As with most large movements in history, young people nationwide are leading the way in the fight towards a more planet-conscious future.

College students from coast to coast are studying ways to reduce waste, toxic emissions and other harmful habits and creating more efficient and earth friendly alternatives. Others are simply making better choices; turning off lights, recycling old notebooks and using cold water for their monthly trips to the laundry room.

Some very conscientious students at various schools are even taking it a step further by living and breathing the Green lifestyle in Green Co-Ops.

Most people think of Co-Ops as Hippie Houses full of free love, pot and rarely-used showers. This new brand of Co-Op, popping up on campuses every day, may have some similar features (like pot, I’m sure), but is a far cry from the original. Read More »

Go beyond the cruise ship, past the safari, further than you’ve ever gone before… study abroad in the Galapagos with the Isabella Oceanographic Institute (IOI) this year!

This is seriously one of the coolest programs I’ve come across.

1.As they note on their website, teaching inhabitants to conserve is essential to ecological preservation.

My boyfriend’s mom often laments that her twin goals—environmental friendly goods and fair trade seldom coincide for this very reason—local inhabitants often use inefficient and environmentally harmful practices to produce their goods. But honestly who can blame them? Especially given the poverty of these places?

That’s why the IOI’s program is so amazing. You actually get a chance to participate in an environmental program that works with local residents towards ecological preservation. Read More »

Thanks to one Mr. Al Gore, I have been somewhat of a greenie (a friend of the planet, not the dog treat) for awhile now.

I have been spreading the word for months (like here) in hopes that I can get other people on board with me. Not because it is trendy or “in” right now, but because we don’t want our children to have to deal with such a mess of a planet later….or burst into flames because the earth has gotten so hot.

And I have met a lot of apprehension along the way:

“But I really love my Hummer.”
“It’s so hard to be earth friendly!”
“GO HUG A TREE!”
“Ew. Reuse someone else’s PAPER?!”

Ah; ignorance. How I loathe thee.

If people just sat down and listened for a few minutes they would realize just how simple it is to be earth friendly. I am not asking people to reuse their Ziploc bags (which I get made fun of for all the time) or stop using toilet paper. I am asking people to make teensy tiny changes to their daily routines that make virtually no difference to the user and a huge difference to the planet.

Since I last wrote about green items such as compact fluorescent bulbs and reusable grocery bags, a whole slew of new earth friendly products have surfaced. These hot new items are innovative, made from recycled products (to cut down on excess waste!) and yet another few easy ways for you to get a bit more green-ified. The best part, obviously, is that they don’t look like crunchy “Save the Planet” items; these are things you actually need and want. Read More »

• C’mon everyone! Stop having lives and start watching TV! P.S. Cavemen premieres tonight… (Reuters)

• Finally, a class where the nerds will be cool! For a semester, at least. (The Crimson White)

• Honda Civic being sold on Craigslist has over 930,000 miles on it and is in seemingly great condition. One question: does it still smell like a guido or is that just a New York thing? (autoblog.com)

• “If I would’ve let him smoke crack in my house, he would still be alive, and I blame myself.” Ummm, I feel like that logic is somewhat flawed. (KCTV5)

• Another reason to go Green: Volkswagen is planning to release all future models with a hybrid option! (GoSunSolutions.com)

New York Fashion Week is here. Parties, skinny models: I’m pretty sure the champagne and nicotine is free flowing in Bryant Park.

But while designers are fending off PETA protests in between showing their new spring lines and partying till dawn, the rest of us are trying to keep our heads above water with school starting and that small thing called life.

And with the hubbub of fashion week upon us, it’s easy to forget that aside from living life, perhaps you should be living it with a bit of green gusto. After all, we are killing the planet and ourselves and everyone is doomed.

Luckily, there is fashion to keep us occupied… and eco fashion to make us feel we are doing something (anything?) right for the environment.

iGo Green, a new “green” section of iVillage, has done the grunt work by singling out some of the up and coming eco fashion designers to watch. Read More »

Today is 7/7/07 and besides being the biggest day for weddings, like, ever, it is a big day for Planet Earth. As I told you before, Live Earth, a concert to benefit the planet/spread awareness of global warming will rock the planet (from all around the world) from morning until night.

And while it will be an awesome show, today’s extravaganza is about a lot more than making some snacks and enjoying some good music with friends. Live Earth is a chance to begin something huge and make great strides in changing the way we treat this planet. And no one knows more about this than one Mr. Al Gore.

Who, by the way, personally sent me an email to alert me of the upcoming concert. Well, “personally” might be a strong word. Technically, I signed up for his email list and get updates from him weekly. But that is beside the point; the real point is that Mr. Gore has asked me to sign a pledge to change my actions and make a more positive impact on my beautiful planet. He also asked me to pass the pledge along.

So here it is: The Live Earth Pledge. Read it, click it and sign it. And begin making the difference that this earth so desperately needs.

I PLEDGE:

1. To demand that my country join an international treaty within the next 2 years that cuts global warming pollution by 90% in developed countries and by more than half worldwide in time for the next generation to inherit a healthy earth;

2. To take personal action to help solve the climate crisis by reducing my own CO2 pollution as much as I can and offsetting the rest to become “carbon neutral;” Read More »

More important than finding the color of your aura or analyzing your handwriting, the Carbon Footprint calculator is an online test that actually means something.Sponsored by Live Earth, which is set to take the global stage on July 7 with a slough of powerful entertainers giving concerts, the calculator tabulates your “footprint” based on things like your electricity bill, your use of energy - efficient lighting, modes of transportation and dedication to recycling, plus more.

I scored a 220 (not having a car finally works in my favor!). The average American score is 325. You might be surprised by your score, but even more surprised by how easy it is to reduce the force of your tread.

As many of my close friends know, I have recently gone a little green. Not green with envy (though I do envy every single person still in college); green like the plants and the trees and all the good things that make this planet so beautiful.

Oy. Now I sound like I’ve gone a little granola too.

Anyways, I have become quite conscious of the effects I have on the environment and have been taking strides to change. I have made small changes – like bringing my own travel mug to coffee shops – and I have made big changes – like replacing my gas guzzler with a more fuel efficient, Jetta.

I haven’t always been this way. In fact, it took a little man named Al Gore to really make me stop and smell the roses…and realize that my giant SUV and constant runs to Starbucks could make those roses obsolete one day soon. And even though people make fun of me for being earthy (like my paper-plate loving brother) or hate me for forcing new conservation tactics (like my printer loving bosses), I really do feel like I am making a difference. Read More »