Rent-a-Ruminant and The Goat Patrol are advertising brush removal as an eco-friendly alternative over traditional landscaping options. Though the idea perhaps sounds a bit too absurd to be true, this is no joke. It turns out goats are actually better at removing brush in hard to reach, dangerous areas. They’re better climbers, they have better balance, they’ll pretty much eat anything, and they leave natural fertilizer.

“Tammy” started Rent-a-Ruminant in 2004. Based out of Seattle, the company has provided services for universities, construction projects, public utilities, and park districts. The Goat Patrol, based out of North Carolina, was founded by Alix Bowman. Despite the seriousness of their cause, it’s clear the business owners have a sense of humor.

Tammy gives himself the comically dramatic title of “Chief Goat Wrangler,” and Bowman has an entire section of the website introducing the public to Mr. Pickles, Buster, and Magnus – just three of her day labors.

An excerpt:

Magnus von Magnusson, Magnus to his friends, is a two year old pygmy. He loves being part of the herd and fits in well with the other goats. We don't know what happened to Magnus before he wound up at APS, but we can tell it impacted his trust of people. We are giving him plenty of time and space to grow comfortable. We fully expect Magnus to become as confident with people as he is with the other goats.

Most of us aren't yet parents as Emily Bazelon is. Yet her questioning of how her kids perceive their Prius in this great article poses some great queries. "Do they think we're doing our small bit to save the Earth," she asks, "or are they imbibing a look-at-me smugness?

I have to credit this post to Treehugger, which yesterday reported that Ontario has banned incandescent light bulbs, which are not energy efficient. Which led them to post about an elegant way to keep those now-illegal Edison-style bulbs out of landfills and also to solve the problem that most fluorescent lights can't be dimmed. Oil conversions!

I for one have been completely baffled as to what interior designers are going to do as incandescents become illegal or discouraged. What will light paintings in galleries? How will dark clubs stay dingy?