The Monthly Newsletter of green*light magazine
By Kendra Smith, contributing editor green*light magazine

This month, love that special person in your life and the earth with great ideas from the green*light bite. Also: Find out how you can reduce your impact at work, on the road, every day.

The chemicals in chocolate may be known to spark euphoria, but there's another reason to feel good about your Valentine's Day indulgences this year. Organic, fair-trade chocolate is no longer just a key ingredient in basic baking cocoa. It's now being incorporated into sophisticated truffles, gourmet hot chocolate, and intense, dark single varietal bars, which are made with beans from the same cacao field, instead of a blend of chocolates. There's still time to order!

Chocosphere
Shop organic at this clearinghouse of all things cacao: Pick up Green and Black’s Maya Gold Hot Chocolate, spiked with orange peel and spices, and Central and South American single cru squares from Dagoba. Order by 7 p.m. PST February 10.

Cocoa Vino
Go for bonbons hand-crafted by two New York entrepreneurs from organic chocolate, artisanal wines and liqueurs, and GMO-free cream milked upstate. Order by 9 a.m. EST February 13.

Intemperantia
Try solid, square vegan dark chocolates (they’re 72 percent cocoa), or choose European-style organic truffles in a hand-painted heart-shaped box. Order by 12 p.m. PST February 13. 

A gift of gold is considered romantic, but for jewelry retailers awakening to the mining industry's less-than-responsible practices (check out the October 2005 PBS/New York Times documentary on mining in Peru), the upcoming holiday may be more about protest than loving promises. According to OxFam and Earthworks, chemicals used for inexpensive extraction of gold are causing health problems for humans and having a detrimental effect on watersheds. Moreover, as the price of this precious metal climbs, wilderness areas, agricultural land, and people have been displaced worldwide to make way for mining operations. What's the majority of this sought-after metal for? You guessed it, jewelry. Major retailers like Tiffany & Co. have joined the group No Dirty Gold to publicize these problems.

1. Recycle old jewelry. Ask your jeweler to refer you to a metal smith who can melt down pieces you no longer wear and refine the gold again for use. 
2. Support jewelers that use recycled metals. GreenKarat.com is a well-known eco-jeweler (they even use lab-grown gems), but some everyday jewelers buy gold that’s been re-refined by metal smiths.
3. Buy antique or vintage jewelry. Take away some of the demand for new gold by seeking out unique heritage pieces. 

If it seems too quick and easy to solve the problems of global warming and dependence on foreign oil with the click of a mouse, here's how it works: Buy "carbon offsets" online and the money is given to projects that earn carbon credits from the government, like putting up wind turbines or capturing methane power from organic waste. The offset organization then retires the credits, so they're never used, making you (or your home or car) "climate neutral". Companies, entertainers, and non-profits are participating, including Telecommunications company Working Assets offsets its entire office, and California’s Sugar Bowl Ski Resort compensates for nearly one-fourth of its energy use. Movies (Syriana), television shows (“Trippin’ with Cameron Diaz”), even musicians are on the bandwagon: singers like Jack Johnson balance out the emissions for every tour.

Here are four sites where you can offset carbon emissions (even gift an offset).

• Carbonfund.org
• Native Energy
• TerraPass
• Three Phases Energy Services

Q: I'm currently temping, and I'm surprised by the wastefulness that happens on a daily basis in the offices where I work. My coworkers throw away papers, bottles, and cans and leave large amounts of food untouched after meetings. Recycling has always been second nature to me; what can I do to raise awareness? — Reader Renee

A: Start by getting management behind your cause. If they can't be swayed by the traditional environmental argument, remind them that waste affects the bottom line, as well as a company’s image. Once you have support from the top, begin with paper recycling. Since the average worker uses 10,000 sheets per year, this will have an impact without requiring too much effort from employees. Then, encourage the purchasing department to buy recycled paper products for the office, which completes the circle. For advice on setting up a program, then expanding it, go to Earth 911 and click on “Business Resources”.