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Environmental art doesn't necessarily have to be restricted to a pile of rocks stacked together by Andy Goldsworthy -- it can also take the form of wearable, fashionable, and socially engaged garments too.

Made with fruits, weeds, flowers, and leaves, 'Weedrobes' is the delightful series of meticulously detailed, perishable gowns, coats, and suits by Canadian environmental artist Nicole Dextras. Striking a careful balance between style and commentary, the message behind Weedrobes is aimed squarely at the not-always-so-sustainable practices of the fashion industry, while also redefining the perceived immortality of haute couture.

Dextras' garments begin life as plants harvested from a variety of places, ranging from areas affected by invasive species to specimens from Dextras' own garden.

After constructing her pieces, Dextras photographs each Weedrobe with a model, and they are sent out to "engage the public" by interacting with passerby. Afterwards, each garment is left to be 'reclaimed' and to decompose naturally.

Dextras' extensive array of natural materials is a veritable gardener's delight, including yucca leaves, wild red rose, camellia, willow, hydrangeas, crab apples, kale, rose hips, laurels, and thorns to pierce components together. She sometimes uses invasive species like Japanese knotweed to call into question our attitudes toward certain species.

Dextras also weaves leaves together to create her clothing, allowing the shape of the plants to inform the specific pattern.

And no flowery outfit is complete without a pair of leafy shoes, fit for the human version of faerie folk.

Though it may seem to be a little too fun to be serious, Weedrobes is not just some off-the-cuff project. Dextras' view on fashion is from the inside, with a deep personal history with fashion beginning from her childhood memories of her mother's clothing store and Dextras' own employment in non-union sweatshop, where she witnessed firsthand the poor working conditions and the chemicals used in the process.

Ultimately, the point of these ephemeral robes is to get people to see past the glamorous exterior and at the larger life cycles behind the fashion industry. According to Dextras:

The Weedrobes philosophy is based on being a free thinker, creating one's own sense of style while also raising awareness about the impact of industry on our eco-system. Our most effective tool for change is for consumers to demand more equitable products. It may be impractical to wear clothing made with leaves, but our future depends on the creation of garments made from sustainable resources.

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More Environmental Art:

• Captivating Portraits of Clothing Made From Trash
• 8 Amazing Environmental Artworks (Slideshow)
• Salvation Army Donations Transformed Into Runway-Worthy Fashion in Argentina (Slideshow)
• 10 Celebrities Wearing Hot (and Weird) Green Fashion on the Red Carpet

Check out Yahoo! Green on Twitter and Facebook.

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Weedrobes: Artist creates stunning garments from fruit, weeds, flowers

You've probably heard of the "latte factor" – by spending $2.50 on coffee at a cafe every day, you're wasting money that could have added up to millions. If you subscribe to this theory, you try making coffee at home. But an ordinary cup of joe doesn't always satisfy.

Do you have to spend thousands on a fancy espresso machine or buy the most expensive coffee beans? That would defeat idea of saving money by brewing coffee at home.

We looked for expert advice on how to make great coffee and discovered that freshness is more important than fancy equipment or ingredients.

Consumer Reports finds that most brands of automatic-drip coffeemakers will brew a decent cup of coffee. The main differences are extra features such as timers, thermal carafes, and such. Choose the coffeemaker that fits your price range and kitchen style.

Many coffee aficionados prefer manual-pour coffeemakers because they draw out more complex flavors from the coffee grinds. On Epicurious.com, champion barista Mike Phillips explains how to use the French press, CafeSolo, Chemex, and siphon (or vacuum) coffeemakers.

But no matter what kind of mechanism you use, the keys to brewing a great cup of coffee are actually quite simple. According to Ken Davids, editor of Coffee Review, it boils down to these steps:

1. Buy top quality coffee.
2. Use clean, odor-free, but not distilled water.
3. Keep coffee hot after brewing in a thermal carafe.

If you have good coffee beans, clean water, and keep the coffee hot, you'll be on your way to beating the daily grind of paying $2.50 per cup.

To get quality coffee, start by avoiding any of the canned grounds. Says Davids: "American canned supermarket coffees consist mainly of the lowest quality robusta beans that have been steamed to neutralize the foul flavors created by drying the coffee fruit in decaying, putrid piles. So they come across as neutral, empty tasting brown water." A better bet is whole beans from a company like Green Mountain Coffee, Peet's Coffee and Tea, or even Starbucks (16 ounces of beans costs $10.95 at a Startbucks store and lasts a lot longer than that one $2.50 latte!).

If you don't like the taste of your tap water, get a filter for your house, faucet, or pitcher. The Environmental Protection Agency regularly tests U.S. tap water for safety, so there's no real need to use bottled water. But if local plumbing or minerals affect the flavor, a filter is the best bet for general drinking and especially for coffee brewing.

Food Network’s Alton Brown has a handy video showing how to get the most out of an automatic-drip coffeemaker. You’ll want to add 2 tablespoons of coffee grounds and 6 ounces of water for each cup of coffee desired, regardless of what the machine might instruct. After all, it’s only a machine.

Finally, make sure to take the coffee pot off the heating element when it's finished brewing, if you're using an automatic-drip coffeemaker. When the pot sits on the heat, the coffee will get burnt. To keep it warm, transfer the coffee into a thermal carafe. This simple step makes sure that the last cup out of the pot tastes as good as the first one. Some models of coffeemakers brew directly into a thermal carafe – if you’re upgrading, this is something to consider.

And if you want a touch of that latte experience without an espresso machine, just heat up some milk and whip it with a battery-powered milk frother. You'll only have to use it for a few weeks to recoup the investment versus those individual lattes.

Check out Yahoo! Green on Twitter and Facebook.

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How to brew the perfect cup of coffee

As I wrote about last year, the American Public Gardening Association (APGA) created National Public Gardens Day as a “national day of celebration to raise awareness of America’s public gardens and their important role in promoting environmental stewardship and awareness, plant and water conservation, and education in communities nationwide.”

Now in its third year, National Public Gardens Day is Friday, May 6, 2011. APGA timed National Public Gardens Day to coincide with Mother’s Day weekend, which they call the “unofficial” start of spring and a time when the environment is top of mind for most consumers.

The whole purpose of a public garden is to provide the knowledge and love of plants to a community, something that every gardener needs.

Public gardens are a great source of information. For example, many of them host or house local garden clubs and societies. These groups provide a wealth of information on specific plants and flowers, ranging from African violets to roses.

There are also countless other educational opportunities at a public garden. There are classes, workshops, lectures, and book talks with both local and nationally known gardening experts, often offered free or included in the price of garden admission.

And, if you are still searching for that perfect Mother’s Day gift, why not give the gardener in your life a free admission to her local public garden?

How? Better Homes and Gardens Magazine has partnered with the APGA to offer a free admission pass good for two free adult admissions to public gardens participating in National Public Gardens Day. You can get your free pass at the Better Homes and Garden web page.

You might also want to consider giving her a membership to her local garden. Memberships pay for special programs, classes, and support local garden clubs and horticultural societies, which can all serve to inspire her the entire year, not just on Mother’s Day.

The APGA has over 500 garden members listed on its site, in all 50 states and eight other countries. They are not all botanic gardens and arboretums. There are also historical sites or homes, local golf courses, “entertainment” gardens such as theme and water park gardens, college and university gardens, and museum gardens.

Check out the site to find one near you to see what events are scheduled for Public Gardens Day and throughout Mother’s Day weekend.

More healthy and green articles from Care2:

• What Gift for You?
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Giving the gift of gardens

By Steve Graham, Networx

A reputable exterminator should list the active ingredients in their pesticides. The exterminator also should tell you the potential health threats associated with the pesticide, symptoms of poisoning and any additional instructions for minimizing exposure and health impacts.

While each company likely has a unique formula, the most common ingredients in professional-grade pesticides are pyrethroids and pyrethrins, according to a June 2010 study in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology. Piperonyl butoxide and hydramethylnon are the next most common ingredients. Chlorpyrifos, diazinon and other organophosphates were once very common, but have become nearly obsolete since the Environmental Protection Agency restricted the use of these toxic ingredients starting in 2001.

Here is some more information about each of the four most commonly used pesticide chemicals, as well as a couple of other pesticides that are growing in popularity.

Pyrethroids and Pyrenthrins

Permethrin is the most common active ingredient in insecticides applied by licensed exterminators. It is one of a large class of chemical insecticides known as pyrethroids. They mimic pyrethrins, which are botanical insecticides typically derived from Australian and African chrysanthemum flower varieties. Both pyrethrins and pyrethroids work to paralyze and eventually kill a wide variety of insects.

Pyrethrins and pyrethroids are included in more than 3,500 registered products for household insect mitigation, as well as pet protection, mosquito control and in agriculture.

These insecticides are generally safer to humans and other mammals than many alternatives, and they do not seem to trigger asthma and allergic reactions. However, they are highly toxic to aquatic organisms, so care must be taken to minimize spray drift and runoff that could get into water.

Piperonyl Butoxide

MGK-264 and piperonyl butoxide are among several popular chemicals that are typically added to pyrethrins and other insecticide agents. The additives do not act alone as pesticides, but enhance the effectiveness of the other chemicals by inhibiting insect metabolism.

The EPA classifies piperonyl butoxide as a possible carcinogen, but notes it has low human toxicity. Ingesting piperonyl butoxide can cause vomiting and diarrhea.

Hydramethylnon

Hydramethylnon is typically used in bait for ants, cockroaches, termites, crickets, and silverfish. It is a slow killer of insects, making them lethargic and slowly killing them over three or four days. While it may not be an instant solution, it has long-term impacts because insects are still alive to take the poison back to their colony.

Hydramethylnon is also listed as a potential carcinogen but poses little danger to humans, though it might irritate the eyes and respiratory tract if not handled carefully.

Other Popular Pesticides

The June 2010 study noted two other popular insecticides used by professionals:

Fipronil is a white powder used to control ants, beetles, cockroaches and other insects. Boric acid is another white powder used in a variety of insecticides. It is derived from naturally occurring boron. Both pose minimal health dangers for humans if used properly.

No matter how effective professional-grade pesticides may be, simply spraying away the bugs is not as effective as a more comprehensive approach that includes cleaning and removing sources of food and water. A 2009 New York study found that such a one-time integrated pest management approach is more effective than repeated professional pesticide usage.

Click here for more information on good integrated pest management techniques.

Related:

• Integrated Pest Management for Homeowners
• Seven Tips for Chemical-Free Pest Control
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What kind of pesticide is your exterminator using?

(Photo: Getty Images)

(Photo: IFCAR/Wikimedia
Commons)

(Photo: resedabear/Flickr)

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By Alyssa Ford, Experience Life

Many of us are well aware of macronutrients, such as carbohydrates, protein and fat, as well as micronutrients, such as the vitamins and minerals that are listed on FDA-regulated food labels. But too few of us are familiar with phytochemicals — plant-based micronutrients that offer many health benefits and may help ward off chronic diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

[ Prevent Disease With Phytonutrient Power ]

It’s a time-tested truth: Plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds, are good for you. But researchers recently have discovered that plant molecules connect with human cells in striking ways. In other words, we’ve known they were good for you — just not this good.

“I don’t think there’s been this much excitement since vitamins and minerals were discovered more than 100 years ago,” says Beverly Clevidence, PhD, the research leader at the USDA-funded Food Components and Health Laboratory in Beltsville, Md.

The discoveries — partly because of the work of the Human Genome Project — are revolutionizing the way we think about food.

In the past 20 years, for example, researchers have discovered that carrots, kale and peanuts are not just plant tissues embedded with vitamins and minerals that are easily encapsulated in multivitamins. Rather, these plant tissues are made up of tens of thousands of phytochemicals (“phyto” is from the Greek phuton, meaning plant).

You’ve probably heard of a few phytochemicals without even knowing what they are. For example, lycopene is a powerful phytonutrient found in tomatoes that helps fight heart disease and a variety of cancers. And the phenols found in strawberries protect against cancer and autoimmune diseases, and help reverse nerve-cell aging. But there are tens of thousands of other phytochemicals about which most of us know nothing. Experts in the nutrition field are buzzing about these chemicals with tongue-twisting names like glucoraphanin, zeaxanthin and saponin.

Why Food Is Your Best Source

Eating a diet steeped in fruits, veggies, legumes and other plant-based foods is the best way to ensure you’re getting all the phytonutrients your body needs. While there are a growing number of phytonutrient supplements available, many experts warn consumers away from that option.

The big cautionary tale here is beta-carotene. In 1995, it was considered the ultimate panacea. “There was so much good research on beta-carotene,” says David Williams, PhD, a researcher at the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University in Corvallis. “We were charting nice correlations between beta-carotene in the blood and lower cancer risk. Basically everybody just assumed that beta-carotene was chemo-protective.”

But to the shock of many in the scientific community, two major clinical trials in 1996 indicated that beta-carotene supplements were not only useless against cancer, but actually increased the risk of cancer in smokers.

“That was one of the first big disappointments, and it made people rethink the idea of going after individual phytochemicals,” says Williams.

[ 27 Top Cancer-Fighting Foods ]

Mark Farnham, PhD, a plant geneticist who specializes in phytonutrient research at a USDA facility in Charleston, S.C., concurs that current scientific consensus is now leaning toward emphasizing whole foods, rather than supplements, because plant chemicals seem to interact with one another in powerful ways. “There seems to be a synergistic effect between the chemicals in food,” he explains, noting also that this synergy is very hard to study because plant-based whole foods contain so many different bioactive compounds that it would be almost impossible to separate and study the potential health benefits of individual phytochemicals.

Plus, each chemical seems to have its own quirks. The carote-noids in collard greens, sweet potatoes and tomatoes, for example, are best absorbed if they are chopped, pureed or cooked, and eaten with a little fat, such as olive oil. But the glucosinolates found in cruciferous vegetables are most effective when eaten in their raw state and thoroughly chewed, so the plant cell walls release more of the cancer-fighting chemical. “There’s really no useful rule, because they’re all unique,” says Clevidence.

So eat as many fruits, veggies and other plant-based foods as you can, and be sure to choose foods from all around the color wheel — from ripe red tomatoes to princely eggplant to vivid oranges.

“If on a daily basis you incorporate at least seven different colors, you are much more likely to get a wide variety of these nutrients that are healing, that prevent degenerative disease, and that will go to work on every tissue, cell and organ of the body,” says nutritionist Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, coauthor of The Fat Flush Plan (McGraw-Hill, 2002).

And don’t be afraid to go exotic with your color choices. Unusually hued foods add intrigue to your plate, and researchers at Washington State University have found that those foods can yield health benefits as well. Their 2006 study showed that wildly colored spuds contained more phytonutrients than white-fleshed potatoes.

If you need more motivation to eat your veggies, start a vegetable plot, and then chow down on the fruits of your labor. A 1991 study published in the Journal of Nutrition Education found that vegetable gardeners ate significantly more eggplant, sweet and hot peppers, summer squashes, tomatoes, and herbs than did nongardeners.

It’s also a smart idea to avoid pesticide- and herbicide-drenched produce by going organic. Last year, Bland completed a survey of some 50 organics-related research reports and found that the vast majority of organic produce supported higher levels of phytonutrients.

If vegetables don’t usually appeal to you, consider taking just one vegetable-centered cooking class. It might make all the difference, according to a 2005 study in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. After all, what sounds better: Brussels sprouts, or roasted Brussels sprouts with pine nuts and marjoram?

Ultimately, if your strategy for good health has been limited to popping vitamins, consider what you’re missing: a smorgasbord of beneficial phytonutrients found in wonderful, whole, plant-based foods. Besides, real food has been through the most extensive laboratory experiment ever conducted — natural selection. There’s nothing that’s been proven to nourish our bodies quite so well.

Alyssa Ford is a Minneapolis-based writer and editor.

Related Links:

• Ramp Up Your Phytonutrient Intake
• What Are Silver Foods?

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16 lesser-known nutrients with big powers

If you count yourself as one of those who are aware of, as well as disciplined about, your seafood choices, you might walk into a restaurant or a fish market with a little cheat sheet giving you some guidance as to what fish is best to buy.

The concern is not so much cost as it is environmental, as well as health, concerns, and organizations such as the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch have been directing virtuous consumers toward “better choices” of fish for over a decade. If you have one of their cards (or apps on your smart phone), you no doubt are familiar with the cheap and ubiquitous fish tilapia.

This is because tilapia, while not being the most flavorful or alluring of fish, tends to be a cheap form of farmed fish protein that isn’t over-fished and isn’t brimming with mercury and PCBs. Therefore tilapia is becoming one of the most popular forms of fish in the United States and is often compared to chicken for its cheap accessibility.

According to information from the United States Department of Agriculture, in 2010, more than 52 million pounds of fresh tilapia were exported to the United States, mostly from Latin America, as well as 422 million more pounds of frozen tilapia, both whole and fillet, nearly all from China. Despite its commercial origins, tilapia is a freshwater species originating from Africa. But despite its humble African origins, tilapia has become quite the global cash crop because it provides food and jobs in a world of declining fish stocks and rising population, and its dominance will only continue to grow.

The fish breeds easily, tolerates crowding, and does not require expensive feed (it will happily subside off corn and soy feed) and because of this, tilapia is defined as the ultimate low-maintenance aquatic protein source.

But tilapia is also one of the most invasive species in the water and extremely difficult to get rid of once they break free from their fish-farm pens and become established in our waterways. Wild tilapia (aka tilapia that were introduced into non-native habitats) have aggressively squeezed out native species in lakes throughout the world with its rampant breeding and feeding.

In addition, tilapia farming (much of which is done in unregulated markets, such as China and Nicaragua) is often conducted without much concern or care given to the environment (also, there has been significant chatter about tilapia farming being inextricably linked to money laundering and drug dealings in Latin America).

In addition, farmed tilapia, although a lean source of protein and relatively low in mercury, may not be all that nutritionally good for you. According to The New York Times, compared with other fish, farmed tilapia contains relatively small amounts of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids, the fish oils that are the main reasons doctors recommend eating fish frequently; salmon has more than 10 times the amount of tilapia.

Also, farmed tilapia contains a less healthful mix of fatty acids because the fish are fed corn and soy instead of lake plants and algae, the diet of wild tilapia. Still, compared to red meat or chicken, which have absolutely no omega-3 fatty acids, tilapia holds some appeal.

No doubt, as tilapia increases in both demand and popularity, standards and quality will plummet -- leaving us with a cheap fish that may not be healthy for anyone or anything. Still, in the ever-shrinking pool of sustainable and healthy seafood options, tilapia is one of the better choices in the water.

What is your feeling about tilapia and fish farming practices? Are fish farms a practical way to solve, or lessen, the global over-fishing problem? Is tilapia a viable protein alternative to salmon, tuna, and the like? Does anyone out there actually like tilapia? If so, recipes would be appreciated by all.

More healthy and green articles from Care2:

• Celebrate National Chicken Month: Make Vegan Nuggets
• Mediterranean Chicken Salad
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Tilapia: The aquatic chicken

From Your Loving Pet…

1. I am easily distracted. Did you see that squirrel? If you want to make a measurable difference, you’ll need to get my attention. Please put up a recycling system for the whole pack so we can easily access it. Don’t forget to remind us often how to use it -- as we sometimes forget (or get lazy).

2. Follow through with your commitment to green up your life. I don’t know about you, but I hate when you say you are going to play with me and you don’t. Here’s a Green A-Z Guide to get you started. Hey, even if you can do just some these easy greening ideas, we’d be ahead of the game.

3. Take me for a walk and lead me where you want to go. Education goes a long way. Teach those kids of yours that the environment needs protecting because soon it will be theirs.

4. Reward good behavior by giving me lots of toys for going greener. Check out Practically Green’s diagnostic tool. It provides a personalized plethora of ideas for living a green lifestyle. They even have stuff for green pets. Could we be Superbly Green like Ronnie?

5. Skip the bottled water. The spout is too small for me to get my tongue into, and when you tip it, I get all wet. Gee, I hate that. Also, plastic is made from either petroleum or natural gas, two nonrenewable resources extracted in ways that pollute my air and water. Did you know those plastic manufacturers add chemicals like Bisphenol-A (BPA) and phthalates to certain types of plastics that make some of my toys totally toxic?

6. Keep my bed/nest/home/crate/abode clean. There’s nothing worse than clutter. It takes all the fun out of messing up the house when you leave. Oh, did I mention that you should take me with you? I do not like being left home alone.

7. I can never have enough food hanging around. Buy my food in bulk. It saves on gas and packaging waste. Is it too much to ask you to make it organic and tasty? Oh, and don’t forget the treats!

8. Please pick up my poop so it doesn’t pollute water and spread disease. Plus, it’s gross and embarrassing to leave it where someone might step in it. Have you considered composting my waste?

9. Notice how I let others know when they’ve invaded my territory? Have you seen the restraint I have when I avoid biting when a simple growl will do? Think before you leap at others. I rarely get hurt when I jump off the furniture, right? That’s because I know my limits. People have limits too. When you tell others about going green, please don’t go rabid on them.

10. Take me for a walk often. I enjoy nature and I want to protect it with you.

More healthy and green articles from Care2:

• Common Houseplants Toxic to Pets
• Last Chance! Submit Your Pet Photos
• Your Cute Pets!

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Things you could learn from your pets about going green