7 low-carbon pastimes

Why It's Good:

A bumper crop of green businesses and initiatives means that we now have a cornucopia of eco-friendly products and services at our disposal. Ethical consumption has never been easier or more fun.

Why It's Green:

With a wide range of businesses focused on reducing their carbon footprint through alternative energy consumption and carbon offsets, it's now possible to curb climate change by renting DVDs, booking vacations and buying books from socially responsible vendors. Read on for our shortlist!

Can Pop Culture Fight Global Warming?

I can admit that I was initially underwhelmed by the idea of "low-impact-living." Sure, it was responsible and necessary—but was it fun? Thanks to a new wave of eco-preneurs, green living is no longer synonymous with Soviet-era austerity. In fact, creature comforts like delicious food, stylish clothes, decadent beauty products and quality design are now an integral part of the contemporary green landscape. And now, with the summer months quickly approaching, I'm making plans to fight global warming from the comfort of my favorite resort, concert hall and...hammock. Sounds pretty fun, doesn't it?—Meg Donohue

BetterWorld.com
Get book smart at BetterWorld.com. This online bookseller has found a second home for thousands of used books, which are shipped free of charge to any destination in the US. A very modest fee (usually a few cents) is collected at checkout to offset shipping-related carbon emissions. Plus, the company uses 100 percent of their net profits to support literacy partners like Books for Africa and Room to Read.

Credo Mobile
Who knew that gabbing on the go could be good for the environment? Socially responsible mobile company CREDO Mobile donates one percent of all call charges to environmental and human rights non-profit groups ($60 million raised so far!). The company has also partnered with Carbon Fund to offset the energy consumption and shipping of its phones.

Dave Matthews Band
Want to rock out, earth-friendly style? Head to a Dave Matthews concert. Through a partnership with carbon-offset retailer NativeEnergy, the band has offset CO2 emissions from all of its touring activities over the past 17 years.

Earth Cinema Circle
Move over Netflix, there's a new movie delivery service on the scene, and this one offsets the carbon emissions of all deliveries! Plus, Earth Cinema Circle sends a DVD to subscribers containing four to five films on topics ranging from wildlife conservation to eco-travel every other month. (Bonus: Subscribers don’t have to worry about mailing these DVDs back – they're theirs to keep.) Have green screenings!

MTV's Real World, Season XX
C’mon, admit it. You sneak a peak at the train wreck that is MTV’s Real World each season. Good news: This year, the Real World house uses solar energy and showcases a host of green design innovations; plus, carbon emissions from the production and show have been offset.

Organic Bouquet
This organic flower delivery company is working hard to make the world a greener place, in more ways than one. The company delivers flowers in recyclable packaging with gift cards made from post-consumer recycled content, and has partnered with the non-profit Climate Trust to offset shipping emissions.

REI Adventures
REI Adventures leads outdoorsy trips for every skill level in far-flung locations from Costa Rica to Greece to Iceland. The company embraces sustainable travel—frequenting local businesses, paying fair wages to local employees and leaving as little impact as possible on the environment—and purchases offsets to make every aspect of the trip, including the flight, carbon neutral.