Whether motivated by the urge to “do good”, capture a piece of the next venture capital windfall, or develop skills that are sure to be in demand in the coming years, college students are pouring into renewable energy courses. Undergrads enrolled in such classes have tripled at Berkeley and a conference at Stanford was so popular that attendees had to be turned away.

This isn’t just a Bay Area trend. Other universities offering eco-friendly programs include Middlebury College, Harvard, Dartmouth, and more.

Story from Reuters.

If heading down to the local car dealership is a bit too pedestrian for you, consider building your very own plug-in hybrid. The XR-3 uses a combination of diesel and battery power to deliver an estimated 220 miles per gallon on an 80 mile trip.

Prices have yet to be finalized, but the design manual will cost approximately $200 and the materials for the actual vehicle should be in the $18,000 range.

Story from the Arizona Republic.

The tiny Canary Island of El Hierro is soon to be powered completely by renewable energy. The $65 million project will combine hydroelectric and wind power sources to provide energy for the 10,500 inhabitants of the island.

El Hierro is going to be the first island in the world to be powered entirely by renewable sources. However, they are keeping the old diesel system in place just in case the new system is impacted in any way. The new project is expected to eliminate the estimated 18,700 tons of greenhouse gases annually produced by the island.

Story from Yahoo.

Businesses in San Francisco go through more than 180 million plastic bags per year! Few of these bags are recycled and often end up littering the city and taking up space in landfills. The ordinance gives major retailers six months to make the switch to biodegradable bags and stores with at least five locations have one year to comply.

Story from the Seattle Times.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has pledged to increase the City’s renewable power supply to 20% by 2010 in an effort to clean up the notoriously awful air quality in Southern California. An agreement to provide clean energy to 70,000 homes in the area is another step forward to meet that goal that is less than three years away.

The agreement brings the total supply of renewable energy to 8%, significant, but still less than half of the target. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is the nation’s largest utility and provides services to 3.9 million residents.

Press release from the Los Angeles Department of Power and Water.

There’s no arguing that travel is a little rough on the planet, but with job commitments and vacations, it’s a fact of modern life. Luckily, hotel owners are recognizing that going green can be great for business and are introducing policies that help reduce the impact on an otherwise wasteful industry.

Here are ten hotels that you may want to consider for your next vacation or business trip.

• Fairmont Hotels: National
• Sadie Cove Wilderness Lodge: Homer, Alaska
• Hotel Triton: San Francisco, CA (pictured)
  
• In by the Sea: Cape Elizabeth, ME
• Asheville Green Cottage: Asheville, NC
• El Monte Sagrado: Taos, NM
• Los Manos Bed & Breakfast: Buena Vista, CO
• Habitat Suites: Austin, TX
• Orchard Garden Hotel: San Francisco, CA
• Journey Inn: Maiden Rock, WI

Slideshow from Forbes Traveler.

America’s first celebrity chef, and founder of world famous Spago, has decided to go cruelty-free in all of his restaurants. Working with the Humane Society, Wolfgang has enacted several measures to ensure that the food served in his restaurants comes from producers who abide by strict animal welfare standards.

• Foie gras will no longer be served.
• Eggs can only come from farms where chickens are not housed in small cages.
• Veal and pork must come from farms where animals are not kept in crates.
• Poultry must come from producers that exceed the industry standards.
• Seafood will be chosen only if it does not harm the environment.

Story from the New York Times.

Menu Foods has recalled nearly 100 brands of pet food in a move that has thousands of pet owners scared for the safety of their beloved cats and dogs. As owners look for a safe alternative, organic pet food producers stand a good chance to benefit.

Much like organic people food, organic pet food sales have risen at nearly three times the rate of conventional pet food. Still, at $400 million, the organic pet food market is a tiny sliver of the overall $14.5 billion pet food market.

Story from MSNBC.

By now we’re sure that you are familiar with Method, great design coupled with a commitment to the environment. However, their new mop takes the most boring of household cleaning tools to a whole new level.

The omop allows you to use either the mop head or sweeping pads in conjunction with the curved mop handle so that you can clean in style. However, this isn’t just about looking good while cleaning the house on a Saturday. Nope, the true beauty of the omop is that the microfiber mop head is reusable and actually gets better with age. And…the sweeping clothes are made of corn and compostable!

More information from Method.

Laura Turner Seydel, daughter of media mogul Ted Turner, and her husband have built the largest LEED certified house in the country. Situated in the highly desirable Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta, this 6,000 square foot home certainly doesn’t scream “eco” from the outside.

Despite it’s size, the features tell a decidedly eco-friendly story. Rainwater is collected to fill toilets, solar tubes fill the rooms with natural light, grey water irrigates the lawn, wall paper is made of recycled newspaper, and attic insulation is made of cellulose and soy-based foam.

Story from Fortune.

EcoManor web site.