This week we're wearing tiaras from Bob, drinking an interesting beer, talking about the conundrum over paper vs. plastic, and giving you some easy energy saving tips.

The Tiaras
We finally have tiaras! Thanks to Bob from Orange County, CA for sending them! We decided we might wear them at the Portable Media Expo, so now you will know us when you see us. We will be the ladies at the bar wearing tiaras!

The Beer
OK! This is quite a beer. Great Sex Brewing - Adam & Eve Ale. They do have a website!

Gnomes?
Dori tells us all about the great gnome caper going on in Yorktown. Read the article yourself - Click Here. If you think that gnomes get a bad rap, visit freethegnomes.com, where you have a good chance of finding a sympathetic ear.

Halloween - Bad for Plumbers?
Plumbers apparently are called on quite a bit during the holiday season. The pulp from our great jack-o-lantern creations can clog the drain. Throw your pulp out. Don't put it down the drain.

Walmart - A step in the right direction?
While we are always skeptical of the jolly-not-so-green-giant that is Walmart, we do want to give credit where credit is due. Walmart seems to be making the switch from petroleum based plastic bags to a more environmentally friendly corn based bag. It will be interesting to see if this is a true change of colors, or if it is a bit of greenwashing. The full article can be found here.

Paper vs. Plastic There is a reason there is a debate over paper vs. plastic, and that is because there is no clear winner. On the show today we talk about what it takes to make both bags, and what happens to them after they have been used by consumers. We also offer other alternatives that last longer, and use less resources from beginning to end. Some of those alternatives are listed for you here:

• String Bags
• Collapsible crates
• Hemp Shopping Bags
• Recycled Billboard Bags
• Compact Nylon Shopping Bags
• Don't take a bag for small purchases

If you have more ideas, email them to us at hip@greenfeet.com.

 

Ways to Save Money on Your Energy Bill

1. Switch to washing clothes in cold water with low phosphate detergents
2. Do full loads of dishes and laundry, and do them at night when cost is lower
3. Clean dryer link filter every time you use it.
4. Install a low flow showerhead
5. Install a Soak/Soap valve or a shower timer to help you use less water
6. Install aerators on your faucets to use less water
7. Insulate your water heater and hot water pipes
8. Turn off items you aren't using (computers, lights, radios etc). Use a Kill A Watt to see how much energy each item is using.
9. Change the 4 most used lights in your house to Compact Fluorescent Lights
10. Change or clean air or heater filters monthly (buy the filters in bulk).

 

Listener Email
Vetiver - for combatting panic attacks. We know greenfeet.com carries it, but couldn't find it on their website. Feel free to call them at 1-888-5-Nature. Tell them we sent you!
Hemp Clothing - Places to find heavy duty hemp clothing

• Rawganique.com
• Hempy's
• Hemptown
• Ecolution

Shout Outs

• Sarasota Livin'
• Robbhendershot.com
• No Credit Needed

  
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Stick a Fork in It! This week the remodel on Dori's house begins, Val attends a "Green Wedding", and we are "joined" on the patio by David Zutler from Biota Spring Water. We finish up our green building topic by focusing on indoor air pollution and cutting your energy costs through your green building choices.

Places to Purge Your Belongings

• Freecycle.org
• Throwplace.com

 

In the News

• The Most Fuel Efficient Cars of 2006
• NicoShot - Beer with Nicotine

 

The Interview - David Zutler - Biota Spring Water
David "joins" us on the patio via the phone, and fills us in on why Biota (Blame it on the Altitude) Colorado Spring Water is different from the other bottled waters on the market. Here's a hint: It has a lot to do with the compostable, biodegradable PLA plastic bottle. Visit their website, biotaspringwater.com to see the demonstration of how this bottle decomposes in 80 days under the right conditions.

The Beer of the Week
As promised, in honor of Halloween, we are trying a Pumpkin Ale from Buffalo Bills Brewery in Hayward, CA.

Green Building - Part 4
Indoor Air Pollution - Watch out for indoor air pollutants

• Carpeting and Wood laminates
• Joint Compounds
• Paint
• Cleaners
• Air Fresheners
• Mildews and Molds
• Wallpaper (Vinyl)
• Blinds and Window Coverings
• Press Board or Particle Board
• Plastics
• Salt Treated Lumber
• Bedding and Mattresses
• Radon
• Damaged Chimney Flues
• Malfunctioning Appliances

How Can You Tell if You Have a Problem?

• Unusual odors in your home.
• Stuffy
• Poor Venelation
• Lack of Air Movement
• Faulty Equipment
• Headaches or Nausea that dissipate when you leave, and return when you come home.
• Excessive Humidity
• Visible Mold

Improve Your Air Quality

• Open Your Windows
• House Plants
• Natural Cleaners
• Get a Bagless Vacuum with Hepa Filter
• Choose Healthy Natural Candles
• Choose Flooring other than Carpet (Check out Debra Lynn Dadd's Book Home Safe Home for more information).
• Choose Less Toxic Paint (Safecoat, Benjamin Moore, Bioshield)
• Avoid Pest Control Treatments

 

Ways To Cut Your Energy Bill

• Reduce the temperature of your water heater to 120 degrees.
• Install an insulating blanket around your water heater
• Use Energy Saving Settings on appliances
• Replace incandescent lights with compact fluorescent light bulbs.
• Replace filters in heaters and air conditioners
• Caulk windows or use film covers for insulation
• Seal up air leaks
• Install Clock Thermostat
• Water Saving Showerheads
• Use the Kill A Watt to check your appliances.

   

Chocolate of the Day: Dagobachocolate.com

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This week we are out on the patio and Val thinks it's a little chilly. She even wore a sweater. Besides tasting beer and organic chocolate chip cookies, we also taste water that's packaged in a bottle manufactured from a 100% renewable resource, corn. We share green choices for Halloween treats, and talk about some extremely interesting dog items. We get down to business with xeriscaping, choosing quality materials, and incorporating salvaged or reclaimed materials for green building. We finish up with some of your great listener emails.

Biota Spring Water: This water is great, doesn't taste like plastic. That's because of its great bottle.

Beer of the Day: Monty Python's Holy Grail Ale - Find this great Ail at Eurobrews

Chocolate of the Day: Ok actually a cookie with chocolate in it... Chocolate Chunk Cookies from Back to Nature.

For the Dogs: The Wow Car from Honda - built especially with your dog in mind and artificial testicles for dogs, really.

Green Halloween: Green Halloween Treats that kids will really enjoy.

Programmable Thermostats: A great easy way to reduce your costs during the winter. With a programmable thermostat installed, you will decrease the amount of energy used to heat your home, by keeping your home cooler during the hours no one is home.

Lighting: A great way to save money on your Electricity bill is to use Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs as an alternative to traditional light bulbs. Very Hip.

Cool Music: Our very cool music today was by Johnny Rome. We played part of two of his songs - Sail and Green Girl. You can get information about his music and his podcast at JohnnyRome.com.

Xeriscaping Links
Establishing a Waste Efficient Landscape:
What is Xeriscaping?
Garden Flowers:

Links for Incorporating Reclaimed Materials:
Green Floors
Northwest Green Directory

The Dyson!

The National Green Pages from Coop America.

Listener Email Links:
An Easy to make Worm Bin.

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More Hip Than Hippie - Green Building (Part 2) (AKA Hair of the Dog Episode)
In this episode we celebrate Dori's Birthday, taste some more beer, and read some more great listener emails. We also take a closer look at our first green building core value - passive systems. We are joined on the patio by Val's cousin-in-law Jill (blame her for the rap idea!).

Beer of the Day: Raging Rapids Ale from the Feather River Brewing Co. This one got the first ever 6 hips! It's got to be a winner!

Dori's Halloween Fun Finds: Halloween tips from Frugalfun.com. Cavity free trick-or-treat ideas.
And a great Pumkin Seed Roasting recipe from Earthyfamily.com.

Val's Podcast find: The Free Lunch Show with Nate and Di. Make sure to go and take a listen. If you stop by their website make sure to tell them you heard about it on More Hip than Hippie.

Green Building Referce Books:
Green Building Guidelines: Meeting the Demand for Low-Energy, Resource-Efficient Homes
Solar Living Sourcebook: The Complete Guide to Renewable Energy Technologies & Sustainable Living
Green Building Products: The GreenSpec® Guide to Residential Building Materials
The New Independent Home: People and Houses That Harvest the Sun

Solar Tubes:
For more information about Solar Tubes as passive lighting visit green-rated.org.

Sustainable Building Materials:
Here's a great resource for types of sustainable building materials. This is a link to the insulation chapter.

Green Building Info: If you want find out about green building, here you go... Rocky Mountain Institute

Listener Links:
New Belgium Brewing Co.
Juiceguys.com
Obviously.com

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