I was thinking about our HGTV Green Home and how we strive to build a sustainable, eco-friendly home that features the latest in green innovations. And then this article popped up in the New York Times about Dan Phillips, a self-trained carpenter and home builder from Huntsville, Texas, who is building homes from scraps, trash and reclaimed building supplies. His story is an inspiration. And frankly, wouldn’t you love to own one of his homes? I know I would. Click through the photo gallery and come back to chat. Should we follow Dan’s lead with respect to the build of HGTV Green Home?

Today, you get two Super fan videos! Gail talks about the closets at HGTV Green Home 2009 and some of the best green living tips you’ve shared on the blog. Enjoy!

Eco-Friendly Finds for Less
Green and organic products can be hard on the wallet. EcoSteal solves your budget troubles by offering up items one at a time and at a 40- to 80-percent discount off the retail price. Simply sign up for the e-mail alerts to find out each day’s special and then get thee to your nearest computer when the ordering starts. There’s a three-item purchase limit per household, so you better jump if you see something you simply can’t live without.

Green Think Tank
Got a great green idea you think will save the planet? (Simple tips that everyone can incorporate into their daily lives are welcome too.) Post them on GreenGlobeIdeas and watch as your idea gets rated by other users and rises (hopefully) to the top of the list. You can search by user, country, popularity and most discussed. And who knows – maybe some important person (Steven Chu?) will stumble upon your post and be impressed enough to invite you to Washington for a spell.

The Perfect Sun Spot
Going into the alternative-energy business? FirstLook provides solar and wind assessments, so you can make smart business decisions before you launch a full-scale project. And even if you’re not about to erect a wind farm, you can still have fun with this tool – type in your home address and see if your backyard would be the perfect spot to install a small wind turbine or solar panel.

Completely obsessed with HGTV Green Home and have no desire to roam? Then get inspired by touring the beautiful rooms from our 2008 home, while you wait and anticipate the launch of our ‘09 online tour (Pssst – mark your calendar for April 1, 2009).

Clockwise from top left: Carved Wood Serving Bowl, Target.com, crafted from stumpage left behind by logging operations in the mountains of Central China; Teakwood Root Stool, UrbanOutfitters.com, handcrafted from salvaged teak tree roots by skilled villagers in Java; Natural Edge Bench, WildflowerOrganics.com; handcrafted from kiln-dried, sustainable monkey pod wood.

How about you? If you were tasked with decorating the HGTV Green Home 2009, what eco essentials would find their way into your design scheme – recycled glassware, organic fabrics, furniture fashioned from old barn wood or water hyacinths? Tell me about your latest green decor obsessions.

Flat roof solar-power systems: Easy to install on your rooftop (requires only one simple hand tool), with all electrical components incorporated inside the sleek panel, the Andalay solar panel brings solar energy to the masses. It looks like a sunroof and saves you loads of moolah. How could you lose?

Synthetic turf: You may soon notice your neighbors ditching the fescue for fake grass. No lawn mower, no nasty fertilizer, no wasted water and grass stays in a state of perpetual greenness. Take a look – can you honestly tell the difference?

Metal roofing: I’m not sure roofing materials could get much greener. The covering, crafted of recycled material, is 100-percent recyclable and lasts for decades – I’m talking 40 to 60 years. Traditional roofing materials last 10 to 20 years and end up in a landfill – certainly not good for the environment.

Backyard turbines: Electricity bill going through the roof? Some folks are taking matters into their own hands and turning to small wind energy. Although there’s a large upfront fee to build a turbine, you earn brownie points for becoming energy independent and reducing air pollution (turbines produce none).

This seems like the perfect time to introduce myself (hi, I’m Mary, the new HGTV Dream Home and Green Home editor) and strike up some conversations about all things eco-friendly. I actually picked up a book a few weeks back that I’ve been dying to dive into: Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution — and How It Can Renew America by Thomas L. Friedman. What prompted me to buy the book? I was actually reading through a Sky magazine on the flight out to the HGTV Dream Home in Sonoma, and came across an interview with Friedman. He spoke of Earth Technology as American’s next booming industry (if we play our cards right). I was intrigued, but haven’t had a free moment since I bought the book to sit down and dedicate some serious time to it (shhhh, don’t tell anyone). So what do you think? Could green be our saving grace?

Enough about me already. What about you? What books and magazines are you reading? What earth-friendly practices have you incorporated into your everyday life? Got a good green-living tip that’s also cheap and easy? (I just love those.) I would love to hear from you.