Don’t always expect full disclosure on the labels of “green” products — especially cleaning agents.

Can you invest in the bettering of the planet and better yourself at the same time?

­A new standard for “naturally raised” meat would prohibit growth hormones, animal byproducts in feed-which are implicated in causing mad cow disease-and antibiotics. That all sounds good — but the U.S. Department of Agriculture measure doesn’t address the environment in which the animal was raised.

On one level, yes. But being an environmentally responsible gardener this coming spring may mean changing your gardening practices.

Many “green” community programs that that focus on changing attitudes and behavior - and probably along the way, values - are rooted in European traditions, as demonstrated by the focus of three books below.

Sitting down to calculate your household’s contribution to global warming is going to feel an awful lot like math class to the kids.

We Can Live Green’s 365-Day Pledge to Go Green helps you change the world a little bit every day. The pledge includes an idea for every day of the year. For some, the advice may be obvious, but for others, it can start a lifestyle transformation.

Mark your calendar. The Napa community Earth Day celebration will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 19 at Napa Valley College, in conjunction with the college’s third annual Solar Celebration. The theme is “Building Awareness and Inspiring Change.”

Many power utilities now offer consumers choices between conventional electricity powered by fossil fuels and green electricity powered by renewable resources. Customers also have more options to use energy more efficiently in homes and businesses.

Whether you’re going green or not, when considering home improvement it always makes sense to start with the simple stuff.

Lt. Gov. John Garamendi stopped in Napa in November to warn a group of builders and real estate stakeholders that global warming is a real threat to California and they should do something about it.

Being one of the great winemaking and grapegrowing regions of the world, Napa County is known far and wide for its whites and reds. But increasingly, Napa Valley is known for being green.

Green Seal, a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization, stands as a guardian of cleaners that would call themselves green. It requires that products pass a test to be certified as environmentally safe.

Ellen Sandbeck doesn’t like her clothes to smell “April fresh” when they come out of the dryer.

Silverado Middle School teacher Patty Wyman remembers the day her world changed forever.

Ways to be green in 2008

Chemicals are inescapable: About 82,000 chemicals are common in this country, with more than 700 new ones introduced each year. Thousands may be found in your home.

For two decades you’ve heard that “perc,” the solvent used in dry cleaning, is effective but toxic. Yet consumers searching for a clean alternative won’t find many options.

Just about every American house has plenty of tap water available anytime. So why has bottled water consumption doubled in the last decade?