No More Throw Away Fashion

Are you all for the idea of buying used clothing but finding that your local thrift store is not high fashion enough for your taste? Check out WhatsMineIsYours.com, a swap Web site that feautures stylish, high fashion items. Unfortunately for all of us on this side of the lake, it's a British site. It was founded in 2004 by fashionista, stylist and personal shopper Judy Berger. Berger says she is interested in the journey of an item. Her site has made fashion more available and less wasteful. Sounds good to me!

What is a carbon footprint, anyway?

Carbon offsets, carbon footprints, ecological footprints...it's enough to make your head spin! So, wondering what a carbon footprint really is? Check out Treehugger's "Green Basics" explanation. Then follow the links to calculate your own carbon footprint!

How Many Times Do You See the Word 'Green' In This Installment of Eco-Smart News Clips???

• News Items are bulleted

>> New resources are marked with an arrow

Consumer News Articles Posted in the Last Few Weeks Include:

Energy

• Currituck Eyes Wind Turbine Ordinance
• Cities Jump On Hybrid Buses
• Power, Politics & Poultry: Are Litter Plants Worth Trade-Off For Energy?
• Coalition Plugs Electric Car Goals
• South Carolina Is a Battleground In the Debate Over America’s Coal Future
• Wind Power Growth Gusts Strongly In USA In 2007
• TREV (Two-Seater Renewable Energy Vehicle)
• Currituck County Commissioners OK Ordinance Regulating Wind Turbines
• Finally. Biofuels Crank Up In N.C.
• UN Warns of Biofuels’ Environmental Risk
• Coal-Fired Plant OK’d
• A Sustainable Superbowl
• Turbines Sprout As Wind Power Draws Attention In N.C.

Waste

• Whole Foods Sacks Plastic Bags
• More Stores Offer Alternatives to Plastic Bags
• Restaurant Owners Explore Recycling Options
• A Bagging Problem
• TVs Dump Lead In Landfills

House

• Household Products Are Going Green
• New Home Store Sells Green Supplies To Locals

Green Development
>> The Blue Green Alliance

• Green Subdivision In Fletcher May Be Wave of the Future
• Slow But Steady Gains In Raleigh’s ‘Green’ Goals
• Architects Design a Green Headquarters
• Home Builders Bet ‘Green’ Will Sell
• Triangle Home Builders Go Green
• Architecture Grad Goes ‘Green’
• Sustainability Scorecard Shows Green Business Has a Long Way To Go
• Choosing Green Building Materials Can Be Tricky
• ‘Green-Collar Jobs’ Increasing

Global

• UNC Joins Global Warming Teach-In
• Warmer Atlantic Worsens Hurricanes

Food

• High Levels of Mercury Found In Seafood
• Oyster Shell Recycling Looking To Expand

Personal

• Heat Causes Chemical To Leach From Plastic
• Tests On Babies Find Suspect Chemicals
• Plastic Bottles Release Potentially Harmful Chemicals (Bisphenol A) After Contact With Hot Liquids

Water

• Wastewater Could Aid Parched Raleigh YardsDrought Could Force Nuclear Plants To Shut Down

Hydrate Carefully

We've all heard the criticisms that bottled water is a needlessly wasteful product. Many consumers concerned with the health of themselves and the environment are drinking their water out of reusable containers. Unfortunately, there are dangers lurking there as well. Polycarbonate water bottles (like Nalgene) release small amounts of Bisphenol A (BPA), an estrogen-like chemical. Makers of water bottles have long-claimed that the levels were safe, but a growing number of scientists are beginning to have their doubts. Studies have shown BPA to have negative impacts in animal studies, and the human health concerns include increased cancer risks, reduced fertility and childhood behavioral problems. In a recent study, University of Cincinnati scientists tested both old and new polycarbonate water bottles exposed to boiling water. Their results showed BPA being released as 55 times the normal room temperature rate. BPA is not a rare chemical, either. Besides water bottles, it is found in many baby bottles, the epoxy resins lining most tin cans and dental fillings. Some retailers, such as Mountain Equipment Co-op of Canada, have actually chosen to pull their polycarbonate water bottles from their shelves until more conclusive research is done. Don't give up yet on your quest to remain hydrated. Companies are already coming up with alternatives, like CamelBak, which is now offering a new BPA-free water bottle. Drink responsibly!

Land of Greenwash Confusion

Check out the MSNBC special on greenwashing featuring Grist's Katharine Wroth. Find out why "green" and "natural" might not be very reliable buzz words to go by. According to Katharine, labels that do have meaning behind them include USDA Organic, EnergyStar, Green Seal Certified and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council). There are also several reliable Web sites suggested for more information that won't try and pull the green wool over your eyes. These include GreenerCars.org, the Responsible Purchasing Network and the Cosmetics Database. If nothing else, you get to hear a clip of the Genesis classic Land of Confusion. Check it out!