Project Blue is the brainchild of marketing guru Vipe Desai, who parlayed his love of surfing and the ocean into a clever green fundraising initiative.

Blue is the new green! Vipe Desai brought together well-known companies to produce co-branded, limited edition surf and beach products. A portion of the proceeds goes to protect the world's oceans, waves and beaches. Vipe talks to the Hipsters about his background as a surf-shop owner, his Project Blue partners and an exciting contest that's underway. Also, Val's dog eats her homework and Dori speaks whale!

Beer: Good ol' Deschutes Brewery comes through again with Buzzsaw Brown Ale, a tasty tribute to Oregon's lumberyards of yore.

Chocolate: Our new favorite listener is Alanna in Boston, who sent a tres bon sampler from A La Mere de Famille chocolatier in Paris. Merci! We love your Tactile Travel tours too!

Finds:

• Or are they Twees? The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) will plant one tree for every new Twitter follower until June 5th, which is World Environment Day. Follow UNEPandYou now!
• Bamboo-tiful. Looking for lovely eco-friendly fashions with a vintage touch? Ruche offers affordable gear for green gals.
• Turn the page. The Summer Reading program at Barnes and Noble is underway. If your kid reads 8 books by Sept. 7th, B&N will hand over a coupon for a free book. Check to see if your local bookstores have a similar program.

• Year of the Tote. It's been a year since China enacted a ban on plastic bags. Results? 40 billion fewer plastic bags were used, with no adverse effect on retail sales. Was that so tough?
• Cue the orca-stra. Experts confirm the presence of singing blue whales 70 miles off the coast of New York. They were reportedly auditioning for The Little Mermaid.
• $1 per sip. With only 1,515 bottles of Moorilla's Moo Brew 2008 Vintage Stout available, you'd better take out a loan and grab a case! (Yeah, it's $20 a bottle.)

The heat is on! Now is the time to call your energy company and ask for a home energy audit. They'll send someone out to assess the efficiency of your house and make suggestions for improvements, at no cost to you. Don't want a stranger in your pad? Audit thyself!

Blue is the new green! Project Blue is the brainchild of marketing guru Vipe Desai, who parlayed his love of surfing and the ocean into a clever green fundraising initiative. Vipe brought together well-known companies to produce co-branded, limited edition surf and beach products. A portion of the proceeds goes to protect the world's oceans, waves and beaches. Vipe talks to the Hipsters about his background as a surf-shop owner, his Project Blue partners and an exciting contest that's underway. He also reveals his deplorable taste in chocolate.

• Learn about Project Blue. It's not a charity, it's a plan of action.
• Partners in the project include Billabong, DAKINE, Electric, Nixon, Famous Wax, O'Neill and Reef.
• Contribute to the non-profit Surfrider Foundation with your purchases.
• Look for the co-branded products in your state, or shop online.
• Vote the Ocean. Check out non-partisan Ocean Champions.
• Win cool stuff! Show Us Your Blue!

Be a part of our show! Send an e-mail to hip@greenfeet.com. And remember to post articles, links and surf reports at our MHTH forum!Send Val at least 25 beer caps or labels for her patio project, and get a free MHTH bottle opener! Mail them to More Hip Val, 275 Fairchild Ave. #107, Chico, CA 95973. No Sierra Nevada please!

• Shout-Out! A big thanks to Miranda Fern for the kind words in her blog!
• Melissa really wanted to recommend Barbara Kingsolver's book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle but we beat her to it. OMIGOD!
• Doug is a LEED Accredited Professional and the newest member of Boston Green Realty. Wicked pissa!

Show the world you're More Hip Than Hippie! Grab some merch for Graduation Day or everyday! Twitter goes green on #EcoMonday! Follow us on Twitter: GrnDiva, MoreHipDori and JRich9 at your service! Add us to your friends on Facebook and MySpace!Remember to vote for us at Podcast Alley, and leave a glowing review at iTunes! More Hip Than Hippie is sponsored by Greenfeet.com. Check out our new blog!