Nintendo aims to increase environmental awareness among gamers by introducing Chibi-Robo: Park Patrol for the DS platform as well as offering 500 tree seedlings to kids who want to spruce up their neighborhoods. The game itself is based on the growing environmental movement, letting players play the role of a cute little robot. Your task would be to clean up a park by planting flowers, building park equipment and defeat toxic enemies known as Smoglings. You’ll be able to carry out actions like watering plants, squirting enemies or riding a bike. Each good deed results in Happy Points that power him. Even the modes of transportation inside the game are environmentally friendly to help drive the message home. Looks like Nintendo has broken new ground once again with Chibi-Robo: Park Patrol, being on of the first environmentally themed video game adventures in the world. You can get your tree seedling by registering at http://www.Chibi-Robo.com between now and Nov. 9.
Nintendo helps keep earth green (Via Ubergizmo)
From Google:
Posted by Steve Miller, Google Earth Outreach
On October 13th and 14th, Googlers and many people around the world will head out to clean up local parks, beaches, trails and other places close to home. We’ll be planning our cleanups using Google Maps and sharing our plans with friends and families, along with an invitation to help. So far, Googlers have sent in almost 100 cleanup maps and proposed plans, and have invited more than 900 of their personal contacts to help.
And since many small cleanups add up to one big impact, we hope you’ll join in too. It takes just a few minutes to plan your own cleanup, make a map of it, and send your map to us — we’ll add it to a growing map of all the cleanups around the world. If you keep your cleanup small (groups of 6-10 people work best) and close to home, it’ll be easy to organize and you can be sure that you’re doing what’s most important for your neighborhood. After your cleanup, share your work with the world by posting photos and videos to your map.
If you’d like to join this global effort, you can get started here.
International Cleanup Weekend: Think globally, clean locally
More of Google Giving on it’s Birthday!
Google.org is making a big move, offering $10 million worth of grants as part of its RechargeIT program to firms working on various forms of sustainable transportation, like hybrid vehicles, plug-in hybrids, and other kinds of fuel-reducing measures. Google will invest $500,000-$2 million in each company that is approved after filing a Request For Proposal, and will not sit on the boards of those companies.
via Google Offers $10 Million For Cleaner Transportation
I Want one! This is genius!
There is a new surge protector coming to town known as the USB Ecostrip, and this bad boy will drop by America and Europe along the way. The USB Ecostrip comes with a USB connector that hooks up to your computer – hence when you turn your computer off, the entire power strip will also turn itself off, helping you save power in the process. This helps the forgetful types to power down other devices that shares the same power strip each time the PC is shut down. Pricing details have yet to be determined, but this is a great invention for those who want to go green at home and at the office.
USB Ecostrip surge protector (Via Ubergizmo)
AFP – Britain unveiled plans on Thursday to phase out energy-wasting traditional light bulbs by 2012 to cut the equivalent of a coal-fired power station’s carbon dioxide emissions.
Britain to switch off energy-guzzling light bulbs
Reuters – Primate scientist Jane Goodall said on Wednesday the race to grow crops for vehicle fuels is damaging rain forests in Asia, Africa and South America and adding to the emissions blamed for global warming.
Jane Goodall says biofuel crops hurt rain forests (Reuters)
Let’s face it, sometimes you’ll forget to bring your own bag. A must-read reality check on paper vs. plastic and which is ultimately the more eco-friendly choice.
Plastic Bags Get the Boot; But Is Paper Any Better?
Green Options did a great post on my preferential candidate for the sort-of upcoming elections in 2008, Bill Richardson, read on…
Ok, so I stole the title of this article from a song from that wildly popular Canadian pop group “The Poppy Family.” It was a huge hit way, way, way back in 1969. But it truly does apply to New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson’s 2008 presidential campaign. The messages from his energy plan seem to be going in many different directions.
Let’s look at his extremely impressive resume! Richardson is the current Governor of New Mexico, a job that he has held since 2003. But he has also been:
- 7-Term US Congressman from New Mexico
- United Nations Ambassador, appointed by President Clinton
- Secretary of Energy, under President Clinton
- Chairman of the Democratic Governors Association
- Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize 4 Times
- Brokered a cease-fire in Darfur
- Negotiated the release of hostages and political prisoners in Iraq, North Korea and Cuba
Read more at: Power to the People: Which Way Ya Goin’ Billy …
