Links to product ratings resources

Grading corporations

www.responsibleshopper.org is a cooperative effort by Working Assets and Co-op America to make ratings of the environmental and social behaviors of corporations known to the general public. The format is easy to use and easy to understand, but only evaluates the product manufacturers, not the products themselves.

Grading automobiles

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy publishes an annual guide known as the Green Book describing the environmental impacts of various models of automobile. Though the website offers a fair amount of free information, ACEEE charges a minimum of $8.95 for full access to the Green Book, as they feature no advertising on their website. Both print and on-line versions are available.

www.fueleconomy.gov is a website co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, that lists the fuel economies measured for nearly all automobiles that are on the American market. Includes special listings of the best and worst performers, as well as EPA Air Pollution Scores.

Ecolabeling watchdog

Consumers Union (publisher of Consumer Reports magazine) keeps a website
eco-labels.org that provides information about the large number of ecolabels beginning to appear on store shelves, and separates the wheat from the chaff. Currently, the Consumers Union is reviewing only labels for organic food and wood products.

Purchasing environmentally responsible products

GAIAM, is a catalog company offering a wide range of "eco-friendly" products, from clothing to solar panels. GAIAM does not use a specific, consistent methodology for gauging each product's environmental impact, however.

The Coop America Green Pages, is a portal site to a large number of manufacturers and resellers offering environmentally responsible products. Companies must pass an application process to appear on the site, but like GAIAM the Green Pages also does not apply a specific, consistent methodology for gauging product impacts.

The Green-e, renewable electricity certification program offers a central resource for finding out how to switch your electricity to green resources, or how to buy emissions offsets if green electricity isn't available in your region. The Green-e program uses a rigorous certification scheme.

Greening your lifestyle

The Center for a New American Dream provides a wide variety of suggestions for reducing the environmental impact of your lifestyle, while leading a more relaxed and rewarding life at the same time. The Center for a New American Dream also hosts the Conscious Consumer Marketplace another responsible shopping resource.

Last Modified on January 4, 2005.