also a great way alternative to refined sugar.

The ideal bananas for making banana bread are actually those that you may be less interested in eating. So the next time some of your bananas get overripe instead of tossing them, either consider making a loaf of banana bread or simply freeze them for when you are ready to bake.

By simply putting bananas in the freezer, you will stop the ripening process. The skins will turn black, but once you’re ready to use them simply defrost them with their peels on and once they’re thawed peel them and they’re ready to be cooked.

Getting our sugar from whole fruits

Bananas are a really healthy alternative to processed sugar. While fructose is a sugar, it’s nothing to be afraid of — in moderation — when found in whole fruits. Fruits are not only packed with vitamins and minerals, but they’re full of fiber.

Bananas — with about 2 to 4 grams of fiber per fruit — are one of the top five fruits rich in fiber (others are pears, apples, figs, and blackberries), which helps to cut the risk of diseases like diabetes and heart disease.

Sugar-free banana bread recipe

Many of these ingredients can be left out since bananas have such a distinctive flavor. So if you find yourself without baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla, nuts, or even salt, you can leave them all out and still bake up a tasty loaf of bread.

Ingredients

• 3 mashed bananas
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil or melted butter (you can substitute the oil or butter with applesauce)
• 2 eggs
• 2 cup flour (can be white, whole wheat, spelt, you can experiment here)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup chopped nuts
• Pinch of salt

Directions

1. Mash bananas in a bowl.
2. Add oil (or butter) and eggs and mix until creamy.
3. Mix in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.
4. Stir in the nuts.
5. Oil a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
6. Pour mixture into pan.
7. Bake at 325°F for 45 minutes to an hour. To check if it’s done, insert a knife or toothpick in center and if it comes out clean, it’s cooked.
8. Cool on a rack.
9. Remove from pan and slice.

Mr. Pickens said he was refocusing the plan, not only de-emphasizing wind energy, but also turning his natural gas focus from cars and pickup trucks to big commercial vehicles.

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