Though many companies sell clothes that claim to be green, there's no one standard for Earth-friendliness. This makes it hard therefore to figure out which clothing really makes a difference.

What then are consumers to do? Should they favor an apparel maker like Timberland, which takes steps to reduce its carbon footprint, including using recycled materials and planting trees? Or a company that produces goods locally, so they don't have to be shipped? 

To learn about the true trade-offs involved in buying green, click here