The Jonas Brothers will finally be coming your way. Last Tuesday, the organizers behind the singing brothers’ summer tour confirmed that Milwaukee will be among the brother’s stops for the particular tour. So far, the set date for the concert is the 7th of September so better mark that date on your calendars.

According to a report by Live Nation, the multi-platinum group will be performing their popular hits during their summer tour, including songs that were on the soundtrack of their Disney movie “Camp Rock”. To make things more exciting, the sequel of the hit movie is also said to be released this July.

The Jonas Brothers’ summer tour will also feature a special guest and it is none other than their very own co-start Demi Lovato. As you probably know, Lovato has had her own share of success, what with her album “Here We Go Again” debuting last summer at Number 1.

The group’s summer tour will begin on the 27th of July. Milwaukee’s Marcus Amphitheater was set to be the venue for the summer concert but it seems that plans have changed since the venue status was later announced as “coming soon”.

Tickets to the Jonas Brothers’ concert will begin sales on the 15th of May so better get yours before they sell out.

You may know Colin Firth as an Oscar-nominated actor for last year’s A Single Man. He’s also starred in blockbuster movies such as both installments of Bridget Jones and the start-studded Love Actually. Few probably know Firth as the environmental activist that he is.

First, Firth mentioned how challenging it is to observe eco-friendly habits when on set. He says that most film sets actually produce a large amount of waste, mainly because people who work on the film barely have time to care about the planet because of the already-stressful situation in the film set. Firth goes on to describe how much of the items on a film set often go to waste, such as the food laid out for the dining and banquet scenes—food that eventually goes to waste in the end.

Firth and his brother-in-law made an appearance in Toronto this last weekend to accept an award for their environmental support. The award was from the Environmental Media Association which continues to urge the entertainment industry to use its influence and wide reach to shed a light on today’s environmental issues. The group even came up with an idea of a “green carpet” event, where celebrities use hybrid and energy-efficient cars to attend high-profile entertainment events.

April 22 saw the 40th anniversary celebration of Earth Day around the world. US President Barack Obama took the time to visit Manhattan in order to give a lecture to a group of investment bankers.

Earth Day celebrations have always been a collection of small and local events, instead of large-scale events.

In his speech, Obama mentioned how Washington cannot be solely responsible for bringing the changes that will improve the environmental condition. He says that the success of green efforts in the past were largely due to the fact that ordinary Americans gave their full cooperation. He also said that this last celebration of Earth Day should mark the cue for younger generations to share some of the green responsibility. He also mentioned some small ways through which everyone can do their part for Mother Nature, such as the simple act of planting trees in the community.

Despite Obama’s speech, many environmentalists still believe that an important environmental decision lies in the hand of Washington. The climate bill which aims to minimize the effect of global warming is yet to be approved. To speed up the process of the bill, members of the Earth Day Network has planned a rally this coming Sunday which will include big names such as director James Cameron, reverend Jesse Jackson and singer John Legend.

If you are planning a trip to South Beach in the near future then you might want to consider staying at the Clifton Hotel, that is, if you want to enjoy an eco-friendly accommodation. From entry doors that are made from recycled steel to pillows made from recycled bottles, Clifton Hotel really takes green accommodation to a whole new different level.

The floors of the hotel are decorated with carpets that are made from renewable fabrics. In order to support local businesses, all beds in the hotel are also made from bamboo and rubber latex that are manufactured locally.

Brian Scheinblum is the mastermind behind the Clifton Hotel’s green efforts. He proudly owns the hotel and boasts that Clifton is among the number of hotels in the country that has an energy-efficient interior. The renovation of the hotel toward a more eco-friendly construction cost millions and began in 2008.

The Clifton Hotel is one of the businesses in South Florida who are taking the step toward green operations. Local governments are now beginning to offer various incentives for businesses who will take the initiative of decreasing their carbon emissions and there will be penalties for those who refuse to comply. This is why more and more businesses are now considering how to make their operations more environmentally conscious.

Green lifestyle, eco-friendly operations and environmentally conscious products are concepts that are not just considered as necessities today but they are also seen as trends. Ever since more and more consumers started to make the decision to make greener choices, companies have been quick to meet this demand. This is why we see the emergence of something “green” almost every day—green clothes, green food, green appliances and more.

Ethiquette.ca is a company whose goal is to make sure that these companies are making the accurate claims about their products. According to Brenda Plant, the company’s founder, most consumers are already leading very hectic lifestyles and this is why they do not have the time to research and find out if what they’re buying is really eco-friendly or not.

Plant coins the term “greenwashing”, where companies make false claims of their product’s eco-friendliness when in reality, the product is not. Why do companies do this? Because capitalists behind these businesses are realizing that green products sell more and often at a better price. When Plant was working as a consultant years ago, many people sought out her help for their shopping options—how to buy true organic clothes for babies, how to make sure that sports shoes were not manufactured in sweat shops, etc. This is when she realized that people are really in need of accurate information and guidance when it comes to green shopping.

If your yearly trips to the country are the only time that you experience eating farm-fresh food then you’ll be glad to know that you can now enjoy the same dining option without leaving the city.

This is what urban farming is all about. Urban farming is one of the latest trends to sweep the increasingly eco-friendly nation. It’s not just about growing a couple of tomato plants in your garden. Urban farmers are now seeking to create a real farm on their property—one that includes vegetables that grow year-round as well as farm animals like goats and chickens.

According to Lisa Burke from the Seattle Tilth, more and more people in the city are becoming interested in growing food right in their urban homes. One aspect that is receiving much action is chicken-raising. Many urban farmers are attempting to grow livestock in their backyards and they usually start with poultry.

This is perhaps because chickens are very low-maintenance and easily give you rewards for your hard work. Perhaps one of the most time-consuming steps in raising chickens would be building the chicken coop. However, this can easily be resolved by purchasing ready-made coops from farm suppliers around the city. Just remember that raising chicks can be a delicate matter. You need to put them in a warm and safe environment such as a rabbit cage or a brooder. Or you can also get a sizable box and fill this with wood shavings. Be sure to change the wood shavings every couple of days and keep fresh water and food available.

High school students are not exactly known for their desire to do dirty jobs—or any jobs for that matter. However, George Masterson is hoping to change all that. Masterson has encouraged his environmental class in Newburyport High School to launch its first program on food waste compost. He tells his students that the time of talking about saving the planet is through and that it’s time to show that they can “walk the talk”.

The process begins by collecting at least 20 pounds of the city’s waste and categorizing these wastes into two piles. These compost piles will then be used as fortification for the school’s vegetable garden. Masterson says that their goal is to take as much food as they can from the city’s waste and redirect it to a better purpose in the school garden.

Masterson and his class enlisted the help of Molly Ettenborough who is the coordinator of the city’s recycling program. Together, they managed to convince the school’s administration to donate two portions of the school’s property for their compost project—one portion in the courtyard and another portion next to the football stadium. Since the program was launched, more and more students of the school have shown great interest in the project. When eating in cafeterias and school cafes, students put their leftovers in the proper bins so Masterson’s class can collect them later on.

Masterson has also found ways to make sure that their compost heap does not give off a foul odor. These ways included using a pitchfork, adding shredded paper and mixing in equal parts of brown and green wastes.

This April 22, people from around the world will be celebrating Earth Day and part of this celebration would be to raise awareness about the different things we can do for our planet.

For instance, many people think that living a green lifestyle is merely restricted to conserving energy, recycling, reducing waste, reducing carbon footprints and such. However, did you know that you can also reduce your carbon footprint nutritionally by watching what you eat?

Green nutrition is the latest in green living. Basically, it means making the choice to consume foods that are fresh and free from pesticides and other harmful chemicals. It also refers to eating eco-friendly foods that are locally sourced, therefore eliminating the energy wastes of transportation.

Green eating is a great way to improve your health as well as lend a hand to the environment. If you are interested in trying this diet, here are a few tips to get you started.

Try to cut back on the beef in your diet. Instead, substitute chicken, fish and other seafood. This is because manufacturing a single pound of beefs consumes a higher amount of grain compared to fish and poultry. If you are looking for a hobby and planning to eat healthier next time then what could be a better investment than your own garden. You can grow your favorite fruits and vegetables right in your very own home. Aside from giving you the benefit of eating healthy, you also save on the energy that goes into the transporting, storing, processing, cooking and packaging of the foods you ordinarily buy. On that note, make it a point to eat out less to save on car fuel as well.

If you’re someone who makes it a point to recycle then congratulations! You are doing your part for the environment. However, recent findings have shown that people who recycle at home find it hard to do so when they’re out. Thus, they toss their empty bottles and cans in trash bins just like everybody else.
For this reason, the Recycling Association of Minnesota has decided to launch an “away from home recycling” program. According to Ellen Telander, the director of the association, it’s difficult for people to look for recycling options when they are driving around the town or city.
This is why Target, a popular store chain in the country, has announced that it has taken a step to make recycling more convenient for consumers. Almost 2,000 recycling stations have been installed outside Target branches around the country. These stations have been categorized so they can accommodate different kinds of items such as plastic bags, beverage cans and bottles and even electronics like old cellphones or music players. To make their recycling program successful, Target has affiliated itself with various recycling plants.
Target has joined the increasing number of retailers around the country who are launching recycling programs. For instance, Best Buy purchases old and used electronics. Popular grocery stores like Byerly’s, Lunds and Cub Foods also accept plastic bags. Since fluorescent light bulbs have a high content of mercury and should not be disposed of in the trash, Home Depot is accepting them for recycling. So far, however, Target’s efforts have the wider scope and have impressed many environmentalists around the country.

Starting off the day with a glass of fruit juice is not only a habit that most of us have, but also a staple health advice. A glass of fruit juice is a common part of any breakfast, whether you’re a health freak who goes to gym everyday or a stay-at-home mom who prepares meals for her family everyday. If you are indeed a homemaker, you probably know that your children need to have their daily supply of vitamins and minerals and a good source of these nutrients is a glass of fruit juice in their breakfast.
If you’re like many parents then you probably choose the most convenient way to provide juice for your family—which is to purchase cans or boxes of fruit juice from the grocery and then store them in your fridge. However, recent studies over the past several years have shown that these manufactured juice products may not be providing the nutrients that you expect. For one thing, these products are often laden with chemicals such as preservatives, color additives and sugar. As you probably know, these ingredients can do more harm to your health instead of good. The better alternative would be to extract juice from whole fruits instead. These extracting machines are available everywhere and are very easy to operate that even your children can do it.
Another benefit of these machines is that aside from juice, you can also make fruit puree or pulp which you can use in other tasty dishes. Impress your family and guests with the variety of dishes that you can make from your machine.