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Sites for Eco-Friendly Style (Source:  The New York Times T magazine) Idealbite.com is a daily newsletter that offers green tips for every aspect of daily life, from travel to clothing to entertainment -  "like DailyCandy for the eco set."  Different content is available in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Treehugger.com is a "newsy blog about all things sustainable."  The site provides green news on consumer products, business, politics, and culture.  It also features an extensive list of action tips in its How To Go Green Guides. Saffronrouge.com sells organic beauty and skin-care products that promote fairtrade practices, certified organic farming, and biodynamic agriculture.  Founder Kirstin Bender personally chooses the products, and organic-beauty advisors are available online to recommend products. Mortgage Lenders Embrace Push for Green Buildings Several major mortgage companies in Plano have begun rewarding homebuyers for making energy-efficiency improvements to their houses.   According to government figures, homes generate an estimated 20 percent of the country's greenhouse gas emissions. Citigroup's mortgage division, for instance, began offering $1,000 off closing costs for buyers using its Energy Efficient Mortgage.  For more information, contact Laura Hogan, Lending Consultant, at (972) 839-4455 or laura.g.hogan@citi.com. Bank of America also created an Energy Credit mortgage, which gives buyers a $1,000 credit on closing costs when they buy homes that meet Energy Star requirements for efficiency.  For more information, contact Brian Henry at (214) 995-1254 or brian1.henry@bankofamerica.com. JPMorgan Chase got on the bandwagon as well, offering a larger credit line and a small discount on closing costs for homes that use a specific type of energy efficient spray-foam insulation.  For more information, contact Danitra Mathis at (214) 355-6677 or danitra.m.mathis@chase.com. Part of the reason for the boom in green lending is due to growing environmental concern among individuals.  Banks have realized that they can add the estimated savings on utility bills to a borrower's income.  The $600 a homeowner would save on utilities from energy efficiency in their new home would allow them to borrow an extra $10,000 in a 30-year mortgage. Listed below are other links you can check out for more information: Our Partners for High-Traffic Area Recycling: http://www.dart.org Dallas Area Rapid Transit http://www.planoparks.org Plano Parks and Recreation Department Help Prevent Greenwashing EnviroMedia Launches Greenwashing IndexSM (WASHINGTON) - Green ads from Chevrolet, Ozarka and Toyota Prius are among the first to be scrutinized by consumers on a new Web site launched today by EnviroMedia Social Marketing, in partnership with the advertising faculty of the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication (SOJC).  This online forum allows consumers to judge for themselves the green claims made by major advertisers. The Web site - www.GreenwashingIndex.com - debut from the nation's capital one day before the Federal Trade Commission kicks off its first in a series of public workshops addressing environmental marketing claims.  Ultimately, the FTC may update it "Green Guides," which were originally established in 1992 as guidelines to avoid action by the agency against advertising with an environmental claim that is unfair or deceptive.  Click here for more ... Other places for good information: http://www.nrc-recycle.org  The National Recycling Coalition http://www.epa.gov The Environmental Protection Agency http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/ Texas Commission on Environmental Quality http://www.infinitepower.org/factsheets.htm Energy Fact Sheet http://www.newdream.org Information on Sustainable Living http://www.texasrecyclesday.org Information on Texas Recycles Day http://www.kab.org Keep America Beautiful http://www.green-living.com Dallas’ Best Green Living Shop http://www.txses.org/ Texas Solar Energy Society http://www.cps.unt.edu/newsnevents/e/Green_Conference_07.htm Green Conference at UNT http://hes.lbl.gov/ Home Energy Saver http://www.dirtdoctor.com/ The Dirt Doctor http://www.txsmartscape.com/ Texas SmartScape http://www.sustainlane.us/articles/TenThingsToGreenYourCommunity.jsp http://earthkindroses.tamu.edu/ http://www.texassuperstar.com/ http://www.awwa.org/awwa/waterwiser/dripcalc.cfm American Water Works Association