Articles Index

Green 401(k) Plans: Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is
As people become more environmentally conscious, they are looking for additional ways to live green and to make bigger contributions to sustainability. Employees are demanding more green investment options, and more employers are starting to offer 401(k) plans that enable workers to align their dreams of retirement and their dreams of a better world.

New Urbanism: Designing Eco-Friendly and People-Friendly Communities
What makes “new urbanism” housing developments more environmentally friendly than regular old suburban neighborhoods? New urbanisim incorporates green building design and renewable energy to create livable communities that encourage people to walk, shop locally and get to know their neighbors.

Five Ways to Help Save the Planet in 30 Minutes or Less
You may not be able to reduce global warming, end pollution and save endangered species single-handedly, but by choosing to live an earth-friendly lifestyle you can do a lot every day to help achieve those goals. Here are five simple things you can do—in 30 minutes or less—to help protect the environment and save Planet Earth.

Public Transportation: Fast Track to Fewer Emissions and Energy Independence
One of the easiest ways to pocket some extra green while living green is to use public transportation as often as possible. Using public transportation instead of driving alone in your car is good for the planet and good for your budget. Families that use public transportation regularly can save more money annually than the average U.S. household spends on food.

Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs: Change a Light Bulb and Change the World
Compact fluorescent light bulbs use less energy, last longer and cost less to use than standard incandescent bulbs--and they are good for the environment. Learn how changing just one light bulb could help change the world for the better.

Home Canning Preserves Taste, Nutrition and Self-Reliance
Home canning is a traditional skill with outstanding applications for today. Home canning enables you to preserve the great taste and nutritional value of your backyard garden or locally grown foods, reduce your exposure to pesticides and other chemicals, and increase your sense of self-reliance. Find out how easy it is to get started.

Living Green and Doing Good
Green for Good offers consumers an opportunity to live green and do good at the same time. Green for Good provides an easy-to-access online marketplace for hundreds of organic and natural products, and the company also donates at least 10 percent of its after-tax profits to ecologically friendly organizations.

Which Wine Stopper is Best for the Environment: Cork, Glass, or Plastic?
Did you know that your choice of wine stopper can help the environment and biodiversity? Find out which wine stopper is best for the environment.

Why Online Bill Paying is Good for the Environment
Online bill paying is gaining popularity and it's good for the environment. Here's how online bill paying reduces waste while saving you time and money.

Tired of Mowing and Maintaining Your Lawn? What Can You Do?
Tired of spending dozens of hours and hundreds of dollars mowing and maintaining your grass lawn? Low-cost, low-maintenance alternatives to grass lawns can free you from your lawn mower, save you money, and provide attractive green spaces without the need for toxic chemicals. Learn more about alternatives to grass lawns.

Are Dishwashers Good for the Environment?
Is it more environmentally friendly to hand-wash dishes or to use a dishwasher? The answer may surprise you. Learn what the experts say.

Hemp: Miracle Fiber or Dangerous Drug?
What did the Gutenberg bible, Christopher Columbus' ropes and sails, the Declaration of Independence and the first American flag have in common? They were all made from hemp, a crop so versatile it can be used to make cloth, paper, even food. So why is the United States the only developed nation where growing hemp is illegal?

How to Make Eco-Friendly Home Improvements
Making eco-friendly home improvements is easier than you may think, and the benefits to your health and the environment can be dramatic. Learn more about do-it-yourself eco-friendly home improvements, and get the resources you need to make eco-friendly home improvements a snap.

How to Find Products “Not Tested on Animals”
What does it really mean when a product says "not tested on animals" and how can you find products that haven't been tested by poisoning or torturing animals for the sake of cosmetics, household products, and other consumer items? Learn more about this controversial topic, and review a shopping guide than can help you find products that fit your ethics.

How Does Eating Locally Grown Food Help the Environment?
"Eat local" has become one of the mantras of the new environmental movement, but why is eating locally grown food so important, and what does it have to do with the environment, anyway?

Keeping Your Tires Inflated Could Help Save the Planet, and Your Life
Keeping your tires properly inflated is one of the simplest things you can do to help fight global warming, lower your fuel costs, and stay safe on the road. And with Congress requiring automakers to install new technology that monitors tire pressure and warns drivers when it drops too far below recommended levels, keeping your tires inflated will soon be even easier.

Eco-Friendly Car Washing: Is It Better to Wash Cars at Home or at the Car Wash?
What is the best way to wash your car and keep the environment clean at the same time? Is it better to break out the bucket and sponge at home or drive through a commercial car wash? Learn the pros and cons of commercial car washes versus scrubbing your car in your driveway.

How to Stop Receiving Junk Mail
Junk mail is more than an annoyance. It clogs landfills as well as your mailbox, and costs millions of trees and millions of tax dollars every year. Learn how you can reduce the amount of junk mail you receive by 90 percent.

How School Lunch Packaging Waste Adds Up
Did you know that school lunch waste creates more than 18,000 pounds of garbage for the average elementary school? Learn about a recyclable school lunch solution that makes school lunches cool and environmentally responsible.

Living Alone is Bad for the Environment
Want to help the environment? Get a roommate, get married, or find some other way to expand your household. People who live alone consume considerably more energy and other resources than those who live in households of four or more, and younger, more affluent singles use more than their older counterparts.

Zero Waste Starts with Responsible Design
Zero Waste encourages manufacturers to consider environmental impact of a product from design through delivery and eventual retirement. Learn more about Zero Waste and the effort to adopt it in American manufacturing.

Eco-Friendly Wood Floor Wax
It's difficult to find wood floor wax without harmful chemicals, but it's not impossible. Here are suggestions for wood floor wax that helps to keep your indoor environment healthy.

Eco-Friendly Drain Cleaners
Looking for a way to keep your drains unclogged without damaging the environment or your health? Learn about some of the best non-polluting, non-caustic options.

Patagonia Founder Urges Business Leaders to Put the Planet Before Profits
A Los Angeles Times profile of Yvon Chouinard, founder and chairman of Patagonia, Inc., traces his development as a reluctant entrepreneur and illuminates his belief that companies should make protecting the environment a core part of their business strategy.

New Tax Incentives and Benefits Make Hybrid Cars More Appealing than Ever
If you have been considering the purchase of a hybrid car, these new tax incentives and benefits may make the switch to hybrid cars even more appealing.