Archived Articles

4/15/08 Potatoes: Antidote to World Hunger?

As wheat and rice prices surge, the humble potato -- long derided as a boring tuber prone to making you fat -- is being rediscovered as a nutritious crop that could cheaply feed an increasingly hungry world.

4/10/08 Have you Had Your Chocolate Today?

Since well before its introduction to western consumers in the sixteenth century, cocoa and its most popular derivative chocolate have long been used as therapeutic and medicinal remedies.

4/7/08 The Tibet killings that Fueled Olympic torch protests

The campaigners are protesting against China's human rights record and its crackdown on pro-independence activists in Tibet.

 

3/31/08 Google steps up eco-activism, will help flood Capitol switchboard

A group of environmental activists has enlisted Google to help flood the congressional switchboard with one million phone calls on Earth Day urging lawmakers to enact eco-friendly measures.

3/14/08 China Asks Nepal to Ban Mount Everest Hikes, Riots Ensue China has asked Nepal to keep climbers off Mount Everest this spring, a move that would prevent pro-Tibetan protests when the Olympic torch is carried to the summit of the world's highest mountain, Nepalese officials said Friday.

310/08 - Recycle or go to Hell

Failing to recycle plastic bags could find you spending eternity in Hell, the Vatican said after drawing up a list of seven deadly sins for our times.

 

3/7/08 - Indian Kashmir to Poison 100,000 Dogs Authorities in Indian Kashmir have begun poisoning stray dogs in an anti-rabies drive that aims to kill some 100,000 dogs in the region's main city, officials said Thursday. Animal rights activists vowed to go to court to stop the slaughter planned by Srinagar city, saying it is an illegal and cruel solution to a problem that could be better addressed with other methods.

3/3/08 - The Great Bag is a Great Thing Happyhippie.com recently received a resuable handmade shopper bag created by 'The Great Bag' by Grace, in the San Bernadino mountains. We were sent a plain, natural unbleached muslin, that was a light off-white color. Tammy, of The Great Bag company, had also given instructions to decorate the bag to personalize it. I was outright giddy with this art assignment.

2/27/08 - Earth Friendly Cleaning a Snap with EcoDiscoveries HappyHippie.com's PeaceFrog reviews environmentally-friendly cleaning products from EcoDiscoveries. EcoDiscoveries touts that they have designed the industry's most effective and safest line of enzyme and plant-based liquid cleaners for you, your family, and the environment (indoors and out).

2/26/08 - Doomsday Vault to Protect Earth's Seeds Let's hope there is never a need, but just in case the earth has a major 'doomsday' event, Norway has a deep remote vault in an Arctic mountain, designed to protect the world's seeds from global catastrophe.

 

2/25/08 - Going Broke Saving the Earth In the age of Pricey Hybrids and Organic Cotton designer wear, is being eco-friendly just a new hip trend for the uber-rich? The original earth lovin' mamas and papas are starting to feel the squeeze, as a new breed of wealthy eco-warriors take center stage. Looking at the heart of it, environmental issues are not really moral issues, they are economic issues wearing a disguise.

2/22/08 - Gray wolves to lose endangered status Gray wolves will be fair game for hunters in parts of the northern Rocky Mountains after federal officials announced Thursday that they would be taken off the endangered species list. Environmental groups were dismayed by the decision, calling it shortsighted and a political concession to ranching and hunting interests.

2/19/08 - Corntainers and Tooth Soap: Smart Eco-Friendly Inventions Although The Greater Green owner, Joanna Livieratos, hand picks and reviews each natural item available in her online store, she was kind enough to send Happyhippie some exciting products to review. Shipped in eco-friendly recycled packaging, we unwrapped the mystery box to discover a water bottle 'made from corn', and a little packet of soap shavings called, 'Tooth Savior Soap'. What to review first, as both were so intriguing!

2/13/08 - Ancient Hemp Snuffed By Polyester: This History of Hemp Our ancestors were pretty smart eco-folks. Did you know that hemp is one of the earliest cultivated plants known, and ancient Asians used hemp to make clothes, shoes, ropes, and an early form of paper over 10,000 years ago?

2/13/08 - Got a Headache? Try these natural remedies. Headaches can be alleviated by cold compresses, baths, accupressure and relaxation tecniques.

2/11 /08 - Dolphin On Rye? Japanese Dolphin Hunting What sounds barbaric to western countries, is a casual day of fishing in Japan. The Japanese governement allows 20,000 dolphins to be killed a year in the fishing industry. It is widely known that dolphins are extremely intelligent mammals, that are self-aware, show humor, and even respond to human emotion, as if emotion travels in water on waves by saving humans in peril.

2/8/08- What is Ted Turner Doing with All That Land? CNN founder Ted Turner, the largest private landowner in Nebraska and the United States and the nation's largest bison rancher, has a lofty goal. According to a CNN interview, Ted Turner would like to reach 2 million acres nationwide before he dies — about 40,000 acres more than he currently owns.

2/4/08- What do you do with a sick cow? Feed it to the kids, of course! The Humane Society has discovered that cattle that are too sick to walk, are dragged off to slaughter. In spite of claims that downers were being eliminated from the food supply, downed animals may be falling through the cracks as a result of poor oversight, anemic enforcement, and a loophole created by inconsistent agency regulations

1/28/08- The Hullabaloo Over Bamboo: A Closer Look at Eco-Friendly Bamboo Clothing About a year ago, I had the honor of finding bamboo sheets in a funky, boutique store. Now at first, I had visions of a woody, rough fabric that would crunch all night - and worse yet, I could imagine having nightmares about hungry Pandas munching on my bedding.

1/24/08- Al Gore: We're Doomed Whether you love the man, or think he's a quack, one can not dispute Al Gore's solid commitment and passion in publicizing Global Warming. Today, Al Gore said that climate change is occurring far more rapidly than even the worst predictions of the UN's Nobel Prize-winning scientific panel on climate change. Happyhippie.com staff said to be looking at property high up in the mountain tops.

1/23/08- Affirm Aware: Affirmations are Fashionable - Kathryn Haydn-Hays, the owner of California based Affirm-Aware, said that her company produced spiritual/positive products that are also green, socially responsible, sweatshop-free and people first. Whew! My brain rattled around my skull like a bouncy ball - so many of my favorite terms and beliefs wrapped into one product - do tell me what this is!

 

1/22/08- No More Plastic Bags at Whole Foods This April 22, on Earth Day, Whole Foods is making a strong environmental statement by no longer offering plastic bags. That means roughly 100 million plastic bags will be kept out of the environment between that date and the end of 2008, the company says.

 

1/17/08- Amazon Deforestation Accelerates Deforestation of the Amazon has surged in recent months and is likely to rise in 2008 for the first time in four years, a senior Brazilian government scientist said on Wednesday. The rise raises questions over Brazil's assertion that its environmental policies are effectively protecting the world's biggest rain forest, whose destruction is a major source of carbon emissions that drive global warming.

1/15/08- Product Review: Treasures of Mother Earth - Handmade Soaps and Candles Happyhippie.com was thrilled to review Treasures of Mother Earth, parent company to Soaps of Mother Earth and Candles of Mother Earth. Ronda, owner and handmade soap and candle creator extraodinaire, sent us a selection of soaps, lotions, bath salt, and a candle to test.

1/14/08- Virgin Atlantic To Test Biofuel in Flight Virgin Atlantic said Monday that it would conduct a demonstration flight next month of one of its Boeing 747 jets using biofuel - the first airborne test of a renewable fuel by a commercial jet.

 

1/13/08- Bald Eagles Die at Alaska Fish Processing Plant At least 19 bald eagles died Friday after gorging themselves on a truck full of fish waste outside a processing plant. Fifty or more eagles swarmed into the truck, whose retractable fabric cover was open and became too soiled to fly or clean themselves.

1/10/08 -The $2500 - Check out the Tata Ok, the name of the car cracks me up, however the cost and gas mileage on this little bugger will make everyone take a serious look.Tata Motors unveiled it's $2,500 Nano with much ado - and with the theme to "2001: A Space Odyssey" blaring in the background - in New Dehli.

 

12/24/07 Endangered Australian Animal Series: The Endangered Numbat One of the most ecologically most dangerous things to do is tamper with an animal’s ecosystem. The ramifications of doing so can have irreversible effects. Australia, which has animals that are found no where else in the world, is at risk of losing the Numbat due to environment tinkering.

 

12/19/07 - Eco-boat is People Powered: Literally The fastest eco boat on the planet will attempt to break the round the world speed record using fuel made from human fat. Pete Bethune, the New Zealand skipper of Earthrace, said the attempt to circumnavigate the globe would begin from Valencia in Spain on March 1 next year.

 

12/1407 - Indigenous people see signs global warming Indigenous people, including Canadian Inuit and Indian leaders, are emerging as some of the top stars of the Bali climate-change conference. From the Arctic to the South Pacific islands, indigenous people said they are among the first to suffer the worst effects of global warming.

 

12/11/07 - Endangered: Beluga Whale or White Whale Beluga whales are one of the most fascinating creatures on the planet and their playful nature is one of their most enduring qualities about them. The Belugas are a testament to the fact that what we do in our lives has a direct effect on an animal even way up in the Artic.

 

12/9/07 - Practical Green Gifts Practical gifts do not necessarily have to be boring gifts. Granted, if you give your significant other a toaster on Valentine's Day, you may be in for a world of hurt. However, it's often the practical gifts that are used the most and appreciated. Here are some practical gift ideas, that are not only earth friendly, but show that you really care.

 

12/7/07 - Teaching Kids to be Green
Each year, Americans generate millions of tons of waste...call it garbage, refuse, or trash…it's the waste we produce in our homes and communities. Although many cities have extensive recycling programs, almost 60% of what is thrown out in a garbage can, may be recycled.

 

12/4/07 - The 2007 Eco-Clothing Gift Guide Here are our picks for this year's eco-friendly clothing gift guide. Organic and hemp clothing can sometimes be pricey, but we feel we did a good job in highlighting items this year that are a good value, especially for the benefit of the earth. Most retailers are offering sales, free shipping deals, or an additional discount as well.

 

12/1/07 - Today is World AIDS Day Health activists around the globe are using Saturday's annual observance of World AIDS Day to focus attention on efforts to combat the pandemic.The U.N.-sponsored Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria says it has provided drugs for nearly 1.5 million people living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

11/30/07 - Former Midnight Oil rocker named Australia's environment minister For 25 years Peter Garrett was the frontman of Midnight Oil, an Australian rock band known for its raucously loud music and protest songs about social and environmental issues. Then the bald 6ft 6in singer hung up his microphone, disbanded the group and exchanged his rock star clothes for the sombre suits of a politician.

11/28/07 - Biofuel Potential in Africa International experts will convene in Burkina Faso for three days this week to discuss the prospects for biofuel production in Africa, conference organisers said Monday. The talks which open on Tuesday will bring together more than 300 specialists from Africa, Europe and the Americas to evaluate Africa's potential to produce biofuels -- while assessing the environmental, economic and social impacts of biofuel production.

 11/25/07 - Where are the Chinook Salmon? There was a time just 20 years ago that you could go to the major rivers in the Pacific Northwest and see Chinook salmon jumping for miles and miles. Just 40 years ago you could literally stick you hand in the river and it would be a matter of minute you could pluck one out of the river. Chinook Salmon stocks have now dried up and now on the endangered species list.

11/24/07 - Some Green Building Not So Friendly To Birds The soaring glass windows in Emory's Mathematics and Science Center reflect the woodsy view, confusing hapless birds who smash into it at full speed. The building killed 60 birds in the first year," said Wegner, Emory's chief environmental officer. "It was the wall of death."

 

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