From Fashionista Meteorologists to Green Racetracks - It's Eco-Smart News Clips!

Be Smart. Buy Smart. Know Your Choices!

The Office of Environmental Education's Informed Consumer Initiative seeks to highlight some of the issues surrounding our consumer choices. The information and resources provided are not meant to advocate for any particular choice, but rather to let folks know what choices are out there and the costs and benefits associated with them.

Topics covered include: Food, Lawn & Garden, Energy, Water, Waste, Household Products, Personal Products, Product Distribution, Green Development, Farm News, Recreation and Global Climate. On our Web site, current new articles relevant to North Carolina are posted so that you can continue to be an Informed Consumer!

. News Items are bulleted

>> New resources are marked with an arrow

Consumer News Articles Posted in the Last Few Weeks Include:

Global Climate
. Bill Moves Ahead On Global Warming
. Earth's Tropical Waistline Grows Wider
. 2007 Set to Be Sixth Warmest Year On Record
. Meteorologists Shape Fashion Trends
. WWF Says Warming Puts Amazon At Risk
. An Interview With State Climatologist Ryan Boyles
. Simple Numbers to Shape Climate Talks
. This Year Among Warmest On Record
. 2007 Melts Arctic Ice Records
. Bali Forum Backs Climate 'Road Map'

Energy
. First NC Ethanol Plant Breaks Ground In Hoke County
. Stanly Considered For New Poultry-Litter Power Plant
. Red Tape Stalls Effort to Sell Ethanol
. Think' Solar: Arby's to Use Renewable Energy
. Jewish Holiday Shines Light On the Environment
. Discount Triggers Hot Sales of Energy-Saving Light Bulbs
. Winter-Proof to Save Planet, Purse
. Goals for Fuel-Efficiency Advance
. 'Green' Gifts From Watt-Killer to Zipcar
. Rockefeller Chriwstmas Tree Gets Green Makeover
. Google Plans Renewable Energy Push
. Biodiesel Bus Rolls Onto WHS Campus
. Greensboro Company Gets 1,052 Orders for Hybrid Buses
. Ethanol Craze Worsens Gulf 'Dead Zone'
. Pioneers Blaze Trail for LEDs
. Seal Up Your Home for Winter Weather
. Senate Approves Fuel Economy Increase For Cars, SUVs
. Company Turns to Sun for Power
. Geothermal Systems Get the EPA's Praise
. Congress Approves Sweeping Energy Bill

Food
. Bacteria Stays a Step Ahead of Meat Processors
. Proposed Ban on Genetically-Modified Corn in Europe
. GreenChill Advanced Refrigeration Partnership
. Report: Drought Cuts $573 Million From Agriculture Economy
. Salmon Farming May Hurt Wild Fish

Waste
. Ashtrays Help Keep Litter Off the Streets
. Plastic Grocery Bags Rarely Recycled
. NC Officials Wish Residents An Eco-Friendly Holiday

Personal
. The Dirt On Antibacterial Soaps
. Minnesota to Ban Mercury in Beauty Products

House
>> Greener Computing
. Toxins In the Home: Indoor Air Can Be Polluted Too
. Sears, Kmart to Remove Products With Polyvinyl Chloride

Water
. La Nina Suggests NC to Endure Lingering Drought Through Winter
. New Generation of Toilets Do the Job
. Durham Leaders Tap New Ideas for Providing Water
. Communities Under Pressure to Find Ways to Continue to Conserve Water
. Barrels Ready to Catch Water
. Rainwater Collection Gaining In Popularity

GrEEn Development
. Gaston Green Efforts Pay Off
. Group Working to Build 'Green' Racetrack
. 'Green-Collar' Work Could Add Jobs Locally
. County Plants Seeds for 'Green Business'
. Grandfather Goes Green
. $9.8 Million Visitor Center Opens Along Blue Ridge Parkway
. Experiment in Green Building Goes Undercover In NC Home

Lawn & Garden
. Solar Greenhouse Provides Plants, Savings

RecrEEation
. Book Tells About 'Saving Magic Places'
. Trail Guide Gets An Update

General
. Eco-Friendly Product Claims Often Misleading

Christmas Tree Recycling

There are those who promote real trees and those who promote fake trees. There are those who wrap gifts in recycled paper and those who promote giving non-material gifts. One thing is for sure...there is no lack of folks sharing their opinions about the holidays and natural resources. What you do is up to you (after all, that is what environmental education is all about), but here is some help figuring out how to recycle that tree. Fake trees are by nature recyclable because you can use them year after year, but go to Earth 911 and put in your zip code to find out where there is Christmas tree recycling for real trees near you!

Guide to responsible consumption

Check out the Guide to Responsible Consumption video from the Worldwatch Institute!

From Toilet Makers to Walking Off Thanksgiving Dinner - It's Eco-Smart News Clips!

The Office of Environmental Education's Informed Consumer Initiative seeks to highlight some of the issues surrounding our consumer choices. The information and resources provided are not meant to advocate for any particular choice, but rather to let folks know what choices are out there and the costs and benefits associated with them.

Topics covered include: Food, Lawn & Garden, Energy, Water, Waste, Household Products, Personal Products, Product Distribution, Green Development, Farm News, Recreation and Global Climate. On our Web site, current new articles relevant to North Carolina are posted so that you can continue to be an Informed Consumer!

· News Items are bulleted
>> New resources are marked with an arrow

Consumer News Articles Posted in the Last Few Weeks Include...

Global Climate
>> Climate Classroom: What’s Up With Global Warming from the National Wildlife Federation
· Most Ready for ‘Green Sacrafices’
· Warming Worries Coastal Officials
· How Do You Ski If There Is No Snow?
· Warming Risks Are Real, Panel Warns
· Sea Level’s Rise to Bring Issues for N.C.
· U.N. Panel Gives Dire Warming Forecast
· Millions of Jobs At Risk From Climate Change: U.N.
· When Seas Rise, Who Owns Shoreline?

Energy
· Schools Brew Biodiesel Success Story
· Green Building: Staying Warm, Saving Energy Go Hand In Hand
· Solar Savings: Energy From the Sun Can Lead to Cheaper Utility Bills
· Switching to Renewable Energy, Conservation
· Only Cree’s LEDs Will Light Its Buildings
· Longer Daylight Time May Save Energy – But Stats Are Stale
· Government to Explore Coast’s Alternative Energy Sources
· Garbage Plus Gas Equals Green
· GE Hopes To Cut Mercury In ‘Green’ Light Bulbs
· In Farm Belt, Ethanol Plants Hit Resistance
· On Mileage, Car Makers Offer a Hybrid Message
· Chevy Hybrid SUV Wins ‘Green Car of Year’
· Alternative Fuels’ Future Debated· LEDs Gaining Allure

Food
· The Greening of Thanksgiving
· Battle Over ‘Natural’ Food Designation
· Target Seeks to Label Treated Meat
· Organic Produce ‘Better for You’
· Pa. Bans Hormone-Free Milk Labels
· In Eco-Friendly Factory, Low-Guilt Potato Chips
· USDA Revokes OK For Tyson Chicken Labels

Waste
· IBM Can Recycle Microchip Scraps
· Turning Trash Into Treasure
· Businesses In a Bind Over Recycling Bottles
· Recycling Cuts Arena’s Waste Stream
· U.S. Electronic Waste Ending Up As a Danger Overseas
· Freecycle Computers Get a Second Chance

Personal
· Study: Chemicals From Household Plastics Found In Volunteers’ Blood
· Target Will Reduce PVC Use
· Don’t Flush Leftover Meds – Mix With Kitty Litter
· Alternative Funeral Services Include Cremation and Green or Natural Burial

House
· Sustainability In the Global Paint Industry – Performance Technology That Is Also Better for the Environment
· FSC’s ‘Green’ Label for Wood Products Gets Growing Pains

Water
>> U.S. Drought Portal and the NC Drought Management Advisory Council
· Check Drought Status At New Site· Reuse of Water Often Illegal
· Drought Council: Water Supploes Could Be Tapped Out Next Year
· Drought Has Conservationists Scrambling To Get Hands On Rain Barrels
· Residents Get Creative While Conserving Water
· Recycling Water? It’s a Gray Area
· Waste Not Water: Toilet Makers Respond On Conservation

GrEEn Development
>> GreenBizGreenBiz is an information resource for how to align environmental responsibility with business success. It provides valuable news and resources to large and smallbusinesses through a combination of Web sites, workshops, daily news feeds, electronic newsletters, and briefing papers. These resources are free to all users.
· Build-Green Rebate Propsed
· Green Building: How Green Is Your Plumber and Your Plumbing System?
· Commissioners OK ‘Green’ High School Construction Method
· ‘Green Park’ May Be Model For State
· Lessons On Green Building Take Root
· ‘Green Roof’ Browns As Drought Drags On
· North Carolina Business Park Weighed For 2 Kinds of Green· Engineer’s Work Grows Greener Army

RecrEEation
· How To Get Fit and Save the Planet
· Weaving a Web of Trails
· How Do You Ski If There Is No Snow?
· Stay Fit With Parks and Rec
· Guidebooks Show Travelers How To Go Green
· Where to Walk Off Dinner

General
>> The Green Guide – “the green living source for today’s conscious consumer”
· Check out “Consumed” from American Public Media which asks if our consumer society issustainable
· Most Products’ Green Claims Exagerated, Study Finds
. What Happened to Thrift?