Did you catch everything this week? Take a closer look at what you may have missed.

The sun will soon be back in full force, so save your skin from damage caused by UVA and UVB rays and unnecessary chemicals with Katherine’s picks for the Best Organic Sunscreens for Your Face.

Enter for your chance to win a Reclaimed Redwood Adirondack Chair by e-mailing us your ideas for the perfect staycation.

Amy can’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia as old textile mills across the country begin to crumble along with a piece of the past. So, We All Hail the Millers and hope for rebirth.

Dive into the water sporting the latest swimwear trend, and you’ll have to Hold on to That Suit! Amy questions the practicality of this summer’s asymmetrical fad.

Is Robert Redford an eco advocate or not? Liz ponders why he views the new Eco-Village as an Indecent Proposal.

We animal lovers choose Free Range Only, but what exactly does this guarantee? Mike explores the true definition of this label and what it means for the hens supplying us with incredible, edible eggs.

Eco-friendly upgrades for your living space can be pretty pricey, so check out 5 Ways to Get Cash Back by Greening Your Home.

Grocery bills are soaring these days, but you can get your hands on free food just by venturing into the great outdoors. Here are 20 Tasty Wild Plants that won’t cost you a cent.

Image: Guwashi999

Get up to speed on the latest news and tips from EcoSalon with this week’s roundup.

Your summer shopping spree doesn’t have to cost a cent, and, no, I’m not referring to the five finger discount. Kim shares 10 Tips for a Successful Clothing Swap to have a blast while exchanging ensembles with your friends.

We all know that eating locally is important for the environment and local economy, but how does traceability figure into the equation? Vanessa enlightens us with The Truth About Food Imports.

If a workout routine and a healthy diet just aren’t doing the trick to keep your body lean, try incorporating the 15 Best Foods to Boost Your Metabolism into you daily meal plan.

Enter the TOMS Vegan Shoe Giveaway for a chance to win two pairs, one for you and the other for a child in need.

Through the coalescence of humanity and technology, power is shifting back into the hands of the people. Guest poster Max Gladwell explores 10 Ways to Change the World Through Social Media.

Aside from reducing our environmental impact, Mike gives us 10 More Reasons to Love Bike Month.

Is your home looking a bit bland these days? Get in touch with your artistic side and create your own Decorative Mirrors and Glass.

Looking for some more hands-on crafts to have fun the eco-friendly way? Luanne inspires us to Tap Your Inner Prairie Child with These Green DIY Projects.

Image: woodleywonderworks

See what seven eco designers had to say when Amy asks them if Eco Fabrics Are Better Than Conventional Cloth.

More than just a Cactus on a Hot Tin Roof, landscape designer Stephen J. Suzman’s succulent rooftop garden is a stunning sight to behold. Luanne gets the scoop on his unique display at the 2009 San Francisco Decorator Showcase.

Susan highlights key points of the 10^th Annual Air Quality Report and explores what nations and individuals can do to help combat pollution.

When it comes to lathering your locks, what’s the difference between sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, disodium laureth sulfosuccinate and decyl glucoside? Katherine clears up the confusion and shares her picks for the Best Organic, Natural and Eco-Friendly Shampoos for All Hair Types.

Lawn Painting Grows as Foreclosures Spread, but Amy can’t help but speculate whether this curb appeal initiative bears false environmental claims.

With the looming threat of climate change and rising sea levels, the President of the Maldives Gets Busy Bailing Out His Island Nation, and Luanne investigates his plan to relocate the country.

Will Regulating Greenhouse Gas Emissions Under the Clean Air Act Be the Dawn of a New Era? Vanessa examines whether this could be the gateway to a greener economy.

Proving just how easy it is to make certain green changes in our lifestyle, Mike envisions a post-waste world in which disposable cups are extinct and We All Carry Mugs.

There’s a good reason we have Trust Issues with our banks, but what can we do about it? Mike enlightens us about the possibilities of socially responsible investing.

The need for frequent vet visits may be a sign that you’re inadvertently exposing your pet to unnecessary chemicals. Learn how to keep your furry friends hale and hearty with Sarah’s 7 Tips for Healthy Pets.

Amy gets the scoop from six renowned green designers on why eco fashion is more expensive. Or is it?

As Shoe Designers Go Forward with Couture, Amy sits down for a Q & A session with eco footwear expert Arlene Bahar. In this fabulous interview, she dishes about how she gained that status, her favorite lines, the evolution of eco-friendly shoes and more.

Mike explores why more than 100 scientific papers relay the same dire message about marine preservation: Ban Fishing, Say Conservationists- or Fish are Sunk.

Focusing on the efforts of Katie and Madeleine Albright, Luanne covers the San Francisco Child Abuse Prevention Center’s annual Blue Ribbon Luncheon. See how this dynamic duo is working together to break the cycle of abuse with A Mother’s Day Gift That Keeps on Giving.

As guest poster Victoria Everman plans her own green nuptials, she shares 9 Eco Wedding Tips to tie the knot in environmentally sound and budget conscious style.

For more advice, check out my list of 20 Online Resources for Planning an Eco Wedding.

Luanne takes us on an enlightening tour of A Sacred Space to Dwell, created for the 2009 San Francisco Decorator Showcase by Kevin Hackett and Jessica Weigley of Siol Studios.

First, a link we’ve mentioned before (what’s that called, a relink?) but worth repeating because it’s a foodie’s treasure trove – it’s 50 of the world’s best food blogs. My personal favorite is Chez Pim, where I first learned how to sun-dry my own tomatoes without using the sun – jolly handy for us Brits.

This is upcycling par excellence: yarn created from the unlikeliest of sources including plastic netting, VHS tape, newspaper and human hair! Thanks to Matt and CraftStylish for this one – but as green as it is, the people-hair thing, well, must dash, bye.

Looking to build a new house for next to no money? Dan Phillips is the man to see. His house is 85% landfill – and as you can see in this Texas Country Reporter video, it looks terrific. So far Dan’s helped 8 families build and purchase a recycled home – could yours be number 9?

If you want a reminder that the wrong types of cosmetics, deodorants and chemical cleaners are causing havoc when they spill into the environment, look at the state of Chesapeake Bay and Puget Sound – and that’s 30 years after the Clean Water Act kicked in. (Or take a look at what Luanne discovered last year).

Starbucks continues to play Good Cop and Bad Cop – hot on the heels of this public relations disaster, the company has announced it’s investing heavily in Fair Trade practices, aiming to supporting the development of small-scale farming initiatives with a $20 million investment. Good recovery, guys (and thanks, Treehugger).

Is there anything that looks more shabby than dirty, ripped advertisements peeling off billboards and oozing neglect? Therefore, logic dictates, is there anything potentially classier than advertisements made from natural, temporary materials, such as wheat, sea water and snow? The name of the most exciting thing to hit marketing this year is Curb – and Ecopreneurist has more details.

Obama has just signed a $5.7 billion bill to triple the size of AmeriCorps, touching the lives of millions of people. And every one of them is a starfish.

There’s a word with which science-led types like me are usually uncomfortable. It’s not something you can nail down with hi-tech testing and maths and statistical formulae. But it’s an undeniable part of our relationship with the natural world, so we need to look it in the face and grow comfortable with it. And it’s married with the word “ecology” here, at Green By Design.

Nixon! Sorry to scare you there. The famously grubby-pawed President has become something of a metaphor for monstrous evildoing in recent years (take Futurama’s depiction). Yet it was Nixon’s administration that created the Environmental Protection Agency. Should we be kinder to his legacy? Well, no – but perhaps we should be a little grateful.

Now here’s a vital question: what happens when we start looking long and hard at how rampant commercialism is affecting people during their most impressionable time – childhood? Jennifer Lance at Eco Child’s Play cites the disturbing way that Disney is targeting young boys, apparently enlisting the help of “a researcher with a background in the casino industry”. Where’s the line?

Ugh – celebs. What are they like? Flying their personal trainers back and forth, owning their own private jet fleet, cutting down Giant Redwoods to make toothpicks for their dogs (okay, I made that one up). But while we love to hate celebs, we should also love to love them as well – taking as an example the work of Jane Kaczmarek (Malcolm in the Middle), seen here at Razoo. If you need further convincing, take a look at Kaczmarek’s “Clothes Off Our Back” Foundation.

Feel like your brain has been taxed enough this week? Feeling the urge to fling oranges at illegal loggers? Thought so. Well then, here’s how, thanks to some people at Tropicana with an overabundance of time on their hands. Fruits away!

So many new green sites to keep up with. Take GreenDig, which we definitely do dig now that we’ve had the chance to catch up with it, even though it started up last year. Slow down, Internets!

Eco-news isn’t all bad, as Cailtin recently demonstrated – and if you’re looking for an even more epic shot in the arm, read through these 10 truly colossal green projects that have world-changing significance. Guaranteed to replace the spring in your step!

Finally, an important and timely safety announcement. Beware blueberry waffle mix – more specifically, of becoming an ingredient of it. That is all.

Image: Dreamtroll

First, up – let’s hear it for cheerleader calendars! Yeah! (Sometimes I really hate my job, the research is such a burden, and so on).

Since sometimes it seems Treehugger has been around longer than the Earth itself, you’ll know it’s a momentous occasion when it collects together the best of all its posts in one place. Take a look, here at Best Of Green.

If you’re looking for another reason to be proud of your nearest or home city, find out where it ranks on Fast Company’s top 25 Least Wasteful American Cities – and if it’s somewhat down the list, why not ask your local authority why?

Remember the Cola Wars? Pepsi vs. Coke. Then Pepsi vs New Coke…and then The Entire World vs. New Coke, forcing Coca Cola to hurriedly backtrack. Coke won the day (read Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink to learn why) but that rivalry is forever simmering. Cut to the present…and could eco-friendliness become their new battleground? Greenopia puts the cola heavyweights to the test.

Could this be more poignant? Eco Worldly has a post on 11 recently extinct creatures that were photographed while they were alive. Will we see their likes again?

Pity brown paper bags – they suffer from a distinctly unglamorous street-cred. Yet you can do this with them. (Thanks to Alicia at Eco Chick.)

When you’re cycling around the city this summer – which is easy when bikes are this portable – you might want some cool tunes a-playing. Dave Burdick has his own suggestions at HuffPo (have to say, hearing Morrissey would make me want to crash, but to each their own). Oh, and I’d say to keep the headphones out of your ears when the wheels are turning, but you knew that already.

Detergent comes in either cardboard or plastic, and nothing else. Why? Yes, I’m scratching my head too, when glass is the perfect choice. So here’s how to do it right, at Apartment Therapy.

Inhabitat poses the question, is boxed water better? (The answer: fractionally.)

Marisa Belger enjoys getting to grips with quality recycled products at MSN Green – including recycled windshield glass (of which we’re also a fan).

Now for some truly shocking before-and-after photos. You think that turning off the lights for Earth Hour doesn’t make that much of a difference to the average skyline? If you take a look at these photos at Boston.com (via Earthfirst), the problem is glaringly obvious.

If you haven’t heard of El Hierro, we can’t exactly blame you (it’s actually the smallest island in the Canaries). But you can expect to hear a lot more about it, since it’s set to become one of the very few islands round the world that are powered totally from renewable sources. The bulk of the electricity is generated from hydro-wind sources, including a wind farm embedded in the crater of a dormant volcano!

Google is proving decidedly adept at changing the world. Take Google Earth, and the zillions of truly useful applications and map overlays that are being developed for it by scientists, technologists and committed amateurs worldwide. The latest? It’s called The Path To Green Energy, and it’s been developed by The National Audubon Society and the Natural Resources Defense Council. In a nutshell: here’s where to build renewable energy. Amazing. (Thanks, Consumer Energy Report).

Now, let’s see what you think about this one. Scientists at MIT have discovered how viruses can be used to charge up batteries. Yes – viruses. No solvents, no toxic ingredients, completely natural – but technically using living creatures to generate power (very Matrix, I must say). And there’s the other issue, which is…hey, they’re viruses. Leaky batteries that could be infectious? Hmm.

Arianna Huffington recently invited Deep Green Living to have a mosey around her house and suggest ways she could be a little more eco. And…there are logs for the fire made of compressed coffee grounds? Can you imagine the aroma? I think Christmas just came early.

Ask a child to draw a cow, and it’ll probably be eating grass. Because that’s what cows do, right? Generally speaking, not so much. Will Winter and Todd Churchill think this is wrong – and they have a plan.

Taxi drivers in Boston aren’t too keen on the hybridization of the city’s taxi fleet, citing economic rather than environmental objections. Is this where local government steps into the breach? Follow the story at The New York Times.

Still staying with the ‘Times: sustainable building is how Pittsburgh transformed itself from a steel-industry giant to a slimmer, greener incarnation – and it looks set to ride out the recession in a slow, steady, sustainable way.

So – encouraging people to go green. The ones who switch off at the word “green”? Tough call. The sensible course of action is to focus on results, as with these 10 arguments at Planet Green – and in doing so, remind them that “green” is sometimes just a modern word for what’s been regarded as common sense for decades.

Yet another worrying sign that all is not well with GM crops – Treehugger reports that South African corn growers have been struggling with a harvest of tinkered corn that has failed to produce any seeds. Millions of dollars down the drain, and a sense of dread for the next harvest.

Guerrillas are getting everywhere. We’ve heard of (and love the idea of) guerrilla gardeners – but now it’s the turn of guerrilla retailers. Except, not really, because they’ve always been everywhere you look. Cultcase looks at 6 of the most remarkable.

We’re social media addicts, here at EcoSalon. And no, we don’t want to think of the amount of time we’ve spent on Stumbleupon, Digg, Facebook, Twitter and the like. (Too scary). But the National Wildlife Federation has a nice reminder of the power of social media to make a difference – in this case, saving wildlife. (So maybe it’s not so scary after all). Oh, and remember to Facebook your boss.

Want to go on holiday knowing that your dollars are reaching the community in the best way possible? Sounds like voluntourism is for you – here’s an outline at Razoo.

And finally…here we go again.

Have a great weekend, everyone.

Image: Daniel Pink

I can think of no better way to wake up in the morning than to the music of birds. Granted, they wake up a lot earlier than I prefer, but their song and poetry makes it easy to drift back into a sweet morning sleep. I’m incredibly grateful for the presence of birds. I have lived where they are silent and rare and it truly makes for a dismal day.

So how are our avian companions doing these days? Due to contaminants in the environment and habitat loss (i.e., tearing down stands of trees to build shopping malls), our fine feathered friends are not doing so well in the United States. That’s the bad news. The first ever State of U.S. Birds Report makes this clear.

But the good news is that with appropriate land management, habitat restoration and and wetland conservation, we can make a great impact towards population comeback, to keep our valuable and beloved bird populations not just surviving, but thriving. Check out the State of the U.S. Birds Report for more information and see how you can help birds where you live.

Image: tibchris

You own the what? Yes, it’s true – there are some states where you’re breaking the law by collecting rainwater, because legally, it simply isn’t yours to collect. Okay, it’s rarely enforced – but still illegal. (What about accidental collection? Do you have to hand it in to the police? What about condensation or dew? It boggles the mind).

No matter what you think of Alice Waters (here are our thoughts), you can’t deny her heart is in the right place when it comes to the White House lawn. Now that smart Mrs Obama has dug it up and planted her very own Victory garden, how do you think Waters reacted? Corby Kummer finds out over at the Atlantic.

We’re staunch advocates of energy-efficient ways of dealing with laundry, from line-drying (the quirkier the better) to a little help from flying saucers. However, for sheer thoroughness on the subject, chelseaGREEN’s article on not being a laundry energy glutton has us beat. Bravo.

There’s a hybrid race going on. Honda released a new range. Toyota seems to have panicked and leapt on the bandwagon with their version of a hybrid, the Yaris. Honda? Your move – and any other players?

“The production of muscle tissue for human consumption”. Doesn’t that make you salivate? No? Me neither. However, in vitro meat seems inevitably on the way. (Some people will be delighted). And the reasons for developing “shmeat” are sound. Of course, we could just eat a lot less meat, and forgo the $billions in scientific research and industrial development. No, I’m probably wrong over here, just forget I piped up.

Exxon and Alaska. What a difference 20 years makes. Back then, in the wake of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, Alaskans couldn’t have been filled with more loathing. But now Exxon is on the rise again, even if the Alaskan ecology is still struggling to get back on its feet. Once bitten, twice…bitten?

So, you want your own living roof. Where to start? (Yes, I know, “up on the roof”. You’re hilarious). Paula Crossfield of Civil Eats has a few ideas, and she’ll be posting about the whole $2,000 dollar planned renovation as time goes on.

At last! Hot water going down the drain – what a waste. What’s needed is some kind of heat exchanger to strip the wasted energy out the water before it disappears. Something like the EcoDrain, then, as seen at Yahoo Green? Perfect.

And while we’re on the subject of common sense, what’s the point in leaving city skylines blazing with light every night? David Chiu of San Francisco can’t see one, which is why he’s proposed legislation to prohibit lights being left on in unoccupied commercial buildings – and if passed, it will make the city the first in North America to be so…sensible.

Where does the law draw the line between an activist and a terrorist? The curious case of Marie Mason throws this emotional issue into the spotlight – and Mason herself believes she’s being used to set an example, as the Guardian reports.

Frank McKinney. “Daredevil real estate artist” and “super hero meets Robin Hood”. Hair like Michael Bolton before he saw the light. A website that’s simply…unforgettable (make sure your sound is turned up). And the designer of the world’s first 15,000 square foot “eco-mansion“. No, really. My brain hurts, so please go and have a read of this article by Gus Garcia Roberts while I have a nice lie-down. Thanks.

Now here’s an intriguing crop innovation as reported by Paul Smith at TriplePundit: a way of growing rice that increases yields while cutting back on the amount of water used and cutting out pesticides? Even better, the method (known as SRI) could be adopted for millet, wheat and sugar cane! Yum.

Talk about poking a hornet’s nest. CityPass publishes a map of how green America is, city by city and State by State. The Internet catches fire and explodes. Criteria for judging greenness please, guys? (That’s if you’re still alive over there?)

If you’ve ever wondered what a fully-fledged bike culture feels like – here are some (somewhat wonderful) statistics from bicycle-mad Copenhagen, courtesy of Mikael Colville-Andersen. Coming to a street near you? Let’s hope.

And finally – why don’t we listen to the birds?

Image: sindesign

“Nano” was the greeting from the beloved TV alien Mork from planet Ork. It’s also the name of the $2,050 car just introduced into the market by Tata Motors of India – a vehicle said to make the concept of owning a car less alien to the poor people on our own planet. Guess the poor are expected to drive as they eat with a premium on fast and cheap and a disregard for health and safety.

According to the Times of India, the Chairman of Tata Group, Ratan Tata, is hoping his Nano will be heralded as the “People’s Car”. But let’s evaluate if it has what the people really need. The Nano 623cc comes with a 33HP petrol engine but the company promises a diesel alternative will follow soon.

I think it’s pretty clear the people need to get off of the fuel habit all together. The Times says critics have been skeptical about the car meeting emission norms, but Tato insists it passes the test in India as well as meeting the stringent Euro 4 norms.

Still, doesn’t it make more sense for India to follow the carbon footsteps of Israel and embrace the electric car? Israel will offer tax incentives to people who buy Shai Agassi’s vision of utilizing a vehicle much like the cell phone, consumers receiving the car and subsidized hardware and paying a monthly fee for expected mileage. This is more of a progressive direction – one the planet can better afford.

Safety of the Nano also has been questioned. It lacks air bags and antilock brakes (apparently the people don’t need safety) and air conditioning, a radio and power steering are extra options in the more deluxe models.

The 10.2 feet length is good for parking in tight spaces but not so beneficial when up against an aggressive SUV or truck. The Nano also features one 623cc rear engine, a wiper and a tiny trunk. Its makers say the Nano has scored normally in all full frontal crash tests.

The little Nano that could arrived six months later than expected because of plenty of controversy. An eruption of violent protests over land by farmers and opposition political party leaders in West Bengal caused Tato to relocate its factory to the state of Gujarat. It’s expected to take up to a year to complete the new factory so the company can roll out a limited number of the cars from its other plants in India.

According to AP News, Tato is recovering from the down-turned economy and reduced consumer spending, declaring a loss of $54 million and trying to refinance the remaining $2 billion of a $3 billion loan it borrowed to buy Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford Motor Co. in June.

So who is the market for this ultra-cheap car? The Nano was designed with struggling farmers and thrifty businessmen across India in mind. Earlier this month, Nano Europoa was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show with a planned launch of 2011. There are no plans yet to bring the car to America. And although Tato is seriously in debt, this baby will hardly make a dent.

Destruction in the Amazon. Clear-cutting of virgin forests. These are sad, infuriating events, but they can also seem distant – even abstract. How about the wanton destruction of a thriving Los Angeles community garden? Now that brought me to tears.

Who owns the land?

In 1992, after the Los Angeles riots, a 14-acre community garden was formed in an industrial section of South Central LA. Over 350 families banded together to create an urban paradise and grow their own food in the middle of a largely forgotten and blighted concrete jungle.

There was only one problem. Although they were clearly stewards of the land, they never legally owned it. Thus began a saga that played out for years and garnered the active support of the likes of Daryl Hannah. The families had been granted a revocable license to use the lot, but in 2004 the original owner decided to sell it and a few years later bulldozed the lush gardens (watch the heartbreaking video and you’ll be moved to tears) to build another warehouse in an already industrial part of town. The gardeners banded together as the South Central Farmers and protested to save their community gardens, but it wasn’t to be. The story is poignantly told in the Academy Award nominated documentary entitled The Garden.

Adding insult to injury, the proposed warehouse to be built on the now bulldozed and barren lot is a storage and distribution center for Forever 21. The South Central Farmers are working hard to stop that from happening too, and if possible, reclaim their beloved land to create paradise once again.

Listen to Joni Mitchell: Big Yellow Taxi