Incorporating sound environmental decisions in our daily lives has been made easier with the availability of several green apps for the mobile device. Below is a list of five useful environmental apps that are free and feature discussions and motivators for carbon footprint identification and reduction, climate change, global forest cover, product scoring based upon environmental impact, and environmental actions all aimed at making better choices for sustainable living.

Commute Greener - Concerned about your carbon footprint? Commute Greener helps you track your personal CO2 emissions. Input the travel distance and mode of transportation, and Commute Greener will do the calculations. Improvement is the key: users set goals to reduce their transportation emissions over time. For those users who are motivated by competition, a game can be made out of who can reduce their carbon footprint the most through communication with other app users.

Skeptical Science - For those environmentalists that still come across others in their social circles that deny, dismiss or minimize climate change, Skeptical Science becomes a useful tool for dismantling any argument to the contrary. This app offers relevant science and argumentative counterpoints to win over a skeptic--or failing that, provide grounded science-based information to establish a credible argument for deeper conversation and consideration.

Global Forest Watch - Though not currently available specifically as a phone app, Google has recently unveiled the Global Forest Watch website app for tracking deforestation around the globe. The website provides interactive maps of the world showing where trees have disappeared since the year 2000. Google hopes to bring awareness to deforestation as a result of this app.

GoodGuide - Although avoiding consumerism is still the best environmental choice, buying some items is inevitable. When shopping is necessary, the GoodGuide app can help the consumer make environmentally informed purchases. Users scan an item's barcode with their phones to see environmental ratings of the product. The app rates more than 170,000 products to help consumers with many of their purchases.

Rippl - Rippl provides its members with helpful tips to pursue a more sustainable way of living. The app provides action-focused environmental suggestions and practical solutions for following through. Awareness of these green actions challenges the way we live and conduct our business, but this app motivates by tracking progress.

Phone apps make green living more convenient and accessible than ever.

Robin Blackstone, ENN, http://www.enn.com/green_building/article/47085, February 25, 2014

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