As spring slowly crawls into western Washington, I have become inspired to begin propagating seeds for our garden. In the past I usually made recycled paper pots to grow my plants, but my friend James just shared a genius reuse idea for seed starts: egg shells pots.

Planting with egg shell pots is a simple, smart and economical idea to help you start growing your own food. Larger eggs are a bit easier to work with, and also provide more space for your seedlings, though any chicken or duck eggs should work fine. A half dozen egg shells sprouting with beautiful young plants can also be an ideal and creative Easter gift.

If this is the time of year you start thinking about firing up the firepit or chiminea, or if you’ve invested in a wood-burning stove for your home, you’ll no doubt be thinking about what sort of fuel you can burn. Choosing the right supplier of eco-friendly fuel can be tricky, but if you’re a keen gardener (or even if you keep a small vegetable plot), you might already know that there is a lot of free fuel around.

Reduce your carbon footprint

With 50% of the world’s population now living in cities, growing food in urban gardens makes sense.  Why import food when it can be grow locally?  They not only save on fuel, but also help urban folk get closer to their food and break up the concrete jungle.  Urban gardens can range from full-blown community gardens in the city center that supply food to urban grocers, to containers on balconies that yield salad tomatoes, and anything in between.

With people beginning to be a bit more conscious about where their food comes from, urban gardening is a great way to eat local and organic food.  However, just because food is grown in your backyard, doesn’t necessarily mean it is guaranteed to be safe.

Recent research shows that urban soil may be contaminated with high levels of lead.  Over-exposure to lead can lead to lead poisoning, which may cause reproductive problems and possibly organ failure.  It is particularly harmful to children because it disrupts nervous system development.

Despite government rebates for hybrids offered to consumers in U.S. and Canada, the programs are failing to produce environmental benefits, yet the programs continue to cost consumers. This according to a new study, “Green Drivers or Free Riders? An Analysis of Tax Rebates for Hybrid Vehicles,” from the University of British Columbia (UBC).

The study finds that hybrid sales have not replaced gas guzzling SUVS, but rather have replaced small, relatively fuel-efficient, conventional cars. Too bad considering SUVS, trucks and vans produce substantially greater carbon emissions.