Times are changing. Our society is evolving. And with the economy the way it is and jobs leaving America, its easy to get fired up about things and think in terms of doom and gloom. The thing of the matter is, however, that for a savvy self-motivated individual, this might be the best climate ever to make money, and what is more, the new characteristics of the new economy, such as outsourcing, make it easier than ever to live the life we choose.

Jobs are disappearing, sure, but where are they going? Maybe you’re answer is India, China, and other faraway lands. Many people are grumbling about the loss of work for Americans, and as our large corporations that we love to hate struggle to remain competitive in their various marketplaces, they are choosing to source more and more work that is now in-house to outside providers.

But are they really sourcing out of the country? Well, kind of. What they are really doing is just moving the jobs out of house. They don’t necessarily care if they end up in India or Kentucky. They just don’t want to pay for employees who eat up office hours on Facebook to get the job done.

It’s easier and more economical to pass it on to an independent contractor and pay them a set fee, regardless of the hours. And that can be a good thing for both the environment and you.

Telecommuting is good for the planet. America is a country built around the automobile. We love our cars, and since we’re such a young country, most of what we see today did not exist before Henry Ford pushed the first clunker out of the factory. As a result, everything is far away. It’s hard to leave the house anymore without driving for a half an hour.

And now more citizens from around the globe are sitting behind a computer in their bedroom rather than driving across town or in some cases hours away, which means HUGE savings on fuel. This is an ideal economic evolution for the environment.

As for you – who doesn’t want to get their work done in half a day without leaving the house and then decide what to do with the rest of the day? Before you say there is no way to compete with foreign citizens who will work for a fraction of what you do, not so fast.

What foreign citizens lack is knowledge of Western culture, Western business ethics, and Western speaking skills. Companies are even willing to spend a premium to pay for people like you to do their work.

So, if you want a quick way to start making money, alleviating the stress of an economic meltdown, and saving the environment by completely cutting out the need to commute to work, get online and find out what services you can provide from your home.

Article writing, web design, marketing, admin work, and much more – just find out where the ceiling is in pay and charge more than others do. Don’t start off too high, but after you’ve built up a good reputation, ramp up your prices, deliver quality, and live your dream of being financially independent.

Welcome to the new millennium.

Let me start by admitting that I am a total news junkie. I spend way too many hours researching, reviewing, investigating, bookmarking, and searching for information on all kinds of issues, especially those relating to all things green. In the year that I’ve been writing for GreenBuyGuide, I’ve compiled a list of 1000+ eco-based resources, blogs, organizations, companies and news sites that I use when researching upcoming blog posts.

When writing these posts, I try to find the most up-to-date, accurate and interesting research to support my claims and add credibility to our site. In doing so, I’ve noticed that it takes time to really know which sites offer reliable, substantive data, and which sites are compromised by political agendas, corporate sponsors, or incomplete offerings.

As a holiday gift to my readers and to the other environmental researchers and writers trolling through the web in search of good sites, I have compiled 2 blog posts packed with excellent eco-resources. As always, I am open to suggestions and appreciate learning what others out there already know about the eco-issues affecting our communities, nations, and world.

General Interest & Data Sources

Environmental News Network (ENN) – The Environmental News Network is a mainstream news site that publishes comprehensive environmental news in an easy-to-understand format.

EnviroStats – A good resource for statistics, fact-checking and research related to environmental (and other) topics. The site also includes links to government agencies, environmental organizations and eco-information portals in the US and Canada.

Treehugger - Treehugger covers all kinds of green issues, has a wealth of links and resources to check out, and is a great starting place for learning about a range of eco-issues. The site’s “How to Go Green” guides are particularly helpful.

Business & Corporate Governance

Business Ethics Magazine – An online magazine that examines the intersection of business and society, and rates companies based on their corporate responsibility and programs. You can find resources about corporate responsibility, including 19-years of lists of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens.

Coop America – Coop America’s mission is to harness economic power?the strength of consumers, investors, businesses, and the marketplace?to create a socially just and environmentally sustainable society. The Coop America site provides resources and tools to help businesses and organizations realize a greener future by leveraging their financial muscles.

GreenBiz – Concerned with aligning environmental responsibility with business success, GreenBiz offers over 8000 resources, (including daily news, feature stories, reports, checklists, case studies, and links to organizations) in an effort to educate and inform the public on these issues.

Government & Public Policy

EarthTrends – Committed helping drive responsible decisions by governments and individuals by providing accurate information on critical issues, EarthTrends offers the public a large breadth of statistical, graphic, and analytical data in easily accessible formats. EarthTrends is sponsored by government-focused organizations including the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Environment Programme, and the World Bank Group.

Environmental Protection Agency - Federal agency with a mission to, “protect human health and the environment.” I use the EPA to confirm information, learn about government programs and policies, and find how the government defines environmental issues.

FedStats - A search portal for official statistical information produced by the Federal Government. This site has several search options (by state, by agency, by topic), so you don’t have to know exactly which agency produced the information you’re seeking.

Science & Technology

Carbon Fund - The Carbon Fund site is packed with resources and information to help people and businesses reduce their carbon emissions. Start at Carbon Fund if you’re interested in basic information about carbon emissions, carbon offsets, or your carbon footprint.

EarthPortal – Governed by the Stewardship Committee of the Environmental Information Coalition (EIC), Earth Portal is a comprehensive resource for timely, objective, science-based information about the environment.

Seed Magazine - Though not entirely eco-focused, many of the science articles and sections in Seed Magazine intersect with environmental issues and current events.

Sustainability

Business for Social Responsibility – An organization that works with an extensive network of companies to develop sustainable business solutions and strategies for the business community.

Green Options – If you’re looking for blogs about sustainability and making sustainable choices, check out Green Options. The Green Options site includes a range of articles from the company’s network of environmental writers and bloggers.

Sustainable Communities Network – An organization that links citizens to resources and to each other in an effort to promote, build, and understand sustainable communities.

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