Culture & Celebrity

Photo credit: Island Press

This month, BookHugger presents Ideas That Matter: The Worlds of Jane Jacobs edited by Max Allen with an introduction by Mary Rowe. Readers can order a discounted copy today and join in a discussion with distinguished urban scholar Mary Rowe on October 20, 2011 at 3pm Eastern.

Culture & Celebrity

Photo: Youtube screen capture

CEO of Tesla Motors and SpaceX, Chairman of SolarCity, and Tony Stark Model
Too few entrepreneurs dream big. Most would like to create a popular iPhone app rather than aim high. But not Elon Musk. The co-founder of Paypal is now trying to make life multiplanetary with SpaceX, make cars run on electricity with Tesla Motors, and make solar panels affordable to all homeowners without the need for a big investment thanks to SolarCity's leasing model (with some help from Google). He recently agreed to answer questions from the Reddit community, and the video below contains his answers, including about how Iron Man's Tony Stark was modeled on him and how he has ideas for electric planes and magnetically confined fusion. Talk about a renaissance man!

Business & Politics

Photo: Jungbim via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Today saw the US State Department's final public hearing before the Obama administration reaches a decision on whether or not to approve the Keystone XL pipeline. The 1,700 mile pipeline would, as you likely know, carry exceptionally dirty tar sands oil from Alberta, Canada to the US Gulf Coast -- endangering local environments and the stability of the global climate along the way. The hearing was a spirited, colorful event: Farmers, students, union workers, religious leaders, and indigenous people all turned out to plead with Obama to stop the pipeline. And you can probably guess who was in favor of having it built ...

Business & Politics

Image via foe.org

A new chart out today illustrates the revolving door between politics in DC and the oil industry: specifically TransCanada, the company behind the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.

The chart, an investigation "white board," was put out by Oil Change International, DeSmogBlog, The Other 98% and Friends of the Earth. Click through to see the full graphic, which shows an array of State Department officials, oil interests, lobbyists and campaign donors leading all the way to Secretary Clinton and President Obama—but really, it speaks for itself.

Take Action

A beach that's barefoot-friendly. It is less common these days than we would want. However, it's not an impossible task to return them to their former pristine states. Renowned surf filmmaker Jason Baffa and Barefoot Wine teamed up to create One Beach, a really beautiful film that highlights how artists and creative-types are coming up with brilliant ways to clean up beaches. Check it out after the jump.

Cars & Transportation

image via 1bog infographic screengrab

The folks at 1BOG (short for One Block Off The Grid) have developed this interesting infographic about the greenest mode of transit depending on the type of journey. Click through to check it out.

Business & Politics

Image: xlibber via flickr

The airline industry is supposed to join the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS)—already a requirement for other heavily polluting industries—in January, but the industry has been fighting the requirement.

But the advocate general at the European Court of Justice has issued an opinion in support of the plan to charge airlines for their carbon emissions, saying: "The inclusion of international aviation in the EU emissions trading scheme is compatible with the provisions and principles of international law invoked."

TH Exclusives

+ Indulge your budding foodie with LoooLo Textiles organic munchy toys, which in addition to being beautifully designed, are biodegradable. A set of bagel, lox and cream cheese, a fresh PB & J, and a burger piled high with the works will infuse restaurant play with perfect props.

+ Clean-up on aisle 3! This complete 25 piece grocery set of eco felt play food includes weekly staples like bread, eggs and milk, alongside bananas that peel and a bright purple eggplant.

+ Tots can whip up a sky-high stackable sandwich with Green Toys' sandwich shop that includes 15 mix and match layers of favorite fixins' like pickles, lettuce, red pepper, cheese and onions.