Sarah Palin made a surprising announcement today that she is resigning as Governor of the state of Alaska. According to the Huffington Post, Palin made a brief statement saying that she will not run for re-election and that her resignation will be effective in a couple of weeks. In perfect form, she refused to answer any questions.

What we’re not certain of (as well as everyone else in the media) is why Palin is ending her term as Governor early instead of waiting until 2010. Speculation is now rampant that she will seek the Republican party presidential nomination for 2012 — granted, if she can’t handle being Governor, what kind of chance does she stand as a President? Good luck with attempting to convince us otherwise.

Ever the nightmare for wildlife conservation in Alaska, the resignation of Palin raises hopes that the state will do away with cruel campaigns such as shooting wolves from airplanes. One thing’s for certain: this unfortunately will not be the last we hear of her. But go ahead and celebrate anyways — it’s a good day for wildlife in Alaska.

The Ice Age computer-animated series of movies are great, but for me, the trailers that star Scrat — a fictional “saber-toothed squirrel” — are even better. I enjoy watching his unrelenting efforts to possess an always just-out-of-reach acorn. But I digress…

As you’ll see in this clip, Sid — one of the new characters from Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (which opened this weekend) — “adopts” three apparently abandoned eggs; which unfortunately hatch into baby Tyrannosaurus the next morning. Eventually, the mother returns only to find Sid attempting to raise the babies vegetarian, saying it’s a “healthier lifestyle”. Hilarity ensues. Check it out below:

via vegetarianstar

Jessica Alba is back in the media — but thankfully, it has nothing to do with plastering shark posters around downtown Oklahoma City.

The actress sat down with Vogue magazine and told them how she’s gone eco-chic in her life. From grass that never needs watering made from recycled tires to the composter in her backyard, Alba dishes on her new green ways — and how having a baby has changed her home for the better. Check it out below:

I had absolutely no idea that Michael Jackson’s 1972 hit song “Ben” was about a boy and his pet rat. PETA, however, is always on top of these things — and in light of current events — is seeking rights to the song to use in raising attention on the plight of rodents used in laboratory experiments.

“Michael Jackson’s hit has always been a moving testament to the power of empathy for animals,” Tracy Reiman, executive vice president of PETA, said in a statement released on Tuesday. “If more people could be inspired by his song to stop supporting the cruel and ineffective animal-testing industry, it would be a fitting and enduring tribute to this talented performer,” she added.

“Ben”, which gave Jackson his first number-one as a solo artist, is the theme of a 1972 film of the same name in which telepathic rats attempt to take over the world. I wish I was making this up. From the synopsis:

“This rat, whom the boy names Ben, becomes the boy’s best friend and keeps his spirits up in the face of bullying. However, the balance of power between the human and rat begins to shift, with Ben beginning to control the boy and the swarm becoming increasingly irrational and violent. Eventually, the police destroy many members of the rat colony, while others are sent to testing labs; Ben, however, survives.”

This reviewer on IMDB seemed to like it at the time, but his one caveat is amusing. “I remember seeing this movie when it came out in 1972. I was 10 at the time and I remember crying at the end when Ben came back to David. I raised small rodents at the time…rats, mice and gerbils, so the film had a special meaning for me…except for the rats killing people.” Ha!

Anyone else ever seen it?

A little more than a week after being arrested for civil disobedience during a mountaintop removal protest in West Virginia, Daryl Hannah is telling her side of the story in a new article for the Huffington Post. She writes: “Why would I fly across the country on my own dime knowing I would most likely end up in jail in one of the poorest parts of America? Well, have you ever heard of MTR? Don’t feel bad, my friends are intelligent, well-read and informed people, but most of them had never heard of MTR (Mountain Top Removal) either.”

Hannah goes on to explain her position on the destructive practice — including the respect she has for the miners that depend on the work for their livelihood. She also includes some letters that she’s received since her arrest for citizens of West Virginia deeply effected by MTR. “I am sorry you were arrested but I thank you for standing up for what is right,” writes one woman. “We need to work on sustainable communities here in the mountains so that coal miners will have opportunities for jobs not so dangerous.”

The actress then rails against the fallacy that is “clean coal” technology saying: “Let me make one thing clear… there is no such thing as clean coal!!! ‘Clean coal’ is the industry’s attempt to “clean up” its dirty image — the industry’s greenwash buzzword. It is not a new type of coal. ‘Clean coal’ methods only move pollutants from one waste stream to another. Coal is a dirty business!”

Check out the full article — including pictures — over on HuffPo. To see a video of Hannah getting arrested, jump here.

Photo credit: Rainforest Action Network

Make It Right, the green building foundation started by actor Brad Pitt, has released 14 new designs that will be among the 150 houses reconstructed in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Up to now, the homes on site have been single-family residences only — but Make It Right Director Tom Darden knew that residents were interested in duplex designs as well. “Before the storm, there were a number of duplexes and doubles in the neighborhood,” he said. “Families who want to come back to the Lower 9th have been asking us to build them so extended families can live together. And duplexes are right in keeping with Make It Right’s mission: They allow more people to live together with less impact on the environment and are more cost-effective to build.”

14 firms submittted designs for eco-efficient homes — with 8 of those being new participants in Make It Right’s green rebuilding mission. To view all of the new designs, jump here.

Sarah McLachlan appeared on Canadian television yesterday sporting a PETA anti-seal hunt shirt and expressing her anger over the practice.

The 41-year-old singer was in Ottawa performing a concert in celebration of Canada Day when CTV News caught up with her for a quick interview. “The commercial sealing industry in Canada is perverse and sick,” she told the reporter.” They club these seals as early as 12 days old, and half the time they hook them and they drag them across the ice. … It’s archaic, and it’s horrible, and I want it to stop.”

Check out the rest of the great interview here.

via PETA blog

With the Transformer’s sequel in theaters right now, perhaps it’s fitting that we’re offering a shape-shifting organic tube top for this week’s Twitter Thursday.

BTC Elements, one of the leading online green shops, has partnered with us to deliver three Ultimate Tube Tops from designer Jadie Kadletz. From the website,

“Wear it as a sexy tube top, a comfy layer, or a cute mini skirt! This tube top will be the ultimate piece in your wardrobe. Simple, soft, and perfectly stretchy.”

The green boutique is also offering a phenomenal discount to Ecorazzi readers. Simply browse the store here and use the code ‘razzi’ at checkout to receive a 20% discount off anything you might find.

Want to win one of these tube tops? Check out the contest details below!

P.S. Have a product you’d like to promote with us for Twitter Thursdays? Check out some more information here.

How To Enter Via Twitter

1.) Join Twitter (if you haven’t already).
2.) Follow @ecorazzi on Twitter.
3.) At 3pm EST, we’ll send out a contest message. All you have to do is re-tweet that contest message and add it to your updates. So if we say:

“Follow @ecorazzi  & @btcelements & RT this to win: We’re giving away 2 organic tube tops! 30th and 70th person to RT this wins!”
You’ll say:
“Follow @ecorazzi  & @btcelements & RT this to win: We’re giving away 2 organic tube tops! 30th and 70th person to RT this wins!”

(Note: exact wording will differ at contest time.)

4.) The 30th and 70th person to RT that message will each win one of two gorgeous organic tube tops from BTC Elements! (Feel free to enter as many times as you like!)

How To Enter Via Ecorazzi

1.) Just leave a comment below on why you need this pillow! (Damn you, copy and paste!) Just tell us why this tube top deserves to be in your closet. We’ll then choose one commenter at random to win one of the organic tube tops. We’ll leave comments open for entries until tomorrow at 3PM EST. Please, one entry per person!

Contest Rules:

Must be 18 years of age to enter. | One comment per person per article. | Make sure the email address you use to comment is valid. | Giveaways are only available to addresses/people within the U.S. and Canada. | Ecorazzi will pick a random number from a pool of numbers equaling the total number of comments. | Ecorazzi will email the winner and ship the product to the address provided in the commenter’s responsive email. | Shipping is on Ecorazzi. | If we don’t hear from the commenter within twenty-four (24) hours, we’ll go ahead and pick another number from the hat. | Promo is not available to any writers of Ecorazzi. | No substitutions for cash are permitted with these giveaways. | Winners are responsible for any tax consequences of winning.

“What’s really bad about me is I leave the lights on everywhere I go,” she recently told the Mother Nature Network, adding that she’s trying to improve the habit with self-reminders via post-it notes. 

Wait a tick! Wasting paper to remind yourself to be more environmentally-aware? I’m not so sure about that method, Selena! 

The casts of Disney shows are also involved in the Friends for Change environmental campaign. And Gomez shared some on-set green techniques. “We have double-sided scripts and we recycle them. We don’t use [plastic] water bottles,” Gomez reports. “We’re doing our best — we’re trying. Every little thing counts.”

What do YOU think is the most important thing young people can do to go green? Chime in a share your thoughts! 

photo credit: prphotos.com

This guy is the REAL DEAL and absolutely ahead of his time.

On June 21st, the world’s first annual Vegan Earth Day Celebration was held at Pierce College in Woodland Hills California, and Mr. Kucinich delivered a special video message. 

In the clip below, Dennis says: 

“What does it mean to be a vegan? Well, I can share with you what it’s meant to me. When I made that decision back in 1995, I was in a different state of health. For many years I suffered from what some know as Crohn’s Disease and I was told that there was no cure for it. But by a vegan diet and by the use of Chinese medicine as an extra help, I don’t have a problem anymore.

I just want to tell you that for health reasons, for compassion for animals, there are many reasons that people can make that change.  And also for helping to save the planet. There are as many reasons why a person may be a vegan as there are vegans, I suppose. But for me it’s been one of the most important decisions in my life. It’s enabled me to have increased clarity and vitality, and its given me a joy of life that I can’t say that I really had when I had another diet that was weighing me down physically and spiritually.”

See what I mean? HE’S THE MAN!!

Check out the whole video and then head on over to GoVeg.com to get your free vegetarian starter kit.