Replace common single-use plastics with these sturdy reusables, recommended by MyPlasticFreeLife.com's Beth Terry and the editors of the Green American.
1. Instead of accepting plastic bags at the grocery store, carry your own cloth grocery and produce bags. Choose stretchy string bags that carry many times their weight (ReuseIt.com),…
Wondering how to responsibly dispose of cereal and chip bags, candy wrappers, make-up containers, and other single-use packaging items? Send them to TerraCycle!
Founded in 2001, TerraCycle offers national mail-in recycling programs for all kinds of hard-to-recycle plastic waste. The company helps "upcycle" some items like…
Socially conscious investors have been making investments in companies that make equal rights for women a priority. A growing body of research confirms that doing so is
a smart financial decision.
Experts have found there is a relationship between women’s participation and the economic success of both companies and overall economies, which means…
Would you like to get a solar power system on your roof without having to pay a single cent up front? Leases are making it possible for people in several states to go solar with no money down.
The single biggest barrier to going solar has always been the high upfront costs of purchasing solar panels, says Solar City founder Lyndon Rive.
“So…
Community-owned solar gardens make renewable energy accessible to all.
Glenn Sliva works as a consultant for some of the biggest oil and gas companies in the world, like Chevron, Exxon, and BP. As a reservoir engineer, he calculates the amount of oil and gas in the ground at a given site, so he’s intimately aware that fossil fuels are, as he…
Many socially responsible mutual funds screen for diversity and/or equal employment opportunity (EEO). In fact, in US SIF's Mutual Fund Performance Chart (the association for socially responsible investment professionals and institutions), there are 17 mutual fund companies that have funds that either seek investments with positive…
Bangladeshi workers seek living wages and safe working conditions in the factories of Walmart suppliers
There are 3.4 million garment workers in Bangladesh employed at 4,200 factories, supplying clothing for Walmart and other major US retailers. Safety conditions in these factories are often so poor, about 100 workers per year die in factory…
Highlighting the work of "Growing Power" in Chicago and Milwaukee
“Right now, there are 23.5 million Americans, including 6.5 million children, who live in what we call ‘food deserts,’” First Lady Michelle Obama stated in February,in support of her “Let’s Move” campaign against childhood obesity.
A food desert is a community where…
Back to the Vote With Your Dollar Toolkit
All across the country, people are creating healthy, vibrant, local, and sustainable food systems. Help change the system in your area in the following ways:
1. Start your own garden (and raise your own chickens for eggs). For urban gardening advice, see our interview with "Garden Girl"…
The farm only has two full-time paid staff, and the rest are volunteers. Some volunteers help grow food and tend to the plants, and others help with promotion, communications, volunteer coordination, events, and workshop coordination. Pictured: Common Good City Farm youth education coordinator (volunteer) Chris Soriano and executive…
Find product safety ratings at CosmeticDatabase.org.
Find research on individual ingredients at Toxipedia.org,
and always avoid these nine worst toxins.
Download an 8x10 poster of these nine toxins »
1. PARABENS: They’re in adult and baby shampoo and many other products, and they are estrogen…
Ever wonder what to say when you encounter someone who claims climate change is not real? You might refer them to the Oscar-nominated short film "Sun Come Up," which deals with the plight of the villagers on the Carteret Islands in the South Pacific, who are losing their island as it sinks into the ocean. Green American's Tracy Fernandez Rysavy…
Over her distinguished career as a scientist, professor, and author, Dr. Devra Davis has racked up her share of laurels. With a Ph.D. in science studies and a post-doctoral Master’s of Public Health in epidemiology, Dr. Davis has worked for the National Academy of Sciences, and as a senior advisor in the US Department of Health and Human Services…
Four decades ago, the socially responsible investing (SRI) movement began with dialogue. By calling on companies to not do business in South Africa because of the government’s policy of apartheid, a group of concerned investors helped spur a movement of shareholders who regularly demand that companies put people and the planet on par with profit…
Our allies at the Environmental Health Trust have a wealth of resources available to keep you informed about the potential health risks of cell phones. Check out the links below to find out more from their Campaign for Safer Cell Phones, and download some clever stickers (courtesy of the Environmental Health Trust and Jeanne Chinard) that you can…
Ninety-one percent of Americans and nearly 5 billion people worldwide use a cell phone. Increasingly, cell phones are becoming a vital part of our lives, functioning as our primary mode of personal and business communication as well as our calendars, cameras, MP3 players, and address books. It is hard to imagine a world where we didn’t have all…
This article is an expanded Web version of a piece that first appeared in the print edition of the Green American.
High school science teacher and Green America member Joshua Barclay’s super energy-efficient home started off as a simple science experiment, trying to answer the question: Can solar panels power a home, even in cloudy Michigan…
Our demand for electricity is at the heart of the nation’s single greatest source of the pollution that causes climate change. Fully half of our electricity in this country is generated by coal-fired power plants and coal power by itself is responsible for 40 percent of US greenhouse gas emissions. Electricity can be difficult to think about…
The chart below explains where our energy comes from and what each type’s impacts are on people and the environment. Energy sources in red or yellow have significant environmental and social problems, while sources in green are key to a green energy future. Almost all types of energy generation end up doing the same thing: they turn the arm of a…
Community investing banks don't promote the reckless practices that brought down the economy, and they use your dollars to provide much-needed services to underserved communities.
With big changes occurring at two of the country’s largest and best-known community investing banks, socially responsible investors may be wondering how the current…
To curb the climate crisis, increase national security, and avoid economic disaster as peak oil looms, it's time to accelerate energy efficiency.
Back in 1977, then-President Jimmy Carter gave a speech to the American public in which he laid out a brave, ahead-of-its time energy policy. He exhorted Americans to deeply conserve their use of gas…
A certified Passive House will cut down the energy used to heat a home by a jaw-dropping 90 percent.
Jim Conlon lives and breathes energy efficiency—as president of Elysian Energy, he oversees hundreds of energy audits every year and provides energy-efficiency consulting to green builders in the greater DC area. What’s got him excited…
Which is best for people and the planet?
And how do we make truly healthy food accessible to all?
You walk into the grocery store, wanting to buy some Granny Smith apples for a pie you’re planning to bake. You find there are two types—organic apples from across the country, or apples from a local farm that uses chemical pesticides and…
Maria Rodale is the Chair and CEO of Rodale Inc., a multimedia company focusing on healthy living on a healthy planet. The company includes the nonprofit organic research arm, the Rodale Institute, which has been running what may be the country’s longest side-by-side comparison of organic and chemical growing methods. Rodale’s grandfather, J.I.…
If you’ve ever carried a balance on a credit card, you may be well acquainted with how much the fees and penalties added to that balance can cost you. And you weren’t alone: In 2008, the “big 4” mega-banks—Citigroup, JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo—charged their customers $15.1 billion in credit card penalties and overdraft fees…
Sustainability has always been an important value at Food For Thought, the gourmet organic food company Timothy Young started over ten years ago. All of his products—from strawberry preserves to corn muffin mix—include certified organic fruits and vegetables. Social justice has also been a strong part of his mission, so when he saw the…
Use the following "Web exclusive" articles from our Fall Green American magazine to help you walk more, bike more, and reclaim the streets:
• Calculate how much money you’ll save by walking, biking, or taking transit to
your most frequent driving destinations by using our Car-Lite Worksheet.
• Read how Mollie Gore helped create…
Van Jones is working to combine solutions to America's two biggest problems: social inequality and environmental destruction.
In 1996, Van and Diana Frappier co-founded the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, headquartered in Oakland, California. Named for an unsung civil rights heroine, the Center promotes positive alternatives to violence and…
Learn more about how to get serious about the three Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) with our Web exclusives to our Fall 2007 Green American, Getting to Zero Waste:
Exclusive Interviews
Green American editor Tracy Fernandez Rysavy talks to leaders in the environmental justice movement:
Her interview with Van Jones…
Biodiesel is clearly a win for the planet—using it results in 52% fewer lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions than gasoline, 41% fewer than diesel, and 41% fewer than the much-touted corn ethanol when it’s made from soybeans. But some people wonder whether a massive switch to biodiesel would be sustainable: would it use up food crops and drive up…
In 2004, Felix Kramer gathered with a group of engineers and car junkies in a friend’s garage. Their goal: to make a hybrid car that would plug into the wall, giving it a greater ability to run on electricity.
The concept had been pioneered by University of California Davis professor Andrew Frank years before, and with the help of student teams,…
During the last eight years, the Bush administration has levied deficit feeding tax cuts and urged Americans to spend our way out of this economic slump. Can consumers really pull us out of what is now a full-fledged recession by spending?
Economists like Boston College professor Dr. Juliet Schor say no.
“The economic crisis wasn’t caused by a…
Kristi Minahan plans to protect the environment her whole life—and beyond. As a water resources management specialist at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Kristi spends her days protecting her state’s land and water. Though she hopes she has many healthy years ahead, the sudden death of a relative a few years ago got her thinking…
Whether you're on a health kick or just looking for a new home project, Green America is here with tips for a healthy lifestyle that start in the most important room in the house: the kitchen.
1. Avoid Pesticides; Go Organic
The problem: Many conventional fruits and vegetables carry pesticide residues. 23 of the world's 28 most…
What if time really were money? At the Time Bank Store in Dane County, WI, it is. The store is the first of its kind in Wisconsin, and the unusual thing about it is that your US currency is completely useless inside.
The Time Bank Store is a project of the Dane County Time Bank—based in Madison, WI, and surrounding communities—which aims to…
Take these actions on energy and save up to 33 percent of your energy use!
Turn Off Lights You're Not Using
Take the step: Make a pact with your family to be extra mindful about shutting off lights when they leave a room. A good rule of thumb is that there should be a maximum of one light on in your household per person at any given time.…
As plug-in electric hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) and electric vehicles (EVs) come to market, many consumers will need some basic questions answered before making the switch. Here’s what you need to know:
How does an EV or PHEV plug in? Would I need a special outlet?
All of the EVs and PHEVs coming to market are designed to be plugged into a…
J.J. Keki is a Ugandan Jew, a member of the Abayudaya community, a small religious minority in Uganda, where most people are Christian or Muslim. After being elected to his local council by his Christian and Muslim neighbors in 2002, Keki sensed that he had an opportunity to further bridge the religious divides that have long existed in his…
What do Crazy Horse Malt Liquor, Cherokee brand jeans, and Washington Redskins jackets have in common? All of these products are marketed through the use of Native American images—and all of their parent companies have been asked to stop using these images.
Companies often attach these images to their products because they feel people associate…
Heal Your Home Center: Healthy Home Glossary
Ever wonder exactly what Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC's) and endocrine disrupters are? Green America's Healthy Home Glossary comes in handy for those who want to learn more about the pollutants so often mentioned on our website, especially within the Healthy Home Tool Kit. Getting familiar with…
Q: If my recycling gets picked up in the same truck as trash, is it really being recycled?
A: Probably. In some municipalities, trucks have been retrofitted to collect trash on one side and recycling on the other in separate compartments. In others, the city sends around two different trucks, on the same day or different days. If you’re in…
In addition to putting consumer pressure on multi-national corporations to respect people and the planet in their overseas operations, another tactic for holding large corporations responsible for their international human rights violations is to take them to court.
The International Labor Rights Fund and EarthRights International have pioneered…
Some time ago, Green America published an article called “The Ugly Side of Cosmetics,” in which we detailed why many experts are concerned about the vast number of potential toxins in body care products.
That article, printed in our Real Money newsletter, cited studies showing that many of the body care products we use on a daily basis—from make-…
Lots of people take pride in how they smell, going to great lengths to ensure there's no funk and thinking if they're not always fresh from the shower, nobody will want to be around them. And so many turn to deodorant, making it a $70 billion per year industry. A study from the University of Bristol…
The road to financial health starts with embracing a “shift to thrift.” By spending less and saving more, you’ll not only save the planet’s precious resources, but you’ll avoid extra debt and pave the way toward a secure retirement.
The best way to save more is to take a close look at your finances and create a financial plan.
You (…
In the closing hours of the first DC Green Festival® in 2004, regional manager Alix Davidson was approached by an incredulous staff person at the Washington Convention Center. “Where’s your trash?” he asked. The convention center’s staff was expecting the tens of thousands of tons of trash routinely generated by large events. The Green Festival…
School is your child’s second home, a place where they spend one-third of their day. Yet, student, faculty and staff health is compromised and adversely affected everyday by toxic chemicals found in cleaning products, pesticides, and food served in the school. As schools become increasingly laden with toxic chemicals, the issue of chemicals…
In 1998, a group of scientists, lawyers, and environmental advocates gathered at the Wingspread Cnference Centerin Racine, WI, to discuss the case for exercising precaution in the face of scientific uncertainty.
“We believe existing environmental regulations and other decisions, particularly those based on risk assessment, have failed to protect…
1. Get Rid of Conventional Cleaners
The problem: Many household cleaners contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as formaldehyde, harsh acids, and hormone disrupters, which may be linked to: cancer, endocrine disruption, and eye, throat, and lung irritation.
The solution: Use nontoxic,…
Those of us who are lucky enough to earn at least $20,000 a year will spend more than a million dollars in our lifetimes. So, what do all of us “millionaires” want for ourselves and the world? What are those millions going to be purchasing?
Every dollar you spend is an opportunity to “vote” for the kind of world you believe in. One measure of…
