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.

The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education announced on Friday four Campus Sustainability Leadership Awards in four different categories. Two other schools were named honorable mention. The awards were given during the 7th biennial Greening of the Campus conference held at Ball State University.

Chandler-Gilbert Community College (Chandler, AZ) won in the community college and other two-year institutions category. Green Mountain College (Poultney, VT) won in the four-year and graduate institution (under 1,000 students) category. Middlebury College (Middlebury, VT) won in the four-year and graduate institution (1,000-7,500 students) category. Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI) won in the four-year and graduate institution (over 7,500 students) category.

Chandler-Gilbert’s president, Maria Hesse, was one of the first presidents to sign the American College & University President’s Climate Committment. The College is part of a city-wide system that uses reclaimed water for irrigation. Two of Chandler-Gilbert’s campuses use energy management systems to ensure energy efficiency, and all new buildings will be built according to LEED standards.

For Green Mountain College, the environment and sustainability are unifying themes on campus. Environmental awareness is infused into every aspect of the curriculum, and all students must take courses in sustainability. Students installed a wind turbine to power the campus greenhouse and solar panels on the student center. The remaining energy needs are met partially by electricity generated from methane from local dairy cow manure.

Middlebury College has pledged to become climate-neutral by the year 2016. Bill McKibben is a scholar-in-residence there, and Step It Up 2007 was largely organized by Middlebury alumni. 25% of Middlebury’s dining budget goes towards locally grown and produced food, and the college recycles 60% of its waste. The campus uses solar and wind-generated power for portions of its energy needs, and has an Environmental Council, a committee of students, staff, and faculty, that advises the president of the college on sustainability policies.

Michigan State University has been a leader in large campus sustainability by committing to a 2% annual reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, along with meeting LEED standards for all new buildings on campus. MSU has an extensive recycling program, sustainability speakers, and funds student-designed sustainability projects. It even hosts a green roofs research program. One look around their extensive "Ecofoot" website tells you that this is a campus that takes its sustainability seriously.

Honorable mentions were awarded to Evergreen State College (Olympia, WA) and University of California, Berkeley.

The college years are an exciting transitional time for young people. Many are off on their own for the first time, and they’re faced with responsibility for their own actions and their own well-being. For some teens, college is the first time they experience autonomy, and the variety of choices they’re faced with can be overwhelming, and the pressure of making green choices might just be too much to handle. There are, however, five simple choices they can make in their transition into adulthood that can easily lessen their footprint while in college.

• Walk. Almost all college campuses are designed to be walker-friendly. This might be the easiest time to get rid of your car. However, if being completely car-free isn’t an option, park it and leave it. Campus parking is notoriously frustrating, and keeping your car parked in a lot is a lot easier than futilely circling said lot. Use your feet, a bike, or campus transportation to get from your dorm to class to the library. If your school is in a larger city, most public transit systems offer student discounts on monthly, semester-long, or yearly passes.
• Eat greener. Dining halls have come a long way. Now, they’re catering to student demands, and the variety of food choices is endless. Choosing a diet based in whole-grains, fruits and vegetables, and lean proteins from plants sources, such as beans and nuts, will not only reduce your carbon footprint, but will help fight off the dreaded freshman 15. Many dining halls are getting with the program and offering a wider-variety of meat-free entrees, and partnering with local farms to offer organic and local produce. If yours doesn’t, take advantage of those student dining surveys to express a preference for local, organic, and fair-trade food choices.
• Choose green cleaning products. Hopefully, most college kids helped out around the house at home, but those same kids probably didn’t have a lot of input as to the cleaning products they used. When cleaning in their dorms, whether it be the bathroom, their room, or their laundry, choosing biodegradable cleaning products keeps petroleum use to a minimum and minimizes toxins in their environment. Check out products from Mrs. Meyer’s, Method, Seventh Generation, or make your own.
• Recycle. With the push in the higher-ed community to go green, recycling may be more convenient on college campuses than it is in the general community. "Trash rooms" in dorms, where students dispose of their garbage, almost always have recycling bins for cardboard, plastic, glass, cans, and paper. Furnishing a dorm room with two separate receptacles, one for trash and one for recyclables, makes disposal a breeze.
• Reuse. College students are notorious for tossing away perfectly good stuff. Ever driven by dorms and off-campus housing at the end of the semester? You’ll find furniture, lamps, and appliances that students just don’t want to move. Consider used items when looking for college gear. Check out Gigoit, Craigslist, or Freecycle for free-to-dirt-cheap dorm room essentials. Conversely, use those same networking sites if you absolutely, positively, have to get rid of your old futon. Keeping functional items in use by someone keeps them out of the landfill. The same goes for clothes. One of my favorite thrift spots is located near a college where seemingly-affluent young women sell their perfectly good jeans–at a fraction of what it would cost me retail.

Students make big changes when they take the step from high school to college. That makes this transition the perfect time to take small steps for a greener life.

I took the plunge and did something unthinkable here in the midwest: I got rid of my car, "Treehugger" bumper sticker and all.

Some of you in urban areas might be thinking, "Well, so what?" I can assure you that this is a radical act where I am from. I grew up in suburban Des Moines, where driving around in cars is what we did for fun on weekends in high school. Even though I live in the city of St Louis proper, it’s still pretty unheard of for middle-class folks to be voluntarily car-free.

(Disclaimer: I am car-free, my husband is not — well, at least, not on purpose). So we do have a car, I just won’t be driving it to work or anywhere else I can walk or take public transportation.)

Why would I do this? Aside from the environmental piece, which is what put the idea in my head in the first place, the easiest answer is because I can. The bus comes right to my corner and goes right to the school where I teach in about ten minutes time. When the heat subsides, I can walk the work. That same bus will also take me to our local market, three farmers markets, a slew of bars and restaurants, a light-rail station (which will take me a plethora of places in and around the city, including the airport), downtown, Busch Stadium, my hairdresser, and several walkable neighborhoods with other businesses I patronize. Within a mile of my house, I can get books from the library, eat Mexican food or organic pasta, get a latte, buy yarn for my latest knitting project, pick up a pizza, drink beer, take my dog to the park, or pick up dry cleaning, and there’s always my bike for a longer jaunt.

In fact, anyone can easily see what goods and services are walkable from their home. Just go to GoogleMaps or Yahoo!Maps, and search for businesses, using your address as the "where" and "all" as the what. You can sort results by distance, and you might find some things you didn’t know were close to your home.

The other big (okay, HUGE) reason I sold my car is finances. I’m tired of a car payment, insurance, gas, maintenance, vehicle testing, personal property taxes, and the like. If I don’t need a car, why pay so much for one? A monthly bus pas costs $60, a fraction of my transportation costs with a car, and I can stow the extra money away for tuition, savings, or vacation (or maybe a sporty little scooter…) My mom would be proud of my financial foresight, and I’m not giving money away to the insurance company, the oil companies, and the State of Missouri.

I know it’s not going to be sunshine and rainbows. I’m used to picking up groceries right after school and being able to run errands on a whim. Now, those errands are going to take a little more planning. I’m sure my friends are thrilled that it’s now never my turn to drive anywhere, but they never liked being covered in dog hair from the backseat anyway.

Of course, I’m well aware that this plan isn’t for everyone: not everyone has access to public transportation, or lives in a pedestrian-friendly area. Heck, it might not be the plan for me in a year from now. But for right now, it was the right choice. If you think about it, it’s a little strange that, in order to get anywhere, many of us think we need a two-thousand pound hunk of metal surrounding us. Even so, it was hard to gather my courage and get rid of my trusty Focus and the convenience that comes with it. But I’m glad I did, and it’s been a strangely easy transition. Truth be told, I can’t believe I waited so long.

A few weeks ago, when I knew I was going to try to sell my car, I walked to school one morning to see how long it would take. I put a little Sleater-Kinney on my iPod, and set off. As I was walking across a bridge in my neighborhood, I looked down and saw this incredibly expansive, colorful graffiti lining the culvert below. The only way anyone could see this urban artwork would be by climbing down into the culvert or by walking over the bridge. I smiled to myself, knowing I would have never seen this in my car. I can only hope that I have more moments like this in my new car-free life.

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.

Bill McKibben's highly successful Step It Up campaign may have overshadowed the release of his latest book Deep Economy, which probably overshadowed the recent paperback re-release of one of McKibben's earlier books, 1995's Hope, Human and Wild: True Stories of Living Lightly on the Earth. Luckily, this second edition of Hope (Milkweed Editions), largely in part because of a new afterword by McKibben, remains relevant, and, like its title says, hopeful.

The book discusses, in four sections, pockets of civilization that can give us hope for sustainable communities and environments. McKibben starts with arguably the driest section, chronicling the regrowth of wildlife in New England despite our best efforts to completely destroy it. Although the most tedious of the book, I found this section full of promise because it reminded me that in our quest to "save the environment", we are really saving humanity: the earth will continue to bounce back long after we're gone.

The second two sections discuss two local solutions to global problems in the communities of Curitiba, Brazil and Kerala, India. In the first, ambitious city planners in Curitiba use practical, yet ingenious solutions to the city's problems to create a sustainable city where people's desires are met, no matter what their income, and residents feel a strong sense of community. For example, Curitiba's favelas, or slums, were constantly overwhelmed with trash piling up. Local officials started a program where residents of the favelas could exchange bags of gathered trash for equal-weight bags of food purchased, by the city, from local farmers who had a surplus. A model public-transportation system, based on buses owned by private companies, but with fares and routes dictated by the city, had, in twenty years, grown from 25,000 riders per day, to 1.5 million. City planners changed much of the downtown business district into pedestrian-only areas.

Kerala's story was different, but no less remarkable. In a region where people survived on, at the time of first publication, $330 per year, life expectancies were equal to those of Americans, there was virtually 100% literacy, and education was a community priority, for adults and children alike. Keralites have been able to avoid the abject poverty that pervades much India, due to their leaders committing to putting people first, and breaking down socioeconomic barriers such as race, class, and gender through community commitment to problem solving.

The stories of these communities are so completely intriguing, mainly because of their innovative, yet practical approaches to solving problems that also plague us here in America. It indicated to me the glaring ethnocentrism that we sometimes demonstrate when it comes to looking outside our own country for answers to problems.

The final original section of the book covers McKibben's reflections on the first three, although I found the afterword much more fascinating, as McKibben reflects on the original text ten years later. Were Curitiba and Kerala able to sustain the successes they had achieved? How have NAFTA, the WTO, and 9/11 affected sustainability? Are we doomed, or does hope still exist? McKibben doesn't have all the answers, but I was left with hope that those answers are out there, waiting for us to discover them.

Many of us remember turning 16, getting our driver's license, and feeling that freedom of being able to get to wherever we wanted. I was a lucky one: my parents bought me a car right off the bat. However, that car was not exactly, oh, a Prius. My '84 Cutlass Ciera (with sweet whitewall tires and a Grateful Dead sticker) guzzled gas, but at less than a buck a gallon in '96, even on my restaurant hostessing paycheck, it was a small price to pay for freedom.

Kids today aren't much different, even if the world is. Gas is at least twice that, cars that kids want are, by and large, much bigger (anyone see the six-door Hummer on MTV's My Super Sweet Sixteen? Oh, me neither…), and global warming is looming much larger, but kids still want that freedom, and, if they are lucky, they'll still get to drive. So how do I get my kids to at least drive responsibly?

We start off by watching An Inconvenient Truth. This film kicks off our study of energy. Straightaway, the kids understand that transportation by fossil fuel has consequences for our communities and environment. Then, students list five cars, including their make, model, and year: either their own car, if they have one, or the car of a parent or friend; their dream car; a car they will realistically be driving in five years; an SUV; and a hybrid of their choice. Using FuelEconomy.gov, kids record both the city and highway estimated miles per gallon for their chosen cars. Then, using prices seen at the gas station across the street from our school, students calculate both weekly and yearly fuel costs for each vehicle, based on 300, 200, or 100 miles of driving per week. When students, particularly those who pay for their own gas, see the drastic differences between SUVs and smaller cars, particularly hybrids, they are shocked. The totals can vary by thousands of dollars.

Where do we go from there? First, I encourage kids to simply drive less. Our district is small–most kids can walk, bike, or take the school bus. Our community's recently-rejuvenated downtown area is just down the street from our school. There are city bus stops and a light-rail stop within two blocks, and we look at where public transportation can take us (they also get a kick out of seeing me on my bike in the morning or waiting for the bus.) Beyond that, we look at tips from 365 Ways to Save Gas by Ron Weiers, which outlines driving habits, maintenance tips, and good habits that help save gas (and is a great continuation if you loved Rebecca's auto-themed Tip o' the Days.) Hopefully, this allows students to think before and during driving, which will benefit their wallets and our world.