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The iPad's green features

Over the past year, there has been much debate about e-readers vs books. Which is greener? Books may be made from a sustainable, renewable and recyclable material, but just think of the energy required to make and ship them. The e-reader, on the other hand, is a device that may not be so friendly in the landfill, and who are we kidding? No e-reader is going to last as long as a paper volume; we're going to upgrade and replace them constantly.

So the new iPad seems to be good news. According to Mother Nature Network: "It looks like the iPad will have some greener features, namely that the energy-efficient LED-backlit displays will be free of arsenic, mercury, PVC and BFR (brominated flame retardant) as well as being 'highly recyclable,' which I assume to mean that it's built to be easily taken apart at the end of its life." 

We're wondering what book stores will look like in a few years? We picture a space filled with the obligatory coffee and tea counter, e-reader rentals and download stations and a selection of gorgeous old-fashioned (paper) coffee table books. The Apple store meets Barnes and Noble. Let's hope the local, independent booksellers adapt and survive.

Love books? Love supporting local book stores?

Here's an iPhone app for you. It's like Urban Spoon for bibliophiles. Wherever you go, you can find local book shops, libraries and book-related events. You need never stop in at the big bookish box store again!

The technology that could save the world is ...

... we're not going to tell you. You'll have to click through to the ClimateBiz story that does. Via Digg.com.

Grocery shopping? Click here first

If you haven't been to GoodGuide.com, you might want to click through. 

PC Magazine placed it in the Top 100 Web Sites of 2009. Crunchies 2008 called it the "startup most likely to make the world a better place." And TechCrunch named it one of the best startups of 2008.

In a nutshell, you can check GoodGuide ratings on food and products you buy regularly, checking ingredients and safety ratings as well as the philanthropic and environmental impact of the manufacturer. You can create a favorites list and an avoid list.

To test it out, we clicked on the top-rated baby products. We look at baby food, specifically carrots. In one screen, we were able to see that the nutritional value of the chosen brand was above average, the ingredients were, quite simply, carrots and water, and the company scored high on philanthropic contributions, but had been cited for violating the Clean Water Act. We were also able to see a closeup view of the product's nutritional label.

You can also browse for the best-rated products in any given category, and you can download GoodGuide's  free iPhone App so you can get this information on the spot, in the grocery store aisle. Here's what the marketing team at GoodGuide has to say about it: "Get instant access to over 70,000 products and ratings at your fingertips. Check a product, see top-rated products in a category,and access your personalized favorites list to quickly find safe and healthy products."

GoodGuide.com also runs the latest news stories, from health scares to FDA updates and a few fun features to lighten the mood here and there.

GoodGuide also has a blog, and can be followed on Twitter.

A little creativity goes a long way

This clever video from the Environmental Defense Fund is worth watching and sharing.

iPhone apps for greenies

Ideal Bite is a fun and often useful guide for green-minded people. Best of all, biters give you the info without letting the inconvenience of our environmental truths get you down. Today, they uploaded a list of phone apps that can help you in your quest to live a sustainable life.

For example, let's say you're in the supermarket with your fancy phone and want a (free) list of the worst pesticide offenders, well ... you're in luck. You can also download a cheap app ($2) that tells you which fruits and veggies are in season and traveled the fewest miles from farm to fork.

Speaking of miles, another app, Greenmeter, helps you calculate your car's carbon footprint, and the free carticipate app hooks up carpool wannabees. Living la vida verde was never easier.

Get the full list at Ideal Bite.