The University of Oregon has been awarded the top rating by a new Princeton Review survey of academic institutions dubbed “The Green Honor Roll“. The home of the Fighting Ducks received top honors for its diligent preparation of students on environmental and sustainability issues and its commitment to making its campus in lovely Eugene, Oregon green and sustainable.

The U of O offers more than 200 sustainability related courses highlighted by an internationally recognized green chemistry program in how to reduce hazardous waste. Journalism, Business and Law Schools at the University are chocked full of award-winning, environmentally minded faculty teaching the next generation the importance of sustainability in all walks of life. Plus the campus sports more than it fair share of LEED-certified, environmentally friendly buildings.

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Wikincubate, the takepart.com social action wiki, just added five Green-themed articles to its holdings. Check ‘em out and add your own two cents. (They’re wikis.)

Green computing — how to make your digital life more environmentally friendly

Green driving — how to clean up your act on the road

Green sports – how to save the earth while making saves on the field

Ecovillages — trailblazing green communities in Australia (one is pictured above)

Climate Code Red — a new book sounding a wake-up call about global warming

This just in: (over-the-wire old-fashioned telegraph squawk) …doo doo, do do… A bio-fueled boat broke the round-the-world record fueled by fat. That’s right, a New Zealand man took a McDonalds Cheeseburger and used it to traverse the globe on a floating piece of fiberglass faster than anyone ever has. Dateline: Friday, June 27th, Sagunto, Spain. This is the TakePart Green Innovation Report (#1).

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Okay, we know you’re dying for the next-generation iPhone in June. See the current iRumors here, but for those of us who can’t hand-me-down the phone to our distant and far less technologically advanced relatives, here’s the TakePart guide to recycling that first iPhone – and feeling good about it – while you get in line outside the Apple/AT&T stores for “Version 2.0″!:

1. Greenpeace-Enforced Free Recycling – sure, you’d like to get a credit towards your next-generation iPhone, but Greenpeace has been hassling Apple since early iPod days to go green with the toxic substances found in its products. Click here to ask Steve Jobs for a Greener Apple. Great iPhone dissection video here.

Apple has been offering free recycling of its products through its stores for quite some time now, launched way back in 2006. However, the recycling was only free if you bought yourself a new gadget to replace the recycled one. Now, iPods and iPhones can be recycled for free without having to buy a new one, but if you want to recycle your old computer (regardless of its brand), you’ll still need to upgrade or pay.

No surprise, Apple has gone greener – announced on February 24, 2008. Here’s the official Apple recycle link (funny, no iPhones showing…); and one site that raised additional noise was GreenMyApple. Check out its historical archive.

2. How about AT&T? – A little on the corporate side, but AT&T is doing some needed CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) to help the effort. Now if only they’d do a promotion around buying our first-gen phone and giving us some credit for the next-gen purchase. Odds are they will, but it will be minor as iPhone 2.0 demand will be high p.m.n.m.w. (pretty much no matter what).

3. eBay’s Rethink Program – What better way to encourage recycled trade than auctioning your semi-old iPhone on eBay. In eBay’s words: “The Rethink Initiative brings together industry, government and environmental organizations to offer a fresh perspective and new answers to the challenge of e-waste.” Craigslist is another opportunity for a “meet me at a nearby Starbucks and we’ll trade up” approach. There are 635 ‘adoptable’ iPhones for sale on Craigslist in Los Angeles, alone.

Also check out: eBay’s Giving Works – Better yet, use Giving Works to support a worthy cause via your iPhone donation. Powered by MissionFish, this site has raised nearly $80 Million for 13,278 non-profits since 2003. Good stuff, and makes you sleep better at night (unless you keep your phone under your pillow…). Other worthy non-profits include Recycle Wireless Phones.

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The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is a compilation of the week’s most notable stories from our entertainment-meets-social-action blogging network. In celebration of Earth Day 2008, we made ‘green’ the major theme on the TakePart blog this week - green documentaries and television programs, Earth Day quotes and action activities, as well as some great film reviews. Check out some of our most popular stories of the week, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites!

Katie Halper:

Top 10 Earth Day Videos From the Hub

Joanne Herring Invites You to “Charlie Wilson’s War” Screening Discussion - Free DVD!

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Nicole Hughes:

Top 10 Documentaries About the Environment

Top 10 Ways to Take Action On Earth Day 2008!

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Andy Kondrat:

Top 10 Quotes About the Environment

Disney Launches DisneyNature to Make Documentaries - I Freak Out

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Jon Popham:

B Corporation Takes the Guesswork Out of Going Green

Sea Level Rise Explorer

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Giulia Rozzi:

Oprah and My Mom Going Green

Green It. Mean It.

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Gina Telaroli:

Taking Part In the Blogsphere With “The Visitor” and “Standard Operating Procedure”

“The Soloist” Explores the Homeless and Mentally Ill With Grace and Music

B Corporation is taking the guesswork out of going green. In a consumer environment where it’s getting more and more difficult to differentiate between a true environmentally and socially responsible company and a glossy facade marketing campaign, B Corporation evaluates companies to see who’s for real and who’s el fako. Businesses are measured on their environmental & social impact, labor practices, & transparency. A few current B Corporations are Edgewood Partners investment advisory, Social K, a paperless 401(k) retirement platform & Cathedral Financial Group.

According to B Corporation’s website:

B Corporations^TM are a new type of corporation that are purpose-driven and create benefit for all stakeholders, not just shareholders.
B Corporations^TM are unlike traditional responsible businesses because they:

* Meet comprehensive and transparent social and environmental performance standards.
* Institutionalize stakeholder interests.
* Build collective voice though the power of a unifying brand.

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While on the phone with my mom she very sweetly says to me in her thick, adorable Italian accent “I was watching Oprah and you know today’s the day for the earth? Oprah said all these ways to help.”

Yes, even my immigrant mom who I ignorantly assumed didn’t understand environmental issues is going green thanks to Ms. Winfrey (she does have a special magic, doesn’t she?) On her episode Going Green 101: What Your Family Can Do Today Oprah encouraged viewers to make small changes. Oprah said “in honor of our Earth, I love her, I’m asking all of you today to implement just one green idea to help the fight against global warming.”

and check out Oprah.com for lots of easy eco-friendly tips.

Fox recently launched a networkwide public service campaign called “Green It. Mean It.” Leading up to Earth Day on April 22, the weeklong eco-themed campaign includes on- and off-air elements including promos starring Fox talent. Here is just one of the “Green It. Mean It” PSA’s:

Omar Epps and Lisa Edelstein from “House,” Emily Deschanel from “Bones” and Kelsey Grammer and Fred Willard from “Back to You” are among those who will offer “green tips” to viewers, and Fox affiliates are offered an “Are You Smart Enough to Save the Planet?” promotion to drive tune-in for a special two-hour “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?”

and visit http://www.fox.com/earthday/ for more video tips on how to live a greener life.

Rising singer-songwriter Ben Jelen is very passionate about the environment so much so he formed The Ben Jelen Foundation to support green initiatives around the world that work to battle climate change and promote sustainability. Check out his latest video touching upon the theme of global warming and the environment:

and get involved at www.benjelen.com/foundation

The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is a compilation of the week’s most notable stories from our entertainment-meets-social-action blogging network. Want to learn our top eco-kinky tips for ‘greening up’ your sex life? How about the top 10 ways to take action against AIDS?  Check out some of our most popular stories of the week, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites!

Katie:

Annie Lennox & Top 10 Ways to Take Action Against AIDS

Somewhere Over the Rainbow: American Idol & Yip Harburg

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Nicole:

Top 10 Ways to ‘Green Up’ Your Sex Life

Top 10 Global Warming Myths Debunked

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Giulia:

Mortified Makes Movies

What a Bunch of Boobs

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Gina:

Top 10 Immigration Films

Boarding Gate’s Empty Adventure of Capitalism

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Say Hello to Our Guest Bloggers!

Jon Popham wrote:

Young At Heart Hits the Silver Screen

Death and the River

Andy Kondrat wrote:

Top 5 Things You’ll Love About Planet Green

Leonardo DiCaprio Does Everything For the Environment, Ever