She's back from vacation and better than ever! Val makes her triumphant return to the patio this week to tell us all about her East Coast adventure. We also spend a few minutes chatting up our favorite Eco-lawyer. There will be beer. There will be chocolate. There will be many listener emails. It's going to be an exciting show, you don't want to miss out!

Beer: Big Al IPA from Smuttynose Brewery - Thanks again Smartchick Sara!

Chocolate:Dolfin Chocolat Noir Au The Earl Grey. That's French for yummy dark chocolate with earl grey!

Finds:

• This is a picture of the restaurant Val and Rob went to on their East Coast Tour. It looks like Friendly's is taking food service to the next level!
• Jillicious found SustainLane Government, a website that hopes to help cities improve their sustainability. Access is free and it works by connecting city officials to practices and programs that have worked in other cities. You can help by telling your city officials about the site.
• Get serious about chocolate tasting. By following a few easy steps, you can learn how to taste dark chocolate - the right way. Apparently, just stuffing your face isn't proper. Hmph.

News:

• Calling all satisfied customers! Greenfeet is up for Co-op America's 2006 Green Business of the Year and voting wraps up October 5. Show Greenfeet your appreciation by voting now!
• Can they do that? New York City is proposing a ban on trans fats in restaurant food. If enacted, all restaurants using trans fats would be forced to switch to healthier oils within six months or risk being fined. Good for our waistline, bad for when you just need a french fry.
• A new Olympic sport? Probably not, but border volleyball has become quite a hit at a small beach along the US-Mexico border in Southern California. Players and spectators alike gather on their respective sides of the 20-foot metal pylons that mark the border and a game ensues.
• Governator says, "Hasta la vista, baby" to his collection of Hummers. A British newspaper reported that CA Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has sold his eight Hummers to prove his commitment to 'terminate' (hehe) global warming. The sale of his Hummers, which get a dismal 10 mpg, happened shortly after California announced that it is suing six major auto makers over their vehicles' greenhouse gas emissions.

Here are some of the links our lawyer, William Morris, discusses during the interview:

• EnviroClicks.com is a website where every click works to save the environment.
• Eaton Corp. is a great green company to invest in.
• William found this article about how the recent E. Coli outbreak was not organic.

Once again, we have a bunch of great listener emails. Keep 'em rolling in at hip@greenfeet.com. And don't forget to post articles, links, and speak your mind at our MHTH forum!

• Image of Hope. Laurie sent us this beautiful picture! Thanks Laurie!
• What is a single gal to do? Sometimes it can be hard to find fresh, organic produce when you're living in a big city. Laura in NYC uses Urban Organics, a service that delivers organic goods right to your door step. She was having trouble making those organic goodies last long enough to enjoy in a household of one until she discovered Evert Fresh Produce Bags on Greenfeet.com. Glad we could help, Laura!
• A different kind of chocolate bar. Mary Ellen sent us an email about an Israeli restaurateur who has opened a chocolate bar off New York's Union Square called Chocolate By The Bald Man. Let's make sure we've got this straight: it's a restaurant that serves only chocolate? Why didn't someone think of this sooner?!
• Girl Scouts make good by recycling. Lorre's Girl Scout troop in rural Minnesota made headlines by leading the nation in recycling plastic soda bottles. They receive five cents for each bottle, which goes toward funding a trip for the girls in 2009. Lorre got the idea after hearing about the company TerraCycle and their fund-raising projects on a past episode of MHTH. Keep up the good work girls!
• $50 french fries? Brian sent us this article about how the increased use of biodiesel might drive up the price of cooking oil. The silver lining of this cloud is that if the price of french fries rises, we'd buy less and get skinnier! We'll take that trade off, thank you very much!
• Pollution within our bodies? Not a pleasant thought. Eileen found an interview on NPR with science writer David Ewing Duncan, who set out to learn more about the pollution within our bodies and where it comes from. You can read more about his findings in the October issue of National Geographic.
• A brush with benefits! Sarah wanted to let us know about a hairbrush that will make you beautiful on the outside and inside. Not only is Aveda's ceramic round brush made from 100% post-consumer waste, but sales help support victims of Hurricane Katrina. Thanks for the tip Sarah!
• Concerns over going green. Melissa sent us a post from TerraBlog about an article in Forbes that claims buying green causes more harm than help. We're always up for a good debate!
• It's all about the pets. William sent us a bunch of great links with products for our furry friends.
  • Wellness cat food
  • Pet Promise pet food
  • Purrlicious organic cat treats
  • Steve's Real Food raw dog and cat food
  • Karma organic dog food
  • Doctors Foster and Smith elevated pet feeders
  • World's Best Cat Litter natural, corn based litter
  • The Cat Locator tracking collar
  • Help the pet population in Puerto Rico

Email us at hip@greenfeet.com. Don't forget to vote for us at podcastalley.com and podcastpickle.com. Send us a voice message at our Skype address "morehip" or +1 530.554.2605. Don't have Skype ? Get it - it's free!