For Earth Day 2008 (April 21) Greenopia will be releasing their green business guide for the New York metro area.  Greenopia, which began with guides for Los Angeles and San Francisco, is a Zagat-style independent guide (listees can't pay for inclusion and can't advertise) that evaluates local businesses in categories ranging from Restaurants to Architects, Designers, Trades and Consultants based on the products and services they offer customers and their back-end practices. 

With everyone jumping on the green bandwagon, it's hard to know which of the many offered options is, in fact, the best for the environment.  While many will be satisfied with a simple ranking system, as offered by Greenopia, some consumers may find fault with this type of "kitchen sink" rating, instead wanting more information on each product or option so they can make an informed decision based on their own needs and values.  In response, many companies are adopting increasingly transparent approaches and providing consumers with more extensive information on their products and corporate practices pertaining to the environment via a website or specialized brochures and reports. 

For eco-conscious consumers there may not be a clear "one-size-fits-all" best option when choosing between comparable products or services, however Greenopia is just one more tool enabling us to live more sustainably through all aspects of our lifestyle -- where you shop, eat, file your taxes, do your dry cleaning, or get your nails done. 

Greenopia New York City is available beginning April 21 from Greenopia.com, Whole Foods, and Barnes & Noble.  The guide retails for $17.95, and is printed on recycled paper using soy-based ink, with any residual carbon footprint being offset, natch.