The 10 greenest oil companies

Putting a term such as "green" in front of oil company may seem like an oxymoron. But, as long as renewable energy sources and alternative fuels remain underdeveloped, the majority of people are going to rely on oil companies to fuel their cars.

So, if we are going to have to rely on fossil fuels, we should support the companies that are the greenest—that is, those companies that are spending some of their profits on alternative-fuel research and honestly and accurately file environmental reports. Consumers also need to keep it mind that not all companies follow the exact same processes for getting oil out of the ground, refining it, and shipping it to your oil pump, meaning that one company's carbon footprint can be smaller than others.

With that said, one company—BP—stands above the rest in the rankings of the greenest oil companies. However, much of this can be attributed to money spent in the past on alternative fuel research, something the company hasn't been doing as much of since its ownership changed in 2007.

Sonoco and Shell ranked second and third on the list, and the largest oil company (and currently the most profitable company in the world) Exxon Mobile ranked sixth.

Boston rates well in American Lung Association's State of the Air Report

The U.S. has made a lot of progress in terms of cleaning up its air pollution in the last few decades. But there's much more work to be done as the introduction to the annual State of the Air Report says, "Air pollution continues to threaten the lives and health of millions of people in the United States despite great progress since the modern Clean Air Act was first passed in 1970. Even as the nation explores the complex challenges of global warming and energy, air pollution remains widespread and dangerous."

The report examines air pollution on a county level, ranks the best and worst areas in the country in terms of pollution, and assigns each county a grade. While Boston did not make the list of the top 25 cleanest cities in the U.S., it did fare pretty well in the rankings. The city ranked among the top 50 or so cities in the country in terms of short-term particle pollution and received a grade of an A in the particle pollution categories.

One area of concern for Boston, however, was the ozone pollution (smog) grade for the city. The city did not rank in the list of the most polluted cities as far as smog goes, but it did receive a grade of F in this category from the American Lung Association. This means that a lot of people are still driving alone to work instead of taking transit, bicycling/walking, or carpooling. Don't forget that your company offers you programs and incentives to help you use these methods to get to work each day. You should check them out and think about commuting some way other than driving alone.

To read the full State of the Air Report, go to this website.

Tree Story: Mellisa Z.

Mellisa Z., from Forma Theraputics in Cambridge, won a tree at one of our Earth Day commuter benefit promotions.

This is what she had to share:

"When I first saw this Dwarf Alberta Spruce, I was signing up for a raffle and learning about the Commuter Benefit Programs that Transactions Associates provide for green-commuting at my work. I looked at it's beautiful young, springy needles, and I actually said out loud, "I'm gonna win you, little buddy!" Low and behold, two hours later, Jax Adele from T.A. brought me my little green friend; synchronicity! My boyfriend Dan and I planted this special tree on Arbor Day at Endicott Park in Danvers, a beautiful garden and nature reserve. I'm sure my spruce will be happy there, as we were happy to help it grow! :)"

Wind turbine set to be installed on Pike land

Massachusetts transportation officials are taking bids for the installation of a wind turbine at the Blandford rest area on the Mass Pike, about 20 miles west of Springfield.

This is part of Governor Patrick's "Greening the Turnpike" initiative that promotes energy efficiency and environmental friendliness among government agencies. "This is a great example of how state agencies can work together to achieve our common goals," Patrick said in an e-mail to the Globe. "This wind energy project is good for the environment, and it will help create jobs within our clean energy economy."

The site was chosen because it is believed to be the windiest location on the turnpike. For more information on the wind turbine, check out this story from The Globe.

Create an organic garden in nine easy steps

With warmer weather approaching (it's expected to be as warm as 90 degrees in Boston on Tuesday), many amateur farmers are planting or preparing to plant their home gardens.

In fact, environmental enthusiasts are reporting that home gardens are becoming more popular as the economy slumps and concerns about food supply increase, fueled by the recent salmonella outbreaks in peanuts and pistachios.

To many, growing their own food sounds like a neat idea, but where do you start? That's where this slide show and story can help. The Daily Green has complied a list of nine steps to start and manage your garden. The Web is also full of dozens of other resources to help you if you have other questions.

Whole Foods, Wal-mart to install solar panels on stores

In a growing trend among retailers looking to cut costs, organic supermarket chain Whole Foods and retail giant Wal-Mart announced plans this week to add solar panels to a number of their stores.

Whole Foods officials said the panels will generate about 30 percent of the power needed to run the stores. Wal-Mart has been toying around with alternative energies since it unveiled its solar-powered store in Dallas, Texas. The retailer will now expand the program to include up to 20 stores in California.

For more information on this and solar energy in general, check out this story from Business Green.

Pikes removes monthly fee from FastLane transponders

At its board meeting yesterday, the Mass Turnpike Authority voted to remove the 50 cent per month fee associated with FastLane transponders to encourage more people to get them. The Pike began offering the transponders for "free" in February (they used to cost $25.95) with the monthly fee attached.

However, after backups as long as eight miles that lasted several hours at toll plazas on the Pike during the Easter weekend, Pike officials began rethinking the policy.

“There should be absolutely no reason why everyone in the Commonwealth wouldn’t have a transponder,” Transportation Secretary Jim Aloisi said after members voted to keep the transponders free of charge. While Aloisi has not done the best job of managing the Pike, he's right about this at least.

Fast Lane transponders can be applied for online at www.masspike.com or by calling 1-877-627-7745. Transponders can also be picked up in person at the Fast Lane service centers in Auburn, Natick, and East Boston, as well as at many Registry of Motor Vehicles branch offices.

Earth Day for beginners

While sites such as The Daily Green and Business Green help readers celebrate Earth Day every day, The Daily Green has done a good job today of compiling a sort of beginner's guide for people who are looking for where to start when it comes to living a greener life.

As you'll learn as you look at some of the resources in the guide, the idea that going green has to cost you more money simply is not true. There are hundreds of ways to live a greener life that will actually save you money. In addition to tips for saving money, you'll find Earth Day facts, tips on how to help the environment, and ways to improve the greenness of your diet in the guide.

Nine uses for ketchup that can save you time and money

We all have those extra packets of ketchup in our desk or car as well as that half-empty bottle of the condiment in our fridge just sitting there. Instead of letting them go to waste, The Daily Green has a list of nine ways to use ketchup that can be fun, save money, save time, or do all three.

From cleaning pots and pans or even your car to repairing the damage chlorine does to hair, there are many surprising uses for ketchup that you probably never thought of. Check out this story from The Daily Green to read more about creative ways to use ketchup.

Earth Day 2009 approaches

With Earth Day coming up on Wednesday, many of you may be wondering how you can celebrate and observe this occasion. While the traditional method of celebration is planting a tree, there are other things you can do as well.

From special exhibits at the Boston Children's Museum to an Earth Day walk and tree planting around Walden Pond, there is plenty to do in the Boston area this week. Check out this slide show on the Globe's website for these and other ideas.