I know that long underwear isn’t the sexiest or most exciting thing out there – but on nights like tonight (it’s about 15 degrees and windy outside, and I’m sitting here watch huge trucks haul snow around my town) – long johns are the greatest product ever made! And since winter here lasts forever (well, not really – I’d rather be here than in Alaska!) – I try to buy several different kinds of long underwear to last me through the season.

The good people who make Icebreaker products sent me an email about their products back in November. I wasn’t ready to write about eco-long johns at the time, and saved the email for future reference. In looking over their product line, I wish now that I’d ordered one of these Delta Scoop long sleeved shirts (to the right). Icebreaker uses all natural merino gathered from 30 New Zealand farmers to make the Nature Ultralight fabric from which their clothing is produced. The company is passionate about the wool they buy to make their clothing, and even discusses how purchasing inferior merino in the past almost put them out of business! Fortunately for us, the company prevailed and is still making their luxurious wool clothing.

If you’re looking for cold-weather athletic gear, consider the Midweight Rapid Leggings for men or women – these leggings enable you to stay warm, dry and comfortable when you’re running, biking or hiking in chilly temperatures, while their articulated knees give you extra freedom of movement. The Bodyfit Active Base Layer for men (below on the right) and the Olympia Crewe for women are the perfect complements to the leggings, and are both rated for cold to very cold conditions.

Icebreaker is committed to manufacturing sustainable products, to the welfare of the animals from which they source their merino, to an ethical manufacturing process, to maintaining a transparent supply chain, and to buying merino from local farmers with whom they have long-term relationships. And if you’re looking for something other than long johns, Icebreaker also makes merino wool socks for all seasons, and as well as athletic gear and accessories for men, women and children.

Cuddl Duds is another eco-retailer that is making sustainable long underwear to keep us warm on chilly nights. If you’re looking for traditional long underwear with an eco-twist, you might like their eco-bamboo Scoop Neck Long Sleeve Shirt. At $28 this shirt is affordable and sustainable, and is finished with a gray stripe and ribbon that add a feminine touch to the practical garment. You can also grab matching Long Pants or a Tank Top to complete your winter wardrobe.

Other excellent sources for environmentally friendly all-weather long underwear and layering garments include gear companies like REI, The North Face, Patagonia and Marmot. Look for all natural merino wool baselayers for men and women on the North Face website, and Marmot Upcycle underwear that’s made from natural, organic, recycled and discarded materials. Even though Upcycle goods are made using materials that would otherwise end up in landfills, there’s no way you could tell when you are wearing midweight crews and midweight bottoms created using this revolutionary technology.

Hopefully you can find something here that’ll help on these frigid winter nights and keep you cozy all season.

I’m a girl’s girl when it comes to cosmetics, bath lotions, perfumes and lotions. I have been known to run to stores when they are giving away free samples or purchase bonuses.

Unfortunately, genetics also blessed me with extremely sensitive skin. I have psoriasis, and frequently lotions and perfumes either cause me to break out into hives, or itch like a dog with fleas. As both itching and hives being extremely unattractive, I looked into natural and organic cosmetics a few years ago to solve my issues. I always had a negative image of the Body Shop caused by an Ex with a love of Tea Tree Oil. I still hate the smell of Tea Tree oil years later.

However, when I moved to Vermont, which is big-box store challenged as a state, there are very few global companies that manage to get a foothold in the local economy. The Body Shop is one of them. I wandered in out of desperation one day and discovered all of this beautifully scented stuff that upon application, didn’t make me itch like a demon. So I started a few bottles at a time. First I tried the body butters which are lotions made from all natural ingredients and harvested using free trade practices. The Vitamin E Body Butter is heaven-sent for psoriasis sufferers. Second, I tried the soaps, and like all products, are packaged in containers that can be 100% recycled. Then the makeup got a test drive, and besides stopping blemishes, it looks as good on as anything the high-end designer stores sell on shiny glass counters. My only complaint about the Body Shop is that the price points for most of the products that they produce are very high. But then I realize the lack of harsh chemicals and the ability to send soap residue down the drain without harming wildlife and filling our lakes and oceans with tiny plastic exfoliating beads makes the price much more attractive!

There is something to be said about not scrubbing and soothing your skin with harsh chemicals after all.

Since the products are more expensive, I tend to purchase less and choose wisely. Testers are available in every store for all of their products as well.

And here is the clincher – to use “green” products, you don’t have to head to the woods and rub yourself with aloe leaves. Just purchasing wisely and from stores that have a commitment to ending global warning and providing smart packaging is a leap into the right direction. Purchasing power is one of the best ways to achieve political power.

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With so much attention focused on environmental issues lately, it seems as if we are constantly barraged with stories about the environmental impact of our actions and the damages done to the planet Earth. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by this kind of ever-present data, so I have broken a few choice facts down into digestible chunks of information for easy reference.

The facts aren’t great, and this isn’t a “look how good we’re doing” piece, rather, it’s the black and white of our impact on our planet. Each fact is backed up with the source I used to find it, so feel free to do a little digging of your own if you’re skeptical or if you’d like to learn more about these issues.

According to Alex Wissner-Gross, a Harvard University physicist, a typical online ‘Search’ generates about 7 grams of carbon dioxide. (Measuring Your Google Search’s Carbon Footprint by CNET.com). Overall, the IT industry produces 2% of global carbon emissions, or the same amount as the airline industry!

Each year over one hundred million trees are harvested and turned into junk mail. (Just the Facts: Junk Mail Facts and Figures from New American Dream and Conservatree). The production and disposal of all of this junk mail ends up using as much energy as do 3 million passenger cars!

Even though phone books are recyclable, people throw 660,000 tons of them into landfills annually (The Story of Phone Books from Earth 911). For every 500 phone books that end up in landfills, we needlessly waste 7000 gallons of water, 463 gallons of oil, 17-31 trees, and 3.06 cubic yards of landfill space.

In 2005, almost two million tons of e-waste were disposed of in landfills. Comprised of old cell phones, computers, television sets and batteries, this e-waste contains hazardous materials including lead and mercury that were never meant to be disposed of in landfills, and pose significant risk to people and the planet. (E-Waste: Harmful Materials from Earth 911).

Of the 215 billion plastic, glass and aluminum beverage bottles and cans sold in the US during 2006, a full 66% (2 out of 3, or 143 billion) were thrown out instead of being recycled. (Beverage Market Data Analysis from The Container Recycling Institute).

There are over 87,000 flights (commercial, cargo, private & military) in the US every single day of the year. (Air Traffic Control: By the Numbers from the National Air Traffic Controllors Association). And according to Boeing’s 2008 Environmental Report, aviation accounts for a full 2% of global man-made carbon dioxide emissions. (Boeing 2008 Environmental Report – page 3).

I’d like to give thanks to Brendan for constantly reminding me of the little things that make for huge environmental problems, and that also probably make Al Gore cry!

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If you’re looking for a way to reduce your carbon footprint, consider unplugging, recycling or simply not buying any number of electronic and battery-operated gadgets. Since so many gadgets are already fully integrated into our lives, (think Blackberries, iPod docking stations and speakers, and wireless mice), manufacturers are starting to develop eco-friendly gadgets that can help us all stay connected while lowering our global and individual carbon footprints.

Some eco-friendly gadgets are solar powered, wind powered, or powered using kinetic energy. Gadgets are also being developed with more efficient processors, longer battery lives (which reduces the time needed to plug in and power up), and increased durability (for longer lives). When making your purchasing decisions however, keep in mind that the greenest route is also the one that doesn’t involve your actually buying anything! While green gadgets are an excellent step towards lower carbon emissions, you make the most impact when you choose not to make that purchase at all.

There will always be a need for certain gadgets, so make sure you choose wisely when you’re ready to make your purchase. Try to stay clear of totally useless or unnecessary consumer goods. Do you really need a Canine Treadmill? Will your life be that much more complete with a Cooper Cooler to chill your beverages on the spot, or are there other appliances in your life that can take care of that job? And honestly, how many crimping irons, curling irons, hair dryers and other power-hungry hair gadgets does one really need? The same holds true for the number of televisions, cable boxes, video game consoles, DVD/Blu-ray players, cell phones, MP3 players, blenders, and bread ovens in a given house – do you really need all that you have?

Next time you’re thinking about buying a new gadget, first consider whether you really need it or if you simply want it before making your purchase. If it turns out to be one of those gadgets you just can’t live without, make sure you buy green when you can, unplug it when it’s not in use, and use recycle the packaging materials if possible. To learn more about the impact your gadgets have on the environment, check out these recent articles:

Today’s New Gadget Gift Could be Tomorrow’s eWaste by Jordana Huber in Canada.com.

Home Electronics Significantly Impact Electricity Costs and Carbon Footprint by Dave Lewis of National Semiconductor on Green Supply Lin.

Green Gadgets on Green Inc., the New York Times environmental blog.

Finally, check out green-focused media outlets, blogs and consumer goods companies before buying any new green gadgets. Companies like Popular Mechanics are good sources of information when you’re looking to buy any kind of electronics equipment. Their recent article, Top 4 Eco-Friendly Gadgets Coming This Year by Seth Porges profiles the best green gadget’s from this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.? TerraPass sells eco-friendly gadgets and chargers in their online store, and sites like EnviroGadget always have the latest news on eco-gadgets for people interested in cutting-edge consumer goods.

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We all heard it growing up. You are just about to head out the door with snow sled or surfboard in hand and you hear your mom say, “Don’t forget to turn the lights off in your room”. You turn around, go back to your room, turn off the light and wonder how much energy you are really saving.

Turns out, you can save a bundle! Lighting accounts for 11 percent of the home energy use and while compact florescent bulbs are more efficient than traditional bulbs by up to 75%, nothing beats the energy efficiency of a light that isn’t using energy at all. By simply turning off or reducing the number of lights on in a room you can dramatically affect your electrical bill and reduce your overall home energy usage.

The Department of Energy has a great article on how much energy and money you can save on a monthly basis. By turning off a single 60 Watt bulb for one hour a day, 22,000 watts of energy per year could be saved. That?s enough energy to power one months worth of evening TV viewing!

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