The New Boston Tea Party.  You wouldn't donate money to the GOP, would you? Then why spend your paycheck at stores that will do it for you? Use the links below to visit directories that will help you find green and blue businesses that are earth and people friendly.

See also:

Green Living News

Magazines about living green 

Leave a comment about Green Living in our blog

Services:

Idealist:  "Over 50,000 nonprofit and community organizations in 165 countries, which you can search or browse by name, location or mission. If your organization is not yet listed here, you can add it now (it's free). Thousands of volunteer opportunities in your community and around the world, and a list of organizations that can help you volunteer abroad. The best Nonprofit Career Center on the Web, with hundreds of job and internship listings."

Craig's List:  "Craig's list is about: giving each other a break, getting the word out about everyday, real-world stuff; restoring the human voice to the Internet, in a humane, non-commercial environment; keeping things simple, common-sense, down-to-earth, honest, very real; providing an alternative to impersonal, big-media sites; being inclusive, giving a voice to the disenfranchised, democratizing;being a collection of communities with similar spirit, not a single monolithic entity."

Need a long distance carrier? "Working Assets was established in 1985 to help busy people make a difference in the world through everyday activities like talking on the phone. Every time a customer uses one of Working Assets' donation-linked services (Long Distance, Wireless and Credit Card), the company donates a portion of the charges to nonprofit groups working to build a world that is more just, humane, and environmentally sustainable. To date, over $47 million has been raised for progressive causes.  The company also serves as a strong political force, dedicated to giving its customers the opportunity to speak out on critical public issues through its Web site and monthly phone bill."

Need an electric company? "The table shown here summarizes utility green pricing programs by state."

Socially Responsible Investing:  "Best socially responsible investment sites"

Progressive Investor:  "Socially Responsible Investing ... Sustainable Investing ... Green Investing ... Venture Capital Investing Greening the Economy. One Investment at a Time."

Freecycle:  "When you want to find a new home for something -- whether it's a chair, a fax machine, piano, or an old door -- you simply send an e-mail offering it to members of your Freecycle group.  Or, maybe you're looking to acquire something yourself. Simply respond to a member's offer, and you just might get it. After that, it's up to the giver to decide who receives the gift and to set up a pickup time for passing on the treasure.  One main rule: Everything posted must be free, legal, and appropriate for all ages.  Non-profit organizations also benefit from The Freecycle Network. Post the item or items you want to give away and a local organization can help you get it to someone in need."

ABCFree:   Your trash may just be someone else's treasure.

Shopping Directory:

The Progressive Pages Directory:   "This site is in BETA. This means that what you see right now will not necessarily be what you see in the future. You will see placemarkers for banners, and some internal links (such as "Terms of Service" and "Privacy Policy") go nowhere. There will be plenty of improvements in the weeks to come (perhaps a forum, as interest grows) -- and yes, we will be trading banner links with sites of interest to progressive-minded patriots. Bear in mind that this site is 100% free, and the server space is being donated by a lifelong, progressive -- and proud -- liberal trying to make a difference."

 Buy Blue:  "BuyBlue.org supports businesses that share our progressive values and ideals. We believe in a triple bottom line: people, planet and profit. BuyBlue.org uses our power as consumers to vote with our wallets, supporting businesses that abide by sustainability, workers' rights, environmental standards, and corporate transparency. At the same time, BuyBlue.org focuses sharply on businesses that violate the essential values of a sustainable, fair and profitable society through their policies and the politicians they support."

Boycott Bu$h!  "The information used to compile these tables has been derived from the 'open secrets' website (www.opensecrets.org). This US-compiled site includes numerous details relating to political donations in the USA since the 1980s. The lists here are solely of Republican donations calculated by Ethical Consumer magazine.  The figures are complex totals which include cash as well as donations in kind, and individual contributions from Directors.  Figures for donations in the top twenty-five all refer to the combined totals of Republican donations from the companies during the 2000, 2002 and 2004 election cycles. It is not strictly speaking a list of the 25 biggest donors as only companies with consumer brands are included."

Fair Trade Federation: "FTF Retail stores carry primarily fairly traded items, either bought directly from producer groups or from fair trade wholesalers. FTF retail shops offer an alternative to the neighborhood discount store where consumers blindly buy inexpensive foreign made products that offer no guarantees for workers' safety or well being. In contrast, when shoppers frequent FTF retail shops, they get high quality merchandise, and can feel confident that a significant percentage of their purchasing dollars are going directly to artisans."

Simple Living:  "By becoming a Member, you can help us challenge the way our consumer society continues to usurp our holy days and to exploit people and the environment. With your help, more and more people can experience the joy that comes from celebrating and living in ways that affirm all."

The Green Guide:  Is it green? Click and check The Green Guide, consumers' go-to source for green homes tips, product reviews, environmental health and wellness products information, and green living advice.

Green Living:  Google's directory listing of progressive businesses, products, and services.

Green Businesses:  News about eco-friendly businesses.

Green Home:  "..one of the longer-lasting environmental stores and resource centers on the Internet."

 Green Matters:  "Consumers have a choice; whether purchasing everyday stuff or purchasing something more rare, today, good green alternatives exist for just about anything you could want or need. By seeking out and purchasing products that don't harm the environment, you are letting manufacturers, growers and service people know what you want, and want more of. They will listen. So, support businesses that take care of the environment; your earth friendly buying decisions will give wisdom to conventional businesses and prosperity to green businesses. We can turn this economy into one that respects the earth instead of one that harms it."

Eco Business: "The First Green Directory to neutralize all its carbon emissions with tree planting. Serving You and Mother Earth Since 1998!"

EcoMall:  Massive directory of all things ecologically sound.

Co-op America:  "Our mission is to harness economic power—the strength of consumers, investors, businesses, and the marketplace—to create a socially just and environmentally sustainable society."

Care2.com:  "Find great stuff, plus instantly generate donations online by using Care2's FREE Green Thumbs- up Shopping Assistant!"

Global Gatherings  (Liquid Sunshine online)

Solar House:  "Welcome to the Maine Solar House. Our website is filled with information on how we harvest FREE energy from the sun!  Why pay for home electricity and heating fuel when the sun offers a free alternative? Time to create your own energy policy."

Eco house plans:  from Google

Eco housing products:  "Eco-$mart, Inc. provides a number of services to facilitate sustainable living. We act as a distribution source for I4SD approved construction materials, and offer free consultations to home owners, building owners, architects, developers and contractors. Eco-$mart, Inc. can also connect you to professional designers familiar with our building approaches, to local contractors and subcontractors trained to install Eco-$mart, Inc. systems, to sources for special, energy efficient financing, and to local building Energy Raters who can both certify projects for energy efficient financing, and oversee the construction process to ensure proper execution of the efficient design."