We’ve come a long way since the Carnival last stopped around these parts. As always, we’ll try to give you the best and most interesting topics from the world of green businesses. Two weeks ago it made a stop at the Green Prophet and the next stop is Innovative Industry (but feel free to swing over to Sustainablog and sign up hint, hint). Let the games begin:

Looking to advance your education and take your green job to the next level? Well check out Master Degree’s rundown of the top five green master’s programs and move that office to the corner.

Not ready to head back to school quite yet, huh? Well if you’re in the green arena, Cleantechies breaks down the current state of green jobs and where the residential retrofit industry is today. It’s not as happy as people projected.

Getting chilly? It is December out there and even though we’re in California, the Bay Area packs a cold punch. Next time you’re looking for a sweater, check out Khunu, a new company making sweaters from a new fabric…yak wool. Want to know more (I know you do)? Head over the SUNFiltered to find out how yak wool is the conscious cashmere.

Another great way to warm up is to head on over to the ANS Nuclear Cafe. They have the scoop on the electricity grid and wind power. Where does it fit in and how can we take the next steps to cleaner, greener power?

Speaking of clean and green, what about plastics? They make things possible, after all. Green it is not, though, and bioplastics are quietly creeping up behind as people look for more eco-friendly alternatives in packaging and products.

Want to go for a ride? How about in the new electric LEAF!  If you’re Olivier Chalouhi you’re one lucky guy and the recipient of the first Nissan LEAF in North America. Sustainablog has the details.

After a long day of fun and games the adults need a nice, cool beverage to relax. In that case, you’ll need to find the best green beers around, so take a peak at Triple Pundit’s green beer series. I promise, it’ll be your best drinking buddy.

As always, be sure to sign up to host at Sustainablog or submit your own green business articles over at Triple Pundit. Happy Holidays from the GBBC!

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) vowed to talk “as long as he can” to filibuster Obama’s tax deal, and that’s exactly what he’s doing. The goal? To stop a bill that would only continue to line the pockets of America’s richest two percent, failing to renew funding for fledgling green industries that depend on it for survival.

Now entering his seventh hour of filibuster, Sanders is attempting to explain how Obama’s current compromise with GOP leaders only helps the rich get richer. Liberal leadership wanted to continue the Bush-era cuts for the middle and lower classes, while letting those expire for income above $250,000.

The deal currently on the table extends all the breaks for two more years (and potentially permanently with a new influx of Republicans in D.C.), and puts more money in the pockets of top earners—money that could be used in other areas of the economy to create jobs, promote clean energy, extend unemployment benefits and provide more stimulus funding for people and projects that truly need it. It could even be kept to help slow the growing deficit, something most Republicans claim to champion.

My favorite Robin Hood, er…Bernie Sanders quote from today:

“How can I get by on one house?” Sanders said. “I need five houses, ten houses! I need three jet planes to take me all over the world! Sorry, American people. We’ve got the money, we’ve got the power, we’ve got the lobbyists here and on Wall Street. Tough luck. That’s the world, get used to it. Rich get richer. Middle class shrinks.”

Sanders is today’s Robin Hood of solar energy, pushing the green movement forward. He doesn’t even have to steal from the rich—he need only stop the rich from stealing from us.

Come one, come all to the seventh week of the Green Business Blog Carnival, a series of green business news, ideas and awesome bloggers traveling across the web and right to you. In case you missed it, last week was located at Green Marketing TV and will head to the Eco-Libris Blog next Friday. For now, though, get some cotton candy, your game tickets and enjoy the ride!

Why wait in those annoyingly long lines, though, when we can jump right on the roller coaster that is China’s clean tech industry! Luckily, The Green Economy Post has an upswing on the ‘coaster. Suntech’s Zhengrong Shi is a prime mover on this ride and is helping turn China into a global force in photovoltaic technology. The ultimate goal? Make solar power as cheap as convential electricity. That’s one ride no one will get sick riding!

What’s the best part of any carnival? The food, of course! Good thing The Inspired Economist has this week covered with a delicious story about Fletcher Allen Heath Care and how hospitals can leverage their purchasing power to increase antibiotic-free animal protein production.

While we’re waiting for that meal to settle, let’s head to the show room and learn a thing or two, shall we?

We’ll kick off the eco-fair with an online post on the thing offline journalism is printed on. Confused? Figure it all out with Sustainablog. Futuremark, a Chicago-based papermaker, has figured out a way to make glossy recycled-content paper at a cost comparable to paper from virgin materials, perfect for magazines!

Ready for a heart-warming story about real American families putting sustainability to work? An unemployed logging town rallies together to re-open the local business, revitalize community spirit and push profits through the roof — one eco-friendly tactic at a time. We have the details right here at CalFinder Solar just for you.

Making another stop on the learning tour, CleanTechies has our sustainable building ideas covered this week. If you’re looking for sustainable materials for a new home, there are more choices than you might expect. Find a handy run-down from architect Wally Geer all in one stop.

Sundance Channel’s SUNfiltered asks an excellent question: Can green fashion save our oceans? Let’s head to the water park and ride along with eco-entrepreneur Brian Linton, who launched United by Blue with the mission to clean up our oceans and beaches. Jump in, the water’s warm!

Already wet? Might as well keep the water fun going with Just 4 the Planet. They’ve been following Steven Schappert for some time now and have the whole tale of “Frankie” the water-powered car!

And in case you came late to the party, Daily Green Brief has got you covered with a rundown on everything happening in green business. They cover Google’s investment in wind, “Plan B” for Kyoto, and more.

Well, as they say, all good things must end and it’s all too true here (did it go by too fast for you as well? Oh, how time flies…). That raps up this week’s adventure, but don’t feel too down. The Green Business Blog Carnival will be back next week to do it all again!

In the meantime, want to really join the fun? Submit a green business post for next week’s carnival, or if you’re feeling really ambitious (and you can convince the county board), sign up to host the Green Business Blog Carnival.

Photo Credit: Nancy~ in AZ, IIT, & Mike and Camila’s Picture Diary

1) When did you realize the greener lifestyle was right for you?

Hmm, hard to say, but I should have to answer this question since I had 7 Green Bloggers struggle to answer it a month ago on Planetsave.

I vividly remember Earth Day when I must have been somewhere between 7 & 9 years old. Went to a Montessori school during that time that had a strong focus on the environment. I remember an Earth Day event there where I learned more about environmental problems, recycling, and so on than I ever had. Actually, the school was connected with an organic farm. So, we occasionally did some organic farming at school. That probably had a strong effect on me as well.

Although, I think living a greener lifestyle really kicked in for me at the end of high school and beginning of college. That’s when the enormity of the problems we face hit me.

Also, should say that my parents are very environmentally conscious, so certain environmentally friendly habits and thinking were a part of my upbringing and subconsciously infiltrated my being from as long as I was learning anything probably.

2) How long have you been vegan/vegetarian, and what benefits have you noticed with the change in your diet?

Well, have to be honest here,.. I’m not entirely vegan. I was for about a year and a half at one point, but somehow slipped out of it (local goat milk in Ithaca, NY got it started). I have been a vegetarian since birth (or earlier, I guess), don’t eat anything from eggs on up. I’m thinking about doing full-scale veganism again, but a bit difficult for me here in Poland.

When I was vegan, I did feel quite a bit healthier and didn’t have a problem with being vegan the whole time (until I found that local goat milk in Ithaca — saw no harm in using it, but then sort of slipped out of veganism slowly, so I guess the ‘gateway drug’ wasn’t so harmless after all).

3) With all the locations you’ve lived, how do attitudes toward green living differ? What city/area embraces it the best, in your opinion?

It’s an interesting question, because some of the greenest places I’ve lived don’t have a lot of people with “green” attitudes, per say. They live greener lifestyles for other reasons, it seems.

For example, in the Netherlands, people live extremely green lifestyles, but it was actually difficult to find people with any special concern for the environment there. In Poland, where I live now, people live in quite environmentally friendly ways, but environmental concern and activism is clearly lower than in the places I lived in the US. For more on this, I wrote an article on sustainablog titled 7 Environmental Lessons from Living in Europe where I discuss some of these lifestyle differences in a little more depth. Could go on for pages about it here, but probably best to cut myself off.

In the US, the Bay Area definitely had a great green culture. Love it. College towns like Chapel Hill/Carrboro (NC) and Ithaca (NY) were also very green, naturally, but actually seemed a bit more pervasive out in the Bay Area (but that’s just my subjective opinion).

4) You write for a number of green and clean energy websites. What are the benefits each offers and how can readers take each as a benefit in their own lives?

I like this question. Well, I like all of them, but this is something that I think about a lot but hardly have the chance to discuss.

It’s a little overwhelming trying to cover news and provide my own (hopefully helpful) thoughts in such a variety of sectors — food, energy, environment, the oceans, climate — but it also makes me keep a wider perspective and not get too locked into one topic. I think we live in a little too much of a specialized way these days and like the idea of being a bit of a ‘Renaissance Man’. But, back to your question, this is my opinion on the benefits of each site:

• Planetsave: We cover climate change and other environmental science news pretty thoroughly here — and trying to up our coverage every month. If you want the latest news on those topics, it’s a great place to go. Also, we really try to add steps you can take in your daily life or specific activism opportunities you can get engaged in as much as possible. The site is about more than news — it’s about being a positive force for change, empowering people to makes changes and get involved in their own lives.
• Eat.Drink… Better: Similar to Planetsave, but on the topic of food, we try to help people keep up to date with the latest food and health news but also offer a lot of encouragement and stimulus for taking that news and incorporating it into your life. All kinds of great, fun recipes on there as well.
• Cleantechnica: Basically, all the news on clean tech (especially solar energy, wind energy, wave energy, and the smart grid) you could want. Additionally, we bring in some news on climate change from time to time and get quite political on this site as well (ok, pretty often).
• Green Living Ideas: Like on Planetsave, this site focuses a lot on what you can do in your personal life. It’s about empowerment and bringing innovative green living ideas to more people.
• Blue Living Ideas: This is about the same thing as Green Living Ideas but for ‘blue’ issues. It is also a source of big news regarding the oceans, water, and climate change. A lot of stuff on here that is under the radar but very critical to a high quality of life for our children or even ourselves.
• Earth & Industry: Focusing on the nexus between the environment and business, this site brings you a lot of news and green business tips you couldn’t find on a general ‘green’ site (or even anywhere else on the internet). Some great, original journalism and commentary on this site.
• Ecopolitology: Where environmental issues and politics meet. This site includes very original, critical commentary and news on the biggest eco-political topics and also includes a lot of fun and controversial pieces that you can’t find anywhere else — if you’re working in the enviro-politics field, controversy is a given and you have to lighten things up from time to time to survive the tragedies.
• Sustainablog and EcoLocalizer: These are two sites I don’t regularly contribute to anymore, but which contain a lot of my earlier articles. Sustainablog has a good mixture of articles on large-scale environmental topics and original pieces on integrating green solutions into your own life. For the latter, sustainablog is certainly a leader on the web and that is what I focused on there myself. Ecolocalizer, as you might guess, covers big green news from specific cities, regions, and countries around the world.

5) Any parting advice for people looking to start living greener?

The biggest specific actions you can take are: 1: switch to a vegan or vegetarian diet (new study shows vegetarians are happier, too); 2. give away your car (look into carsharing or just renting a car when you need one from time to time); and 3: put solar panels on your house.

To get the motivation and courage to do these things, surround yourself with green people — in the ‘real world’ or just on the web.

Ready to learn more about living green? You can follow Zachary at any of the above websites or via social media: @zshahan3, Google Buzz, StumbleUpon, or on his personal site.

Minnesota Wants Clean, Local Energy

An attempt at overturning a law that prevents new dirty energy plants (and I include nuclear in that category) fell short in Minnesota this week. A great step for Minnesotans and Americans alike, as more and more states turn to clean energy as the answer for keeping the grid lit. Ecolocalizer has the full tale of Minnesota rejecting dirty coal policy.

A Lesson in Government Energy Plans From UK?

As the US federal government continues to struggle to find the answer to our energy problems and dependence on foreign sources, British government offered their own solution. A program that sounds similar to Berkely’s own PACE program, it allows loans and incentives spanning from installing solar panels to updating energy efficiency in the home. SUNfiltered’s Jeff McIntire-Strasburg explains more about the British energy plan.

Over 200,ooo Jobs from American Power Act

A new report released by the Peterson Institute for International Economics this week indicates that over 200,000 jobs could be created every year if Congress were to come together on Kerry/Lieberman’s energy bill. Killing the Republicans’ claim that the APA will hinder job growth in the US is Earth and Industry with their take on the climate bill that creates jobs.

5 Beautiful Etsy Garden Eco-Finds

Summer is just around the corner and many gardens are already coming to life. But, if you’re having trouble remembering where you planted the basil and rosemary, fear not! GreenUpgrader has you covered with the top 5 recycled garden products on Etsy! Go Green, go garden!

Green & Ugly: How Not to Win Over Mainstream America

No matter how green, how energy efficient or how downright awesome a product is, it does nothing if no one’s willing to buy it. Such is the conundrum of the Aeolus concept phone. Sure, it recharges on either wind or solar power, but what does it matter if it’s too ugly to be noticed? Treehugger lays out the three laws of environmental design for us all to enjoy.

Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend…we’ll see you right back here next week!

Photo Credit: Technorati

Global Warming Skeptic Goes Solar?

New Jersey solar rebates are some of the best available to homeowners in the U.S., so is it any wonder this climate skeptic decided to give solar a try? Adam Szpala isn’t concerned with the green impact of installing solar panels, but instead cares about the green in his pocket. Should we care if Adam and others like him don’t care about mother nature? A good commentary about global warming skeptics and solar panels on SUNfiltered.

Awesome Solar-Powered “Dick Tracy Watch” Developed by US Military

If you were as big of a Dick Tracy fan as I was, then brace yourself, you’re in for a treat! HP is working on a new watch for the military and this bad boy is taking names. Featuring solar panels and an ultra-light plastic screen, this gadget is reading to provide our soldiers with maps and information for any situation. Inhabitat has the scoop on this awesome solar-powered military watch.

USA! USA! We’re #11!?

As the world anticipates the arrival of the 2010 World Cup, another world ranking was released. The NRDC has a new finding about the top nations in terms of government investment in alternative energy. CleanTechnica digs a little deeper to reveal some insights into what the ranking of US as No. 11 really means compared to other world leaders.

Has Rush Lost His Marbles?

Well, that happened a long time ago. But even for Rush Limbaugh, there are some pretty ridiculous statements floating around in reference to the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Proceed with caution and a sense of humor knowing that Rush is mostly full of hot air and hatred toward fellow man (and Mother Earth). Ecopolitology has a nice list of the 7 most ridiculous things Rush has said on the oil spill…so far.

Photo Credit: Reading Station

1) As a former English professor, from where did the curiosity for Sustainability stem?

I’ve always been a nature lover — I’m a great example of how getting kids outdoors builds a lifelong love for environmental issues, as I spent a lot time during my childhood hiking, camping, fishing, etc. The motivation for starting sustainablog, however, grew from reading books like Paul Hawken’s The Ecology of Commerce, Ray Anderson’s Mid-Course Correction, and even Daniel Quinn’s Ishmael novels. Like many people, I’d bought into the idea that the environment and the economy were at loggerheads by nature… these works opened my eyes to the idea that the economic system could be a force for environmental conservation and restoration. I became fascinated by these ideas, and started sustainablog as a way to grapple with them.

2) You started Sustainablog in 2003, but has there always been an interest in sustainability? What has kept you going for so long, and what will keep you going into the future?

The short answer is I got lucky… I started blogging just before the most recent wave of “green consciousness” hit. As such, it’s always been relatively easy to find inspiring stories about “eco-innovation“… whether they involve large corporations recognizing the bottom-line benefits of going green, or families, organizations, and small businesses finding opportunities to lighten their footprints in ways that make sense for them. As long as there are good stories to tell, I stay motivated… and I don’t see them drying up anytime soon.

3) What excites you most about the future of renewable energy and where do you see the path leading us?

Mainstream acceptance of renewables, as well as energy efficiency technologies, really excite me. Solar panels, wind turbines, and geothermal systems aren’t just for eccentrics and treehuggers anymore… they make sense for most people. More market adjustments are still needed — our system of incentives for energy production are still heavily skewed towards dirty fuels — but an awful lot of ordinary people are getting it, and demanding support for renewables.

I also love to see stories about entrepreneurs experimenting with new technologies, as well as new business models. I’m excited about companies like SunRun, for instance, which is developing alternative financing models for home solar power. While I don’t expect government to solve these problems, I also think there are some innovative policies out there, such as property tax financing. I do think government has a role to play, but a lot has got to change in order for it to do what it does best: protect the commons. Until we can really reform campaign finance and the influence of lobbyists, I’m not as hopeful about government solutions on renewables… they still seem to think ethanol’s the answer.

4) What are you, and others working with Sustainablog, doing to lessen your environmental impact?

Well, my new partner really has me beat on this front. He (as well as frequent contributor ziggy) lives at the Dancing Rabbit Eco-Village in NE Missouri… they’re living in a very sustainable fashion. They run the village primarily on renewable energy, grow a lot of their own food (and buy much of the rest locally), share biodiesel-powered vehicles, build with natural or recovered materials… I’ve been really impressed with their work up there.

While I live a more traditional lifestyle, I certainly do what I can: recycle, compost, garden, ride my bike or walk when feasible. I work from home, which makes a big difference, I think… I fill my car up once or twice a month. I live in a 106-year-old house (which does still need some efficiency upgrades). I use a reel lawn mower on my tiny little yard, and have replaced a portion of it with native buffalo grass.

I have to think hard on that question… some practices have become so ingrained that I forget they’re “green…”

5) What advice can you offer on how others can get involved and join the green revolution?

I think approaching it as taking control of your life is really helpful… we don’t have to do things as they’ve always been done (or as they seem to have always been done… our current lifestyle model is pretty new). It’s easy to tell people what they should or shouldn’t do, but approaching “green” as a form of empowerment works really well in my experience. Tired of paying high gas prices? Look for alternative means of transportation, whether it’s a bicycle or a city bus. Utility bills high? Here are some ways to think about your energy use, and how to lower it. Think the tomatoes you buy at the grocery store are kind of bland? Grow your own, or head to the farmer’s market to see what local growers have available. Are there trade-offs? Sure… but helping people to recognize that there are changes they can make, and those change allow them to regain some control, makes a big difference. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become a big fan of the “self-reliance” approach to sustainability… and I think that can have appeal beyond those of us who consider ourselves environmentalists.

1) When did the journey of living the natural life start for you?

For me, a lot of the ‘waste not, want not’ mentality was something I grew up with, but it wasn’t until I started volunteering (and later working for) our local natural foods co-op that I really started investigating many of the issues affecting our communities and environment. I began reading all I could about our food system and our wasteful culture, and determined that I wanted to do things differently, both for myself, and for my children.

In order to begin, we started a tiny house experiment that lasted for almost 6 years, living with no running water, a humanure toilet, and a minimum of electric usage. It was an eye-opener for us, and we learned a lot about what we really needed in our daily lives. I highly recommend that people who wish to explore living in an alternative manner should consider a similar experiment.

2) How has being a father and husband affected living a green lifestyle?

Becoming a family man made me think twice about the status quo – what’s accepted as normal for kids and health – and because my children are the most precious part of my life, I wanted to lessen their exposure to anything harmful (or even anything suspected of being harmful). My wife has been a huge influence on that, as mothers have an incredible protective instinct (the ‘mama bear’ instinct, we call it) and can be very suspicious of anything that would come in contact with them, even if the accepted belief is that the products are safe.

I also have a desire to leave my children a world that still has clean air and food and water, along with unspoiled wild places to explore, and that has been a big motivator for me.

3) You offer a ton of great advice on your blog for parents, especially fathers. If you had to give one piece of advice to fathers on living a happy, sustainable lifestyle, what would it be?

Hmm. That’s a tough question. I guess I would have to say that we really need to examine our priorities. If our family and our family’s health isn’t a priority for us, then we probably won’t take the efforts necessary to move to sustainability. That may seem over-simplified, but I think it’s at the heart of the issue.

And an unsolicited second piece of advice: The parents need to act as one, and not confuse kids with differing messages (i.e. Mom recycles, dad doesn’t. Dad eats healthy, mom doesn’t, etc.)

4) What steps are you taking to create the self-sufficient home for your family?  How close are you to realizing this dream?

We’ve owned a 40-acre parcel out in the boonies for a number of years, but haven’t been able to move forward on building it as we lived too far away to make it happen. This past year, we moved to within 4 hours drive from it, and are working to save the money to sink a well (a huge necessity here in the southwest.) In the meantime, we are planning to build a tiny house on the land this fall, so we have a base camp to live in while building our home.

I plan to build an earthbag house (a dome) from the earth on site, which can be built with a minimum of imported materials. The house will integrate rainwater collection, passive solar features, and be completely off grid. We are big advocates of permaculture gardening, and as soon as we have water on site, we can begin planting fruit and nut trees, as well as put up a greenhouse and coldframes for long season food production.

5) What is the biggest thing you’ve learned in the whole process of living a sustainable lifestyle and what can we expect from you in your continued quest?

The biggest thing I’ve learned is that it takes a big commitment to making radical changes in our lives in order to even begin to live sustainably. Our culture (me included) is addicted to imported goods, our petroleum fueled vehicles, cheap energy from coal, and food that travels across the globe just for our pleasure.

My hope is that I can document our project as an inspiration and teaching opportunity for others, and perhaps even have some hands-on workshops for those who wish to pursue a similar dream.

We’ve considered turning it into an intentional community at some point, but our experience with such ventures has shown us that interpersonal relationships play a big part in whether it can succeed, and most of the people who have expressed interest in it aren’t willing to give up their modern lifestyle.

I think there is a very real need for sustainable building and communities in urban areas, but unfortunately, local regulations make it difficult for owner-builders and those who wish to use alternative building methods. And that’s one of the main reasons we chose to pursue our project out in the backcountry.

You can follow Derek’s journey  at Natural Papa or on Twitter @derekmarkham.

Are you thinking of taking on a solar installation by yourself? There are a few things you should know about solar prices and permits before rolling up your sleeves. In the video below, Dave Dugdale of SolarDave.com sits down with John Shaw of Bella Energy to discuss the matter and what you can do to prepare your home for solar power.

Solar Permit Costs for The Do It Yourself-er from Dave Dugdale on Vimeo.

I don’t know about you, but life seems to move very fast these days.  I seem to never have enough time in my day to finish all the things that I would like to. Trying to fit in a green lifestyle, though, doesn’t have to  be time consuming.  Here are 5 ways to start greening your life today…with very little effort.

1. Never leave a room with the light on - I have heard the argument that the power company will keep making as much power even if you turn off your lights, computer and electronics when not in use.  But it will save on your power bill and eventually, if we all reduce our electrical use, the power companies will be forced to produce less energy…or they will be forced out of business.
2. Stop using plastic water bottles - each time you drink from a plastic water bottle, you are contributing to the 1.5 Million barrels of oil it takes to make bottled water in the U.S. each year (enough energy to power 250,000 homes).  Four out of 5 water bottles do not make it into our recycling bins and, instead end up in our rivers, streams, lakes, oceans and landfills.
3. Turn off the water when you are brushing your teeth - Just doing this will save about three gallons of water.  Think water is an endless resource?  It’s not.  Just ask people who live in California.  Republican Senator Dave Cogdill says the Delta, and California, can’t go on like this.“We have a system that was built for 18 million people,” Cogdill said. “There are now 38 million of us, and as a result of some pretty extraordinary technology and conservation efforts, we’ve been able to get by. But we all know that we’re all living on borrowed time.” Our future water supply is dependent upon our conservation efforts of today.
4. Bring your own bags (reuse plastic, paper or use cloth)  for groceries and take-out - In 2005 the EPA estimated that only 5% of our plastic bags get recycled.  Check out reuseablebags for a second by second update on how many plastic bags have been used in the US this year and your jaw will drop. Where do they end up?  In our landfills and no one knows how long it will take for them to biodegrade.  We do not have unlimted places and spaces for our trash.  We need to think past today and into tomorrow to insure our future generations’ sustainability.
5. Become aware – begin to think about the choices you make every day and how they are affecting your health and the health of our environment.  Just open your mind to a new way of thinking. read what you can and talk to your friends.  Join communities of like minded people like EnvironmentalBooty.com to gain more information and understanding of the issues we face for our health and sustainability.

Remember, it’s not about feeling guilty for what you aren’t doing or what you don’t know yet.  It’s about waking up to a new way of thinking, sharing those ideas and patting yourself on the back for every little step you take on the path to a greener, healthier, more sustainable lifestyle.

Come join our community if you treasure self, people, and the planet!

Photo Credits: Brooklyn Skeptic & Polar Ice Capz