Super Eco

Photo credit: jon3782001, SXC

When we read recently that driving an SUV is actually more eco-friendly than owning a dog (gasp!), we knew it was time to kick open the door even wider and challenge more entrenched "wisdom" about sustainability. Food thinker Michael Pollan has retracted his inflammatory claim that "A vegan in a Hummer has a lighter carbon footprint than a beef eater in a Prius," but his point still stands. Environmentally responsible citizens must continue to examine and re-examine long-held assumptions, challenging conventional wisdom and pushing the envelope of what a green, sustainable lifestyle can mean today.

Fascinated by the implications, we poked at a few of our most confident assumptions. Can you pick out the most eco-friendly choice?

• Is ethanol really more eco-friendly than gas?
• Paper napkins or cloth?
• Is shopping locally more sustainable than having food delivered?
• Has anyone finally figured out whether e-readers are more eco-friendly than books?
• Is handwashing more sustainable than stacking up the dishwasher?
• When is a used car more eco-friendly than a new one?
• Are vampires more eco-friendly than werewolves? (Yeah, we went there.)

It's a lot to think about.

Oh, and about those dogs? It's mainly a meat- and cereal-based diet that drives up their carbon footprint. If you were to feed Fido a vegetarian diet, his environmental pawprint would be significantly softer.