Yet the study of indoor air pollution can get complex. Hence, no surprise of this month’s announcement that the LEED accreditation system introduced by the U.S. Green Building Council was revamped.

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The good news is that this daunting task for harmony is getting done. International collaboration between six European certification bodies: ICEA (Italy), BDIH (Germany), Bioforum (Belgium), Cosmebio/Ecocert (France) and Soil Association (UK) is in process now. Combined they aim to clarify requirements and definitions for organic and/or natural cosmetics to appease formulators and consumers alike.

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Atlanta is big, y’all. The Greater Metropolitan Area consists of 10 counties, and is home to over 4 million residents. Faced with a growing population, the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) is working to encourage more sustainable growth in the metro-Atlanta area through its new Green Communities Program.

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So, let’s get some issues out of the way. No, McDonough and partner Michael Braungart did not originally conceive of the concept with which they’re most famously associated: as Hunter Lovins notes in the article, “Walter Stahel in Switzerland actually coined the phrase [cradle to cradle] 25 years ago, long before Bill started using it.” McDonough doesn’t live in a “green” house. He’s likely blown some deals with companies like Interface and Nike by demanding too much money, and making unreasonable intellectual property claims. Some of his projects haven’t lived up to the hoopla (if they’ve been finished at all). And, for all I know, he may well be an arrogant, self-serving jerk (I don’t know the man).

With all of that said, though, my primary reaction is “OK… but does any of this really matter?”

No doubt McDonough, like the rest of us, is a flawed human being, and perhaps many of us have been willing to grant him hero status prematurely (we’ve certainly sung his praises numerous times here at sustainablog). I think if we get caught up in the “battle of Bill,” though, we miss the more important issues here: the relevance and importance of cradle to cradle design, the legitimacy of certification processes for “green” products, and the relationship of these concepts to consumption in general.

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• Fair trade. The fair trade certification label ensures that the workers or farmers who produce a product receive a fair price for their goods and have improved labor conditions. The fair trade label also often includes a measure of environmental sustainability and responsibly managed farms. Fair trade standards are decided upon and enforced by third party certifiers under the umbrella organization Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International.

• Organic. Organic coffee is grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides, which means less environmental pollution and improved worker health.

• Shade grown. If your coffee says shade grown, chances are it is responsibly farmed. Shade grown coffee does not require as much land clearing, leaving original tree cover or other taller crops available for songbird (and other wildlife) habitats. This method of growing also helps to prevent soil erosion, increases the ability for natural pest control and reduces the need for weeding.

For a glimpse into the global coffee industry, check out the documentary Black Gold. The film literally follows the coffee bean from the farm to your cup, including everyone who comes into contact with it: the workers on the coffee plantations, those who set the prices and buy the coffee, and the consumers who have turned coffee into an artform.

Can’t find coffee with these labels? GO’s Brady Swenson has a few things you can do to plant the seed for fair trade in your community, such as simply asking for it at your local coffee shop or grocery store.

When you’re making your own: GO’s Patrick Donnelly has suggested a couple of tips for greening up your home brew, including using unbleached paper filters, or reusable gold or steel filters. You could also skip the filters and electricity by switching over to a french press (but, yes, it does require boiling water.) And instead of tossing out all those coffee grounds, compost them.

For coffee on the go bring your own mug. You’ll waste less paper, and if it’s a stainless steel mug it will stay warmer longer. Forgot your mug? Avoid the double cup by using a sleeve, and please, please, say no to the bag. If you’re carrying more than one cup, use a drink tray (and recycle it when you’re finished.)

More on coffee and fair trade from Green Options:

Black Gold: The Story Behind Your Morning Brew

Daily Tip: Bring Your Own Coffee Mug

Dean’s Beans and the Fairer Trade

Eco-Effective Decisions: Fair Trade, When Voting with your Dollars Counts

Fair Trade: Certification

Fair Trade: Fair Wages

Fair Trade: Environment

Fair Trade: Transparency

The Greenest Coffee on the Planet

How to Plant the Fair Trade Seed in Your Community

Kicking the Habit: Greening that Cup o’ Joe

Labor Day: Rights and Respect for the Worker

Organic Coffee Company Sponsors Guatemalan Radio Show to Promote Fair-Trade

Starbucks Backs Down, Allows Ethiopia Trademark Rights To Its Own Names

10 Simple Ways to "Fair Up" Your Friends and Family

As the Fair Trade movement continued to grow the idea of a certified label spread to other countries participating in the movement until most countries in Europe, the U.S. and Canada had established third-party labelling organizations. In 1997 these labelers created an umbrella organization, the Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International, with the mission to "set the Fairtrade Standards, support, inspect and certify disadvantaged producers and harmonize the Fairtrade message across the movement."

Today 20 independent labelling organizations are members of FLO, in the U.S. TransFair USA is the FLO certifying organization. These organizations certify an ever growing list of commodities including coffee, tea, sugar, fresh fruits, cocoa, rice and vanilla. These products are certified before they are imported into participating markets and are then given the right to use the Fair Trade label on packaging.

However, not all products lend themselves to Fair Trade certification the way farmed commodities do. Although coffee has been Fair Trade's flagship product, sales of fairly traded arts and handcrafts have grown significantly over the past five years. These products are not certified by a member of FLO and do not carry a Fair Trade label.

Instead organizations of retailers and wholesalers who offer goods that adhere to the clearly established Fair Trade criteria have been formed to monitor businesses as opposed to products. For example the Fair Trade Federation in the U.S. is an association of hundreds of businesses that have agreed to follow the principles of Fair Trade for 100% of their inventory.

All this means that, as a consumer, you need to look or ask for one of two guarantees that the product you are thinking of purchasing is indeed Fair Trade. Look for either the FLO or TransFairUSA certification mark on the packaging of the product or, if you are shopping for arts and crafts in the U.S., look for the Fair Trade Federation logo in the window of the business or ask the owner if the shop is a member of the Fair Trade Federation.

Sources: FLO International, Fair Trade Federation, TransFairUSA

CRS has been in the renewable energy certification and verification business for ten years. Their Green-e certification programs provide assurance to consumers that the businesses sporting the Green-e logo meet the program's requirements for renewable energy options. Now Green-e is expanding their certification guidelines to include Greenhouse Gas Reduction (GHG) products.

While most companies assure customers that money spent on GHG reduction products, like personal renewable energy credits, will go towards specific things like planting trees or funding wind farm projects, there are currently no standards or verification processes in place.

CRS hopes to fill this void with the Green-e GHG Product Certification Program, which will set product standards, develop a verification process and release consumer disclosure guidelines.

The details of the Green-e GHG program are still being finalized. CRS is working with a governance board, an advisory group and stakeholders in the development of the standard. While the governance board and the advisory group are made up of industry experts, and environmental organizaitons and businesses, anyone can be a stakeholder and give input on this process. All of the documents involved are downloadable at Green-e.org.

One important factor in this certification process is the issue of additionality, or making sure that GHG reduction products sold to customers are verified, that they aren't counted elsewhere and that money goes towards projects that would not have happened without the carbon market. Strict additionality standards will add credibility to the voluntary carbon market and ensure that your purchase really will make a difference.

Green-e analyst Lars Kvale stresses, however, that regardless of certification, consumers should not buy carbon credits in lieu of reducing their own green house gas emissions.

What we're trying to do with the certification program is to enable consumers to offset their emissions they can't reduce… For example, most environmentally minded folks still take airplane trips and you can't buy a ticket for a renewable powered airplane. That's just not possible right now.

So this is where folks are coming and saying, well if i can't do that, let me do what's the next best, which is to get a reduction somewhere else. Then on balance it will even out with the understanding that yes, it doesn't mean my airplane does not have any impact, it means I'm offsetting that impact. [This program will] enable that to work for consumers. It's not an instead of, but really in addition to energy efficiency and buying renewable energy.

Green-e has invited sellers of GHG reductions to participate, including the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) and Gold Standard. The Green-e GHG Product Certification Program is expected to roll out this summer.

Illustration: Ilana Kohn

The Whole Trade label criteria ensures environmentally responsible practices, more money for producers and farmers, and better working conditions and higher wages for workers. Whole Foods is working with TransFair USA, a certifier of fair trade products in the US, and the Rainforest Alliance, a non-profit that works to promote environmental conservation and responsible land practices. Partnering with these organizations will give the Whole Trade Guarantee credibility and ensure it is verifiable.

Products such as bananas, coffee, tea, cocoa, rice, sugar and vanilla will carry the Whole Trade label. Within ten years Whole Foods wants to get least 50% of its imported inventory under the new certification.

Of course with the extra certification comes a higher retail price since Whole Foods pays a premium for the goods. However, that premium has benefits at the source in helping farmers and producers earn a livable wage and improve the lives of their families and the conditions of their communities.

Additionally, for each Whole Trade product sold 1% of the retail sale will go to the Whole Planet Foundation, which supports micro-finance opportunities for women in lower income countries.

Whole Foods launched the new label in conjunction with the grand opening of their (long awaited) new location in New York City (at Houston and Bowery on Manhattan's lower east side.) I know one shouldn't get too excited about a Whole Foods opening, but it is much more convenient for me to get to, and the selection of organic goods in this neighborhood is fairly slim. On my next trip in I'll keep an eye out for the Whole Trade label and see what my fellow shoppers are putting in their baskets. Will they put their purchasing power to good use with the Whole Trade (premium) Guarantee or the non-labeled (cheaper) counterpart? Which would you buy?

Via GreenBiz; Whole Foods