Amazing Ways the NBA is Going Green

The National Basketball Association is quickly becoming just as famous for getting bottles in bins as it is for balls in hoops. That's because the NBA has partnered with the National Resource Defense Council to drastically reduce the carbon footprint of the world's preeminent basketball league. From green building to grassroots activism, the NBA is showing initiative in making professional sports a more sustainable venture.

On February 12, as part of the lead up to this month's All-Star game in New Orleans, the NBA hosted a star-studded event promoting cell phone and electronic recycling. Former NBA players PJ Brown and Dikembe Mutombo met fans and signed autographs at the Sprint Store in Harvey, Louisiana. The two former players helped fans recycle their old cell phones and left with positive reviews about the NBA's green initiative. The Times-Picayune quoted Dikembe Mutombo saying, "This is a great initiative to help America go green." Also during this month's All-Star week, the NBA will host a Discover Green event which will feature bicycle-powered cell phone charging stations and simple tips to help reduce your daily environmental impact.

6 Ways to Avoid Valentine’s Day

If any mention of Valentine’s Day has you cringing and gagging, we understand. All the fluffy pink, sparkly red, and mushy PDA at this time of the year gets to be a little much. Whether you’re a die-heard anti-Valentine’s Day-er at heart or simply feeling tired of all the hullabaloo, you can still have a nice, normal, non-gag inducing February 14. So grab your tennis shoes and get ready for the best un-Valentine’s Day ever.

1.) Go slow cycling. No weird two-seater bicycle needed for you. Pull out your bike or rent one from a shop nearby, and savor a leisurely ride while keeping an eye out for the invasive species (a.k.a. couples) in your path. They seem to be everywhere, but if you cross them, simply avert your eyes and visit your mental happy place. In the blink of an eye, they’ll have passed and the road will be all yours once again.

2.) Find a hidden treasure. Described by its fans as grown-up hide and seek, geocaching is a great way to get outdoors and feel a bit nostalgic at the same time. To geocache, you need a free basic membership from Geocaching.com and a GPS-enabled device. Then you simply search for geocaches near you and head out on your search. Geocaches can hold a number of objects, ranging from only the traditional log sheet to a full chest of treasures. But remember, if you take anything, you’re expected to leave something of equal or greater value as well. Geocache on!

4 Ways to Host a Green Super Bowl Party

The Super Bowl, essentially an American holiday, is an excuse to scream at a TV and eat and drink more than the average human should. More than 100 million Americans are expected to tune in Sunday to watch the Seattle Seahawks take on the Denver Broncos. But like all large sporting events, the Super Bowl, and all the fanfare that goes along with it, carries a rather hefty environmental impact. To its credit, the National Football league has stepped up its efforts to host a greener event, making this year's event the greenest Super Bowl ever. But there are plenty of ways for those of us not privileged enough to watch the game in person to do our part as we watch at home. Here are a few ways to make sure your Super Bowl party is as green as possible.

Recycle

Quiz: Which Penguin Species Are You?

How will you celebrate National Penguin Awareness Day on January 20? Whether or not you achieve your dream of trekking to see penguins or hosting a perfect penguin-themed bash, you can still have a festive (although flightless) day. To honor our feathered friends, we've picked five species — the Emperor Penguins, Galápagos Penguins, Adelie Penguins, Little Penguins, and Snares Penguins — to highlight. Take our quiz to find out your penguin personality!

Quiz: Which Penguin Species Are You?

High Tea, Low Impact: Throw a Green Tea Party

The return of Downton Abbey to the states has sparked a trend for all-things British. While not everyone can visit Highclere Castle, the setting for the ITV/PBS series, holding a high tea is the next best way to bring a little bit of Britain into your home. (If you aren't a fan of the hit drama then keep in mind that January is National Hot Tea Month and there's no better way to celebrate your favorite beverage.)

Adding a green touch to your next tea party is an enterprising idea that even the Dowager would approve of. Here are some ways you can do it: 

The Tea  

To party in true Grantham style, be selective about what tea you serve. Look for organic and fair trade labels when choosing a blend. See if there is a tea maker near you or make your own mix. 

There are a multitude of other ways to green your tea choices, like buying loose-leaf and composting used tea leaves. 

The Sandwiches

Tea sandwiches don't have to be so last season. Spice up the classic cucumber with local greens that are in season, like arugula, watercress, or dandelion greens. A simple egg-salad can be made with free-range eggs, or for a vegan option, try tofu and Vegenaise. 

Make your plate even more special by using gluten-free bread or making it yourself (but don't let Mrs. Patmore know you were in the kitchen). 

8 Transformative Staycation Ideas

Traveling takes time and money, not to mention the waste it produces. Staycations have grown increasingly popular in the past few years, and it’s no secret that staying at home is a greener option than increasing congestion on roads or hopping on a plane. Plus, when you’re vacationing at home, you can go anywhere you’d like. So whether you’re held captive inside your home due to a snow monster rampage (hi, polar vortex) or simply opting for a greener vacation, here are eight different worlds to transform your living room.

1. Island paradise

Break out leftover ribbon to make these DIY leis and infuse the room with native music from your favorite islands, or simply the sound of crashing waves. Turn a room into a cabana by bringing lawn chairs inside and placing them on tarps. Keep the island fusion going through dinner with a warm bowl of asopao de pollo and Caribbean spice cake.

2. The big blue

Whether you live on the coast or 100 miles from water, it’s easy to bring the ocean into your home. Make a faux-aquarium in your sink with underwater-inspired toys and save broken or leftover paperware from the recycling bin by decorating with hanging paper bowl jellyfish and paper plate fish. For a laugh-filled evening, make portraits of one another in fish form and hang them on the walls. Later, go with the flow and hold a viewing of Finding Nemo (2003) while chowing down on starfish-shaped sandwiches and seaweed salad.

3. Camping country

The 10 Best Blog Posts of 2013

From the most dangerous trails to the most beautiful canyons, we covered a lot of ground this year. To celebrate the year's end, we've ranked our most popular blog posts. Check out the list to see the year's highlights and tell us in the comments section what you'd like to see next year.

And the best blog posts of 2013 are. . .

1.) 6 of America's Most Dangerous Hiking Trails How many of these treacherous trails have you tried?

2.) 5 Dangerous Hiking Mistakes Stay safe outdoors by avoiding these common mistakes.

3.) 7 of the World's Strangest Flowers These blooms are bizarre.

4.) 4 of the World's Most Magical Treehouse Hotels Travel to new heights. Bonus: Check out our brand new tree house photo gallery.

5.) 9 of the World's Most Breathtaking Canyons We found the grandest canyons.

Start a Green Band with Sustainable Gear

Fancy yourself a musician? Then play a tune for the environment while marching to the beat of a different drum with these eco-friendly axes and drum kits.

And remember, the only thing that sounds better than saving the environment is giving a gift. So keep these eco-instruments in mind when you're shopping for that niece who just decided she wants to be a rock star when she grows up.

GREEN GUITARS AND BASSES

Mada Series
Sing the praises of the hemp revolution accompanied by a guitar or bass with a body built entirely out of organic hemp, instead of rare or endangered wood. 

The Mada Caimes and Mada Sab are Austrian-made semi-acoustic guitars and basses made of 100 percent organic hemp pulp. The pulp is processed without milling (unlike standard wood guitar production) into "hempstone" and then turned into a guitar body with a signature fluid design. They don't sound too bad either.

These Eco-Videos Make Us Laugh, Then Cry

Sometimes all of our environmental problems make it feel like the world is the star of an eco-horror film.

People at 350.org must think so too, because they made two short but awesome videos dramatizing environmental issues like the Keystone XL pipeline and climate change disasters.

Both should be shared with wild abandon.

The first, Keystone Horror, really goes all-out eco-horror, complete with a creepy kid. It even features appearances from actors Ed Begley Jr., Amy Smart, Justin Chatwin, and Wendie Malick. Watch it below:

10 Scary Eco-Horror Films

It's time to break out the scary movies and the organic popcorn. To celebrate Halloween, we picked 10 spooky environmental films for their laughs, screams, and genuinely frightening messages. And if these eco-horror movies keep you up at night, don't say we didn't warn you.

The Birds - 1963
It's always nice to start off with a classic, and The Birds is certainly that. Revisit Alfred Hitchcock's famous horror film and its many fine feathered friends this Halloween for a nostalgic and thrilling look at nature fighting back. On that note, there are lots of movies with animals enacting revenge, so make sure to check them out as well.

 

The Day After Tomorrow - 2004
Global warming goes apocalyptic in this thrilling end-of-days scenario, where climate change brings about massive weather disturbances and ushers in a new Ice Age. Wrought with extreme ramifications for our harm to the planet, this movie shows Mother Nature dealing some serious payback.