T-Shirts: More Than Just Clothing

Calculating your carbon footprint can be complicated, since the stuff you buy usually doesn't tell you its environmental impact. But one sportswear manufacturer has designed an interactive site to allow people to see the full eco-cost of a T-shirt, from cotton seed to consumer.

Anvil Knitwear, in an effort to become more responsible, created TrackMyT.com, which  tracks their kid's tees, allowingvisitors to learn about how cotton is grown, processed, and distributed. Just type in the tracking number on the shirt, and you get an inside look at its environmental impact. You'll also learn about the differences between organic and conventional cotton farming (and their respective carbon footprints), and get energy- and water-conservation tips to help you with your laundry habits.

Anvil isn't the only company interested in reducing its carbon footprint; New Belgium Brewing Co. last year conducted its own life-cycle assessment. While they do require some extra work, these pieces of information are invaluable to pursuing a more sustainable future.

--Michael Mullaley