Going shopping or on vacation? Want to support green companies? Here's how to find them...

  • Did you know that Timberland (the footwear and apparel company) is addressing climate change by using renewable sources of energy and examining transportation requirements? The company aims to reduce its carbon footprint and help others to do the same.
  • Did you know that in 2003, the state of Maine became the first in the US to establish statutory greenhouse gas reduction goals?
  • Did you know that Johnson & Johnson (the manufacturer of consumer health care products) has a goal to cut absolute emissions of greenhouse gases 7% below 1990 levels by 2010? Towards this end, they've committed to investing approximately $100 million in on-site CO2 reduction projects over the next three years, and have established a goal to achieve a 40% increase in the fuel economy of the corporate fleet by 2010.

Where did we find these green tidbits? There are several emerging climate calculators, independent, third-party organizations that survey and rate consumer products and services companies on their green-ness. The mission of The Climate Group is to catalyze business and government leadership on climate change in order to encourage a low-carbon economy. They actively work with large corporations, including those which have a large CO2 footprint, to identify new, pragmatic solutions -- solutions that will transform every aspect of modern life in an achievable, common-sense way and result in significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions. This nonprofit directly involves and partners with major businesses, making them responsible for implementing workable solutions and engaging them to think creatively about emissions, waste, energy, procurement and product planning. The Climate Group has crafted a new paradigm for decreasing the carbon footprint of big business and letting consumers make informed choices about where they choose to spend their time and money.

Taking a slightly different approach to the notion of relative green-ness, Climate Counts is a new nonprofit whose purpose is to bring consumers and companies together to fight climate change by empowering both groups to make better, more climate-conscious and transparent choices. Their Climate Scorecard rates various companies within an industry, allowing you to choose to purchase from the most climate-friendly companies out there. By showing you how competitors stack up and how seriously they take the issue of climate change, Climate Counts is developing a new yardstick by which to measure corporate behavior and ultimately, a new way for consumers to choose where to open their wallets.

Several business magazines also publish annual green lists or highlight companies which have gone above and beyond what's legally required to operate in an environmentally responsible way. For example, Fortune magazine lists ten companies that have chosen to outperform their peers in terms of environmental compliance. Similarly, Inc. magazine showcases The Green 50 of category-leading consumer products companies. These are just some of the companies that are tackling the climate crisis with a combination of innovative thinking, creativity, persistence, and a good old-fashioned can-do attitude. There are hundreds of similar concerns, from massive multinationals to corner mom-and-pops, all across the world, all presenting you with an increasingly clear choice. It's an opportunity to send a message about climate change by using your wallet and your time. And the time is now.