One by one, the letters went up, until they made a rather bizarre request: SAVE THE POOD. But supporters of Hollywood’s iconic sign needn’t worry that it has been taken over for some kind of toilet-themed guerilla ad campaign – the ultimate message of “Save the Peak” is just a temporary plea for help to protect the mountain that this Los Angeles landmark stands on.

The Save the Cahuenga Peak movement aims to raise $13 million by April 14th to raise the $13 million needed to buy the land from Fox River Financial Resources, a developer that reportedly plans to build mansions on land adjacent to the sign.

As HOLLYWOOD gave way to messages like “SALLYWOOD” and “SAVE THE PEOK”, the San Francisco-based Trust for Public Land got just what they wanted: attention. The nonprofit group has already raised more than half the money needed to buy the land, with the sign slated to come down on Tuesday, February 16th.

This isn’t the first time the Hollywood sign has been hijacked for a cause – noble or not. In 1976, the sign briefly read “HOLLYWEED” thanks to prankster Danny Finegood’s desire to celebrate a relaxation in California’s marijuana laws, and it has also read “HOLYWOOD”, “OLLYWOOD” and “JOLLYGOOD” at various points over the last few decades.

The cause may be green, but what about the stunt itself? According to Fast Company, the Trust for Public Land doesn’t plan to recycle the thousands of yards of mesh material used to cover the sign, though they do say it will go back to the city. Used for five days, the material reportedly came with a price tag in the “high five figures”.

Images: SaveHollywoodland.org, Fast Company, LA Attractions

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The Slime’s Where All the Flavor Is

They’re nutritious, free range, a touch rubbery, and have graced the plates of Europeans for thousands of years. Instead of picking the snails off your lettuce, why not add them to your salad? High in protein and low in fat, these sustainably foraged appetizers will just slip down.

A Golden Future for Our Environment

When you’re caught short, head for the garden. That’s what the Pee Outside movement believes, citing the 3 gallons of water used every time the toilet flushes. Since exposing yourself in daylight is generally frowned upon, please grit your teeth until nightfall – remember, it’s for the planet.

Energy from Motion (the Other Kind)

In a form of alchemy beyond even the wildest dreams of Isaac Newton, the Sintex turns our poop (and other organic waste) into enough energy to run our homes. Elsewhere, dirty diapers are turned into diesel fuel. In the search for the next big sustainable energy source, we’d be wise to start at the bottom.

Oh! What a Lovely Green War

It’s a dilemma for the eco-conscious military man: is there a sustainable way to bomb 10 shades of cr*p out of the enemy? Now there is, with the low-fallout, low pollution eco-bomb, because some smoking craters are greener than others. Alternately, why not just aim for the real deal?

Skimpies Your Man Will Love (if His Phone Powers Out)

Ever shimmied along the beach in a two-piece number, wondering if your iPod had enough charge left in it? You’ll need the Solar Powered USB Bikini, then. As you’re a walking electrical supply, it’s probably best to avoid the water. Or if you like to parade through the sunshine in your smalls, why not try this multifunctional organic cotton outfit complete with solar panel and cleavage-mounted drinks dispensers? There are some designers out there who are deeply single.

Tasty, Tasty Weeds

Why should goats have all the fun? Before we discovered how to process food until it barely sustains us, we ate things straight out the ground wherever we found them. It’s still possible, as we illustrated yesterday (and here’s a British version, courtesy of Guardian Environment), but oh boy, you’d better be sure you’ve got the right plant.

Commuting, Getting Fit and Looking Dumb for People in a Hurry

Never mind that cycling and walking have been popular for hundreds of years and forever, respectively – some people think they’re a waste of good exercise-time. The Floating Human-Powered Gym wants you to tone up as you lift-share – while the Speedfit wants to, well, make you look bloody stupid. Nothing wrong with generating energy as you work out, but exercise some common sense.

Don’t Wave Flags: German Football Fans Score Own Goal for Environment

When proud German football supporters fixed flags over their cars in the run-up to the Euro 2008 football season, the Austrian automobile club cried foul, claiming that it was bad for the planet. It seems that a fluttering flag reduces the fuel economy of your car, draining the world’s remaining oil reserves and kicking us shrieking into the dark ages. How utterly selfish.

Images: WTL photos, cameronparkins, Gizmodo, jemsweb, chichacha, Army.mil, hans s

The post The 8 Weirdest Ways to Go Green appeared first on EcoSalon.

Do you see what I see when you look at this picture? Possibly not. Most people see only a beautifully designed and finished bookcase and wine rack. But I see more. I see a coffin minus the lid.

Use it before you lose it?

Created by New Zealand company, The Final Furniture, the Tenderrest bookcase/coffin offers the best of both worlds. It could sit in your living room all your life and no one, expect you and your family, would necessarily guess it’s secondary use. Much like one might buy a burial plot years in advance, one can now buy furniture in advance.

Made from sustainable bamboo that will biodegrade quickly once in the ground, the bookcase/cofffin is definitely eco-friendly. Green burial is one thing. But storing books in your own coffin seems, to me, just a touch macabre.

The post The Bookcase Coffin appeared first on EcoSalon.

Gaia, -1. As seen on Reddit, the lap pillow. It’s the simultaneous decimation of any shred of hope for humanity and perverse rubbernecking wonder at such cultural discoveries followed by intense psychological concern for oneself that only Reddit can so reliably provide. Surely there is a German word for this.

Anna N. of Jezebel says: “Ever want to just rest your head in a woman’s lap, without those pesky arms, torso, and head leaning over you and complicating matters?”

Polyurethane laps: because the environment was doing entirely too well this week.

P.S. Something tells me it’s not organic cotton.

– via Jezebel > Popped Culture > Andrew Sullivan

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