Elephant is a reader-created open forum dedicated to bringing together those working (& playing) to create enlightened society.

Myboat is a Greenpeace campaign that aims to get people involved and calls to support sustainable fishermen around the world before the sea will run out of fish.

The Adventurists is an eccentric company that provides you with wild worldwide adventures. It fights to make the world less boring, while saving a bit of it through charity at the same time.

NextWorth fundamentally improves how people buy, use and dispose their consumer electronics, by providing a complete trade-in solution focused on value and convenience.

Ecomom delivers healthy, organic products straight to your door.

Getaround – This innovative startup is the 2011 TechCrunch Disrupt winner. What makes it so special? Getaround has taken an existing concept -car rental- and made it better, more affordable and more accessible. The idea is simple. You find car rentals from real people, private car owners near you at an affordable rate, and you in turn can rent out your own car for someone else when you don’t need it.

SHFT – “Curating the Culture of Today’s Environment” is what SHFT creators, activist/actor Adrian Grenier and film producer Peter Glatzer strive to deliver. Explore SHFT’s huge video archive where each video tells a different unique story about the environment and the good souls trying to make it better. In addition to video, SHFT offers top-notch content on a variety of topics including art, design, energy, fashion, sports, travel and more.

SHFT not only looks great, it also delivers engaging content on important matters, whether cultural or environmental, or both. Another cool feature on SHFT is the shop section, although some products featured there can get quite pricey. Either way, SHFT is a shining eco star! Here’s a cool video I found here, Backyard Sun Boxes by musician Craig Colorusso, showing music created by the sun and the solar panels Craig put in his backyard. Each solar panel was set to play one guitar note on loop, with the all the notes collectively making a B-flat chord. Amazing, isn’t it?

EcoSquid – If you have an old gadget no longer in use, you already know that throwing it to the garbage is not an option. So, what are some of the options out there? Selling and recycling, mainly. If you are looking for either or both, EcoSquid is your solution.

Claiming to be an impartial source of information, EcoSquid shows you which places would give you the highest value, and which have the highest service rating in case you’re looking to sell. In case your old gadget is beyond recovery, EcoSquid will direct you to reliable donation/recycling entities for you to consider. Either way, EcoSquid’s mission is to help you “prolong the life of your electronics or responsibly dispose of them.” Here’s why you should use EcoSquid:

Great job, EcoSquid team! We like!

EnergySavvy – What if there was an easy way for you to learn not only how to make your house more efficient in terms of energy and sustainability, but also how to save big bucks along the way? Now you can with EnergySavvy. This handsome website will guide you through the various aspects in your home that could be improved to save on energy and cash. No download is necessary. Simply insert your zip code and follow the questionnaire. Don’t worry. It’s not the boring questionnaire type you have in mind. This one’s colorful, interesting and over in a breeze.

Apart from making energy efficiency easier to homeowners, EnergySavvy exposes users to financial incentives that bring down energy use, provides additional tips, and offers listings of “the best energy efficiency contractors in the industry.” You can rely on EnergySavvy for speaking the truth; some of their partners include the US Department of Energy, the Energy Trust of Oregon, and other organizations.

Every year it’s the same story; we promise ourselves this time we’ll get a grip and stop smoking, lose weight or better manage our expenses. For some reason, most New Year resolutions end up being nothing more than a good intention listed in our to-do tasks, but never really coming into fruition. Well, this year we have some excellent Web aids to help you stick to your resolutions and make them happen.

43 Things is a great site we’ve already recommended as a useful New Year resolution helper, and for a good reason. It’s a well known fact that kicking a deep-rooted habit is difficult, especially if you’re doing it on your own. 43 Things offers the community support -the ‘buddy system’- to make sure you make that change successfully. 43 Things is a terrific New Year resolution tool since it’s your security net, regardless of what change you vowed to make in your life.

The relevance of Match.com and other dating sites to New Year resolutions is, on one hand, redundant but on the other, extremely important. Don’t let bad date stories scare you when it comes to online dating. Match.com is one of the best you can find, and there are many happily married couples who have met each other right here on this site. Give it a try, you might find the love of your life!

One of the most effective personal finance tools you can find on the Web, Mint.com (an Intuit company) is a top-notch (and free) budget software to help you better manage your funds, expenses and future financial plans. We’re not the only ones who think Mint.com is a champ (we’ve listed it on our Business page under Personal finance)- this site received high-profile coverage from the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and it received prestigious awards from TIME, PC Magazine, and CNN’s Money Magazine. Let’s put it this way; if you’re looking for a simple and efficient tool for managing your money, Mint.com is your answer.

If you’re a smoker, there’s no need for me to list the life and money loss you’re risking by keeping this literally dirty habit. If you decide that 2011 will go down as the year you quit smoking, make use of the government site SmokeFree.gov to make this a clean-lunged reality. This portal is packed with practical tips, facts, starter kits and lots of support to help you in every step of the way (including well after you’ve stopped smoking). Here’s to a better and longer life.

Going green used to be an expensive ordeal, but that was years ago. These days minimizing your ecological footprint is so feasible it’s a crime not to do it. The Daily Green is your one-stop place for living better, healthier, and helping the planet. Although the site’s news section is fascinating and inspiring, the Daily Green’s Tips & Advice page offers all the info you need to change your life for the better, both now and in the future. It’s all very easy and not as expensive as you would think. Go Green and be happy!

Getting fit is perhaps the most challenging New Year resolution of all, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. That’s Fit, a  comprehensive diet and exercise blog from AOL is a perfect starting point for losing weight and instilling a regular exercise routine in your life. Explore the variety of diets and workouts, see what tips celebrities share, and most importantly, check out That’s Fit’s success & motivation section to help you stick to your plan.

Learning something new or simply reading more, the Google eBookstore takes care of both New Year resolutions. Whether you’re interested in science, science fiction, history, art, business or anything in-between, the eBookstore by Google has a world of knowledge waiting to be explored (and read). It’s super accessible, and the reading interface Google has created makes the experience all the more wholesome. What a great example of some seriously good reads!

Rentalic – Now there’s finally a solution to all those unused household items and old appliances you keep stored away in your basement: rent them to people who need them. Sounds surreal? Just visit Rentalic and a whole new world of income and sharing opportunities will open up to you.

Rentalic’s basic concept is so simple and useful, it’s surprising no one had thought of it before. Rent out your bicycle for a week or rent someone’s 4-persons tent for your weekend camping with friends. All these and numerous other options are available to you on Rentalic, all with the added value of saving money, helping others and making the world a more sustainable place. Rentalic is the perfect rental marketplace! See the photo below as an example of what people from San Francisco are renting out.

Climate Culture – Everybody’s talking about the pressing need to change the way we live today to help the environment and reduce our impact on the planet. That’s obvious. But now for the first time we have an actual fun tool that will help us “make smarter choices that reduce your impact on climate change and save some cash.” That’s right. Climate Culture offers an amazing, creative and bottom line saver you should start making use of a.s.a.p.

To make our footprint’s impact more comprehensible and proportioned, Climate Culture assigns you an island that reflects your current effect on the environment; you’ll see there coal and gas power plants, transit forms, work area, etc. As you continue to commit to reducing your impact via Reduction Center (see screen shot below), you will earn more points, save cash and see your island -your life- become greener and more sustainable. Climate Culture offers an innovative, fun and most importantly, effective community tool to help each and every one of us improve both our life and the environment. Kudos, Climate Culture!