I am living in the wrong country and shopping for the wrong products from the wrong sales people. Female Berlin employees dressed down, to nothing but an apron to sell cosmetics from Britain called Lush. So, why naked? They were protesting the use of too much packaging by wrapping themselves up in less.

And this is getting the point across how?

The girls of Berlin want there to be less packaging of beauty products and toiletries, so they figured they make a statement. I say that the girls should be less wrapped, too!

So, seriously, where do we draw the line? How much is too much packaging? How much is not enough? I say we bring the girls to my house and we sit down and have a talk. Leave the aprons at home, please.

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In some circles I suppose Paris Hilton is doing her part to heat things up, cause more global warming, maybe, and in others she is just making a fool out of herself…and me, too for caring what she thinks. In any event, people read about her, look at her…and I hope, never listen to her.

Hilton’s energy plan – “We can do limited offshore drilling with strict environmental oversight while creating tax incentives to get Detroit making hybrid and electric cars.”

I’m betting she either read that off a script, it was tucked into her travel magazine, or someone was whispering it in her ear.

Offshore drilling is not outsourcing dental care, Paris.

Can you spell ‘environmental’ Paris?

And, what do you know about oversight, Paris? Who’s watching over you.

Incentive is not putting a penny into the arcade machine to get a souvenir, Pairs.

And, how much does it cost to fill up your limousine and jet to go gallivanting around the world?

One last question – Do you know where Detroit is?

In any event, the world is getting hotter each time Paris and the likes blow hot air and strip down just to heat things up, no?

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Beijing has been trying to reduce the smog in the city in the lead up to the Olympics. They start this Friday!! Whoopee! But, the Australian government is still not buying into the green Beijing, fresh air thing. In fact, the Australian government has voiced its concern about the effects that the air might have on its athletes. Yeah, and the Aussie government expects China do what that they haven’t done already?

The environmental minister down under said, ‘I think it’s a real issue for authorities there and also for the Australian team and for athletes generally, and I know that the Australian team medical staff will be monitoring the conditions really closely.’’

And I say, “Okay, so what do you recommend China do in the three days leading up to the Games?”

Or, is the minister just blowing smoke? Doesn’t he realize we need less of that? Let’s enjoy the Games and applaud China for putting on their best face. Is it the best? Could they do better? The point is, China is throwing a party and doing their darndest to do the best they can at it. How about some acknowledgment instead of criticism for a change?

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“Every day, 1.1 billion people have to wash with, bathe in and drink dirty water.
That’s the same as the population of North America and Europe.
We can’t live with that fact. Can you?”

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77Mv8pauMKc[/youtube]

After seeing this video I understood that there are places on Earth were people don’t have the time and the power to think about solar power, gas prices or car emissions. No food for tomorrow or water they can’t drink or shower with are bigger problems for them.

There’s not much I can do other than sharing this video with all the readers, friends or family.

This hard hitting viral video by World Vision wants to emphasize the fundamental importance of clean water for daily life, sanitation and hygiene. Everyone should have access to the basic human needs, don’t you think?

It’s not the high crude oil prices causing high gasoline prices that are driving up food costs. It’s not the fault of the US invasion of Iraq and upsetting the oil bucket. It’s not even the global warming monster that is causing food shortages, hunger among the poor, increased poverty or social unrest. It’s not even the demands of the growing economies in India or China.

The World Bank has concluded that its the EU and the United States and their drive for biofuels that has had the biggest impact on food supply and prices. When what would normally be used for food is fed to cars, people are left wanting.

Let me think this through. The push for biofuels is the result of high gasoline prices, no? If crude was more affordable then no need to push biofuels, right? What I really want to know is how many farmers in America and elsewhere are still being paid to not grow anything? Have the government subsidies stopped? If not, why not?

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Remember the salmon skin bikini? If not, you should. I’ve been on the look out for one of these for some time now. Well, there’s a guy in China, 71-years old, who thinks he’s found a way to stay cool. Following through on an idea that he had more than 30 years ago, the man has started making shirts out of fish scales.

When his son caught a fish with thumb-nail-sized scales, he remembered the original idea. So…he spent 15 months attaching 14,000 fish scales to one of his shirts. FWIW, it would take me 15 months to count to 14,000. The result, the man says, is cool comfort in the oppressive summer heat. That, he says, made it worth the effort.

I don’t care how cheap labor in China is, if it takes 15 months and enough fish to supply 14,000 scales, I won’t be able to afford one.

This man’s effort reminds me of another Chinese dude who was able to do something with beer bottles that large companies everywhere and scientists are racking their brains to try and do. Solar energy from beer bottles? Okay, then…a shirt made from fish scales.

Twenty six years ago, I was 26-years younger (duh!) and didn’t mind the hassle of handling baby diapers. Now, there’s a new baby in the house. Right, a 26-year old and a 5-month year old. You can stop laughing now.

Image by Lance McCord

Messing around with cloth diapers is a pain, and with all the water used I am not sure it’s the best alternative anyway. But, disposable diapers don’t sit well with us. And, we can’t let the baby run around with her bottom out. What to do?

NaturalPath has a list of four green options for disposable diapers.

1. “Tushies brand diapers are gel free and made with non-chlorine bleached woodpulp and conventional cotton for natural high absorbency.” I explained that to Mia (my little girl) and she responded with a “I like the name” smile.

2. “Seventh Generation’s diapers and training pants are extremely absorbant and chlorine-free (chlorine bleaching, used in most mainstream diapers, produces the pollutant dioxin).” Mia asked, “Papa, what generation am I?” She didn’t like the name.

3. “The Swedish-based Nature Boy and Girl diapers feature a GMO-free cornstarch cover, rather than the typical plastic (making them compostable in municipal facilities). Mia’s response was “Huh?!”

4. “Tendercare diapers are made by Tushies in the US, but contain SAP and woodpulp, rather than cotton.” Not so absorbent say moms but they are thin and easy to get around in. Yeah, how would the mom’s know unless they … okay, I don’t want to think about that.

Honey! Let’s see if any of these green options work on Mia. Hmm … price?

Read more at NaturalPath.

Honey! Get the baby, I think we can really clean her up.

In this day and age it’s not enough to just bathe a baby, the baby needs to be kept safe from all sorts of chemicals, many found in cleaning products.

What’s up with that? Chemicals found in household cleaners and air fresheners, for example, have been linked to childhood asthma and asthma-like conditions, among other things.

Honey!!!

Here a few references if you want a safe and healthy baby.

1. Homemade cleaning solutions – Safe alternatives to things with pretty labels on shelves in store. A great start to your cleaning repertoire is distilled white vinegar, baking soda, and tea tree oil.

2. Grist’s Green Guide – a wealth of information for those wishing to clean green. “Just because a product says it’s natural doesn’t mean it’s nontoxic,” says Jeffrey Hollender, CEO of Seventh Generation, which produces genuinely eco-friendly cleaning supplies and household products.

3. The Safe Shopper’s Bible provides much good advice for selecting truly green, effective products and prevents “greenwashing.”

Here’s where you get your answers for Can your hair coloring cause breast cancer? – Is this brand of apple juice safe for babies? – Will the additives in this salad dressing harm you? – Which shampoo won’t sting your eyes?

4. Naturally Clean: The Seventh Generation Guide to Safe and Healthy, Non-Toxic Cleaning- invaluable tips for minimizing your — and your children’s — exposure to hazardous household products and insightful tips on keeping a clean, green nursery.

5. Green Nursery Tips – finally, 10 ways to ready your home for your new baby.

Honey! Get the baby, we got to make some changes.

Remember how horny Labord’s Chameleons are?

There’s a guy in China who’s not going to die young of violent sex and he’s blaming it on a vegetarian lifestyle. Or more precisely, that’s what his doctor is telling him. When the guy saw that friends of his were suffering from obesity, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease and diabetes he decided to become fit, the vegetarian way.

It worked, but … he also lost his sex drive. The doctors are telling him, “Animal fats are necessary for human beings to maintain nutritional balance. Sex hormones are affected by eating an exclusively vegetarian diet by virtue of the absence of animal fats necessary to stimulate them.”

Maybe this guy, who lives in China’s northern province of Heilongjiang (that’s cold country, southern Siberia cold where there is nothing else to do but, you know…) needs to get him a pet Labord Chameleon, eh? Vegetarian diets cutting into sex drive? I’m not sure.

Do you know the answer?

Japan has ideas out the gazoo when it comes to recycling.  At an upmarket residential area in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward one man is making colorful accent rugs from old clothes, 1960’s-style lamp shades from corrugated plastic board, and  candleholders from old bicycle chains. It’s called the ecoprinka brand with the aim of  “Co-existence with the Earth means enjoying doing ecologically conscious things.”

Another store offers furniture and household goods with a 1960s design with products that have been used for multiple generations of customers. You can buy a motorcycle seat with pipe legs for Y50,000 ($475).

A Finnish ec0-oriented design by Secco attracts young Japanese consumers to bags and cell phone straps made from discarded tire tubes and keyboards. Retailers throughout Japan carry the products. But…the truth of the matter is people often buy discarded or recycled products = junk, only to realize they don’t like the design and they become waste again.

So, are these products really being reused, recycled, or are some people just making money off of other’s guilt at not being ‘green’ enough? It seems to me to be the latter.