Google Green Summer

Are you looking to have the greenest summer possible? Well, Google has these tips to offer:

1. Search for "environmentally friendly hotel" instead of just "hotel."
2. Switch to "Satellite" mode in the upper right for an alternate view of outdoor areas.
3. Save paper. Download Google Maps for Mobile.
4. Search for "organic spa" for spas specializing in organic products.
5. Search for "bike rentals" or "kayak rentals" in the city you're visiting to discover healthy outdoor vacation activities.
On the 'Summer of Green' page you'll see that the top destinations for summer vacations and activities are San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Orlando, and New York. Using this page will help you find greener alternatives and activities.

If it's green color you seek, go "leafy" with Green Search.

Banana Republic Goes Green

Banana Republic has hopped on the green wagon in honor of Earth Day this year. They have announced their commitment to "greening" their stores, packaging, and products.

Their stores have all been renovated with energy-saving halogen light bulbs and are trying to use recyclable paper products; they have ultimately reached an energy savings of 41%. Furthermore, the store has recently unveiled a line of Summer 2008 clothing created with completely organic cotton and other sustainable fibers.

And to take the theme just another step further, Banana Republic has decided to donate 1% of all their sales that take place during Earth Week - up to $100,000 - to conserving green city spaces. "This Earth Week initiative is the first step towards Banana Republic's 1 million dollar commitment to The Trust for Public Land. This initiative will strengthen efforts to create new parks and playgrounds for American cities," the company states.

That's an excuse for a shopping spree.

More Green, This Time on TV

Just about everything is going green. It was just a matter of time till TV went more green too! The Sundance Channel will be premiering "the GREEN" - a regularly scheduled programming destination dedicated entirely to the environment. They are also offering eco-tips, green guide, and a greenzine! Join their eco-community and check out their blog.

If you'd much rather watch something than read something, I would recommend checking out all of the eco-videos that they have online - the first of which is called Big Ideas for a Small Planet.

America's Top 50 Greenest Cities

Woohoo...Popular Science magazine has rated America's Top 50 Greenest Cities and the Bay Area dominated!

They used data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Geographic Society’s Green Guide, which reviews all American cities of over 100,000 people in more than 30 categories, including air quality, electricity use and transportation habits. They then compiled these statistics into four broad categories:

Electricity: Judging the use of renewable sources such as wind, solar, biomass and hydroelectric power and incentive offerings for residents to invest in their own power sources.

Transportation: These scores are based on how many commuters take public transportation or carpool and on air quality.

Green Living: This is based on the number of buildings certified by the U.S. Green Building Council and for areas devoted to green space, such as public parks and nature preserves.

Recycling and Green Perspective: These measure how comprehensive a city’s recycling program is (if the city collects old electronics, for example) and how important its citizens consider environmental issues.

And the winners are...dun dun dun...

1. Portland, OR
2. SAN FRANCISCO, CA
3. Boston, MA
4. OAKLAND, CA
5. Eugene, OR
6. Cambridge, MA
7. BERKELEY, CA
8. Seattle, WA
9. Chicago, IL
10. Austin, TX

That puts the Bay Area in THREE of the Top 10 places! Good job, folks, and keep it coming. Maybe next year we can make San Francisco number ONE!