Carnival of the Green #121 - Wowza!

Last week, it was Victoria E's turn to host Treehugger's Carnival of the Green - and now it's my turn - yay! As I read this week's posts, I really began to appreciate and admire all the good things folks are doing in their part of the world. It's great to take a break from the usual (and hectic!) routine to recognize these efforts. So without further adieu, please enjoy this week's posts!

To get things started, Brave New Leaf discusses how refigerators can be the 3rd greediest electricity suckers in our homes. How can we improve its efficiency? Check-out Brave New Leaf's adventures in cleaning (scary!) fridge coils. Here's a promise: It's not too tough!

Next up, Ed Yong provides us with a thoughtful discussion on how rising CO2 levels weaken plant defenses against hungry insects.

And speaking of food, Joe reveals an easy way to get some free vegetable (or flower) seeds sent to you. According to Joe, growing your own food is the ultimate way to eat locally. Plus, it's fun!

In keeping with this plant theme, Lane from Vegan Bits provides us with a vegan view as to why being a vegetarian may not be satisfactory.

Hey, thinking of traveling this year? Before you pack-up and go, take note of Joel's eight tips on how to be an environmentally-friendly traveler. And his pal Adam reviews the extremely difficult-to-use Magic Wheel - whoa!

And Natural Collection is talking about UK's Cbeebies going green with fantastic live action and animation. You must be wondering - will Tommy Zoom ever defeat the evil Polluto??

By the way, have you marked your calendars for Earth Day (April 22)? Before you do that, read Lynn's post and picture taken at Barnes & Noble - Can you believe the merchants are trying to turn Earth Day into a consumer holiday? Earth Day, of all things!

Speaking of overconsumption, Lisa Spinelli from PayItGreen has a simple message of dramatic proportion: "Go paperless..."

And Dawn C. shares her views regarding an email she recently received about ways to save money on gas. Do we save money by filling up in the morning (or not)?

Last but certainly not least, Beth from Fake Plastic Fish offers us great tips on plastic-free personal care products, including bottle-free shampoo and container-free deodorant.

And this just in (as of 11:22am!): Oliver wants to know what is innovation and how does it relate to rural areas, to farming and to business. Is it about making business more profitable or about ingenuity in the face of environmental necessity? And where does organic farming fit in - is it archaic or forward thinking? Oliver examines the funny word that is innovation, and considers what it might mean. Definitely worth reading!!

Folks, hosting this carnival has been a real blast! The fun continues next week when Agroblogger hosts the #122 edition of Carnival of the Green. In the meantime, keep up the good work! :0) M