Welcome to the 122nd Carnival of the Green. Last week’s Carnival was hosted at Conserve Plastic Bags, and now, here we are at Agroblogger. After reading through the submissions, I became aware that so much of what is addressed by the green movement is our relationship to the material world. Considering environmentalism is an attempt for humans to come to grip with our material environment, then this is not surprising. So it seems that the current paradigm emphasizes green economics, which became clear to me while reading the carnival submissions. And naturally, some green ideas are more thoughtful, elegant, and innovative than others. Still, this 122nd COG has a little something for everyone, so have a read, and I hope you have as much fun perusing through it as I did putting it together.

Let’s start with the really cool, interesting, and impactful submissions. First, there is a submission by Jetson Green, showing off the first mid-rise container building, which is planned for downtown Salt Lake City. I am a huge fan of container buildings, not only because they have some pretty interesting environmental characteristics, but also because they hold much promise to be a viable business model, considering that containers are fairly cheap and abundant.

Next is Green Me’s submission that asks the question “Living Local: What does it really mean?” The answer, for Green Me, is a nuanced and personal account of her family’s experience with everything from the local CSA to Craigslist and nearby honey producers. Green Me concludes by saying: “In life, it is the small things that count and the experiences that add up to a lifetime.” Amen.

Also, a submission that I am partial to, is this one entitled The Big “O”, the “O” here is for organic. The author gives a brief introduction to organic gardening, why it is important, and gives some tips on how to get started. I hope this inspires at least one person to start a garden this summer, now is the perfect time. As I’ve said before, a garden is everything that war is not.

Then there is a submission from fellow New Mexican blogger EcoNewMexico. In it, the writer reviews the book Bringing Nature Home, which is a case for replacing exotic species in the yard with natives. As a firm advocate for native biodiversity, and particularly agrobiodiversity, I can certainly appreciate the importance of the author’s message. I like the emphasis on a wide range of species, things that we don’t normally think about but are absolutely critical to healthy ecosystem function, like native grasses and insects.

Moving along in the line-up, we have a submission by the Greener Pastures blog on Planet Overload. A familiar theme for most of the environmentally conscious, with some interesting and controversial future scenarios. And, I can’t say I agree with the conclusions of the author. GMOs becoming the norm? Nanotechnology for water purification? Nanotechnology, when it breaks down in the environment, has the potential to form dust particles so tiny that they can pass through the protective membrane of mammalian skin. For a personal take on the water crisis, see the post directly below this one.

Next up is a series of submissions about recycling and reusing: a messenger bag made from recycled plastic bags, a blog post with examples of turning trash into art (I especially like the dress made out of umbrellas), and a post at Eco Joe’s with a brief summary of websites for reusing and recycling.

The Go Green Travel Green blog has a submission on 16 Green Travel Quizzes. If you are a world travelling, environmentally conscious, quiz taker type, then go check this out, because it is right up your alley. Also, along the lines of travel, Al Tepper’s submission has made me realize that even walking has taken a move towards the high-tech and ecologically savvy commuter. According to the Natural Collection blog, Walk-It is a UK-based site that “shows you the A to B mapped route to walk along with likely journey times at various average walking speeds and the calories you are likely to burn.” Wow, makes walking sound complex, but if you are a London Tube traveler who loves to walk, then this site is probably for you.
Lifegoggles made several submissions. First is the Great Green Giveaway, which purports to be “the biggest eco competition seen on the web yet”.

Next up is the Fun Green Round Up, which I suppose is fun enough, but I didn’t notice much about it that is green. The utensil pen caps are just a drag; and what environmentalist throws a shirt away because of a stain? Finally, is the Eco-Me Home Cleaning Kit, which I think isn’t a bad idea…the thought of putting harsh chemicals into gray water systems has kept me up late at night several times, so anything that sheds some light on how to solve this problem is welcome.

And, let’s not forget the Agroinnovations Podcast, on the verge of breaking out into a new series of great shows on sustainable agriculture and biodiversity. If resource management, sustainable agriculture, and appropriate technology are your thing, then this podcast is for you.

Lastly is a submission on McDonald’s Eco-Friendly Happy Meals. Reading the article I learned that McDonald’s has a Corporate Sustainability Blog. Is that, How to Sustain McDonald’s Corporate profits? Sorry, but I find word combinations like ecofriendly, sustainability, and McDonald’s to an oxymoron. Seems like a classic case of green washing to me.

Thanks to Kara DiCamillo for her tireless work week in and week out on the Carnival of the Green. If you would like to know more about how to get involved, or sign up, then visit the Treehugger Carnival of the Green home page. Next week, the Carnival will be hosted by Nature Moms.