Home - JCPenney Simply Green Collection

When times are tough, we must all tighten our belts.

Perhaps reconsider the annual summer jaunt to the Riviera. Skip the pedicure when getting a manicure.

But shall we give up our environmental ideals and settle for non-green products? Never!

Relax. There's no need to get so emotional because JCPenney has introduced a complete line of amazingly affordable eco-friendly home and fashion products with its Simply Green collection.

The items in the Simply Green collection adhere to three basic principals:

1. Organic (grown without synethetic pesticides or fertilizers)
2. Renewable (at least 25% of the content from a source like bamboo or soy that regenerates at a rate equal or greater to the rate at which it is harvested)
3. Recycled (containing content left over from the production process or reclaimed after consumer use)

We had a chance to review some of the Simply Green home furnishings products first-hand:

• The 300 threadcount cotton and bamboo rayon blend sheets (on sale for $19.99 to $59.99) may not be quite as breathable as 100% cotton, but they have a sumptuous feel - particularly for the price. They haven't gone through the wash yet, but the build quality seems strong and durable.
  

• The 100% organic cotton woven blanket (on sale for $39.99 to $44.99) has a great summer weight, but we recommend washing it before use to remove any loose fibers. (Using the blanket on the couch before washing, we found that light-colored blanket + dark-colored pants = lots of visible fuzz.)

• The 100% organic cotton towel (on sale for $5.99 to $9.99) is a fantastic green value as far as we're concerned. Dries quickly, has an appealing soft texture and holds its color well (at least through initial washing). What's not to like?

Frankly, at these sale prices, all the green products listed above seem like excellent buys.

Where to buy:
Order online at JCPenney.com or at more than 1,000 JCPenney retail stores nationwide.

Transportation - Segway Personal Transporter i2 / x2

More than six years after inventor Dean Kamen unveiled his revolutionary Personal Transporter (PT) device, the Segway has not displaced cars from the road.

Perhaps it's not too surprising. Riding a Segway requires balance and finesse. It's more like dancing than the somewhat mindless activity of driving.

My sole Segway experience took place on a tour of Naples, Florida. Once I got the hang of it, directing a Segway this way and that simply by leaning your body and twisting a handlebar was pretty darn exhilarating.

In any case, Segway has definitely found niche market success. As mentioned above, tour guides use them to whisk people around cities from New Orleans to Budapest. Security personnel use them to gain height and mobility in parking lots, malls and airports.

If you haven't tried a Segway in the last couple of years, you might want to hop on one of the new i2 and x2 models released in 2006. The whole twist-handlebar-to-turn feature (the one I described above) has been phased out in favor of a more intuitive LeanSteer™ technology. Basically, you move the whole handlebar frame left or right to move in your desired direction.

Since Segways are zero-emission vehicles, they qualify as super green transportation choices. Of course, you still have to recharge the Segway's motors, gyroscopes and computers using electricity. Depending on where your electricity comes from, that could make the Segway a bit less greener transportation option, but you'll certainly create less pollution that a motorist or even a scooter driver. (Calculate your exact pollution savings using the Green Calculator on the Social Segway site...)

Before you run out and buy a Segway, keep in mind that laws on the use of Segways differ by state and even by community.

Still, if you have the money (models start at a smidge over $5000), the Segway could be a great option to reduce your use of cars and gasoline. (And with gas prices at stratospheric levels, you could be making back the money on a gas-free Segway in a hurry!)

Where to buy:
Find your closest Segway dealer from the worldwide network.

Kitchen and Bath - Price Pfister Ashfield WaterSense Faucet

From a green standpoint, the ideal faucet is the one that does the job (washes your hands and other objects) while using as little water as possible.

Ladies and gentlemen, we present a top contender for ideal green faucet: the Price Pfister Ashfield WaterSense model.

Water shortages are no laughing matter. In recent months, major U.S. cities like Atlanta have faced the specter of pipes running dry. Worldwide, rising populations are putting ever greater stress on fresh water supplies.

There are little water-saving tricks that can help conserve this most precious resource. Ever since Mrs. Symington's high school biology class, I've learned to turn off the water while I'm brushing my teeth, for instance. And I'm in awe of those who somehow manage to take 3 minute showers. (Personally I'm a 15-20 minute shower guy...)

Anyway, Price Pfister is making it easy for us to take a giant step toward water conservation. The beautiful trough design of the Ashfield faucet limits the faucet to a maximum of 1.5 gallons per minute (gpm) of water flow versus the 2.2 gpm industy standard. Despite cutting water volume by 30%, the faucet still promises not to compromise "the user's water experience."

Think the Ashfield trough would be out of place in your sleek modern home? Stay tuned for another Price Pfister faucet with the same water-saving advantages, but modern-inspired lines coming later this summer.

Meanwhile, if you want to save water without switching faucets, Price Pfister has Eco-Pfriendly™ aerators that can be added to existing faucets - saving up to 2,200 gallons of water per year by Price Pfister's calculations.

Note that the Ashfield faucet has EPA WaterSense certification.

Where to buy:
You can find the Price Pfister Ashfield WaterSense faucet nationwide at major home improvement retailers including Home Depot, Lowes and Menards.

Bath / Fashion - Eco-Friendly Selection at The Company Store

I have this crazy idea that eco-friendly products should be attractive, well-made and affordable.

Fortunately, it looks like The Company Store had the same idea.

You don't stay in business 90+ years unless you know a thing or two about what customers want. Turns out that The Company Store's customers want loads of great new eco-friendly items including organic cotton bedding, fun pillows made from recycled plastic bottles and handsome rugs made from jute (a rain-fed crop that Wikipedia says needs little fertilizer or pesticides).

Of course, as readers of 1GreenProduct know, we're kind of wild about bamboo these days. So we had to try The Company Store's affordable 70% bamboo / 30% cotton towels ($6-38). Color us impressed. The bamboo loops not only suck up water, they're pleasantly nubbly texture makes you feel like you're drying yourself with a teddy bear.

We also checked out the 96% bamboo knit loungewear. Our verdict? This super-soft and breathable body-hugging fabric is so comfortable that you may not want to get out bed and get dressed. Both styles - chemise plus robe (sold separately, $29/$59) or knit tee and long pants (sold together, $49) - offer an appealing balance of femininity and functionality.

Style + function together? Now that's the kind of company we love to keep.

Where to buy:
Online at The Company Store website.

Fashion -- Undergear Soy and Bamboo Collections

Honestly, I never really thought of bamboo or soy as being particularly sexy.

When I thought of bamboo, I thought of pandas. Cute, yes. Sexy, er...

And as for soy, the first words that came to mind were 'tofu' and 'edamame'. Both quite tasty and healthy, but not exactly foods that get my pulse racing.

But several recent underwear collections available through Undergear.com show that both soy and bamboo can be very sexy indeed.

Both the bamboo-cotton blend in the Bamboo Report Collection and the 95% soy fiber content of the Tactics Soy Collection feel great next to the skin. Both collections provide a soft, stretchy and supportive fit. (If you like to wear undershirts outdoors as t-shirts, note that the Tactics Soy tee shirt is very body-hugging - suitable for only the most confident guys!)

So which collection is greener?

• Bamboo is generally considered a star plant in the green world. Some sources (Undergear included) call it 'the fastest regenerating plant on Earth'. Whether or not that's the case, it certainly does grow incredibly quickly - at certain times, bamboo shoots can grow 12 inches or more in a single day. An incredibly hardy plant, some people describe it almost as a weed since it often thrives without pesticides or much fertilizer and can be harvested without needing to be replanted. There are environmental concerns about the chemicals used to process bamboo into clothing fibers -- but apparently these solvents can be reused in order to minimize environmental damage.

• Soy fabric has been compared to cashmere for its luxurious feel and softness, with the advantageous difference that you can throw soy clothing into the washing machine. Some sites describe soy fiber as being a byproduct of soybean oil production. It's exciting to think that clothing this comfy can actually come from materials that would otherwise go to waste. According to the Salts Organic blog, soy clothing also has natural antibacterial and UV radiation protection and moisture absorption (highly desirably in close-fitting underwear) properties.

Frankly, both bamboo and soy based clothes seem like good green options. Which underwear you choose may come down to preference based on style or color. Personally, I loved the Report Bamboo Trunk - incredibly soft, supportive, comfortable and came through the washing and drying in our building's industrial-strength laundry room with flying colors. Then again, the Tactics Soy Trunk feels great too with a flattering fit and nice details like gently curving seams on the sides.

Soy or bamboo? The green choice is yours.

Where to buy:
Online at Undergear.com for $11.99 to $24 each. The Tactics Soy brief is currently on sale (in limited sizes) for just $6.97.

Kitchen and Bath -- GreenPan Cookware

I have to say I'd be pretty offended if someone told me that I was a pot calling the kettle black (i.e. a hypocrite).

But if someone wanted to call me a GreenPan™, well I'd be mighty flattered.

Maybe because GreenPan Cookware stays cool under pressure thanks to its patented ceramic-based Thermolon™ non-stick coating.

Most non-stick pans are coated with a coated with a compound known as PTFE. But PTFE-coated nonstick pans have several drawbacks. First, the nonstick coating tends to melt and give off harmful fumes around 500 degrees Fahrenheit. There are numerous reports on the Internet about the fumes killing birds, but even in people the PTFE fumes may have at least temporarily harmful effects.

Second, the manufacture of PTFE involves another chemical compound abbreviated as PFOA. The Environmental Protection Agency has begun working with manufacturers to phase out the use of PFOA based on the fact that the chemical seems to persist in the environment - not to mention the bloodsteam of the general population.

GreenPan says that Thermolon contains no PTFE and that the process of making Thermolon requires no PFOA and produces less CO2 than the process of making PTFE.

Now I do have to admit that I have cooked with PTFE-coated nonstick pans for years. I love the fact that I can fry something and not leave half my meal stuck to the pan.

But I've also worried about the coating on the pans. In particular, I noticed that in cleaning the nonstick pans, I'd inevitably leave scratches. I feared that bits of nonstick coating might end up in my food (though presumably at least they wouldn't stick to my intestinal tract if I did swallow anything).

Anyway, I had just thrown away an old, scratched-up nonstick pan when I got the chance to test the GreenPan frying pan. So far, I have to say that it has exceeded all my expectations. If you thought nonstick pans were slippery, you'll be blown away by the low friction quotient inside the GreenPan.

I used to add a dollop of olive oil to my old nonstick pans for good measure, but I'd still suffer a bit of stickiness, especially say if a bit of fried egg splashed onto the un-oiled side of the pan during the egg-breaking process.

With GreenPan, I skipped the olive oil and still slid my fried egg out as easy as pie.

Other fun attributes of the GreenPan include the fact that the pan is oven and stovetop safe up to 850 degrees Fahrenheit.

GreenPan claims to be more scratch and abrasion resistant than the old PTFE-coated nonstick pans. It's still early in the game, but I'm inclined to believe this claim is true based on the look and feel of the Thermolon coating. Plus since nothing sticks to the pan, I don't even use the rough side of my sponge - making scratches highly unlikely if not impossible.

So far, the GreenPan's claims of even heat conductivity also seem to hold water, not to mention fried eggs.

I'm slightly more leery of two other GreenPan advanced performance claims. The 'heat-resistant' stainless steel handle gets a bit warm to the touch for my tastes, but then I'm used to cooking with handles coated in plastic or silicone. If GreenPan had gone that route, it would have probably invalidated the whole 850-degrees heat resistance benefit.

GreenPan also touts the pan as lightweight. Again, I feel like some of the PTFE-coated nonstick pans I've used in the past are a bit lighter, but the heft of the GreenPan doesn't bother me. In fact, it makes the pan feel solid and meant to last.

GreenPan says its pan is dishwasher safe, but since not much food sticks to the pan, I'm perfectly happy to give it a quick rinse and soft sponge bath in the sink.

Though I only tried one frying pan, GreenPan does make several different varieties of frying pans and sauce pans. You can find GreenPan products online at HSN and at other fine retailers starting this summer.

Home - Shark Steam Mop

I think that Asian cultures have the right idea when it comes to removing your shoes before entering a home or sacred place.

Heck, I don't even want to think about what's touched the sidewalks outside my Brooklyn apartment building, much less track any outdoor filth onto my hardwood floors.

But even walking around in socks doesn't keep the floors from getting dirty. For years, I've struggled with the best way to clean hardwoods. Murphy® Oil Soap plus mop and bucket? Dust mop? Vacuum cleaner? Or scrubbing away on hands and knees with paper towels and spot cleaner?

Whichever path I chose usually either left a mess or failed to convince me that I had really gotten the floor much cleaner. Less dusty perhaps, but really clean?

So I decided to give the Shark® Steam Mop a try. Designed to work without any cleaning products, the Steam Mop turns ordinary tap water into steam (naturally) to loosen dirt.

The dirt then gets locked onto an absorbent, reusable, machine-washable microfiber pad. The steam dries instantly, leaving behind drier, cleaner floors, free of detergent residue.

I like the fact that you don't need to use any cleaning products with the Shark Steam Mop. The steam does a good job of loosening most stains from tile and other hard surfaces, but I did worry about whether the steam was really that good for my hardwood parquet floors.

Also, there were some really stubborn stains that I had to go back and clean with a paper towel, some natural cleaning solution and good old-fashioned elbow grease.

I'm also a bit leery of the washable microfiber pad. On the one hand, it's great to cut down on disposable products, but do you really want to throw a pad with accumulated dirt from the floor into the wash with your clothes? And if you decide to wash the pads separately, then you have to use all that electricity and water of a washing machine cycle just to to clean the pads.

In conclusion, I'd recommend the Shark Steam Mop for occasional use when you really need to do some deep cleaning. The rest of the time, sweeping the floor with a broom and following that with a dust mop will probably give you the greenest cleaning results.

(By the way, here's a great forum/discussion on getting the most out of the Shark Steam Mop. Notice that some people complain about the pads getting dirty, but to me (and to others on the forum) that's one of the major strengths of the Shark Steam Mop. It really does lift dirt and grime that other cleaners miss...)

Where to buy:
Online at www.sharksteammop.com or Amazon.
Offline at fine retailers nationwide including Target and Linens 'n Things.

Fashion -- Quiksilver "Slightly Choppy" Boardshort

I've never actually been surfing, but I admire the artistry, physical skill, courage and general coolness of surfers. Surfers get their thrills from nature without ripping up the landscape. Waves crash and reform. Surfers leave no tracks.

Even non-surfers can look the part in the new special edition men's "Slightly Choppy" boardshort from Quiksilver. Developed in collaboration with the Surfrider Foundation using artwork by Quiksilver designer Scott Richards, the "Slightly Choppy" boardshort features exuberant graphics printed on 100% organic cotton.

If you've never worn Quiksilver boardshorts before, prepare to be impressed with the design details, particularly the stretchy neoprene fly.

Founded back by two young American surfers back in 1976, Quiksilver has grown into a global brand popular among wave riders worldwide. So it's fitting that Quiksilver will donate a percentage of the "Slightly Choppy" boardshort sales price to help the Surfrider Foundation fulfill its mission of protecting and conserving the world's oceans, waves and beaches.

You can find the "Slightly Choppy" boardshort in Quiksilver stores nationwide, or from online retailers like Hansensurf.com and Swell.

Have a great weekend! See ya Monday...

Kitchen and Bath -- Green Works Cleaners

I grew up in the 1970's and 80's when Clorox meant bleaching your clothes until the whites were blindingly, spotlessly, unarguably clean.

(Once Mama got the magic of Clorox 2 detergent, stains didn't stand a chance on colored clothes either.)

So anyone needing proof of the fact that green has gone mainstream need look no further than Clorox's new line of Green Works™ cleaning products.

The first new Clorox product line Clorox in 20 years, Green Works cleaners come in five varieties: All-Purpose, Glass and Surface, Bathroom, Dilutable and Toilet Bowl. (Technically, you could argue than an 'all-purpose' cleaner eliminates the need for the other four types...)

In any case, all four cleaners contain a minimum of 99 percent natural ingredients, with coconut derivatives and lemon oil playing starring roles.

The rest of the ingredient list is pretty short. A little corn-based ethonol here, a splash of filtered water there and some biodegradable preservative for good measure. No phosphorus, no bleach, no animal testing, plus a non-allergenic formula and an easily recyclable PETE (1) plastic container.

But here's the real kicker. In a blind test among 200 consumers, Clorox says its Green Works product line performed just as well or better than conventional cleaning products.

My own (non-blind) test at home yielded just as impressive results. Not only did the Green Works All-Purpose cleaner make short work of burnt-on stovetop gunk, it did so without giving me a headache or making me lightheaded like some of the traditional chemical cleaning products I've used over the years.

In a (coco)nutshell, Green Works gets the job done with cleaner, greener ingredients. That's why Green Works carries the EPA's Design for the Environment (DfE) certification. It also explains why the Sierra Club, one of the most respected environmental organizations in the country, agreed to form a partnership with Green Works. You'll find the Sierra Club logo on Green Works bottles, a sign of the brand's financial commitment to supporting the Sierra Club's conservation efforts.

You shouldn't have too much trouble finding Green Works at a store near you. Clorox says the products are available at some 24,000 mainstream retail stores in the U.S. and Canada.

Prefer to shop online? You can find Green Works at etailers like Drugstore.com and Ace Hardware Outlet.

Technology - Greening the Magazine Scene

Even writers can have a love-hate relationship with magazines.

For as long as I can remember, I've loved getting a magazine in the mail and diving into stories that entertain, enlighten or transport me.

But these days, I also cringe at the environmental costs of producing a magazine and transporting it to my door. If only there were a way to get all the content - the layout, design, photographs, typeface, everything - without all that bit about tree-cutting, paper-bleaching, printing and mailing. (Not to mention the waste once we're finished reading. By one estimate, some 24 million magazines wind up in landfills every year.)

Actually, there is a way to get your magazines delivered over the Internet. A company called Zinio has developed a digital publishing service that currently delivers more than 20 million issues a year to 3.5 million customers around the world.

To be honest, I tried an early version of Zinio and was not overly impressed. Even with a fast cable Internet connection, I found myself frustrated with the process of digitally 'flipping' pages and zooming in on the articles I wanted to read.

The good news is that technology improves over time and the most recent version of Zinio seems to have gotten better, faster and more intuitive. To get a feel for the software, you can start by browsing one of the 100-plus classic books that Zinio has digitized and made freely available on its site.

(Students and their parents will also likely celebrate to find out that Zinio has partnered with McGraw-Hill to deliver digital textbooks for half the price of their printed counterparts. The software lets you digitally make notes and highlight sections of the text.)

If you enjoy using Zinio, you can subscribe to one of the hundreds of available magazines. (Hint - Turn on the 'Safe View' with one click on the upper right hand portion of the homepage if you'd rather not see advertisements for 'Mature' titles.)

Zinio gives you the option of reading your magazines online or downloading them to your computer to browse offline at your leisure with Zinio Reader software.

Want to go back and re-read a particularly interesting article. Zinio's "My Library" feature stores your most recent issues so you can reaccess them online or download them again. Eventually, Zinio hopes to make your entire archive of back issues available in the Library.

In other news, Zinio recently partnered with Barnes & Noble to sell digital subscriptions and back issues on BN.com at up to 90% off newstand prices.

Like most old folks (30+), I still like the tactile experience of holding a book or magazine in my hand. I like to take a magazine to the beach without worrying about getting sand in my CD drive. Or read in the bathtub without worrying about anything worse than the pages getting soggy.

You don't have to replace all your magazine subscriptions with Zinio, but it could be one tool in your arsenal for reducing mailbox clutter.

(PS - If you find yourself awash in a sea of unwanted catalogs, try registering with Catalog Choice to turn off the junk mail spigot.)

Food and Drink - A Crispy Candy for Cool Cats

My freshman year in college, I had a traditional midnight study snack of Snickers and Coke.

By my sophomore year, older and presumably more educated, I had switched to Häagen-Dazs and Sprite. (Hey, at least I cut out the caffeine!)

God only knows how I survived until graduation...

If I were a student these days, I like to think that I'd be smart enough to snack on something like Crispy Cat organic, vegan, kosher candy bars from Tree Huggin' Treats.

More likely to satisfy your sweet tooth than an average energy bar, Crispy Cat candy bars come come in three flavors - Mint Coconut, Roasted Peanut and Toasted Almond.

Opting to go the all natural route, Crispy Cats are preservative-free, dairy-free, gluten-free and free of GMOs. All the bars are packed with at least 70% organic ingredients, although exact percentages differ by flavor. All the bars are made in Canada and certified organic by Quality Assurance International. Mint Coconut wins props for having the most organic content (92%) and the most rockin' flavor in this reviewer's opinion.

FYI, VegNews magazine gaveTree Huggin' Treats its 2007 Veggie Award for Company of the Year and called 2007 'the year of the Crispy Cat'. But of course it's still OK to eat Crispy Cats in 2008...

You can find Crispy Cat at a wide variety of fine retailers including Whole Foods, Ingles or Wegmans. Alternatively, you can buy online from shops like Food Fight! or Pangea.

Office - The Green Writing on the Wall

Paper and pens are two of the most basic office tools, but while we've been recycling paper and using recycled paper for years, pens have mostly gotten left out of the recycling picture.

That's all changed with the release of Pilot Pen Corporation's new BeGreen line of earth-friendly writing instruments.

According to the nifty diagram on the BeGreen website, the pens are made from plastic scraps from other production processes. These scraps are collected, shredded, melted and made into the BeGreen pens. (Scraps from the BeGreen production line get thrown into the same pool of raw materials, closing the loop.)

All BeGreen pens contain at least 70% recycled plastic, but the green stars of the product line are clearly the BeGreen Precise V5 (89.2% recycled content), the VBall BeGreen (81.6% recycled content) and the G-Knock BeGreen (81.5% recycled content). Happily, most of the BeGreen pens can be refilled with black, blue or red ink when they run dry.

Personally, I like the precision of the V5. My handwriting is still pretty much illegible with the V5, but at least it's precisely illegible.

Naturally, BeGreen pens are sold in packaging made from recycled materials. You can find the BeGreen line at major office supply stores and national retailers including Office Depot, Office Max, Staples and Target.

With Pilot's BeGreen line, the pen is now greener than the sword. (Unless we're talking about recycled swords, which is a whole different story...)

Home - Do the (Micro-Mini) Twist

Chubby Checker made "The Twist" famous with his gyration-celebrating song in 1960, but the coolest twist today may be Osram Sylvania's new micro-mini Twist CFL (compact fluorescent light bulb).

True, "micro" and "mini" are often associated in men's minds with va-va-voom skirt styles, but in this case the words accurately describe a bulb 30 percent smaller than standard CFLs. (The illustration to the left shows a micro-mini alongside one of Sylvania's regular CFL bulbs.)

Like all CFLs, the Sylvania micro-mini Twist uses far less energy than an incandescent bulb. You would need a 60-watt incandescent bulb to get the same lighting power as a 13-watt micro-mini CFL.

In the case of CFLs, helping to save the planet with your lighting choices can save you a little money too, particularly as energy costs keep rising. Since CFLs generally have a longer lifespan than incandescent bulbs, Sylvania calculates that replacing the purchase and usage costs of 12 60-watt incandescent bulbs (1000 hours each) with one 13-watt CFL (12,000 hours) could save $56 over the long run.

Early generations of CFL bulbs often suffered from an annoying brief lag time between when a switch was flipped and the lamp came on. Newer CFLs like the micro-mini Twist now feature Instant-On technology so that the lag time (if it still exists) is unnoticeable. And thanks to its 'Soft White' coating, the light quality of the micro-mini Twist seems comparable to that of an incandescent.

Why buy a Sylvania micro-mini CFL instead of any other CFL on the market? Well, perhaps you own a tiny lamp and need a bulb that fits? More generally, smaller usually equals better from an environmental perspective. Smaller bulbs require fewer raw materials than larger bulbs. So less size equals more environmental benefits.

One drawback to CFLs is that they contain the toxic compound mercury. Most CFLs contains around 5 milligrams of mercury (which Gaiam helpfully compares to the 500 milligrams of mercury typically contained in an old-fashioned thermometer). The smaller micro-mini Twist contains even less mercury - just 1.5 milligrams. Minimizing mercury helps us keep all from becoming Mad Hatters.

Of course, smaller products also requires less packaging. Sylvania has done a good job encasing the micro-mini Twist in 100% recycled paperboard.

Sylvania's micro-mini Twist CFLs come in 13, 20 and 23-watt versions designed respectively to replace 60, 75 and 100-watt incandescent bulbs. You can find 2-packs of the bulbs online at Amazon or offline at Lowe's or other hardware and grocery stores.

Transportation - Cattle Drive

If you drive a car, you're not only burning gasoline in your engine, you're probably also cleaning your car with harsh chemicals too.

But you do have an alternative. Green Earth Technologies has introduced a line of biodegradable automotive products including the G-Wash (tm) Car Wash, G-Glass (tm) Organic Glass Cleaner, G-Wheel (tm) Wheel Cleaner and G-Tire (tm) Ultimate Tire Shine.

(Note that G-Oil (tm) Engine Oil is actually for 2-cycle engines - i.e. motorcycles, snowmobiles, chain saws, lawn and garden equipment, not cars.)

Vegans might want to cover their eyes at this point. You see, Green Earth Technologies has managed to scrub petrochemicals from its cleaning product formulas by substituting a "bio-base" made from animal fat - in this case, beef tallow.

But it's not as if cows were bred to become car-cleaning products. A press representative for Green Earth Technologies explained that the cattle industry produces billions and billions of gallons of beef fat in the course of preparing America's steaks and burgers.

Rather than let this fat go to waste, Green Earth Technologies has figured out a proprietary way to repurpose the fat to remove grime and dirt from your car's undercarriage.

FYI, the Green Earth Technologies cleaners aren't completely made from BBQ drippings. Formulas differ for each of product, but the company has incorporated fancy nanotechnology as well as plant extracts, organic alcohol and other good-for-the-planet ingredients.

For people who wash their own cars, it's great to know that you can suds up your jalopy without worrying about turning your driveway into a Superfund site. Green Earth Technologies has a perfect four-zero National Fire Protection Association safety rating. That means products from Green Earth Technologies are certified non-toxic, non-flammable, unreactive with other chemicals and safe on the environment.

Not yet satisfied with Green Earth Technologies' eco-commitment? How about this: labels on all bottles are printed using soy inks on biodegradable paper. G-Wheel bottles are made from recycled milk jugs, and all Green Earth Technologies bottles are fully recyclable.

You can find the Green Earth Technologies products online at Amazon.com, or offline at National Auto and select ACE True Value locations.

Fashion - An Organic, Sun-Blocking Swoosh

I'm not a big beach person.

I like the waves, the sand and the swimsuits, but the UV radiation doesn't like me.

As a blond hair, green eyes kind of guy, my skin goes straight from 'pale' to 'toast'. That's why I slather on the sunblock and cover up in the summertime.

But according to The Skin Cancer Foundation, a typical white t-shirt offers a UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) of just 7 -- meaning that 1/7 of the sun's UV radiation sneaks through the t-shirt and batters your epidermis.

Fortunately, Nike ACG (All Conditions Gear) has come out with a line of men and women's tops treated to provide UPF 30. That means the shirts should block nearly 97% of the sun's ultraviolet radiation.

(One note of caution a la Gremlins - never wear your t-shirt wet if you want maximum UV protection. The Skin Cancer Foundation says that wet t-shirts provide only half the UV shielding of their dry counterparts.)

Here's news that green product lovers will appreciate even more. These Nike ACG tops not only provide sun protection, they're also made from 100% certified organic cotton -- meaning no synthetic pesticides or fertilizers were used to grow the raw materials for the shirts.

Whether it's the organic cotton or the UV protective treatment, these shirts feel silky soft and great to the touch. Build quality looks good for all the styles - versatile polos and t-shirts for men, tanks, more feminine polos, and henley shirts for the ladies.

Because these shirts are the result of an exclusive partnership between Nike ACG and Dick's Sporting Goods, you can only buy these items online at www.DicksSportingGoods.com or at Dick's retail stores around the country. (You may find more styles and choices in stores than online...)

Food and Drink - Can a Bottled Water be Green?

Indoor plumbing is a fantastic thing -- turn on the tap in most any home in America and water gushes forth. I'm among those who believe we should use this essentially free resource as our main source of drinking water.

But suppose you've got a bottled water habit. Or perhaps you're going on a picnic or a long car trip and want a non-carbonated, unsweetened, zero calorie, zero fat, zero carbohydrate, zero sodium beverage along for the ride.

In that case, Primo water might just fit the bill. The Primo Water Corporation claims that it's beverage is 99.99% pure and that 3 out of 4 consumers preferred the taste of Primo bottled water over both municipal water and other bottled waters in blind taste tests involving thousands of participants.

(Primo attributes its taste advantage to the blend of minerals - calcium chloride, magnesium sulfate, sodium bicarbonate - it adds to the water. I'm no water connoisseur, but I do have to admit that Primo sells some pretty smooth and refreshing aqua.)

But what really got our attention was Primo's packaging. As the package says, Primo is an "American Grown Bottle - made from corn, not crude oil." According to the manufacturers, Primo water is the "first nationally available bottled water whose bottle is made from plants."

While nearly all plastic bottles are made from petroleum-based chemicals, Primo's bottle is made from a plastic called Ingeo(tm). Wikipedia has a nice brief summary of how Ingeo is basically made from plant sugars. (You can find out more about Ingeo at the website of its manufacturer, NatureWorks, LLC.) So you can still drink bottled water while supporting American industry (i.e. buying local) and kicking the petroleum habit - what a sweet solution!

And as an additional bonus, Primo says its bottles are free of Bisphenol A, an organic compound in some plastics that has raised health concerns.

Note that green does not mean more expensive in this case. In fact, Primo is actually far less expensive than many other bottled waters. For around $5, you can pick up a case of 18 16.9-ounce bottles at Kroger-owned stores and other locations around the country.

Home - Drapes a Panda Would Love (to eat)

What would you look for in the ultimate green window treatment?

• You would want it to be made from an eco-friendly fabric like bamboo. Long beloved by panda bears (as a food source), bamboo is an ideal renewable resource. The plant grows incredibly quickly and usually thrives without the use of pesticides or herbicides.

• You would want it to be manufactured in the United States. Buying locally-made products cuts down on the waste and pollution associated with shipping a product around the world.

• You would want it to have 'blackout' capacity to block all light, thus enabling you to sleep sinfully late on the weekends while simultaneously keeping your home cool in the summer and lowering your energy bills by deflecting solar radiation.

Fortunately, just two weeks ago, DrapeStyle unveiled its new line of bamboo-blend custom drapes.

All drapes are made-to-order in DrapeStyles' Costa Mesa, California studio. With seven different patterns to choose from, you're sure to find a style that fits your home.

(Just don't be surprised if you come home and find panda bears nibbling on your curtains...)

Fashion -- Walking Billboard for the Green Cause

No, we're not suggesting that you walk up and down Main Street with an homemade sandwich board sign that says "Buy Green".

(Not that there's anything wrong with that idea...)

But if you're looking for a fashion accessory that's a little bit lighter, more fashionable and still Earth-friendly, consider a limited-edition Timberland tote bag (available while supplies last at Timberland stores for $25).

Made from the repurposed vinyl billboards used in the recent outdoor ad campaign for Timberland's Earthkeepers boot collection, each of these waterproof totes sports a unique design.

(Incidentally, the Earthkeepers boots themselves get props for greenness. The uppers on these water-resistant and collapsible boots are made from 100% organic cotton, while the flexible rubber outsole includes 30% recycled content.)

With your Timberland tote slung over your shoulder, you can break the disposable plastic bag habit and carry your groceries home in your very own billboard.