In an age of conspicuous consumption, one thing I don’t feel guilty about is buying books. I love books: used, new, antique, paperbacks, hardcovers. You name it, I’ll probably read it, and if I like it, I’ll buy it. I love having a house full of books. And yes, I know: books are made of paper. Paper comes from trees, and I love trees, too. Live ones. So what’s an eco-conscious reader to do when the library and secondhand books can’t help you out?

Eco-Libris thinks it has the answer. Welcome to offsetting…for your books. Here’s how it works: for every new book you buy, you pay Eco-Libris to "balance" your books. They plant 1.3 trees for every balance you pay for. Buy ten books, pay for ten balances (at $1 each) and, within the next year, they will plant 13 trees to replace those cut down to provide the pages and covers of your books (the 13 is to account for trees that may not survive planting.) They send you a bookplate sticker with the Eco-Libris logo to put inside the cover of your offset book. Eco-Libris’ goal is to balance half a million books by 2008.

Eco-Libris has partnered with three non-profit conservation groups for their tree planting, which all happens in developing countries: RIPPLE Africa, The Alliance for International Reforestation, and Sustainable Harvest International which cover planting efforts in five Central American countries and Malawi. All three groups were selected for their collaboration and involvement with the communities in which they are planting.

Their website also has numerous facts and statistics on the publishing industry and its effort to go green which, if you know anything about publishing, is not that great. Eco-Libris provides a call-to-action for publishers to green up their act. One note: this is a for-profit company, if that matters to you. But the cost seems reasonable, and the groups they’re working with are all highly-recommended.

A friend came to me and asked about making greener choices when shopping for clothing. A new eco-clothing boutique just opened down the street from our workplace, and it was filled with cute, stylish clothing that I would wear to work or outside of work. Unfortunately, most of the clothes weren’t fitting into my teacher-salary budget. When it comes to buying greener clothing, most people have two options: buy used or buy eco-sensitive. I love thrifting, and I get a lot of my clothes that way. Sometimes, though, particularly when buying professional clothes, I can’t find what I need, and it’s time-consuming (although fun!) When I need something new, I don’t have a problem finding clothes I love that are made more sustainably. My problem is finding affordable wardrobe solutions.

Yeah, yeah, I know that cheap clothing is cheap for a reason (or several): exploitative labor practices and environmentally-destructive materials, to name a few. And I support paying a premium for items that are ethically made, just like when I grocery shop. It’s still hard for me to plunk down my hard-earned cash for upscale sustainable goods; I just don’t have that disposable income, and, frankly, clothes aren’t so important to me that even if I did have the cash to spare, I’d probably use it for something else. But a girl needs to feel good in her clothes, and I do have to exercise a modicum of professional dress when I’m teaching kids about renewable energy. So I set off on a quest to find five places where I could make better clothing choices without breaking the bank.

Disclaimer: "affordable" is a weighted word. What some people see as a bargain, others would and/or could never pay. My idea of affordable can best be described as middle-class: I’m a teacher, my husband is a teacher, we don’t come from money, and we have bills to pay. I’m not really looking for high-fashion here, but mostly basic pieces I can use in a variety of ways with my existing wardrobe.

I’ve loved American Apparel for a long time. I’m a t-shirt and jeans kind of woman, so AA clothing fits my style, and their t-shirts fit like a dream. Almost all of their entire line is cotton, and about 20% of the cotton they use is organic. The company has plans to expand that to 80% in the next four years. Most of the organic cotton they use now is in their Sustainable Edition line. They also recycle over a million pounds of fabric scrap per year and have solar panels on the roof of their LA headquarters. I like their clothes because they are comfortable and versatile; I’ve worn their skirts and shirts all over. Warning: there are claims against AA, mostly stemming from union-busting and sexual harassment accusations against owner Dov Charney, but their environmental record is promising.

Levi Strauss has been a leader in greening up denim, and their organic cotton jeans, t-shirts, and polo shirts for men and women also incorporate recycled rivets, zippers, and buttons; they also use natural indigo to dye their denim. Although their RedTab line is way out of my price range, their non-RedTab Eco’s are quite reasonable for new jeans: less than $70, and they’ve got very contemporary styles (although I don’t really have the courage, or the body, to wear skinny jeans.) If I can’t find jeans at the local thrift store, or wanted something more current, I’d try to find these. They also had some bargain men’s polo shirts at their online store that I’d probably get for my husband to wear to work.

Victoria E wrote about Jonano back in May, but I waited to check them out until recently, and I wish I hadn’t. What a jackpot! Jonano produces certified organic cotton, bamboo, and hemp clothing, along with their popular ecoKashmere blend, and their clothing is made using Fair Labor practices. Jonano’s fabrics are dyed using low-impact dyes, and their packaging and mailings are printed on recycled paper. Their lines are women-heavy, with hardly anything for men, but I fell in love with many of their pieces, including some beautiful dresses, shorts, and pants. I can’t wait to order from Jonano the next time I’m in the market for clothing.

Rawganique offers sweatshop-free organic hemp, cotton, and linen clothing from Ecolution, Blue Canoe, and their own line of clothing. Although many of their items seemed a bit pricey, I found some dresses, skirts, and sports jackets that were reasonably-priced, and they offer hemp and linen alongside the widely-found organic cotton. I’d use this place in a pinch if I couldn’t find what I wanted elsewhere, but they’re definitely walking the walk as far as sustainability. Check out their About Us for proof!

Finally, REI gets my vote for affordable outdoor gear that can double as everyday wardrobe. I wrote at length about their sustainability efforts last week. The versatility of their clothing — I can wear it to work or around the campsite — makes many of their pieces sustainable choices, and I didn’t gasp when I checked the price tag: $50 seems reasonable for a durable pair of pants for my husband or a warm recycled-PET fleece jacket. If you are looking for well-made basics that will take a beating, don’t be afraid to try this performance gear — it’s not just for the backcountry.

These are five places that fit into both my aesthetic and price range. I also recommend you check out discount websites that offer more expensive clothing at cut-rate prices. For example, I found Loomstate jeans at over half off on Bluefly.com.

The great outdoors and environmental sustainability have long gone hand in hand, and many outdoors-gear companies have been leaders in sustainable business practices. Patagonia, Keen, and Teko have been pioneers in producing gear that uses lower-impact materials (like organics) or recycled materials (like PET bottles). Now, outfitter super cooperative REI is getting into the act, incorporating more sustainable materials into their line of clothing.

"Our eco-sensitive offerings are the next step in our journey to reduce REI’s overall company environmental footprint," added Kelly Stone, REI Gear & Apparel director of sales and marketing. "As with every offering that carries our brand, REI’s eco-sensitive items deliver on our promise of functionality, quality and great style that our members and customers expect."

Utilizing organic cotton, hemp, bamboo, recycled PET, and organic wool, REI has created both men’s and women’s apparel that they believe meet standards for improved environmental performance. Men’s items range from organic cotton/recycled PET polyester cargo pants and t-shirts, to organic cotton hoodies, to recycled PET fleece parkas, jackets, and vests. The women’s line includes recycled PET fleece jackets, hemp/recycled PET skirts and pants, and organic cotton t-shirts & hats. REI plans to increase the amount of "eco-senstive" products offered in coming seasons.

This year, REI also implemented a labeling system that alerts customers to REI products that are eco-sensitive. Both items and signage in their retail stores easily identifies eco-sensitive production, and indicates what greener materials were used. REI’s website is refreshingly transparent. When listing their eco-senstive materials, they included pros and cons of each item, acknowledging that some "greener" materials come at a cost, whether that be financial or environmental. This allows consumers to make more informed decisions when purchasing clothing. REI’s commitment to stewardship and sustainability is evident from their annual stewardship report, which showcases their progressive commitment to becoming climate neutral by 2020, building green buildings, using paper more responsibly, and reducing waste and packaging.

Kelli says: My husband loves his Slickrock pants. They’re comfortable, affordable, versatile (suitable hiking AND teaching) and, best of all, a little more sustainable. Oh yeah, he says they have awesome pockets, too. I’ve got my eye on the decidedly un-hippie hemp skirt I mentioned above.

When Amy wrote about green magazines, she mentioned GOOD as being one of her favorites. I, too, a self-described magazine junkie, am a big fan of GOOD since it’s inception last year. With all the depressing news out there on any given day, GOOD always reaffirms my faith in humanity. Its focus is, like its name implies, good stuff: those things that are making our world a little bit better, and when I’m feeling down about what’s going on around me, GOOD usually perks me up. It’s a rare magazine that doesn’t need an annual "green" issue: sustainability has been a priority since the magazine was founded.

The latest issue (Sept/Oct 07) is no exception. The issue, which commemorates their one-year anniversary, focuses on design solutions. A topic I covered a while back, green schools, gets a feature nod from Eva Steele-Saccio. Steele-Saccio highlights different schools’ efforts to reduce their footprint and become more energy efficient, and acknowledges that there are benefits beyond energy savings: "Green schools create a healthy atmosphere for learning that has measurable results. The combination of natural light, fresh air, open plans, and multi-use facilities that encourage community involvement has helped student test scores rise by 20% and reduced asthma rates by 39%."

There’s also a feature about a village in England that launched a community effort to reduce their carbon footprint, with the ultimate goal of becoming the first carbon-neutral village in the U.K. GOOD’s product reviews almost always include items produced with sustainability in mind, and in this issue, they create a proposal for better CFL packaging: create a package that can be used to ship burned-out bulbs back to the producer for proper disposal. There’s also a profile of Rogan Gregory, founder of clothing company Loomstate, who was virtually responsible for bringing organic cotton to the fashion industry though his work with Loomstate, and his other two companies, Rogan and Edun

Even subscribing to GOOD can make you feel good: 100% of your $20 subscription costs goes to your choice of twelve charities, including the World Wildlife Fund and Oceana. Good is printed on 30% recycled post-consumer paper that is EcoLogic certified, and 100% offset by projects Good is actually involved in.

The September/October issue of GOOD is on newsstands now.

By implementing easy green practices like composting and recycling, my husband and I quit taking huge bags of trash out to the dumpster in the alley a long time ago. We had a stockpile of evil plastic grocery bags that we used for the bathroom and kitchen trash, but we quit getting our groceries in plastic bags a long time ago. When the stockpile ran out, we needed a green alternative to buying trash bags.

For a while, we used a brand of corn-based trash bags purchased at our local green general store, but, truth be told, they were flimsy and couldn’t hold much weight, even when I double-bagged. When I used the smaller kind to line the compost mini-bin under the sink, I found myself a bag that broke down a little too quickly, leaving me with a bio-mess.

It was a catch-22 when Portland’s Trellis Earth sent me a sample pack of their corn-based biodegradable bags to review. Simply put, this bag blows the other bag I was using out of the water. It comes in a variety of sizes, from small enough for a few pieces of fruit to 33-gallon commercial trash bags, and it’s remarkably sturdy–so much so that I easily carried out the entire contents of my cat’s litter box to the dumpster with no stretching or straining on the part of the bag. In fact, I’d test the strength of their 33-gallon bags against any traditional plastic trash bag. They also have a shopping-bag with handles, identical in size and shape
to the pesky plastic bags you see blowing in the wind for businesses to use in lieu of traditional petroleum-based bags.

What’s the catch? It’s not widely-available in consumer-sized quantities. Trellis Earth only markets its biodegradable bags, take-out containers, and cutlery in bulk quantities, making them a viable options to businesses and resellers, but their resell base seems limited. Minor catch #2: although the bags are compostable (they’re breaking down just fine in my backyard pile), the company’s FAQ warns that the bags aren’t great for building soil.

How can you get your hands on some Trellis Earth bags? You could buy in bulk (it’s not inconceivable if you are used to buying large quantities of things) Ask your local green store to stock up by giving them Trellis Earth’s website, which will get them in touch with the company. They can resell you bags, or they could purchase shopping bags for use in their store. Either way, you’re putting less plastic in landfills.

Joining multiple established sustainability-focused MBA programs across the US, Colorado State University unveiled its new Global Social and Sustainable Enterprise program this spring. The program, which begins in August and includes 23 students from around the world in its first class, will combine a traditional MBA with core coursework in social, environmental, and economic sustainability. Students will particularly examine the global problems of poverty, environmental degradation, and community health.

The program’s mission, according to it’s website, is to take business to a level "where business innovations lift up the human condition and rebuild our planet’s capital." All students will spend a summer doing fieldwork that involves implementing sustainable business projects created during their time in the program. "At the core though, this program is about studying, creating and leading innovative new organizations that see these great challenges as great opportunities," said Paul Hudnut, director of the program.

Colorado State has a long tradition of addressing needs in developing countries: the Peace Corps has roots there, and engineering and business students more recently collaborated to create new sustainable technology such as a cleaner-burning biomass stove that generates energy stored in a battery for later use, to be implemented in the Philippines, India, and Vietnam. CSU is also the birthplace of EnviroFit’s two-stroke engine retrofit kit, designed to reduce emissions of tricycle taxis in the Philippines.

I’m not ashamed to admit it: I’ve got food on the brain these days. Who can blame me? The farmers markets are teeming with a variety produce at the height of their flavor. I wrote Tuesday on some of my favorite food blogs where I glean recipes to test out in my kitchen. But what about those days when I don’t feel like cooking, when it’s too hot to fire up the stove, when I just don’t have much in the fridge? What about special occasions? Going out to eat, particularly for a special meal with good wine and a group of friends, is a treat I look forward to. But how to find greener options? In a word: local.

Local restaurants are more likely to use local ingredients (read: less food miles), cook seasonally (again, less food miles), and invest in the local community. In fact, local restaurants often partner with farmers markets for cooking demos or classes. I see one of the chefs of my favorite local restaurant at a farmers market every Saturday, checking out produce and talking to farmers.

Here in St Louis, along with several other cities in the US, there’s another incentive to dine locally: the DineOriginals program. Started by independent restauranteurs looking to promote their restaurants in the face of expanding chains, DineOriginals offers a rewards program for diners, and a fairly decent one at that: for every $150 you spend at DineOriginals restaurants, you earn a $10 credit. For my husband and I, it’s not hard to earn credits, particularly since our, ahem, local microbrewery participates. It’s free to join, you can sign up at any participating restaurant, and a no-brainer for those of us who try to eat local anyway. See if your city participates, and find a list of restaurants, here.

It's a paradox: although backpackers, particularly those who are hardcore, are committed to "leaving no trace," and surely appreciate our natural environment, we still consume fossil fuels getting to our favorite trailheads, and damage, however minimally, the environments in which we hike. Most of us, also, are still totally into gear: backpacks, tents, and the like, which can consume resources, even petroleum, and can produce pollution through their production.

Although backpacking can be one of the most eco-friendly vacations one can take (let's face it, you're walking everywhere), can backpackers lessen their eco-footprint? Although environmentalism has always been on the radar of those who enjoy the outdoors, there are more and more options that allow backpackers and hikers to make greener choices to preserve the nature that they love getting away to.

First and foremost, getting to and from the trailhead can be a major source of carbon impact. Consider taking the train or bus instead of driving or flying. The Appalachian Trail has multiple sections that are serviced by train or bus, as does the Pacific Crest Trail, and the John Muir Trail. And if you take the train you don't have to worry about your car getting broken into while you are on the trail. If worse comes to worst, you can (gulp) offset your travel.

Second, remember to obey leave no trace principles. Sometimes, after a long day of elevation gains, unexpected rain, and blisters, you might not feel like packing out the leavings of washing dishes, or the thought of a roaring campfire trumps the knowledge that you probably shouldn't make one, or you feel like wandering off the beaten trail. It may seem like your actions don't really make a difference on your favorite trail, but according to Leave No Trace, backpackers have a significant impact on the wildlife, water sources, and vegetation of their favorite habitats.

Finally, keep an eye out for greener options when buying gear. Outside magazine recently released it's green issue and, in its yearly gear guide, included an entire section devoted to eco-friendly outdoor gear. Backpacker considers green gear when reviewing products for their magazine, and awards annual "Green Awards" for sustainable gear. Teko socks kept my feet dry and blister-free through a 21 mile overnight on the Colorado Trail, have eco-friendly packaging, and are made of recycled polyester. Patagonia has established itself as an industry leader in environmentally-friendly business practices, and much of their clothing is made of recycled materials and can be returned to the company (via a retailer or the company's website) for recycling. Chaco sandals were ubiquitous on and off the trail, and are produced using recycled rubber and water-based glues. Lafuma has a new hemp pack and a more sustainable sleeping bag, and Nau recently released its highly-anticipated line of on and off-trail clothing.

My problem with The Lazy Environmentalist, green radio host Josh Dorfman's self-proclaimed "guide to easy, stylish, green living" isn't that it lacks information. It's actually a quite comprehensive guide to supporting green companies. I dog-eared multiple pages so I could visit websites of the companies in which I was interested. But it's not so much a guide to green living as it's a guide to green buying. I guess the tone set forth from the brief introduction rubbed me the wrong way:

These innovators make it easy for us to integrate environmental awareness into our lives. They understand that while so many of us are concerned about the environment, we don't always have the time, energy, or inclination to do something about it.

I only wish this was written in a less-than-serious voice. In my mind, if you don't have the "time, energy, or inclination" to do something about the environment, than you can hardly classify yourself as an environmentalist. You are looking to alleviate guilt for your conspicuous consumption, a culture of consumption that is devastating our planet. It's exactly the "culture of convenience" that's waging all-out war on our resources. Consider this passage from the chapter on cars:

There really is something for everyone–even those who drive Hummers, the most colossal of all urban assault vehicles…By offsetting the carbon dioxide emissions spewing from your car's tailpipe, TerraPass offers Hummer drivers eco-salvation.

Eco-salvation for Hummer drivers? A little too, oh, oxymoronic, for my tastes. Lazy is definitely geared towards a more high-end clientele, despite it's mention of Wal-Mart as an organic clothing retailer (Yeah, I know what you are thinking…I can't trust them quite yet, either).

Stepping off of my soapbox, for those of us who do have time, energy, and inclination to do something to lighten our footprint still have to buy goods and services, and Lazy provides a well-laid, well-written plan to finding greener versions of those goods and services. If you have to spend money, you might as well spend it on more sustainable products, right?

There are 22 chapters focusing on different products and services, from home furnishing to energy providers to media outlets (what, no shout out for Green Options?) Each chapter begins with a narrative insight into what practices these eco-companies are establishing to go green, then lists several companies, along with their websites and a brief description of what their business does or produces. Reading about different design innovations companies are using was fascinating (BraveSpace's hollow bamboo tables, anyone?), and I'll definitely check out many of the websites listed. If I'm going to save the planet, though, I've got better things to do.

Is there a more eco-friendly way to package milk besides plastic jugs and gable-top cartons? A UK company seems to think so. Greenbottle is a new two-part milk packaging system that was recently test-piloted in Asda supermarkets during a one-week trial. The bottles quickly sold out.

Designed by Martin Myerscough from Framlingham, Suffolk, the bottle consists of a pulped recycled cardboard outer (think cardboard egg cartons) and a corn-based bioplastic bag liner. After the milk is gone, the bioplastic bag can be removed and composted, and the outer shell can be recycled or composted.

The UK produces over 3 million metric tons of plastic waste each year, of which only 7% is recycled. The vast majority of plastic ends up in landfills.

During the test run, the milk in Greenbottle's jugs cost the same as milk in traditional containers, although the packaging cost the company 30% more to produce, although they expect that margin to drop significantly as the packaging's distribution expands.