Other Resources to Get Your Hands On

Ami Voeltz
The Twin Cities Green Guide

The Twin Cities Green Guide covers many issues dealing with “green” living, sustainability and healthy communities. We feel we have covered all the important topics that are connected with these issues. In some cases, we only had enough space to introduce the issue. In other cases, we realized there were other publications that would cover the issue more accurately, since they are the experts. Therefore, we recommend obtaining the following guides (if applicable to you), in addition to using The Twin Cities Green Guide as your Green resource guides:

 

Blue Sky Guide

This is the “green” version of the Entertainment book for the Twin Cities. It has coupons for products and services from dining to bed & bath.

 

Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings

Order: 202-429-0063

Online and ordering info at: www.aceee.org/consumerguide/index.htm

From refrigerators to furnaces, air conditioners to washing machines, this guide can help you find energy-saving products, in order to maximize energy and dollar savings in your home. Also check out The Most Energy-Efficient Appliances 2001.

 

City Pages Annual Manual

612-375-1015 Online at: www.citypages.com

Copies: Comes out Every October

This manual is an insert in the free City Pages publication found in bookstores, restaurants and coffee shops. It lists the best of and worst of, calendar of events, exhibitions and other essentials for supporting the Twin Cities community.

 

Digest of Resources for Building Sustainable Communities

Sustainable Communities Network

800-657-3843 or 651-296-3417

This booklet highlights resources from the MnSCN E-mail list (Minnesota Sustainable Communities Network) that are working for building sustainable communities in Minnesota. To receive bi-weekly email updates, send an email to: mnscn@mr.net.

 

Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Guide

Solid Waste Management Coordinating Board

800-657-3843 or 651-296-3417

www.swmcb.org

This reference manual is for businesses and others to “get the stuff you need and still be good to the environment”. It has tips and sources for office, printing, vehicle, outdoor furnishings, building maintenance and more.

 

Flavors Wild Oats Markets, Inc.

Copies: 800-494-9453(WILD)

This is a free guidebook to buying and preparing bulk foods (edibles without packaging). It also discusses how to store bulk foods, select fresh foods, nutritional content of foods and recipe ideas.

 

Handbook of the Streets

Alliance of the Streets

Copies: 612-870-0529

A resource guide for poor and homeless people. This guide seeks to create practical solutions to poverty and homelessness by offering resources in housing, employment, advocacy and community education. Even if you may not need this guide, keep one handy to give to someone who might.

 

Minnesota Grown Directory

Single copies: 800-657-3700 or 651-296-5029

Multiple copies: 800-657-3878 or 651-297-8695

Online at: www.minnesotagrown.com

This directory lists Minnesota Grown products and services such as farm-fresh produce, plants and flowers that are available direct from growers. You can search by area, product, farm or market name.

 

Shop Used First!

Anoka County Integrated Waste Management

763-323-5730

Email: recycle@co.anoka.mn.us

This publication lists sources for used anything from appliances to books, eye glasses and sporting goods in the Twin Cities Metro area. It is a must have for anyone trying to close the loop of waste by buying used.

 

Twin Cities Bike Map

To receive by mail call : 651-602-1140. The map is also available at many area bike shops.

www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/bicycles/where-to-ride.asp

This is a bike map for commuters and recreational bikers. It helps you choose the best bicycling routes in Minneapolis, St. Paul and some surrounding areas.

 

Web Sites

We have chosen the top 21 web sites about sustainability, Green living and healthy communities. There are many, many, many great web sites listed in the Resource Boxes in each article, but here are the web sites we feel are the most informational and inclusive:

 

1. Sustainable Communities Network

www.sustainable.org

The Sustainable Communities Network contains a wide range of sustainable community development resources, with an excellent bibliography and links to many other useful resources.

 

2. NextStep

www.nextstep.state.mn.us

A comprehensive Minnesota-focused sustainability web site for people who want to find and share resources on sustainability.

 

3. SEEK: Sharing Environmental Education Knowledge

www.seek.state.mn.us

Minnesota’s interactive directory of environmental education resources.

 

4. ME3’s Sustainable Minnesota Web Site

www.me3.org

ME3’s web site is a terrific starting point for information on sustainable energy technologies and policy options to create a cleaner environment.

 

5. Minnesota Home Energy Guides

Information Center of the MN Department of Commerce www.commerce.state.mn.us/pages/Energy/InfoCenter/EnergyGuides.htm The Minnesota Department of Commerce has an outstanding collection of fact sheets on how houses use energy.

  

6. Environmental News Network

www.enn.com

ENN is a useful environmental information resource, including a daily e-mail news digest, searchable archives, and other features.

 

7. Reduce Waste Campaign: If Not You, Who?

www.reduce.org

A useful Minnesota web site has been developed to provide informational materials on waste reduction for citizens.

 

8. Simple Living Network

www.simpleliving.net

Small, grass-roots, on-line service for those wanting to learn how to live a more conscious, simple, healthy and restorative lifestyle.

 

9. University of Minnesota Extension Service

www.extension.umn.edu

800-525-8636 or 612-624-2200

Web site and 24-Hour information line to answer your questions about lifestyle, parenting, gardening, food safety and more for the Greater Minnesota area.

 

10. Metropolitan Council

www.metrocouncil.org

An excellent local web site with Metro area info on planning, housing, environment, transit, regional parks and more. They also produce the Minnesota Smart Growth web site, www.mnsmartgrowth.org.

 

11. Minnesota Sustainable Development Initiative

www.mnplan.state.mn.us/SDI/index.html

This site offers a wealth of information on what the state of Minnesota has done and is doing to foster sustainable development, including links to other sites.

 

12. Co-op America

www.coopamerica.org

Practical steps for using your consumer and investor power for social change. Also, a National Green Pages online.

 

13. Minnesota Environmental Action Network

www.mnaction.org

Good directory of local environmental organizations. This web site also provides a system for the conservation community to get their message out to elected officials and administrative decision makers.

 

14. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

www.peta.org

Includes information on the mistreatment of animals and environmental issues. They also have campaign information, fact sheets and lists, and updates on legislative efforts.

 

15. Redefining Progress

www.rprogress.org

Redefining Progress is a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy organization that seeks to ensure a more sustainable and socially equitable world for our children and our children’s children.

 

16. Care 2 Make a Difference

www.care2.com/ecoinfo/

Directory covering the “basics” of many issues from environmental issue to healthy living.

 

17. Second Nature

www.secondnature.org

The Second Nature web site is an excellent source of information about incorporating principles of sustainability into higher education.

 

18. GreenBiz.com

www.greenbiz.com

Excellent site with news and tools to help companies of all sizes integrate environmental thinking into their operations.

 

19. SustainableBusiness.com

www.sustainablebusiness.com

This web site highlights current developments in the world of sustainable business and provides information on resources that are available.

 

20. Minnesotans For Sustainability

www.mnforsustain.org

The MFS motto and objective: “Sustainable Society: A society that balances the environment, other life forms, and human interactions over an indefinite time period.”

 

Other Green-like Guides Around the World

* indicates online only

*Directory of Northeastern Minnesota: Environmental groups, issues and events Directory hotline: 218-726-1828 www.ecosource.tsx.org

National Green Pages 800-58-GREEN www.greenpages.org

Seattle Survival Guide III: The Essential Handbook for Urban Living, Theresa Morrow 1998.

Green Guide for London www.greenguideonline.com

Bay Area Naturally 800-486-4794 www.bapd.org/gbanly-1.html

ReDirect Portland www.redirectguide.com

Green Pages – Portland www.sustainableportland.org

*Shopping Green in Pittsburgh www.pitt.edu/~animals/guide/green.html

Toronto’s Green Tourist Guide Book www.greentourism.on.ca/guidebook.htm

*Russian Green Pages Ecological and Environmental Guide http://rgp.agava.ru/rgpmain.htm

*Green Pages Ireland www.greenpagesireland.com

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