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Disney Promotes "EARTH" Film on April 22

Disney has announced an April 22 release (Earth Day) for their film, EARTH.  It's the first from their recent created DisneyNature division and award-winning British producer/director Alastair Fothergill, whose credits include the Emmy and Peabody award-winning "Planet Earth" series (BBC and The Discovery Channel) and The Blue Planet.  Earth, which was produced by BBC Worldwide and Greenlight Media, takes viewers on a one year tour of our home planet as it's never been seen before (not sure what that exactly means). The film will be narrated by actor James Earl Jones (see his films here).  

To promote the release, Disney has promised to  plant a tree for every moviegoer that sees EARTH during opening week.  Their goal is to ensure that trees are planted in areas that conservationists have identified as hot spots of biodiversity. Disney will oversee the planting of the trees in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, which is considered the most endangered rain forest in the world.  No word yet on how they will show proof of the plantings, stayed tuned.  In the meantime, view the trailer below the break and read more from Treehugger on Disney's green strategy .

Some EARTH DAY Fun with Your Kids and PBS

Don't spend too much time at the TV, but celebrate some of Earth Day (Wednesday, April 22) this year with the your kids, PBS Kids' & PBS KIDS GO's 4th annual "PBS KIDS Share the Earth Day" and a new Web-based Earth Day Channel on pbskidsgo.org.  The celebration will feature new episodes from CURIOUS GEORGE, ARTHUR and CYBERCHASE; themed favorites from SUPER WHY!, SID THE SCIENCE KID and more; and eco-focused Web content on pbskidsgo.org, pbskids.org, PBS Parents (pbsparents.org) and PBS Teachers (pbsteachers.org).

Fun topics,like the importance of dirt on SID THE SCIENCE KID, water conservation on SUPER WHY!, planting a garden on MAYA & MIGUEL or the effects of pollution on CYBERCHASE, no seed of knowledge is left unsown. The on-air event also will feature a music video from the award-winning kids' rock band Milkshake (their dvd here and cd here ) , as well as Earth-friendly tips from PBS KIDS hosts Mr. Steve, Miss Rosa and Miss Lori.

The Starbucks Mobile ?

Not quite the Oscar Meyer Weiner Mobile from my youth, but certainly much "greener", check out the new "Starbucks Mobile" pedal powered rolling billboard that you might see if you're in London.  (Just make sure to buy a cup of organic coffee if their travelling ad causes you to visit their shops !!!!)

                               

A Third of US Bird Species in Danger, New Report Shows

Birds are a priceless part of the American heritage.  Beautiful, entertaining and  economically & eco important.  They also reflect the health of our environment. A new "State of the Birds" report was released this week and reveals troubling declines of bird populations during the past 40 years—a warning signal of the failing health of our ecosystems.  At the same time, evidence is noted that strategic land management and conservation action can reverse declines of birds. The report calls attention to the collective efforts needed to protect nature’s resources forthe benefit of all people and wildlife. You can listen to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar's March 19 press conference and download a copy of the full report here.    

EARTH HOUR 2009, 3/28/09, Don't Be Left Out

The World Wildlife Fund is asking individuals, businesses, governments and organizations around the world to turn off their lights for one hour – Earth Hour – to make a global statement of concern about climate change and to demonstrate commitment to finding solutions.  March 28, 2009 at 8:30pm.   Recently, the District of Columbia announced that it will participate.  The District will turn off non-essential lighting on many buildings and landmarks, including facilities owned by the local government.  DC joins more than 950 cities in 80 countries around the world in committing to "turning out" for Earth Hour. In the US, the District joins Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New York and San Francisco in dimming its skyline to cast a vote for action on the climate crisis.  More at EarthHourUS.org

                             

Worst Foods for 2009 !

We missed the report from CSPI news last month, but here's a list of foods to avoid.  It was compiled by Center for Science in the Public Interest  

1. Pepperidge Farm Roasted White Meat Chicken Premium Pot Pie

2. Romano’s Macaroni Grill Spaghetti and Meatballs with Meat Sauce

3. Progresso Traditional, Vegetable Classics, and Rich & Hearty soups

4. Dove Ice Cream

5. The Cheesecake Factory Chris’ Outrageous Chocolate Cake

6. Smoothie King’s Grape Expectations II

7. Pop Secret Movie Theater Butter Popcorn Snack Size Bags

8. The Starbucks Venti (20 oz.) Caffè Mocha

9. Chipotle Chicken Burrito

10. Cold Stone Creamery’s Gotta Have It Founder’s Favorite

Wow, it's so much better to make healthy food choices and stay away from these "train wrecks".  Read the data on these picks at Worst Foods of 2009!

Will Bamboo Save the Planet??

Bamboo could prove to be more important than a food supply for giant pandas. It's widely considered to be the world's fastest-growing woody plant and therefore could become a key component in helping to lift thousands of people in the developing world out of poverty.  According to the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR), as many as 1.5 billion people around the globe currently "depend in some way on bamboo and rattan".  Several organizations are now investigating on how growing bamboo in economically deprived areas can increase the income of the residents, small-scale farmers in particular. View this interesting CNN report for more..

Thanks to FranklyGreen.com for alerting us !! 

How Much Water Goes Into Your Latte ?

I came across an interesting post at Chewswise concerning how much water is in a latte.  Did you guess; over 200 liters for one cup?  According to WWF (via Marc Gunther's blog), that's how much it takes.   Am I suggesting that you should stop drinking them?  Not necessarily, but it does mean we should start thinking more intelligently about water usage and the limits of our clean water supply.  One of the commenters suggested the info doesn't mean much and nothing should change.  Maybe that's true concerning the cost vs supplies, but on a higher level this info should make everyone in the supply chain take pause and think about the best use of our water resource.  And since most in the supply chain won't, we the consumers must.

Image source: Economist

Reality Coalition Releases New COEN Brothers "Air Freshener" Ad

The Reality Coalition recently started airing a new ad. It’s called “Air Freshener”, it's a great parody on "classic" tv ads and was directed by Academy Award winners Joel and Ethan Coen.  The ad calls out the coal industry on their claims that coal is clean, as only the Coen brothers can. Visit Reality Coalition Blog, watch the ad, and please share.  There's also a "making of" video clip after the break....

NBA Wife, Jackie Christie, Debuts Eco Friendly Clothing Line

    Jackie Christie, multi-talented, fashion designer, author and model, is set to release her new clothing line, 'Colored Girl', on May 9, 2009, just before her 3rd book, "Proud to Be a Colored Girl" releases.  Jackie's clothing line will launch first with designer eco friendly 100% organic cotton t-shirts and accessories, and later followed by a hip relaxed and fun denim collection.

Her clothes will be available on-line and in stores located in Seattle, Los Angeles and Atlanta initially. The limited release will be done to ensure that women will come together more to get my pieces if my clothes are not widely available at first, Jackie comments.  Christie's line will be competitive with other designers such as Free People and Ed Hardy and be environmentally conscious.

"I design with my heart and emotions, whatever I am feeling. I start there and I move with the vibe, not against it," says Jackie Christie.  The motivation behind 'Colored Girl' clothing is to instill a strong sense of pride, self love and equality in women, of all ages. The age old stereotype, is that colored stands for just African American women but in actuality every nationality of women the world over; has a color to their skin, no matter what that color is, a colored girl can be someone viewed as beautiful, I want to remove the stigma.

The proceeds from her clothing line as well as her new book will serve to support single mothers and impoverished families all over the world, through her and her husband NBA star Doug Christie's Infinite Love Foundation. As well as, to benefit the literacy programs in Seattle, Washington. "There are so many causes I'm involved with my true mission in life is to lend support to the underprivileged, and suffering. To try to bring about positive change in not just the world, but also the environment. To be honest it is very difficult to narrow it down to just one cause," expresses Jackie Christie.

And shop green at Ecoist. (ad)