More Hip Than Hippie #178 - Palm Print

Are Oreos destroying the planet? Probably not, but like most processed foods, they contain a controversial ingredient. Palm oil is in heavy demand by food producers, and farmers are destroying rainforests to supply it. Dori and Val fill in the facts. Also, Val gets mooned by a swan and compares her husband to a trampoline!

Beer and Chocolate:

Beer: Val learns to love fruit beer with a ginormous bottle of Tangerine Wheat Beer from Lost Coast Brewery in Eureka, CA. So much citrus, you almost have to peel it!

Chocolate: How do you say "big-ass chocolate bar" in Danish? That would be Chok O Blok, the latest offering from Alex the Dragon. 70% San Domingo single origin dark chocolate, no messin' around!

Hip News and Finds

Finds:

• Innspiring. Val and her hubby enjoyed a weekend at the eco-friendly Gaia Hotel in Anderson, CA. Her favorite part? The toilet!
• Sheet happens. Misprinted sheet metal is saved from the landfill and transformed into exotic glass-sided lanterns.
• Sake to me! Add Organic Nama Sake to your list of eco-friendly adult beverages. Serve that wild rice in true Japanese style.

 

Hip News

• Fresh air. The US House of Reps passed the No Child Left Inside Act, trying to improve environmental education in schools.
• Load Star State. San Antonio, Texas pioneers the first large-scale effort to convert human waste into natural gas.
• Speaking of dumps... A visit to the landfill in Japan could turn out to be a real treasure hunt. Precious metals abound from discarded electronics.
• Dodo with lipstick. Congratulations to this year's winner of the Rubber Dodo award: Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, crusader against the pesky polar bear.

Teenie Weenie Greenie™

WD-4get about it! Quiet down those squeaky hinges with a spritz of cooking spray or a dab of lip balm. Apply it to the hinge's moving parts and wipe away any excess. Look for brands that don't contain petroleum or palm oil.

Palm Print

Are Oreos destroying the planet? Probably not, but like most processed foods, they contain a controversial ingredient. Palm oil is in heavy demand by food producers, and farmers are destroying rainforests to supply it. Dori and Val look at the environmental consequences of palm oil plantations, what corporations can do to stop it, and how consumers can make a difference.

• Palm reader. What is palm oil, and why do we love it? (Hint: it's full of fat.)
• Oil crisis. Drilling won't solve this problem either.
• There goes the neighborhood. A new study confirms oil palms make terrible rainforests.
• Not my Thin Mints! Step away from the Girl Scout cookies. You can make a difference by reading labels and avoiding products that contain palm oil. Learn more here.

Listener E-mails Pick our brains! Send an e-mail to hip@greenfeet.com. And don't forget to post articles, links, flotsam and jetsam at our MHTH forum!

• Shout-out! Thanks for mentioning us Behind the Stall Door!
• Lisa in Wisconsin shares a clever gift idea: make catnip pillows out of old sweaters. Even better if you grow your own catnip.
• Dr. DeeDee in Mississippi wants to get rid of a trampoline without putting it in the landfill. This guy has some ideas.
• Sara in New Hampshire (Live Free or Die!) is proud of a UNH student whose research led to a new state law on wind energy. We're blown away!
• Theresa in North Carolina wonders what's up with the Saturn ads. Well, they're temporary, and hopefully not too bothersome. We gotta pay for the glorious More Hip Media Multiplex somehow!

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