I caught up on my RSS feed this week, so there’s lots here. Enjoy!

• How to make Smart Growth affordable – Grist. Taking the fact that public transit is cheaper than driving into consideration when calculating income requirements for mortgages sounds like a good idea to me.
• Canola, Pushed by Genetics, Moves Into Uncharted Territories – New York Times. It seems like you’re asking for this if you make plants resistant to herbicides.
• Mowing with a Reel Mower – Sense of Home. I’ve never used one of these, but I think they’re cool.
• The 6 Most Horrifying Ingredients in Everyday Cosmetics – Cracked. It should really be the 6 Most Disgusting Ingredients—and they’re almost all from animals. (Thanks, Ali!)
• Coming to Terms with my Neti Pot – It’s Not Easy Being Green. I can’t imagine ever using one of these, but a friend of mine loves hers.
• What’s So Bad About Non-Organic Cotton? – The Good Human. I have such a hard time finding organic cotton clothes. REI, Patagonia, EMS, mostly.
• 3 Tips to Start Growing Your Own Food – Change.org. I’m paying attention to this, because I’ve put my name on a waiting list for a community garden spot. So exciting!
• Charles River Conservancy chosen as finalist to receive $20K for riverbank project – Wicked Local Cambridge. Vote now—the Charles River Conservancy could get $20,000 from Tom’s of Maine.
• Farmers Lean to Truce on Animals’ Close Quarters – New York Times. Good news!
• Escalators vs. Elevators – Slate. Elevators are always better than escalators, but if they do exist, riding them down saves a little bit of energy.
• Nature’s Air Conditioner – Slate. General rule: roll the windows down in the city, up on the highway.
• Whole Foods Compostable Packaging Really Is…Compostable! – Earth 911. I didn’t think it would compost in a backyard compost bin—nice!
• Watch out, It’s Everywhere – Boston Globe. Higher temperatures and more carbon dioxide make a great environment for poison ivy.

Wow—that was a lot to catch up on. As usual, if you see anything interesting this week, send it along.