Here are 5 things you can do around the house to improve the quality of the planet and put some extra cha-ching in your pocket.

Reduce electricity usage
You’d be surprised how much energy is consumed when you leave your computer on overnight, your AC running at a chilling 70 degrees, and your porch or night lights on at all hours. Try shutting down the computer, setting your AC a couple degrees up or down and turning off unnecessary lights.

Invest in a small portable heater or fan/cooler
It is easier and cheaper to warm or cool the air around you than to try and change the temperature of your entire home. There are economical and efficient appliances that can provide you the temperature you need for you to be comfortable.

Recycle everything you can
With everything becoming electronic these days, mail is becoming the biggest source of clutter around the house. Make an effort to put a recycling bin near your mail inbox and recycle the unnecessary. Put another recycling bin near the trash can and you’ll be surprised how much recyclable material you can accumulate.

Go Organic
One of the best things you can do is incorporate Organic Food into your diet. This way you reduce the amount of pesticides, chemicals and additives to the planet and to your body. Make a choice today to visit your local grocer and purchase Organic Products.

Upgrade your home insulation
Often the biggest Energy drain in most households is the AC having to cool or heat the home. By fixing or upgrading your home insulation, you’ll make sure your home can maintain temperatures better despite what’s going on outside.

This post was contributed by Kelly Kilpatrick, who writes on the subject of Perfume deals. She invites your feedback at kellykilpatrick24 at gmail dot com

The marketing genius that led to the explosion of the bottled water market is now happily past its peak as we have become a bit more discerning and savvy about this bizarre ritual of buying our water.

We know that bottled water accounts for a huge carbon footprint, landfill problems and marine debris. And that plastic bottles contain BPA, linked to cancers, autism and genetic damage. The photo on the front of your bottled water may show glaciers and mountains but the reality of the source of the water and the actual purity of the water may be deceptive according to the Natural resources Defence Council (ref 1) In fact Pepsi’s Aquafina water, the No1 seller in the US, now must clearly show on their labels that their source is………tap water.

Canada has led the World in the total Ban on BPA from baby bottles/beverages, with Walmart and Toys R Us following suit. The National Childbirth Trust in the UK is demanding that all products containing BPA be clearly labelled. Are we finally reversing our love affair with buying plastic bottles?

There is some good news however as the task of ridding our world of plastic has just been made easier thanks to One Green Bottle (www.onegreenbottle.com), a brilliant new alternative to the endless use of harmful plastic bottles. Developed and marketed by a forward thinking eco-friendly company in East Sussex this stylish range of ‘Mudpuppy’ branded stainless steel bottles provide a real opportunity to change the way we consume water and drinks.

One Green Bottle has developed the BPA Free Mudpuppy range using ‘304’ grade stainless steel, which is recognised by the beverage and food industry for its hygienic benefits and non-toxic properties. Switching to a stainless steel drinks bottle which does not leach chemicals into the water eliminates the risks associated with BPA’s and you will immediately taste the difference. Stainless steel can also be used with just about any beverage, is durable and easy to clean. The payback for buying a Mudpuppy bottle is very short (less than a month), you are assured of being toxin free and can feel satisfied that you are doing your bit in reducing the devastating effect of plastic refuse on this planet.

In the US over 250,000 stainless steel bottles are sold every month. BPA Free drinking bottles by One Green Bottle have now launched in the UK for the first time. A great selection of stylish bottles ideal for use in the school, nursery, office, gym or on a picnic.

Heather Nicholson, director of One Green Bottle, explains the ethos behind the company. She says: “I was looking for a clean, odourless sports bottle for my son to take to school each day and I couldn’t get one in the UK. When I investigated plastics and the alternatives, I became determined to do something positive. Plastic is an overwhelming threat to our environment. As a reformed plastic bottle drinker, I’ve never felt better since I switched to stainless steel. It saves money, time and effort, tastes purer and I know it isn’t manufactured using harmful chemicals.”

Ms Nicholson says: “It’s a simple step to reduce plastic bottle usage and experience the benefits. Bisphenol A readily ‘leaches’ into the fluids contained in plastic bottles, and many parents will naturally want to ensure their kids are using safe drinking vessels. Furthermore, by using our bottles, children will understand the causal relationship between responsibility and the future of the planet. If each generation takes more care of the environment than its predecessors, our children and grandchildren will be the beneficiaries.”

Just One Green Bottle can keep heaps of plastic debris off our planet.

It takes just one green bottle to make a positive difference to your health, the planet and your bank balance. I’ll drink to that.

Heather Nicholson
One Green Bottle Ltd
www.onegreenbottle.com

Some of my favourite clothes come from charity shops (my best buy ever is a pair of vintage pink butterfly YSL sunglasses for £2.50 which still makes me smile to this day) and I’m always happy in the knowledge that not only did I spend pocket money on a fab item of clothing and had a friendly chat about the weather with the lovely old lady behind the counter, I also gave money to a good cause.

Here are some of my snippets of good advice for the best bargains:

1. Head out of big towns – after all that’s where everyone is and betcha-bottom-dollar all the vintage shop owners/professionals are clearing out the shelves of all the best bits before us mere mortals can get to them. Seaside or rural towns tend to be best – and I find the richer a place is, the better the pickings. You can find all the charity shops in your area (or if you’re out of town) by searching online at www.charityshops.org.uk.

2. The best buys to go for are scarves, belts, bags and jewellery - buying these means you don’t have to worry about sizes, and are the cheapest and easiest way to update your look. But when you do buy second hand clothing the clothes will be smaller – so don’t run out of the shop screaming if you end up in a dress 2-3 sizes bigger than you normally buy.

3. At the moment I always make a beeline towards the dress rails – vintage dresses are so easy to wear – you can take them up if they’re too long – and there’s no dress that doesn’t instantly look fantastic with a great belt. And they’re an easy thing to translate from Summer to Autumn too – add a blazer and pair of tights and you’re well away.

Charity shops pretty much rock really, which is why I was horrified to read in the Guardian the other day that due to the current economic situation, people aren’t donating as much to charity shops as they used to, instead preferring to try and flog their castaways on e-bay and the like.

This is bad news for us charity shop lovers, so give your karma a boost - give your wardrobe a good clean out, get a bin bag together (even better fill one of those charity bags that come through your door – they’ll then pick it up for you) and get donating, happy in the knowledge that someone just like you is going to find your no longer wanted dress/skirt/jacket for £5 and feel and look fabulous.

My name is Laura Bergman, the creator of Bottled Up Designs. I have lived all my life in the beautiful Pennsylvania Amish Country, where as a child we would dig around old foundations pulling old treasures from the ground from a simpler time.

The love of old glass and bottle digging stayed with me, and have always been an avid bottle collector. One thing that has always bothered me, though, is how we take away the pretty whole pieces, but leave all the broken remains behind for the environment and wildlife do deal with.

When I walk through these pretty wooded habitats, the sun slants through the woods and lights these little pieces of history. The ruby glows in the sun, looking like it’s on fire, amber from old medicine, beer, and the countless broken Clorox bottles used and carelessly tossed there so long ago. Another common find is the pretty ice blue glass of broken Mason jars, and always envision them in someone’s pantry full of the summer’s work “put up” for the coming winter. I am always a little sad when I see the broken depression glass, wondering if during those lean times there was the money to replace the pretty dishware that had broken.

To me, this glass still has history and real beauty behind it, and out of love for the pretty glass and the environment, I now bring home the broken pieces and create my jewelry. Each piece is handmade from this reclaimed glass, and wanting to share the history with those that wear it, have created “The Story of the Glass” detailing for each piece what it was originally, and the approx. age of the glass.

Recently, while walking my dog through a peaceful part of the woods, I spotted a baby fawn and her mother laying in the dappled sunlight. Of course, they caught the scent of us and were up and away, and where the fawn was laying was the broken shards of a cobalt Noxzema bottle. Hoping that she was unhurt, I sighed and picked up the glass to bring it home, wondering once again how we ever thought we had the right to treat our environment so carelessly.

To see all of the pretty vintage colors and how they are wonderfully transformed into beautiful artisan jewelry, please visit www.bottledupdesigns.com.

Read GGG editor Henriette’s review of Bottled Up Designs and this beautiful necklace.

Take a look at the cotton industry. Insecticides used in conventional cotton production are the most hazardous pesticide to human health, causing behavioral changes, increased cancer risk, and even death. Cotton’s second best selling insecticide, Aldicarb, can kill a man with just one drop absorbed through the skin! Who knew wearing cotton could be so dangerous!

Not only is human health impacted, but fertilizers used in conventional cotton production harm the environment. Nitrogen synthetic fertilizers cause leaching and runoff and emit gases that contribute 300 times more to global warming than CO2. Given that it takes about 1/3 pound of synthetic fertilizers to grow one pound of raw cotton, and it takes that pound of cotton to make one t-shirt, producing clothing made with conventional cotton has a detrimental impact on the environment!

Chemicals end up on our skin and in our air, but they also end up in our food! Since the pesticide ridden cottonseed hull is a secondary crop sold as a food commodity, up to 65% of cotton production ends up in our food chain, either directly through food oil or indirectly through milk and meat of animals. Yuck!

After cotton is grown it needs to be processed into fibers to make clothing. During the conversion of cotton into conventional clothing, hazardous materials are added to the product, resulting in large amounts of toxic wastewater that deplete oxygen out of the water and disrupt aquatic ecosystems.

Don’t forget to consider the workers who make clothing. Common in the apparel industry, sweatshop labor entails unethical treatment of workers, long hours, and low pay in substandard conditions.

Alternatively, organic farming methods use natural fertilizers, which reduce both pollution and harmful emissions. Standards prohibit the use of chemicals in organic cotton processing, making organic clothing a safer and cleaner alternative to conventional clothing.

Where did I learn about this? As a summer intern at Maggie’s Organics (www.maggiesorganics.com) I am learning the benefits of organic and fair trade clothing. At Maggie’s our mission is to produce and provide comfortable, durable, affordable and beautiful articles of apparel and accessories made from materials that restore, sustain and enhance the resources, including human, from which they are made. Maggie’s has been selling organic fibers for 16 years, making baby clothes, socks, shirts, lounge wear, and more! We are committed to socially responsible business practices, developing ongoing relationships with partners to develop environmentally sustainable practices.

In short, I advise you check out organic and fair trade clothing alternatives:

• Look for organic cotton on the label
• Check out where the clothing was made. Made in the U.S. is a good indicator that no sweatshop labor was used. If made outside the U.S. make sure the company uses a fair labor model.

Wearing organic and fair trade clothing feels better inside and out! Your health and the environment will thank you

Whether we like it or not, the Internet has become an integral part of our lives, and its prevalence can be used to our advantage. Instead of going to the store, you can shop online, and instead of picking up the phone, you can shoot someone an email, all with the click of a few buttons. With all the convenience the Internet provides, you’d be hard pressed to come up with even more reasons why we should reap its benefits.

But I have at least one more reason to add to the list, not just saving us time, but helping save the planet. As an entirely online resource, the Internet can be used to share information across the world, without ever having to waste natural resources. Online bank statements reduce corporate mailings, while websites like www.photobucket.com allow us to share our pictures without making eco-costly prints. When shopping online, using credit cards and online order confirmation, we save the paper and ink that would other wise be used to print cash and receipts, and without making the trip to the store, we’re reducing our carbon footprint in the process.

So with the prevalence of the Internet, it was only a matter of time before someone came up with an entirely Internet based company, almost completely eliminating any environmental impact. Enter businesses like Nvohk (pronounced “invoke”), the first eco-friendly clothing company managed entirely online! And this company can do one better, providing a chance to become part of a team working not only to manage their own clothing line, but also for the greater good of the planet, with 10% of the proceeds going to an eco-friendly charity of the members’ choice!

With the prevalence of the Internet, and newly formed Internet-based companies like Nvohk, we can make a significant impact on the environment right from our own homes. As an advocate for going green, whether it’s driving a hybrid car, or switching to more energy efficient light bulbs, I’m always looking for ways to lower my impact on the environment. And as more and more companies like Nvohk are going entirely online, I’m finding it much easier to reduce my impact, and get my fashion fix at the same time.

About Nvohk: Recruiting since December 2007, Nvohk now boasts over 2,800 Members worldwide, and the company will officially launch its site this June. The cost of membership is just $50, and using sustainable materials like bamboo, and allowing its members to take the drivers seat in all major business decisions, Nvohk is prepared to bring their eco-conscious viewpoint to the fashion industry. Benefits of membership include a limited edition Nvohk co-founder t-shirt designed by Robb Havassy, an exclusive member sticker, and a “plant-a-tree” seed pack. For more information, or to become a member, please visit www.projectnvohk.com.

Recently I downsized from a large house. The search for a two-bedroom house in the foothills of the Catalina Mountains, in Tucson, Arizona, offered few choices. With three weeks to go before handing over my previous home I settled on the smallest and ugliest house on the list. Unloved, lacking in any exterior charm whatsoever, the house had the elements that I was looking for. Namely: small; spectacular views of the mountains; a neighborhood where dog and I could walk in the desert, and, a rarity in these parts, a twenty minute walk to a grocery store, several restaurants and coffee shops. Furthermore, improvements are scheduled for the main artery road to include sidewalks, bike path and noise reduction road surfacing.

The house is brick construction, circa 1983 and a structural inspection, pronounced it “sound”. Built into a hillside with garage below, the steps leading up the front door enforce daily cardio.

Living in the desert affords a blissful climate for eight months out of the year and blast furnace heat June through September. Anything you do to limit direct effects of the Sun’s heat is a bonus. This house has south facing wall of French doors….a conduit for the sun …opening onto a back yard area that housed a shabby, plaster coated pool, and enough concrete on which to drill (even grill) a regiment. Not a blade of grass or leaf marred its jarring horribleness!

My first task was to create shade. I did my homework and located a company that made aluminium trellises. One product, touted to look like aged redwood, exceeded expectations. We covered the entire back yard (excluding the pool) with a trellis, 14 ft. high and affording 60 percent shade pattern. I did research on using recycled aluminium but it was not available. Deep awnings now shade the remaining windows on the south side of the house. The pool was resurfaced with a black “Pebbletec’ to retain heat. The aging pool heater and chlorine filtering system went to the dump and I put in a salt filtering system. The concrete surface was coated with a spray -on product “Kooldeck” in a soft terra cotta and softened the concrete. Next came pots and vines. On the east side I put in mature wisteria, which have already reached trellis height and are forming a green wall. To climb the columns I chose an orange trumpet vine and a jasmine…both frost hardy and evergreen. The result is a sala fresca, an outdoor room that is cool, inviting and shady. By this time next year, the vines and wisteria will cover the entire “roof” area. The direct sun into the great room has been eliminated and despite recent 100F plus temperatures, the interior house temperature has not risen above 84F. Compare that to the October morning when I first saw the house and the thermostat showed an interior temperature of 97F.

The front of the house beautification involved carving out a portion of the hillside. The dirt was carted round back to form a “mesa” behind the pool wall on which I planted native Mesquite and Palo Verde trees. A small area was walled in for a front garden; the Irish in me surfaced and I do have a bed sheet sized lawn. I have planted grape vines and a fig tree, creating green surfaces on exposed walls to offset bricks retaining heat from the sun. A tiny side yard off my study has become a vegetable garden and with the help of a large shade umbrella, tomatoes, onions, herbs and other vegetables are thriving and my study is a cool, pleasant spot. Along the perimeter of the property I have planted citrus trees.

Now I can hear the voices : “what about water…she’s created an oasis”. Everything is on a drip system that is carefully monitored to give exactly the amount of water needed. My exterior trees make use of grey water from the washing machine and creating catchment wells around their trunks prevents run-off. Native trees are not watered; I have built dry river beds to carry monsoon rain run off into basins; plantings outside the walls on the west side are the beneficiaries of pool back flow. Plans are in place to monitor rain run-off this coming monsoon season and, based on that pattern, to install a water -harvesting holding tank in the obsolete underground septic tank.

My point is that a girl can have her green in the desert and remain green. So many voices clamor that green demands sacrifice. My contention is that green demands knowing your property and applying common sense management. I made one self-indulgent concession this year…I planted a bed of annual flowers to tide me over whilst the native perennials and treasured roses (brought from the old house) got their toes in the earth. This coming fall that bed will be home to vegetables.

Gerry Hogan has lived in the USA for 43 years. Her primary career was in the manufacture of instruments for observing the surface of the Sun. Her retirement career is the publication of an on-line magazine for women www.connectionsforwomen.com

However, all this being said, it is important to think about the necessities of all this extra packaging. I once read an article not that long ago about a lady who was asked to give up plastic for a week. She found this incredibly difficult and indeed with a family, it proved even tougher! With all good intentions she tried her hardest to avoid purchasing items which were encased in plastic wrapping. As a result, she bought:

• Loose fruit and vegetables from her local market (using brown paper bags as opposed to the plastic ones that are provided in supermarkets)
• Tinned goods which could then be recycled
• Meat and fish from the butchers and fishmongers
• Long life milk (which she soon found was cheating as the flip-lid is plastic)
• She had to avoid jam jars as the lids are plastic
• She made her own bread as the packaging in bought bread is not biodegradable

All in all, it was a very challenging experience and one which I think we should all try and emulate. It may be difficult to buy a tooth brush as it comes in plastic packaging, DVDs as they have plastic film around them and margarine as it comes in a plastic container. However, all is not lost! Despite the local councils in the UK still being stringent on collecting plastic in the recycling collections, it is possible to at least reduce your consumption of plastic and to re-use any plastic containers where possible. Unfortunately in the UK we consume over 100 tonnes of plastic every year, increasing five fold since the 1950’s. At present, only 7% of plastic in the UK is recycled, with the rest going to landfills. How can we reduce our usage of plastic, glass, paper and recycle more? Here are a few ideas:

Support your local specialist shops and buy only what you need over the counter. The quality of the meat and fish is much better and it does not come in unnecessary plastic!

Reject unnecessary plastic packaging such as small plastic bags in the supermarket for fruit and vegetables. Instead, where possible, pop to the local market and pick up your fresh apples there.

Use recycled paper for your printer where possible, and don’t forget to print double sided!

Recycle pots and tubs where possible. Ice cream tubs and bath salt holders, jam jars etc can all easily be re-used for storing all sorts!

Buy from the milkman - If you are fortunate enough to still have a milkman, use him! Get your milk and orange juice delivered and recycle the glass bottles!

Make sure you keep a couple of plastic bags on you so that if you pop to the shops on a whim you do not need to take a new one from them to carry your purchases.

Re-fill your water bottle so that you do not need to buy another when you are out. In addition, at work, take your own mug and glass so that you do not use the plastic ones that are often available at the vending machines.

Choose eco-friendly websites who take recycling and looking after the environment seriously. For example, at BoBelle www.bobelle.co.uk we gift wrap items in acid free tissue paper (which of course can be re-used and is un-bleached), we send items in 100% recyclable packaging which is filled with biodegradable filler.

Recycling is not always easy and unfortunately in our country recycling is not as readily available as it should be. However, often writing to companies expressing your concern about their packaging, or indeed refusing to buy from companies who do not take their ethical stance seriously can be beneficial. There are plenty of fabulous companies out there who supply wonderful products which are environmentally friendly and readily-available. Checking out directories is a good way as they often have unbiased opinions and plenty of companies to choose from.

Claire Watt-Smith
CEO BoBelle
www.bobelle.co.uk
cws@bobelle.co.uk

Most of us are already questioning how our lifestyle impacts on the planet; in particular our consumption of resources such as fossil fuels, food, clothing and household goods. I propose that one of the best ways to reduce our rate of consumption (particularly of personal and household goods) is to invest in objects of quality that last, that we can keep, and that we can share with others.

Having worked in the craft sector for 4 years now, opening Pure Design, an eco-design gallery earlier this year, I regularly visit craft fairs to scout for new eco-design talent. This week I met Amy, a maker who has set up an alternative luxury knitwear brand called ‘Keep & Share’. Her mission is to create a sustainable ‘slow fashion’ label, which seeks to reverse the effects of throwaway fashion by creating ‘best friend’ pieces that will transcend short-lived trends and age gracefully. I thought this was right on the money.

And the great news is, there are many more makers and designers who have a very similar outlook to Amy. Susiemaroon, a Scottish eco-designer takes leather otherwise destined for landfill and creates chic floor hides and cushions. An Alleweireldt from Oxx uses old floppy disks, vinyl records and lollipops she has hoarded over the years to create cutting edge jewellery. What many describe as a labour of love (41% of UK earned less than £10,000 in 2002) drives these artists to create unique and beautiful pieces of design that we can buy and admire every day. Craft also satiates our desire to collect, with individual pieces acting as souvenirs or memories of a person, place or time.

AND as craft is small scale production, designers are able to keep tabs on exactly what goes into their ‘product’. They can source greener, sustainable materials, often using locally sourced, found or reclaimed materials. They can control production techniques, using non-toxic dyes and chemicals. And with so many artists working from home – they can keep their own carbon footprint right down. Weaver, Angela Morley talks about her passion for nature and natural materials in BBC’s Made in England

With these positive eco aspects to craft, and not forgetting the fact that craft can suit all budgets, shouldn’t we all need to take a little more time to measure the true worth of products before we pay out? And with all the economists telling us we need to watch our spending, I think craft for keeps could be a very sound investment…

Elaine set up Pure Design, a social enterprise and online eco-design gallery in October 2007. Its mission is to promote sustainable design and designers in the UK. Pure Design does this largely by providing a platform from which designers can show and sell their work, and encourages exchange of eco-design knowledge between established and emerging eco-design talent. To find out more visit our Pure Design website. www.puredesigncompany.co.uk

Thrift store shopping is just another form of recycling and regulating CO2 emissions. Not only do you get to reuse a unique or vintage item, but you also stop factories from making more items and creating pollution, and that greatly reduces your carbon footprint.

Make the Most of Your Experience
If you’ve never been to a thrift store, then you may not know what you’re getting yourself into. Most thrift stores are disorganized and crowded, which may overwhelm shoppers and cause them to turn away in disbelief.
But if you’re willing to take some time to poke around the store and ask employees questions, then you may find that special something you’ve always been looking for.

Here are some tips to follow when thrift store shopping:

Go Through Your Personal Belongings
First, decide which items you are willing to donate. People don’t realize how much waste is created from items that were thrown away but could have been reused. You’ll not only make some extra space in your home for your newly bought thrift store items, but you’ll also provide someone with a reusable item. Once you have a bag of donations, then you can see what needs to be replaced.

Make a List
Know ahead of time what you’re looking for so you won’t be scrambling to remember amidst a sea of shoppers. If you’re getting something for someone else, like clothes, write down their sizes. (To reduce paper waste, write this down on a scrap sheet of paper that has already been used).

Choose a Location
Look up the locations of the thrift stores so you don’t get lost trying to find them. There are usually Salvation Army and Goodwill stores in most cities, so they should be easy to locate. (The best thing about these two organizations is that they give their proceeds to humanitarian efforts.)

Bring Cash
Even though almost every store in the world accepts credit cards, there are many thrift stores that only accept cash. So go to the ATM or borrow some cash from a friend before you head out to go shopping.

Transportation
If you live close enough to a store and the weather is nice, you can walk or bike to it. That will save you gas money, reduce CO2 emissions and save you time from trying to find a parking spot. But if you have to drive, know exactly how to get there so you don’t waste gas driving around.

At the Store
When you’re searching for items, think green.

• If you don’t find the perfect shirt you’re looking for but you find a few that have certain elements you like, look for ways you can recycle the elements. You can find cool fabric from one item to add to another, or you can make something completely original from a mix of fabrics. And if something isn’t exactly your size, it can be easily altered and hemmed.
• Try not to choose items that need to be dry-cleaned. Dry cleaners often use perchlorethylene (PERC), which is a man-made substance that can damage the central nervous system, liver and kidneys. You can read more about the dangers of dry cleaning here.
• Don’t buy things you’ll never use. That means don’t buy something just because it’s super cheap and you think it’s too great of a deal to pass up. Buying a stack of books you’ll never read, some pots you’ll never cook with or a record you’ll never listen to will only wind up in a landfill later, and then you’ll just be contributing to our land pollution problem.

Also, don’t forget to check for price tags and correct sizes. Sometimes a price tag is missing or the clothing item doesn’t have a size label, so ask an employee if you need help. The more that you get to know the employees, the more you’ll be aware of cool sales or future shipments.

Back at Home
After you’ve returned from the thrift store, you need to wash any clothing that you purchased. If there are tough stains on the clothes you can use a mixture of water and baking soda to get them out. You can also add a ½ cup of vinegar in the wash cycle to help kill bacteria and other germs on the clothing.

You can find a whole list of homemade cleaning products here.

Thrift store shopping can be a fun, green experience for everyone. Finding cool items that can be recycled will not only help the environment, but they might just help you brighten up your eco-lifestyle.

About the Author:
Trish Smith is a copywriter for Green Student U, a blog-style site that introduces today’s students to a wide variety of global environmental issues by recognizing college campus green initiatives and personal success stories, as well as how the world is being shaped by environmental reform