While it’s not for everyone, the Vienna Vegetable Orchestra certainly has an original sound.  They play all organic instruments like a pepper trumpet, pumpkin drum, and carrot recorder. I can’t tell if it’s a waste of lots of vegetables, turned into instruments each day instead of being eaten, or a unique use of renewable resources. Either way, that’s gotta be a fun job.

-Jess

Perhaps it’s appropriate to set aside some time to take a moment to seriously contemplate the effects of climate change on our way of life…

BO-RING!

Taking climate change too seriously without a sense of humor about it can make you go gaga. The Onion has been exemplary in providing laughter for an otherwise dour situation. At the same time, they’ve been effective in finding a balance between comedy and awareness; they never take their eye off the issue. Here are our picks for the top 10 best Onion headlines that relate to the environment:

10. Richard Branson's Global-Warming Donation Nearly As Much As Cost Of Failed Balloon Trips

9. NFL Meteorologists Warn Steaming Black-Guy Heads Occurring Later Every Year

8. The Global-Warming Crisis

7. Addressing Climate Crisis, Bush Calls For Development Of National Air Conditioner

6. Green-Conscious GE Develops Hybrid Lightbulb

5. Northeast Stunned By Freak January Snowfall

4. Al Gore Caught Warming Globe To Increase Box Office Profits

3. Global-Warming Crisis Makes For Delightful Mid-February Afternoon

2. Nation's Snowmen March Against Global Warming

1. I'm Doing My Inconsequential Part For The Environment

-Jess 

Stand up and say something.  Express yourself. Tell the world how you feel - just for the hell of it...

And while you’re there, check out some of the other comments.

-Jess

What can you do with the lights out?  Lights Out Days, which take place at different times in different cities around the globe, reminds us to conserve energy.  Plus, it’s the perfect excuse for a party. 
 
So light some candles and enjoy non-electric entertainment.

-Jess

Get informed and rock the vote!  Nearly all the presidential candidates support policies that help curb global warming.  But what do they plan to do?  See how your favorite politician, if there is such a thing, stacks up against their competition on green issues with Grist’s Candidate Comparison Chart.  And while you're there, check out some of the other info at Grist, a fun enviro-site.

-Jess 

Over 30 billion metric tonnes of waste are produced around the globe each year. In all that waste, there's bound to be something worth keeping. Or at least that’s the idea. The act of dumpster diving is probably as old as the trash bin itself and was just called something else before that, but with increased amounts of trash coupled with environmental awareness, it has taken on new life.

Buddhist monks make treasures out of trash by repairing and cleaning tossed items and selling them to raise money for charity.  And going to the extreme are the freegans, who look to dumpsters behind grocery stores and restaurants for food that has been thrown out.  It doesn't have to be that intense. Dumpster diving can be as simple as grabbing boxes and crates for an upcoming move.

If this sounds interesting, check out the Dumpster Diving Meet-Up site to find groups that meet all over the world.

-Jess

Here are more mind-boggling pictures; I love them.  Where do we fit into life, the universe, and everything?  The Powers of Ten pictures give us a glimpse.  We are both amazingly complex organisms and insignificant specks in the cosmos.  That’s deep.

Try and unscramble the pics...Another example of ourselves - and the world - in perspective.  How cool.

-Jess