But is running barefoot really better for you?

Some researchers say yes – they believe our feet were healthier before we had the luxury of padded running shoes.

A recent small study, comparing modern feet to feet of two-thousand years ago, concluded feet were, in fact, healthier two thousand years ago when no one wore shoes. (Of course, we don’t know if that’s because they were barefoot or because they didn’t walk around on pavement and concrete all day.)

Small studies have also shown that running barefoot somehow lessens joint impact by 12% and requires less energy than running with shoes. It’s possible barefoot runners land softer in the middle of the foot, put less strain on the rest of the body and are better able to use their toes to push off, creating a more natural foot strike.

“The way your foot hits the ground in a highly cushioned shoe is very forceful,” says Dr Najia Shakoor, the lead author of a study featured in the article. “When you are barefoot you have a natural motion from your heel to your toe. We now think that’s associated with more shock absorption.”

Of course, there are the obvious dangers – glass, blisters, bruising and infections to name a few. And not everyone is sold on barefoot running.

“Wearing no shoes is brilliant if you grew up walking or running this way like Kenyan athletes who have unlimited access to sandy and soft, grassy ground,” says Lorraine Jones of the Society for Chiropodists and Podiatrists.

The problem is most of us run on road or paved trail, which is extremely hard on our feet and bodies. I, for one, can’t imagine running barefoot (unless I’m on the beach). I love my Asics.

What do you think? Do you run barefoot or does the sight of someone running (or walking) barefoot make you cringe?

Quick Tip: Jones recommends if you want to try barefoot running, to start slowly and let your soles thicken and muscles and ligaments adapt. “If you are going to try, start gently by taking off your shoes to walk for 15 minutes a day, then 20 and build up that way.”

A dairy cow.

It’s no news that cow and cattle farming is taxing on the land. But scientists are saying it’s also harmful to the air. When cows belch, which they often do, they give off methane gas. And methane, while not as abundant in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide emissions, has twenty times the heat-trapping ability.

As more of the world turns to cow and cattle ranching for meat and milk production, the amount of methane in the air is steadily rising. (A single cow produces 200 – 400 pounds of methane each year and production of milk and beef is expected to double in the next 30 years.)

From the article in the NY Times: The United Nations has called livestock one of the most serious near-term threats to the global climate. In a 2006 report that looked at the environmental impact of cows worldwide, including forest-clearing activity to create pasture land, it estimated that cows might be more dangerous to Earth’s atmosphere than trucks and cars combined.

In response, the dairy industry is researching ways to reduce methane burps, including a “cow of the future” program which aims to reduce emissions by 25% in 2010.

Guy Choiniere, of Vermont yogurt manufacturer Stonyfield Farms, thinks the answer to reducing methane in cow “eruptions” is to change their diet. By switching his herd’s diet from corn and soy to alfalfa and flax seed, which more naturally mimics the cow’s evolutionary diet, Choiniere says he has reduced methane output by 18%.

“They are healthier,” he said of his cows. “Their coats are shinier, and the breath is sweet.”

Alfalfa and flax seed are high in omega-3 fatty acids and ease digestion. Cows on this diet are healthier, live longer and produce 10% more milk. Corn and soy, while cheap, plentiful and government-subsidized, do not provide these benefits.

Alfalfa and flax may cost more up front, but the cost seems well worth it… for the cows, for us and for the planet.

What do you think?

If you’re one of them, that’s great! Bike commuting is very rewarding. Biking to work saves you money on gas and reduces your carbon emissions. Instead of sitting in traffic, you’re out getting exercise, releasing endorphins and enjoying the fresh morning air.

Some of you may have ridden your bikes to work before, but some of you may be wondering what to expect. Wade over at Outdoorzy came up with a list of tips for Bike to Work Day and we added a few of our own. (If you have any more, feel free to leave them below.)

10 Tips for Bike to Work Day

1. Bring a change of clothes (especially a shirt and socks), depending on the length of your commute and how hard you intend to ride.

2. A washcloth in the bathroom sink works almost as well as a shower (unless you’re blessed with a shower at work). Splash your face with water, apply deodorant and you’re good to go.

3. Allow yourself plenty of time. We don’t want your boss blaming Bike to Work Day for you missing the morning meeting.

4. Plan your route wisely. If you can avoid busy streets by taking bike trails, greenways or other alternate routes, do so. It will be safer and more enjoyable (even if it adds a little time).

5. Bring a spare tube and a patch kit and know how to use them. Be sure you can fix a flat before you head out for the office. Also, check to make sure your brakes are working before setting out.

6. You don’t have to wear spandex to ride a bike. There’s plenty of casual cycling apparel that’s great for commuting (and won’t make you look like Lance Armstrong). You can also just wear shorts and a t-shirt (but chamois padding will be appreciated on longer rides).

7. Be prepared for rain. Carry a waterproof jacket with you when bike commuting because you just never know what the weather will bring.

8. Wear a helmet – and rock that helmet hair proudly.

9. Know the rules of the road. Bike safety is important – ride in the bike lane at all times (ride with traffic, not against it), use hand signals and obey all traffic lights and signs. Practice “defensive riding” – be on the lookout for cars, other bikes and debris in the road. For more about bike safety, visit the Pedestrian and Bicycling Information Center.

10. If you’ll be riding home in the dark, be visible. You’ll need a headlight (or headlamp) and reflective clothing.

Bonus Tip: Enjoy yourself! You’re biking to work!

Today, Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009, marks the 39th anniversary of Earth Day – a day designed to promote environmental awareness and to foster responsible environmental stewardship.

The first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species acts. These days, as the planet heats up and we become more aware of our role in global warming, Earth Day is a call to action for every one of us to take better care of our fragile planet.

Each year, people gather on Earth Day to celebrate the wonders of nature and to engage in programs that help ensure our planet’s future. From tree plantings to river clean-ups, there are a variety of ways to partake in Earth Day. Check Earth Day Network, Envirolink or your local newspaper for a list of events near you.

If you can’t find a community program near you, enjoy Earth Day on your own. Take a hike or plant a tree or garden. Vow to recycle more, stop using bottled water and plastic bags, and use alternative transportation. Sign up for wind power through your electric company, ride your bike to work or start a compost pile.

Our hope for you is that you get a chance to go out today; to get outside and feel the sun on your face, the breeze in your hair and to appreciate the natural wonders around you. To go out really is to go in – and that’s what Earth Day is all about.

What are you doing to celebrate Earth Day?

2,500 cities all over the world have committed to dimming their lights for one hour on Saturday, March 28th to promote awareness of global climate change and energy conservation. New York, London, Paris, Dubai, Hong Kong, Moscow and Nairobi are a handful of the cities pledging to turn off the lights in some of their most famous landmarks and tourist attractions.

Broadway is going dark, as is the Eiffel Tower, the Acropolis in Athens and the Great Pyramids of Giza. The Las Vegas Strip, famous for its sparkling neon lights, is also going dark for the full hour. The LAX sign at Los Angeles International Airport will be lit green for 60 minutes prior to Earth Hour and then go completely dark for the next 60 minutes.

What a great excuse to light some candles, cozy up at home and think of ways you can conserve more energy on a daily basis. If you’ll be in one of the major cities planning to darken their doors, I suggest hitting the streets and taking in all that darkness (Vegas is handing out glow sticks and hosting a countdown on the Strip). Cities at night look a whole lot different with the lights out.

If you’re lucky enough to be at the International Space Station, please take some time lapse photos so I can see what this rolling blackout looks like from space! Should be pretty epic.

Earth Hour is being organized and promoted by the World Wildlife Fund, one of my favorite organizations. Sign up at WWF to be counted among the millions going dark for Earth Hour. Get your kids involved, too.

The New York Times published an article the other day about the destructive environmental effects of our obsession with soft, fluffy toilet paper. That soft Charmin and Cottonelle toilet paper we all love cannot be made from recycled paper – to get the softness we crave, toilet paper has to be made from standing trees. Up to 50% of these standing trees come from old-growth boreal forests in the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. These trees should be set aside to provide habitat for endangered species and absorb carbon from the atmosphere, not for… well, you know.

Customers “demand soft and comfortable,” said James Malone, a spokesman for Georgia Pacific, the maker of Quilted Northern. “Recycled fiber cannot do it.”

Soft is nice when it comes to toilet paper, but it’s just not worth it when you think about all the trees being cut so we can turn around and flush them down the drain. A moment’s worth of comfort comes at an awfully steep environmental price.

Get Outdoors blog posted today about reusable toilet paper wipes that look like washcloths. Something tells me these will not be a big hit. I’m thinking 100% recycled-content toilet paper has a better chance of success.

That’s what Tim Spring (CEO of tissue company Marcal) is hoping, too. He’ll be introducing a new line of recycled toilet paper on Earth Day (this April) made of 100% recycled paper. And there’s an added bonus: it will be cheaper than today’s leading brands.

“Our idea is that you don’t have to spend extra money to save the Earth,” he said. “And people want to know what happens to the paper they recycle. This will give them closure.”

Save live trees. Wipe with recycled ones.

Check out the new Greenpeace Sustainable Guide to Tissue and Toilet Paper for the best recycled brands.

So what can we do about it? A group of bio-engineers is suggesting a simple way to curb climate change – plant waxy, reflective crops.

We could potentially cool the global climate by about 2 degrees Fahrenheit if we planted light-reflecting crops, according to the article on Yahoo! Green.

Of course, planting reflective crops wouldn’t reverse all the damage done. But together with carefully limiting carbon emissions, using alternative fuels and fostering better stewardship of our natural resources, plants could be a large part of the solution. They are, after all, nature’s solution to carbon emissions.

According to an article in Science Daily…

The growing of crops already produces a cooling of the climate because they reflect more sunlight back into space, compared with natural vegetation. Different varieties of the same crop vary significantly in their solar reflectivity (called ‘albedo’), so selecting varieties that are more reflective will enhance this cooling effect. Since arable agriculture is a global industry, such cooling could be extensive.

The article states that unlike the growing of biofuels, these crops would add to the food supply, not take away from it. For example, a corn species with a high albedo could be grown, used for food and then replanted to continue providing the cooling effect.

Makes sense to me, but we might want to stop clearcutting the world’s tropical rainforests, too. Talk about reflective plants…

At Selvatura Adventure Park, (just outside Monteverde Reserve) another type of large mammal can be found swinging through the trees on giant ziplines… they’re called “people.” Here, an excited specimen takes his video camera along for the ride.

You can see how your favorite ski resort is doing in comparison to others in the western U.S. by reading the Ski Area Environmental Scorecard for 2008/2009. The Ski Area Citizens Coalition, or SACC, grades ski areas and resorts on their environmental practices and policies. Skiers and boarders can then choose where they ski based on scores and in doing so, urge other resorts to take steps to green their operations.

From the SACC website…

EVERY SKIER MAKES A DIFFERENCE
The Ski Area Environmental Scorecard is the only non-industry, independent mechanism that gives skiers and boarders a way to assess the environmental performance of their favorite resorts. By choosing environmentally-friendly ski areas, you can encourage all resorts to improve their policies.

Aspen (Colorado), Buttermilk Mountain (Colorado), Park City (Utah), Sundance (Utah), and Squaw Valley (California) are the top five highest-scored resorts with the most green (they cost the most green, too).

The worst five resorts are Copper Mountain (Colorado), Sun Valley (Idaho), Tamarack Resort (Idaho), Breckenridge (Colorado), Mt. Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park (Washington).

1. Athletic/Running Shoes – First try your local Goodwill or Salvation Army if you have gently used shoes that someone else might be able to wear. If they’re totally worn out, you can drop them off at any Nike factory or Nike Town store or send them to NIKE and have them recycled into surfaces for basketball courts and playgrounds.

2. Techno Trash – Video cameras, MP3 players, VCR’s, cords, cables, and more can be sent to Green Disk for recycling. They’ll reprocess your techno-trash in an eco-friendly and cost-effective way.

3. Computers – Most major PC companies have recycling programs. Dell, for example, recycles Dell computers for free and will recycle other brands for free if you’re purchasing a new Dell. HP, Apple, and others have recycling programs as well. You can also check the Electronics Take Back Campaign for a responsible computer recycler near you.

4. Mattresses – Mattresses are tough to recycle, so the key word here is reuse. Goodwill doesn’t take mattresses, but you can find them a new home by posting in the free section of Craiglist or on the Freecycle Network.

5. Handheld Electronics – When it comes to old cell phones and PDA’s, you can either drop them off at any Staples store around the country or send them to Collective Good. These recycling partners will be sure that your old handheld is either refurbished and sent to a developing country or recycled in an eco-friendly way.

6. Dry Cleaning Hangers and Plastic – I don’t dry clean my clothes because of all the chemicals used (wet cleaning at the dry cleaners is a good alternative) but if you do, ask your dry cleaner if you can return the hangers and plastic for future use. You may also be able to recycle the plastic in your regular recycling (check with your provider).

7. – Can you recycle glass and plastic that isn’t totally clean? Yes – but the cleaner it is to begin with, the less energy it will take to recycle.

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