In fact, eggs that claim to be “free-range” are more expensive because the production cost is higher, but you don’t necessarily get what you pay for. As I’m sure you expected from the too-good-to-be-true tone, terms like “Cage Free” are more often than not unsubstantiated claims. The American Egg Board’s website  states that free-range eggs are produced by hens that have daily access to the outdoors, yet national standards do not specify the quality of land, amount of time, or amount of space these hens should have access to.

The best choice when buying eggs of any kind is to opt for “pastured eggs”- eggs from hens that are raised with ample farm, often at a local establishment, and are able to feed from pastures as opposed to being confined and fed grains. One landmark article on MotherEarthNews even presents data from a study that proved that these true free-range eggs have higher nutritional values than those from hens who are confined to conventional factory farming methods. In this test, they worked with eggs produced by chickens that lived in pastured flocks all around the country, and definitively proved that their eggs were more nutritious!

If pastured eggs pique your interest, check out websites like www.localharvest.com and www.eatwild.com for more information, and to find out how to buy them at a farm stand near you!

Reforestation is our only hope for regaining the prestige of our natural forests, and in honor of Earth Day this April, our affiliate CarbonFund.org has initiated the Million Tree Challenge in an effort to raise awareness and plant new trees where they are needed most. Tree planting has myriad benefits: it helps to improve our air quality, sustain biodiversity and provide habitat for our wildlife. So, this April, BGC is joining the cause and honoring CarbonFund by participating in the Challenge!

The concept is simple: for each comment added to this blog post on the BGB, Big Green Cart will plant one tree with CarbonFund. Plus, we’ll be donating one tree for each of our employees, and will be posting special statuses on our Facebook, Twitter and Mypsace pages with more fun ways to plant trees as we move through the month of April. We’re looking for your support to help us reforest our own little corner of the world!

All you have to do is leave your comment on this blog post. It can be anything: a message about the Green movement, a story you feel like sharing, or a simple “Hello” will do the trick! For each comment we receive from our fabulous Green readers, we will put money towards planting trees during the Million Tree Challenge!

Want to do even more to help repopulate our Earth with trees? Visit the Million Tree Challenge page at CarbonFund.org directly to donate.

Whatcha waiting for? Start chatting below! Each of your comments will help plant one more beautiful tree.

Luckily, in the 1980’s, some forward-thinking environmentalists banded together to ensure what is now known as Sustainable Forestry , the practice of harvesting wood from forests in a manner that is respectful of the environment, pre-existing natives and the rights of the workers as well. Organizations like the Rainforest Alliance have been “developing environmental and social standards for the sustainable management of natural resources” for more than two decades, and also help smaller businesses find Sustainable certification for their wood products so that the consumer knows they are getting the ultimate sustainably harvested wood and wood-derived product. The Alliance is among the founders of the foremost respected certifier in the world, the Forest Stewardship Council, making them the largest FSC-accredited certifier to date.

Another notable label to look for is that of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, providing a variety of certifications for the forest fiber content of products made from wood. They are a charitable organization that seeks to “promote sustainable forest management, including measures to protect water quality, biodiversity, wildlife habitat, species at risk, and Forests with Exceptional Conservation Value”.

So, maybe you aren’t planning to run to the hardware store and stock up on lumber for any major home developments any time soon, but next time you pick up a recycled paper product or pencils made from recycled wood, take a little looksee for a Sustainable Forestry label that will let you know the trees your using are being replenished, and that their former lands and people are being respected as well.

“Earth is our home that we love and adore and we have to take good care of it to survive!

Everyone makes a big beautiful circle around Earth and shares peace, love and happiness

Always admire the Earth

Rivers, ponds & lakes, she provides, so Recycle, Reduce, Reuse

Throughout the years Earth is a magical spirit in our heart that is everlasting

Have care for Earth, and maybe one day you will be apart of her new world

Please do your share by showing peace love & happiness to Earth, Recycling reducing and reusing, Save the endangered species, and always remember the air is clear the land is green and the ocean’s blue and doesnt it seem like one day it’s going to end all of the colors mixed together makes a big happy planet and if we work together we can make a big difference so come on we got to help! All written by Emily Sulich.”

One option is to make a donation on your friend or loved one’s behalf. There are seemingly endless options nowadays, as almost every charity or non-profit  offers a certificate or email confirmation of your gift donation. GreaterGood.com has a marvelous roster of projects that are seeking donations that cover a wide variety of charitable causes, as does Alternative Gifts International. Check out this page on their website that lists projects that help preserve the Environment.

Want to give a gift that you can wrap? There are a number of organizations that source fair trade and eco-friendly items that are not only made by responsible means, but also donate a portion of the proceeds from the sale of that item to a charitable cause. One fantastic resource for these “Gifts that Give More” is through Greater Good’s series of activist websites, which tackle issues like World Hunger, Breast Cancer, Child Health, Literacy, the Rainforest and Animal Rescue . Each section of their website has a corresponding online store that is filled with an abundance of beautiful, unique goods which donate some of their sales to the cause at hand. You can also check out websites like Aid to Artisans to purchase holiday gifts that were made through welfare projects in other countries and support the workers with fair wages and working standards.

Of course, the eco-conscious enthusiast is going to be a bit hesitant to send out hordes of paper cards. You can hunt down the perfect Green e-card on sites like Care2  , or you can do even more by sending an e-card that marks a charitable donation! Take a look at these fantastic and inspiring cards from Love146, an organization that works towards the abolishment of child sex trafficking. Their e-cards not only spread strong and positive messages with Holiday spirit, but also allow you to make a donation in someone else’s honor.

This season, at the heart of it, is truly about caring. While we may be inclined to give generously to those around us, we can do even more by considering those who need our help from afar! So, whichever of these methods of giving lights a cozy fire under your holiday chutzpah, don’t forget how far you can reach with the power of compassion. Relish the spirit of joy and giving.

Wishing you all the best,
The BGC Team

Plastic bags frequently litter our environment, and when released into nature can end up harming our wildlife. About 100,000 sea critters — like dolphins, turtles and penguins – are killed each year because of errant plastic bags, whether they accidentally ingest them or are suffocated by them.  Because plastic is not biodegradable, the bag will continue to exist even after the animal has died and may claim even more victims.

Another eco-harmful aspect of the plastic bag is that its production requires the use of Petroleum, a non-renewable resource that we have been draining senselessly for years. About six percent of our world’s oil consumption is caused by the production of plastic! During Petroleum processing, excess amounts of CO2 are released into the atmosphere, which endangers our environment immensely.

Though plastic bags are recyclable, recycling programs that handle them have been few and far between. Luckily, more are appearing in local grocery stores and office supply stores, as well. Type 2 and Type 4 bags can be recycled and are often made into lumber, trashcan liners or even more plastic bags. Compostable bags must also be sent to industrial composting facilities and cannot be recycled in backyard or municipal composting systems

Paper bags are not necessarily the more “eco-friendly” choice; they generate 70% more emissions than plastic bags during production (according to a study done by Ibid). And, it takes over four times as much energy to manufacture a paper bag as it does to manufacture one made out of plastic. In fact, it requires 91% less energy to recycle a pound of plastic than a pound of paper.

And what about decomposition? One would think that the paper bag does a better job of breaking down in the landfill but, in fact, nothing completely degrades in landfills these days. Our landfills are maintained in dry, dark and generally oxygen-deprived atmospheres, so even the compostable material stays relatively in tact.

The best option, then, is to choose a form of recyclable bag made from canvas, cotton or hemp, or any other sustainable material you find suitable and convenient. One great resource for comparison, examining the Life Span, Greenhouse emissions and Litter impact of a variety of bags, can be found at One Bag at a Time. Reusable bags come in a multitude of sizes and designs, from the most basic blank tote to modern, fun over-the-shoulder messenger-types, so no style of shopper is left out!

One more angle people often forget is the bags they use in the produce aisle; the bags we tote our broccoli and apples around in are also made from plastic, and are also environmentally un-friendly! Luckily nowadays there are a plethora of ways to avoid amassing a collection of produce bags. You can buy reusable bags, like netted mesh or canvas versions, you can reuse old plastic bags (cleaned and sanitized, of course), or even carry around your items au-natural when convenient, say for one stray avocado or a few bananas. Reusable produce bags are truly affordable and can be bought individually, or in sets, like this great deal from Ecobags.com.

Sometimes, though, when you’re on the run, plastic is simply unavoidable– so if you’ve got plastic bag guilt, just recycle! You can take your piles of unwanted, unloved bags to a kind recycling bin in your community that will gladly help bring them to their new homes. But before you say au revoir, you can surely find at least one other use for your bag, perhaps as a trashcan liner for a small office or bathroom wastebasket.  Some clever ways to “recycle” your plastic bags, from Realsimple.com, include using them to keep your knees clean while gardening by wrapping them around the outside of your pants, toting them along when you walk Fido instead of buying special Doggie Clean-Up bags or using them to hold a wet umbrella on a rainy day.

Currently, plastic bags are not banned anywhere in the US, although states like Connecticut and New Jersey have taken action to pass legislation that would prohibit certain kinds of plastic bags from the market. But the consciousness is certainly rising regarding the impact each plastic bag has on our earth, and the amount of good service we are doing for our environment each time we choose cotton or canvas. Next time you’re grabbing your weekly groceries, remember to stop at home first and B.Y.O.Bag!

The Table, Computers and Fabulous Signs (top) and our Founder Handing out BGC Totes to those who signed up for our Newsletter! (bottom)

The Guessing Game- Visitors played to win free listings on BGC!

Thanks again to all who stopped by, signed up for the newsletter, and gave us great encouragement! We truly hope to see you on BGC soon. Special thanks go out to Marita and Lotus, our West Coast gals, who helped us immensely at the booth. You made the weekend great!

Stay tuned ’til the next festival rolls around… you never know what kinds of fabulous things we’ll bring to our friendly visitors!

The Green Festival is a great eco-event where you can peruse all the latest, greatest Green businesses, and among those, for the second year in a row, is Big Green Cart. If you will be in the area, or are exhibiting, please stop by and visit us at booth 1015! We will be hosting fun BGC games where you can win one of our fabulous BGC tote bags, and would love to talk to you about the site.

The Festival is being held at the San Francisco Concourse Exhibition Center, and for more information on times and dates you can check out the Green Festival Site. We look forward to seeing you there… flowers in our hair and all!

As it just so happens, there are 6 primary types of unfriendly floaters hangin’ out in our airspace: ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and lead. Each of these creates a staggering number of harmful side effects, but some common problems between them include health complications like chest pain, coughing, and the worsening of pre-existing problems like asthma, and they can damage vegetation and ecosystems, including our food crops. They can also damage cardiovascular health, decrease visibility by creating smog/haze, cause harmful acid rain, and accelerate aesthetic damage to structures and statues. The symptoms and results of any of these physical damages can include coughing, phlegm, chest tightness and shortness of breath. And, needless to say, these conditions generally worsen as the proximity to major cities increases, so those of us who enjoy the grandeur of the big city are also taking quite the toll on our health.

Unfortunately, despite the tree-planting, aerosol-avoiding and carbon-reducing that I may already do, I quickly realized that I can’t immediately control the quality of the air outside. Heck, even Superman would have his hands full. So, resigning myself to the idea that I am not willing to wear a face mask whenever I step outdoors, I turned my sights inward– to my home, that is.

Air filtration is an effective way to improve your indoor environment, the healthful qualities of your airspace and even the freshness (especially as opposed to chemical-ridden room fragrances). The most widely-acclaimed air filter is the High-Efficiency Particulate Air filter, or HEPA, which can remove at least 99.97% of airborne particles in your home. HEPA filters are made of randomly arranged fibers which trap dust and harmful particulates more thoroughly than ordinary disposable fiberglass filters. When it comes to their exterior, HEPA machines have always been a bit bulky, and pretty unattractive to boot. However, I recently discovered Alen Paralda’s slim, modern-looking HEPA filter, which utilizes ionized HEPA filters as well as a UV lamp for bacterial control. Even more impressively, it is the first air purifier on the market that meets both Energy Star and RoHS standards for energy efficiency.

But if sleek and new-age isn’t quite your thing, there is a visually striking and unobtrusively alternative way to enliven your airspace: the Himalayan Salt Crystal Lamp. These lamps are made form 250 million year old Himalayan Crystal Salt, having been compressed throughout time by the surrounding mountains to the point that they formed a crystal matrix. The crystal structure, which is one of nature’s ways of storing energy, makes these seemingly innocuous lumps of salt highly charged with energy that can help support and improve our health.

Scientific studies have proven that these lamps can increase the negative ion count in a given area, and negative ions can help eliminate the small particulates in the air like dust, pollen, mold spores and animal dander. They are often accredited with improving mood and alleviating depression and seasonal affective disorder. They can also increase the flow of oxygen to the brain, which improves alertness and decreases drowsiness. These ions are powerful, unsung heros that help improve the quality of the air we breathe, and neutralize the positive ions that are generated by the electrical devices that populate most of our homes. Not to mention, the Himalayan Crystal Salt lamp emits a soft orange glow that creates exceptionally soothing ambiance in any room.

So, if you’re planing out all the little adornments you’ll gather to fill up your space as you mold your home into your own private sanctuary, don’t forget about the most important space of all– your airspace! Keep your air as tidy as your well-decorated abode and you’ll be thanking yourself, and the power of the negative ions, for as long as you live and breathe.

I don’t know about you, but that’s not exactly my favorite way to celebrate the season. But, in the name of all things good and nostalgic, there are definitely ways to avoid being wasteful around this time of year. In fact, we could all get our fill of spook and sugar if we all took the time to do the holiday right!

Here’s are a few tips I follow to make sure I stay as Green as I can be:

1. I buy and carve my pumpkins on Halloween. They last a bit longer throughout the season,
and by the last day the price is very reasonable. And to avoid being wasteful, I use all the fillings to make roasted pumpkin seeds, and pumpkin pies… what’s not to love about that?!

2. I don’t buy paper decorations. Instead, I try to reuse what I already have. For example, I’ve used old thread as spider webs! If I’m really itching to make something with paper, I’ll make sure it’s recycled.

3. For costuming, I frequent second hand shops, and used clothing stores. One person’s junk is another person’s masquerade!

4. I go to organic candy stores, such as Yummyearth.com, were they sell safe, natural and healthy candies and treats.

5. Most importantly, I line my street and the neighboring streets with garbage cans. It really limits the amount of candy wrappers and garbage left on the ground the next day.

With just a bit of effort, and just as much fun, we can all be sure to add a little Green between our Orange and Black this year! Staying eco-friendly is always fun, even if the holiday is a bit frightening.

-Cassie