That poses a dilemma for the thoughtful and socially responsible holiday shopper. What if one of those “four calling birds” is an endangered species? What if the precious metal in the “five golden rings” was mined in an environmentally insensitive manner? What on earth to do about all the noise pollution from those “12 drummers drumming”?

And, most of all, how do you stay in the holiday spirit while still being kind to our planet? Grist‘s Glenn Scherer interviews The Green Guide about suggestions for a greener Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, solstice, whatever.

Let’s start with this now-classic question: How do I know if it’s better to get a live Christmas tree or an artificial one?

You ask Umbra, of course! Grist‘s environmental advice columnist tackled this topic in depth in a recent column.

How about some suggestions for green holiday cards and gift wrap?

First off, when buying cards and wrap, skip chlorine-bleached paper. Look for the “processed chlorine free” (PCF) label.

You can also reuse old wrapping paper or try last Sunday’s comics; they’re very colorful. Or go through your ragbag and use any clothes, scarves, or, heck, pillowcases you hadn’t figured out what to do with. You can also follow the Japanese custom of furoshiki, or cloth wrapping of gifts, and use new organic-cotton dishcloths or napkins, which then become part of the present. (This works especially nicely if you’re giving kitchenware or food.)

If you’re still determined to buy gift wrap, you can get a tree-free variety made from hemp, flax, or cotton fiber from Granola Groovy ($1.99 Canadian per sheet; info@granolagroovy.com, 250.477.0146). Ecosource has tree-free paper made from 40 percent flax, 40 percent hemp, and 20 percent recovered cotton ($3.20 Canadian per sheet). Mapwrap is made from surplus New York City subway maps ($3 for two sheets).

You can create your own recycled holiday cards by making a montage from family photos, the holiday cards you got last year, cutouts from magazines, and/or all those gift catalogs that come in the mail. If you want to buy cards, Sierra Club offers note cards printed on recycled paper ($14.95 for 20). Acorn Designs has tree-free note cards as well as note cards made from 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper ($7.50 for six). Or how about cards made from 100 percent recycled junk mail, from Green Field Paper Co. ($5.95 for five)?

Do you have some ideas for good green kid gifts?

The best gift ever may be telling them to drop their video games, go outside, and play — but most kids won’t buy it. So here’s what you can buy instead that’s healthy for the environment and for kids.

Look for solid-wood toys (pressed wood is made with a glue that gives off toxic fumes) that are certified sustainable, decorated with nontoxic paints, and if possible, made by local craftspeople. Try Holgate Toys, Tumbleweed Woodworks, the Organic Gift Shop, or Rosie Hippo’s.

Or you can remind your kids that they still have legs by getting them a foot-powered scooter, available at most toy stores, or a bamboo skateboard, made from the fast-growing sustainable grass ($55). These skateboards are stronger, lighter, and more flexible than conventional boards.

Then there’s that perennial kid pleaser, LEGOs. You can’t beat them for creative possibilities, and — good news — they’re PVC- and phthalate-free. For more green toy suggestions try North Star Toys, Turner Toys, Ecobaby Organics, and the Natural Baby Catalog.

How about little gifts, the kind you might use as stocking stuffers or for those in-between nights of Hanukkah?

Consider Burt’s Bees Beeswax Lip Balm ($2.50), to soothe chapped lips. Aveda’s Rosemary Mint shampoo and conditioner come in 80 percent post-consumer recycled containers. Tuck in some bars of certified organic and fair-trade chocolate from Green & Black’s, or Art Bar and Cocoa Camino. Maple sugar candies are sustainable northern forest products. Or make a quick trip to your local co-op to buy organic ingredients for your own candies and cookies, made in your own kitchen. Yum.

Speaking of food, can you make any suggestions for holiday fare?

Start by visiting your community farmers’ market; they often stay open year-round, selling locally grown, seasonal produce and preserves. When shopping elsewhere, look for the USDA Certified Organic label, guaranteeing food grown without synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. Organic seasonal apples, pears, vegetables, and gift baskets can be ordered from Callie’s Organics and Diamond Organics. Gift boxes and baskets of baking mixes, cereals, beans, nuts, pasta, and more can be ordered from the Women’s Bean Project, which helps low-income women develop work skills, Eden Foods, or Fiddler’s Green Farm. And when you’re ready to toast your family and friends, try organic Rain vodka, wine from the Organic Wine Co. or Organic Vintages, or Wolaver’s organic beer.

All this gift-giving is making me a little crazy. Do you know of any altruistic gifts that can directly help the planet and its wild places?

Giving to others and giving back to the planet can go hand in hand. If there’s a budding environmentalist among your family and friends, give him or her a membership to a conservation organization. (It could mean the difference between having holiday dinners with a fellow enviro or going solo again in those arguments with your Uncle Bob about SUVs.)

You can help save the rainforests by adopting an acre of orangutan habitat in Indonesia’s East Kalimantan Province, via The Nature Conservancy ($75 for one acre). To help protect Panama’s Gulf of Chiriqui reefs, you can also donate to The Nature Conservancy’s Rescue the Reef program.

Or your gift can help fight global warming. To absorb a little CO2 this holiday season, have a tree planted in the name of a loved one by Future Forests ($16.81 per tree). Or have 10 trees planted in Central America and one in the U.S. through TreeGivers ($32.95).

The Alternative Gifts International catalog makes it easy to donate on behalf of loved ones to a wide array of social and environmental causes, including child survival, education, disaster relief, sustainable agriculture, and much more.

How do you suggest we light up our holidays?

Candles are a part of almost everyone’s holiday seasons, meaning that, unfortunately, so is the petroleum-based paraffin from which most candles are made. Before buying candles, make sure the tips of wicks don’t contain lead, which can release neurotoxic fumes. And while a little fragrance can add spice to life, avoid aromatherapy candles that use synthetic scents, which contain hormone-disrupting phthalates. A few petroleum-free tapers you can trust are Vermont Soy Candles, Aveda’s Plant Pure-Fume Aroma Candles, or beeswax candles from Honeyflow Farm or Bluecorn Naturals.

Lots of people love to give books as gifts. If you could only recommend three, old or new, which would you choose?

Green literature is a hot genre lately, and there are literally thousands of titles. To help make the choice, we turned to Sandy Lincoln at Seasoned Booksellers, a bookstore specializing in sustainable lifestyles and renewable energy. Her picks? William McDonough’s Cradle to Cradle offers a visionary model for a totally recyclable consumer culture (the perfect holiday consumption gift!). Hannah Coulter, Wendell Berry’s newest novel, traces changes on a small family-owned farm in the Appalachians while providing thoughtful insights on sustainable agriculture. For kids, try The Field and Forest Handy Book, which helps get children back in touch with nature (and hey, when was the last time you built a tree fort?).

For more than 275 kids’ books about nature and the environment, try Childsake. And for the DIY-er on your list, Chelsea Green Publishing puts out a vast array of green how-to books that can help you build a straw-bale house, plant an organic garden, or serve up eco-cuisine.

Can you offer an update of green gifts for the Twelve Days of … whatever you celebrate?

We thought you’d never ask!

Admittedly, a few of these items (er, nontoxic cleaning supplies and organic mayonnaise) aren’t quite as romantic as a partridge in a pear tree, and they don’t fit snugly into the song’s meter either, but they counter the consumer ethic by suggesting gifts both thoughtful and useful. Plus they will fit in the trunk of your hybrid for the ride to grandmother’s house.

First Day: One water-efficient showerhead. Can save 20,000 gallons of water per year! Oxygenics showerheads start at $29.95.

Second Day: Two certified organic or humanely raised chickens. Get them from Diamond Organics ($5.95 per lb.) or Murray’s Chicken, available at most grocery stores ($2.59 per lb.).

Third Day: Three organic fair-trade coffees and teas. Try coffees from Dean’s Beans ($3.75 to $8 per lb.) or Equal Exchange ($18 for 2 lbs.), or choose black or green tea from Choice Organic Teas ($3.10-$4.10 for 1 box of 16 bags).

Fourth Day: Four sustainably harvested wood kitchen tools. From Tarahumara Women’s Cooperative in Cusarare, Chihuahua, Mexico, a serving spoon is $12, a spatula is $16, and bowls start at $20.

Fifth Day: Five compact fluorescent light bulbs. Light up the holidays with one-third the energy of a conventional bulb. The Energy Federation sells Energy Star-rated CFLs for less than retail at $3 to $10 each.

Sixth Day: Six recycled glass drinking glasses. Drink from recycled bottles made into mugs and wineglasses by artisans. Try mugs in green or cobalt ($3.25 each) or tumblers ($25.95 for six).

Seventh Day: Seven natural personal-care products. Try Vermont Soap’s Aloe Castile Liquid Soap ($4.99 for 8 oz.) and Three-Bar Gift Packs ($12.99), Terressentials Organic Lip Protector ($3.75), Kiss My Face Active Enzyme Deodorant ($3.59 for 1.7 oz.), Kingfisher Fennel Toothpaste ($3.99 for 6.6 oz.), Tom’s of Maine Natural Shaving Cream ($4.56 for 3.6 oz.), and Nature’s Gate Anise Dental Floss ($2.82 for 50 yds.).

Eighth Day: Eight nontoxic household cleaning supplies. To wit: Life Tree Ultra Dishwashing Liquid ($3.11 for 15 oz.), Seventh Generation Free & Clear Liquid Laundry Detergent ($6.80 for 50 oz.), Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds Liquid Cleaner ($5.90 for 16 oz.), Oxy-Drain, an enzyme drain unclogger ($8.85 for 1 lb.), Ecover Automatic Dishwashing Powder ($5.58 48 oz.), Earth Friendly Products Toilet Bowl Cleaner ($3.59 for 24 oz.), Heather’s Natural Oxygen Bleach Cleanser ($3.29 for 14 oz.), and substitute a white-vinegar-and-water solution for conventional glass cleaner.

Ninth Day: Nine safer, greener paper household items. Try these recycled, chlorine-free paper products: Seventh Generation napkins, paper towels, paper plates, bathroom tissue, and facial tissue. And these unbleached ones: If You Care coffee filters, parchment paper, baking paper, and baking cups.

Tenth Day: Ten local or organic products in season. Buying locally supports small farms and reduces fossil-fuel use and greenhouse-gas emissions from long-distance hauling. Or you can give a membership to your local food co-op, or a share in a community-supported agriculture (CSA) farm or garden.

Eleventh Day: Eleven organic staples. Buy in bulk and zero out the packaging.

1) 1 lb. organic rice (bulk), $1.25-$2
2) 1 lb. organic flour (bulk), $0.60
3) 1 lb. organic oatmeal (bulk), $0.75
4) 1 lb. organic peanut butter (bulk), $3-$5
5) 32 oz. unrefined organic sugar, $2.89, from Florida Crystal
6) 1/4 lb. sea salt, $7.50, from Fleur de Sel de Guerande
7) 16 oz. expeller-pressed organic canola oil, $2.69, from 365 Organic
8) 1 qt. organic mayonnaise, $4.99, from Spectrum
9) 1 can organic tomatoes, $1.99, from Muir Glen
10) 16 oz. organic pasta, $2.19, from Bionature
11) 1 loaf organic whole wheat bread, $2.89

Twelfth Day: Twelve organic cotton napkins. A bit of a splurge, but they’ll add elegance to any holiday table. Three sets of four organic cotton sateen napkins, $42.

Happy holidays from Grist and The Green Guide!

You know the grill.

It’s hot out there: Time to empty the kitchen of cutlery and condiments and wander into the backyard to do what our ancient ancestors did: Barbecue something!

Of course, people have been gleefully grilling, giving no thought to the environment, for centuries. Linguists tell us that the word barbecue likely stemmed from a coinage of the Taino Indians of Haiti, and was appropriated — oddly enough — by proper Bostonians as early as 1733, with raucous Texans seizing upon it by the mid-1800s.

Long thought of as one of life’s simple summer pleasures, barbecuing is, of course, no longer guilt-free. Like everything else we humans do, even grilling has its impacts. Earthly Possessions tells you how to enjoy that smoked-hickory flavor while also feeling good about the choices you’ve made for the environment.

Is grilling better or worse for the environment than using the indoor stove or oven?

That depends on how you grill. You have four basic options: gas grills (natural gas or propane), electric grills, charcoal grills (using manufactured briquettes or “lump charcoal” made from chunks of charred wood), or grilling on a wood fire.

Whether cooking indoors or out, natural gas is the cleanest, most energy-efficient way to barbecue, and more environmentally friendly than using electricity. Unless, that is, you happen to power your electric grill via the sun or wind. Then you win the “green grill” award.

Backyard grilling with gas is also more energy-efficient than an indoor oven, since ovens take time to preheat. Of course, natural gas comes with its costs. For one, rapid growth in its use has led to calls for offshore drilling.

Both charcoal and wood are less eco-friendly than your indoor gas or electric range.

Okay, say we’re grilling. Which is better for the environment — gas or charcoal?

Though barbecue purists would probably fight to the death to keep their charcoal grills sizzling, the truth is that natural gas and propane are hands-down the most eco-friendly. Both charcoal and wood burn dirty, producing tiny soot particles that pollute the air and can worsen chronic heart and lung problems. In fact, a 2003 study found that Texans, who like to say that they “live and breathe barbecue,” may be doing exactly that. In Houston — with some of the worst air quality in the country — meat smoke wafting up from restaurants and grills makes up a somewhat significant part of the pollution mix.

Which grilling method makes your food taste better?

Gas by itself won’t enhance the flavor of food, while self-lighting charcoal briquettes soaked in lighter fluid can impart a downright nasty taste. Wood is the fuel that adds the most flavor to grilled meats, and sustainably-grown hickory or mesquite is preferred. But that same smoky flavor that backyard connoisseurs adore results in huge amounts of ash and soot polluting the air.

Is there such a thing as eco-friendly charcoal?

Not that we know of. Both briquettes and lump charcoal seriously pollute the air. Lump charcoal, made from charred wood, may add flavor, but it also contributes to deforestation, and its inefficient kilning process adds loads of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Charcoal briquettes do have the benefit of being made partly from sawdust (a good use of waste wood), but popular brands may also contain coal dust, starch, sodium nitrate, limestone, and borax. Nothing like a burger grilled over … borax!?

Which charcoal is least damaging to the environment?

The Rainforest Alliance Smartwood program has certified Char-Broil products, including their mesquite and hickory wood chips. These are the only environmentally certified grill products that we are aware of.

If we’re using a charcoal grill, should we just let the charcoals burn themselves out, or should we actively put them out?

After cooking, it’s best to douse the cooled coals with water to prevent a fire risk and make sure they are completely extinguished.

What should we do with old charcoal/ash?

Wood ash can be used in your garden as a fertilizer, but it’s very alkaline and should be applied with care; it can be good for neutralizing overly acid soils. (Check out info on using wood ash in the yard.) Charcoal ash can contain trace elements harmful to plants and should be disposed of in the garbage.

What is lighter fluid, anyway?

Lighter fluid is a foul-smelling petroleum distillate. If you’re using charcoal, you can use a chimney starter to avoid the unfortunate taste that self-lighting briquettes impart, as well as the volatile organic compounds emitted by burning lighter fluid. This simple device consists of a small cylinder that uses lit newspaper to start coals. (See info on chimney starters.)

Is it true that grilling a hot dog turns it carcinogenic?

Here’s a not-so-tasty mouthful: 2-Amino-3,4-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (or MeIQ). It is a possible human carcinogen that may be contained in cooked meat, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer. But of much more immediate concern is the threat from bacteria, such as E. coli, salmonella, and campylobacter, found in undercooked ground beef and poultry. Listeria in deli meats, such as hot dogs, is a particular concern for pregnant women, since it can cause miscarriage.

The bottom line: Always follow USDA guidelines to reduce risks from pathogens. Wash hands and surfaces often. Separate raw meat, poultry, and fish from other foods and from each other. Always cook to proper temperatures and check with a thermometer. (Grill ground beef and all cuts of pork to 160 degrees Fahrenheit; beef and lamb roasts, steaks, and chops to 145; poultry thigh and breasts to 170). Checking for pink meat in the middle does not protect you; even if the meat is brown throughout, it can still contain pathogens. You may also want to parboil chicken before grilling as a precaution. (Nothing like a USDA warning to curb your appetite, huh?)

Of course, you can avoid exposure to most of these pathogens by grilling up skewers of veggies instead (though vegetables can be contaminated by manure — yuck! — so be sure to wash them thoroughly).

Any barbecue sauce recommendations?

Why not make your own? Here is a recipe for a spicy barbecue sauce that tastes great on vegetables, chicken, fish, and meat.

Jalapeno BBQ Sauce

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 small yellow onions, diced
1 rib celery, diced
1 small green pepper, diced
1-2 fresh jalapenos, cut into 8 pieces each
4 cloves garlic, quartered
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp Tabasco
1 tsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup frozen apple juice concentrate
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes

Heat oil in a pot, add the vegetables, peppers, and garlic, cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl. After 10 minutes, add the mixture to the pot and cook over low heat for 20 minutes. Allow to cool; blend until smooth. Yield: 2 cups.

Set aside some sauce, and use the rest to marinate vegetables and fish for 15 to 25 minutes, chicken or meat for one hour. Remove veggies or meat, discard the marinade sauce, season with salt, and grill. While grilling, generously brush with the remaining sauce.

Hy-wire act.

Photo: DOE.

My daughter Maya, who is 9, saw a picture of the General Motors Hy-wire, the company’s super-sleek experimental fuel-cell car, and immediately decided we should have one. Unfortunately, I had to explain to her that the hydrogen-powered, zero-emission, fossil-fuel-free car would be perfect for us in all respects except one: It’s not available. So it goes with U.S. manufacturers and innovative, efficient automotive technology — all promise, no delivery.

So what’s an environmentally minded would-be car owner to do? First, make sure you really need a car. Motor vehicles take a heavy toll on the environment, consuming half the world’s oil and producing a quarter of its greenhouse gas emissions. Auto-making is now the largest manufacturing activity on Earth, and by 2030, there could be 1 billion cars on the planet. An increasing percentage of them will be in China, which is turning its back on the nation’s traditional transportation choice, bicycles, in favor of car ownership (bikes have even been banned from major roads in Shanghai).

Private cars, convenient though they may be, are mobile pollution factories. In one year, the average gas-powered car produces five tons of carbon dioxide, the leading contributor to global warming. Every gallon of gasoline burned up in an automobile engine sends 20 pounds of CO2 — containing five pounds of pure carbon — into the atmosphere. “It’s like tossing a five-pound bag of charcoal briquettes out my window every 20 miles or so,” writes John Ryan in his book Over Our Heads: A Local Look at Global Climate.

Get on the bus, Gus.

Photo: NREL.

Cars aren’t cheap, either. According to Asphalt Nation author Jane Holtz Kay, it costs an average of $20 a day to operate an automobile, or $6,500 a year. Instead of leaping to buy a car, consider your public-transportation alternatives: carpools, shuttle buses, commuter trains. (Depending on where you live in relationship to work and other destinations, you could also consider walking or biking.) What you lose in door-to-door convenience you’ll save in gasoline, insurance, registration, and maintenance costs — not to mention in long-term damage to the health of the planet and its occupants, including you.

If you decide that you need to own a car despite the environmental and economic implications, be sure the car you purchase is small. Even when equipped with hybrid gas/electric engines, SUVs and pickups can be gas guzzlers — and road hazards. As Keith Bradsher points out in High and Mighty, “The rollover death rate per million registered SUVs is at least double the rate for cars.” (SUV manufacturers have pledged to make future models safer, but that doesn’t help you if you’re in the market right now.) Small cars offer a combination of good gas mileage, low emissions, and practicality.

Second, consider buying a hybrid. Cars with combined gasoline/electric engines get better gas mileage than conventional vehicles and emit fewer pollutants, thereby protecting your health and that of the environment. Right now, no U.S. companies offer gas/electric vehicles, but Japanese automakers have been selling hybrids in the U.S. since 2000.

Used cars are a good alternative as well. New cars depreciate as much as 35 percent in the first year of ownership, so letting someone else bear that cost isn’t a bad idea. And according to ACEEE’s Green Book, an invaluable guide to the clean car marketplace, 9 percent of a car’s lifetime energy use is consumed in manufacturing — so a used car will cut down on the environmental impact of your purchase. (Just be sure you get one that is sufficiently new or upgraded to ensure decent gas mileage and emissions.)

Here are some (relatively) green cars you can buy right now:

Eco-chic: the new Prius.

2004 Toyota Prius. The second-generation 2004 Prius hybrid is “a shining example of the gains possible with advanced technology,” according to Jason Mark, director of the Union of Concerned Scientists’ Clean Vehicle Program. And Roland Hwang, senior policy analyst at the Natural Resources Defense Council, adds, “Compared to mid-size cars, drivers get half the pollution and half the gasoline bill.”

Unlike the Segway scooter, the four-door 2004 Prius deserved its advance praise. While the wheelbase has been stretched more than five inches to provide more leg room, average fuel economy is actually slightly better, at a combined highway and city rating of 55 miles per gallon. The $20,000 Prius remains a super-ultra-low-emission vehicle, or SULEV. This sharply designed, aerodynamic car comes equipped with power windows and locks, plus a CD player. Add $5,000 to the bottom line if you want a deluxe package including “smart entry” (featuring a key that recognizes your proximity to the car), high-intensity discharge headlights, vehicle stability control, an in-dash CD changer, and voice-activated DVD navigation system. With the storage space of a Camry, the Prius is no compact econobox.

2004 Honda Civic Hybrid sedan. Quite similar to the Prius and well worth considering is the $19,650 Honda Civic Hybrid sedan, which gets 51 mpg on the highway and has been certified in California as an Advanced Technology Partial Zero-Emissions Vehicle (AT-PZEV), meaning it emits 90 percent less pollution than a standard car. If making a statement is important to you, the Civic Hybrid is probably not your choice; it looks just like any other Civic, with only some discreet badges to give the game away. But with its 600-mile-plus range on a single tank, this is definitely the choice for eco-conscious motorists who like zipping past gas stations.

Insight-ful driving.

2004 Honda Insight. The best mileage comes from a sporty hybrid, the Honda Insight, which gets 66 mpg on the highway. A certified ultra-low-emissions vehicle (ULEV), the Insight’s starting price is $19,180. Hybrid owners are eligible for a one-time federal tax break that will be phased out after 2006. The aluminum-bodied Insight is not for everyone: It’s a very small car with seating for two, and it’s so light (less than 2,000 pounds) that it can get blown around on highway bridges. But it’s also cute, cozy, and even relatively comfortable for adventurous, green-minded couples.

2004 Ford Focus PZEV. If you want to buy American, this is the car for you. Even though it is solely powered by a gasoline engine, the 2003 Ford Focus PZEV is California-certified as a partial-zero-emissions vehicle. The PZEV technology, standard in all Focus cars sold this year in California, New York, Vermont, and Massachusetts, will go national in 2004; Ford is already shipping the new models across the U.S. Like the Honda Civic, the PZEV Focus travels incognito — it’s visually identical to standard Focus models, lacking even badges.

Keeping emissions in Focus.

With its special 2.3-liter, four-cylinder Duratec engine, the PZEV emits just one pound of smog-causing emissions over 15,000 miles (using the low-sulfur gasoline sold in California), compared with 10.7 pounds for the regular Focus — and with the 30.1 pounds permitted by the (expiring) federal pollution standard known as Tier 1. Compared with the average 2003 automobile, the Focus PZEV produces 97 percent less hydrocarbon and nitrogen oxide emissions and 76 percent less carbon monoxide. However, it does not reduce carbon dioxide emissions, the leading cause of global climate change.

Still, the potential benefits of PZEVs may be far more sweeping, at least in the short term, than the gains from hybrid cars. PZEVs can be purchased at little or no cost above the sticker price for the conventional gasoline versions of the same cars, and tens of thousands of them are already on the road. New models are coming, and sales are expected to grow steadily. But not all environmentalists are convinced. “PZEVs certainly help improve air quality,” said Bill Moore, editor of EV World, an online magazine about electric cars. “But they do zip for fuel efficiency or reducing oil imports.”

2004 Focus cars begin at $13,915, with miles per gallon at 25 city and 33 highway for the manual transmission and 24/30 for the four-speed automatic.

Aerio out there.

2004 Suzuki Aerio SX. The small but roomy Suzuki Aerio SX (“Sport Crossover”), introduced last year, should please green consumers who might otherwise be tempted to buy an SUV “for the dog” or because “I like to sit up high.” This is a snazzy little vehicle, with cutting-edge “what is it?” styling that’s halfway between a station wagon and an SUV. Starting at $14,499, it can accommodate five with relative comfort, the upright stance creates great headroom and the rear seats fold to create ample load space through the back hatch. With a manual five-speed transmission, the Aerio SX delivers 26 miles per gallon in town and 32 on the highway, much better than most SUVs. It’s also a low-emission vehicle (LEV).

And Don’t Forget Two-Wheelers

If you want fun, fitness, and the most environmentally friendly way to zip around town, get a bicycle. And with a sticker price just a fraction of a new car, bikes are also the most affordable option. Nor do you need to be deterred by winter; commuter bicycles are designed with 365-day usage in mind. (In Europe, commuter bicycles have been available for decades, but they are only just now catching on here.)

Bianchi Milano: minty freshness.

The classic of the field is Bianchi’s Milano, with its mint-green frame, fenders, and chain guard, red-leather saddle, and Shimano 8-speed shifters. The Breezer Town Bike comes with fenders to keep water from streaking your back, a rack for work necessities, a chain guard to protect pants, and a headlamp to penetrate that Daylight Savings Time darkness. And the Broadway Bike is equipped to handle inclement weather year-round, with internal gearing to protect the drive train from ice and slush, alloy rims that respond better than steel ones to braking in wet weather; and fenders to keep off the rain. You can also outfit your bike with studded tires for better riding in ice and snow.

Next year will see the release of new models such as Fuji’s Osaka and Sapporo, Trek’s L300, and the high-tech, chain-free Safety Bike by Biria, which features a built-in electronic lock and, amazingly enough, anti-lock brakes.

Fear of flying? For good reason.

Flying should not generally be the transportation option of choice for the environmentally minded, given its intensive use of resources. (Intercity buses consume less than a fifth the energy jets do to cover the same amount of distance.) And not only is it lousy for the Earth, it’s not great for your own health, either.

Returning to the U.S. recently on an Air Jamaica flight, I felt so ill that I almost lost consciousness. I was overcome with nausea and dizziness, and when I tried to talk, my husband reported that I didn’t make sense. He thought I was having some sort of seizure. In reality, I was having an allergic reaction to an agent (not the federally employed kind) in the cabin air.

Jamaica is one of 12 countries that require routine “disinsection” — the spraying of pesticides — on all inbound flights. Grenada, India, Kiribati, Madagascar, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay require spraying while passengers are on board; flights to Jamaica, Australia, Barbados, Fiji, New Zealand, and Panama may be disinsected when the plane is either empty or occupied. In addition to national air carriers (such as Air Jamaica), all U.S. airlines comply with these nations’ requirements.

Disinsection is meant to kill any insects that might pose a threat to plant, animal, or human health. (There are PR considerations as well: As a spokesperson for U.S. Airways put it, “No one likes seeing a spider on a flight.”) And no doubt about it, invasive species are a huge environmental problem: At least 4,500 nonnative animals and plants have established populations in the U.S., and approximately 15 percent of these are doing serious damage to native species. This seems to pitch environmentalists onto the horns of a dilemma: Which is worse, pesticide exposures or invasive insects?

Danger, Will Robinson!

But actually, the dilemma is a false one. First, the efficacy of spraying is questionable, since insects may travel inside luggage, where the pesticide won’t harm them. And the best practices for spraying are murky: “We have evidence of huge differences in spraying methods between airlines,” said Judith Murawski, an industrial hygienist with the Association of Flight Attendants. “Some airlines have admitted to overspraying. Some spray down at ankle level with the doors open.” Moreover, there are mechanical solutions that may be preferable to pesticides; Murawski notes that the U.S. Department of Transportation is testing the feasibility of blowing compressed air across passengers as they enter jets as a means of driving away pests.

Air Jamaica sprays its planes once a month with Demon WP, a synthetic pyrethroid insecticide. According to the airline’s sprayer, Target Industries, the insecticide remains effective for up to several weeks. The U.S. EPA does not regulate the use of synthetic pyrethroids. According to the Centers for Disease Control, pyrethroids interfere with human nerve and brain function. Skin contact may cause numbness, itching, burning, or stinging. Very high levels of exposure can cause reactions ranging from “dizziness, headache, and nausea” to “muscle twitching, reduced energy, and changes in awareness” to “convulsions and loss of consciousness,” the CDC reports.

Seeking to prevent routine spraying, United flight attendants and passengers filed lawsuits in August 2001 that have stalled since the airline declared bankruptcy in December 2002.

Steps to Help You Breathe Easy

• If you’re concerned about exposure to onboard pesticides, ask before buying your ticket whether an insecticide will be sprayed on the flight. You may want to change your airline, or — if the flight is to a country that requires spraying — your destination.

   

• People who have allergies or asthma or are pregnant and are booked on a flight requiring onboard spraying can request an exemption, the Fair Air Coalition says. “The exemption only works if the spraying is done after landing,” says Diana Fairechild, founder of the Fair Air Coalition, “though it’s possible that if spraying does occur normally during flight you can ask them to spray after. The exemption will allow you to get off before the spraying on the ground, but no other passengers can deplane.”

   

• Before onboard spraying, cover yourself with a blanket.

   

• If the plane on which you will be flying is sprayed when unoccupied, ask for assurances that the cabin will be aired out before boarding and ventilated with fresh air during the flight.

More resources: The Department of Transportation’s website has information on disinsection. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry has info on pyrethroids. The Fair Air Coalition and the Association of Flight Attendants are two organizations that seek to prevent routine spraying of pesticides on airplanes.

Chicks and balances.

Photo: USDA.

It’s very provoking, as Humpty Dumpty once told Alice, to be called an egg. After all, a name must mean something. “My name,” he told her, “means the shape I am — and a good handsome shape it is, too. With a name like yours, you might be any shape, almost.” The same could be said of many labels for poultry and eggs. After all, “cage-free” sounds pleasant — but does it guarantee that the chickens get outdoors? And what exactly is a “natural” hen? Sure enough, the more we look at certain labels, the less they seem to mean. Herewith, the inside scoop on chicken and eggs:

• “Free-Range”
  “Free-range” or “free-roaming” on a label implies that the animal had unrestrained access to the outside world. In reality, though, the term only guarantees that the animal has had some opportunity to go outdoors each day — through a door left open at some point, for example — with no requirement that it actually gets there. Moreover, the use of the term “free-range” is only defined for chickens that are eaten, not those that lay eggs. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which regulates the egg market, has set no standard for the use of the term “free-range” for eggs, rendering the word essentially meaningless: The label does not guarantee that egg-laying birds live cage-free. There is also no third-party verification for this label, and hence no consistent meaning.

   

• “Cage-Free”
  This term guarantees that the chicken were not housed in cages — however, it does not guarantee access to the outdoors, and it is not verified by any third party.

   

• “Natural”
  While “natural” meat must be minimally processed and free of any artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives, this is “perhaps the most misleading” label claim, says Jessica Nelson of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. Why? Because the U.S. Department of Agriculture allows this label to be applied to meat from animals raised using hormones or antibiotics as growth promoters. In addition, there is no third-party verification for this label.

 

• “Raised without antibiotics” or “No antibiotics administered”
  These labels may be used by producers with USDA approval, but this claim is not verified by inspections of farms or by tests for residues in meats. The USDA has defined both of these labels to mean the animals were raised without the use of low-level or therapeutic doses of antibiotics. Nonetheless, the USDA considers use of the term “antibiotic-free” impossible to prove for chicken or other poultry products. These terms are not defined for eggs.

   

• “Grass-Fed” or “Pastured”
  This label indicates that the animals have, in some sense, been raised on pasture. However, because there are no standards defining “grass-fed,” as there are for “organic” and “free farmed” (see below), and no third-party verification, this label leaves the consumer in the dark. Practitioners of grass-fed or pastured poultry often use rotational grazing systems with movable cages for at least some portion of the bird’s life. This is a desirable option (assuming it can be verified), as birds eat more naturally, consume fewer resources, and live more in tune with their natural behaviors and needs while on pasture. Many suppliers of grass-fed egg-producing hens also report that the eggs are higher than conventional eggs in healthy Omega-3 fatty acids.

   

• “Organic”
  In meat, poultry, and egg production, “organic” means:

   

   

  • The animals are provided with organic feed (food produced without insecticides, pesticides, genetic engineering, or sewage sludge, and not containing animal-derived proteins).
  • Animals are raised “under conditions which provide for exercise [and] freedom of movement,” according to USDA organic regulations.
  • The animals are raised without antibiotics or added growth hormones. Sick animals that require treatment with antibiotics must be taken out of organic production.
  • Meat is processed according to strictly defined standards that restrict the use of chemicals; the meat and eggs have not been irradiated.
  • The animals are not genetically modified.
  • The producers maintain safe composting standards for animal waste.

  Meat, poultry, and dairy products that are at least 95 percent organic may be labeled “organic;” if entirely organic, they may be labeled “100 percent organic.” Products containing more than 70 percent organic ingredients may be labeled “made with organic ingredients.”

   

  

  Great egg-spectations.

  Photo: Washington State Dept. of Agriculture.

  The benefits of buying organic meat and eggs are clear, given the host of harmful practices and substances that are kept out of the environment, the food system, and your body by organic practices. Supplying animals with organic feed supports a farm system that enhances soil fertility, increases species diversity, conserves water, and produces fewer greenhouse gases. The restriction on antibiotics also translates to healthier conditions for animals, because crowded, filthy quarters such as those found in factory farms require the use of antibiotics to prevent the spread of disease.

  Note, however, that according to a January 2003 article in Consumer Reports, rates of salmonella and campylobacter in organic chicken can still be high. To avoid these diseases, organic meats must be handled just as carefully as their non-organic counterparts.

• “Free-Farmed”
  “Free-farmed” poultry, eggs, and meat mean the animals are raised with adequate space and comfort, and without the use of unnecessary antibiotics, in accordance with American Humane Association standards. The claim is verified by third-party inspectors.

Color Me Organic

Easter is coming and you’ve got your free-farmed or organic eggs — so why not dye the shells naturally, too? There are a number of vegetable- and fruit-based dyes that offer a broad range of beautiful colors and are better for you and the environment than artificial colors. Below are some Easter egg tips taken from FoodTV, Recipe.net, The Joy of Cooking, and Organic Gardening.

Hardboil your eggs first, but not with a view to eat them if they will be un-refrigerated for more than two hours. Alternatively, you can puncture the ends of the raw eggs and blow out the contents, leaving them hollow. You can then boil your eggs in the dyes or dip them in cold. Boiling will give darker, more even colors; cool dipping may be better for children. To boil, add enough water to cover six to eight eggs, then add the dye ingredients and two tablespoon of white vinegar for each quart of water. Boil the eggs for approximately half an hour. For cold dipping, simmer the dye ingredients without eggs for 20 to 30 minutes, then strain and cool. Let the eggs sit in the dye for at least five minutes and up to several hours, turning occasionally, until they reach the desired color. When finished, you can rub the eggs with vegetable oil to give them a soft sheen.

The following dyes will give a range of intensities and surface textures to create a unique Easter egg basket. Measurements where given are approximate; play with additional spices, vegetables, and fruits for different results.

Green: Spinach (four cups per quart of water)

Pale yellow: Orange or lemon peels, carrot tops, celery seed, or ground cumin

Deep yellow: Ground turmeric in water with boiling eggs, or yellow onion skins.

Golden brown: Dill seeds or black walnut shells

Orange: Paprika (four tablespoons per quart water)

Dark orange: Chili powder

Tan: Coffee or tea

Blue: Red cabbage (four cups, shredded, per quart of water), or soak eggs in blueberry juice

Pink: Beet juice (4 cups, shredded, per quart of water), chopped rhubarb stalks, red onion skins

Lavender: Purple grape juice

Red: Pomegranate juice or four cups red onion skins

Make your home clean and green.

Photo: iStockphoto

So if the weather cooperates, step one for green cleaners is: Open a window and let those pollutants out! Yet even in the spring and summer, when a vase of daffodils can fill a room with a lovely natural scent, many consumers stubbornly keep using synthetic room fresheners and fragranced cleaning products that are full of VOCs and other toxic chemicals. These can make our indoor air unhealthy, provoke skin, eye, and respiratory reactions, and harm the natural environment.

Take those so-called air fresheners. According to a study published in New Scientist in 1999, in homes where aerosol sprays and air fresheners were used frequently, mothers experienced 25 percent more headaches and were 19 percent more likely to suffer from depression, and infants under six months of age had 30 percent more ear infections and 22 percent higher incidence of diarrhea.

In choosing alternatives, however, consumers need to be alert to greenwashing. “Just because a product says it’s natural doesn’t mean it’s nontoxic,” says Jeffrey Hollender, CEO of Seventh Generation, which produces genuinely eco-friendly cleaning supplies and household products. The word “natural” is undefined and unregulated by the government and can be applied to just about anything under the sun — including plastic, which comes from naturally occurring petroleum. Because no standards exist, claims such as “nontoxic,” “eco-safe,” and “environmentally friendly” are also meaningless, according to Consumers Reports’ Eco-labels website.

Instead of being taken in by slogans, David Steinman, coauthor of The Safe Shopper’s Bible, advises looking at labels for specific, eco-friendly ingredients that also perform effectively. These include grain alcohol instead of toxic butyl cellosolve as a solvent; coconut or other plant oils rather than petroleum in detergents; and plant-oil disinfectants such as eucalyptus, rosemary, or sage, rather than triclosan. You can also mix your own cleaners, as does Annie Berthold-Bond, green living editor at Care2.com and author of Clean and Green and Better Basics for the Home. According to Berthold-Bond, a few safe, simple ingredients such as plain soap, water, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), vinegar, washing soda (sodium carbonate), lemon juice, and borax can satisfy most household cleaning needs — and save you money at the same time.

If you’re in the mood to detoxify, getting rid of germs doesn’t have to mean overkill: This is your home, not a hospital. In 2000, cleaning products were responsible for nearly 10 percent of all toxic exposures reported to the U.S. poison control centers, accounting for more than 206,000 calls, over half of which concerned children under the age of six. According to Philip Dickey of the Washington Toxics Coalition, the most acutely or immediately hazardous cleaning products are corrosive drain cleaners, oven cleaners, acidic toilet-bowl cleaners, and anything containing chlorine or ammonia (which should never be combined — see below).

Read on to get the dirt on various conventional products and ingredients and their eco-friendly alternatives. With a little effort, you can make your home a truly clean haven rather than a chemical storage tank.

Dish Detergents, Laundry Detergents, and All-Purpose Cleaners

It’s a wash.

Photo: iStockphoto

Problems:

Most conventional dish and laundry detergents are made from petroleum, a nonrenewable resource. Some detergents contain alkyphenol ethoxylates, which are suspected hormone disruptors that don’t readily biodegrade and can threaten wildlife after they go down your drain. Ethoxylated alcohols in liquid detergents can contain carcinogenic 1,4-dioxane.

The fragrances in detergents and fabric softeners can contain phthalates, chemicals that have been linked to cancer and reproductive-system harm in animal lab tests. Fragrances may also trigger asthma and allergic reactions, with symptoms including skin and respiratory irritation, headaches, and watery eyes. Although phosphates, which choke waterways, are no longer used in most dish and laundry soaps, they can be found in dishwasher detergents. Phosphates are highly caustic and can be fatal if swallowed.

Other ingredients turn dangerous when combined: Diethanolamine and triethanolamine can react with nitrites (an often undisclosed preservative) to form carcinogenic nitrosamines.

Solutions:

Use laundry soaps labeled “fragrance-free,” advises Harvey Karp, a Los Angeles pediatrician and author of The Happiest Baby on the Block. If you want to use citrus-oil products, sniff-test a small amount from a few feet away, as these products can be irritating to allergic or sensitive individuals. Karp also advises choosing dish and laundry detergents and all-purpose cleaners that are plant-based (corn, palm kernel, or coconut oil).

To remove stains from clothing, try soaking fabrics in water mixed with borax, lemon juice, hydrogen peroxide, washing soda, or white vinegar. Or, look for “non-chlorine bleach” made from sodium percarbonate or sodium perborate, available from Bio Pac, Ecover, Naturally Yours, Shaklee, or Seventh Generation.

Fabric can be softened by adding one-quarter cup of baking soda to the wash cycle; this recently worked on several pairs of catalog-bought cargo pants made of a cardboard-stiff cotton that literally scraped a teenager’s skin. A quarter cup of white vinegar will also soften fabric, as well as eliminate cling.

Less toxic products include Ecover and Seventh Generation laundry and dish soaps; Aubrey Organics and Vermont Soapworks all-purpose household cleaners; and Bioshield and Naturally Yours dishwasher detergent.

Antibacterial Soaps and Cleansers, Bleach, Stain Removers, Disinfectants, Glass Cleaners, and Bathroom Scouring Powders (Whew!)

Problems

Popular in liquid form, antibacterial soaps are helping to promote growth of resistant bacteria, according to a 2000 World Health Organization report.

Chlorine bleach, a common disinfectant frequently found in scouring powders and cleaning solutions, is highly caustic, meaning it can burn skin and eyes — plus it can be fatal if swallowed. When it travels from your drain into the natural world, it can create organochlorines, which are suspected carcinogens as well as reproductive, neurological, and immune-system toxins. And be warned: Bleach (also known as sodium hypochlorite and sodium hydroxide) should never be mixed with any product containing ammonia or quaternium compounds. Doing so creates highly toxic chlorine gas. Many conventional scouring powders and cleaning solutions contain chlorine bleach.

Solutions

Instead of using antibacterial soap, Karp recommends thorough hand-washing (about two minutes’ worth) with plain soap and warm water.

To disinfect bathroom or kitchen surfaces, try Earth Power‘s EPA-registered herbal disinfectant or Seventh Generation sanitizers. White vinegar helps kill bacteria, mold, and viruses, according to Berthold-Bond, who uses it on everything from kitchen surfaces to toilet seats. However, the only foolproof way to kill food-borne pathogens such as salmonella or E coli is to use hot, soapy water to wash all cutting boards, dishes, knives, and surfaces that have touched raw meat or eggs.

Oops, you missed a spot!

Photo: iStockphoto

Scrubbing sinks, tubs, and countertops with a paste of baking soda and water effectively removes dirt rings and some stains; if that doesn’t work, try a paste of washing soda and water, and be sure to wear gloves. Commercial non-chlorine bleach products include Bon Ami scouring powder and cream cleansers from Earth Friendly, Ecover, and Seventh Generation.

For cleaning windows, fill your own spray bottle with water and either one-quarter cup white vinegar or one tablespoon lemon juice to cut grease. Safer commercial glass cleaners are made by BioShield, Earth Friendly, Naturally Yours, and Seventh Generation.

Drain, Oven, and Toilet-Bowl Cleaners

Problems

The corrosive ingredients in these products can severely irritate eyes, skin, and the respiratory tract, and can be fatal if swallowed. Chemical drain cleaners are among the most dangerous of all cleaning products, containing sodium hydroxide and sodium hypochlorite (bleach) that can permanently burn eyes and skin. In oven cleaners, lye and sodium hydroxide can burn skin, eyes, and the respiratory tract.

Solutions

For drains, a plunger “snake” plumbing tool should first be used to bring up as much of the clog as possible, giving cleaning products room to work, or perhaps eliminating the need for them entirely. Earth Friendly and Naturally Yours drain cleaners use enzymes, rather than caustic chemicals, to dissolve obstructions. Don’t forget to prevent future blockage with inexpensive metal or plastic drain screens, available at most home-improvement or hardware stores.

To clean oven surfaces, coat them in a paste of water and baking or washing soda and let stand overnight, then scrub off the paste while wearing gloves. Among commercial products, EnviroSafety‘s plant-based multi-purpose cleaner works well. Or you can use the non-chlorine scouring powders and creams listed above. To prevent future buildup, line the oven floor with aluminum foil and wipe oven walls and ceiling clean after each use.

For toilets, forget the fancy stuff: Again, use the simple, non-chlorine scouring powders and creams listed above, or try AFM SafeChoice or Ecover toilet cleaners.

Furniture and Metal Polishes

Problems

These are corrosive and may cause eye, skin, or respiratory tract irritation. They can also contain nerve-damaging petroleum distillates or formaldehyde, a carcinogen.

Solutions

Polish furniture with a mixture of one teaspoon olive oil and one-half cup white vinegar, or look for solvent-free products that use mineral or plant oils, such as Earth Friendly furniture polish or Hope’s lemon oil.

As your grandmother probably knows, silver can be kept clean with toothpaste. Copper can be polished using a cloth dipped in white vinegar or lemon juice with salt dissolved in it; just rinse with water when you’re done. You can shine your brass with a paste made from one teaspoon salt, one cup white vinegar, and one cup flour. Or, use Kleen King copper and stainless steel cleaner, Twinkle copper and silver polishes, or Hope‘s brass and silver polishes.

Air Fresheners and Other Perfumed Products

Problems

Aerosol propellants contain flammable and nerve-damaging ingredients as well as tiny particles that can lodge in your lungs. Fragrances of all kinds can provoke allergic and asthmatic reactions.

Solutions

If the air outside is clean, open your windows and ventilate the natural way. An open box of baking soda removes odors. (If you’re feeling Martha Stewart-ish, you can decant it from the box into a pretty bowl.) Cedar blocks or sachets of dried flowers and herbs provide gentle scents — but avoid any potpourri that lists unspecified “fragrance” on the label; this could mean synthetic chemicals, including phthalates. Look for products scented with essential plant oils, such as lemon, verbena, or lavender.

Finally, we cannot stress enough that you should avoid aerosol sprays in any product, as they disperse ingredients through the air and make them easy to inhale. Even nontoxic ingredients can irritate eyes, noses, and lungs. Carelessly shaken powders can also spread through the air and cause irritation.

Now Get to It!

Most of the eco-friendly products mentioned above can be found in supermarkets or natural-food, hardware, and home-improvement stores — or online. For more complete info and further tips, see the Green Guide website, and check out the green-cleaning advice in Grist’s book, Wake Up and Smell the Planet.

And remember: When it comes to green cleaning, less is definitely more!

Flowers

In 2001, Americans spent an estimated $50 per capita on flowers, garden plants, and nursery crops, and floricultural grower receipts topped $13 billion. But some industry costs remained hidden. The floral industry uses the highest level of pesticides of all agricultural sectors. And since most of the flowers we buy originate abroad, these pesticides can include some that are banned in the U.S., such as DDT. These chemicals may even remain on bouquets long enough to rub off on skin or be inhaled by your beloved. When the Environmental Working Group tested a small sample of roses in 1997, they found residues of several pesticides at up to 50 times the amounts permitted in food.

But the trouble starts long before the flowers reach your sweetheart. Pesticide runoff from flower farms pollutes waterways, and recent research has found that nearly two-thirds of Colombia’s flower workers report maladies associated with pesticide exposure. To add insult to injury, workers on most flower farms still earn poverty wages.

What you can do:

• Buy fresh or dried blooms at your local farmer’s market.

• Send an organic bouquet from Organic Bouquet online or from Whole Foods and Wild Oats stores. (Roses are $34.99 for a dozen and $49.99 for two dozen online, or $16.99 retail.)

What you shouldn’t do:

• Buy flowers through Defenders of Wildlife’s Valentine’s Day campaign. The organization says you can “give flowers and save wildlife at the same time” by shopping at 1-800-flowers.com, which gives 10 percent of every purchase to DOW. Trouble is, 1-800-flowers.com sells conventional blooms, and the pesticides used to grow them threaten wildlife. Shame on Defenders of Wildlife: If it used an organic florist, the organization and the environment would benefit.

Chocolate

A traditional, shade-grown cacao farm can be the next best thing to wild rainforest for species diversity. These days, however, most cacao is grown on conventional farms characterized by environmentally damaging pesticides, child labor, and poor working conditions. The truly compassionate Valentine cares not just for her or his sweetie, but also for the health and welfare of the people who cultivate chocolate — not to mention for the local forests and wildlife, including migratory songbirds. All do better without pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, and when crops are grown beneath the shade of indigenous trees.

Organically grown chocolate may be a touch more pricey, but so are Godiva and other premium chocolates that don’t help support sustainable agriculture and healthy communities. Plus, sharp-eyed shoppers can often find big bars of eco-chocolate on sale at natural-food markets around Valentine’s Day. If you really want to be one step ahead of the game, think about Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, and stock up!

What You Can Do:

• Buy certified fair-trade chocolate, which pays a living wage to workers on plantations that do not use forced child labor. You can find such chocolate at: Newman’s Own Organics, Rapunzel Pure Organics, and Green & Black’s Organic Chocolate.

• Buy organic chocolate: Gift-wrapped boxes are available from Village Organics, or Dagoba. Children will pounce on Bug Bites, and for a Valentine’s breakfast or bedtime treat, you can serve hot cocoa made with Equal Exchange’s organic, fairly traded cocoa powder.

• Oppose child labor by joining Global Exchange’s chocolate campaign.

• Send a Valentine’s card to M&M/Mars, asking the company to use fair-trade, slavery-free chocolate. Also, encourage a school to sell socially responsible chocolate during fundraising drives. (Chocolate companies make megabucks off of candy bars sold through school fundraisers.)

• See the Green Guide’s Chocolate Product Report (Green Guide subscribers only) for more info on label criteria, and a list of more brands that are certified, organic, shade-grown, and fair-trade.