The weather forecast may still say "summer," but in millions of homes around the country, the calendar has a different message: another school year is almost here, and with it the season for new clothes, fresh supplies, and all the other gear that kids will need to continue their adventures in learning.

Jeffrey Hollender, Seventh Generation's Chief Inspired Protagonist, recommends these books: Page 1: The Big Squeeze: Tough Times for the American Worker; Capitalism as if the World Matters Page 2: Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism; The Black Swan Page 3: The Support Economy: Why Corporations Are Failing Individuals And The Next Episode Of Capitalism; Revolutionary Wealth: How It Will Be Created and How It Will Change Our Lives; Presence

If there’s a D-Day in the world of electronics, it’s February 17, 2009. That’s the day the traditional analog TV broadcasts we’ve enjoyed since the medium’s advent will be replaced by new digital transmissions that will revolutionize the way Americans receive their television programming. The downside is that suddenly, older sets pulling their signals off the air via antennas won’t work without some cable modification, an event that’s filling recycling advocates and solid waste experts with dread.

Having a new baby impacts a living home more than nearly any other life event. And it provides a tremendous opportunity to look at our homes in a new way. Every caregiver wants what's best for their children and the world they will grow up in. Studies show that children are disproportionately affected by daily exposures to toxic chemicals. But caregivers often had to choose between products that worked and products that were healthy for their baby and the planet. Until now.

Parenting books are adding chapters on green living. Here's a guide to some of our favorites: Healthy Child Healthy World: Creating a Cleaner, Greener, Safer Home, by Christopher Gavigan, comes from our friends at the organization of the same name. The book offers a great look at how everyday products expose our kids to chemicals linked to childhood cancer, asthma and allergies, birth defects, ADD & ADHD, developmental disorders, learning disabilities, and autism. Fortunately the solutions can be simple and this book shows us how to do what needs to be done with a minimum of time and money.

Few products typify American consumerism as well as household cleaners. Capitalizing on our insecurities, manufacturers and marketers have transformed a mundane collection of products into over an $18 billion market of household helpers. We’re constantly told we’ll humiliate ourselves if our toilet bowls and counter tops don’t sparkle as well as our neighbors’ do.

We've all seen laundry detergents that contain something called optical brighteners. And while that may sound ideal for dirty clothes, these additives aren’t as helpful as they seem. Optical brighteners are chemicals that make fabrics seem brighter or whiter than they are. They remain behind on clean laundry as a coating of microscopic fluorescent particles. When invisible ultraviolet light hits these particles, they convert it into visible light to create an optical illusion that tricks the eye into thinking our clothes are super clean.

Hazards hidden in children’s toys have been all over the news lately.From lead in painted surfaces to phthalates in soft plastics, the average toy store is starting to look like an obstacle course to anxious parents. To help you navigate better, we’ve put together a guide to safer toy shopping: In general, avoid toys made in China. While it is hard to tell for sure whether a Chinese-made toy contains harmful ingredients, the recent flood of news reports suggests precaution is warranted.

You don’t need synthetic fertilizers or pesticides to keep your lawn healthy and beautiful. These products can actually harm your lawn by discouraging root growth, causing thatch buildup, and making your lawn more vulnerable to pests and drought. Worse yet, because these products are designed to kill things (insects and weeds), they are full of toxins that even when used as directed, have the potential to cause a wide range of health problems in humans and animals.

What do you really know about your make-up? Not much, as it turns out. Unlike food, there are few regulations that mandate independent safety testing of personal care and makeup ingredients.