Are you a smoker? Do you know a smoker? Looking for even more reasons to quit smoking cigarettes (or “fags”, as the Brits are wont to say)?

Since you’ve probably heard all about the horrible ways cigarettes can crush your health (and your wallet!), I’ll focus on some environmental reasons to stop smoking. If you won’t quit for yourself, maybe you’ll quit for good ol’ Mother Nature?

Don’t be like Mrs. Mac; quit smoking today!

At least 4.5 trillion non-biodegradable filter-tipped cigarettes are smoked and tossed out every single year.

600 million trees are chopped down and used each year just to dry out the tobacco, and cigarette machines use almost 4 miles of paper every single hour. Holy cow that’s READ MORE »

Veganism. No, it’s not some exotic disease. It’s more like the hardcore version of vegetarianism. But did you know it’s better for the environment than the run-of-the-mill omnivorism?

It takes a LOT of natural resources to raise meat (beef, pork, human, chicken, etc.), plus it can cause a lot of pollution from animal waste (for more on environmental reasons for vegetarianisn, por favor click this here link). The United Nations Environment Program’s (UNEP) International Panel of Sustainable Resource Management reported in 2010 that a global shift toward a vegan diet is critical to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

Now, I’ve forayed into the vegetarian world before (such as when I made me some black bean burgers), but I still eat my fair share o’ meat. Recently, though, I was allowed the opportunity to sample some fine vegan products from Follow Your Heart.

I have to admit, I very much READ MORE »

Hello? Is anyone here? Ugh, look at all these cobwebs on this website. It looks like it hasn’t been touched in over 3 months…

Wait, what’s that sound? Did you hear that? Hello? Hell– AAAHHH *crazed, bedraggled EcoJoe rushes up out of the darkness*

Hello there! And welcome to EcoJoes dot com! Say, do you ever get a hankering for some locally-raised, newly-ground hamburgers on fresh-baked buns? Well have I got a treat for you.

Bull City Burger and Brewery is a locally owned, independent burgershop n’ brewery located in “The City of Medicine”, Durham, NC.

Local Food

Not only is most of their food from North Carolina farms READ MORE »

A few months back I came home to find a nifty book on the front stoop of one of my houses. After becoming intrigued by the title, Little House on a Small Planet: Simple Homes, Cozy Retreats, and Energy Efficient Possibilities, I dove into this tome.

I have to say, I enjoyed reading it a lot. If you have any questions or curiousity about living in a tiny house (or even just a smaller-than-normal house), then I recommend this book. It examines this lifestyle from many different angles, and covered some questions I didn’t even have a clue I had.

I’ll go into some of what’s inside Little House on a Small Planet here, in bullet point form: READ MORE »

Looks like The Onion has a quiz to hep you find out just how green you are. CLICK HERE to go take it. Go on, click it now; I’ll be sitting here, waiting.

I should have a post up later on today detailing an amazing event that’s happening this weekend in good ol’ Raleigh, so check back later if ye please.

Earthships. The very name conjures up an image of otherworldliness, but there are more earthships around than you might think. Whether you have no idea what an earthship is, or you are an earthship guru, hopefully you can enjoy the following moving pictures (“talkies” as the old-timers say), and maybe even learn a thing or two about these mystical structures.

Earthship Video Uno

Earthship Video Dos

Earthship Video Tres

Dang, now wasn’t that informative? If you feel that your brain can handle yet MORE information about earthships, then head on over to Earthships 101.

Bienvenidos al Carnival o’ the Green!. Last week Evangelical Ecologist did a fine job hosting it, and next week GreenDealsDaily is ‘posed to host it.

But enough idle chit-chat; let’s get this show on the road.

Organic Mess

Have you ever wanted to compost, but it just seemed too dang complicated? Then you’re in luck, for Talia has provided some tips on simple composting.

Neighbor Nancy shows y’all how to get some free vegetable seeds and how you can grow a ton in small containers. I’m about to go plant even more plants in old containers now.

Julie has ten reasons why organic lipstick is the way to go, to get that special bee-stung look that’s all the rage.

Jennifer took composting to the extreme and even composted her finger! What a true eco hero!

Ed Biado spouts off about organic this and that. While I approve of most organics, I don’t think they’re always the best option.

Go Green and Save Green

Ah, helping the environment whilst helping your wallet. That’s what EcoJoes is all about.

ishan is all about that, too. He dared to ask the question “Do hybrid cars really save you money?“. His conclusion is much the same as mine.

JT has some leftover stuff, but doesn’t want to throw it away. Here’s how he makes money by selling used mess.

Energy

FreeOrganicNews ponders what exactly is solar energy? His findings may shock you; then again, they may not.

Big Mack has found some zany CFL designs, and he brought them for show-and-tell.

Nancy Miller has found 50 blogs that have good info on energy. Not to be one to judge, but her site is kinda weird and spammy.

Getting out and Enjoying the World

TravelCat4 has some handy eco-tips for how to travel in an Earth-friendly manner. My favorite tip was the ‘grow a beard’ one; zero effort required, plus you get that rugged look that draws all the ladies in!

All our new-fangled technology is no substitute for the real world and real life. Get out and enjoy the real world now, people!

Global Warming

Not content with one submission to the Carnival, Mack also wrote this Debbie Downer article about global warming. Heed his warnings, people.

Sally decides to go all the way to the top, and ask Mr. Barack Obama to help prevent future extinctions.

Other Green Mess

Another post by Ed Biado gives some tips for living a greener life.

The aptly-named Mesquite Pete is all about some DEET. He has had enough mosquito bites, and decided it’s time to fight back.

Earth Day is right around the corner (April 22). Astrid Lee has provided this handy chart of ways to celebrate this planet we live on.

Beth Terry contemplates the pros and cons of recycling plastic into oil. I think it’s great that they’ve found a way to do this, but I do understand Ms. Beth’s concerns.

Ryan and Leslie help us visualize the huge number of plastic bottles used in the U.S. in just five minutes.

Alex has some easy ways to save car fuel, and it looks like he’s from England, talking about “tyres” and “boots”.

Scott is eager to let you know that this recession is a great time to start a green business.

Dang, that about wraps it up for this Carnival. Thanks for all the submissions; hopefully I didn’t forget anyone or mess up a link. Until next time, this is EcoJoe, signing off.