Going green isn’t just about using environmental friendly products; it is also about knowing where and how those products came about

This is why I want to bring your attention to cotton cultivation in India and why we should all make a determined support for the Fair Trade Organic Cotton Project.

Cotton farmers of India have long been victims of unfair trade conditions. Underpaid and overworked, they found themselves in seemingly endless debts as they relied on loans to finance their need for pesticide and chemical fertilizers; without which their exhausted crops could not produce the crucial cotton yield.

In fact it was not surprising to learn of such farmers surrendering their lives to suicide when the commodity price took a fall.

Pristine white is the color of weddings. But green could be the new rage. At a time when going green (not with envy, but with the environment) is uber cool, why not show the world that it's possible to wed your love and love your planet in the same breath. Weddings by their nature are excessive and exuberant affairs. The Independent cites Climate Care, an organization that offsets harmful carbon dioxide emissions - the average wedding emits around 14.5 tons of CO2, markedly more than the 12 tons emitted by the average person during a whole year. Your wedding without doubt is the single most significant day of your life, but beyond the panoply of pomp it is a terrible day for the environment. The good thing is that just like the nitty gritty of a managed nuptial, having a green wedding is also in the details. So why not follow these suggestions and start your wedded life on a green note.

•  It always starts with a ring - Always buy conflict free rings. Ask for certification with standards set forth in the Kimberly Process. Perhaps, you can opt for an heirloom or redesign one to your specifications. Just amble over to Greenkarat.com and have a look at their line of rings produced from synthetic diamonds and recycled gold.

Shoes have had a green makeover, and people actually want to wear these innovative designs. They are no longer unattractive and made from coarse fabrics like hemp. Walking in eco-friendly shoes gives you a spring in your step, because you are making a difference for the environment and animals.

Many shoes are made from leather, and it was once difficult to find vegan shoes. Many vegans had to resort to manmade materials, which are often uncomfortable and cause blisters. Not to mention, manmade material make it difficult for your skin to breathe, which can cause itchiness or more severe problems like athlete’s foot.

Shoe companies have taken it upon themselves to be socially responsible by launching green shoe lines. Nike has created running shoes made from recycled rubber. Payless has made an eco-friendly shoe line available to the public. So if you want shoes made from sustainable products that don’t compromise animals, look at what these companies have to offer.

Sometimes even the greatest disasters are forgotten and eventually swept under the rug. And so it seemed with the tragedy in Bhopal. Now almost 24 years later, and despite complaints from residents of the Indian community, many people have wiped the event from their memories. However, a new decision (Sahu v. Union Carbide Corporation) from the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York may have given new life to this issue.

The court reinstated a lawsuit that had been formerly thrown out by a lower court. The lawsuit - dated 2004 - was based originally on a suit brought forward in 1999, after a Greenpeace study identified contaminated groundwater in the area. Both monetary damages and class-action status are part of the lawsuit. The plaintiffs are Bhopal residents and property owners.

The solar equivalent of the 'Cannonball Run'? If you catch some bizarre machines running across the length of the Australian outback you just might think so. But the World Solar Challenge is anything but a comical entr'acte. It is the performance of a lifetime for a bunch of intrepid enthusiasts who take on the elements to prove just one thing. That solar cars and solar technology can deliver.

The vision and the objective is a bit of technological evangelism. The run over 3021 km of the Australian outback is anything but a prance through the wilderness. It is as serious a race as they come. Teams from some of the top universities and colleges queue up to take part every two years. All have put in hours and years into research and some more into practice. Some major corporations also stand with their cars as do smaller teams from high schools. A natural zeal for competitiveness and the empirical eagerness to show-off the latest developments in solar technology make for an ever increasing rooster of participants each year.

It’s common to disinfect toilets, sinks, counters, etc. with bleach or other harsh chemicals that only leave behind a strong, unpleasant odor. Sometimes an odor so suffocating that it causes you to leave the sparkling room before you even get a chance to enjoy it. But cleaning products don’t have to be so assaultive to your body and surroundings.

A more natural way to clean is to use essential oils. Essential oils are liquids distilled from flowers, trees, roots, bushes, shrubs and seeds. Essential oils were actually humankind’s first medicine, and there are 188 references to essential oils in the Bible. Each oil has different properties and certain ones can protect the immune system, enhance your mood, stimulate or regenerate tissues and nerves, oxygenate cells and even destroy odors.

The simplest way to create a multi-purpose cleaner is to use a spray bottle and add 30 drops of lemon essential oil to 8 ounces of water. Lemon like other citrus fruits is a natural antibacterial and antiseptic, so this solution is good to use on counter tops, floors, toilets, etc. Cinnamon can be used too as an antifungal, antiviral and antimicrobial. It’s important to make sure that the oil you are purchasing is 100% therapeutic grade; otherwise, it can burn your skin.

With recent holidays like Hallowe’en and ever-darkening evenings, those handy-dandy light sticks are pretty popular. Okay, maybe sales are steady year-round, especially with the young party crowd. There are also versions used for camping and available in outdoor supply stores. But have you ever considered the repercussions of choosing single-use plastic tubes? And what exactly is in those little sticks?

Standard light sticks consist of two chemical solutions - hydrogen peroxide contained in a thin glass ampule, surrounded by a phenyl oxalate ester and fluorescent dye mixture. When the tube is bent, the glass barrier between the chemicals snaps (that little crackling noise) and the solutions combine, sometimes with a little shaking to help the process. If you want the chemistry details, read on. The phenyl oxalate ester reacts with hydrogen peroxide to produce phenol and a peroxyacid ester. This peroxyacid ester then gives additional phenol and a cyclic peroxy chemical. The cyclic compound then decomposes to carbon dioxide. At the same time, energy is released and causes excitation of dye molecules. Light is released through chemiluminescence.

In 2007, Louis Palmer set off from his home in Lucerne in his solar taxi with one goal in mind: to be the first person ever to travel round the world in a vehicle driven by solar power.  A dream in the making since he was a fourteen year old boy, he is currently living his dream going round the world in a solar powered vehicle.  Instead of waiting for the right vehicle to come along, he decided to build his own.

“On 3 July 2007 I set off on my first journey around the world with a solar powered vehicle.  Admittedly, as a regular citizen I cannot change the world but I can demonstrate to the world just how dire the global climate situation has become and how many sophisticated solutions to lower the greenhouse gases already exist, which bring with them many other advantages.  So that we can have a better world and a more secure future.  The solar taxi should rekindle hope and a zest for life, set an example to counteract resignation and stimulate reflection.  And show that every single one of us can take a step towards preserving our planet.

If you find yourself hitting the skies anytime in the near future, and haven’t committed to buying those little sets of containers to make sure all of your toiletries are under 2 oz. and fit into a quart size Ziploc bag, you might want to consider making a quick stop either at LUSH and checking out their handmade solid cosmetics.  At least that’s what I always do when I’ve run out of my travel goods.  Why?  Because they’re green, they’re portable, they smell good, and their bath bombs are a perfect way to distress after a long week or kick-off a romantic evening.  Hold on gents, don’t tune me out just yet – lush has something for everyone, including a variety of shaving creams.

Lushes’ handmade products all contain fresh ingredients with no preservatives and definitely with no disregard to Mother Nature including their policies on no animal testing.  That also means you’ll never have to worry about getting a product that’s been sitting on the shelf for a while.   Their cool minimal packaging might have you wonder if you’ve walked out of a cosmetics store, or if you’ve just dropped in to your local grocer and picked-up a small sandwich and more from the local deli.  More than 70% of their cosmetics comes in solid form which means three things things, no bottle to recycle, little cost on packaging (wrapped in wax paper) and a highly concentrated solid that lasts a lot longer than what typically comes in a bottle.  That mean’s their little solid shampoo will probably last three times longer than anything you’re buying in the bottle now.  That’s right solid shampoo and conditioner, which is why Lush is extra friendly for us frequent fliers.

When you are planning an eco-friendly wedding, you have to have an earth-friendly dress to match. Weddings symbolize commitment and sustainability, so why not also extend these vows to the planet? Green alternatives have come a long way, so it’s possible to find a modern eco-friendly wedding dress of your dreams.

An eco-friendly wedding dress should be made of sustainable materials. The options for eco-friendly fabrics have expanded, so you don’t think that you have to wear cotton or avoid silk. Elegant fabrics include cotton, peace silk, hemp, bamboo, lyocell, soy and milk. You will be surprised to find that there are more options than you might have initially thought. To get ideas of dresses using these types of materials, look through eco-couture or green fashion magazines. Not only will these examples help you choose the fabrics, they can also give you a sense of the style you want to achieve with your dress.

Instead of buying a dress that is made from new resources, purchase a gently used gown. Not only will you be helping local consignment stores and organizations, you will also eliminate your need to use new materials. Another option is to purchase a couple used gowns and use different elements from each one to design your own creation. The scraps can be incorporated into your bridesmaid dresses or into other aspects of your wedding like the flower or table arrangements.