Green Links and Resources

Here are some useful green links to green companies and other green resources

There's just so much to learn about green living; one web site cannot possibly do justice to all the issues and practicalities of a greener lifestyle. This page gathers together some green links to help you learn more about the issues that interest you.

What's here?

Most of the links here relate to issues discussed on the Greenfootsteps site. The main headings are arranged alphabetically.

These links are worldwide - some more relevant than others depending upon where you live. 

I am happy to add new links for relevant sites only but I am now including a "nofollow" tag as standard. Space is limited so please do not expect automatic inclusion! I make no profit from the links presented here.

I have also created a page of green links for East Anglia - as that's my neck of the woods. I hope at some stage to create a website for green businesses and organisations in East Anglia. But for now, here is the East Anglia Green Links Page.

Consumer goods

EWG's Skindeep Here's a great consumer resource for sorting out the good body care products from the bad and the just plain ugly! Check them for all your skincare purchases before you buy. The people at the Environmental Working Group have done all the hard work for us. Most products from the bigger companies are listed and there are quite a lot of earth-friendly products listed too. Great detail on the actual ingredients. You'll be in for some surprises, I'll bet!

Nigelsecostore An online eco-homewares and gifts store bringing together contemporary design and increased eco-awareness. 

Seventh Generation Seventh Generation offers a complete line of non-toxic household products. They also have lots of good info on non-toxic cleaning ingredients and other green initiatives.

Green People specialise in organic and cruelty-free body care.

Eco-Beauty Eco-beauty.com provides a green shopping guide for organic skin care, herbal and aromatherapy facial products and body care products for women, men and children of all skin types.

www.rapanuiclothing.com is a British clothing outlet with a strong ethical and eco philosophy.

www.green-shopping.co.uk This site is well worth checking out for all sorts of kit and books to do with Permaculture - very justifiable consumer goods!

Conservation and wildlife organisations

Organisations which help protect the environment for plants and wildlife

WWF - The World Wildlife Fund campaigns for preservation of habitat and species under threat. They also campaign against damaging farming practices such as palm oil production on land that has been cleared of virgin rainforest.

Friends of the Earth campaigns against environmental damage from pesticides, GMOs and on many other issues.

The oceans and fish conservation

Fishonline.org provides a useful service, identifying fish which is under threat and fish which are at the moment "safe" to eat, from an environmental perspective. Covers 150 species world-wide.

The Marine Stewardship Council is a US based conservation body for the oceans.

Birds

The RSPB is a 1 million-member conservation organisation from the UK. While their main focus is on birds they are very active in protecting and extending wild spaces for all our benefit.

Forests and wild spaces

Tropical Rainforest Animals is a site about rainforests, their animals and ecology and the conservation issues they face.

The Rainforest Site helps save the rainforest by promoting sponsor's goods. They are a good one-stop site for some fabulous organic and sustainable products from around the world.

Climate change, carbon reduction and carbon offsetting

Here are some sites which can help us to reduce our carbon footprint or can help us to offset our carbon emissions. You can also check your personal or family carbon footprint at some of them.

The CarbonNeutral Company is developing projects world-wide to help reduce the planet's carbon emissions.

The World Wildlife Fund pages on climate change

350.org campaigns for a radical shift towards climate-friendly technologies and for effective controls to halt global warming. The "350" refers to the level of CO2 in the air before the industrial revolution started to change things... Chances are, they are organising a campaign near you but, if not, they will help you start one!

Carbon offsets

Carbon offsetting offers a way cancel out or reduce your carbon footprint by supporting sustainable energy projects, tree planting and investment in renewable resources such as wind power.

Future Forests specialises in providing individuals and businesses with such projects.

Carbon Offset Offset your carbon emissions with an affordable, verified TerraPass. Help fight climate change today!

Education and training

BecomingGreen Inc - Green Interior Design, Green Certificate, Green Consultant
Becoming Green, Inc. provides training to everyone who wants to become a certified green specialist, designer or consultant. They also offer the background and resources needed to help others to evaluate green products and energy systems.

EverBlue Training Institute "Building the earth's sustainable workforce". This training provider specialises in green technology and is popular in the US.

ForestryDegree.net Find your perfect degree course for ecological forestry. This useful site offers course reviews.

Sourceconsulting.com/recycling-resources Lots of pages on recycling with particular focus on children and education.

Greentrainingusa.com Here is  a training and certification organization that offers training courses across the USA for BPI, RESNET and other organisations - greening America!

Energy sites

Here you'll find a few sites which specialise in alternatives to conventional energy sources. Some of these links should prove useful if you're thinking of upgrading to an even greener lifestyle by changing to solar energy or wind power! (For sites which give information about greener building techniques, see Green Homes, below).


Green Energy Efficient Homes has lots of info on green energy and techniques to upgrade your home to comfy, energy efficient standards which will save you money.

Solar Heating Panels UK experts in solar heating panels, ground source heat pump and underfloor heating systems. They provide UK plumber training in environmental products and services such as condensing boilers.

Solar Cooker at Cantinawest has lots of info on buying, making and using solar cookers - cooking with the power of the sun!

Home solar systems by Sungevity.com Sungevity is a leader in residential solar power systems installation. They also have some helpful articles on solar power.

Homeofsolarenergy.com has articles on many aspects of solar energy and includes details of suppliers and jobs in the industry as well as many pages on DIY projects.


Green links, green resources, green companies:

Environmental change

I'll reserve this section for initiatives and projects which aim to change the way we live our lives (yes, I know, practically all the organisations on this page aim to do just that.. this one's for the really big stuff!)

Transition Towns A site which trains and mentors people and groups to turn their local towns, villages, cities into low-carbon green living spaces.

Greenpeace tackles a good many climate and conservation issues, often head-on.

Here are a few other environmental organisations which you might find useful. Some of these have forums.

The Environment Site is an international resource offering a very friendly and lively forum, among other things. Just about every conceivable green issue is debated here!

Environment News from 4ecotips
4ecotips provides news articles, global warming information, eco travel and eco friendly tips for the UK and Europe.

Morsbags.com Morsbags.com is doing something to reduce the tally of plastic bags swashing about the planet and harming wildlife. The idea is to get together with people in your local community, drink wine and make reusable cloth bags (from old duvet covers, curtains from charity shops etc) and hand them out to the public for free on specified dates outside different supermarkets. This is a non-commercial/non-profitable initiative - just beneficial for everyone, especially whales!

Green links, green resources, green companies:

Events - arts and festivals 

See also Mind, Spirit and Leisure, below for more green arts.

Global Exchange Green Festivals

A Greener Festival helps festivals around the world to become more sustainable. They are "a not-for-profit company committed to helping music and arts events and festivals around the world adopt environmentally efficient practices".

http://www.facebook.com/LoveYourTent - a new initiative from A Greener Festival and Eco Action Partnership that helps reduce the landfill stemming from festival excesses! 

Food production, horticulture, farming and gardening sites

Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) campaigns for better standards of husbandry worldwide. They promote organic and humane approaches to animal welfare on the farm. They have lots of info about the downside of chemical and factory farming, especially as regards animal welfare.

The Organic Consumers Association is a US organisation lobbying for higher standards in food and farming

Pesticides Action Network This is the UK site but you can go through it to the international site. It has lots of valuable information about the dangers of pesticides, particularly in food.

Common Ground promotes community gardening and horticulture in the UK.

In the US there is an excellent website which promotes orchard growing: Holistic Orchardist Network

The Robyn Van En Center at Wilson College promotes Community Supported Agriculture in the USA.

The Soil Association is the UK organisation which sets organic standards for UK farms and horticulturists. It also lobbies for higher standards and has extensive reference libraries on-line.

WWOOF - Working Weekends on Organic Farms, Sweden This is a great way to explore organic gardening, farming or horticulture. You exchange labour for accommodation and food (and some education, of course) and get to see another part of the world, too. This link takes you to the Swedish site which looks a great place to start. It has links to other Wwoof sites worldwide.

Organic Food For Everyone enter the wonderful world of organic food.

gmwatch.org/ About the dangers of genetically modified organisms and the fight against their use in the food chain.

Down the Lane is a lovely site about growing things, downshifting and self-sufficiency. It has a great section on hens.

Green links, green resources, green companies:

Gardening sites:

My Garden My Garden is an innovative online gardening resource for lovers of gardening. Over 210,000 plant names listed.

The Real Seed Catalogue offers a great way to get organic and heritage seeds. They keep rare and unusual plant strains and have lots of interesting salad plants to try. They also have great information on how to collect your own seeds. UK and Europe only for seed orders but worth a visit for inspiration if you are elsewhere!

Greenhouse Growing is a new site featuring articles about greenhouse cultivation and has many ideas for using your greenhouse to the full. Expert advice for a thriving greenhouse!

HowToGardenAdvice has some good pages on organic gardening topics and instructions for growing individual plants and herbs.

Comecomposting.com is a useful site about all the finer points of composting.

healthsmartliving.com/ has articles on DIY hydroponics and some info on using CO2 to aid growth. 

Green links, green resources, green companies:

Green magazines, blogs and guides

The SierraClub online magazine has lots of useful green living ideas and articles. It is one of the oldest environmental sites on the web.

EcoLivingAdvice has interesting news and articles on recycling and other green living topics.

Chasing Green has lots of articles on consumer topics with practical ideas for a greener lifestyle.

Permaculture Magazine (UK) has loads of great resources and articles on sustainable living.

Green links, green resources, green companies:

Greener homes

Becoming greener in our homes is becoming ever more important as the effects of climate change become more apparent. Here are some links to organisations which promote green building technologies and to some which promote, make or sell innovative appliances and products for a greener home.

Living In Small Houses Think Big. Live Small. Reduce your Mortgage. Showcasing the growing trend of Tiny and Small houses as an alternative to reduce your Mortgage. They also offer home plans, related small and frugal living resources, DIY alternatives and building tips. A great resource for an alternative approach to homes and finance.

SustainableBuild.co.uk Information and advice about land and the appropriate construction techniques to help you build in an eco-friendly way. This site is rich in information you'll find useful if you are considering any green building or renovation project.

GreenDimes offers to rid you of junk mail. US only at the moment but they are hoping to extend it to other countries.

Wood Burning Stoves A good source for wood stoves information! This is a really useful site if you are thinking of purchasing a wood or pellet stove for your home. They have reviews of many products, including Scandinavian models.

Mind, spirit and leisure

Here are a few selected links for spirituality, philosophy and psychology. There are also some leisure activities which can be both green and life-enhancing.

This corner of the links page is for sites which help towards happiness, mental health and enjoyment of living. Many other links may cover this too (gardening makes me happy!) but this area is reserved for sites which focus on these issues.

World Dance uses traditional circle dance and sacred dance to help foster peace around the world.

Spiritual Healing Secrets This site focuses on spiritual healing and holistic medicine.

Self Growth has a huge number of articles on issues relating to human health and happiness.

Green links, green resources, green companies:

Nutrition and alternative medicine

Nutritionist Resource is a UK site where you can search for a local medical nutritionist. It also has some good articles on health and nutrition.

Holistic Herbalist
offers info on herbal remedies and the synergy of Ayurvedic Medicine. Includes info about medicinal herbs and common disorders.

Vegetarian Nook is a site which looks at vegetarian, vegan and "flexitarian" diet options.

NutritionData.com Research almost any foods here for nutritional content. Lots of whizzy graphics and charts but also some good solid info.

Home Remedies and Natural Cures Learn how to use safe, simple home remedies and natural cures to prevent disease and live a healthier life.

Easy Aromatherapy Recipes has lots of fascinating articles on aromatherapy and easy recipes for stress relief and a even weight loss.

Saskias Flower Essences brings you hand crafted organic flower essences from the English Cotswolds to help with emotional health and well-being.

Healthy Holistic Living This site reflects upon the author's experience living with a chronic illness and her personal journey to health. The site includes tips on building a healthy home, healthy living strategies, alternative medicine, how to manage a chronic illness, how to get disability as well as articles on holistic health.

Green links, green resources, green companies:

Reduce, re-use, recycle!

We all know the mantra by now - "reduce, re-use, recycle". Here are some organisations which help towards these aims.

Freecycle does a fantastic job helping keep household goods out of landfill. Advertise your unwanted goods locally and find good stuff for your home for free. Freecycle is a worldwide organisation which has over 6 million members, so chances are, there is a group near you.

WRAP (Waste Resources Action Programme) promotes recycling, composting and environmental protection. This UK organisation helps individuals, businesses and local authorities to reduce waste and recycle more. - "Material change for a better environment"

Earth911.com has well-researched articles on all aspects of recycling.

HomeImprovementHelper has articles on reducing waste and recycling in the home.

www.repairlaunch.com works to repair electronic goods and save them from becoming e-waste.

A Kid's Guide to Recycling This new guide has basic information on the whys and hows of recycling and lots of links to worksheets and fun activities designed for children of all ages. It was written by kids for kids. Highly recommended!

Travel and transport

Here I'll put some links to a few eco-travel sites and anything else I find that helps to make transportation greener. There are lots of initiatives springing up, greening the future of travel.

Go Green Car Here's a London Taxi firm which is greener than most. They use hybrid cars to help cut emissions by as much as 60% and they do carbon off-setting too.

Eco-friendly Tourist This is a user-friendly guide to green holidays. Packed with ideas and information about where to go, how to get there, and things to do while you're away. It also features a growing database of listings for UK accommodation in the UK.

ETA the Environmental Transport Association "We are the only motoring organisation to campaign for a sustainable transport system". This British site offers greener motoring from insurance to car buying guides and cycling info. They also have some useful information on vehicle emissions.

CarBudi A car share scheme with free sign up and user-friendly software that enables you to give or receive lifts. You can form car sharing groups within the system, too.

Liftshare.org This is the umbrella organisation for Carbudi above. You can also find taxi buddies, walk buddies and cycle buddies. Brilliant concept! They have over 200,000 members and growing.

eCo Wheelz specialises in electric bikes, battery-powered scooters and other eco-friendly forms of transportation. You could have fun going green with these state-of-the art appliances!

Holiday Ideas

The Pod is a revolutionary new way to camp - or a neat addition to your garden for extra room. Pods are cropping up across the UK and Europe, too.

WarmShowers.org is an international hospitality site for touring cyclists. A very green way to see the world!

Green directories

GreenFinder ...for all things clean, green and ethical..
This is a new UK directory of useful green products and services. They can even help you plan your journeys!

Green Providers is a not-for-profit ethical and green directory for the UK.

Go Green Directory
natural, organic, and eco-friendly

Organic Portal is a free on-line directory for organic food produce and other services in the UK. It has regional information and a forum, too.

The Green Providers Directory is a leading resource for finding green, organic and fair trade goods and services. "We are a not-for-profit, green directory founded on ethical principles. All the companies listed have been individually vetted so you can be sure of their eco-friendly credentials."

Green Directory - Our Green Directory is Canada's showcase of eco friendly products and services.

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