Santa Monica, California drew the stars and cars early on Sunday, Oct. 16 to help celebrate National Plug In Day. The event, a joint effort between Plug In America, the Sierra Club, and the Electric Auto Association, was held in 21 cities, with electric vehicle owners participating in parades, tailpipe-free tailgate parties, and other festive grassroots events. "It's wonderful to see all these cars with plugs," raved actor and eco-activist Ed Begley, Jr. at the Santa Monica parade. "I've had a Rav4 electric for ten years come February and [it has] 94,000 miles."

Begley—joined by "Revenge of the Electric Car" producer Chris Paine, former "Baywatch" actress Alexandra Paul, model pitchman Fabio, Los Angeles Congresswoman Janice Hahn, and Air Force veteran Tim Goodrich—snapped photos and spoke to a crowd at Santa Monica's city hall before sending 188 eco-friendly vehicles down the road.

"It was so quiet as we drove that we could talk to people along the route," says parade participant Deb LaCusta, who steered her new bright blue Nissan LEAF alongside her husband, actor Dan Castellaneta (the voice of Homer on "The Simpsons"). "It was fun to be involved and get the message out."

Iraq war vet Goodrich delivered an exceptionally poignant message. "While serving in the Middle East, I quickly realized that America's involvement had a lot to do with our need for gas and fossil fuels." Eventually Goodrich grew opposed to the war and returned to America after his tour to champion electric vehicles.

Not that driving electric makes for an easy cause. Critics are quick to point out the obstacles: they often lack power and run on expensive lithium batteries that only last for several years. Batteries need to be constantly recharged, and the cars aren't great for long distances. "We talk about range anxiety and plugging in, and what happens to batteries," admits producer Paine, "but what really changes people is the experience of driving an electric car."

Sure, it's probably a better idea to venture outdoors for some fun Earth Week activities this week, but if you find yourself playing couch potato and channel surfing, check out some of these inspired eco programs from our cable/network friends. Besides these suggestions, you might also tune into Planet Green (where every day is Earth Day), or Sundance's The Green programs to catch filmmaker Oliver Hodge's profile about sustainable architect Michael Reynolds in The Garbage Warrior (April 22).

The Today Show
Twice a year, NBCUniversal delivers environmentally themed content across all its multiple platforms. To help celebrate this year's Earth Day theme — reuse — The Today Show's Kathie Lee and Hoda Kobt select a finalist for The Art of ReUse Contest.

NBC Nightly News
NBC Nightly News Brian Williams looks at the impact of the Gulf oil disaster and talks to Ted Danson about his new book, Oceana (read The Daily Green's Oceana review). Anne Thompson, Chief Environmental Affairs correspondent, reports on the Gulf's environmental health and the state of its tourist industry.

Inside a posh New York City restaurant frequented by the media elite, Al Gore celebrates his big get for Current TV -- ousted MSNBC's loudest voice, Keith Olbermann. "[He] is a gifted thinker, an amazing talent and a powerful communicator," says Current TV's Chairman Gore about his newest employee. "In a world where there are fewer and fewer opportunities to hear truly distinct, unfettered voices on television, we are delighted to provide Keith with the independent platform and freedom that Current can, and does uniquely offer."

"Now Olbermann will really never be seen or heard," snorts one radio talk show host, referring to Current TV's scant viewership -- Nielsen reports the channel gets as little as 25,000 viewers. Still, Gore hopes that Olbermann's new post as the company's Chief News Officer, along with his equity stake in Current Media, will bolster ratings. "Among his many talents, he has an eye for what works, what doesn't, who would be good on his show and potentially doing other shows," Gore tells reporters in a conference call.

At this week's upfronts, where TV executives showcase new programming for advertisers, the Olbermann news bought Current some much-needed currency. The channel's new shows are inspiring, especially for viewers who want what Current TV CEO Mark Rosenthal refers to as, "real reality programming, not scripted reality programming." Current TV seeks to open minds, spark conversations and form a deep connection with its viewers. Must-see meaningful TV? A noble concept, perhaps even Paddy Chayefsky would've approved.

These days there is not a whole lot of sustainable news coming out of the Television Press Tour in Pasadena, California , but one bright spot is CBS. The network is putting its stamp, literally, on their eco-friendly advertisers.

Viewers will see the digital watermark "EcoAd" on commercials aired by companies that signed on to this "sustainable media" added value package, starting with Chevrolet, Safeway, PG&E, Sunpower, Boston Scientific, O Organics and the Port of Long Beach. A portion of the ad dollars is earmarked to fund solar panel installation, energy efficient school retrofitting, and lots of other local and national environmental and clean energy projects.

Nine months ago, CBS purchased EcoMedia, the driving force behind this advertising initiative. EcoMedia founder Paul Polizzotto cooked up the plan to use ad market dollars to fund eco projects. Now partnered with CBS, the EcoAd advertising opportunity is open to all platforms: network, local, television, radio, outdoor and online. "When an ad features the leaf, it sends a powerful message to viewers that the brand is committed to both the environment and the communities they serve," Polizzotto said in an interview.

Some eco critics are calling this CBS move "greenwash." They complain there is not enough oversight on the companies that might be an "egregious polluter or spends tons of cash lobbying against environmental laws and regulations."

Yet one environmental hero, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., offers his thumbs up: "EcoMedia's EcoAd program has been one of the best ideas I have encountered to conserve and protect our natural resources. Cities get much needed funds, communities get cleaner water, air and green spaces, and corporations can put their resources to work for the betterment of society."

Days ago, I was surrounded by a pod of Spinner dolphins off the coast of Maui, Hawaii. There must've been at least fifty of them, including babies that looked like silver nerf balls skimming the surface as they bounced up and down, budding their small heads.

The dolphins were not in any hurry, so they flipped and dived around us in almost choreographed repetition, some flipping airborne at least three feet above water. Our small eco tour group cheered at each leap and delighted as they swam close enough to our raft to touch them.

After this experience, I couldn't help but think about "Blood Dolphins," an upcoming three-part series on Animal Planet produced by Ric and Lincoln O'Barry, the father/son activists featured in last year's Oscar award-winning documentary The Cove. I recently attended a Television Press Tour Q&A with the filmmakers, where a reporter queried, "Why save dolphins?"

The elder O'Barry responded with the thoughtful passion that bears out his five-plus decades of marine work: "[Throughout history] dolphins have saved the lives of humans. That's special. That's altruism. That's communication." He believes they are highly intelligent, self-aware and complex creatures. The surreal experience of these seemingly foreign creatures practically performing, and interacting with my raft group, made me appreciate their supreme nature all the more.

Witnessing dolphins swimming free in their habitat first-hand is one thing, but O'Barry is vehemently opposed to captive environments. "We've been brainwashed into thinking that dolphins belong in a concrete tank doing tricks for us, and somehow that translates into conservation," says the activist who once trained Flipper, America's favorite dolphin. "Flipper was a blood dolphin. Shamu is a blood dolphin. That is the reality of it. My hope is that with 'Blood Dolphins,' viewers will think twice about seeing a captive dolphin show."

"One of the dirty little secrets is, where did these animals come from?" offers the younger O'Barry. "They didn't just magically appear in these aquariums. In countries where they allow the slaughter of dolphins, typically they're also allowing the export of dolphins."

In January of 2006, Americans were horrified to learn ABC's World News Tonight anchorman Bob Woodruff suffered grave injuries from a roadside Iraqi bomb. His severe brain trauma forced doctors to put the award-winning journalist into a medically induced coma for a month; shrapnel was lodged in his face, neck and back, and his skull was shattered. No one could say whether the 44-year-old father of four would walk or talk again.

Three years earlier, another high-profile media personality (and Woodruff's close pal), 39-year-old NBC news correspondent David Bloom, died from a pulmonary embolism during the initial Iraq invasion. Of course Bloom's death was mourned, but by the time Woodruff was injured, Americans were decidedly mixed about being in Iraq and distressed over the thousands of wounded and dead soldiers. For many, Woodruff's plight became personal. "He put a face on the injured," Paul Rieckhoff, executive director of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, told the New York Times, calling Woodruff "the most visible wounded person in this war."

For months Woodruff defied expectations and fought his way back from extensive neuro-damage. A little over a year later, he was back on ABC News, reporting about his recovery and profiling soldiers with traumatic brain injuries. The only remnant of Woodruff's multiple injuries is mild aphasia, occasional difficulty finding the appropriate word. But that hasn't stopped the intrepid newsman from tackling the global climate change battle.

Besides continuing as an anchor for ABC News, last year Woodruff launched "Focus Earth," a weekly series on the 24/7 eco network Planet Green. "I tried for so many years to do more stories on climate change," Woodruff tells The Daily Green. "It hasn't been an easy topic to get on the news, but now you're seeing a huge outpouring of these stories." The eco-warrior continues: "I covered wars for so many years, but what happened to me means I'm still doing the international reporting, which I'm addicted to, but just not in war zones. Now it's environmental reporting."

And this new beat hasn't cramped Woodruff's travel itinerary. When we talked, he'd just returned from Indonesia, where he covered a story about garbage dumping in the oceans and deforestation. Just this past year, he trekked to Kenya, the Galapagos Islands, the Arctic and all across the United States, including West Virginia's coal country and his hometown Detroit. "Because of the Internet and media, we are now connected more closely than ever before," Woodruff says.

The Daily Green: What would you consider the big eco stories right now?

Bob Woodruff: The water issue, for sure. And deforestation. I just returned from Indonesia where we saw huge issues of this, and this leads to more endangered species. Also over-fishing. I went up to Alaska not long ago and we could see actual changes in the fish population between Alaska and Russia. Russia is passing very close to our border because they have a shortage of fish in their waters. And everyone from scientists to the Coast Guard is seeing how temperature change in the ocean impacts sea life.

Watch clips of the new show.

It was 1996 and Dorfman realized that his sales beat was on the cusp of a consumer explosion. The country was developing at breakneck speed and very soon, millions of bicyclists could very well be driving cars instead. Dorfman could hear mama nature weeping.

Inspired by his reckoning, Dorfman returned to the United States, earned an MBA in international business at Arizona's prestigious Thunderbird and set a goal: To find a balance between preserving nature and our insatiable desire to shop, shop, shop. No small task.

"I realized the one thing we do every day is consume," Dorfman says. "And rather than guilt trip or moralize, why not find a way to make the alternatives attractive enough so people will be drawn to it?"

So Dorfman began with shelter, selling eco-friendly furniture and home furnishings through his newly created company Vivavi. Eventually he became a highly successful eco entrepreneur and spokesperson for environmental change, appearing on Martha Stewart's show, writing columns and giving talks.

Someone close to Dorfman, however, felt he was more talk than walk. "Are you really an environmentalist?" she challenged. "You talk like one but you don't behave like one." She felt Dorman's personal habits, like taking long showers, did not line up with those of a true environmentalist. "She really ripped into me about this," he remembers.

"So two days later I wrote a blog called 'The Lazy Environmentalist.' I realized, like so many people, there are some areas in my life I'm not giving up. I still take long showers because I do my best thinking in the shower. And I don't want to drive a Prius; I'd rather have an Audi convertible, if I can afford one. It came down to this: What can I do to help people have the quality of life they want without ruining the planet? Guilt tripping does not move us to action.

"So I set out to find ways to take environmental action that also appeals to our self interest. We want to save money and we want to find the alternatives that are convenient."

Thus "The Lazy Environmentalist" boom began. The blog led to a Sirius radio show, more speaking engagements, a commentator gig on Sundance Channel's "Big Ideas for a Small Planet," and two books: The Lazy Environmentalist: Your Guide To Easy, Stylish, Green Living and The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget: Save Money. Save Time. Save The Planet.

Premiering June 16, Dorfman hosts The Lazy Environmentalist series on the Sundance Channel. If you want to follow Dorfman on twitter, he's Lazy-E, or check out lazyenvironmentalist.com, a hub for greensters, offering up advice and product reviews.

thedailygreen: What are the best ways to be green and save money?

Josh Dorfman: The Internet is a great way to start. Sites like chegg.com rent college books to students, saving 65-85% of what textbooks cost, while reducing environmental impact. They even include a prepaid shipping box to send books back when done. We're starting to see this model extend to a lot of businesses: trading and swapping sites like swapstyle.com, where you can update your wardrobe without buying anything new; paperbackswap.com, and CD/DVD trading sites. Or Zipcar, a car sharing service that makes it possible to never own a car.

TDG: Any favorite sites?

JD: Goozex.com for gamers where you can trade games for a dollar. It's all about consuming less, reducing your impact, but still having the things you want.

TDG: Wow, that's helpful ... what else?

JD: Digitization is big. Like zinio.com, which offers magazines in digital format, but they do it right, they have cool features and archives. The subscriptions are usually more affordable without the paper or shipping costs involved.

Josh Dorfman's great green epiphany struck while he was in China selling Kryptonite bike locks to the masses.

It was 1996 and Dorfman realized that his sales beat was on the cusp of a consumer explosion. The country was developing at breakneck speed and very soon, millions of bicyclists could very well be driving cars instead. Dorfman could hear mama nature weeping.

Inspired by his reckoning, Dorfman returned to the United States, earned an MBA in international business at Arizona's prestigious Thunderbird and set a goal: To find a balance between preserving nature and our insatiable desire to shop, shop, shop. No small task.

"I realized the one thing we do every day is consume," Dorfman says. "And rather than guilt trip or moralize, why not find a way to make the alternatives attractive enough so people will be drawn to it?"

So Dorfman began with shelter, selling eco-friendly furniture and home furnishings through his newly created company Vivavi. Eventually he became a highly successful eco entrepreneur and spokesperson for environmental change, appearing on Martha Stewart's show, writing columns and giving talks.

Someone close to Dorfman, however, felt he was more talk than walk. "Are you really an environmentalist?" she challenged. "You talk like one but you don't behave like one." She felt Dorman's personal habits, like taking long showers, did not line up with those of a true environmentalist. "She really ripped into me about this," he remembers.

"So two days later I wrote a blog called 'The Lazy Environmentalist.' I realized, like so many people, there are some areas in my life I'm not giving up. I still take long showers because I do my best thinking in the shower. And I don't want to drive a Prius; I'd rather have an Audi convertible, if I can afford one. It came down to this: What can I do to help people have the quality of life they want without ruining the planet? Guilt tripping does not move us to action.

"So I set out to find ways to take environmental action that also appeals to our self interest. We want to save money and we want to find the alternatives that are convenient."

Thus "The Lazy Environmentalist" boom began. The blog led to a Sirius radio show, more speaking engagements, a commentator gig on Sundance Channel's "Big Ideas for a Small Planet," and two books: The Lazy Environmentalist: Your Guide To Easy, Stylish, Green Living and The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget: Save Money. Save Time. Save The Planet.

Premiering June 16, Dorfman hosts The Lazy Environmentalist series on the Sundance Channel. If you want to follow Dorfman on twitter, he's Lazy-E, or check out lazyenvironmentalist.com, a hub for greensters, offering up advice and product reviews.

thedailygreen: What are the best ways to be green and save money?

Josh Dorfman: The Internet is a great way to start. Sites like chegg.com rent college books to students, saving 65-85% of what textbooks cost, while reducing environmental impact. They even include a prepaid shipping box to send books back when done. We're starting to see this model extend to a lot of businesses: trading and swapping sites like swapstyle.com, where you can update your wardrobe without buying anything new; paperbackswap.com, and CD/DVD trading sites. Or Zipcar, a car sharing service that makes it possible to never own a car.

TDG: Any favorite sites?

JD: Goozex.com for gamers where you can trade games for a dollar. It's all about consuming less, reducing your impact, but still having the things you want.

TDG: Wow, that's helpful ... what else?

JD: Digitization is big. Like zinio.com, which offers magazines in digital format, but they do it right, they have cool features and archives. The subscriptions are usually more affordable without the paper or shipping costs involved.

Josh Dorfman's great green epiphany struck while he was in China selling Kryptonite bike locks to the masses.

It was 1996 and Dorfman realized that his sales beat was on the cusp of a consumer explosion. The country was developing at breakneck speed and very soon, millions of bicyclists could very well be driving cars instead. Dorfman could hear mama nature weeping.

Inspired by his reckoning, Dorfman returned to the United States, earned an MBA in international business at Arizona's prestigious Thunderbird and set a goal: To find a balance between preserving nature and our insatiable desire to shop, shop, shop. No small task.

"I realized the one thing we do every day is consume," Dorfman says. "And rather than guilt trip or moralize, why not find a way to make the alternatives attractive enough so people will be drawn to it?"

So Dorfman began with shelter, selling eco-friendly furniture and home furnishings through his newly created company Vivavi. Eventually he became a highly successful eco entrepreneur and spokesperson for environmental change, appearing on Martha Stewart's show, writing columns and giving talks.

Someone close to Dorfman, however, felt he was more talk than walk. "Are you really an environmentalist?" she challenged. "You talk like one but you don't behave like one." She felt Dorman's personal habits, like taking long showers, did not line up with those of a true environmentalist. "She really ripped into me about this," he remembers.

"So two days later I wrote a blog called 'The Lazy Environmentalist.' I realized, like so many people, there are some areas in my life I'm not giving up. I still take long showers because I do my best thinking in the shower. And I don't want to drive a Prius; I'd rather have an Audi convertible, if I can afford one. It came down to this: What can I do to help people have the quality of life they want without ruining the planet? Guilt tripping does not move us to action.

"So I set out to find ways to take environmental action that also appeals to our self interest. We want to save money and we want to find the alternatives that are convenient."

Thus "The Lazy Environmentalist" boom began. The blog led to a Sirius radio show, more speaking engagements, a commentator gig on Sundance Channel's "Big Ideas for a Small Planet," and two books: The Lazy Environmentalist: Your Guide To Easy, Stylish, Green Living and The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget: Save Money. Save Time. Save The Planet.

Premiering June 16, Dorfman hosts The Lazy Environmentalist series on the Sundance Channel. If you want to follow Dorfman on twitter, he's Lazy-E, or check out lazyenvironmentalist.com, a hub for greensters, offering up advice and product reviews.

thedailygreen: What are the best ways to be green and save money?

Josh Dorfman: The Internet is a great way to start. Sites like chegg.com rent college books to students, saving 65-85% of what textbooks cost, while reducing environmental impact. They even include a prepaid shipping box to send books back when done. We're starting to see this model extend to a lot of businesses: trading and swapping sites like swapstyle.com, where you can update your wardrobe without buying anything new; paperbackswap.com, and CD/DVD trading sites. Or Zipcar, a car sharing service that makes it possible to never own a car.

TDG: Any favorite sites?

JD: Goozex.com for gamers where you can trade games for a dollar. It's all about consuming less, reducing your impact, but still having the things you want.

TDG: Wow, that's helpful ... what else?

JD: Digitization is big. Like zinio.com, which offers magazines in digital format, but they do it right, they have cool features and archives. The subscriptions are usually more affordable without the paper or shipping costs involved.

Gerald and Helen Goode are vegan, hybrid-driving, baby boomer parents who live by the creed: WWAGD (What would Al Gore Do?). When the well-intended couple adopts a baby from Africa, he turns out to be South African...and white.

Ubuntu is now 16 and not quite down with his parents’ eco friendly lifestyle—he has a penchant for fast cars, power tools and violent sports. Teen daughter Bliss believes that, with her family’s PC leanings, she’s reached her “weirdo tipping point.” Even their dog Che is fed only vegetables but away from home turns into a four-legged Ted Nugent, stalking the neighborhood for squirrels, rabbits and birds.

The Goodes are always striving to do better yet it always ends up...not so good. And Mike Judge (creator of Beavis and Butthead, King of the Hill and Office Space) is sure to guarantee that the Goode life will keep getting worse. “It’s like if you were trying to join some religion,” explains Judge, “and they just keep changing the rules on you.”

Co-creator and exec producer John Altschuler says we face green gridlock every day. “You go into Whole Foods and they have a list of the fish you’re supposed to eat and ones you’re not supposed to eat. We [my wife and I] got into an argument because I swore that farm-raised catfish was on the 'don’t’ list and she swore it was on the 'do’ list.” [Most greens put it on the "do" list.]

And paper or plastic? “I got a reusable bag,” Altschuler explains, “and it was made in China, probably by slave labor and God knows what pollutants it produced. Then I kept forgetting to bring the reusable bag so we kept buying more reusable bags.” What it boils down to is this: “We just don’t know when we’re doing things right and there’s [always] somebody there to tell you you’re not being good enough. It’s so hard to be good!”

Gerald Goode, a college administrator (voiced by Judge), and his community activist wife Helen (voiced by Nancy Carell, wife of Steve) proudly live in a neighborhood they chose for its United Nations makeup. Unfortunately their neighbor Ray is “basically a NASCAR fan and black redneck,” says exec producer Dave Krinsky. “And the Samoans, who the Goodes think are going to be so culturally unique in their Samoan ways, just watch football on weekends and order pizza. The Goodes are disappointed when their neighbors aren’t the sort of image they hold these people in.”

The show is not about enviro-bashing, insists Altschuler. What the creators find funny is the lack of perspective. “It’s not bad that people drive hybrid cars but it’s funny when [uber Hollywood agent] Ari Emmanuel pulls up at the Bel-Air Hotel [trailed] by other power agents in hybrid cars. What I’ve noticed with being in Hollywood is that when you’re rich, it’s easy to be good. But this show is about a family that is middle class, trying to live right and trying to shop at One Earth.”

The Goode Family premieres Wednesday, May 27 from 9:00-9:30 ET on ABC.

Fuel, the Sundance 2008 Audience Award documentary film winner, is an inspiring and informative story centered on director and alternative fuel activist Josh Tickell's revelations about energy's past, present and future. Tickell's timeline puts our current gas dependence into historical perspective, divulging how Standard Oil's J.D. Rockefeller foiled Henry Ford's attempt at ethanol cars, and questioning the mysterious death of brilliant engineer/scientist Rudolph Diesel at a time when biodiesel was poised to become a global choice for fuel.

Algae are woven into the story of energy's present and future. Two years ago when biodiesel production was slammed for messing up our food supplies (corn and soy) and needlessly burning up rainforests to make room for crops, algae, which can be harvested for biofuel, emerged as the new wonder product. It requires little land to farm in and even produces oxygen. According to Tickell, all of America's energy needs could be met by devoting just two percent of its land mass to algae-fuel production.

The film also gives props to our farmer/engineer President Jimmy Carter, who delivered an energy policy plan way back in 1977, outlining goals that included reducing our gas consumption, energy demand and oil imports, while increasing solar energy and insulation for houses and buildings. In 1979, Carter had solar panels installed on the White House roof, only to have Ronald Reagan remove them in 1986. (They ended up atop a cafeteria at a Maine college).

"We are grossly wasting our energy resources and other precious raw materials as though their supply was infinite," Carter said in a 1974 campaign speech. "We must even face the prospect of changing our basic ways of living. This change will either be made on our own initiative in a planned and rational way, or forced on us with chaos and suffering by the inexorable laws of nature....

"We are still floundering and equivocating about protection of our environment. Neither designers of automobiles, mayors of cities, power companies, farmers, nor those of us who simply have to breathe the air, love beauty, and would like to fish or swim in pure water have the slightest idea in God's world what is coming out of Washington next! What does come next must be a firm commitment to pure air, clean water and unspoiled land."

Fuel, tagged as "the most hopeful movie of the year," conveys crucial and cohesive information for the entire spectrum of greensters -- from those in the know to the neophytes. But this important film relies solely on grassroots marketing -- street team volunteers, viral internet and word of mouth -- in order to reach theaters nationwide.

Public support pays off because there is little chance that anyone will walk away from this 111-minute film unchanged; as former President Carter warned, let us not be forced into action by environmental chaos. Fuel is a passionate story that will stir us into action and confirm that what we do really matters; we can control our environment's future.

Fuel could very well be the most empowering movie of the year.

In the photo at the upper right appears Josh Tickell and Peter Fonda.

It's not unusual to see a celebrity dabble in another trade. "Raiders of the Lost Ark" actress Karen Allen runs a knitting studio in Massachusetts. Soleil Moon Frye and Lisa Rinna both own and operate retail boutiques. And there are the requisite actors-turned-politicians (thanks for that, Ronnie)--recent reports have "Batman" Val Kilmer running for governor of New Mexico.

So while strolling a green trade show, it wasn't that surprising to see actress Melanie Mayron, former "thirtysomething" star and now an accomplished director, hawking her line of all--natural diaper cream. But it was the story behind the venture that intrigued.

Mayron, mom to ten-year-old boy/girl twins, was frustrated by the lack of a good, safe diaper cream, so she partnered with her dad David, a renowned pharmaceutical chemist, to come up with the perfect formula. The father-daughter team launched Mayron's Good Baby, a natural skin care line free of synthetic fragrances, Paraben, sodium lauryl sulfate and DEA. Mayron's dad still toils each day in his Hatfield, PA lab, developing even more products for Good Baby. David Mayron is also behind Jao, an all-natural multi-purpose line, spearheaded by Melanie's sis, Gayle.

Here's more from our chat with Melanie, a.k.a. "The Tushy Lady."

thedailygreen.com: Tell us why Rosie O'Donnell is instrumental in getting your "Tushy Lady" career jumpstarted.
Melanie Mayron: Rosie was on her way to my next-door-neighbor's baby shower and her child was screaming and crying. She showed me his diaper rash and talked about how she'd tried everything. My dad and I were still working on Good Baby diaper cream, but I grabbed a white blank tube and handed it to Rosie. A week or so later, I had 22 messages on my machine. Friends were calling to tell me that Rosie said on her TV show, "I don't know what happened to Melanie Mayron's acting career, but now she's making diaper cream!" And she enthused that it was the only thing that had worked for her son. The next day I was in a restaurant and a waiter said, "Hey look, it's the tushy lady!"

tdg: This venture sounds ambitious, especially with all the competition.
MM: I've been pouring what I have into it, kinda like Diane Keaton in "Baby Boom." It's been that sort of labor of love thing. Ten years ago, when I started, there was nothing. I remember spending $18 on a jar of Kiehls, I sent it to dad and he said, the minute you put your hand in this, it's contaminated. The trickiest things are preservatives. With baby oil you can use benzyl alcohol, but you can't with the cream so we work with a bacteriologist and only use products derived from natural sources. Before my kids were even born I was like, "there's no natural line of baby products." But I was ahead of my time. You use diaper cream x amount of times a day and I wanted something natural, that went on easy, dried quickly. I was always working with my dad on stuff and even have a patent on a time-release tablet.

This February 17 (or June, if Obama gets his extension passed), America will undergo a mandatory conversion from analog to digital for our TV sets. Do you care and should you?

If you have a set that's not connected to cable or satellite and rely on over-the-air television, you will need a converter. And these babies can run $50-$70. If you give a hoot about the environment, then you'll care about this: the number of toxic, old sets about to be dumped into landfills is daunting.

Some Hollywood programming execs are certainly sweating it, especially since the government "reached its funding ceiling" for the TV Converter Box Coupon Program. Consumers applying for coupons must wait for funds from expired, unused ones.

PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger calls this "inexcusable." Speaking at the January Television Critics Press Tour, an emphatic Kerger said, "When people are making very hard economic choices in their households, and many are choosing free over-the-air television and closing their cable accounts because they cannot afford to keep them, I think we need to make sure that every household that can be connected to a box is connected to a box."

The conversion implications run deep. Nielsen Media Research estimates 6.5 million households, representing 5.7% of homes with television, are unprepared for the switch. And Kerger believes these numbers are "grossly underestimated."

"Because of the economics, people have deferred the decision to buy a new television set," Kerger added. And since PBS is home to "Sesame Street," (the newly reborn) "Electric Company" and a host of educational programming, the chief is especially concerned about the kids. "Particularly children in lower income households. A lot of untethered [unattached to cable or satellite] sets are [ones] that kids use to watch television."

Obama to the rescue -- after calling for a delay, the Senate recently voted to move the conversion to June. Plus Obama's stimulus package includes $650 million to help replenish the coupon program.

Los Angeles, the land of celluloid and silicone, is quietly becoming the "it" spot for green gatherings. Last month, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger hosted hundreds of the world’s environmental leaders at a two-day Global Climate Summit in Beverly Hills, where President-elect Barack Obama made a video address pledging to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. “Delay is no longer an option. Denial is no longer an acceptable response. The stakes are too high,” Obama concluded to thunderous applause.

Earlier this week, Hollywood Goes Green held its second annual conference inviting entertainment, media and advertising folks to learn how to go green without ending up in the red. And our tough economic climate may account for the confab’s robust turnout; who isn’t looking for greater efficiency at lower cost?

Speakers tackled a range of topics like financing environmentally themed films, ways to incorporate green initiatives in ad campaigns, sustainable building for studios and sets, and how to go paperless. A Fox Studios session showed video of Keifer Sutherland boasting how “24” was first to become a carbon neutral production. In the coming months, Fox’s website will post a guide detailing green vendors and services to assist other productions for news, sports, film, TV and event planning.

One curious choice for a keynote speaker was General Motors Environment and Energy Communications Group Manager Dave Barthmuss, who also appears in the film, “Who Killed the Electric Car?”. In the late 1990s, GM controversially discontinued their EV1 electric car, and in subsequent years, ignored our need for alternative fuel vehicles. Adding insult, Dave’s boss, CEO Richard Wagoner, was recently slammed with deserved harsh press for taking the corporate jet to D.C. to beg for taxpayer’s bailout cash. Perhaps Dave was instrumental when Wagoner made his second desperate plea, this time driving across the four states in a black hybrid Chevy Malibu.

Making informed, responsible choices is what it’s all about. And to make that even easier, the conference organizers, iHollywood Forum, distributed a Hollywood Goes Green Handbook detailing guidelines and strategies addressed at the conference. Check their website to download the pdf.

In my quest to find the best eco programming out there, I endured a green TV marathon, during which I sat through dozens of hours of enviro-themed shows: specials, regular series, network, cable, news and weather channels.

My once-green eyes have turned red, my DVR remote thumb is raw, and my REM sleep is overrun with images of global warming, endangered species and, even scarier, a couple of corny TV "personalities."

Here, in no particular order, is the best of what's out there:

1. Big Ideas for a Small Planet

(series, Sundance/SUND) Last year, longtime activist Robert Redford announced a much-anticipated green block of programming on the Sundance Channel, and "the kid" did not disappoint, starting with this gem of a show. Simplicity rules with each episode exploring a single topic like water, kids, work, cities and fashion.

In the gadgets episode, we learn that "electronic gadgets have greatly improved energy efficiency, yet their toxic components can be harmful to the environment." Local green heroes and activists across America drive each show, giving the series a homespun, accessible feel. Their stories are interspersed with scientists and eco experts but it's never a lecture...just the facts, ma'am.

2. Focus Earth with Bob Woodruff

(series, Planet Green/PLGN) Anchor Bob Woodruff's weekly eco newscast explores everything from climate change impact to world events. In a recent episode Woodruff checks out Sarah Palin's environmental track record and delves into how the greening of Wall Street (a green collar workforce and eco-friendly jobs) will affect our future. Packed with facts, debates and interviews, and moving at the brisk pace you'd expect from an ABC News production, this show makes a difference.

3. Living With Ed

(series, Planet Green/PLGN) Props to Planet Green for plucking this show from HGTV, who unceremoniously dumped it. Yes...Ed Begley, Jr. lives! Sure, Ed's scenes with his "holdout" wife Rachelle can seem contrived as they often wink to the camera, but at the heart of this show is Ed himself, a true eco warrior who deserves all the screen time he gets. Ed is like the uber nerd who grew into a thoughtful Earth daddy and was at it way before many of us even cared. His wife and daughter are fun accessories, but the real story and soul is Hollywood's green guru.

In this show, celebrities flock to Ed to get secrets and in turn, he puts the spotlight on green stars and their innovative lifestyles. Ed's rivalry with neighbor Bill Nye "the Science Guy" (see "Stuff Happens") is particularly fun to watch; one can't help but believe some of their repartee is actually real competition.