Conscious Consumer

Grocery shopping in greener pastures saves the environment from an onslaught of pesticides, hormones and other pollutants. Using simple strategies, you can make sure to reduce your footprint the next time you purchase food.

Originally associated with disgruntled teens, blogs have grown into a legitimate form of online news and entertainment, covering an array of subjects from fashion and politics to the environment. And now the "eco-blog" is gaining in popularity.

There are few hidden chemical threats in a natural futon. A simple version is just puffy cotton or wool, sometimes certified organic, within a cover made of cotton or other material. Layering several futons on the floor and storing them in the closet can save space. You can also buy a wooden futon frame, which gives you a couch during the day and a bed at night.

Since the 1950s, multi-level marketing (MLM) companies like Amway have sold billions of dollars worth of products to consumers through independent individual distributors, who take a cut on every sale they make as well as on the sales of other "downline" distributors they have recruited. These days, a new crop of green companies has adopted the MLM business model to sell various types of environmentally friendly merchandise.

Even if you have shunned the big, pricey Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in favor of a discounted competitor, you may not realize that you can have low prices and a greener Internet experience.

Knowing what’s truly environmentally responsible and what’s just hype (or greenwashing) can be tough for the average American. Now there are lifestyle experts for regular folks and movie stars alike to help you find fabulous green stuff when you need it.

The hybrid vehicle market the pundits predicted would never get off the ground instead grew 960 percent from 2000 to 2005. More than 80,000 hybrids were registered in 2004, an 80 percent jump from 2003. How big can the hybrid market get? J.D. Power and Associates sees sales of 535,000 by 2010. Toyota executives anticipate selling a million a year.The hybrid vehicle market the pundits predicted would never get off the ground instead grew 960 percent from 2000 to 2005. More than 80,000 hybrids were registered in 2004, an 80 percent jump from 2003. How big can the hybrid market get? J.D. Power and Associates sees sales of 535,000 by 2010. Toyota executives anticipate selling a million a year.