The Monthly Newsletter of greenlight magazine

In the last issue of our newsletter, we celebrated road trips. Now let's stay home and enjoy our own back yards while summer is still here. May all your August decisions be small and simple. Like, what's the best organic ketchup to use? Or should you use cloth or paper napkins for your barbecue? Or how to grill guiltfree?

—Bill Marken, editor in chief, greenlight magazine

In this issue:

• Shopping for Outdoor Furniture
• The Natural Look – in Pools
• More on Bike Safety
• One Green Step at a Time

You've probably noticed how stylish garden furniture has become. We're long past the flimsy aluminum fold-ups with pointy arms bound to gash you and woven seats guaranteed to shred. Manufacturers have also gotten aboard the eco-train with high style products that are earth-friendly – which is especially important when you realize that the U.S. is the world's largest importer of wooden furniture from tropical timber-producing countries.

You'll have to shop carefully for earth-friendly furniture. (This late in the season, you may also find some bargains.) Find out where the wood in the products came from – is it certified by the Forest Stewardship Council or moving toward FSC certification? In the past, teak furniture was usually the major culprit, using wood from threatened tropical forests. You can now find beautiful furniture of certified, plantation-grown teak.

A new guide published by the National Wildlife Federation will help you make the right decision. A scorecard rates sustainable wood garden products of major retailers. Crate & Barrel and Pier 1 Imports rank highest, with Wal-Mart at the bottom of the list.

Among many other good sources of garden furniture, check out Design Within Reach's eco-friendly category.

We're talking about the new trend in swimming pools – they not only look natural, they are designed to eliminate the use of toxic chemicals and to save on water. The classic natural swimming pool works as an ecosystem that consists of a pool with two zones – one for swimming and one for plants that function to filter the water.

Sounds tricky. And it is. You'll have to check local building and health codes.

As a start, look into the main online resource on natural pools, Total Habitat.

There's also a good book on the subject: "Natural Swimming Pools", by Michael Littlewood.

Our bike-riding readers have lots to say in response to our advice on safe riding.

Jeff, a League of American Bicyclists certified cycling instructor, says, Cycling is dangerous?  Hardly, when compared to other transportation modes.  And your implication that it is dangerous is part of the problem with getting more to adopt cycling for either transportation or exercise. Please see Ken Kifer's Bike Pages.
Read more of Jeff’s tips.

Fran says, I am not a bike rider, but am a walker and a car driver from time to time. I have a couple of concerns.

Michael says, Perhaps the best way to keep you and your family safe while cycling is to take the League of American Bicyclists' Road I or Kids I courses. These are taught by trained League Cycling Instructors, and can help train you and your kids to avoid the situations that most commonly lead to crashes. For example, Road I students learn to ride with traffic, use lights when it's dark, position themselves out of right-turn-only lanes at stoplights, the hazards of riding on sidewalks and bikepaths, or in the path of opening doors.

Randy says, Beyond the obvious things like wearing a helmet and obeying all traffic laws, here are my additional safety tips, gathered from over 40 years of cycling, including bike commuting, touring (including coast-to-coast), and road riding. Click here for five tips for defensive riding.

Anne in Alaska says, Take a course. League Cycling Instructors (LCIs) offer courses to suit the needs of any cyclist. Certified, insured and equipped to teach anything from basic skills to college level courses, LCIs are the experts in bicycle education and safety. Courses offered include: Road I, Road II, Commuting, Motorist Ed, Kids I and Kids II.

Deborah, of the Office of Highway Safety, says, You might be interested in the course just released by Federal Highway Administration and posted in the Transportation Research Board newsletter.

This year's theme of Burning Man is green.

Star of the London's famed Chelsea flower show is a sustainable garden.

Most popular car in Silicon  Valley is a hybrid.

Singer Jack Johnson has a green recording studio.

READ the Summer digital issue of greenlight:

• tips for creating your next "eco-Party"
• 7 great green get-aways
• life beyond the plastic bag – yes, there is a solution
• going Solar – is it right for you? These 5 EASY STEPS will tell you if should do it now.

PLUS: greener sunscreens,  the secret to reducing pool chlorine by 80%, earth-friendly computers and an update on what’s up with the weather from The Weather Channel's Dr. Heidi Cullen..

Green Videos

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Summer's here!

Editor's Picks

Find a campground.

Building a green home from the ground up.

Shop for earth-friendly gifts for a baby.

Find a green school.

How a green roof works.

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