Where do you go to buy a new desk lamp? If you need the light right away, you’ll drive to a local store based on how much you want to spend. For a child’s bedroom you might go to Walmart. If you’re putting the lamp in a living room or your home office, you might visit a lighting store. If you’ve got more time and like buying online, the possibilities are endless but where do you start?

Most consumers will pick a light based on how it looks, nothing more. The LittleFootprint light is a very special product. The story behind its design and manufacture illustrates how we can become smarter consumers. It’s a story about making green decisions when buying products and materials. It’s about buying products made in the US (more jobs) and making decisions about the materials used (less energy, more recycled content) and it’s beautiful too! Learn more about being a smarter consumer.

Everyone is talking about … green! The question is what kind of green? There are green peas and you know if you like peas, prefer growing your own peas, buying organic or ordinary canned/frozen peas. Your knowledge about peas reflects your focus on healthy choices – eating vegetables and controlling the chemicals you eat or avoid.

Then there’s green paint, but we’re not talking about paint the color of green peas. We’re talking about green paint that doesn’t give off fumes that smell funny and could make you sick depending on how many other unhealthy chemicals there are in your home. READ MORE