Archived Articles

11/16/07 Happy Hippie Eco-Holiday Gift Guide: Kid's Gift Ideas In part two of our Eco-Friendly Holiday Shopping Guide, this week we highlight gifts for children. In the battle of Barbie, Batman and Bratzgirls, here are some sane solutions that will spark creativity and keep your child busy for hours. Gift ideas for toddlers to big kids.

11/22/07 - Turkey Not Originally Part of Thanksgiving Adoptaturkey.org has shocking evidence that turkey, the very centerpiece of most American holiday dinners, was not part of the original Thanksgiving meal. From their website, they state that the very idea of turkey as symbolic of the Thanksgiving meal is as contrived as the notion that the holiday was initiated to celebrate the Pilgrims' good fortune after landing at Plymouth Rock.

11/18/07 - Maryland: Vaccinate or go to Jail The get-tough policy in the Washington suburbs of Prince George's County was one of the strongest efforts made by any U.S. school system to ensure its youngsters receive their required immunizations. Parents have been told to appear in Court on Saturday, and to subject their children to on-the-spot state-mandated vaccines of up 17 vaccine doses, or face imprisonment.

11/14/07 - Honeybee Gardens: Natural Makeup Review With Honeybee Gardens all-natural, cruelty free, environmentally friendly makeup products, now even hippies can be glam. When the package of cosmetic samples came, I eagerly ripped open the envelope and was beyond thrilled to see the beautiful, professional looking products.

11/12/07 - Endangered Whooping Crane The Whooping Crane is one of the most regal and a majestic bird in North America but due to habitat loss, pollution and diseases the Whooping Crane is on the brink of extinction. In the wild there are 237 Wood cranes in the Buffalo/Aransas Flock, 53 cranes in the Florida non-migratory flock and 83 Eastern Migratory flock. In captivity there are 145 in the zoos across the world.

11/10/07 - Green Products Expo in the Heart of New York City The Green Products Expo is a unique event designed for manufacturers to display their environmentally friendly products to hundreds of green-enthused editors that are ready and willing to give these companies the exposure they deserve. The event is a tabletop trade show on February 28, 2008 from 11:30am-3:00pm at the New York City Marriott Marquis in the heart of Times Square.

11/09/07 - NBC Goes Green NBC, owned by parent company GE, has launched a new green campaign. Their site says, "GreenIsUniversal.com, the digital home of NBC Universal's new initiative to bring an environmental perspective to our networks, our platforms, our audiences, our communities ...
in fact, to everything we do.

 

11/07/07 - The Pill May Increase Risk Of Atherosclerosis In what they call a startling finding, European researchers report that the millions of women worldwide who are on the pill or who used oral contraceptives for a year or more in the past are at increased risk of plaque buildup in the arteries. About 100 million women worldwide are currently on the pill, according to the World Health Organization.

 

11/07/07 - Get Rid of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), an ingredient in 90% of commercial shampoos and conditioners, corrodes the hair follicle and impedes hair growth. A study at the University of Georgia Medical College, indicated that SLS penetrated into the eyes as well as brain, heart, liver, etc., and showed long-term retention in the tissues. The study also indicated that SLS penetrated young children's eyes and prevented them from developing properly and caused cataracts to develop In adults.

11/06/07 - The Boo Boo Zoo: Helping Animals Against All Odds EMAR began in 1977 as a unique therapy program for Suzie Schwab, who had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Her husband Sylvan noticed that caring for an injured bird gave Suzie the strength to fight her illness, and he began bringing home more animals in need of her tender loving care.

 

10/17/07 - Elephant Dung Paper: Turning Poop into Conservation The concept of elephant dung paper seems farfetched, but an enterprising Thai man combined science and conservation to make poop into beautiful products. Click here to read more about this amazing project to save elephants.

 

10/16/07 - GreenPeace Rips the iPhone The iPhone showed no traces of cadmium or mercury, typical causes for violation. While the iPhone appears to have met EU and U.S. environmental standards, it did not meet those of Greenpeace. Greenpeace found trace amounts of lead and other carcinogenic compounds in the device.

 

10/15/07 - Animal Watch: Polar Bears One of the most majestic animals in the world is being directly threatened due to global warming. The polar bear is a vulnerable species at high risk of extinction. In May 2006, the World Conservation Union listed polar bears as a vulnerable species as currently one in three of the polar bear subspecies are threatened. In the arctic the polar bear is the undisputed king of the land with no known enemies except for one.

10/12/07 - China to Build Eco Cities A sign that Chinese politicians are starting to take the environment seriously is the construction of 233 "eco-cities" spread across the country. Although many of them are still in the development phase, they still show China is trying - with varying degrees of success - to generate sustainable energy and use raw materials more prudently.

10/09/07 - Happy Fair Trade Month October is Fair Trade Month, and you can celebrate by learning more about Fair Trade, and then purchasing items that support Fair Trade. Fair trade's strategic intent is to deliberately work with marginalized producers and workers in order to help them move from a position of vulnerability to security and economic self-sufficiency.

10/08/07 - Mountain Gorillas Habitat Seized Rebels have seized an area in eastern Congo that serves as a wildlife habitat for endangered mountain gorillas, threatening one of the last known populations of the animals, conservationists said Sunday. Shelling and heavy gunfire could be heard from the headquarters of the Virunga National Park, and rangers were forced to flee over the weekend, said the international conservation group WildlifeDirect.

10/06/07 - Green T-Shirts from CircleTees In this week's Eye on EcoBiz, we are excited to featured Circle Tees from Soulflower. Circle tees are organic cotton, eco-slogan prints such as Treehugger, Love Your Mama, and Think Green. These shrits pay tribute to this earth and all it's critters but in a fashion forward kind of way.

10/05/07 - San Jose, California Plans for Eco-friendly Future Showcasing a local consultant's newly refurbished building designed to produce more energy with solar power than it uses, San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed launched an ambitious agenda Friday to make the city a national leader in environmentally friendly technology.

10/03/07 - The Organic Freight Train
If there's one trend that is likely to grow, it's buying organic. A predominant factor is choosing organic food, is health related, as concerns grow to due preservatives, chemicals, and questionable food practices.

 

10/02/07 - Himalayan Salt from Solay Wellness
This week, in Happyhippie's Eye on Eco Biz, we are thrilled to feature Solay Wellness. Isabella, of Solay Wellness offers a beautiful, fair trade selection of salt crystal lamps, and an exceptional line of natural and organic skin care products known for their therapeutic health benefits.

10/02/07 - Quebec Introduces Carbon Tax on Energy Companies Quebec province slapped the country's first carbon tax on energy firms on Monday, as Canadian business leaders urged "environmental taxation" to rein in greenhouse-gas emissions. The tax, proposed more than a year ago, is expected to raise C$200 million ($202 million) a year to fund the province's plans to reduce emissions.

10/0207 - Energy Efficiency for a COLD Winter!

Halloween isn't the only scary thing in Fall. Failing to winterize your home will result in higher energy consumption and pricey utility bills. Here are some home energy efficiency tips for a cold winter.

 

9/28/07 - Arctic Ice May Disappear A record melt of Arctic summer sea ice this month may be a sign that global warming is reaching a critical trigger point that could accelerate the northern thaw, some scientists say. The Arctic summer sea ice shrank by more than 20 percent below the previous 2005 record low.

 

9/28/07 - Companies Going Carbon Neutral
Companies across the globe are joining in against the fight of global warming by cutting carbon emissions. From technology, airlines, to politicians the trends is starting to catch on. Here is a list of this week's companies taking postive steps forward.

9/27/07 - Recycle Bin Designs This week, in Happyhippie's Eye on Eco Biz, we are excited to feature Recycle Bin Designs - an eco-friendly retailer that offer eco-friendly clothing and other products with a unique retro style inspired by the late 60’s – early 70’s intermingled with the present. Since 2002, Recycle Bin Designs has offered high quality products with a goal being “walking lightly on the earth.”

 

9/26/07 - Green School Fundraisers: More Options Needed My daughter came home from school with a giant envelope containing the Sally Foster Fall 2007 GiftWrap catalog. While I want to support her school, and assist in fundraising efforts, I couldn't find a single thing I wanted in the catalog. Flipping through the pages again, I decided to buy the obligatory gift-wrap. I was shocked to see there wasn't ONE recycled-paper gift-wrap option.

 

9/26/07 - HSN is Peddling Fox Fur Coats Unbelievably, HSN (Home Shopping Network) is not only peddling fox fur coats on their shopping channel, but they have the gall to proclaim that 'fur is the hottest thing for fall', and the latest look on the fashion runways. It's great to know that death is so stylish!

 

9/25/07 - Rise of the Mutant Frogs Sounds like a sci-fi horror film, but it's reality in many states across North America. Studies show that frog-deforming infections caused by tiny parasites are increasing because of North American farms' nutrient-rich watershed. For decades, many communities have noticed a steep decline in the local frog populations.

 

9/24/07 - Organic Baby Care: What Are You Putting on Your Baby? If you've read the labels of some large brand baby products, it reads like a science project. With the alarmingly high level of toxins in our environment (air, dirt, water, furniture, toys, food), do you really want to be putting these Frankenstein chemicals on your child?

 

9/24/07 - Stop The Dog Meat Trade Paralyzed under a crush of bodies. Fighting for breath in the stifling heat. Mouths cinched tight by plastic rope. These horrifying images greeted the Humane Society investigators when they rescued nearly 100 dogs bound for the dog meat trade in the Philippines. Click here to visit the HSUS website for more on this.

9/24/07 - Celebrities Go Green If a celebrity says something, it must be important. Stepping up to save the planet, Oprah, Gore and Leo discuss their own 'How to Go Green' tips. Saged Happyhippie.com readers get out their red markers and get read to grade their efforts. Ready...set...go.

 

9/24/07 - Savings for Happy Hippies - EcoBags offers the original Bring Your Own Bag. They have SKAL®-certified organic cotton, recycled cotton, hemp-cotton blends and natural untreated and unbleached cotton. Everything in their store is manufactured fair-wage and fair-labor. Happy Hippie customers receive a 15% discount off their orders! Simply use promotional code " HappyH " at checkout. Click here to check out ECOBAGS®.

9/24/07 - China's No Car Day Runs Out of Gas
Last week, we reported on the positive step China was taking for a 'No Car Day', where citizens were encouraged to leave their cars at home, and use public transportation. Unfortunately, the majority of citizens ignored the largely publicized event, and drove their cars anyway.

 

9/24/07 - Happy Hippie's Video Pick of the Week

The Lorax is a children's story written by Dr. Seuss and first published in 1971. The tale chronicles the plight of the environment and the Lorax (a "mossy, bossy" man-like creature), who speaks for the trees against the greedy Once-ler. Click here to watch the 24 minute Lorax cartoon from Google Video.

 

9/21/07 - Yangtze Dolphin Not Yet Extinct The reported sighting of a Yangtze River dolphin, or Baiji, means there is still a chance for people to take further action and protect the cetaceans in the Yangtze from extinction, according to World Wildlife Fund. It is the first Baiji reportedly found in the Yangtze since the scientific expedition last year, during which no single Baiji was spotted.

9/21/07 - Reusable Bags for Back to School If you've followed recent news, you'll know that the vinyl in kid's lunchbags from big chain stores, may contain lead. Although a recall has just been activated, it's too early to tell exactly how big it will be. If you're concerned out lead in your child's lunch bags, consider switching to eco-friendly, yet sturdy resusable bags. And no need to lose out on style, these bags are fun and creative.

9/20/07 - EU Bans Bluefin Tuna Fishing The European Commission on Wednesday banned bluefin tuna fishing in the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean for the rest of the year because of over-fishing and dwindling stocks. Environmentalists have warned that tuna face eventual extinction if fishing continues at current rates, boosted by a worldwide fad for Japanese food such as sushi.

9/19/07 -Global Warming Exposes Prehistoric Bones
The permafrost is thawing so quickly in Siberia, bones of prehistoric animals that have been buried for thousands of years, such as mammoths, woolly rhinos and lions are being exposed. Although the rate of thawing is alarming to environmental scientists, it's created a financial boon for bone hunters.

 

Eye On Eco-Biz
9/18/07 - In a new series to highlight eco-biz, Happyhippie.com is happy to feature Mountains of the Moon.
Since 1998, Mountains of the Moon has offered the highest quality goods inspired by their mission: to spread positive messages and promote conscious lifestyles through independent art and fashion, with a focus on high-end sustainable clothing and accessories.

9/18/07 - Is Bagged Lettuce Safe? After another bagged lettuce recall announced today, people are wondering if it's safe to eat bagged lettuce anymore. Happyhippie.com sat down with Mr. Ross, an organic farmer in the Santa Cruz area to find out how this contamination could be happening.

 

9/17/07 - Cows High on Pot Aren't so Mad Yes, we knew the title was catchy. What's better, is it's true. According a New Zealand pro-cannabis groups, there is scientific evidence that cannabis (or cannabidiol) can stop the development of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known throughout the world as mad cow disease.

 

9/17/07 - China's No Car Day In a positive step to promote environmental health, China will initiate its first-ever nationwide "no car day" this weekend to help alleviate increasingly gridlocked urban roads, stated China Daily Monday. Residents in 108 cities will be urged to take public transport, ride bikes or walk on the nation's first "no car day" this upcoming Saturday.

Eye On Eco-Biz
9/14/07 - In a new series to highlight eco-biz, Happyhippie.com is happy to feature Wildflower Tie Dye.
Valerie, the owner of Wildflower Tie Dye, was drawn to tie dying after a life long interest in "hippie culture" and a desire to express her creativity through color .

 

9/14/07 - Teacher Honks for Peace, Gets Fired
Deborah Mayer, a former elementary teacher from a small conservative town in Indiana, was fired for saying, " I honk for peace." Mayer said her troubles started on Jan. 10, 2003, the eve of the Iraq war, during a weekly current-events discussion in her Grades 4-6 class. A student asked if she would participate in a peace rally.

9/13/07 - The Benefits of Xeriscaping As we get into fall, dry crisp weather can wreak havoc on lushly landscaped yards. Now is a great time to abandon the high maintenance of water-reliant yards, and consider landscaping with plants that are native to your area. Natives are often plants that can survive with minimal water and care, and survive on their own. In states that have predominantly more sunny dry days than wet, rain days a year, xeriscaping may be a good solution.

9/12/07 - Disney Sweatshop Toys - Working for Disney it's apparently not the happiest of jobs. Workers at a Chinese factory making Disney toys are overworked, underpaid, exposed to dangerous toxins and forced to live in filthy conditions, a labour rights group said in a report Wednesday.
Factory workers complained they were forced to work 28 days a month and up to 15 hours a day.

9/11/07 - Salt Water Used As Fuel a Real Possibility In what could be one of the most significant discoveries of recent times, an cancer researchera accidentally has found a way to burn salt water.
The discovery has scientists excited by the prospect of using salt water, the most abundant resource on earth, as a fuel.

9/10/07 - Australian Bees Killing American Bees? In what is turning out to be one of the most puzzling 'whodunnit' stories of the year, there may be a new clue as to why North American bees are disappearing. The new culprit may be a virus (Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus (IAPV)) found in healthy Australian honey, that could be adversely affecting and killing honey bee colonies across the United States, researchers reported.

9/9/07 - Iceland stops commercial whale hunt In a setback to the whaling industry worldwide, Iceland's fisheries minister has just announced he will not issue any more commercial whale-hunting quotas. Greenpeace is reporting that Iceland announced last year a return to commercial whaling and a quota of 30 minke whales and 9 fins. But with virtually no market in Iceland and fears of contamination making Japan unwilling to purchase North Atlantic whale meat, the hunt has been a disaster.

FREEBIE ALERT - Not that anyone needs more spam, but these guys actually send out informative shtuff. Fun, free eco living tips delivered M-F to your inbox - IdealBite.com

9/6/07 - Easy Ways to Go Green
Contrary to belief, going green doesn't mean you have to sacrafice. There are simple easy things you can do to reduce waste, use less resources, and make the world a greener place.
Click here to read this article at Happyhippie.com

 

Eye On Eco-Biz
In a new interview series, HappyHippie.com will take a look at what inspires our eco-retailers to do what they do, and information on their business.

9/6/07 - This week's Featured Retailer is home-grown business Intergalatic Rose.

 

FREEBIE ALERT - Astrology: Is your karma spinning out of control? Get a handle on the hands of fate with a free sample Karma Reading!

September 9, 2007 - Iceland stops commercial whale hunt In a setback to the whaling industry worldwide, Iceland's fisheries minister has just announced he will not issue any more commercial whale-hunting quotas. Greenpeace is reporting that Iceland announced last year a return to commercial whaling and a quota of 30 minke whales and 9 fins. But with virtually no market in Iceland and fears of contamination making Japan unwilling to purchase North Atlantic whale meat, the hunt has been a disaster.

September 9, 2007 - Paint it Green with Environmentally Safe Paint Finding environmentally safe paint is now easy and accessible. Eco-friendly paints are those that have low VOC coatings (Volatile Organic Compounds) and have no harmful chemical components as defined by Green Seal. These paints also supercede regular paints in that they meet performance standards for scrubbability, hiding power and washability.

September 6, 2007 - La Nina Coming, Water Conservation Needed
Government meteorologists are predicting the return of La Nina conditions in the Pacific Ocean, suggesting more drought conditions in the U.S. Southwest. With La Nina developing, seasonal forecasters predict drier than average conditions in the drought stricken Southwestern United States this fall.

September 7 - Easy Ways to Go Green
Contrary to belief, going green doesn't mean you have to sacrafice. There are simple easy things you can do to reduce waste, use less resources, and make the world a greener place.
Click here to read this article at Happyhippie.com

 

September 4, 2007 - Executive Chef for U.S. Open Pushes Green Approach When Michael Lockard, the executive chef of the U.S. Open, describes the food served at his event, he does it with evident pride.

September 5, 2007 -Are Hybrid Cars in Danger of Losing Carpool Lane? In an attempt to reduce congestion on the freeway, Caltrans wants to raise the fine for solo passengers who get nabbed in the carpool lane, and especially for those who put a dummy in the passenger seat. Right now, with court fees, the fine is about $500. Caltrans has not yet said what they would raise it so.

September 1, 2007 - More Severe Storms Expected in US with Global Warming As the world warms, the United States will face more severe thunderstorms with deadly lightning, damaging hail and the potential for tornadoes, a trailblazing study by NASA scientists suggests.

 

August 28 - Chinese Chopsticks Scare
Ah, yet another reason to buy local. For years, as a nation collectively, we've relied on cheap goods from China. Now we're paying the price. From lead paint toys, poisonous dog food, tainted toothpaste to well...recycled, but uncleaned chopsticks, well you get the idea.

August 28, 2007 - Freebie Alert! Get a FREE Soap Gift Pack with Purchase at MotherNature.com! Use Coupon Code: BEEFLO during checkout. (Yes, it's a weird code..but it has nothing to do with Beef.) :)

August 28 - Circuses Are NOT Funny - In case their was any doubt, circuses that use animals still suck. The Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus will stand trial, accused of abusing an endangered species of elephant.Continue to boycott, and take children to artistic circuses like Cirque De Soleil where the talent lies in the art of dance, gymnastics, acrobatics and music.

August 27-Sept. 3 - It's Burning Man Time - Every year, tens of thousands of participants gather to create Black Rock City in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada for Burning Man, dedicated to self-expression, self-reliance, and art as the center of community.

August 28 - Eco-Friendly House Cleaning - Did you know the way you clean your home can make a difference in the environment? From bathroom to kitchen, here's a list simple, easy-to-make cleansers to clean your house for a safe environment.

August 16 - FREEBIE ALERT - Astrology: Is your karma spinning out of control? Get a handle on the hands of fate with a free sample Karma Reading!

August 16 - FREEBIE ALERT - Not that anyone needs more spam, but these guys actually send out informative shtuff. Fun, free eco living tips delivered M-F to your inbox - IdealBite.com

 

August 16 - 'Cool farms' mask the extent of global warming
Now researchers have confirmed the existence of their opposite: cool farm patches. Whereas urban development generates pockets of hot air, irrigated fields tend to cool things down, they say - and there is evidence that the effects have been felt in California for over a century. Click here to read this article...

 

 

 

August 16 - Greenpeace Joins Loggers to Stop Illegal Wood Imports - Huh? Wait. What? I'm confused. Click here to read this article about this odd relationship.