• Last updated 5/17/12 by jeremy999

  Spring is supposed to be a season of hope. We finally emerge from the depths of winter, Mother Nature is finally awake and the sun decides to make an appearance. However, for allergy sufferers, spring is the time of year they dread the most. Spores, grass and tree pollens fill the air and airborne allergy levels reach staggering proportions. Symptoms such as sneezing, sniffling and itchy eyes remain with allergy sufferers for months. As a result, spring is more a time of pain than hope for the millions of unfortunate individuals afflicted with various... read more

• Last updated 4/2/12 by KChaleunsouk

  Earth Day is April 22, but Hardwood Bargains is going green early this year. The online retailer of quality and affordable hardwood flooring, is stepping up to the plate of eco responsibility by partnering with American Forests, the nation’s oldest non-profit conservation organization, for the Global Releaf forest restoration program. Starting April 1, HardwoodBargains.com will replant two trees for each tree used in the production of the flooring they sell.   “American Forests applauds the commitment to sustainability by Hardwood Bargains,” said Lea Sloan, VP... read more

• Last updated 1/3/12 by cleanenergyexp

Early indications are that 2011 will be the strongest year ever for solar installations, although not quite as strong as most people believed. For the third quarter of 2011, solar installations in the U.S. were approximately 449.2 megawatts which was an increase of almost 40% over the prior quarter, 324.3 megawatts, according to Solar Energy Industries Association and research firm GTM Research. That means that the total for the first three quarters in 2011 exceeded the entire total of installed solar in 2010.   The reason for this has been that the price of... read more

• Last updated 11/22/11 by cleanenergyexp

Last June, Governor Chris Christie ruffled the feathers of many in the clean energy community by released a draft of his administration’s Energy Master Plan (EMP) which called for more focus be devoted to larger projects that would be located in brownfields and larger commercial warehouses. This would less support for smaller scale projects, such as residential or small commercial solar, and is a result of Governor Christie’s desire that any renewable energy projects demonstrate larger “bang for the buck” and do not result in additional rate increases for... read more

• Last updated 11/16/11 by cleanenergyexp

A recent round table with Colorado-based solar executives and senior executives from national and regional banks explored the major roadblocks to solar companies in Colorado. The meeting, hosted by the Colorado Bankers Association and the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association (“COSEIA”), identified financing as the biggest impediment to substantial growth for solar in colorado.   According to COSEIA, approximately 80-90% of the solar companies in Colorado are facing growth restraints due to lack of available financing. This is particularly critical as more... read more

• Last updated 11/16/11 by cleanenergyexp

Recently, Evergreen Solar, one of the first casualties in the U.S. solar manufacturing business, declared bankruptcy and has received approval from the courts to sell off all of its assets. Thinking about the company, how did they get here?   Evergreen made its claim to fame with its String Ribbon technology: basically, instead of traditional silicon wafers, Evergreen produced ribbons of silicon crystals which were then cut into lengths which are treated with traditional processes to form solar cells. String Ribbon technology offers a less expensive manufacturing... read more

• Last updated 11/3/11 by Cordelia

  In a kickoff segment, we discussed three types of eco-friendly beauty products:organic, natural, and vegan. In this article, we go into more detail about vegan cosmetics and suggest vegan brands and products for the curious or full-on vegan lifestyle.     Photo by Shandi-lee, courtesy of Flickr.com     To get started, here’s the skinny on “vegan”: Vegan beauty products are derived purely from plants and inorganic substances (like minerals). This means they contain zero ingredients made from animals (e.g., rabbit hair, boar hair) or animal byproducts... read more

• Last updated 11/3/11 by Cordelia

  In a kickoff segment, we introduced three types of eco-friendly beauty products: organic, vegan, and natural.   In this article, we go into more detail about natural cosmetics and suggest natural brands and products for the curious or full-on green lifestyle.     Photo by Daniel M. Viero, courtesy of Flickr.com     Here’s the skinny on “natural”: Natural beauty products contain elements and byproducts of elements that occur naturally on our planet or are otherwise “found in nature.” Products that contain artificial, manmade additives are... read more

• Last updated 3/26/12 by stins

  In a kickoff segment, we introduced three types of eco-friendly beauty products: natural, vegan, and organic.  In this article, we go into more detail about organic cosmetics and suggest organic brands and products for the curious or full-on organic lifestyle.   Photo by Lauren Hammond, courtesy of Flickr.com   Here’s the skinny on “organic”: Organic beauty products come in all shapes and sizes. Some are 100% organic, while others are partially formulated with organic ingredients. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate organic... read more

• Last updated 11/3/11 by Cordelia

  Do you know the difference between Organic, Natural, and Vegan cosmetics?   Scrutinizing ingredient lists and staying current on the latest health and eco-headlines can be overwhelming. But “going green” while staying pretty is easy and fun when you have a handle on the basics.     Photo by Amy Clarke, courtesy of Flickr.com     A series of three articles on GreenOptions.com delves deeper to identify specific characteristics of organic, natural, and vegan beauty products and recommend body- and earth-friendly alternatives to conventional... read more