Artist Helen Nodding creates tiny, hidden worlds among the loose bricks and sidewalk splits that are usually taken as signs of decay in our cities. With a change in scale, the nooks and crannies becomes destinations. See a world tucked beneath a floor and a wall crack turned countryside on her website Stories from Space. More...

Looking for a way to decorate your patio wall or a patch of ground? With a little coaching and watering, grow moss into shapes such as a poem, an eco statement, or animals.

Full instructions are on Instructables.

Image credit: Flickr/aaron13251 More...

Eco roofs, and their more visible cousins vertical gardens, are inspiring pieces of architecture which are usually difficult to view, since getting on top of a building is often prohibited or just a hassle. The California Academy of Sciences roof, pictured above, makes it a little easier to take in the benefits and beauty of rooftop greenery. Here is an entire photo gallery devoted to eco roofs of the world, and here is a Flickr pool.

Image Credit: Arex/CreativeCommons More...

On Art Mondays we bring you innovative, inspiring examples of artists working with and for the environment.

Sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor creates cement figures from models--including students and a BBC presenter-- and then places them underwater as artificial reefs, where sea sponges and worms can collect on the hard surface and attract fish and other underwater residents searching for a stable home. Check out the images of the works changing over time, it's both eerie and beautiful how the sea overtakes the forms.
One more image after the jump. All images courtesy Jason deCaires Taylor. More...

I recently headed to the upholstery store to find fabric for an old rocking chair in need of rehab. Surely they would have organic fabrics to choose from...and yet the saleswoman shook her head. There just isn't much interesting green upholstery fabric, she said. So I was pleased to find Mod Green Pod, out of Austin (found via their Twitter), and revive my project.

Mod Green Pod's fabrics are 100% Organic cotton that is grown, woven, and printed with non-toxic dyes in the USA ($39.75/yard). The line of wallpaper is PVC-free and also uses non-toxic inks ($60/roll). Using organic cotton grown in the USA is especially impressive. And those patterns!

Pictured is the Room Creator, where you can play with prints and get an enthusiastic environmental message from the furniture (and the cat). See their blog for inspiring cover ups. More...

Several years ago, when I first got a call about working here at Celilo Group Media, I had just torn the carsharing coupon out of the book that very day (it's called Chinook Book in Portland). Had I heard of the book? Of course I had! Did I ever redeem the coupon...er, no.

It wasn't just calculating the cost of gas, insurance, and upkeep that finally made me take the leap and sell my car--it was realizing that I drive so infrequently that spiderwebs connected the window to the steering wheel like something out of a cartoon. My bike was carrying me a dozen miles a day for free while I paid for spiders to practice tightrope walking between leather and glass. I sold the car and patted myself on the back (plus bought a pair of new shoes). And then, immediately, I missed an opportunity because I didn't have wheels. More...

Now in Season 2, Green Porno explores reproduction in nature among animals and insects. Each episode begins with a costumed Isabella Rossellini stating, "If I were a..." and follows her through mating process on a low-tech, charming set of construction paper and puppets. I'd never considered how barnacles reproduce, and now I know. Start with Limpet, below, to get a sense of the art-film-meets-Muppets style. The Whale will really knock you out, and the Praying Mantis will permanently endear you to Rossellini, who is also a producer of the series.
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The Guide Girls are Winnie and Maxine, two sassy and silly women who will walk you through basic sustainability habits with crass jokes and occasional knickers shots. For those that are hard to win over, or have just heard the same maxims too many times, their comedy is a good dose of fun.

If you prefer your information via video, their Guide Girl Instructisodes are all available at their site or YouTube. I recommend starting with How to Compost with the Guide Girls.

For readers, try their Facty Sheetoids, printable PDFs that answer the tough questions about green choices, such as How to Change a Lightbulb: "Last time I tried one of these bulbs I looked ill" goes one question. Their answer: "You fool; you probably bought a 'day light' or 'bright white' bulb. Choose 'soft white' and the light will be softer and more yellow." Or, "I am fancy and live in a castle filled with antique chandeliers."

 You can find the fancy answer and more at TheGuideGirls.com.

(Screenshot: Introducing the Guide Girls, TheGuideGirls.com) More...

Perhaps against Jackson's will, the contents of the nearly foreclosed Neverland Ranch are up for auction, reports the New York Times. Everything is up for grabs, with bids already flying, at Julien's Auctions. Browsing the catalog, particularly the clothes, is an awe-inducing trip through Jackson's tour clothes and the opulence of the past. Jackson has always set the bar for bling, but I think we've also started to ask for more involvement from our celebrities, such as Brad Pitt's Make It Right homes in New Orleans.

But I know you want to check out Jackson's outfits.

Here's a few items on the block.

Paul Bedard Portrait, estimated $200-$300 More...