Did you know that a plant on your desk will make you happier and healthier at work? According to an Australian Facebook campaign by the Nursery & Garden Industry of Australia designed to help people improve their plant/life balance, having a plant around will "brighten up your workspace, help reduce office noise, improve air quality and heaps more."

Earlier this week, on March 2, the people behind Put A Plan On Your Desk gave away over 20,000 plants at major train stations across Australia, with each plant having a special code that has to be activated through a Facebook app.

The app then teaches you how to care for a plant on your desk at works, and challenges you, your friends and co-workers to be part of a 12 week experience. Being part of this growing community of plant enthusiasts - and keeping your little green friend alive! - could also win you some great prizes, including a holiday to The Daintree Eco Lodge & Spa in Cairns (somehow we think this competition is only open to Australian residents...).

If you don't have a plant and don't know which one to get, the app also has a matchmaking feature that finds the perfect plant for your personality! No excuses anymore.

Perhaps the strangest stunt I've seen to raise green awareness for a while. Apparently last Friday, in case you missed it, was Park(ing) Day UK 2009. An idea imported from Rebar in San Francisco, where else of course, it's an initiative to turn public parking spaces into green spaces. This is the first year it's run in the UK and was held in conjunction with iBuyEco.com. What I really want to know though is how much money did they have to feed the meter or did they get ticketed by the officious parking wardens around London's South Bank. Anyway for all those who missed it here's the video of the, er, urban oasis.

A sobering word of advice is being given to those planning on setting up a new website using the '.tv' domain name: the internet suffix popular with tv channels, video bloggers and anyone whose '.com' address has already been snapped up. The reason: the Island of Tuvalu where the domains are registered is reportedly disappearing into the sea.

As far as I'm aware, this is the first time climate change has threatened a virtual location with extinction. Hippyshopper, of course, is registered with a global warming-proofed '.com' address, but that's more than can be said for this beautiful Island.

[via Gawker]

I don't think I'll ever tire of clever and creative re-use ideas, and there are plenty of those to be found in the work of Annabeth Orton aka Glittermouse, who works with reused glass and tin to bring you richly decorated items which brighten and enhance interiors in a sustainably aware way.

Mouse, a selection of whose work you can see in the image above, is so committed to the idea of reusing discarded items that she's even been known to 'rescue' items such as discarded bottles and glasses from the streets in the aftermath of a Saturday night!

Read on over the jump to find out more about Glittermouse's work

Related: The art of upcycling: junky jewellery for spring | Remarkable recycled art by Robert Bradford

OK...it's not remotely in the spirit of Hippyshopper for me to applaud the action of climate change, but can I please make an exception in this one instance? The crane fly is surely the most pointless and bothersome insect ever, and I for one would be happy to never have one fly into my face again. And if their numbers continue to dwindle, maybe I'll get my wish! The fact that it's due to climate change is...beside the point.

Or, if you're going to be more sensible about it, this story merits our approval becaue it'll get those who don't discriminate against members of the insect world to take action and save the crane fly from extinction. It appears they do in fact serve some useful functions, such as providing food for upland birds like golden plover, which are rather pretty. In fact, Dr James Pearce Higgins, of RSPB Scotland, said: "This is the most worrying development that I have found in my scientific career to date. So perhaps not such a reason for celebration after all...

Related: Not cute or furry, but insects need love too | One of UK's rarest insects thrives on Scottish Island

In an age of pen drives and CDs, there's not a lot you can do with a 3½-inch floppy besides turn it into something else altogether - and as re-use for computer bits goes, this greetings card idea is not a bad one. I like the way that the finished result created is an image of another 'obsolete' piece of technology: a vinyl turntable. The 'record' also really moves, which makes the project all the more satisfying. Full instructions on how to do it are here.

I wonder who'd appreciate a card like this though? Possibly someone who's a bit of a throwback! [Via Craftershock]

Related: How to make a shower puff dress | How to re-use those annoying pasta sauce jars

Ever since the first Andrex puppy bounded down the stairs and into our hearts, loo roll has been getting increasingly soft, strong and long. At first, this represented a welcome departure from the scratchy, tracing-paper torture that many of us remember from our youth, but even the most posteriorly-challenged would agree that just recently, things have gone a bit far.

The current trend in toilet paper (if such a thing can be said to exist) is for such bloated, padded sheets that it can sometimes feel as though you're wiping your bottom with a king-size duvet. And according to campaigners, the American obsession in particular with multi-ply, quilted toilet tissue is having such a devastating effect on the environment that it could be said to be a worse risk to the planet than all the SUVs in the USA. In Europe, we are doing better, with around 40% of toilet paper coming from recycled sources. But in the States, more than 98% comes from virgin forests. Are we in danger of slipping into such bad habits?

Follow the jump to take part in our poll

Related: Recycled toilet paper: how green is it really? | Sheryl Crow says no to toilet paper to save the world

Excitement erupted earlier this week, when a wind turbine in Conisholme, Lincolnshire suffered unexplained damage, following reports from local residents that 'strange lights' had appeared in the sky. The giant turbine, used to make green energy by Ecotricity, lost one of its 72-foot blades in what is being described as a freak accident - and it wasn't long before the usual whacky theories started to emerge...

Related: Solar-powered vehicle mistaken for a UFO

I heard recently that a particularly inventive 'green' iPod user, perhaps affected as much by the state of the economical climate, found himself brainstorming money saving ideas that would enable him to hold on to a few pennies during these harsh times. This brainstorm eventually led to a way to power his iPod using nothing more than an energy drink and an onion (or so he says).

So here's how he did it. He dug two holes into the onion, poured in the energy drink, then plugged in his USB cable to boost his iPod with juice. He claims a "friend showed me the experiment as a laugh but I thought it was the greatest thing I have ever seen, and do it religiously every day".

Gary Cutlack has a novel solution to the problem of our need to use more energy in winter: human hibernation! Watch the clip below to find out how he suggests we adopt this age-old habit of the animal kingdom, before bedding down for an emission-free winter.

Related: E&E: Lightbulbs | E&E: Kettles | E&E: Washing Machines | E&E: The Bloody Fridge

Tech Digest's Gary Cutlack is talking lightbulbs today, and yes, we're talking the modern, energy saving sort as opposed to the old-fashioned, coal-powered ones, of course. Sit back for another installment of unique insights into the greener life!

He's at it again! In this week's installment of Energy and Efficiency, uber geek Gary Cutlack considers the kettle: A massive household energy absorber. Mum wants tea. Dad wants tea. You want tea, often all at different times. And sometimes, if you're busy, you might want a coffee - all require the boiling of a kettle. It is an energy black hole.

So, how can you cut down on kettle use? Is there such a thing as an energy efficient way to generate hot water? Yes! There is! Allow Gary to demonstrate.

[Via Tech Digest]

Do you like watching these videos? I don't know whether to assume that the pointed lack of response thus far is the stunned silence of disapproval or quiet appreciation. Either way, here's Gary Cutlack exploring the energy demands of 'Mr swirly and his big fat mouth'. And I wouldn't argue with him; the washing machine is currently my greatest eco nemesis, too...

It's Friday, so I thought I'd extend the 'green gloat/green guilt' series to you, dear reader, to get an idea what shade of green hippyshopper fans really are.

All you need do to take part is tell me one green thing in your life that you're proud of. Have you got into the swing of cycling to work over the past few weeks? Successfully reduced your electricity bill by using clever gadgets or just switching things the hell off? But don't forget the second part of the question. Are you a bit of a hot water hog? Has the credit crunch caused you to ditch Fairtrade? Or perhaps you just can't stop shooting those polar bears....we all have habits we'd rather not admit to, but be honest here and I'll do my best to help you make a change. The hippyshopper environment surgery is now open!

We can't all be nutrition scientists, so claims about organic food actually being better for us are best left to the experts, and read with interest whenever they emerge. But what about the taste? We can all have an opinion on that...for example, following a last minute decision at the checkout earlier this week I now know that organic Weetabix tastes massively better than the original sort which I've been eating all my life.