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.

Gadzooks, this made the front page of Care2. Vote for it, por favor.
Man oh man, it seems the free tote bag offers never stop. I already have about 4 or 5 reusable cloth bags that I got for free at mi casa, but just in case you need a reusable cloth tote bag, hur ye go:

Free Tote Bag Numero Uno

This is only available to our brothers to the north, the mysterious “Canadians”. Simply sign up for Heinz’s baby newsletter, and they will repay you with your very own tote bag. Fill in your “province” (Canadian slang for “state”) and address, and ye shall receive.

Free Cloth Tote Bag Numero Dos

Mantra Energy is giving away a free tote bag also as well too. Simply fill in their short form, mash the “Submit” button, and twiddle your thumbs whilst awaiting the arrival of your eco-friendly reusable bag.

La Tercera Bolsa Gratís

Cancer patients only! This here free tote bag is only for people with cancer. If you don’t have cancer, then you just mosey along and don’t click THIS LINK. If, however, you or a family member or close friend has cancer, then go on and get them this cancer tote bag.

Welp, that about wraps it up for free tote bags. Once you get them, bring them to the grocery store and amaze everyone with your eco-savvy by using reusable cloth bags. Until next time, this is your host, Joe.

Deep in the sprawling Peck Estates there is a meandering brook, full of plants, wildlife, and brisk, babbling water. Whenever I grow weary of my toils to better this planet called Earth, I cast my eyes upon this creek, and tears of wonder carve clean trails down my dusty face.

But it’s not “all good in the hood”, as Mister Rogers would say. Over the last month or so, I’ve cleaned out a LOT of litter just from my small part of the creek. The litter has ranged in size from tiny shards of broken glass to a metal chair to a freaking stop sign.

After cleaning all that mess out, me and Tiff decided to make some creek animals out of the junk, since all the trash had come from the creek. What follows may shock and even horrify you. Prepare to look upon the creek creatures.
CLICK THE PICTURES TO SEE A BIGGER PICTURE

Glassy the Turtle

Tiff’s abstract masterpiece.

Turkey Thing

Made from a gen-u-ine 40 bottle (and maybe an old racquetball?).

Glass Frog

If you use your imagination, this pile of reused glass might look remotely like a frog.

Simple Snail

Another Tiff creation. My blurry picture does not do this glass snail justice.

Parrot with Coke Bottle Body

He’s all spirally and mess.

Snake made from Broken Glass

That’s his tongue on the left.

Glass Hell Monkey

Its tail is made from a LipSmackers brush. He is one menacing mamma jamma.

We recycled all the leftover broken glass and old cans and bottles. All in all, it was a good way to reuse some litter, and make some “art” from it. If anyone else has done cleaned up litter from a creek or stream and made something from it, por favor let me know!

The Free Cloth Tote Bag Bonanza continues with a superbly crafted tote bag from Stouffer’s. Yes, Stouffer’s, maker of famous frozen dinners, is giving away free grocery tote bags. Here’s how to get your very own so next time someone asks if you want flimsy plastic or wasteful paper bags you can rudely thrust your cloth bag into their jealous face.

• Go to Stouffer’s and register
• You will get 100 points
• Donate at least 20 points to get a free tote bag!
• Send me $4 via Paypal

It’s just that easy. That last step is very important people! So register for that site, donate your points, getchoself a cloth bag, and start eschewing plastic and paper bags once and for all.

Halloween. The very name sends tears streaming down any Eco-Hero‘s face as they contemplate the mass murder of millions of innocent pumpkins. But fret not. Out of this pumpkin massacre, some good can come. And that good is known as roasted pumpkin seeds and homemade pumpkin pie.

Homemade Pumpkin Pie

Let us begin with the pumpkin pie recipe. Now I’m not talking about pumpkins from a can, or frozen pre-made pumpkin pies. No. I’m talkin’ ’bout some made-from-scratch, down-home, honest-to-goodness, homemade pumpkin pie.
Pumpkin Pie Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons nutmeg
• one half teaspoon ground ginger
• 4 large eggs
• 3 cups stewed pumpkin, mashed
• 12oz of evaporated milk

Here’s whatchu do:
* Find a pumpkin (a jack o’ lantern will do). After appropriately mourning its brutal death, collect all the parts that were cut out (eyes, nose, mouth, the works).
* Skin these pumpkin pieces, and cut them into “manageable chunk” size.
* Boil these in a microwave or on the stove until you can easily push a fork through them.

* Mash up the boiled pumpkin.
* Add condensed milk, sugar, eggs, and spices.
* Dump it all into a pie crust (filling to about 1/4″ below the top).
* Bake at 425 F for 15 minutes, then bake for about 50 minutes at 350. You can tell it’s done if you stick a knife in it and it comes out pretty clean.

* Let cool on rack
* Eat the delicious pie made from the flesh of the defenseless pumpkins, or you can wrap it up using some reused foil from a restaurant, like so:

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

* When you clean out a pumpkin to make a jack-o-lantern, save the seeds.
* Rinse the seeds, removing any of that orange, stringy mess.

* Add a wee bit o’ oil, some salt, and any other flavors you want (hot sauce, honey, curry).
* Bake at 275 degrees for 10-20 minutes (until they’re golden brown), stirring the seeds when they’re halfway done.

* Congratulations, you have now made a delicious and nutritious snack from the guts of a freshly killed pumpkin. I hope you’re proud of yourself.

These are great ways to use every part of the pumpkin, much like the Indians (these Indians, not these) used every part of the buffalo. Let me know if y’all know any other good pumpkin recipes. Thankee kindly.
Also, it is not too late to enter the free giveaway contest!! Click here for some details.

Halloween (All Hallows’ Eve for you traditionalists) is rotch around the corner, and everyone is getting pumped about it. But before we get all carried away with this great holiday, let us take a moment to reflect on ways to make this Halloween the “greenest” Halloween yet.

Green Halloween Candy

Forget about all that plastic-wrapped, cavity-causing, diabetic-killin’ sugary candy. Instead, give out these delicious treats to the lil’ ones who come trick-or-treating to your door:

• Raisins – long known as “nature’s candy”, these all-natural treats will keep trick-or-treaters coming back for more!
• Apples – there was a time when, if someone gave me an apple when I was trick-or-treating, I’d angrily chuck it at their house the second they closed the door. I’d probably still do that, but still, this fruit is healthy and natural and mess.
• Homemade Strawberry Jam – fill dozens of used (and maybe even cleaned) baby food jars with jam. Tell the kids that it’s a jar of guts, and watch their eyes boggle at that spooktacular thought.

Green Halloween Costumes

Instead of going with disposable, plastic costumes, here are some more eco-friendly costume alternatives:

• Adam and/or Eve – just get some leaves and glue, and bah-bam, you have the ultimate Earth-friendly Halloween costume.
• Hobo – I actually did this one year. Just find your oldest, dirtiest clothes, smudge some dirt on your face, and presto, a bum is you.
• Shoeless Joe Jackson – take off your shoes. Hey, great costume!
• A Giant – wear your old clothes that are too small for you. You’ll look like a giant who can’t find clothes that fit!

Green Halloween Decorations

• Acorn Pumpkins – Sadly, I used to do this. Find acorns and draw jack-o-lantern faces on them. Be prepared for a ghoulish good time!
• Booby Traps – dig a hole in your yard and cover it with sticks and leaves and such. Watch as trick-or-treaters fall into it. *BONUS* Take their candy and reuse it by giving it to any trick-or-treaters who somehow manage to make it to your door.
• Easy Scarecrow – sit in a chair or stand in your yard and don’t move. Congratulations on the greenest Halloween decoration of them all!

I hope these green Halloween tips have helped you. I know they’ve helped me. The main thing is to just use your imagination and some ingenuity, and you can have a great green (and cheap) Halloween.

Welp, nowadays everyone is talking about “going green”, to the point where people (including me) just start ignoring them. How about we pause for a moment and forget about buying expensive hybrids or carbon credits (dubious if those work) and focus on how to save money by going green.

Go Green and Save Money in the Bathroom

• Navy shower – conserve water, use less electricity for hot water, and save money
• Turn off the water when you brush your teeth – You’ll save gallons of water each day if you follow this easy tip, assuming you brush your teeth.
• Clean and dry off your razor – This makes your razor stay sharp for many moons, and saves money by not having to buy new razors.

Go Green and Save Money on Your House

• Insulate your home – This will let you use your air conditioning less in the summer, and your heater less in the winter. Saves money and helps the environment.
• Turn off air conditioner, and open windows – If you do this on nice days, you can lower your energy use AND save some money
• Reuse construction materials for projects – You’ll save money by reusing old materials, and be “going green” by finding new uses for old mess instead of throwing it away.

Go Green and Save Money on Special Events

• Throw a green Super Bowl party – online invitations save money and paper, use reusable decorations, etc.
• Go vegetarian – I admit, I don’t do this step. But if I did, I’d be saving money and lowering my eco-footprint at the same time.
• Have event outside – this should save you money on lighting and air conditioning, plus you’ll be using less energy. Huzzah!

That about wraps it up. There are many other ways to go green and save money, but really, all the things I mentioned just involve small changes that will help the environment and your wallet. So next time you want to save some money, por favor, go green.