Title: The Green Guide "The green living source for today’s conscious consumer"
Author: The Green Guide, National Geographic
URL: www.thegreenguide.com
Date: 2007, new issues published bimonthly


Notes:
At a Glance: The Green Guide provides information for people who want to make smart and responsible choices as consumers. The bi-monthly magazine is available for purchase, either in the print version or as a downloadable PDF file. The website contains some articles from the magazine, and a free e-newsletter, but does not contain the full reports of product reviews.

National Geographic has a team of researchers and reporters who examine products and review the science related to the products and the claims of the manufacturer. They make recommendations for consumer choices in the Product Reports and Smart Shopper's Cards. The businesses featured by the guide produce products and materials that not only keep the health of the planet in mind, but the health of human beings as well.

Best for: The Green Guide is for people who want to make smart and responsible choices as consumers, and buy products that are safe for the environment, as well as for their own health. It is a helpful, quick reference for finding information about how to choose a product, and where to find environmentally friendly products. The articles do not contain a lot of technical information, and are easy for the layperson to understand.

Standout Features: The site has an A - Z product list that consumers can refer to when buying anything from organic food and clothing to organic and safe pet supplies, products as large as energy efficient appliances, and as small as biodegradable garbage bags. The guide also offers a "Tip of the Week", which gives readers simple, practical things they can do in their everyday life to improve the health of the planet. The "Green Home Makeover" section of the website is a complete how-to guide to making your home eco-friendly, including improving energy efficiency, eliminating common household products that typically have toxins in them, and replacing them with eco-friendly and healthy alternatives. The site also contains consumer feedback from users which can help the confused consumer.

Keep in Mind: The Green Guide does extensive research on the companies and products that it writes on. However, they specify that these are product recommendations, not endorsements. Advertisements are seen on the website as well as in the print issues, but the Green Guide is very specific about its demographic, so the advertisements are all most likely from companies who are targeting similar demographics. The site has received a fair amount of praise in the environmental community and media.