When it comes to living green, nobody does it better than Ed Begley Jr. His Studio City home is green as can be and he is constantly making updates and improvements. But two years ago, a new green guru moved in to the neighborhood, Billy Nye, of the television show, “Bill Nye the Science Guy.”

According to a neighbor, Frema Rood, 83, the competition kicked off soon after Bill moved in to the area, “Bill announced it: 'I'm going to best Ed Begley at his own game. I'm going to get him. He ordered panels for the garage, then rain barrels, then he had his windows done and he put in a vegetable garden."

The good-natured competition between Begley and Nye takes place over every domain. Nye’s solar panels are newer and have more features, which makes Begley jealous. The white picket fence that surrounds Begley's two bedroom, 1,585 square foot bungalow is made of recycled plastic milk cartons pressed into boards. Nye used the recycled plastic lumber to build a patio cover, and convinced Rood to use the same type of boards to repair their shared white fence.

Both celebrities use natural pest control: Begley uses beer to keep slugs and bugs away from his vegetable garden and Nye uses a tiny solar-powered electric fence to ward off raccoons.

In terms of aesthetics, Nye wins, hands down. Begley doesn’t care what green looks like, which is obvious to neighbors who cringe at the wires poking around the house and the red rainwater barrels that clash with the home’s blue exterior.

Nye, has a different philosophy, "Ed claims — and this is an extraordinary claim — that he doesn't care how things look as long as they function well," Nye said. "I'm not in that camp. Things have to look good or don't bother."

Starting next week, on July 1, California will be the largest state to ban using a cellphone while driving. Drivers under 18 cannot use a cellphone at all and older drivers must use a hands-free headset.

Washington state is passing the same kind of law on the same day, following the example of several other states and cities, including Washington D.C., and New York. USA TODAY reporter Michelle Kessler interviewed insurance and driving experts about the new laws and here is what he found:

The legality of driving and using a cellphone varies from state to state, city to city and even country to country.

Idaho allows all cellphone use. Washington D.C. and some other states prohibit those with learner’s permits and school bus drivers from using a cellphone in any way and requires other drivers to use a hands-free device. Some countries in the European Union allow cellphone use and others do not.

Anne McCartt, a vice president with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a research group funded by auto insurers, says that the risk of having an "injury crash" increases fourfold when a driver is on the phone.

McCartt says that while researchers are still investigating the brain functions of cellphone-using drivers, the problem is "cognitive distraction from the conversation," McCartt says. If a passenger and driver are talking or if the radio is on, the conversation will likely cease if a hazard arises. Whereas, the person on the other end of the cellphone will probably continue to speak, unable to the see the impending danger, which prevents the driver from completely focusing, according to McCartt. The radio doesn’t present a problem either, because it is passive listening and the driver isn’t expected to respond.

Jonathan Adkins, a spokesman for the Governors Highway Safety Association, a trade group representing state highway safety departments admits that using a hands-free device isn’t any safer than not, because drivers are still just as distracted. "We think it's best for states not to pass more legislation," he says. "Let's focus on the research and the data. We need a good highway (cellphone) safety law, and we don't have that yet."

Researchers are still investigating the hazards of dialing and texting, but Adkins says it’s generally dangerous to do anything distracting while driving.

The hands-free laws have had mixed results. According to an Insurance Institute study, Hand-held cellphone use among drivers fell 50% in Washington, D.C. But it had little impact in New York and actually increased among teenage drivers in North Carolina.

"The law has to be enforced, and the enforcement has to be publicized," McCartt says.

If you’re traveling, you probably won’t know whether or not cellphone use is allowed, so to be on the safe side, stay off the phone. Although California has promoted the new law, the publicity usually fades after a while. Jan Mendoza, spokeswoman for the California Department of Motor Vehicles says that they haven’t specifically told car rental agencies to warn out-of-state renters.

States have laws that prohibit erratic driving. So just because a state doesn’t have a specific law prohibiting cellphone use, you can still get a ticket for driving erratically.

Fines also vary state by state. In California fines are $20 to $50, which can increase if penalties are applied. In Washington, the fine is $124, but police cannot pull people over for just a cellphone violation, it has to be a secondary offence.

In the meantime, the cellphone industry is seeing an increase in the sale of hands-free equipment as states pass hands-free laws. Their profits will continue to go up as states including Hawaii and Massachusetts consider restrictions.

If you want to know if your state or county has passed a cellphone law, or learn more about the law, visit DMV.org and click on your state.

Green workplaces are becoming more and more commonplace; even some government offices are getting in on the action. Here are some ideas to help your work environment be a little greener:

Getting there:
Carpool or ride share, at least part of the way, some days of the week. Some companies even offer incentive programs for employees who find a way to get a green ride to work, even if it’s investing in a hybrid car.

Work from home:
Ask your employer if you can telecommute, at least one day a week. Many companies are becoming more open to this, especially as gas prices rise.

Treat your office to the same green standards you would at home:
Install low-flow toilets and water saving devices on sinks.

Use energy-saving bulbs.

Use petroleum-free paint to spruce up the place and eco-friendly carpeting.

Also, just like at home, turn off and unplug machines when they aren’t being used, like at the end of the day. You can also find products that help lessen your carbon output from electronic devices, or use a power strip to easily unplug everything at once.

Keep the temperature temperate. There’s no need for sweaters at the office because the A/C is cranked up so high.

Make recycling easy:
A lot of people don’t recycle because they are too lazy to walk to the bin. Make recycling easy by installing bins in convenient locations, like near the copy and fax machines and in the kitchen for bottles and cans.

Institute a bottle-free policy
Plastic water bottles are so passé; instead use refillable, reusable containers when staying hydrated at work.

Bring the outdoors in:
Keep a plant on your desk. Some reports show that plants can help rid office air of pollutants.

Green paper:
If you must print, do it on paper made of recycled paper or other materials. Printing on both sides also helps reduce paper consumption. Eco-friendly paper can be found at most any office supply store, just read the label.

Following these simple tips make your workplace a little more green-friendly and the world a little better.

Hilary Lister, a 36-year old quadriplegic is sailing around the British Island in a sailboat she controls with her breath.

She set sail this week after electronic malfunctions and a broken mast caused her to delay her travel plans. The journey is expected to take 3 months, with Lister sailing approximately 18 hours a day and spending nights on land. An inflatable raft will travel alongside her at sea while a crew assists her on land.

The yacht is specially equipped with a system of straws that allows Lister to control the sails and tiller by blowing and sucking.

As a teenager, Lister was diagnosed with a degenerative disease called reflex sympathetic dystrophy. In 2003, she began sailing as a way to boost her self-confidence and by 2005 had become the first quadriplegic to sail across the English Channel. She has broken several sailing records, although she is paralyzed from the neck down and her latest endeavor is to raise money for her sailing charity.