What better way to start living green than at an early age? The Eco-Schools program helps establish sustainable development education by helping schools design and implement an environmental management program and certification in school, all in an effort to raise environmentally conscious kids.

A "holistic, participatory approach, combining learning and action, thus providing an effective method for improving the environments of schools and producing actual awareness raising and behavioral change in young people, school staff, families, local authorities, and so on, having significant repercussions in the local communities" claims the Eco-School website. Not to mention that parents can feel better in knowing that all the pressure isn't on them at home, aka. mom and dad don't have to be the only ones pointing out the significance of living in a sustainable fashion. Also, kids get to be surrounded by other kids living and learning the same way.

With currently 6 million students, 400k teachers, 27k schools in 43 countries, the Eco-School program is making a strong statement about the seriousness of our planet's climate condition.

Eco-Schools methodology is surrounded by seven steps. Once a school has reached a certain level of excellence, they may be given an award, the "Green Flag" as a symbol of their green education and pride.

2010 set to be first year in European history to see mass rollout of an electric car, the Pininfarina B0. Set to first hit France, Italy, Germany, UK, Spain, and Switzerland - even talk of U.S. at later date. 10,000 models to be released in 2010, 20,000 in 2011, and 30,000 in 2012.

The fully electric car will be powered by a lithium metal polymer (LMP) battery, aside a supercapacitor that gives it quick acceleration. It is said to take several hours to charge the battery using a normal household electrical outlet. The battery is rated at 125K miles. Not only powered by a battery, but the car can also partially recharge itself through regenerative braking. Accessories are powered via the rooftop solar panels.

Pininfarina boasts the car has a top speed of 80mph, and will have a range of about 150 miles. The B0 will go for around $420 per month (lease), and even include roadside assistance.

This coming Saturday, March 28th, you can participate in a global movement to help conserve energy. All you have to do is turn off your lights for one hour, from 8:30 to 9:30 PM. You can read more about the worldwide event known as Earth Hour right here.

There are a few occasions that come up when Green Groove encourages the substitution of a regularly planned goal with a special event. This is absolutely one of those times. While it is definitely encouraged to carry through with your regular goal for the week, and participate in the special occasion, we just want you to know that we feel Earth Hour is important enough to make a straight out substitution. It will also help you feel involved in the global movement to conserve energy. Get ready to TURN OUT THOSE LIGHTS!!!

Click continue below to watch an inspiring Earth Hour video clip.

It's that time of the year where everyone you know is getting sick. The cold and flu viruses are running rampant, and no one seems to be spared from their wrath. Whether your symptoms are mild to severe, there's no hiding the fact that you want to start feeling better and quickly.

It may seem the obvious idea to take a lot of cold medicine, but not only are those OTC medications not the greatest for your body in the long run (acetaminophen is common in many of these medications), they also come with a heft carbon footprint from production and packaging, on top of the fact that they can be pretty costly. Here are some at-home remedies for your symptoms that are friendly for your body, the planet, and your wallet.

Steam is a great way to un-congest your sinuses and lungs. When you take a shower, light a few candles in the room. This creates more steam than the water itself generates, and can help loosen up your sinuses. Also, inhaling the steam from a mug of tea serves two purposes; the steam will help your sinuses, and then drinking the tea will help keep you hydrated. One of the biggest reasons colds stick around is because the person isn't adequately hydrated.

If your symptoms include stomach aches, drink warm tea with ginger. Either cook ginger chunks down and put them in your tea, or purchase organic teas with ginger already included. Ginger is all natural, and has proven to be a natural way to prevent and stop nausea. You can also get organic ginger supplements from a local grocer or Co-Op and take a pill with some water, and it will help to settle your stomach.

Be aware of what you're putting in your body. When people are sick, they tend to stick with comfort foods. This may help you feel better mentally, but if you're eating a lot of salt, fat, or caffeine, that can be making your illness worse. Stick with all-natural fruits and vegetables, broths, and teas.

Also, be sure to get a lot of sleep. Your body fights illness and heals itself the most effectively when it is asleep. Taking melatonin, a supplemental pill that is derived from the chemical our bodies produce naturally, can help you fall asleep and stay asleep, and is not habit forming.

With these tips, and a little rest and TLC, you can be on your way to conquering your cold or flu. It is still easy and practical to live green and sustainably while fighting off bacteria and viruses. Once you're healthy again, you can keep working on getting our planet feeling healthy, too.

For human beings and planet Earth, the most important number is 350.  Why is that?  Recent scientific studies and updates have told us that there will be dire consequences if we cannot reduce the carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere to 350 parts per million.  How can we do that?  Well, the first step is to visit 350.org and become a part of the movement and spread the word, and then take part in A Global Day of Action which is October 24th, 2009.

350.org is a website that is getting the word out about the "red line for human beings" and how we all need to work together to make sure we can achieve a common goal of reducing carbon emissions.  They have gotten 48 countries to support the cause, and you can help, too.  From their website you can send an e-postcard to everyone you know and tell them how important this movement is.

Their event, A Global Day of Action, is gaining steam.  The website features an open invitation from Bill McKibben, stating the importance of getting the world leaders and organizations to work together to help reduce our carbon emissions.  You can register an event for your community that will take place on October 24th.

If you want to start an event in your area, but need more information or just want to do a little background research, their website features a lot of answers to frequently asked questions under the Understanding 350 section.  They answer questions like why October 24th, and what the number 350 really means and what the consequences are of passing that number.

October 24th isn't that far away, and if you want to start an event in your community, you need to get started planning now.  If you're not capable of starting an event, start spreading the word.  E-mail your friends, family and co-workers about 350 and A Global Day of Action.  Something as simple as sending an e-card is enough to get people thinking, which can motivate them to do something.  If we work together, we can win the fight towards lowering carbon emissions and healing our planet.

Click 'continue...' below to watch their inspiring short animation.

We just found a great website called Evidence Of Humanity.  They publish stories on their website that are positive, inspiring, and motivating to show the things that people are doing to make this world a better place not just for themselves, but for everyone.  The site is sectioned into Great Stories, Take Action, and Resources.

Great Stories tells all about groups, individuals and organizations, and what they are doing to make the world better.  There are many sub-groups within Great Stories, so if you want to know more about human rights, arts, service, or sustainability, you can find those particular stories easily.  The stories are also great reading, giving you more than just a short synopsis on each group that's being profiled.

The Take Action section gives you the choice of linking to Special Programs, or Volunteering.  The Programs are developed and managed by Evidence of Humanity, and there are currently three programs under development.  The volunteer section helps you figure out the best way to support and promote Evidence of Humanity, by either sending out e-mails to your friends and family to downloading a .pdf to place around your town or university.

Under Resources you can find a large list of websites, groups, and support networks to almost anything you'd need to improve the world.  This section is broken up similar to the Great Stories one, with many sub-groups so you can easily find just what you're looking for.  Want to find out about sustainability resources?  Just click on Sustainability on the left hand side and you're rewarded with a long link of organizations devoted to just that.

There are a lot of things that can be done to improve our world, and it's always refreshing and motivating to hear positive stories of others doing the same thing.  Sometimes it can be a tough journey, and you may question how many others are working as hard or as long.  Evidence of Humanity reminds us that everyone can work towards a better Earth, and that the road may be tough but is ultimately the most rewarding.

There is a debate currently raging in the hunting world: should there be a switch to "green" bullets?  Green bullets are ones that do not use lead, which is proven to be hazardous to humans and the environment.  There are people in the hunting community that say there is no reason not to switch to green bullets, and that the benefits of doing so are great.  There are others that say that it is not worth it, since the lead-free bullets can be more expensive or harder to find. 

There are some bullet manufacturers that are using copper instead of lead, and are seeing an increase in their non-lead ammunition sales.  Big name manufacturers, like Winchester and Remington, are also jumping on the green band wagon and are now producing greener alternatives to lead bullets.

Not only are shooting ranges banning lead bullets from being used, but some states are making it policy to discontinue them.  California is one such state, where they have banned lead bullet use in areas of the state where there is wildlife reserves.  The Condor, an endangered animal, lives in these areas and is known to eat the scrap bullets left behind.  Lead is extremely dangerous and poisonous, and could be contributing to the rising number in death of these animals.

Lead bullets can also poison the meat of the animal shot.  If you hunt with lead bullets and shoot an elk to feed your family, the lead in the bullet can leach, which can make your family sick after eating the meat.

Regardless of how you feel about hunting, everyone can agree that there needs to be less lead being used in products that we come in contact with.  If it is something that is dangerous to the environment, wildlife and ourselves, it needs to be removed.  Lead has been proven over and over to be hazardous, and there needs to be a demand to stop its use.

(Original CNN article)

As the weather gets warmer, plans for traveling start to unfold.  Spring and summer months mean trips for yourself, whether with friends or family.  You may be wondering how you can plan your trips and vacations while still keeping it eco-friendly and sustainable.  Here are some helpful hints to keep in mind.

Stay close to home
The farther away you travel, the more gas will be used, either by plane or in the car.    Find a town or city nearby where you haven't been before, and check the area out.  If you can get there and back in a tank of gas, that's better.  This will also save you a lot of money.

Find a green hotel and stay sustainably
There are a lot of eco-friendly hotels out there, and you can find out by doing a little research online before getting there.  Find out if the hotel uses compact fluorescent bulbs, and what their laundry policy is.  If you're there for a 3-day stay, you don't need your sheets changed every night nor do you need new towels each day.  Use bar soap instead of body wash in bottles, and don't leave the air conditioner running when you're not in the room.

Eat locally
Instead of hitting up fast-food joints on your vacation, pick up local fruits and vegetables from grocery stores and have a picnic instead.  That way you'll have a taste of an area, while you're out enjoying it, instead of a taste of a corporate chain.  You'll also generate less waste and save money.

Walk when possible
If you're visiting somewhere that doesn't require a car to get around, walk to get to where you want to go.  You'll see more of an area that way, and you'll use less gas doing it.  If you do need to hitch a ride, try out the local public transport instead.  Many cities will offer you daily or weekly passes for their bus and subway systems.  Living like the locals will give you the best taste of the place you're visiting.

Buy carbon offsets
Figure out the carbon footprint of your vacation, and buy carbon offsets to balance it out.  From the gas used to get there, to the electricity used in the hotel room, to the waste you'll accumulate.

There's no reason not to make sustainable choices while you're on vacation.  A lot of these choices are the same you'd make at home, so carry the habits with you elsewhere.  They'll also help you save some dough, which will be nice when you want to splurge on something in a storefront window that caught your eye.