Reuters reports on a major pistachio recall due to a salmonella scare.

Grist talks about Nike and Starbucks making major strides in environmental protection.

Living Without Meat has instructions for making a reusable sandwich wrapper.

No Impact Man discusses what it would take to fix the climate.

Scientific American presents a case against heirloom tomatoes.

Blatherskite makes fabric from plastic bags.

Oh How Lovely is giving away adorable reusable produce bags.

The Good Human has a contract for living on Earth.

You wouldn’t scrub your child down with formaldehyde, right?  Unfortunately, you might be without even knowing it.

Environmental Working Group (EWG) released the results of a study on personal care products for kids, and the results were upsetting: Read more…

Since Go Green Travel Green wrote such a great post about Earth Hour, I’ll send you over there from more info.

Do you feel like making your home energy efficient is an overwhelming task?  Sometimes, I do.  EnergyCircle.com is a great resource to help you make efficient choices in your home.

I love the above video, because it shows how a simple choice can make a world of difference.

I have often said that if there were a pill I could take to get all my nutritional needs met without actually having to eat, I totally would.  It’s not that I don’t enjoy good food, it’s just that I find the whole constant process of shopping for (or otherwise procuring), preparing, eating, and cleaning up after food to be tedious.

I also have a habit of getting so caught up in my writing that I forget to eat.  When I break out of my writing haze, I’m so hungry I could eat my arm.  And since we don’t make a habit of keeping a lot of prepackaged food around, I end up stuffing my face with weird foods instead of taking the time to make an actual meal.  Half a can of olives, an amount of pickles that puts me over my recommended salt intake for the next decade, hunks of cheese – these things in moderation aren’t bad, but they don’t add up to a balanced meal or snack.

I’m not dieting, and I’m not kidding myself into thinking that meal replacement shakes are the healthiest way to go all the time, but having a quick meal solution on hand, keeps me from eating weird stuff, and is a nice, calorie-controlled option.

Problem?  Many meal replacement shakes are full of High Fructose Corn Syrup as well as many other icky ingredients.

But I’ve found two options that are pretty darn good. Read more…

After spending my evening running around my neighbors’ garbage dump garden chasing after the little dog who wanted to eat kitchen scraps from their compost for the 86 gazillionth m@#$#Q@ f@##$#g time, I thought I’d do a post about things you cannot compost.  Read more…

National Geographic has pictures of the remaining effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill 20 years later.

Ecorazzi says the co-founder of Google is building a “green mansion.”  Is green mansion an oxymoron?

Tiny Choices has an excellent post about boxed water.

EarthFirst charts out how much water we really use.  The results are startling.

Wise Bread gives us great tips for group gardening.

The Good Human compares Netflix to video stores to see which is more eco-conscious.

The Daily Green tries to explain why so many conservatives are still doubtful of climate change.

Scientific American talks about the effects of climate change on your home garden.

Green Up Grader talks about a hotel with rooms made from recycled wine casks! (thanks, NPW)

What’s going on with you?

Lately, I feel like I am fueled by green tea.  If I could, I would walk around with a green tea IV drip.  When my book comes out, I feel like there should be a footnote stating, “Made possible by copious amounts of green tea.”  I don’t think it’s about the caffeine.  Maybe it’s a comfort thing.  Maybe it’s clinging to the idea that I’m doing something somewhat healthy for myself during my editing/hibernation period.  But regardless, my afternoon cups of green tea feel necessary and indulgent in just the right way.

My current favorite is Alter Eco Organic Green Dew Darjeeling Heights.  I tend to leave my tea bag in the cup while I drink it, and I often forget I’m making tea until the tea pot whistles and the water is actually boiling (you’re not supposed to use boiling water for green and white teas) so I often make this tea wrong.  Still, it ends up smooth, without a bitter aftertaste.

It’s Organic and Fair Trade Certified.  Alter Eco is committed to sustainable development and human development by producing food products responsibly.

What’s your favorite afternoon pick-me-up?

Thank you so much for all your suggestions to help me find a new purse yesterday!  I can’t wait to check them all out!

I thought this video was fascinating.  Enjoy and be healthy!  Have a great weekend!

Help!  I need a new purse.  I have a great tote bag, and a wonderful collection of reusable shopping bags, but I need a casual purse.  I was planning to splurge and buy Simple’s Blottoe Bag (that beautiful, beautiful bag pictured above), because it’s exactly what I’m looking for in a purse (and I’ve been drooling over it for more than a year).  I love the casual style, the eco-friendly materials, and the company it comes from.  The problem?  It’s huge!  When I checked the dimensions, I realized that it’s not a purse, but more of a school/work/weekend bag.

I’ve looked high and low, but I can’t seem to find the combo of features I’m looking for: Read more…