A Green Reference Guide

Inspired by Eco Yogini's post on bamboo products and environmental ratings, I went on a hunt for information on eco-certifications and the like.

In my search for green standards, I ran into an article that mentioned GoodGuide. The site is still in its beta phase, but it's already a handy link. Definitely worth sharing. There are lists of products without HFCS (I swear, that stuff is impossible to avoid), feature articles, and rated products.

The rating system is nice. Everything is rated on three criteria:

• Health Performance
• Environmental Performance
• Social Performance

And then there's an explanation for the why the product got the rating that it got. I like the transparency of the system.

If you know of other similar green rating systems, I'd be interested to check them out.

Fuel Emission Reduction

This morning I was reading about a nanotechnology-enhanced fuel additive called eFuel that helps reduce emissions and burn gas more efficiently.

It's supposed to reduce gas consumption by an average of 18%, clean your engine, and lower emissions. I'm still skeptical, but curious enough to try it.

Have any of you used it or something similar?

Water Out Of Thin Air

What the heck is an atmospheric water generator? I saw this ad that claims its product takes water vapor from the air and condensates it producing purified water that never goes stale. Stale?

OK, if you leave a glass of water out, dust gathers and it won't taste fresh... would it then be stale? That sounds kind of weird to me. Let' see, synonyms for stale include tasteless, dusty, and insipid. I guess stale works. Anyway, I digress.

The idea of a dehumidifier sounds pretty cool, actually. I like the idea of water that hasn't been doped and cleaned before making it to my glass.

Wikipedia mentions, though, that these things "when placed in homes and offices will heat the area due to compressor air expelled into the room causing air conditioning systems to remain on."

There would be less waste from plastic bottles and water filters, but then there would be more electricity produced unnecessarily. The trick would be to find out which left the smaller print and then decide.

Still, it sounds like a good alternative and definitely one worth looking into.