More Hip Than Hippie #74 - Green Hobbies

With the short days of Winter upon us, it's important to keep active to avoid that Winter slump. Hobbies are a great way to occupy your time while doing something you enjoy. We'll cover a few popular green hobbies that you can do all year round.

Beer and Chocolate:

Beer: Waimea Bay Pale Ale from Waimea Brewing Company in Kauai, Hawaii.

Chocolate: Dolfin Dark Chocolate with Pink Peppercorn.

Hip News and Finds

Finds:

• Fun bags! This is an interesting eco-friendly choice from Japan - the No! Shopping Bag Bra. The lacy red bra has padded cups that can be removed and transformed into bags to carry your groceries. Guess you could call it a meeting of sexy and sustainability!
• Size DOES matter! Men, don't feel left out! Like the Wonderbra before it, the WonderJock from Aussiebum offers men the appearance of enlargement in all the right places!
• What can you do today? Find a way to make the world a better place by checking out 100 Ways to Save The Environment.
• Don't let static cling put a damper on your day! Not a fan of commercial fabric softeners? Try one of these six tips to put static cling in its place.

News:

• Blood Diamond. In theaters December 9, the movie Blood Diamond starring Leonardo DiCaprio digs into the dangerous world of the diamond trade in South Africa.
• Don't get sucked into the vortex! According to a Greenpeace study, old toothbrushes, beach toys, and used condoms are among the items that have created a vortex of plastic trash accumulating between Hawaii and the U.S. West Coast. The pollution is causing problems for the area's ocean life as fish, turtles, and birds get tangled in the mess.
• Potential environmental benefits of 2006 election. With Republicans on their way out, there are hopes for a greener future with environmental issues such as global warming and renewable energy moving to the forefront of the political agenda.
• Dolphin developments in the Far East. A bottlenose dolphin captured near Japan has what appears to be the remains of hind legs. It is believed that the animals once lived on land millions of years ago. More than 20,000 dolphins are facing destruction as part of the annual hunt by Japanese fisherman. The fisherman claim it is a form of 'pest control' to offset the amount of fish the dolphins eat. You can help prevent this slaughter by contacting the Japanese Embassy.

 

More Hip Book Club

Keep on reading everybody! We've got a discussion thread set up on the forum and can't wait to hear your thoughts on the second part of Fast Food Nation.

Our next book? In January, we'll be starting our second book, Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan

Green Hobbies

Combine a hobby you're passionate about with being green and you'll have plenty of ways to pass the darker days of Winter!

• Geocaching is like a green treasure hunt where you find caches hidden by others using a GPS unit.
  • Try picking up 10 pieces of trash on your way to finding the cache.
  • Learn more about this worldwide phenomenon and find cache coordinates at Geocaching.com.
• Gardening is a great way to get out into nature and make the world more beautiful.
  • As the weather gets colder, try bringing the gardening inside with a mini herb garden. It's great for kids and the fresh herbs add that something special to your cooking.
  • Get tips, ideas, and more at You Grow Girl.
• Bird watching is a great Winter hobby because with a small set up, you can do it from inside your home.
  • Enjoy different species of birds from the comfort of your home! Outside a window, set up several bird feeders of varying heights to accommodate the preferences of different birds.
  • Find more tips at Birdwatching.com.
• Knitting will pass the time while creating funky and fun gifts for friends and family.
  • When it's cold outside, there is no better gift that a snuggly scarf or cozy beanie.
  • Find knitting patterns, techniques, and more at About.com.

 

Listener Emails

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!

• No cheerleader beer here! Theresa from Santa Cruz Mountains wanted to turn us onto her favorite organic brewery, Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing. If you ever get a chance to try out one of their beers, she recommends the Organic IPA. Thanks for the tip Theresa!
• While we're on the subject of cheerleaders... Doug found this hilarious clip of some cheerleaders greatest hits!
• Barenaked Planet. Kellie found out that her favorite band, Barenaked Ladies, is joining with environmental group Reverb to launch Barenaked Planet on their upcoming tour. The environmental effort includes the use of biodiesel vehicles for the entire tour, recycling and composting back stage, wind energy offsetting for every show, and an eco-village with non-profit organizations and green businesses at each tour stop. Talk about using your star power for a good cause!
• Good Kitty. Hilary wanted to recommend an eco-friendly cat litter called Kitty Soft. It's made from 100% recycled newspaper with baking soda and since there is no dust it's great for people with allergies. Thanks Hilary!
• Put me in Coach! Bob wanted to let us know about his podcast, the Baseball History Podcast. It's all about America's favorite pastime and a great way to learn about this great sport!
• Can you keep a secret? We can't! Mike sent us a link to the not-so-secret In-N-Out Burger secret menu. We'd like ours Animal Style, please!
• Building a greener future. Do you live near Denver, Colorado? Green Jim is planning on attending Greenbuild 2006 in Denver, America's largest green conference, from November 15-17. If you're planning on attending, be sure to check out the forum and maybe there can be a More Hip Meet Up! Don't miss out!
• Cheers to Chico! Jessica found an article on Solar Buzz praising the beloved hometown of More Hip Than Hippie, Chico, California. The City of Chico recently dedicated its 1.1 Megawatt ground-mounted solar tracking system at the city's Water Pollution Control Plant. The tracking system is just one part of Chico's effort to educate its citizens about the benefits of solar energy.

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!