Dear Umbra, I am aware of how polluting regular dry cleaners can be and therefore make a point to wash clothes at home. Recently, however, my charming cat peed on my comforter. I was wondering if you knew of any environmentally friendly ways to clean "dry clean only" clothes or, in this case, comforters. HeidiFalls Church, Va. Dearest Heidi, I've seen feather comforters with both dry-cleaning and home-washer options, so be sure to read the tag. If home washing is an option, plain vinegar in the washer may help remove the odor. Spot application of diluted white vinegar may also …

As sales of green building products go up, prices come down Construction companies are increasingly turning to green products, and saving greenbacks in the process. It's still widely believed that eco-friendly products are more costly than their not-so-eco-friendly counterparts, but that state of affairs is changing. Carpet made of recycled plastic and floor boards composed of wood pulp can now be acquired for less than traditional carpet and wood floorings, for example. Says Scottish architect Douglas Murray, "Of course the reasons people compromise on their environmental principles are invariably financial, but you really can build a 'healthy' house without spending …

Earthships offer a model for green housing of the future Looking to build an eco-friendly dwelling? An "earthship" could be just the ticket, says Mike Reynolds. Inexpensive to construct and even less expensive to run, these houses are built into hillsides, utilizing passive solar design and the thermal properties of the earth to provide natural climate control. Constructed of little but earth, plaster, trash (used tires and discarded building materials), and large windows, the houses first evolved in the arid lands around Taos, N.M., but have now spread as far afield as Fife, U.K. Hallmarks of Reynolds' earthship design are …

Dear Umbra, For years, I faithfully brought my canvas bags to the grocery store, leaving plastic bags for the environmentally uninformed. A few months ago, though, I adopted a dog, and I now find myself with a dilemma. I need to pick up all of his solid excrement, and having no compost or any other area for it to go (I live in the city), I need to use plastic bags to take care of it. I hope you have another suggestion for something I can use to pick up after my pup (and please don't say anything that would …

Celebrate Buy Nothing Day by sitting on your derriere Traditionally the biggest shopping day of the year, the Friday after Thanksgiving sends millions of Americans, drone-like, to the malls to kick-start the holiday consumption orgy. But before you foil-wrap the roast beast and stash the organic cranberry dressing in the fridge, consider celebrating another holiday: Buy Nothing Day. Officially observed Nov. 26 this year in the U.S. and Nov. 27 internationally, Buy Nothing Day calls on consumers -- formerly known as "people" -- to forego the siren song of day-after sales and protest overconsumption. Activists the world over will be …

Sales of organic turkeys and Tofurky on the rise The organic turkey is the new Prius. If you're planning to carve one up for tomorrow's Thanksgiving meal, you're riding the latest wave of eco-chic. Organic turkey sales at Whole Foods Market have doubled this year, the upscale natural-foods chain reports. And that's building on impressive gains across the market last year: "In 2003, organic poultry, which would include turkey, sales grew 112 percent," said Holly Given of the Organic Trade Association. "They are so tasty. There is definitely a difference," said Mary Ebright, who bought an all-natural turkey on Tuesday …

We have Thanksgiving to thank for the beloved Fig Newman. It was Nell Newman, daughter of actor Paul Newman, who actually created the eponymous product, but she had the opportunity only after convincing her father to take his food company, Newman's Own, in an organic direction with a triumphant organic meal she whipped up for her family on Thanksgiving 1992. The following year, Nell started an organic division of Newman's Own more than a decade after the parent company was established, and has since become one of the most recognized names and faces in the health-food industry. That's her on …

New hybrids are more powerful and sexy, if less efficient The next crop of hybrid vehicles is eagerly anticipated not only by energy-conscious geeks and early-adopter hipsters, but by regular ol' Americans who like to have their apple pie and eat it too. Auto-industry flacks are predicting buyer excitement over soon-to-debut vehicles like the hybrid Honda Accord and Lexus RX SUV -- long on horsepower and sex appeal, short on gas consumption (though slightly less short than their predecessors). "It will be like enjoying a hot-fudge sundae, without the calories or the guilt," says Toyota's Don Esmond of his company's …

Yowza. A few weeks back, in response to a question from a reader named Cassandra about the relative merits of soy milk, I asked your opinion on the dividing line between health and environmental concerns. Cassandra wanted to know if she could continue eating soy, which she considered an environmentally sound choice, without increasing her risk of breast cancer. The health/environment line is always fuzzy to me, but entering the nutrition and cancer debates seemed like a reach. That letter made me wonder: What, exactly, are the boundaries of my columnal mandate? And so I asked you, dear readers, for …

Whole Foods ponders move into organic clothing Have you ever felt chafed by the inconvenience of having to go one place for your bulk bulgur wheat and another for your Guatemalan organic cotton poncho? Well we've got good news: From here on in you can point your Lexus SUV in one direction only, to organic grocer Whole Foods. The retailer is contemplating selling organic clothing and linens in its new flagship store in Austin, Texas, and possibly other stores if the move is successful. Whole Foods is nothing if not healthy (ha ha): Its fourth-quarter profits were up 27 percent. …