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Why It's Good:
Far from making us complacent, encouraging news from the green front inspires us to keep making small changes in our lives that will eventually add up to big improvements for our world.
Why It's Green:
By making smarter decisions about the food we eat, trips we take and cars we drive, we can all do our part to reduce carbon emissions, affect climate change and create a healthier planet. And what’s more exciting than that?
Where To Get It:
Like the reusable tote bags pictured on the right? They're Baggu, $8 each. To purchase directly, click here.
The Best Eco-Chic News
Cheer up, folks! Environmental news isn't all doom and gloom—in fact, the resurgent enthusiasm for all things green has given the environmental movement fresh (not to mention, renewable) energy that is being harnessed to create a cleaner, healthier planet. From your local grocery store and favorite boutique to your well-deserved vacations and important financial investments, you've been making savvy choices in every area of your life, and the world is a better place for it. So, without further ado—drum roll, please!—what follows is our top good news for the planet.—Meg Donohue
1. We're Traveling Light
Green travel is a growing trend for 2008, with 26 percent of respondents to a recent TripAdvisor survey saying they will be more environmentally conscious when making travel decisions this year. For many of us, this means we're choosing to "think global and travel local" when it comes to our vacations. (And given the weak dollar overseas, domestic travel is not just good for the environment, but is also good for the pocketbook.) For those trips that require air travel, there are new ways for us to voluntarily offset our carbon emissions. There's also good news for those of us planning a summer road trip: Hertz and Avis, as well as many other car rental companies, have added thousands of hybrid cars to their fleets. And with many chain and boutique hotels moving to adopt green practices, eco-travelers now have a wider array of accommodation choices to choose from. Later this year, the Starwood Hotel Group will open the doors to its very first "1" hotel in Seattle. This new chain of eco-hotels, developed with the guidance of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), promises to combine the best green practices with luxe amenities–which means that mosquito net can stay at home!
2. Recycling Pays (Really!)
All of our recycling efforts are paving the way to a more sustainable future. But don't just take our word for it. Take a look at these encouraging stats: Americans are now recycling 42 percent of all paper products, 40 percent of all plastic soft-drink bottles, 55 percent of all aluminum beverage cans, 57 percent of all steel packaging, and 52 percent of all major appliances, according to the EPA. This is a huge improvement over the mere 16 percent of waste that was recycled in 1990. The National Recycling Coalition says that the amount of energy we save in a year by recycling is equivalent to a year’s worth of electricity for 17.8 million people. And thanks to our efforts to divert trash from landfills, the European Environment Agency (EEA) estimates that greenhouse gas emissions from household waste will drop more than 80 percent by 2020. Still, there’s work to be done: Around 80 percent of plastic water bottles end up in landfills rather than the recycling plants. If you can't avoid buying water, try to hold onto the bottle until you see a recycling bin. Or better yet, save money and the planet by using a reusable bottle like Sigg or Klean Kanteen.
3. Fur Is a Fashion Don't
That seems to be the growing consensus among the industry's top designers, who are banning fur from their collections. The BCBG Max Azria Group is the latest fashion house to announce that it's going fur-free this year, joining the ranks of other designer heavyweights like Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Rebecca Taylor, Betsey Johnson, Kenneth Cole, Nicole Miller, Charlotte Ronson and Stella McCartney, who have all turned their fashionable backs on fur. You can also make an impact by staging your own private boycott of those labels and stores that use fur, and joining the many fashion-forward consumers opting for eco-friendly textiles and materials: According to the Organic Trade Association, worldwide sales of products made with organic cotton grew from $245 million in 2001 to $583 million in 2005.
4. Cleaner, Greener Cars
We're driving home the point that we want to lessen our dependence on oil. Just take a look at the 49 percent spike in sales of hybrid cars, which can reportedly average around 40 miles per gallon and don't emit pollutants while idling, between June 2006 and June 2007. And with both Toyota and GM announcing plans to build a plug-in hybrid car by 2010, the future is looking an even brighter shade of green. But even those who haven't (yet) jumped on the hybrid bandwagon are driving cleaner cars than ever before: Thanks to the Clean Air Act and stricter auto emissions testing, emissions of the primary smog-causing chemicals from cars have declined by 54 percent since 1970, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, even though the number of registered cars and trucks doubled during the same time period. Of course, just because we have greener cars doesn't mean you should take yours out for any old joy ride. Public transportation is still the greenest motorized way to get around. Even better? Hoof it!
5. We're Eating Better (and Feeling Healthier)
Food consciousness in America is hitting its tipping point, thanks, in part, to writers like Michael Pollan, whose nine rules of healthy eating like "Pay more, eat less" and "Eat mostly plants, especially leaves" have influenced us to rethink our diets over the past several months. And evidently we're not alone: According to global market research firm Mintel, sales of vegetarian food products doubled between 1998 and 2003 to $1.6 billion; the report forecasted the market would grow another 61% by 2008. Other encouraging signs include the wider availability of organic foods in our supermarkets, newly instituted healthy-lunch programs in our public schools and a renewed emphasis on local food producers and providers.
6. Endangered No More
The bald eagle, our national bird, is flying high once again! In 2007, after more than 30 years of protection by the Endangered Species Act, the bald eagle was removed from the list of endangered and threatened species. While only 417 pairs of nesting bald eagles existed in 1963, thanks to years of safeguarding and the banning of DDT, the Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that there are currently 9,789 pairs of nesting bald eagles in the United States. The Western Great Lakes and Northern Rockies gray wolves and Yellowstone grizzly bears were also recently removed from the endangered species list. Work remains, however, with 607 animals in the United States still considered endangered or threatened by the Fish and Wildlife Service.
7. Beauty Gets an Organic Makeover
Many of us are discovering that the best way to get that healthy glow is by using healthier makeup. Sales of mineral-based and organic beauty products grew a whopping 32 percent between 2002 and 2006, according to Information Resources Inc., and the Organic Trade Association says sales of organic personal care products reached $350 million in 2006.
8. Eco-Toys Are Kids' Play
Judging by the plethora of eco-toys that debuted at February's American International Toy Fair, the green toy trend looks like one that's going to be with us for a while. And the good news for kids (and their eco-conscious parents) is that "green" and "fun" are no longer oxymoronic. Fair highlights included ToyQuest's plush toys, Monopoly's Planet Earth edition and new Barbie accessories—all made with recycled materials!
9. The Ozone Layer Is On the Mend
By 2010, the EPA believes that ozone concentrations in the stratosphere will have stopped declining, and that our ozone layer will have slowly begun to recover, reducing our risk of exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Plus, we can all take some comfort in knowing that the EPA estimates efforts to develop substitutes for ozone-depleting substances such as CFCs will help prevent approximately six million skin-cancer-related deaths over the next 100 years. Still, don't forget the sunscreen.
10. We're Seeing Green Over Animal Abuse
Following the national outcry over football star Michael Vick's dog fighting involvement, in March 2008, Wyoming became the 50th state to make dog fighting a felony crime. These stricter laws will not only better protect the 250,000 dogs that are placed in dog fighting pits in each year, but they could also help take dangerous criminals off the streets: A study by the Chicago Police Department found that 65 percent of people charged with animal abuse crimes were subsequently charged with violent crimes against people.
11. We're Harnessing Green Power
States from coast to coast are setting fabulously ambitious green energy goals: California aims to get 20 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2010, and New York aims for 24 percent by 2013. But it's not just states that are going green; individuals are investing in renewable energy in record numbers through the purchase of carbon offsets. Companies like TerraPass and NativeEnergy found that carbon-offset sales grew more than 42 percent between 2005 and 2006, according to research firms New Carbon Finance and Ecosystem Marketplace, with an estimated $100 million going to fund endeavors such as renewable energy projects that remove greenhouse gases from the air. Globally, alternative energy sales by companies specializing in biofuels, wind farms, solar panels and fuel cells grew 40 percent to reach $77.3 billion in 2007, according to research firm Clean Edge. Of course, we all need to remain committed to reducing our overall energy consumption: Unplug unused appliances and equipment, install a programmable thermostat, and switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).
12. We're Breathing Easier
Again, the Clean Air Act is doing us right: The overall emission of air pollutants has dropped by 48 percent since 1970, despite the fact that we've seen economic growth of 160 percent over the same time period. Even urbanites are seeing a change: Since 1990, more than two-thirds of the cities that fell below national air quality standards now meet or exceed them. Children, our favorite small people, are breathing easier, too: In the poorest third of New York City, kids went to the hospital half as often for asthma attacks in 2005 than they did in 1995. One reason: New York City buses are 97% cleaner than they were in 1995.
13. The Rise of Green Buildings
The number of commercial buildings and manufacturing plants to earn the EPA's Energy Star for superior energy efficiency is up by more than 25 percent in the past year. New Energy Star buildings include approximately 1,500 office buildings, 1,300 supermarkets, 820 schools, and 250 hotels. Commercial buildings that have earned the Energy Star use, on average, nearly 40 percent less energy and emit 35 percent less carbon dioxide than average buildings. Homeowners are also getting in on the energy saving action: In 2006, the EPA estimates that 30 percent of US households purchased an Energy Star-qualified product.
14. Wow, That's a Lot of Green
A recent report by the non-profit Social Investment Forum found that socially responsible investment (SRI) assets grew by more than 18 percent between 2005 and 2007—a pretty impressive increase when you consider all other assets under management grew by less than 3 percent during the same time period. In fact, one out of every nine dollars under professional management in the United States is being invested in socially responsible businesses. That's about $2.71 trillion dollars—now that’s what we call smart money.
15. Conscious Consumption
Consider this: Sales of energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) doubled between 2006 and 2007 (now accounting for 20 percent of the US light bulb market). And through the Energy Star Change a Light campaign, Americans have pledged to replace nearly 4 million bulbs with CFLs—preventing more than 1.5 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions. And this might also just be the year when you tote all those CFLs (and other green purchases) home from the store in something other than a plastic bag. In 2007, San Francisco became the first US city to ban landfill-clogging plastic bags, resulting in 5 million fewer plastic bags each month. Other US cities now considering a plastic bag ban include Boston, Portland, Oregon and Phoenix, and IKEA has reported that their plastic bag usage has decreased by 92% since charging 5 cents per bag almost a year ago. These are just two examples of eco-purchasing, a trend that's expected to continue growing in leaps and bounds. Already there are signs: Amazon.com says they "extremely pleased with our customers' response to the planet-friendly selection across our categories, and have seen aggressive growth in our green product offerings," says Chris Nielsen, Vice President of their Home & Garden store. Indeed, nine out of ten people now use the words "conscious consumer" to describe themselves, according to branding and marketing agency BBMG. Who that tenth non-conscious consumer is, we don't know—but someone should let her know about all of the earth-saving fun she's missing out on!
