by Tao Oliveto, Carrboro, NC

I’m happy to be this week’s host of Tree Hugger’s Carnival of the Green, a kind of green-love link-fest where blogs collect stand-out posts from green cyber-space and give them a shout-out on their home page. Tree Hugger manages the carnival of bloggers who submit posts that they’d like to see included and they are mentioned and linked on different sites each Monday. The Evangelical Ecologist hosted last week and next week’s carnival will be at Made Eejits.

Lots of talk out there about the practice of Hypermiling – the art optimizing your car’s fuel efficiency. Brave New Leaf - an inspiring read from a “normal American guy” who recently “woke up” to the ways of green, introduces us to the techniques and to a hypermiling expert who can push a Prius up to 120 mpg. Mindful Momma, a going-green mom of 2 in Minneapolis (my hometown!) who hopes to inspire lively conversation while sharing her trials, tributes and “crazy ideas”, also sounds enthusiastic about the possibilities of the sport of hypermiling, though cautions over some of the extreme techniques. (All this explains why I consistently get an average mileage in the 50′s in my Pruis. With my dogs often riding in the back seat, I use my gas pedal and brakes sparingly and carefully, making me a budding hypermiler!)

Of course, Veggie Revolution folks are getting by and getting vibrantly fit on two wheels with a little mass transit on the side. And, since I’m working on taking my own bicycling commitment to something a step beyond fair weather, I was hanging onto every word in this rainy day commute story.

Woolovers takes a close look at the eco-mindedness of wool, comparing it with the sad state of most of our toxic cotton textiles industry. I love wool of all textures and I’m glad to know more about how it is produced. And thanks for giving me a new word, “hygroscopic” to describe one of its many benefits.

Beth at Fake Plastic Fish has been making plastic-free changes in CA since June 2007 and shares her list of 34 changes to date. I can bet you have not seen all of these yet. Here’s your chance to be audience to the dedicated research she has done to reveal the truth about a plastic called DW2, being manufactured with additives making it into a “chemo-degradable” product.

Plastic and kids have seemed to merge into a huge mess over the decades – almost every toy, diaper, diaper bag, sippy cup, pacifier and other kid things are filled with this petroleum-based toxic stuff. David at The Good Human, wants to encourage everyone to be a better human in environmental and other ways. Here he shares a parent-friendly list of the Top Ten Ways To Green Your Children.

I’ve always felt that making stuff was far more fun than playing with any toy I ever had. My Recycled Bags shares her own Valentine’s project for all ages using recycled denim. The instructions are specific and step by step, making it a nice partner project between parents and kids.

I’ve previously revealed my admiring fondness for No Impact Man and it looks like Healthy and Green by the Day is equally enamored with the idea of a family finding ways to reduce consumption and get back to the simple and fun parts about being together. Never mind hypermiling, this blogger reminds us that the greenest car in the world is no car.

Cars, airplanes, trains, bicycles…there’s so much to consider in the way we move about the place. My favorite bumper sticker goes way back and it says, “My other car is a pair of hiking boots.” I rarely take mine off, meaning that I’ve managed to wear out some of the most rugged, making this post from Green Deals Daily of special interest to me. Timberland’s Earthkeepers have hit all the eco-angles with these mountain-friendly hikers.

GP at Etched In Stone runs an Inn in Montana showing good horse sense – literally and of the green variety. Her submission has sound, detailed and motivating advice for de-cluttering your space for the new year as well as reminders about keeping perspective on what we really need to acquire in the first place.

Melanie at Bean Sprouts shares a very small ex-coucil house in the UK with 5 people, grows food, keeps chickens and bees – co-housing life at its finest. She is already planning a green and leafy garden for spring and gives some good insight on how best to do it.

Giving Hands is a great place to increase your awareness of matters pertaining to charity, environment and volunteerism. January of this year kicked off his “Save The Ocean Month” and you can go here to learn about our oceans at risk and explore the many ways to help turn the tide.

Oceans and fish are both in peril and it’s becoming more and more clear that fish farms are not an answer to helping either one. Why Travel France tells us about the increasingly popular – meaning cheap – farmed Pangas fish who is being injected with hormones, subjected to unnatural food and pesticides and showing up with high levels of toxins – mad fish disease anyone?

That wraps up this week’s Carnival. Thanks for joining us, for your thoughts and ideas and for being part of the Way of Change! Tao

by Tao Oliveto, Carrboro, NC

Carol Moseley Braun learned a thing or two from her political career – much of it in regards to the problems with with farm policy. As a former Senator, Ambassador and presidential candidate, Braun calls the current farm subsidies, “hideous” and advocated more practical assistance for farmers wanting to transition to organic growing and other programs that would put healthier foods in communities and schools. An advocate of the teachings of Rudolf Steiner and Adelle Davis, Braun is still walking the talk.

In a recent interview in Grist, Braun’s post-political endeavors supports biodynamic farming – “the most sustainable farming model in the world.” Biodynamics is more than “organic”. It uses methods which optimize the health value of food and the land it comes from. “Bios” means life and “dynamis” means energy – meaning biodynamic farming refers to working with the energies which create and maintain life.

In 2002, Braun founded Good Food Organics, a parent company to Ambassador Organics, a line of coffees, teas and spices now being carried in Whole Foods Markets and other health food stores. As the first company to market the benefits of biodynamic farming, she hopes it build a constituency and serve as a “point of reference” for people in choosing best quality for best health. Braun hopes to expand her product to “real food” and to make it more accessible to lower income communities.

For more on the methods and benefits of biodynamic farming, enjoy this contribution from friend and nutrition counselor, Greg, below:

by Greg Gillette, Asheville, NC

Biodynamic farming is the most comprehensive, holistic approach to working with the land. It encompasses the Earth, stars, planets, animals and humans working together to bring forth a truly self-sustaining living farm. It is far more than organic farming. Biodynamic agriculture is an ongoing, living path of knowledge rather than an assemblage of methods and techniques.

Many wonderful methods are utilized on a biodynamic farm, such as: integration of crops and livestock, crop rotations, comprehensive composting, planting and harvesting to the cycles of the moon, sun, planets, and stars, using livestock manure as fertilizer, feeding the livestock from the crops, careful observations of nature, and the use of special Biodynamic preparations, which consist of naturally occurring plant and animal materials that are combined in specific recipes in certain seasons of the year, and then placed in compost piles. These preparations bear concentrated forces within them and are used to organize the chaotic elements within the compost piles. When the process is complete, the resulting preparations are medicines for the Earth, which draw new life forces from the cosmos.

Biodynamic agriculture is a part of Anthroposophy, which was founded by Rudolf Steiner. Anthroposophy is a spiritual scientific approach to life, which integrates precise observation of natural phenomena, clear thinking, knowledge of the spirit, and our connectedness with each other, the Earth, the Cosmos, and the spiritual world.

Contact Greg Gillette at dancegreg@yahoo.com

by Tao Oliveto, Carrboro, NC

Eco-acting blogger, Green as a Thistle has so far taken 330 eco-steps and is still g[r]o[w]ing and moving towards a complete calendar year of increasing greenness. This recent post announced her willingness to give up hot tap water and use only the first cold water from the tap to wash up – including hands, face and dishes. She’ll be saving water and energy in the process. Namaste to that, Vanessa.

I shudder to remember the days of long ago when I would let the faucet run to warm before washing my hands and face. Being subjected to similar up-North weather, I’m sure I did so at least during those freezing months – I must be repressing the shocking memory. I do know that it’s now plenty comfortable to splash myself with cold for a few seconds before soaping up. In fact, it’s darn refreshing – any time of year.

As for the dishes, If I’m in the mood for warm, I’ll occasionally heat up a teakettle on the stove to add to my bowl or soapy dishwater instead of watching the precious stuff go down the drain until reaching a warm enough temperature.

Keep in mind that studies show it is the “friction” of rubbing the hands (or dishes) that gets rid or germs, not the temperature of the water – or even the type of soap being used. Water would have to be at boiling temps to kill more germs, so it’s past time to give up that fantasy. Washing or showering too often (especially taking hot baths) depletes the skin or natural oils – one of the body’s natural defenses against invading germs.

I admit that showering before the water reaches warm is not a goal I’ve reached – something I consider one of my eco-failures, despite the fact that I collect the excess in a bucket for flushing (anyone else managing it out there??). Fortunately, the water heater to my current shower was installed just behind the bathroom wall – allowing it to run warm in just a few seconds. Hmm, if this was not pre-planned during construction, it should have been!

Be free to choose a sustainable life. Keep perspective. We don’t have to cater to perceived expectations or luxuries. There’s nothing to lose and a lot to gain with every step.

by Tao Oliveto, Carrboro, NC

I’ve been raving about the eggs I’ve been getting from my CSA, my co-housing community and the Farmer’s Market. I know they are better because they look different – beautifully and variable colored shells, the yolks are a rich, dark gold – and they taste better. That part is somewhat indescribable. Words like – real, rich, smooth, fresh and more, come to mind. The dogs, who would not eat any conventional egg shells I tried to add to their food, enthusiastically gobble up the local version. I happily pay around $3.00/carton for these beauties. I’m getting more than my money’s worth.

The results are in. Mother Earth News Egg Testing Project announced that eggs from organically and naturally fed, free-range hens are nutritionally superior to industrialized chicken farms which deprive chickens of natural food, light or living conditions and administer hormones, antibiotics, and use pesticides. I’ll bet you didn’t know there have been at least 8 studies done of this nature since 1978, showing similar results. The FDA may have had something to do with that.

According to the study of 2007, “real free-range eggs contain as much as:

1/3 less cholesterol, 1/4 less saturated fat, 2/3 more vitamin A, 2 times more omega 3 essential fatty acids, 3 times more vitamin E and 7 times more beta carotene.

USDA labeling regarding the definition of “free-range” is yet unclear, allowing large, conventional producers to mislead consumers about the actual farming practices being used. And, if you think turkeys have it bad, it’s equal or worse for the masses of chickens raised and slaughtered in horrific conditions.

If you don’t have access to a Farmer’s Market, research your community’s CSA groups. Even metropolitan cities like Minneapolis have them. Talk to your grocer and ask about his egg suppliers.

Is the value of our food and planet in our hands as consumers? Eggs-actly.

Happiness, like most things, must have a kind of front and back door. A yin and a yang. An ease and an effort. For instance, I’m more worried about the state of the world than I’ve ever been and spend more time trying to change it. Yet, in many ways, I’m happier. I still don’t know exactly what that means, but I do know One Thing – that happiness has little to do with having a lot of stuff. Yet, we tend to focus most of our efforts in life toward just that.

In fact, No Impact Man has found more happiness by using and having less (but not nothing). Many others find happiness in other unexpected places – through sacrifice, productive challenges and meaningful work. It could be that the current planetary crisis can provide the opportunities we need to lead happier lives, an idea I’m slowly coming to terms with.

My long-time friend, Greg, has moved on a somewhat rocky path through life but demonstrates a reliable and comfortable happiness. Below, he shares his ideas about the practice of being happy. Tao

by Greg Gillette, Asheville, NC

Have you ever looked at yourself and asked, “How happy am I?” If so, what did you discover? How many of your friends and family members seem truly happy? Why are some people much happier than others? Can happiness be learned? Should we make the practice of being happy a part of our daily lives? How do we get there?

Happiness, to me, is that deep down soulful feeling of joy and contentment, where you are striving to see the positive in everyone and everything and to enjoy every moment. I stress the word, striving, because you do not need to be naïve and unaware of the sufferings of the world to be happy. When a person is truly happy, life becomes like a lovely gentle flowing river. The river may at times, flood or dry up. but overall, it flows in harmony, making it’s way around the many rocky obstacles in it’s path.

Everyone experiences pain and sadness and challenges in life, but, once again, how many people truly maintain a soulful radiance of happiness? For my personal perspective, I know very few people that are truly happy, including myself. Yes, I am happy much of the time, but I still feel like I get too easily frustrated and overwhelmed with life and all the craziness of the world.

Therefore, I am on a mission to practice the art of being happy, on a daily basis. Here are six actions to help you on your journey with happiness:

1) Practice healthy eating and exercise.

2) Practice smiling to everyone you see and meet.

3) Practice laughing. This may sound crazy, but laughter is so healing and there is not enough of it on our lives. I believe, in India or Japan, there are laughing clubs, where people gather together and laugh. The next big rave could be laughing parties.

4) Be objective and focus on the positive in what you hear and what you say. You will usually hear more of what people are against, not what they are for (anti-War, Anti-Discrimination, Anti-Poverty, the War against Terrorism). All this fear-based negativity brings more of the same. Like attracts like so focus on what you want (Pro-Peace, Pro-Rights, Pro-Prosperity, the Parade for Peace).

5) Practice heart connections with your friends, family and people you meet. Become genuinely interested in all that surrounds you.

6) Know the difference between pleasure and happiness. Pleasure is never lasting, but it can help set bring you into a flow state that can open the door to happiness.

The necessary virtues for happiness are courage, modesty, spirituality and leadership, thought and action that can be pursued in many ways. All in all, happiness is like so many other aspects of life; it is a state of mind. A state, which, for most of us, must be practiced and practiced until it becomes a part of us.

by Tao Oliveto, Carrboro, NC

As promised, I’m continuing my search for joy and good cheer this week. I mulled some local raw cider from my CSA and did the same with my favorite local wine. I attended a celebratory bonfire for the Solstice and made a few new friends. I baked cookies and roasted chestnuts. I have been singing along to Bing Crosby’s White Christmas on a cd that I found at the used book store and last night, I rented the video of Irving Berlin’s, “Holiday Inn”, a musical with Fred Astaire and lots of dancing. It made me feel so gleeful that I found myself air-waltzing through my house during the final scene.

I’m ready to tone down and turn in – ward, that is. And, as if by some holiday magic, I was reading the December issue of Ode magazine and found a wonderful idea, shared by Jay Walljasper, to help me. As I settle in for a couple days of peace and quiet, I’m feeling a need for some sincere contemplation. Turning the twelve days of turtle doves and milking maids into twelve themes to explore and share with others feels equal parts comforting and challenging. I’m looking forward to setting aside some time each day to consider these questions and share them with friends as we move into the New Year. (This idea comes from Lynn Jericho, a counselor in New Jersey.)

December 25: Receptivity What gifts from the universe have you declined to accept or acknowledge?

December 26: Generosity. Think of three people and what you can give of yourself to them.

December 27: Humility. Think about how humility can become a great source of strength and power for you.

December 28: Nobility. Make a list of people from whose noble qualities you can learn.

December 29: Solidity. For 12 minutes, simply feel your soul’s solidity.

December 30: Fludity. Consider the importance of flow to your well-being and happiness.

December 31: Luminosity. Look back at your darkest moments of the last year and remember what qualities in yourself and others lit the way for you.

Jan. 1: Reflectivity. Let an image from the outer world settle in your mind and write down five thoughts you associate with it. reflect on it and how you might transform it.

Jan. 2: Equanimity. Pick a recent event and review it in light of various possible emotions like happiness, anger and fear.

Jan. 3: Fecundity. Celebrate the richness of your imagination. Hold this vision and then plan tomorrow’s activities.

Jan. 4: Sagacity. Think of yourself as an elder who has learned from the trials and triumphs of experience. What are some profound lessons?

Jan. 5: Unity. What ideas, yearnings, themes or insights have come together for you through the holidays?

Peace on Earth. Goodwill towards all. Merry Holidays. Tao

by Tao Oliveto, Carrboro, NC

I make it a point to read all I can in the green media world, large and small. I find it informative, confirming and hopeful to find so much information available in so many different ways. I recently came upon a small publication called, Healthy Beginnings. A well-intentioned, homespun version of eco-education from Nevada, I was initially impressed with the ambitiousness of it’s contents.

Unfortunately, my eco-bubble was burst when I came upon a page advertising ocean cruise vacations. It began, “Cruises make for a perfect vacation” and went on to describe the latest in cruise industry marketing – the “Detox Cruise”. According to Celebrity Cruises, on this excursion, you can “escape and enrich” with their numerous spa treatments – including hydrotherapy, meditation and “Acupuncture At Sea”.

Ack! A far cry from the “perfect vacation”, luxury cruises are another example of our spoiled, indulgent, ignorant lifestyles. Available to only the affluent, vacation cruises epitomize the have-it-all mentality of our culture. A “Detox Cruise” is even worse since it plays into our “quick fix” mentality towards our own health while ignoring the fact that cruise ships leave a hugely toxic ocean footprint.

According to Friends of the Earth, luxury liners regularly dump millions of gallons of raw sewage and chemicals into the oceans. Just one cruise ship in a one-week “vacation” voyage can generate more than 210,000 gallons of sewage, 50 tons of garbage. They also use and waste 1,000,000 gallons of potable water while contaminating ocean water with oil. In addition, their presence puts countless whales, dolphins, seals and other sea animals at risk.

Skip the “Holistic Caribbean Holiday At Sea”. If you like the ocean, grab a board or a kayak and catch a different kind of wave and keep both your body and the ocean healthy.

by Tao Oliveto, Carrboro, NC

As you already know, I have a healthy respect for germs. But I’ll bet you didn’t know that washing your hands in hot water does not kill any more germs than washing in cold. The urban greens at Ideal Bite tells us it’s the plain old soap and the friction of rubbing that cleans your hands of both dirt and germs. Same goes for dishes.

I was ahead of my time, I suppose – I stopped letting the faucet run to warm after I was a kid at Summer camp – no hot water available there – and I realized that the cold water is refreshing and made me feel even more clean (we also bathed in a really cold lake). Now I know it’s because cold water rinses soap residue faster and better than warm water. I still always use the first water out of the tap to wash my hands or face. If I want warm water occasionally for dishes (it sometimes just feels good on cold days), I heat up a kettle to fill my wash and rinse bowls before I begin. Ahhhh. It becoms a special treat.

What’s the big deal, you say? Think again. the average running faucet releases 2 gallons per minute and there is a lot of handwashing going on. It’s a big deal when you you consider that our 1950 – 2000, our population increased 90%, while our water usage increased 209%. The EPA tells us that more than 36 states predict water shortages in the next 6 years. (More about water in Sierra magazine, Nov./Dec. volume 92. No. 6.)

Keep learning. Keep thinking. Water supply is the most pressing environmental issue and deserves our ongoing attention. Cold is the new Hot. Try it.