In today’s world large corporations have almost as much power as politicians and, believe it or not, that can have a perk for all of us. With companies deciding much of what will happen with our planet, and consumers deciding what will happen with companies by where they choose to shop, consumers have a chance to directly shape the world simply by doing something they would be doing anyway—shopping. This is the premise for the book The Better World Shopping Guide, which sees every purchase that we make as a vote and encourages buyers to use resources to improve the planet (in a variety of ways) by shopping smarter.

It sounds complicated (and possibly even a little out there), but it’s actually very simple. You pick up a copy of the Better World Shopping Guide and use it when you’re shopping to find the best brands to buy. More than five years of research on the part of the author, Dr. Ellis Jones, ensure that there are facts to back up each claim, and browsing is as simple as looking through a category (everything from cereal to airlines) or searching a company name. The Better World Shopping Guide is small enough to fit in your purse or glove box so you can cart it every time you head to a store, whether that store is Wal-Mart or Whole Foods, and consult when you’re faced with a difficult product dilemma. Plus, since this is the second edition of the Better World Shopping Guide, all the information is as up-to-date as possible. Click here to read more

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Spring is here, but if you want to get one more trip to the winter ski slopes on the calendar why not make it a little more eco-friendly? According to a recent study on climate change-induced snowfall reduction, lowering your carbon footprints in the snow is becoming increasingly important - over the next 50 years, snowpack in the western United States will diminish by 70 percent.

One easy thing you can do to help? Take advantage of the end-of-season sales and get yourself a new, greener, snowboard boot. For women, Forum’s Aura Snowboard Boot is a great choice (and currently half off!). The mod polka dot design will keep you looking cool while the eco-friendly aspects will help keep the slopes cool. First of all, the outsole is made from recycled rubber. Natural rubber is already a green choice since it’s a sustainable material, so sourcing recycled rubber is even better. Second, this snowboard boot is designed to keep your feet smelling fresh even after a day of sweating on the slopes. While many traditional snowboard companies would get the task done with toxic chemicals, Forum treats the liner with an eco-friendly option Aegis Microbe Shield, which is made from silicon derived from quartz, organic alcohol, hydrocarbons and nitrogen. Click here to read more

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Tomorrow, Friday April 3, is National Walk to Work Day. The event is endorsed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services because Americans can turn their commute into a healthy opportunity to exercise, but the eco-friendly advantages shouldn’t be forgotten either. Think of all the pollution and fuel that could be saved if everyone across the country participated. So get ready to hoof it in style with some eco products made for walking.

Start with a cute pair of Satire ecoSNEAKS from Simple Shoes. After all, just because you’re doing your part for the planet, it doesn’t mean you have to look like you just stepped out of an 80s movie wearing clunky white Reeboks with your skirt suit! Simple Shoes made this sustainable pair out of black and white checkered silk, a natural protein fiber created by silk worms. But the green details don’t stop there: these shoes have Certified Organic cotton linings, laces made from recycled plastic bottles and 100% post consumer paper pulp foot forms. Click here to read more

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We’re excited to announce that Greenzer and MSN Green have launched a new partnership through which Greenzer is powering a green shopping service on MSN Green. The new shopping destination can be accessed at green.msn.com/shopping.

MSN has established a strong green presence on the web and our collaboration will help them further advance their offering to users. In addition to the jointly launched shopping section, MSN Green offers a wonder of resources including a local directory of recycling centers, a carbon footprint calculator as well as daily news and guides on key environmental topics. Greenzer will also be providing content to MSN related to green product and lifestyle advice.

As part of the partnership, MSN is also featuring the Greenzer Score on relevant products. This will help raise awareness on some of the key labels and rating groups featured in the Greenzer Score, including Climate Counts, EPEAT and Energy Star.

Greenzer is proud to be joining a group of partners that includes Treehugger.com, Environmental Defense Fund, Earth 911, Conservation International and Grist.org

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Last Wednesay, we launched the public beta of Greenzer in France at www.greenzer.fr. The site opened its doors with over 5,000 products from over 30 retailers. This is our first launch outside of the US and we’re excited to make this announcement such a short time after our public beta launch in the US on Earth Day ‘08.

In the Fall of 2007, I was introduced to two really bright web veterans in France that were writing a business plan for a green consumer website. Their plans focused on creating a place for consumers to learn about and shop for eco-friendly products and services online. Sound familiar? As Greenzer was a bit further down the path, we decided to join our efforts and the result of this collaboration is greenzer.fr. Click here to read more

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