More Hip Than Hippie #172 - Now Hear This!

That gold in your ear is valuable, but don't dig for it! Dori and Val discuss new guidelines for ear wax removal. Learn what that stuff is made of, why it's there and how to deal with it. It's a goldmine of information! Also, Barack Obama outlines his green energy ideas and Val conquers the airwaves.

Cider and Cheese:

Cider: How do you like these apples? American Hard Cider Co. bottles Newton's Folly Authentic Draft Cider, which is Golden and Delicious to the core!

Cheese: Award-winning Organic Valley Cheddar. It's legendairy. We paired it with Barbara's Bakery crackers.

Hip News and Finds

Finds:

• TiVal. Check out Val's TV segment about waste-free lunches. Look out Oprah!
• No-brainer. It makes sense to save paper while reading about the environment, right? EcoBrain offers tons of green titles online, including audio books.
• Tanks a lot! Find out how much fun you can have on one tank of gas, with Trip Advisor.
• Ex-Bay. You've dumped the boyfriend, now dump the baubles he gave you! Ex-Boyfriend Jewelry lets you repurpose that diamond, conflict-free.
• Bike-ingham Palace. England's Queen Elizabeth tells her bodyguards to get out of the SUV's and patrol the grounds on 2 wheels.

 

Hip News

• Dukes of hazard. The Bush administration wants to delay the process of removing toxins from the workplace.
• High price of gas. It's not just belching cows. Experts say insects contribute to climate change when they pass wind.
• Greenocrats. Listen to Barack Obama's ideas for the environment. A small bit of his Denver speech runs at the end of the show.

Teenie Weenie Greenie™

Don't forget to flush! Your water heater may need to purge the sediment that's been building up over the years. It's not tough to do, and unlike Val, you probably won't need to wear a wet suit. Afterward your tank will operate more efficiently and you'll be sure to have plenty of hot water for those winter days ahead.

Now Hear This!

That gold in your ear is valuable, but don't dig for it! Dori and Val discuss new guidelines for ear wax removal. Learn what that stuff is made of, why it's there and how to deal with it. It's a goldmine of information!

• What-ology? The American Academy of Otolaryngology issued national guidelines on earwax removal. Paper clips = not okay.
• A good deaf-ense. Scientists found the best way to remove the stuff is with saline drops or sterile water. Not this.
• Fire in the hole! The report claims there's no benefit to the practice of ear candling. That leaves Val burning. At both ends.

Listener E-mails You really oto write in! Send an e-mail to hip@greenfeet.com. And don't forget to post articles and links, or just wax poetic at our MHTH forum!

• Brandy in Colorado tells us about a great place to get natural gifts for kids. Visit, and get to gnome her better.
• Lurker Jodie needs a natural hand sanitizer for her kids while they're at school. Don't forget about good ol' soap and water!
• Michelle in New York wants a green alternative to styrofoam, and we found these customizable peanuts. Do this with the old stuff.
• Jen in Wisconsin is afraid to bike around town with her tot in tow. Get support! See if there's a bike club in town without "Hell's" or "Angels" in their name.
• Fiona in Sydney sent an article about one woman's quest to live a paperless life. Yes, that includes Down Under.
• Lisa in Michigan praises her home state for putting on a green Labor Day event and music festival. Kudos, der, eh?

Got a favorite Green(feet) business? Nominations are now open for Co-Op America's annual Green Business of the Year contest. Rock the vote! And don't forget 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! More Hip Than Hippie is sponsored by Greenfeet.com