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Earth Hour 2010: Blackouts Roll Across the World

earthhour 300x168 Earth Hour 2010: Blackouts Roll Across the World In observance of Earth Hour, an event the World Wildlife Fund organized to create awareness of climate change, landmarks, businesses and homes across the world went dark for an hour at 8:30pm. Starting at the International Date Line, the Paris’ Eiffel Tower, London’s Big Ben and Rome’s Colosseum followed Sydney’s Opera House and Beijing’s Forbidden City joined the campaign.

As Earth Hour approached the United States, the Empire State Building and Coca-Cola’s Atlanta headquarters went dark. The Las Vegas Strip and California landmarks are expected to shut down as 8:30p approaches the West Coast.

Did you or will you go dark — shutting off lights and appliances — for earth hour?

5 Green Habits for 2010

greentips 300x225 5 Green Habits for 2010 What are the coolest new habits to adopt for 2010? Here are five of them — remember it takes 30 days of practice for a new habit to stick. Every single person can manage all 5 of these easy, feel-good habits. I know that many of them seem obvious and we’ve heard them again and again…blah blah blah. But honestly, with kids screaming, dog needing to be walked, ph0ne ringing and Blackberry vibrating – the brain, or my brain, has a hard time keeping track of a few of the most basic eco-friendly actions I could be taking.

How often to you get to the checkout and realize that all of your reusable bags are in the trunk of your car or stuffed behind the laundry room door? I have every intention to bring my travel mug with me on a daily basis, but rather too often find myself craving a hot drink and realizing that the mug is .. I dunno -somewhere. I want to be an activist too, as I absolutely know that e-activism is one of the most powerful actions I can take. I spend hours a day twittering around on my laptop, but do I sign a daily petition (all of 30 seconds,) ? – the answer is a hideous No! So this year, I’m committing to post-it noting (the recycled ones of course,) these easy green habits on my fridge, as a gentle reminder to get a grip and walk the walk.

1. Get outside into nature every single day: Even if you live in a city, carve out at least ten minutes a day to get outside and make a connection with at least something in the natural world. Walk, run, or jump for joy as an alternative to going to the mall.

2. Always carry a travel mug with your home-brewed organic coffee/tea in it. It’s totally uncool to be seen schlepping around with an enormous coffee shop paper cup – so invest in a couple of travel mugs and be the change.

3. Get at least 5 Chico Bags and keep them permanently in your purse. The Gorgeously Green Chico bag is the official it bag for 2010, and the only way you’ll ever remember them for every single shopping trip, is to put them back in your purse when you’ve unloaded your groceries.

4. Say no to plastic water bottles period. If you get offered one, say no thanks! You can’t have too many reusable water bottles. Buy one for every member of your family.

5. A Petition-a-day keeps stress at bay: the surest way to stop fretting and stressing, is to spring into action. If you have eco-anxiety, simply log onto Greenpeace or NRDC and take 30 seconds to sign a petition. You have a voice – use it.

About the Author

Sophie Uliano is a passionate environmentalist who has developed an earth-friendly lifestyle that appeals to women who don’t want to compromise their glamour and style. She is the New York Times Best Selling author of “Gorgeously Green”, “The Gorgeously Green Diet,” and the soon to be released “Do It Gorgeously.”

Read more amazing tips from Sophie at GorgeouslyGreen.com

“Green Teen” Hosts Waterless Car Wash To Raise Awareness

allymaize Green Teen Hosts Waterless Car Wash To Raise Awareness Los Angeles’ 17-year old resident “green teen” Ally Maize, founder of LA’s Green Youth Movement, is aiming to make a statement about water conservation today by hosting a waterless carwash in her Brentwood, CA hometown. The carwash utilizes an eco-friendly formula that cleans cars without using water, saving up to 100 gallons of water per vehicle washed.

In a partnership with waterless auto detail company, Eco Detail, Ally will be joined by her classmates and friends to show locals just one more way in which they can conserve water and reduce their environmental impact.

“Living sustainably becomes much more do-able when the solutions make sense and are readily accessible. Most people don’t realize that everyday activities, such as washing your car, can add up to a lot of water waste,” says Maize. “Hosting this waterless car wash is our way of showing the community one example of how a simple lifestyle change can benefit the environment.”

Arctic Ice Cap Will Disappear During Summer in Next 20 Years!

The Arctic ice cap will disappear completely in summer months within 20 to 30 years, according to a report by a polar research team.

An expedition led by adventurer Pen Hadow presented their findings and dropped the shocking news about the Arctic ice cap. Hadow’s team says the Arctic ice cap will be “largely ice-free during the warmer months within a decade”, according to Yahoo News.

Good Housekeeping Goes Green, Announces First Green Seal Winners

Good Housekeeping, known as a benchmark for in product testing, announced the first products to earn the “Green Good Housekeeping” seal this past week.