No sooner had I received word this morning that Greenpeace were taking action to urge government ministers from the world’s 17 biggest greenhouse polluters to “Stop Global Warming” and “Rescue the Planet” from the devastating effects of climate change that I then get confirmation that Phil Radford, Greenpeace USA’s new and shiny executive director, gets arrested for the sentiment!

Well, all I can say to Greenpeace is what a find! I for one think this new hire sure puts his money where his mouth is. After all, how many of us can say that we’ve been arrested the first day on the job and for such a heinous crime to boot? He and six other climbers were arrested after apparently unfurling a massive banner from a construction crane near the State Department with a message for environment ministers from the world’s largest economies: “Stop Global Warming. Rescue the Planet.”

See what I mean….absolutely heinous…..

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How great would it be to have nature tell you if the ground you walk on is safe?

Obviously this is not anything we have to worry about here in Western society (click here to see the video of what it could be like). However,  it’s a very different story for millions of other people around the globe.

Estimates say that there are more than 110 million active land-mines scattered throughout 68 countries, many of them leaking toxic chemicals into the earth as they decay. In fact, so common are mines in Cambodia that they are now used for fishing, to protect private property and even to settle private disputes. Once laid, a mine may remain active for up to 50 years.

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presented by Aerin, our resident garden muse (when next in Berkeley, don’t forget to visit the Magic Gardens Nursery. If you mention MuseGreen you’ll receive a 10% discount off your nursery purchase!)

We thought we’d share with you a wonderful article on tomatoes written by a great friend of Magic Gardens, Fred Hempel of Baia Nicchia.

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Did you know that the Earth’s population is growing at a rate of 6,000,000 per day and that resources we take for granted - such as the water we use to rinse off our latest cure for split ends are running drastically low, especially in the more remote parts of the globe?

Speculation has it that the strain on our natural resources could lead to mass migration and maybe even civil unrest in years to come. Doesn’t sound good, does it? I guess we could call it all complete bollocks and bury our head in the sand - that might make us feel better, for a while, but one guy who certainly will not do that is our very own Prince Charles.

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What do you get when you combine renewable energy technology with good, centuries old building techniques? A zero-carbon building - that’s what.

Developed by University of Cambridge architects (and recently featured on Channel 4’s Grand Designs program in the UK) as a prototype for future living - the ‘arch’ is based upon a 600 year-old design that retains heat from the sun while cooling naturally in the summer.

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I’m not sure about you - but my morning routine starts with a good cup of (fair trade) coffee from my new, high tech whiz bang coffee grinder/brewing device. It’s just the job to help me shepherd all 4 kids off to school and it sets me up for a long day in the office.

Julia over at Good Earth Coffee just sent over these great tips to try out this St. Patrick’s Day. If you’re feeling dangerous - then I guess you could leave in the magic whiskey ingredient in your 7:30am brew and see how that effects your productivity!

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I love Rolling Stone magazine. I love the commentary, the writing style - it’s just a really great publication. Anyway, while as I was flicking through RS waiting for my sons to finish their rock band rehearsal at the local haunt, I  came across a little article that caught my eye. Sex Toys - yep, you heard me. Those gadgets (…”of which we shall not speak“…) that are destined to end up forever in a landfill (along with the brown paper bag that covers them)!

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by Josh Haner/The New York Times

Joseph Huff-Hannon emailed me a few weeks ago regarding an article he had just written for the New York Times about an order of Episcopal nuns who are building what will be the first “eco-convent” in New York City.  Well - I couldn’t let that one go by without checking it out, now could I?

It was about 10 years ago that the Episcopal sisters of the Community of the Holy Spirit began to discuss a mission to care for the environment. Their religion, they say, was their bridge to a green life and have proved this by applying their ecological principles at St. Hilda’s. They compost food scraps, recycle bottles and cans, use energy-efficient light bulbs and eat organic produce, most of it from an upstate farm. Sister Faith Margaret, Sister Claire Joy and Sister Leslie speak at conferences and gatherings about “how to green your life.”

One sister in particular, Helena Marie, had been a pioneer in prodding the nuns to make a priority of the environment in both their ministry and their way of life. Although Sister Helena Marie now lives with three other nuns at the community’s convent in Brewster, where the sisters run an organic operation called Bluestone Farm, her influence remains.

As with any community seeking to change old ways, transformation did not take place overnight.

“When she first started bringing it up,” Sister Faith Margaret said of Sister Helena Marie’s concerns, “some of us would roll our eyes. But she was very persistent. And at some point she broke through in a way that got us to think differently, and we started to do little bits at a time.”

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I had to share this BBC story with you about a solar powered car that arrived at the UN climate change talks in Poland, last December after an around-the-world trip covering almost 40 countries.  At the wheel of the “solar taxi” was Swiss teacher Louis Palmer who made the 52,000km (32,000 mile) 17-month trip.

He said the feat proved solar power was a viable alternative to oil-based fuels and could help fight global warming. But he said the prototype would need serious modification before it could be mass produced. The small blue-and-white three-wheeler tows a trailer packed with batteries charged by the sun. It can travel for 300km on a single charge and reach speeds of 90km/h (55mph).

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I’m not a great lover of loyalty programs myself - especially the increasing number that masquerade as environmental - however I came across a great company today called RecycleBank and I thought I’d share it with you.

RecycleBank is a Philadelphia-based start-up that runs incentive-based recycling programs. What interested me, however, is that they have managed to secure a huge amount of Series B funding - around $30 million to be exact and that tells me the idea is not only a good one, but that it has the backing of the municipalities and recyclers - which will only prove to further cement this vital practice into our everyday lives.

The principle is very simple - RecycleBank is trying to revitalize municipal recycling by enticing consumers to take part - the more a customer recycles, the more “RecycleBank Dollars” he or she earns, which can then be redeemed for discounts at over 1,200 local and national participating businesses.

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Chicken poop isn’t just for the coop, anymore. Some incredibly inventive people are doing amazing things with the droppings from farm animals.

Environmental problems don’t just come from the consumption of red meat. The production of chickens is a huge environmental issue across the globe. So that’s where biogas comes in.

Biogas typically refers to a gas produced by the biological breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen. Biogas originates from biogenic material and is a type of biofuel. The MG gals say “YAY” for biofuels!!

While most biogas plants operate almost exclusively on corn silage, several newcomers have found solutions that also help get rid of farm waste. A biogas plant in Germany (stated as the world’s first biogas/biomethane plant) is operating with 70% chicken manure, 20% corn and grass silage from landscaping and 10% from feedstock.

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Becoming more environmentally aware of my actions and of those around me has actually become a double edged sword. On the one hand, of course it’s a blessing. It’s a blessing for me to be able to adapt, quite easily, to making better choices and for educating my children with the facts they need to further promote these ideas in their own lives. However, it’s also a curse.

A curse when I see a neighbour wasting gallons of precious water, hosing leaves off their driveway for 20 minutes or seeing the devil incarnate (aka Styrofoam) in cup and plate form at social events (and, according to TIME magazine, “Americans trash an estimated trillion disposable plates and utensils every year”).  Just tragic.

So,  imagine how fabulous it was when Paul Smith - founder of the excellent Green Smith Consulting, contacted me with news that VerTerra, THE  company to go to for disposable, leaf-based plates and platters have just completely revamped their line for 2009! What better than disposable plates made from a 100% renewable source? …. fallen leaves!

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Well, it’s certainly been a lazy, post Christmas stroll back to the blogging world for us Muses! Nevertheless, we’re all back and accounted for and ready to serve up some more juicy, environmentally conscious tidbits for 2009.

With the holiday season over I’m sure I’m not the only one with a few too many inches to pinch these days (except for the woman in the picture below who clearly hasn’t been gorging on Christmas pud). So, what could be better than a bike to get you up and going? But, not just any old bike. This one has been designed to fit into the back of your car so you can take it anywhere and whip it out whenever the mood takes you.

Apart from being avid, lunchtime MuseGreen readers, the guys over at Montague Bikes spend the rest of the time dreaming up ideas on how to get more people out of cars and onto bikes, creating the most state of the art and practical bikes on the market. But what makes these bikes different is that they are designed with the the commuter in mind.

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Looks like the daggers were out this week when Robert Redford, a trustee for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), spoke out over the Bush Administration’s proposal to auction off federal land near national treasures in Utah for oil and gas exploration. But whilst environmentalists welcomed the added strength to their corner,  others lashed out saying that, “Redford is just another big mouth actor, trying to force his opinions down everyone else’s throat.”

The leases are said to cover 110,000 acres in various plots near some of the most beautiful national parks, monuments and historic native art sites, including Arches National Park.

Those for more exploration and drilling argue that it’s essential to lessen the nation’s dependence on foreign oil. Redford, however called the move “morally criminal” and said he “was shocked about how devious and sneaky” Bush has been. “These lands are part of our legacy … not Cheney’s and Bush’s,” Redford said. “[They've] been trashing the environment since they came in, like it was their prerogative.”

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I came across RealAge a few years ago. The website pulls together health and fitness information from a variety of sources and presents it in an easy way to digest (check out the healthy recipe section!).  For example, they have a great article on how eating a big breakfast will help keep you trim (rather than the other way around) and also on how papaya is the wrinkle fighting fruit - stuffed full of vitamin C - that helps fight the signs of aging from the inside out.

The one tool, however, that I find very useful is the RealAge test. It basically asks you a variety of lifestyle questions and out pops what your body is telling you your REAL age is. If you do nothing else, I suggest you invest a few minutes and find out how old your body thinks you really are!

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I flew back to the UK a couple of days ago and I must say that I am liking what I see. No, it’s not just the high availability of fish and chip shops and decent beer (of which I have only ever so slightly partaken!). I’m referring to the level of eco-consciousness that appears to be penetrating Brit culture. Even the vibrant pink make-up bag that my 8 year got from Father Christmas yesterday had a tag on it asking to ‘recycle when you’re finished with me’. Now it looks like the country’s eco-initiatives are extending to one of London’s most prominent and iconic mobile landmarks - the double decker bus.

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