• Japan: Another Powerful Earthquake Hits North-East – bbc
• This probably won’t send folks flocking to Nissan showrooms…Nissan Has Restart Problem With Leaf Electric Car – reuters
• It’s reported they may have been headed for a Chinese menu…Thailand Seizes 1,800 Monitor Lizards From Trucks – myway
• I don’t know about you, but I would have already been long gone…Japan to Evacuate More Towns Around Crippled Nuke Plant – cnn
• Surging Fuel Prices Fuel Ethanol Critics – yahoo! news
• Top secret…World’s Tallest Tree is Hiding Somewhere in California – npr/krulwich
• No need to lock those windows and doors. Tinker the Teenage T-Rex to be Released Soon – msnbc/ap

Tip #10 Save some dough and natural resources: Do we have to use our hair blowers and automatic clothes driers every day? Let mother nature – sun and wind remove moisture from freshly washed clothes and hair. You’ll lighten your carbon footprint and lower your electric bill by not turning on appliances, both large and small. Clothes and hair will smell springtime fresh. (more…)

Soft and luxurious organic cotton tees create a retro look…these environmentally-friendly tees are hand-dyed with non-toxic, water-based inks. Find these and more at LikeThe Season’s Etsy shop; $25 to $28.

Tip #9 – Surprisingly, thanks to flatulence, livestock production creates one-fifth of the world’s greenhouse gases — which is more than our transportation carbon footprint. It’s estimated that if Americans were to reduce meat consumption by just 2%, it would have the same effect as trading in all of our standard sedans for hybrids. In addition, it takes 2600 gallons of water to produce a serving of steak, compared to only 6 gallons of water to grow a serving of lettuce. And to top it off, the average food product travels 1500 miles to get to our grocery stores.

So put down your knife and eat more veggies, beans, rice, pasta and tofu instead of red meat. Try Meatless Mondays. Check out Food, Inc. — a film documenting the raising of animals on factory farms — livestock is fed corn (rather than allowed to graze freely and eat grass) and their overall treatment is inhumane and disgusting. I’m not trying to gross you out, it’s just the facts. And I’m not referring to the farmers who are responsible in their fair treatment of their animals – they should be supported, but in fact, they account for only a fraction of producers.

Earth Day is Friday, April 22 – we’re providing a green tip of the day from April 1-22.

(source: United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization)

photo credit: Food, Inc.

Related: previously on altCon – more green tips

Today’s collection of wearable finds evokes smart choices for today’s savvy, sustainably-minded modern girl.

(above L to R) Find sheer comfort in Feral Childe’s organic cotton Meadow Dress (was $210, now $98) and Linda Loudermilk’s Core Slip in silk $215.

(above L to R) Fashioned from recycled material, you can receive an exclusive 20% off these classic designs (regularly $32/each) by entering code AC20 at checkout, via our new sponsor, shopECOgoods.com. (more…)

Tip #8: Going for a bike ride, beach walk, weekend hike or your morning jog? Remember to take along a bag to collect some of the refuse and litter that you will inevitably encounter. Every little bit helps. When we walk the beach or stroll down the avenue, we roundup a bucketful of (mostly plastic) crap as we make our way back home.

Earth Day is Friday, April 22; just like every day:)

Related: previously on altCon – more Green Tips

Alright, so this could be big. Researchers at the University of Texas have developed a method to create photovoltaic (PV) panels at one tenth the cost of existing technologies, using nano-particle “inks” to extract energy from the sun.

Brian Korgel, the group leader, predicts that this technology would allow solar panels to be painted on rooftops and the sides of buildings in three to five years. At this moment, painted on technologies can only boast 1/25th of the efficiency of conventional panels, but the continued proliferation of nano-tech promises rapid improvements. I find this a very exciting innovation, as the biggest obstacle to solar energy is the prohibitively high cost. Even if the efficiency never equals conventional PV panels, the low cost and high application possibilities means that this technology could be a major step in the direction of energy sustainability.

The prospect of a building being fueled by the paint on its walls gets me all sorts of excited, and I will be following this technology with great interest.

via: National Science Foundation

• (pictures) Sharks Taught to Hunt Invasive Lionfish – natgeo
• Washington’s stupidity level nears all-time high…Government Shutdown Would Take Away $32 Million a Day From National Parks – cnn
• Some tell the GOP…New Warning on Arctic Sea Ice Melt – bbc
• Slimy hook-ups occur above the sea too – ever seen ‘Jersey Shore’? Under the Sea Sex, is Slimy Business – npr
• This will make more than a few heads spin…Archaeologists Find First Know Gay Caveman – aol news
• Deer and Nesting Goose Make Unlikely Pair in Buffalo Cemetery – myway
• If lizards and salamanders can do it…Simple Chemical Cocktail Shows First Promise for Limb Re-Growth in Mammals – sciencedaily

Steam Whistle Brewing, arguably Canada’s greenest brewery (and clever green marketer) has created a new symbol of their environmental commitment -  a custom-built, all -electric, earth-friendly vintage ride  The truck, which is called, RETRO ELECTRO, began life as a 1958 Chevy Apache Pickup 1/2 ton short box with side step. (more…)