TOOLS FOR GREEN LIVING.

Resources for eco-awareness and action

THE GREEN GRILL

Who doesn't love the flavor of an afternoon cookout? Well, now you can get the same results without releasing all that carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or emissions from natural gas. You only have to look as far as your nearest feed or garden store to power the SnowFlame Outdoor Grill ($995, or $1,595 for stainless steel), which runs on the renewable plant source of whole kernel corn! One gallon of corn will power the grill for seven hours. There's no need to even flip your food, and the results are moister as well as cleaner. Hot dog! CONTACT: SnowFlame, Inc., [phone], www.snowflame.com.

-- Sherry Barnes

THE SUGAR BLUES

Put down that Prozac! The era of refined white sugar has finally come to an end, or at least it might if more people knew about GloryBee Foods. The Oregon-based company has developed a full line of dry natural and organic, sweeteners, a healthier alternative for you and the planet. So shelve that sugar and stir honey crystals into your brownie batter instead. And while you're at it, look for Aunt Patty's organic molasses crystals, date, maple and cane sugars, and non-organic barley malt and fructose. They can be bought in 6- to 15-ounce containers ($3.25 to $8.95) from natural food stores. CONTACT: GloryBee Foods, Inc, (800)GloryBe, www.glorybee.com.

-- Jennifer Bogo

TRICK OR TREAT

"Go ahead, honey, dunk that bread in the oil ... that's good fat." No, it's not another fad diet. It's organic pumpkinseed oil from Austria's Finest Naturally, which offers the healthiest form of dietary fat (poly-unsaturated and mono-unsaturated) along with protein, carbohydrates and lots of vitamins, particularly iron and vitamin E. Farmers in Styria, Austria discovered the higher nutritional value of their pumpkins hundreds of years ago, and the uniquely nutty-flavored seeds are still pressed into premium oil, authenticated by the Austrian government. Available in regular (starting at $15.99 for a quarter-liter) and organic ($22.50). According to the company, even the uncertified product is close to meeting California's organic standards. CONTACT: HELCO, LTD, [phone], [e-mail]. --S.B.

SUN SPOTS

Most of us think nothing of slathering on the sunscreen or donning a pair of shades to protect our eyes when we venture outdoors. But we don't often realize that the windows in our homes are powerless to stop ultraviolet (UV) rays from harming our skin when we're inside. Vista UVShield window films prevent 99.9 percent of all UV rays from penetrating the glass, protecting not only you, but your furniture, artwork, wallpaper and carpets, too. They can also save energy by reflecting heat back into your house. Average cost of installation is $4 to $10 per square foot. CONTACT: Vista Window Films, [phone], www.vista-films.com. --S.S.

RUBBING THE RIGHT WAY

Earthstone is proud of its abrasive personality. The company makes its ordinary-looking line of heavy-duty cleaning blocks from 98 percent recycled ground glass, an environmentally safe alternative to the strip mining that gives us pumice for use in many of our household products. These lightweight foam glass bricks remove paint, varnish, wax, rust and mineral stains just as effectively, and without the chemicals and odors, of harsher alternatives. Each stone is tailored to tackle whatever project may be lurking. QuickSand, RustAway, GrillStone, PoolStone, and SuperScours for the kitchen or bath are sold for $4.99. CONTACT: Earthstone International, (877)ECO-BLOCK, www.earthstoneintl.com. --J.B.

TIE ONE ON

Depressed by the concrete jungle outside your office window? Lighten up your spirits, and your attire, with the rich beauty of global habitats captured on Preservation Collection neckwear. Environmental artist Karen Bierce has traveled the world over to collect the aesthetic fodder for these handmade silk-screen neckties: Golden frogs in Madagascar, arrow crabs in the Caribbean and dolphins in the Bahamas are a few of the designs your $35 can buy in major department stores. A far more priceless purchase, however, five square feet of rainforest, is preserved through The Nature Conservancy's Adopt An Acre program with each sale. CONTACT: Mulberry Neckwear, [phone]. --J.B.

BYPASSING BLOCKBUSTER

Watching the live birth of a clutch of peregrine falcons this past May didn't require scaling the sides of the Rachel Carson Building in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, thanks to www.GreenWorksChannel.org. All you had to do was tune in to the drama on your home computer. Those with less patience can just as easily view a video on incorporating environmentally friendly technology in the home, or interviews with people who have turned their eco-interests into rewarding careers. This interactive web community stems from the monthly Green Works for Pennsylvania television program, and offers the largest collection of environmental programming on the net, as well as live chats, webcasts and events. --J.B.