Well, it’s that time of the week again and I figured I’d share a few of the weekly greens that caught my attention this week. This is by no means all the interesting or intriguing news I came across. These are just a few I thought were worth sharing.

Image by vj_fliks

On to the ‘weekly greens’:

1 – World’s First Flight Powered by 100% Algae Biofuels Completed: I’m sure you’ve probably heard mention before of planes testing with biofuels. There have been prior tests that have been successful wherein planes flew with a mixture of biofuels and other fuel and/or maybe one engine was powered through the use of algae biofuels.

However this is apparently the first flight for a plane fully-powered by algae biofuels. If you haven’t surmised, that’s a pretty big step. Don’t get your hopes up too high though. This doesn’t mean that your next flight will be on an algae-fueled plane, but it does mean the aviation industry may be headed toward a much greener future.

2 – Goats Help Save Turtles: This is kind of a feel-good story. It’s been known for awhile that a biofriendly way to remove overgrown vegetation and brush is to bring in goats. Many cities, colleges and even counties use this method as a smart way to clear away rough terrain that heavy equipment can’t necessarily access.

Well in this instance goats were brought in to save the turtles….take a look:

3 – Indian spice reduces Alzheimer’s symptoms by 30%: This one is awesome in my book. It’s always nice to see natural ways being found and promoted that can truly help lower the effects of Alzheimer’s (or any disease).

Image by Sunil Photos

Having had loved ones who experienced Alzheimer’s symptoms, I know how hard it can be. Being able to reduce those symptoms naturally is a good thing.

It is like Hippocrates said: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”

Here are a few more foods that are known for their healing abilities.

4 – What to eat when you are dying of heat: This particular article caught my attention as it didn’t just give me a list of things I already knew. It gave me a number of things I wouldn’t have necessarily thought of eating when I was melting from the heat.

Check it out. Maybe you’ll learn something new too.

5 – Urban Garden Update: Speaking of food…this one is from my friend Leslie. I wanted to include it in my weekly greens as you have got to check out her wonderful vegetable/fruit garden.

Leslie sets a great example for living off the land in an urban setting. Her kids even have their own little garden and help tend to it. Leslie also has her line in on some great looking local CSA goodies. Check and see if there is a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) near you.

6 – Recycled Bio-Islands Restore Fresh Water Habitats: Rehabilitating our fresh water rivers, lakes and streams is a very important part of preserving and protecting nature.

Mankind doesn’t always think ahead when it comes to disposing of waste. When chemicals and other waste get into fresh water habitats, the plants and animals that live there are the ones that suffer. These recycled bio-islands are a great way to re-use materials to preserve the future.

One last mention, kind of a follow-up on one of last week’s greens, is about another B&B. This B&B can be found in beautiful Ireland at the quaint Glenribbeen Eco Lodge.

The Glenribbeen Eco Lodge received the top EU Green Flower Award for eco accommodations last year and pride themselves in the fact that they haven’t needed to put out a trash bin in almost 3 years. Additionally, they recycle almost everything, try to keep their packaging to a minimum, grow organic foods on site, collect & reuse rainwater, etc, etc.  Check them out.

Well, that wraps up this round of ‘weekly greens’. Please don’t forget to email me with any green news you feel is worth sharing here. And thank you to all of those who emailed me last week with their information and suggestions. Remember, you might just see your news in one of my ‘weekly greens’.

Image by Muffet (via Flickr)

Valentine’s Day is coming up in just under two weeks, but if you are anything like me, you haven’t quite had a chance to finalize your plans. Should you give flowers? Candy? Exchange cards? What about green or eco-friendly Valentine’s gifts? Well, there are many different ideas to choose from and many ways you could go, but let me give you a few of my favorite eco-friendly ideas for Valentine’s Day:

1) If you are going to go the traditional route e.g. chocolates or flowers, go for the organic variety. I highly recommend Equal Exchange when it comes to organic chocolate. They have chocolate bars (which are currently on sale until Feb 14th), organic dried berries and nuts, organic hot cocoa, organic chocolate and coffee gift bags, etc. You can even get free-shipping (UPS ground in the contingent U.S. only) if you enter the code: chocolatelove. Go for the chocolate/coffee gift bag….a great eco-tasty choice!

When it comes to flowers, California Organic Flowers is a nice choice as they have a wide variety of organic flowers, with many great options under $50. If you want to make your own living bouquet, take a look at this video from California Organic Flowers as they provide some helpful tips on doing your own arrangements.

2) Get away for the weekend. If you are one of those people who likes to get away for Valentine’s Day weekend, how about a trip to the new Aria™ Resort & Casino at the CityCenter in Las Vegas? The Aria is LEED® Gold Certified and features smoke-free walkways, floor to ceiling airflow (to help remove smoke from their casino), energy-efficient lighting, bicycle valets and much, much more. While you are there, don’t forget to relax and indulge in the Aria’s spa services including a heated-stone massage or unwind and breathe in the air from their infused salt room.

If you are looking for a tropical rainforest type get-away, one of the ones on the top of my to-do list is the Daintree Eco Lodge & Spa in Australia. This eco-lodge is located in a 30-acre rainforest valley in Daintree National Park. Their guest rooms are ecologically-friendly treehouses and since they only have 15 of them, you’ll want to book early.

3) If you can’t take time away or would rather stay closer to home, you can do a day trip to a local eco-friendly or green spa. Spa Index has a list of eco-friendly spas you can choose from. (Hint: many of the spas on their list offer discounts for first-time customers.)

If a spa day at home is more your cup of tea, check out these at home spa tips and recipes. You can easily turn your Valentine’s Day into a spa day, without even leaving the comfort of home!

4) If you decide to stay in, make a meal for you and your significant other. What’s nice about making a meal at home is that you control what goes in your meal. You can include fresh or locally-grown fruits/vegetables, pick out a great organic or vegan wine and design your meal so it’s just right for you.

For example, you could start off with a tomato bisque soup,  make a simple grilled BLT panini or a Butternut Squash Enchilada for your main dish and end off with some chocolate-dipped strawberries. But, if you are hoping for romantic evening, you might want to add one or more of these aphrodisiacs into your meal.

5) For those of you with kids, a creative eco-friendly idea for Valentine’s Day is to get outdoors. It doesn’t cost much, it’s a nice way to get some fresh air and a wonderful way to get the kids (and family) to fall in love with nature again. If weather permits, you could pack a picnic lunch and enjoy a meal outdoors. If not, then maybe just a walk…look at the trees, do some bird-watching, maybe take some pictures or pick up some beautiful fallen leaves. Whatever you choose to do, reconnecting with nature is a wonderful thing to do on Valentine’s Day!

6) Make your own Valentine’s Day cards/gifts. Rather than going out and spending between $1.00-$5.00 on a Valentine’s Day card, just make one. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t have something lying around that they can use to make a Valentine’s Day card. You can take that junk mail you got or an old magazine and cut it up to make a heart-shaped valentine. You can even use the fallen leaves you and your kids collected to make some creative leaf rubbings or press your leaves/flowers onto a votive cup to make a beautiful candle holder.

Well, those are some of my favorite eco-friendly ideas. What are your favorite eco-friendly ideas for Valentine’s Day? If you have a favorite gift, idea or site you think other readers should be aware of, please let me know. Enjoy your eco-friendly Valentine’s Day!