It’s pretty easy being green. At least, that’s what Portland, Ore. would say if you asked. The city at the top of our list definitely makes it look easy. If you don’t have the good fortune to live in one of these earth-friendly cities, try visiting one. Maybe you can take some of their green practices home with you. These are Popular Science’s picks for the greenest cities in America.

1. Portland, Oregon: Talk about progressive. Half of Portland’s power comes from renewable sources and a quarter of the city’s workers bike to work, carpool or use public transportation. They are probably going to work in a green building too; 35 of the city’s buildings are certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.

2. San Francisco, California: This green city generates some of its power from roof space that would have otherwise been wasted. On the roof of the massive convention center lies an intricate collection of photovoltaic cells that power the center during events and 180 homes when the center is empty. Next, San Francisco will be covering many, many more surfaces with solar cells.

3. Boston, Massachusetts: Yard waste is gold in this green city. A plant is in the works to convert yard clippings and leaves into power and fertilizer. Anaerobic bacteria will feed on the grass and create methane while the leaves will be subjected to heat and agitation to speed up the composting process.

4. Oakland, California: The second California city on the list is a master at green transportation. Their public transportation system relies on a new fleet of hydrogen-powered buses that give off nothing more than water vapor.

5. Eugene, Oregon: The second Oregon city on the list has everyone beat on electricity efficiency. While much of the Pacific Northwest gets its power from hydroelectric dams, Eugene goes a few steps further by getting an additional nine percent of its energy from wind dams and buying back excess power from residents who install solar panels.

By supporting the cities that have entered the green future, we can help the country move forward as a whole. If you see anything here that you think would be possible for your city, ask your political representatives about it. Let’s get every American city on this list!

When breaking the ice with strangers at social gatherings, you want to make a good first impression. Why not doubly-impress with cool eco-facts that show off your smarts and green lifestyle? Here are ten quick eco-facts sure to impress.

1. A laptop is more environmentally friendly than a desktop. It consumes five times less electricity.
2. An aluminum can that is thrown away will still be a can 500 years from now!
3. Walmart is leading the green business evolution, but not “out of the goodness of their heart.” Walmart knows that it’s the future of business. In Germany, people simply stopped shopping at Walmart because of their unsustainable business practices. Now that they’ve gone green, Walmart (and their customers) saves money.
4. Traffic jams cause eight times more air pollution that traffic moving at regular highway speed. Ah, rush hour. Annoying and toxic.
5. There are more roads in our National Forests than in the entire U.S. Interstate Highway System.
6. In Michigan, the only state with a dime deposit on recycled cans, the redemption rate is 95%. Newman and Kramer were on top of this eco-fact years ago:
   
7. Americans represent only five percent of the world’s population, but they generate 30 percent of the world’s garbage.
8. Although the light bulb was invented to help mankind see in the dark, indoor lighting use peaks between the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
9. The Gutenberg Bible, the first and second drafts of the US Declaration of Independence, and the original works of Mark Twain were all printed on hemp-based papers. Hemp-based paper production saves billions of trees each year.
10. It takes less gasoline to restart your car than it does to let it idle for more than a minute. Furthermore, if all the cars on U.S. roads had properly inflated tires, an estimated 2 billion gallons of gasoline would be saved each year, and gas mileage would improve 3 to 7 percent per vehicle.

You don’t even need note cards for these cool bits of trivia. Hit the keg, grab a handful of (organic) potato chips, and get the conversation rolling with one or more of these handy eco-facts.

Americans love shoes. In fact, there are around seven pairs for every person living in the United States. That’s a lot, especially when you take into consideration the materials used to make up our favorites. Most contain a number of different synthetic and petroleum-derived materials, manufactured in China, that release toxins like the carcinogenic dioxin into the air. Factory workers are exposed to dangerous glues and tanning agents for leather. By buying shoes made from sustainable materials, you will reduce the surprising carbon cost of footwear.

• While Simple Shoes manufactures their shoes outside of the United States, they are committed to using fair labor practices and sustainable materials for their products. Their sandals, casual shoes, sneakers and dress shoes are made from a combination of different recycled and sustainable materials, including organic cotton, recycled car tires and innertubes, hemp, silk, and cork. Their packaging is as minimal as it can get, and all biodegradable.

• Earth Shoes makes casual and athletic shoes from bamboo, hemp, recycled plastic and water-soluble solvents. Their special design, called a “negative heel”, promotes leg strength and weight loss by making the heel of the shoe lower than the thick sole of the arch and toes—in effect, you are constantly walking uphill. This lowered heel is supposed to align your hips and spine, straighten your head and activate your core—so not only are you doing the earth good by wearing these shoes, you are doing you body good as well.

• Patagonia puts a lot of thought into the materials they use to make their shoes, in addition to their functionality. While they still choose to use leather in some of their products because of its extreme durability and protective properties, they reuse hides from the meat industry that would be discarded otherwise. Their tanning process strives to be as earth friendly and safe for the tanners as possible. They offer a line of vegan shoes made with all water-soluble solvents and uppers made from recycled and synthetic materials. They recycle their own rubber scraps into soles, and use Heavea latex, which has an extraction process that is actually beneficial to the tree.

But before you decide to buy new shoes, consider the greenest options of all: shoe recycling. If your shoe breaks, repair it, rather than buying a new pair—it’s undoubtably cheaper. If you really want a new pair, try buying from a thrift store. Plenty of lightly worn and interesting shoes are available at your local Good Will or Salvation Army stores.

Do your best to purchase shoes made in the United States, preferably by union workers. Don’t be fooled by shoes manufactured in the Mariana Islands, however—while they are U.S. Commonwealth, the factories there are not required to pay the minimum wage o their workers.

While it might seem silly to worry about what shoes you wear, we must consider all the ways we can limit our carbon footprint and promote fair labor practices. If each of us recognized our significant contribution to climate change and globalization, then maybe these problems could be resolved.

As we have discussed in this post, bottled water is far from the most environmentally-conscious hydration solution. Greener alternatives to that include buying a filter or carrying reusable water bottles with you. But not everyone needs to go out of their way like that, some of us are just lucky because we live in cities where tap water is clean and drinkable. So are you one of the lucky bunch? Let’s take a look and see.

A couple of years ago Forbes.com tested the tap water from cities across the United States and analyzed the results.

Forbes studied data compiled from the Consumer Confidence Reports (CCR), which are provided annually by the EPA and community water systems. The CCR looked at each city’s water turbidity—commonly known as “cloudiness” –-as well as levels of bacteria, lead, and halo-acetic acids, which are byproducts of the water purification process.  Scientists have also found other contaminants, such as pesticides, germs, arsenic, and even rocket fuel in water samples.

Justifiably, the public often questions the healthful quality of tap water. According the Environmental Working Group (EWG), contaminated tap water can cause illness, especially among pregnant women, the elderly, and young children. Though tap water purity levels improved since being publicized, according to studies similar to the one conducted by Forbes, some cities still violated Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards with very high levels of contaminants.

Despite the odds, high EPA standards and green living initiatives inspire many cities to ditch the bottle and reap the benefits of their local water supply. Seven of the top cities with the cleanest tap water include:

• Las Vegas, Nevada boasts low turbidity ranks #7 overall according to the Forbes study.
• San Jose, California is leading the way amongst green cities, by announcing plans to recycle or reuse 100 % of its wastewater within the next 15 years.
• Miami, Florida ranks #4 on Forbes’ top cities, and also scored in the top 25 for low levels of turbidity, bacteria, lead, and halo-acetic acids.
• Midwesterners who call St. Louis, Missouri home are proud of the clarity, aroma, and taste of its local tap water supply. The US Conference of Mayors agrees, and after a blind taste test in 2009, announced that St. Louis had the best tap water.  Furthermore, St. Louis water only had traces of the pollutants decried by the EPA.
• Austin, Texas scored consistently in the top ten with low turbidity, halo-acetic acid, and lead levels, and thus winning the silver medal in Forbes’ survey.
• In Kansas City, Missouri, even the drinking fountains ranked high in clean tap water studies
• But it’s Des Moines, Iowa that takes the gold according to Forbes and also ranks high in other studies. Des Moines had the second lowest level of bacteria amongst cities studied, along with a consistent top fifteen ranking due to low levels of lead, turbidity, and halo-acetic acid. A job well done by all comparisons!

If you don’t live in one of these cities or are still concerned about the quality of your tap water, invest in a carbon filter, such as those made by Brita. By avoiding plastic bottles, you save money and the environment, and anyway, many bottled water companies use the same source as your tap: local municipal water.

Environmentalists agree that the publication of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring in 1962 essentially ushered in the contemporary environmental movement. The book presented natural preservation causes previously undervalued by the public, and led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency. John Muir, cofounder of the Sierra Club, has also been recognized for his devotion to Mother Nature, along with other historical figures.  But kings, presidents, and artists, in addition to their renowned accomplishments, too have taken part in the green movement, beginning centuries before Carson penned her opus.

As early as 1272, King Edward I of England decreed the burning of sea coal banned in London.  The massive air pollution problem resulted from an overabundance of smoke and smog, and would remain an issue during the Industrial Revolution, which marked the commencement of the modern pollution problem known today.

500 years later, and an ocean away, Benjamin Franklin, along with other Philadelphians declared their “public right” and petitioned the Pennsylvania Assembly to stop waste dumping and remove tanneries from commercial districts.  When the Transcendentalist movement in New England gained popularity in the late 1800s, author and leader Henry David Thoreau published The Maine Woods, which brought to light the need for federal protection of forests. This echoed well with the Transcendentalists, who revered and respected nature.

At the start of the 20^th century, US President Theodore Roosevelt visited Yosemite, a trip that influenced his later conservation work. In a 1910 speech in Osawatomie, Kansas, Teddy orated his favor of using America’s natural resources without overconsumption. But perhaps his greatest contribution to the green movement was creating 150 National Forests, 5 National Parks, and 18 National Monuments to conservation.  Two presidents later, Woodrow Wilson created the National Park Service.

When the 1950s came about, artists and other laymen joined the green movement. Ansel Adams and other prolific nature photographers enhanced public awareness of conservation and the need to protect the land by creating the Sierra Club Exhibit Format.  These photo collections informed and encouraged people to join environmental movement organizations.

Mohandas Gandhi, the peaceful and political leader himself, also respected nature and influenced the 1970s’ Chipko movement in India, which protested deforestation by literally hugging trees, giving birth to the term “tree hugger.” The Chipko movement was admired for their peaceful protests and their slogan, “Ecology is permanent economy,” proved influential on later green movements and workers.

James Lovelock, a former NASA scientist, proposed the Gaia Hypothesis in 1979 with the publication of his book Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth. Lovelock proposed that life on earth should be understood as a single organism, which became the basis of the Deep Green ideology.

With common men and great leaders who were green revolutionaries as inspiration, the movement continues with unprecedented strength. Certainly history will look back on modern “tree huggers” such as Al Gore and Julia “Butterfly” Hill as equals with these historical luminaries who did their part to think and live green.

A lot of people want to live green or give to environmental causes, but they have trouble finding information or advice. Enter some of Hollywood’s hottest stars who use their celebrity status for good: to raise awareness about the need for global environmentalism. Here are five examples of true star power:

Leonardo DiCaprio not only flies commercially and drives a hybrid car, but in 1998, he started The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation which, “…supports efforts to secure a sustainable future for our planet and all of its inhabitants.” The foundation promotes global warming initiatives, fresh water and ocean conservation, and the need for fuel biodiversity.  DiCaprio also wrote and narrated The 11^th Hour, a documentary film that interviewed green leaders and discussed the challenges and changes facing our generation.

Actress and activist Daryl Hannah sat in a tree for 23 days in a bid to save L.A.’s South Central Farm, an urban community garden. She was arrested for her efforts, but this longtime environmentalist didn’t let the experience deter her. She drives a biodiesel car and runs her eco-blog dh love life, giving tips on living green and ways to get involved with green movements.

Brad Pitt parlayed his love of architecture into rejuvenating the 9^th Ward of New Orleans, a neighborhood devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Pitt founded the non-profit organization Make It Right and remains on the cutting edge of green architecture movement, which strives to build environment-friendly houses.  Because of Pitt and organizations such as Make it Right and Global Green, the Lower 9^th Ward is on its way to becoming one of the largest “green” neighborhoods in the nation.  Pitt also supports his former co-star and noted green guru Ed Norton’s Solar Neighbors Program, a joint project with BP that connects well-to-do individuals with low-income families who wish to go solar, but can’t afford it. Anytime a celebrity purchases a solar energy system, another family receives one for free.

Matt Damon lends his name to several green media projects. He narrated the National Geographic documentary Running the Sahara, which depicts the diverse cultures of the Saharan people while highlighting the need for clean water. Damon put his money where his mouth is and in response to the African water crisis described in the film, cofounded water.org. In 2007, Damon joined up with his longtime friend and writing partner Ben Affleck to raise awareness for the “Clean my Ride, Flex my Fuel” program, a campaign aimed at getting the US Congress to raise fuel-efficiency standards and provide more ethanol-based fuel stations across America.

Not only does she play a Hero on television, Hayden Panettiere is one teenage actress that can say she is one in real life. She’s the spokeswoman for Save the Whales Again!, an international conservation campaign for dolphins, whales, and other sea life. Panettiere even sold personal items online to raise money for the foundation. Most recently, Panettiere stars in the Oscar-winning documentary The Cove, which raised awareness about the secret slaughter of 20,000 dolphins in Japan.  As a result of Panettiere’s heroic efforts and the film’s success, many of the dolphins are to be released into the wild.

Even though you don’t have to be a movie star or a millionaire to make a difference, these movie stars and yes, millionaires, are doing their part, and have helped many find resources to live and give green.

According to the International Energy Agency, to satisfy the rising electricity demands of consumer electronics in the next two decades, 560 coal-fired power plants (or 230 nuclear power plants) will need to be constructed. And did you know that a number of household electronics increase your electricity costs even when they are turned off? This is called ‘standby power’, and on average, an American home has over 40 electronics drawing it. Many electronics aren’t really ‘off’ when their switch is in the off position—they may wait, using power all the while, for the signal of a remote, or for the television screen to be turned on again. These products, listed with their standby energy usage as estimated by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, should be unplugged when you aren’t using them. Unplug, and watch your monthly electricity bill decline.

• Video Game Consoles: In an effort to save games, many video game players will leave their console turned on when they aren’t in use. In total, the nation’s gaming consoles use the same amount of electricity yearly as San Diego, the country’s ninth largest city. These can use up to 63.74 watts in standby.
• Televisions: Even when off, televisions with DVR capabilities use energy as they record or power their signal receptor for the remote control. These can use up to 48 watts in standby.
• Cell Phone Chargers: Have you noticed your charger is warm when it is plugged in to the wall but not into your phone? Only about 5% of the total power drawn monthly by a cell phone charger goes into charging your phone—the rest is wasted power when the charger is plugged in but not in use. These can use up to 1 watt in standby.
• Night Light: Even though it is daytime, your night light is still plugged in, using energy to provide light you don’t need. Unplug it, and then plug it in when it starts to get dark. These can use up to 1.2 watts in standby.
• Printer: No one is printing all the time, yet printers are typically left plugged in to wait until they are needed. These can use up to 22 watts in standby.

If your home has all of these things, and you keep them plugged in all the time, you are paying for an additional 135.94 watts to be drawn constantly when these electronics are on but not in use. Keeping things plugged in when you aren’t using them is a secret drain on your bank account, as well as a drain on our limited resources for power —so unplug away!

Let’s face it; beer and manliness have always gone hand in hand. But there is a new genre of brew emerging during this era of green that may not carry that “manly” connotation. I am talking about organic beer. Organic beer is not only better for you, but it’s better for the environment. But some of you may think “organic beer doesn’t even taste right” or “organic beer is for sissies”. Well think again! The list below includes awesome organic brews that will leave you saying “may I have another?”. It seems these beer connoisseurs have found the perfect compromise.

Before we move onto the list however, let’s define what an “organic beer” really means. It means that ingredients are grown naturally. No insecticides, herbicides, fungicides or fertilizers are added. Also this means that there are no food additives (including artificial flavoring), so you know that the aroma of hops your organic beer is emanating is for real. The criteria for organic certification are too many to list here, but just trust me there are a lot. (To read more about that, go here (link to USDA organic site). So, the truth is organic beer is better for you and they don’t contain chemical additives that kill a number of species annually.

Pinkus Muller traces its origins to 19^th century northern Germany (for you beer novices out there, Germany is where some of the best beer comes from). The company was founded in 1816 and their manufacturing processes remained pretty much the same since. This makes Pinkus the granddaddy of all organic beers. Today, they produce four different organic flavors guaranteed to be good, considering the pedigree. Keep on trucking fellas.

Wolaver’s Brewery running out of the much-respected, Otter Creek Brewing Company is dedicated to the hard work necessary in making a “pure” beer. Their label depicts three men in the field threshing barley by hand reflecting their do-it-yourself attitude. Their nine flavors were patiently devised to fit every beer drinkers taste.

Roots beer is most famous for their unique ingredient choices. The addition of roses, juniper branches and sage really gives their beer a zesty kick. Roots hails from Portland, Oregon. They take pride in their Pacific Northwest style of brewing. Also, dig their laid-back surf style label, classy. Maybe, they support all movements green.

Eel River was the first company ever that produced certified organic beer. Their product list includes six ales and one stout. Eel River is probably most famous for their Indian Pale Ale which is a must-have, but try the Raven’s Eye Imperial Stout. It’s 9.7% alcohol by volume. Talk about manly.

Mill St., a respected Canadian brewery created the first organic lager in Ontario in 2002. The German pilsner is light, crisp and refreshing. It’s on tap and in bottles at selected bars.

So, guys don’t shy away from ordering any of these brews at the bar next time: you will enjoy the taste and the fact that you are drinking organic beer may just be the perfect conversation starter with that girl you laid your eyes on. But of course remember to drink responsibly, no matter what type of alcohol you drink.

The term “carbon footprint” infiltrates our consciousness via the news, blogs, and even blockbuster films. But what is a carbon footprint? How do I measure mine?

A carbon footprint is defined as the total amount of greenhouse gasses (GSG) produced by an organization, event, or product. For the individual earth-dweller, a carbon footprint measures the impact of our daily activities on the environment, particularly, in regards to climate change.  To live is to burn fossil fuels for electricity, heating, transportation, and other activities.

Two categories of CO2 emissions make up a carbon footprint. The primary footprint measures direct, controllable emissions of CO2, such as home costs (gas, oil, coal, electricity) and transportation, both public and private (cars and planes).

CO2 emissions that result from an individual’s lifestyle and product consumption—from production to breakdown–make up the secondary footprint. These include: public and financial services, recreation, buildings, furnishings, car manufacturing and delivery, and clothing. In short, the more we buy, the bigger the carbon footprint.

How do I measure my carbon footprint?

Carbon footprints are measured in equivalent units of metric tons of CO2, and basic information about your lifestyle adds up to your personal GSG contribution.

How can I reduce my carbon footprint?

Once you know the size of your carbon footprint, take baby steps to begin reducing it.

The average American’s carbon footprint is 20.40 metric tons, whereas the worldwide average is 4 metric tons. The global target size is 2 metric tons per person.  Environmentalists and believers in green living have worked to establish worldwide carbon offsetting programs that utilize solar and wind energy or promote reforestation in an attempt to reduce the global carbon footprint. The Kyoto Protocol enforces clean development mechanisms, joint implementation, and emissions trading, but what can I do as an individual to reduce my carbon footprint?

Here’s a list of simple things you can do immediately:

At home (Primary footprint):

• Turn off and unplug appliances when not in use (lights, TV, Computers, etc.)
• Turn down heating and turn off when you’re not home
• When using water (dishwasher, washing machine, kettle), use only as much as water as you need and wash full loads each time
• Use green energy supplies in your home (light bulbs, electricity provider, insulation, refrigerator, boiler, etc.)

On the road (Primary footprint):

• Complete your weekly shopping in a single trip
• Carpool, take public transportation, walk or bike as much as possible
• Reduce the number of flights you take
• When staying in a hotel, turn off the lights and air-conditioning and request for your room towels to be washed every other day

Rethink your buying habits (Secondary footprint):

• Don’t buy bottled water if your tap water is clean and healthful
• Buy locally produced foods or grow your own
• Eat less meat
• Buy organic produce, avoid packaged products
• Recycle!

Water is unmistakably good for your health in a number of different ways, but these same ways of using it can be extremely damaging to the environment. Without a plan to make water a sustainable resource, there is no guarantee that it will be around to make us healthy for much longer! How can we reform our reliance on water to make sure it is not only good for us, but good for the earth as well?

Perhaps the most obvious way we rely on water is for hydration. While our water needs vary depending on body weight and activity level, water makes up about 60 percent of our body weight. Water is necessary to flush out toxins, dissolve vitamins and minerals, moisten membranes and move nutrients between cells—without it, our body wouldn’t function at all. While many adhere to the eight by eight rule (eight, eight ounce glasses of water a day), there is no real formula for how much water each individual needs. As long as you drink enough so you rarely feel thirsty and produce clear or slightly yellow urine regularly, you are properly hydrated.

Sadly however, many people rely on disposable water bottles for their hydration needs, as they provide a clear option for portable and safe drinking water. While this might help us meet our hydration quota, the massive consumption of bottled water in the United States is devastating to the environment. According to MSLK, a New York based graphic design firm focused on raising awareness about plastic consumption, 1500 plastic water bottles are consumed every second in the United States. This staggering statistic results in the consumption of 50 billion bottles every year—with 80 percent of them ending up in a landfill.  Additionally, their production requires 1.5 million barrels of our precious oil, and even more for the fuel cost of transporting the extremely heavy bottles of water. All of this could be eradicated, should you choose to drink tap water instead. It’s cheaper, just as safe, and will help your body function in exactly the same way.

Slightly less crucial—but still important—is our use of water for cleaning and hygiene purposes. According to the American Water Works Association, the per capita daily household consumption of water for these purposes is about 69.3 gallons. This is water that has to be filtered and cleansed before it can be used again.

Should your family elect to install more efficient water fixtures, per capita consumption of indoor water could be reduced approximately 35 percent. If all U.S. households installed these devices, 5.4 billion gallons per day would be saved. A gray water recycling system is a great way to increase water consumption efficiency by recycling and processing your wash water at home.

We can’t forget the importance of water in our recreational activities, particularly in places with a warm climate. Swimming, surfing, sailing, fishing, scuba diving… the list of activities that our bodies of water provide us with is endless. While we may not really need to snorkel, what would life be like if it wasn’t an option anymore? Sailing and the freedom of moving with the wind over water could lose its appeal if the water was polluted and smelly. We would be landlocked.

All of our desire to be near the water, in the water, has resulted in a serious pollution problem that will only get worse if it continues to be ignored. There is a huge floating debris field in the northwest Pacific Ocean, 1000 miles off the coast of California. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch isn’t made up of trash as we imagine it—few bottles and cans are recovered from it. Over a huge expanse, tiny particles of plastic float in the water, potentially ingested by the smaller members of the food chain. Little is known about this area—it is probably around the size of Texas, and mostly comprised of a plastic “confetti” that floats just under the surface of the water. Birds mistake it for fish and die eating it. Fishing nets get caught in it and directed to areas where their mere presence is devastating.

If we could cut down on our consumption—and increase our recycling abilities—maybe the ocean could stop being an international dumping ground.

If we have the power to damage the resources we so badly need to support our life, we must have the power to fix them. Calculate your Water Footprint and see how much responsibility you must take to ensure that there is water for the future.