Thanks to everyone who has reached into their pocket and kicked-in a buck for charity. Hundreds of you have responded (many with more than a dollar) as eleven environmental websites team up to make the world a better place. Together, we’re supporting some great charities. And you get to help choose the two from this list which will receive 100 percent of the collected donations:

• Sustainable Harvest: Helping farmers and communities in tropical regions
• Kiva: The revolutionary microloan agency
• Healthy Child, Healthy World: Creating safer, greener homes for kids
• Environmental Working Group: The environmental watchdog
• Water for People: Supporting clean, safe water for everyone

Please take a moment to look these organizations over. Pick your favorite, then go to our Buck for Charity Page and vote with your dollar. You can also donate directly through PayPal to this address: 1dollarcharity@gmail.com.

Summer is a lean time for charities

The summer months are always tough for charitable organizations: People are busy, discretionary funds get diverted to well-deserved vacations, and economic times are hard. To be honest, donations have slowed since our initial call, and we’re playing catch-up to meet our goals.

We’d love to present the winning charities with meaningful checks. So would you please consider donating right now? Deadline is Wednesday, July 8th. Each of these charities matter, and every dollar counts.

Share this message with others

You can multiply your donation by passing this along to others. Twitter about it; email the article to friends; post it on StumbleUpon or your favorite social media service. There’s still time to make a difference.

Remember: The winning charities will receive 100 percent of the donated funds. We’re not holding anything back. Together, we can work for the good — a buck at a time. Thank you for your support.

Participating websites: The Good Human, Twilight Earth, Lighter Footstep, Green Upgrader, Grass Stain Guru, My Green Side, The Smart Mama, A Little Greener Every Day, Fake Plastic Fish, Allie’s Answers, and Natural Papa.

What you’ll need:

• 1 1/2 cups of your favorite rice
• 3 1/2 cups water
• 1 package Knorr Spring Vegetable recipe mix
• 4 ounces frozen cocktail shrimp (See vegetarian option below)

Preparation:

We’ll be using a rice cooker to make this a true one-pot meal. Rice cookers are amazingly efficient, and don’t dump a lot of heat into your kitchen. Lightly grease the cooking pan with peanut or canola oil.

Combine all the ingredients, stirring gently to ensure that the Spring Vegetable mixture doesn’t clump. Cover and turn on the cooker. Depending on its size and wattage, the cooking cycle should be complete in about 20 minutes.

Stir through one teaspoon of peanut oil, garnish with a pinch of sea salt and sesame, and serve immediately. This recipe serves two.

Vegetarian option:

Cube 4 ounces of tempeh (whichever variety you prefer). Optionally, add a clove of chopped garlic and a pinch of grated ginger. Stir fry with about a tablespoon of peanut oil in a hot wok or skillet. Once browned, remove from wok and proceed with the recipe above, omitting the shrimp.

This recipe also makes a tasty side dish for up to four people.

As environmental publishers, we know that part of good stewardship is sharing information, but even the most intelligent among us can not make change without doing something.

So Lighter Footstep, along with The Good Human, Twilight Earth, Grass Stain Guru, My Green Side, The Smart Mama, A Little Greener Every Day, Fake Plastic Fish Allie’s Answers, and Natural Papa have teamed up to carry our message with one strong and united voice.

The message is that there are great organizations out there which are suffering in this economic downturn through decreased donations … and they need our help!  So we have decided to give you, our readers, a voice and a choice. We have decided to take on a very simple fundraising mission, and we are asking you to donate just $1.00.

 A single dollar — that’s all.

 Who cannot afford a buck even in these times? We know you can spare a dollar to help out our fellow humans!

 But how do we all decide which charities to give 100% of all monies raised to? We’re going to put it to a vote and let you make that choice. The participating websites have picked five charities for all donors to vote for, and we are asking you to choose which two of them will receive the all monies donated.

 Our purpose in doing this is three-fold:

• It gives YOU a voice. As loyal readers and stewards of our environment, we want to offer you the opportunity to make a difference without breaking the bank.
• It gives the two charities with the most votes some much appreciated funds to continue their mission
• It allows all of us an opportunity to connect as a community of like-minded people working for the common good of ourselves, our families and our planet.

If the community of folks who care about our planet cannot come together to rise up to a challenge, who will?  That is why we are asking you for a $1 donation.  While $1 may seem insignificant all by itself, by pooling our resources together we really can make a difference in these tough economic times.  $1 is less than the price of a candy bar and can usually be found under the seat cushions of your couch.  Won’t you help 2 of these charities with your $1 donation? (Now, if you want to give more, please feel free. We won’t stop you! And by all means, send this to everyone you know so we can raise even more!)



Below you will find a poll and a Paypal donation link asking you to choose from the five suggested charities. We ask that you please donate a dollar to the donation pool if you are going to vote, and know that even if your absolute favorite does not finish first or second, all the money donated will be going to worthwhile causes. If everyone we know who reads our sites, our Twitter feeds, our Facebook sites, etc. donates just $1, imagine the impact we can have as a group. And please, spread the word!

Click the button to make a secure donation via Paypal, or you can send your donation direct via Paypal to “1dollarcharity@gmail.com”

Please take a moment to vote for your favorite and to donate just a single dollar to these charities. Times are tough, but our collective might can really help them out. The results will be tallied two weeks from today, and we will write another article detailing the amounts and the two charities who garnered the most votes and will be receiving the money collected. It’s only $1, so please donate!

Florida game and conservation groups are offering a $15,200 reward for the conviction of whoever shot and killed one of the state’s endangered panthers.

The young female panther — one of perhaps a hundred still remaining in the wild — was killed on private property in rural Hendry County, between Ft. Myers and Lake Okeechobee. Investigators believe the breeding-age cat was shot sometime in late April. The carcass was found about a week later.

Florida panthers were once plentiful in the state. Early Florida settlers considered the panther a danger, and runaway development in the mid-20th century severely limited the panther’s range. By 1966, the Florida panther’s population was so tenuous that it was placed on the endangered species list. Despite strict management of their remaining numbers, conservationists believe there may be only a few dozen breeding-age female panthers in an area which used to support thousands.

Authorities have conducted a forensic examination of the dead panther, and are circulating flyers in the hope that someone will come forward with information about the shooter. It’s a third degree felony to kill or wound an endangered species in the state of Florida. Responsible parties could face three years in jail and fines up to $5,000. But the U.S. Humane Society says that prosecution in such cases is rare. Less than five percent of all poachers are brought to justice. The last successful prosecution of someone who shot a Florida panther occurred in 1984.

Anyone with information about the case may contact the The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Office of Law Enforcement in Fort Myers, Fla. at (239) 561-8144. Anonymous tipsters should call the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Line at (888) 404-3922.

We rolled out a major revision to our layout over the weekend. After a few days of tuning, most of the elements are in place. Welcome to the new Lighter Footstep: simpler, cleaner, and easier to read. It’s the first phase of some exciting changes we have planned for the summer.

Please browse around and tell us what you think. If you’re reading this through our RSS feed, please pop over to the site and have a look. We’re particularly interested in bug reports, so if you notice something that seems broken or out of place, please drop us a note or leave a comment. Our team will get right on it.

To help you get started, we thought we’d offer a quick tour of what’s new. We’ll begin our walkthrough at the top of the home page.

Reader favorites

It’s sometimes a little difficult to find the best of a website the first time you visit. That’s because many of a site’s most popular articles are buried far from the from page.

Our new Reader Favorites section is designed to put these articles where you can see them. You’ll find them in the yellow highlight section topping each page:

We’ll be keeping these selections fresh, based on whatever readers deem popular. It’s also where you’ll find the Search box; RSS subscription tab; a contact link; and seasonal articles, as they become appropriate.

Feature section

Lighter Footstep’s freshest feature articles are showcased in the large area directly below the main navigation bar:

If you’re just hitting the home page to see what’s happening at Lighter Footstep, the feature section is probably a good place to check first. The blue tabbed box will let you quickly see which articles people are discussing. Speaking of discussion: You’ll also find our latest from Twitter right next to the blue tweetie bird. If you’re not already following us on Twitter, please give this a click and join the conversation.

Scroll through more articles

Below the features, we have a new animated which allows you to scroll through recent articles:

Use the arrows at the far right to move forward or backward through about a dozen stories. These update as new articles move down from the features section.

What we’re reading

We read a lot of websites. Here’s a small new feature we’ve added to share some of the better articles we find:

This list may cycle several times a day. If you see something worth adding to this shared section, use the Contact link at the top of each page and pass it along.

And that’s the home page. You’re reading this article on what our designers call a content page, where there are also some changes — particularly with the commenting system and the way Lighter Footstep connects to services such as Twitter, Facebook, Stumbleupon, FriendFeed, and Reddit.

Share and save what you find valuable

Below each article, you’ll find a new toolbar to make it easier to archive or share Lighter Footstep on your favorite web services:

Just mouse over an icon and click. In most cases, the toolbar will fill in most of the blanks for you, though it’s possible you may have to correct punctuation on some services. File away an article on Delicious. Give us a Buzz at Yahoo. Send an article to your page at Facebook or MySpace. Share an interesting story on Twitter or via email. Spreading the green via social media helps Lighter Footstep grow, so thanks for taking the time.

Below the toolbar is a summary of the number of times an article has appeared on other services. You can click through for more detail.

Improved Comments

We love reader comments. Some of the best tips on Lighter Footstep have been offered by readers, and your input — and occasional criticism — improves our site.

Some readers found our old commenting system cramped and a bit confusing. We’ve dropped it in favor of simpler, easy-to-read comments. While we are considering the option of site registration (which will add features for Lighter Footstep members), our Comments section is open to everyone.

You’ll notice that some readers have custom avatars. These are from Gravatar. Sign up there — it’s free — and you avatar will appear when you comment  Lighter Footstep or thousands of other websites. Just supply the same email address you used to register with Gravatar.

Commenting gets more social

We’ve also begun importing relevant comments made on other services about Lighter Footstep articles. Share an article on Twitter, and your tweet will eventually find its way home. We currently support about a half dozen services, including FriendFeed, Reddit, and comments made on other websites. Here’s how it looks:

Here, a couple Friends of Lighter Footstep have mentioned a cycling article on two external sites. Jill, who goes by the name @barefootbadger has linked us on Twitter. Charlie Anzman has commented over at FriendFeed. These mentions have been applied to the appropriate article (which you can view here).

Next to most of the comments, you’ll see a new button marked “More from Author.” This is a great way to get to know more about other Lighter Footstep readers. It clicks through to the author’s public profile at Backtype, a comment aggregation service. Here’s an example:

In this case, the comment was connected to the Lighter Footstep Twitter account. It links other tweets about the article. The information displayed depends on the originating service, and whether or not the author has chosen to register with Backtype.

And that’s just a start

We’ve a few more things for you to discover on your own, and there’s more on the way. Kick the tires, try some of the new features, and let us know what else you’d like to see on Lighter Footstep. We hope you like what we’ve laid out so far. Thanks for reading.

If you’ve not already heard about the Tata Nano, you will. At just $2,500 in its Indian trim, the Nano is arguably the world’s most frugal car. Actually, “frugal” really doesn’t do the Nano justice — spartan might be a better term. Or utilitarian. By anyone’s estimation, the Nano is perhaps the most bare-bones car to roll off a factory floor since the Model T.

While the Nano’s price may sound irresistible, it comes at a cost. Skilled, inexpensive Indian labor provides Tata with a huge production advantage over American, European, and Asian car companies, but some of the Nano’s cost-cutting isn’t likely to satisfy Western consumers or regulatory agencies.

Cutting corners

Air bags? Of course not. There’s no external access to the trunk — you’ll have to fold the seats down to cram anything into the Nano’s duffel-bag-sized rear storage area. Parts of the body are glued, rather than welded. Sun visors are optional. There’s only one windshield wiper, no power steering, and the stock two-cylinder engine won’t smoke any tires in your local Dairy Queen parking lot.

The payoff — other than sticker price — is incredible fuel economy. While it hasn’t been tested in the United States, it’s said that the Nano gets at least 54 miles per gallon. Some estimates are even higher.

While a recent USA Today article speculated wistfully that Tata might be able to hold the Nano to $3,000 once it goes on sale in the U.S., that figure doesn’t seem very likely. Tata’s upcoming European export model, the Nano Europa, probably hints at what at the shape of a U.S. Nano. Priced at around $6,000, the Europa features a bigger engine, improved construction, and a larger wheelbase. Add transatlantic shipping and more safety equipment, and that’s the American Nano.

The Nano’s real promise

There’s a ton of fresh thinking in the Nano, and more on the way. Tata has already indicated its interest in the development of an all-electric version, and is experimenting with a powerplant which literally runs on emissions-free compressed air. That’s radical green technology in a car priced for the masses.

But don’t expect a $2,500 Tata Nano once it’s rolled into U.S. showrooms. At that price, you wouldn’t want it, anyway.

While we’re not doctors here at Lighter Footstep, we’ll risk a diagnosis: You have Insufferable Cyclist Syndrome.

There’s no shame in this. We suffer from Insufferable Cyclist Syndrome, too. While there’s no known cure, there’s no reason ICF sufferers shouldn’t live normal, socially popular lives. We’ve put together a list of five things to help the commuter cyclist from becoming insufferable to those who care about you most.

The best bicycle evangelism is a healthy, productive you. There’s no need to insufferably hector a co-worker about what their SUV commute is doing to the environment. They know. Evangelize by example: folks around the office are going to notice your energy, great attitude — and shrinking midsection. You’ll be asked your secret soon enough.

No bike is pretty enough to block a hallway or access to office workspace. For cyclists, this is hard to accept. Beautiful as our rides might be, if you’re bringing them indoors, they need to be out of the way. Your co-workers won’t appreciate brushing against a greasy chain, and the fire marshall will probably take a dim view of  blocked exits and passageways.

Be punctual. One of the great things about riding your bike to work is that the commute time is actually more predicable than driving a car. You’re far less likely to be effected by traffic jams and slowdowns. But there are some things that take time, too: securing the bike, cooling down, and changing clothes for work. Leave early enough to accommodate all these things. Inconveniencing you co-workers by letting bike time cut into work time will quickly make you — and cycling — unpopular.

Lose the helmet indoors. Yeah, we think that slick new lid is wicked cool, too. Unfortunately, most people find cycle clothing to be a little weird. Slip into street clothes as soon as convenient once you get to the office, and save that bike geek chic for the weekend riding group. Unless you just like people staring at your lycra-clad butt.

Ride legally and predictably. There’s nothing that a motorist finds more insufferable than a cyclist running red lights, riding inconsistently, and generally thumbing their noses at them. It’s not just bad cycling PR — it’s dangerous. Don’t be responsible for a motorist taking out their frustration over your gonzo cycling on the next rider. Be fast, be smooth, and be legal.

In short, be a good ambassador for cycling. We all demonstrate the symptoms of Insufferable Cyclist Syndrome from time to time. But cycling is about balance — on two wheels, and in our relationships with others. Have fun! We’ll see you down the road.

So you’ve been reading about Bike to Work Week, and have decided to take the plunge. What now?

Start by finding out when Bike to Work Day is being observed by your community or workplace. Friday, May 15th, is the official event, but several cities will be marking the occasion on Thursday. Check the League of American Bicyclists state-by-state calendar and see if there are organized activities where you live.

It’s all about planning

Bicycle commuting is a lot of fun, but doing your homework beforehand is the best way to make sure things go smoothly. We’ve put together five areas for you to address before the Big Ride:

Are you physically capable of the commute? Most adults in average condition can manage a 10-mile ride in about an hour without too much trouble. Just like any exercise program, talk to a health professional if you have any questions before you saddle up.

Is your bike up to the trip? Buying a shiny new commuter bike is a great incentive to ride — but any bicycle in good repair will do. Give your bike a thorough once-over well in advance of your maiden commute. As a general rule of thumb, tires, running gear, brakes, and lights should all get attention before each trip. Use the checklist on How to Pick a Great Used Bicycle if your bike has been sitting unused for any length of time — or wheel it into the local bike shop for a professional tune-up.

Choose your route carefully. The most direct way to work isn’t always the best. Pick streets with activity appropriate to your comfort level on the bike. Watch out for areas marked off-limits to non-motorized traffic (most tunnels, for instance). One of the best things about cycle commuting is being able to vary your route. There’s usually more than one way to get from Point A to Point B, and that’s part of the fun.

Pack what you need. A water bottle, toiletries, a change of clothes, tools and a tire repair kit — these are all reasons commuter bikes are usually equipped with panniers or baskets. If you’re just starting out, you can probably make do with a backpack or messenger bag. But you’ll find these can be uncomfortable in warm weather. The bike frame is the best place to carry gear, so upgrade to a proper rack and bags as soon as the commuting bug bites.

Decide what happens once you’re at work. You’ll need a secure place to lock up or some out-of-the-way indoor location to stash your bike. Bikes can be wet and greasy, so choose somewhere away from your coworkers if you want to remain popular. Avoid blocking doorways and halls. You’re also going to need somewhere to change and freshen up. A bathroom stall will do the trick, but check around and see if there are shower facilities within walking distance of where you work. Gyms and spas are usually cooperative about arranging access.

Now ride!

Leave yourself plenty of time, enjoy a nice breakfast — and start pedaling! If it goes well on Bike to Work day, try it again next week. You’re saving money, helping out the environment, and promoting your own physical fitness.

We’d love to hear your commuter stories. Share them in our Comments section, or connect with us on Twitter. Have fun!

It’s Bike to Work Week, and we’re continuing our Daily Footstep series on getting to the office on two wheels. One of the most common concerns voiced by would-be bicycle commuters is whether they’ll be carrying around the “air” of a cyclist once they get to work.

So will you stink up the office? Not if you were clean when you got on the bike. It all depends on your individual body chemistry, of course, along with your exertion level and local climate. But it’s a pretty straightforward thing to get cleaned up for the workday once you park the bike.

The good news is that most of the sweat from a bike commute stays in your riding clothes. Carry a change with you — or drop off fresh clothes at work if you’re not cycling every day. It also pays to carry basic toiletries. A washcloth and a little soap and water are really all you need to get presentable in under ten minutes. Just budget enough time to get your day rolling without a rush.

Some riders are fortunate enough to have shower facilities on-site or at a nearby building. It’s worth looking for these. You might be able to negotiate shower privileges at a nearby gym or spa. Ask other cyclists what they’re doing.

But there’s no need to fear failing the sniff test. Plan ahead, carry the right gear, and enjoy healthy, human-powered transportation!

It’s Bike to Work Week, and we’re continuing our look at smart ways to start saddling up and using bicycles for real transportation.

At Lighter Footstep, we’ve always taken the greenness of bike transport as a given. But if you’re just getting started — or perhaps trying to convince an employer that bicycle commuting is a good thing — we’re rounded up a dozen reasons to leave that car in the driveway and start covering pavement on two wheels. Let’s ride!

1. It’s easier to finance a new bicycle than a new car. Thanks to the recession, auto loans are hard to find these days — even if you have good credit. But for the price of a single car payment, you can buy a well-made bicycle that should outlast most cars. Add a few hundred dollars more for rain gear, lights, and accessories, and you have all-weather, anytime transportation.
2. A bicycle has a tiny manufacturing footprint when compared to a car. All manufactured goods have environmental impact, but bicycles can be produced for a fraction of the materials, energy, and shipping costs of a car.
3. Bicycles produce no meaningful pollution when in operation. Bikes don’t have tailpipes belching poisonous fumes into the atmosphere. They also eliminate the oil, fuel, and hydraulic fluids dripped by automobiles onto the road surface — which means less toxic runoff into local waterways.
4. Bikes save taxpayers money by reducing road wear. A twenty pound bicycle is a lot less rough on the pavement than a two-ton sedan. Every bicycle on the road amounts to money saved patching potholes and resurfacing city streets.
5. Bicycles are an effective alternative to a second car. Perhaps you’re not in a position to adopt a bicycle as primary transportation. But bikes make great second vehicles. You can literally save thousands of dollars per year using a bicycle for workday commuting and weekend errands in households which might otherwise be forced to maintain two cars.



6. Using a bike for transportation can help you lose weight and improve your overall health. The health benefits of regular aerobic exercise are well known. Depending on your riding style and local road conditions, you could easily burn 600 calories an hour through brisk cycling. Most bike commuters report losing 15 to 20 pounds during their first year in the saddle without changing their eating habits.
7. You can store a dozen bicycles in a single automobile-sized parking place. Parking lots have enormous environmental and financial impact, particularly in urbanized areas. The more bikes you can get on the road, the fewer parking spaces you need to build.
8. Bicycles don’t burn gasoline. Fuel is cheap compared to last year, and the economic downturn is likely to keep a lid on petroleum demand for a while. But we’re not producing any more oil today than we were when it was more than $100 a barrel. A healthy bike culture will help ease pressure on supply once demand returns.
9. Bicycling may be faster and more efficient than taking a car. We’re not talking about the crazy — and illegal — antics of New York bicycle messengers. But bikes are often faster than cars in urban areas, especially when city designers have set aside proper bike lanes. There’s nothing more satisfying as a bicycle commuter than breezing past a long line of gridlocked traffic.
10. Bikes cost much less to maintain and operate than automobiles. You’ll never throw a rod on a bicycle, and dropping a transmission on a bike usually means replacing a bent derailleur hanger or worn-out chain. Bicycles do require service, but you can learn to perform most of it yourself. Even if you have a shop do things for you, costs will be trivial compared to a car.
11. Bicycles provide mobility for those who may not qualify or afford to drive. Not everyone can get a driver’s license (or wants one), and the cost of purchasing, insuring, and maintaining a car is out of reach for a lot of people. Almost everyone can afford some sort of bike. Other than walking, bicycles are the most cost effective transportation on the planet.
12. Studies show that bicycle commuters are healthier, more productive, and require less time-off at work. This is why most enlightened employers are eager to accommodate commuting cyclists. Healthy workers are better workers — and that’s good for the bottom line. Bikes are smart business.

So there are twelve reasons to dust-off that bicycle in your garage in time for Bike to Work Day. Can you think of others? Leave a comment below, or talk to us on Twitter.