• Mobile home – and a great bird name…Mystery Bird: Yellow-Billed Oxpecker – guardian.co.uk
• And what if I eat a salad on the beach? Eating Vegetables Gives Skin a More Healthy Glow Than the Sun, Study – sciencedaily
• Smart…U.S. Farm Group: Install Biofuel Pumps, End Ethanol Tax Credit – reuters
• Giant Pandas Need Old-Growth Forests – bbc
• S*#!t happens…First Dead Birds, Then Dead Fish…Now Crickets – msnbc
• It’s not just low test scores that indicate a problem…Okla. Boy Rescued After Tongue Gets Stuck on Post – myway
• From our ‘And this is important why?’ file. Lost Pitt brother found…Brad Pitt’s Brother Climbs Mount Kilimanjaro for Clean Water Charity – ecorazzi
• Living in an old log cabin in rural Wisconsin & working via the Internet, eco activist Dr. Glen Barry recognized …  25 Visionaries Who Are Changing Your World – utne.com

photo credit: guardian.co.uk

Prius lovers weren’t looking for another reason to drool over Toyota’s good green-car sense – but they got one. Yesterday, at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, the automaker introduced a new member to the elite eco family of cars, the Prius v. The “v” joins the lineup of existing Priuses (the third-gen and plug-in models), offering a more spacious vehicle that the brand hopes will cater to wider audiences.

Unlike the compact car status previously owned by Prius, the “v” is considered a midsize ride and grants over 50 percent more interior cargo space for stowing gear when on the go. According to Toyota, “v” stands for versatility, and I’d say that’s spot-on, with a wider rear hatch that reveals 34.3 cubic feet of cargo space behind the back seats. Just think about the flea market finds you could stash… making the wagon-esque “v” nearly as practical (from a stowing perspective) as an SUV. But way cooler, obviously. (more…)

The Hudson Valley is home to many a fine craftsman…or woman.  One such artisan is Kieran Kinsella of Rosendale, NY’s Kieran Woodworks.

The studio’s handcrafted, organically shaped stools and side tables are created from locally sourced and salvaged wood.

Eco fashion Flash Sale going on right now, get 40-60% off dresses and tops made of eco friendly bamboo, Tencel and a touch of Spandex for extra stretch. This California-based company dyes and sews all its apparel right here in the USA. Find @ ecoSkincollections.com.

I just finished reading author Paige Wolf’s Spit That Out! – The Overly Informed Parent’s Guide to Raising Children in the Age of Environmental Guilt. With a title like that, I had high expectations — and these 150 pages don’t disappoint.

With good humor, Wolf mixes her experiences as a new parent, as well as those of other new moms, and sites expert studies that shed light on common issues to help one curb the phenomenon known as eco guilt. The green moms share real-life anecdotes, openly demonstrating how frustrating and neurotic it can be to raise baby green.

Chapters are introduced with relevant or irreverent quotes from feature films and tv shows, and woven throughout is plenty of solid info in the form of Green Mom Sanity Tips and Dollar-Savvy Sustainability Tips. Wolf offers practical solutions to big guilt drivers like food, fashion and fun — cloth or disposable diapers; formula or breast-fed milk; organic or conventional; natural remedies; household cleaners; kids’ toys; and my favorite — family and friends.

The verdict? Spit That Out is an easy-to-digest, enjoyable and fact-filled read. Any new parent looking for honest, real advice on how to balance raising baby with being green should give this book a read, and share with friends.

find the paperback or Kindle version on amazon.com

If you’re looking to perk up your dinner plate and mood, check out this FREE Kitchen Garden Planner from Gardener’s Supply Company. Choose from 8 different types of veggie gardens and learn how to organize plants in a 3 foot x 6 foot raised bed area. With twelve inches of snow heading toward New York City, it’s never too soon to plan for spring.

Nothing quite beats growing your own, right? I’ve got a handful of organic herbs and arugula growing in windowsill pots right now, and having the ability to pick a handful of sweet fresh greens for my daily salad just can’t be beat. It not only tastes amazing but also the greenery looks great, too.

News out of Detroit this morning has the Blue Oval promising its first-ever production plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, the Ford C-MAX Energi compact minivan, set for 2012. Seating five passengers, the hybrid hauler is expected to garner more MPGs than the Ford Fusion Hybrid, currently, the most fuel-efficient U.S. “sedan.” With the help of both a lithium-ion battery system and engine that’s similar to that of the Chevy Volt, the family-friendly car is expected to offer more than 500 miles of driving range per charge – more than any other plug-in or extended range vehicle.

Drivers will also be privy to a unique application of MyFord Touch, technology that Ford hopes will put consumers at ease when operating an EV. Information available to car owners will include fuel level, battery power level, miles per gallon, and the car gadgetry that’s sucking major juice (air conditioning, for example).

Ford calls the C-MAX Energi a “multi-activity vehicle;” we call it a small scale minivan. Regardless, the sleek shape will also be available to consumers as a more traditional hybrid option – the C-MAX Hybrid – which will run in electric mode at lower speeds, cruising ’round the neighborhood and checking off some of those pesky errands. Best of all, these two cars will be mated with three other electrified vehicles brought to American dealerships in the next two years. (Ford Focus Electric and commercial van Ford Transit Connect Electric will make up two others, alongside a yet-to-be-announced hybrid.)

Many thanks to Khunu for providing us with the Alexandra, a black knit sweater made of yak wool, for the purposes of this Tried and True Green Product Review…

In short – I love the sweater, but I also love the story of how Khunu came to be and what it represents. It’s not just good marketing.

Khunu just launched their winter collection – three different styles of both men’s and women’s knitwear. The ribbed knit, cowl neck pullover (above) is the Alexandra, it has a great cut and edgy details. There’s flattering lines on the front and sleeves; and a logo embossed on the black sleeve is so subtle you might not even notice. When I first opened the package, I was a little apprehensive because I thought the yak wool might feel itchy against my skin. So I wear it over a cami – it feels totally comfy and looks smart..hot with jeans and boots. (It’s available in 3 hues and retails for $190.)

The background of Khunu reads almost like the screenplay of an epic adventure … born in the Himalayas, with roots in Shangri-La and now residing in Colorado – here’s a quick synopsis.

Khunu is the brainchild of two friends and intrepid travelers, Julian Wilson and Aaron Pattillo, (above). While camping out on the Tibetan plateau one very cold December night, they happened (more…)

• Screw-up, pollute the environment and make more money…Alaska Oil Pipeline Disruption Enters Third Day, Boosts Prices – yahoo! news
• The rebirth of Detroit? Chevy Volt Named North American Car of the Year – reuters
• Big oil wants to get back to business…BP Cleanup a ‘Cover-Up’, La. Says, Pointing to Oil – msnbc
• Do they really want the ‘greenest’ Brit government ever? British Prime Minister Cameron “Must Act to Green Whitehall”, says Parliament Member – bbc
• It does a great job on everything but CO2…Atmosphere’s Self-Cleaning Capacity Surprisingly Stable – sciencedaily
• Future Gatorade spokesperson? Orange Gator Must be Dye Job – myway