Sugar: not so sweet for the environment. Did you know that sugar production and farming are very polluting processes? It negatively affects soil, water, air, and biodiversity where it is farmed. Learn how and what's being done to create change.

Beer: Woodchuck Granny Smith Draft Cider
Chocolate: Awaken the heart with the Eros bar from Dagoba Apothecary

Finds:

• Manure recycled into furniture? Researchers at Michigan State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture are saying that fiber processed from sterilized cow manure could be taking the place of sawdust in fiberboard, used to make flooring, furniture, and even store shelves. Researchers hope it could partly solve the problem of disposing the 1.5 trillion to 2 trillion pounds of manure produced annually in the United States.
• Norwegian's 'Think' big. The Norwegian electric car company Think Nordic ASA has raised $25 million in capital and plans to begin making its new design Think City car later this year. The Think City has a range of around 110 miles and meets both European and U.S. safety standards.
• More Hip Contest! Create the design that will be on the official More Hip Than Hippie Chico Bag!
  • Design must use only one color.
  • Design should be suitable for men and women to use.
  • The winner will receive 20 chico bags with their design on it!
  • The deadline for entries is March 31, 2007.
  • Email your submissions to hip@greenfeet.com.

• Go Green, Get Rich. Problem # 4: Dirty air.
• Chemical linked to birth defects found at unsafe levels in canned food. A study by the Environmental Working Group found unsafe levels of Bisphenol A (BPA) in more than half of the samples of canned fruits, vegetables, soda, and baby formula taken from supermarket shelves.
• World population on the rise. The world's population is expected to rise from the current 6.5 billion to 9.1 billion by 2050.

The world's sugar consumption is growing at an amazing rate. In fact, 145 million tons of sugars are produced in 121 countries every year!

Manufacturing and processing of sugar takes a major toll on the planet. Effecting everything from biodiversity, to soil fertility and water quality, sugar is tough on the environment. Read the report on sugar and the environment by the World Wildlife Fund.

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!

• Bump and coffee grind! Welcome to new listener Terry, who wanted to recommend a coffee grinder that you crank by hand. She found hers in Amish country, but you can buy one at EsspressoZone.com.
• Co-sponsor Sanders/Boxer Global Warming Bill. Sara wanted to pass along this call to action. Senator Barbara Boxer is seeking 59,544 Americans to sign on as citizen co-sponsors to her Global Warming bill.
• Alternative garbage bags. Amy and her husband were wondering about a good alternative is to plastic garbage bags. Try Biobags made from corn plastic.
• One proud Mama! New mom Jennifer loved the Lucky Lavender Dog she got at her shower almost as much as her new baby boy! Pick up a Lucky Lavender Dog for your next baby shower at Greenfeet.
• What's in a vegan lunch box? Veggie Liz in NYC wanted to recommend Vegan Lunch Box, an award-winning blog with tons of yummy recipes. Thanks Liz!
• Plastic bags for your fun bags! Reba sent along a link with directions to turn your old plastic bags into a bra!
• Green camping. Mary in Memphis and Liz in Brooklyn were both wondering about green camping. Check out More Hip Than Hippie #55 - Green Camping for tips.
• Get supercharged with this 'rawcumentary'. Jenna just finished her documentary film called Super Charge Me about her personal transformation on raw food. It will be screened at the Raw Film Festival in Hollywood, CA. Get a sneak preview by checking out the two minute trailer of Super Charge Me.
• Forget bagging, wrap it! Erin wanted to recommend a great alternative to plastic sandwich bags called the Wrap-N-Mat. The Wrap-N-Mat is a reusable storage system for sandwiches that can also be used as a placemat.
• Tour in eco-friendly style with Mr. Toad. Our own Jillicious wanted to spread the word about Mr. Toad's Tours, which takes you on adventure through San Francisco in pre-1930's vehicles that are eco-friendly and run off propane.
• California family finding the Path to Freedom. Heather wanted to let us know about the Deraves family that is trying to become completely self-sufficient by growing their own food, using solar power, harvesting gray water, etc. Learn more about the family at their website at PathToFreedom.com.

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!