Let's get personal

Uh, hi. Okay, I’ve never done one of these before, so I don’t really know where to start. Um... okay, my name is Tee, and I joined this dating service just because, I mean, you know, I’m sort of looking for that special someone, but I mean, I’m not, like, looking for “the one” or anything, but if I found “the one,” you know, that would be awesome. But, whatever. Right?

So, okay, about me. Let’s see. First of all I’m really passionate about the environment. But you probably guessed that from my shirt. Yeah, it’s 100% organic cotton, and it has this funny message that says, “Solar Power Turns Me On.” (http://www.teehugger.com/product_p/thas1006_thjs1008.htm) Heh. Er. I mean, it’s just a joke though. You know, figuratively turned on. I don’t, like, get sexually aroused at photovoltaic cells or anything.

But I guess, you know, solar panels really are pretty exhilarating, in their own way. They take energy from the sun and turn it into electricity without having to harvest, mine, process, or transport anything. The sun just shines onto the panel, part of it is absorbed by a semiconductor, and then the freed electrons are directed a certain direction, and pow, you’ve got free electricity. It’s all right here: http://science.howstuffworks.com/solar-cell1.htm You’ve got to admit, that’s pretty hot.

Let’s see, what else is there? Oh, my interests include sports, old kung-fu movies, and taking long walks in romantic places. Places like, I don’t know, Spain. Have you ever been to the wine country around Jumilla? The farms in that area are amazing. Like, for example, did you know that they have the largest photovoltaic solar power farm in the world? Seriously, that thing covers almost 250 acres, and it has a peak power capacity of 20 megawatts. That’s enough to power 20,000 homes for a year! (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/02/powering_20000.php) Yeah, I think that’s probably the most romantic place there is.

If you decide that you want to go out with me—no pressure, though—there’s something you should know: I’m very frugal. Not that I wouldn’t pay for your dinner or anything like that. I just mean, well, for example, last weekend I was fitting my house with solar panels to generate my household electricity. I figured I could save a few bucks on my electric bill, but man, solar panels are expensive! So what I did was—oh man, I can’t believe I’m telling you this—I called a company that maintains highway solar panels and asked if they would sell me some broken ones. They ended up giving me some for free! They’re kind of old and busted, but every bit of solar energy helps, right? Here’s the whole process I went through to get ’em: http://cleantechnica.com/2008/02/07/how-to-cheap-or-free-solar-panels/

So, uh, yeah. I guess that’s all the time I have for this personal ad... blog... dating thing here. If you think that maybe you want to go out with me, just go ahead and send me a text. I’ve got my phone on all the time. Literally, all the time. It never runs out of charge, ’cause it’s solar powered. Pretty sweet, huh? (http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/12/samsung-unveils-blue-earth-a-solar-powered-mobile-phone/) Maybe we can get together and do some karaoke or something. You are the sunshine of my life... Okay, uh, sorry. Call me!

We pass the savings on to you!

It’s the second week of March, and that means most of us here in good ’ol North America have just switched over to Daylight Saving Time. According to Wikipedia, this practice of rolling our clocks ahead one hour near the start of spring was first conceived by the English outdoorsman William Willett. Because Willett thought it was unfortunate that so many people slept through the morning of a summer day, and he also hated to quit golfing at dusk, he petitioned tirelessly to get Daylight Saving Time enacted. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylight_savings_time) The practice did not come into use in Willett’s lifetime, but it was eventually adopted by much of the world, proving that one person’s ideas can make a difference. If Willett can save the hours of a summer day, then we can save the Earth by saving other things. Let’s start saving, savers!

1. Save water! Here in the United States, we have enough water for drinking and washing, and still have enough left over for some pretty awesome water parks. But that is not the case in much of the world, where up to one half of the human population suffers from diseases directly linked to a lack of clean water. (http://whyfiles.org/131fresh_water/2.html) Every drop of water that you save is a drop of water that can be put to use somewhere else, so that’s why we at Tee Hugger encourage you to “Save Water—Shower with a friend.” It’s more than just a catchy slogan, it’s also a 100% organic cotton tee! (http://www.teehugger.com/product_p/thas1004.htm)

2. Save power! If we’re saving water, we can also save power. Heck, a lot of us buy them from the same utility provider. When California’s overloaded electrical grid forced rolling blackouts a few years ago, a collaboration of the state’s utilities, residents, businesses, institutions, government agencies and nonprofit organizations formed an initiative called “Flex Your Power.” “The campaign includes a comprehensive website, an electronic newsletter and blog, and educational materials. Flex Your Power has received national and international recognition, including an ENERGY STAR Award for excellence.” Whether you live in California or not, the “Flex Your Power” website is an excellent resource to find out how you can save power in your own home. (http://www.fypower.org/)

3. Save gasoline! Everyone has heard about the big fuel savings that you can get from buying a hybrid car, but who has the money to drop on a new ride just to increase their gas mileage? The good news is, there are things you can do to up the efficiency of your old jalopy as well. Even better, a lot of them come from just changing your driving habits, which is absolutely free! There is a list of 32 ways that you can save some gas listed here: http://www.opentravelinfo.com/travel-guide/uncategorized/how-to-save-money-on-gas-29-tips.html

4. Save landfill space! Did you know that Americans throw away over 200 million tons of garbage every single day? Sure you can recycle your cans and bottles, but what about your golf balls? Or dishwasher parts? Or pickle vinegar? To keep those things out of the landfill you’ll want to enlist the help of the folks at “How Can I Recycle This?” This web community is dedicated to finding ways to recycle... well... anything! Join in the fun at: http://www.recyclethis.co.uk/

We’ve got more hours of summer daylight thanks to Willett’s ideas, but we’ll have more water, energy, gas, and space thanks to yours. Chew on that, Willett!

Your Oscar Recap

Hollywood’s most glamorous day has come and gone, leaving nothing but a mess of glitter and stardust on the red carpet outside the Kodak Theater. If you missed the 81st Annual Academy Awards on Sunday, we’ll walk you through some of Oscar’s big winners in this week’s blog. (http://www.oscar.com)

Our star-studded evening begins on the red carpet, where America’s Next Top Model’s Jan Manuel noted that Kate Winslet’s hair “may look very retro, but is actually very futuristic.” In the ever-cycling world of style, where “what goes around, always comes around,” it’s nice to have someone who can tell us exactly what point on the temporal spectrum a hair helmet comes from. Later in the evening, that same very futuristic hairdo found its way to the stage as Ms. Winslet took the Oscar for Best Actress for her role in The Reader. Like host Hugh Jackman, we didn’t see The Reader, but we think she deserves the award nonetheless. What can we say? We’re big fans. You know what else we’re big fans of? Wind power. Which is fitting, because wind power uses big fans. It’s a visual thing. Check out the shirt: http://www.teehugger.com/product_p/thas1003_thjs1007.htm

From there we move on to Best Actor, and to be perfectly honest, we were shocked by the Academy’s choice. They gave the award to Sean Penn, a man who is best known for playing Jeff Spicoli in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, being married to Madonna, and punching out a photographer. I mean this is shocking on so many levels, because... wait, hold on... this just in: apparently I’ve been in a coma since 1986. Maybe so, but even to someone who has been eating through a tube for the past twenty-odd years, it’s pretty obvious that Mr. Penn is not just a movie star, but also a very outspoken activist. Even if you’re not a big celebrity like Sean Penn, you can learn how to go green like the stars do on Variety.com’s Green Hollywood page: http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=Lifestyle&jump=greenhollywood

The awards for Best Picture and Best Director both went to Slumdog Millionaire, a film that traces the life of an Indian boy from the slums of Mumbai to the stage of a TV game show. But while Who Wants to be a Millionaire can keep your wallet filled with green, it isn’t the best show for keeping your planet green. That award goes to Planet Green’s Go for the Green, hosted by Tom Green. Seriously, for this show to get any greener, it would have to be hosted by a leprechaun. You can learn all kinds of interesting green facts and even play the game for yourself at its website: http://planetgreen.discovery.com/tv/go-for-the-green/index.html

This year’s trophy for Achievement in Visual Effects went to the crew of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, for taking hunky dreamboat Brad Pitt and making him look like a knobby little senior citizen who ages in reverse. If you’re an actual knobby little senior citizen, you can do your part to save the planet and maybe even feel a little younger in the process. According to ScientificBlogging.com, “Volunteering for environmental protection activities can be physically and mentally sustaining for older people.” (http://www.scientificblogging.com/news_releases/gray_turns_green_older_people_stay_fit_keeping_the_environment_in_shape) If you’re a senior who wants to get involved in saving the planet you’ve enjoyed for so many years, you can also check out Greenseniors: a senior-friendly website dedicated to fixing the environment. (http://greenseniors.typepad.com/greenseniors/)

Now that we’ve rolled up the red carpet on another year of Oscar, it’s time for us all to roll out the green carpet for the Earth. Get ready, paparazzi!

Holiday Pileup!

Even though February is the shortest month, it sure packs in the holidays. Let’s have a quick rundown, shall we? Take notes, August. This is how it’s done.

Though it’s not technically a holiday, we’ve already passed a Friday the 13th this month. Superstitious people believe this day to be bad luck, but to horror movie fans, it’s the release date of a new movie featuring a certain a hockey-mask-wearing killer stalking co-eds through the forest. And after you see the way that guy swings a machete, you quickly realize that nobody is safe from his wrath. Not even the trees. Our advice? “Run, Forest! Run!” You can spread the word and keep your personal PG-13 rating when you cover yourself with a 100% organic “Run, Forest! Run!” tee here: http://www.teehugger.com/product_p/thas1017_thjs1003.htm

After that came Valentine’s Day—a holiday best known as a celebration of love and candy. Of course, there are those who say that Valentine’s Day is an artificial “Hallmark holiday” designed just to sell cards and frilly pink trinkets. Those people may be right, but, statistically speaking, they’re also bitter, lonely spinsters. Hey, the numbers don’t lie, folks. Whether you believe in Valentine’s Day or not, you can take your sweetie on an ecologically sound date this February. Since men are from Mars and women are from Venus, we’ll take our green dating tips from aliens: http://www.itstheplanetdidiot.com/2008/05/zork-green-ti-3.html

For those of us here in the United States, there are three more holidays piled on in February. The first was Abraham Lincoln’s birthday on February 12. This year our 16th president turned 200 years old—that’s right, Abe is now a bicentennial man. The Indiana Department of Environmental Management is celebrating Lincoln’s big two-oh-oh with a campaign to help Hoosiers save the planet and save Lincoln pennies. Read all about it here: http://www.andersonfreepress.net/node/15052

But Honest Abe isn’t the only president blowing out candles this month. President numero uno, George Washington, turns 277 years old on February 22, 2009. What do you get a man who has everything (and has been dead for over two hundred years)? If you know your Washington lore, the answer is pretty obvious: a tree. When he was just a dumb kid, George famously chopped down his father’s cherry tree and then immediately copped to it, saying, “I cannot tell a lie, I did it with my little hatchet.” Of course, most modern historians consider this tale to be apocryphal, but that’s beside the point. The point is, none of us should be cutting down trees with our little hatchets. In fact, we should be planting new ones. That’s why the Nature Conservancy started the Plant a Billion Trees program. For just one dollar per tree, they are working to repopulate the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. Give George the gift of reforestation at: http://www.plantabillion.org/

And, because we love a month chock full of holidays, we Americans also celebrate Abe and George together on Presidents’ Day, February 16. This year Lincoln is rolling out the green carpet to the President Lincoln and Soldiers' Home National Monument. “A $15 million rehabilitation gives the public access to the most significant historic site directly associated with Abraham Lincoln's presidency aside from the White House, and to an important demonstration of how sustainable design principles can guide historic preservation.” (http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS145427+18-Feb-2008+BW20080218)

Whew! That’s a lot of holidays! At least this year has no Leap Day...

Think about the Children

Much like Whitney Houston famously sang, we here at Tee Hugger believe the children are our future. That’s why this week we’ve brought in a special guest to help spread our environmental message to the next generation. Please help us welcome a special guest blogger, seven-year-old Internet sensation David, from “David After Dentist” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txqiwrbYGrs). Welcome, David.

I didn’t feel anything. Uuugh. I feel funny.

As well you should, David. We all feel a little funny right now, what with the world economic downturn and the escalating environmental crisis.

Is this real life?

It is, my little anesthetized friend, it is. Although, these days, sometimes reality can be hard to swallow. Right is wrong, up is down, and black is green. Seriously. As more and more people come to realize that our planet is in peril, eco-friendly “green” causes are becoming very fashionable. Some people are even saying that “Green is the new Black.” In fact, those people are us. Check out the shirt: http://www.teehugger.com/product_p/thas1005_thjs1006.htm

Okay, now. Okay, now I. I have two fingers.

We all have two fingers, David, metaphorically speaking. The first finger is awareness. Saving the planet is a big job, and in a battle like this, knowledge is power. Our friends in Canada offer an EcoKids website, where kids can check out awesome games and activities. (http://ecokids.earthday.ca/pub/) And of course the second finger is—

I have four fingers.

Nah-ah-ah-ah! Don’t put it in your mouth! You don’t want to get spit all over the second metaphorical finger: activism. Now that we have learned about the challenges our planet faces, it’s time to take action. “Action For Nature is a USA-based nonprofit organization that inspires young people to take action for the environment and protect the natural world in their own neighborhood and around the world.” Learn what kids like you can do to help make a difference at http://www.actionfornature.org/

I can’t see anything.

Turning a blind eye to the problem does not help to fix it, David. If we don’t start working hard to save our environment and reverse global warming, we could be facing a global depression, acidification of the oceans, and world hunger. (http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/2525/)

UhhhhhDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!

I’m sorry if I got a little intense there. I didn’t mean to scare you.

I don’t feel tired.

That’s the spirit, kiddo! We need you and your whole generation to be tireless in your commitment to ecology. Put that youthful energy to work right in your own neighborhood by recycling, planting trees, or organizing local cleanup projects. (http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/emotions/volunteering/article7.html)

Do I have stitches?

Uh huh.

Do I have stitches?

Yes.

On my teeth?

Yeah. Don’t touch it. Don’t.

You have four eyes.

That is very perceptive. In a way, we all have four eyes: two looking back at the mistakes that we’ve made that have polluted our planet, and two looking forward into the bright future that we are creating right now.

I feel funny. Why is this happening to me?

That funny feeling is a growing passion for nature, David. And it’s happening to you because you are beginning to realize that kids really can make a difference. Kids like the Tree Musketeers in El Segundo, California, who launched their own environmental TV quiz show. Or Melissa Poe of Nashville, Tennessee: kid-founder of “Kids For A Clean Environment” which now boasts 300,000 kid-members worldwide! (http://www.arborday.org/kids/kidsDif.cfm)

Is this going to be forever?

If you kids work hard to save it, then yes, the Earth is forever. If not, you’ve got twenty, thirty years tops before it becomes a lifeless, gas-choked cinder floating in space.

Ugggccch.

Ugggccch indeed, David. Ugggccch, indeed.

Groundhog Day

It’s Groundhog Day! For those of you outside the scope of American holidays and/or Bill Murray movies, that means that on February 2nd, that groundhog seer of seers, prognosticator of prognosticators, Punxsutawney Phil came out of his burrow on Gobbler’s Knob to predict the weather. Unfortunately for us, the little furball saw his shadow, so we’re in for an extra six weeks of winter this year. (http://www.groundhog.org/) Yes, I’m serious. Stop snickering, Europe, you’ve got your share of dumb holidays too.

This is the second year in a row that Phil has seen his shadow, and quite frankly, we’re sick of it. Next February, we must, at any cost, prevent that groundhog from seeing his shadow again. There have been several possible solutions proposed, ranging from turning the burrow door into the sun, to blindfolding Phil’s little eyes, to blasting him from all directions with high-intensity spotlights. Be we here at Tee Hugger have a plan so crazy it just might work: Plant more trees.

Hear us out. If we surround Gobbler’s Knob with a ring of heavy trees right now, then no matter how sunny it is next year, the shade from the trees will prevent Punxsutawney Phil from casting a shadow at all, let alone seeing it. Trees are our only hope of breaking this two-year chain of groundhog-induced wintery dystopia, and that’s why we say “More trees, please.” If you’re going to be in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania this year, spread the word to the Groundhog Club Inner Circle with your 100% organic “More trees, please” tee (http://www.teehugger.com/product_p/thjs1038.htm).

But even after we’ve finished our crusade in Pennsylvania, there is still much work to be done. Trees are good for so much more than just rigging rodent-based weather forecasting systems.

1. Trees help clean the air.
A large factor contributing to smog accumulation in big cities is the “heat island” effect. Urban infrastructure, such as blacktop parking lots and concrete buildings, absorb the sun’s heat and radiate it back. A healthy tree cover, or “urban forest” helps to keep our cities in shade, reducing the heat buildup and in turn, reducing smog (which forms more easily in increased temperatures). On top of that, trees naturally pull carbon dioxide from the air as part of their principal life process: photosynthesis. “Tree foliage also removes from the atmosphere other chemicals, such as nitrogen oxides, airborne ammonia, some sulfur dioxide, and ozone, that are part of the smog and greenhouse effect problems.” That’s a lot of good work. Arguably even better than obscuring groundhog shadows. (http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/envirohort/articles/misc/plntclar.html)

2. Trees save energy.
According to the Sacramento Tree Foundation, “Four trees planted around a home can save up to 30% on summer cooling costs.” In addition to providing shade, trees cool the air through the evaporation of water from their leaves. If your house is under a canopy of natural, oxygen-producing air conditioners, you don’t have to run the man-made kind as often or as fervently. This saves money in your wallet as well as resources at the power plant. Having a pleasant, energy-efficient summer is even better than scoring a few less weeks of winter. (http://www.sactree.com)

3. Trees are good for business.
In addition to their climate-controlling canopy, studies show that trees can also keep money in our troubled world economy by encouraging business. “A program of scientific studies has found that shoppers respond positively to trees in downtown business districts. These findings have been consistent across large, small and mid-size cities of the United States. The most positive consumer response is associated with streets having a mature, well-managed urban forest where overarching tree canopy helps create a ‘sense of place.’” (http://www.cfr.washington.edu/research.envmind/consumer.html)

That’s right, trees are the greatest. No matter how our furry weatherman friend makes his call next year, planting a tree or two is still a good idea. If you don’t have the space or the patience to plant a tree yourself, you can turn your green cash into green trees through TreeLink.org. TreeLink will put you in touch with a local tree bank in your area, so no matter where the groundhog goes, his shadow will be safe. (http://www.treelink.org/)

Extinction Stinks

So I missed last week’s episode of Battlestar Galactica. I called my friend and asked if he had taped it. “Taped it?” he laughed. “What is this? 1994?” So I called another friend. Again: “Taped? What does that even mean?” A third: “I didn’t tape it, but I can scratch it out on a stone tablet for you, Grandpa.”

I now realize that I have an endangered species attached to my entertainment center. The VHS VCR, once the undisputed king of video recording, is now, for all intents and purposes, extinct in the wild. There are some who would say, “Good riddance. My hard-drive-based DVR is better than your dumb half-inch magnetic tape with built-in anti-despooling mechanism ever was.” And they may be right. But what these cavalier technophiles don’t seem to realize is that once these last living specimens burn out, the VCR will never come back. Extinction is forever.

That’s why I went to the boss here at Tee Hugger and pitched a shirt that says “Extinction is Forever” with a big picture of a VHS recorder. He liked the idea, but thought it might be more effective if the VCR was replaced with a panda. (http://www.teehugger.com/product_p/thjs1001.htm) Apparently more people identify with the plight of the panda than that of the VCR because pandas are “more lovable” and “actual living creatures” and saving them is “important” and “not just some dumb Luddite’s crusade.”

Well, I guess he does have a valid point.

1. The most important thing we can do to help save endangered animals is to protect their natural habitats. According to the Humane Society, “Human population growth and the consumption of open space and resources destroy habitat required by wildlife for survival. Human development can disturb whole ecosystems, often irreparably.” They suggest urging your local government officials to establish “Wildlife Corridors” to connect the increasingly segmented areas of wild habitat so that animals may be exposed to a larger range of genetic diversity, which keeps their populations healthy. (http://www.hsus.org/wildlife/issues_facing_wildlife/habitat_loss_and_fragmentation/)

2. Support conservation organizations that focus on wildlife. Of course, the first one that pops into mind is the World Wildlife Fund, because of their logo depicting a lovable VCR. Er, panda. You can support the WWF with your dollars, but you can also support them with your attention and your curmudgeonly propensity for letter writing. If you join the WWF’s free Conservation Action Network email list, they’ll “send you email action alerts on breaking issues and let you send free personalized messages to policy makers. You can track which actions you've taken and learn about your victories.” (http://wwf.worldwildlife.org/site/PageServer?pagename=can_signup)

3. It would be great if saving an endangered animal was as easy as recycling a soda can, but sadly, it’s not. It takes a lot of people working together to make a difference. If you can’t support a conservation organization with your money, maybe you’d be more interested in supporting them with your own blood, sweat, and tears. Conservation International points out that “getting one's hands dirty is more than just occasional fun, it can be a life calling for many people who hate indoor desk work.” If you want to find out how to get out of your cubicle and get your own hands dirty, check out their career idea page here: http://www.conservation.org/act/ideas/Pages/ideas.aspx

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go down to the video store and rent a tape of Kung-Fu Panda: proof that VCRs and pandas can live in harmony.