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Your Personalized Green Hip Hop Video

2009-11-11T18:54:13Z

click through to get your personalized green hip hop video.

Rockslide In Tennessee Caught On Tape (VIDEO)

2009-11-11T18:12:19Z

A news crew in Polk County, Tennessee caught this massive rockslide on video. The rockslide closed the highway for at last a week, CNN reports.

WATCH:

Lindsey Graham Censured By SC County GOP For Working With Democrats On Climate Bill

2009-11-11T16:23:16Z

CHARLESTON, S.C. — Republican leaders in a South Carolina county have censured their own U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham for working with Democrats on a climate bill and other legislation.

The Republican has often worked with Democrats in Congress, but Charleston County Chairwoman Lin Bennett says his work on climate legislation is the last straw.

The party resolution passed Monday says Graham has weakened the Republican brand. Bennett expects a similar resolution to be introduced at the state GOP convention next year.

Graham spokesman Kevin Bishop says Graham is looking for a way forward on energy legislation.

30 Rock, Biggest Loser And Other NBC Shows Go Green

2009-11-11T15:43:40Z

NEW YORK — NBC gives new meaning to the phrase "green screen" next week, spreading a pro-environmental message across five of its prime-time entertainment programs.

"30 Rock," where Al Gore takes a cameo role, leads the way. Environmental themes were also added to the scripts of "The Biggest Loser," "The Office," "Heroes" and "Community."

NBC Universal's three-year "green" campaign has largely focused on off-camera issues like making company facilities more eco-friendly. News and information programs have also been enlisted to do stories on environmental issues, but except for one "30 Rock" episode two years ago, the campaign hasn't touched the prime-time lineup.

This year on "30 Rock," corporate boss Jack Donaghy tells the late-night show's staff it has to cut its carbon footprint by 5 percent, and puts Kenneth the Page in charge of getting it done.

"It's something that is relatable and is something that a lot of people are doing," said Jack McBrayer, the actor who portrays Kenneth.

Backstage, the show has done its part by removing water bottles in favor of water filters and using chemical-free cleaning products. The show rents hybrid vehicles to transport its actors and crew members, said Beth Colleton, vice president of the "Green is Universal" campaign.

"Everybody is on board with greening up the place and being more environmentally-friendly in real life," McBrayer said. "Every now and then people need to be reminded of things that can be done."

In the comedy "Community," the college is renamed "Environdale." College students think they're hiring the band Green Day for a gig, and instead gets the Celtic combo Greene Daeye. Dwight in "The Office" takes the role of "Recyclops" in that comedy. "Heroes" features cast members filling a truck with recyclables and talking about the importance of giving back to the earth.

Trainers on "The Biggest Loser" will instruct their clients to buy organic produce and bring their own mugs to the coffee shop.

Colleton said there was no attempt to be heavy-handed and interfere with the creative process.

"We make sure we don't dictate to the show," she said. Producers decide the best way to absorb the message in a way that's appropriate for their audiences, she said.

NBC News is also involved next week. The "Today" show will have a series on cost-efficient ways for families to live greener lives. Anne Thompson will do environmental stories from Greenland, Denmark and Arizona on "Nightly News," and David Gregory will bring up the topic on "Meet the Press."

Activities on NBC Universal's cable properties include hosts on The Weather Channel advising viewers to turn down their thermostats.

Green screens, by the way, are blank screens on news sets upon which video or maps are projected.

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NBC and NBC Universal are units of General Electric Co.

AUEs: Miniature Robots To Swarm The Oceans For Science

2009-11-11T15:36:37Z

Swarms of soup-can-sized robots will soon plunge into the ocean seeking data on poorly understood phenomena from currents to biology.

Aardonyx celestae: New Dinosaur Species Discovered

2009-11-11T13:52:06Z

JOHANNESBURG — A newly discovered dinosaur species that roamed the Earth about 200 million years ago may help explain how the creatures evolved into the largest animals on land, scientists in South Africa said Wednesday.

The Aardonyx celestae was a 23-foot- (7-meter-) long small-headed herbivore with a huge barrel of a chest. It walked on its hind legs but also could drop to all fours, and scientists told reporters that could prove to be a missing evolutionary link.

This is a species "that no one has seen before and one that has a very significant position in the family tree of dinosaurs," said Australian paleontologist Adam Yates.

Yates, who is based at the University of the Witwatersrand's Bernard Price Institute for Paleontological Research, led the research with a number of other local and international scientists.

Their findings were published Wednesday in the Proceedings of The Royal Society B, a London-based peer-reviewed journal.

The Aardonyx celestae species dates back to the early Jurassic period. Yates said the creature found in South Africa stood nearly 6 feet (about 1.7 meters) high at the hip and weighed about 1,100 pounds (500 kilograms). It was about 10 years old when it died, and its death may have been caused by drought.

The newly discovered species shares many characteristics with the plant-eating herbivores that walked on two legs, Yates said. But the new species also has similar attributes to dinosaurs known as sauropods, or brontosaurs, that grew to massive sizes and went about on all fours with long necks and whip-like tails.

"The discovery of Aardonyx helps to fill a marked gap in our knowledge of sauropod evolution, showing how a primarily two-legged animal could start to acquire the specific features necessary for a life spent on all-fours," said Paul Barrett, a paleontologist at the British Natural History Museum who assisted on the dig that led to the finding but was not directly involved in the research.

Why and how dinosaurs grew into such massive creatures is a question that scientists have been trying to answer for a long time.

Walking on all fours allowed animals to carry more weight, and size was often their only defense against sharp-toothed carnivores, said one of the report's co-authors, Matthew Bonnan of Western Illinois University, by video conference from the United States.

The discovery of the new species was made by postgraduate student Marc Blackbeard, who was excavating two sites in central South Africa about five years ago.

It was a site that had been largely ignored by scientists who felt the bone fragments found there would prove to be a common dinosaur species found across the country. On the first day of excavation, a bone too large to belong to this ordinary species was found.

"We knew we had something new, something very, very exciting," Yates said.

The scattered bones were collected and cleaned of the heavy cement-like rock that clung to them. Scientists then began the slow process of studying the bones and trying to order them.

They were pleased with how much of the skeleton they could reconstruct and especially that a large part of the skull was found.

Bonnan said he also was thrilled to be part of this discovery: "It has been a childhood dream to discover a new dinosaur," he said.

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On the Net:

http://web.wits.ac.za/Academic/Science/GeoSciences/BPI

http://www.wiu.edu/earthclaw

The Beautiful World Of Colorful Birds (PHOTOS)

2009-11-11T13:41:56Z

Although all birds have feathers, some flaunt it better than others! These feathers, which are likely used to attract mates, come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. These colorful birds amaze and dazzle both potential bird-mates and humans alike.

Check out these photos of birds with stunningly beautiful feathers and vote for the one you like best.

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The Great Pacific Garbage Patch: Expanding Islands of Trash

2009-11-11T13:40:38Z

Light bulbs, bottle caps, toothbrushes, Popsicle sticks and tiny pieces of plastic, each the size of a grain of rice, inhabit the Pacific garbage patch, an area of widely dispersed trash that doubles in size every decade and is now believed to be roughly twice the size of Texas.

Green Pet Supplies For An Eco-Friendly Home

2009-11-11T13:39:50Z

From Associated Content, by Ilene Springer

Your pets will probably benefit from the natural ingredients, and you'll be doing the environment a big favor.

Your recycle bin fills up faster than your garbage can. You turn the lights off when you leave a room. You haven't purchased Styrofoam in years. Why not go a step further and go green with your pet supplies? Your dogs and cats won't know the difference. In fact, they will probably benefit from the natural ingredients, and you'll be doing the environment a big favor.

There are a number of factors that determine whether a pet product is truly green.

1. Is the product made from recycled materials? Using new materials to make green products doesn't make sense. Look for pet products that are made from materials that have already served a purpose. This way, you're truly not wasting anything, and you'll save material from going into landfills.

2. Purchase natural pet foods and treats. In this case, natural means they avoid pesticides, artificial colors, flavor enhancers, chemical fertilizers and chemical preservatives. That's what natural and organic is all about. Green pet foods are those that are produced from free-range, lean meat and poultry, and don't contain meat byproducts such as chicken fat. They're generally made of whole grains and flour. Think of it this way: If you wouldn't eat a product yourself, don't give it to your pet.

3. Choose pet products that minimize your impact on the environment. This means selecting sustainable materials that don't deplete the planet's resources so rapidly. One example is cat litter. Instead of buying clay-based cat litter (which is made from 1.5 million tons of strip-mined clay, annually), purchase cat litter that is made of alternative ingredients such as wheat, corn, pine, cedar, and even recycled newspapers. The good news about this kind of litter is that instead of ending up in a landfill, the waste can be composted or flushed right down the toilet.

4. Buy durable products. Buy toys that your dog or cat can't destroy quickly, which means buying fewer toys that will go into the landfill.

5. Buy products that are made locally. For example, you might purchase ceramic pet food bowls made by local artists. Buying locally made supplies means that there is less fuel needed to transport these items from afar.

Examples of Green Pet Supplies

Luckily, there are more and more Web sites and pet shops offering green pet supplies. Here are the kinds of products you should look for.

-Eco-friendly collars made of hemp instead of vinyl.

-Dog jackets made of recycled polyester.

-Dog towels made of recycled wood chips.

-Portable traveling bowls made of recycled polyester.

-Plush dog/cat toys made of low-impact hemp with chemical-free fillers and dye; no harmful toxins if devoured.

-Non-toxic cat wipes.

-Cat toys made of hemp stuffed with organic catnip.

-Cat treats made of certified organic ingredients.

-Pet beds made of naturally dyed, environmentally friendly hemp on the outside, and filled with fiber made from recycled plastic water bottles on the inside.

-Stain removers such as Nature's Miracle that use non-toxic, natural enzymes to dissolve the odor-causing chemical compounds in the mess your dog or cat leaves on your rug.

Green products for your pet can be more expensive than the other products you're used to buying. But a few more cents are worth it for the pet owner who wants every family member — including their dogs and cats — to do their part in protecting the environment.

Sources:

Green Dog Pet Supplies.com

Great Green Pet.com

Organic Living.com

Immortal Jellyfish Swarming Across The World

2009-11-11T13:36:51Z

Marine biologists say the jellyfish numbers are rocketing because they need not die.

Planting Trees Can Affect Local Water Availability

2009-11-11T13:32:56Z

According to two new studies, planting forests in areas that currently don't have trees -- a process called afforestation -- can reduce the local availability of water.

Michelle Obama On Sesame Street: Planting Gardens, Loving Vegetables (VIDEO)

2009-11-10T20:50:07Z

Michelle Obama took her public policy message about food, growing gardens and eating vegetables to the (littlest) masses when she appeared Tuesday on the 40th anniversary episode of the beloved children's show, Sesame Street. After the segment taped, The First Lady described being on Sesame Street as "It's probably the best thing I've done so far in the White House."

In this segment, Michelle talks about how great veggies taste, her love of cucumbers, and what a great salad the lettuce is going to make. Then Big Bird asks Michelle if they are from the same family, because she's so tall.

In this segment, Elmo goes crazy for practicing healthy habits with Michelle.

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David Vitter Mistakenly Accuses Climate Bill Of Giving Dictatorial Powers To President

2009-11-10T19:50:47Z

This is a deeply strange story, ably picked apart by the smart conservative blogger Ed Morrissey. Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) has been making the rounds today claiming that the climate bill includes a provision that -- in the words of the Washington Examiner -- "requires President Obama to act like Venezuelan strong man Hugo Chavez" and assume emergency powers if a "climate emergency" is declared by the EPA. The truth, from the legislation:

Energy Lobbyists Seek Support From Veterans

2009-11-10T19:20:32Z

Environmentalists on both sides of the fight for climate change legislation are hoping to enlist veterans groups as a powerful lobbying tool.

Politico reports that the issue of climate change has taken on a new relevance for vets after they return from wars in the Middle East and see high-profile military officials, including Wesley Clark, take on leading roles in the energy industry.

On the eve of Veterans Day, major lobbying group American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity released a statement today tying veterans to its pro-coal energy message.

With Veterans Day around the corner, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on all the military personnel who are involved in ensuring our country is protected. Energy security is one issue that has become increasingly important to our veterans. In fact, national veterans groups Votevets and Operation Free are urging the government to become more energy independent and less reliant on foreign oil. We can do this by using the abundant domestic fuels we already have. With more than 150 billion tons of recoverable coal reserves, the United States has more coal than the Middle East has oil.

In response to the ACCCE's attempt to woo veterans, environmentalist group Operation Free responded with this message:

In a move that should offend every American, they're using Veterans' day to promote their agenda -- an agenda that threatens to put more brave men and women into harm's way in the future. It is clear that they simply don't understand the nature of the threat to our national security that is posed by climate change.

The Pentagon is the biggest customer of fuel in the nation, according to Politico. Buying the fuel from abroad inflates its cost so, bracing for another spike in gasoline prices, the Pentagon is seeking an agreement between the Navy and the Department of Agriculture to develop new biofuels.

Crested Butte Snodgrass Expansion A No Go

2009-11-10T17:44:49Z

Mt. Crested Butte, CO - The U.S. Forest Service has notified Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR) by letter that it is denying the Colorado ski resort the ability to enter into the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process with its Snodgrass Mountain expansion proposal. The decision comes after the resort has been working with the Forest Service on the Snodgrass expansion proposal for the past five years.