My current favorite thing is Spud.com. They deliver fresh, organically grown, local produce (and any other local/organic foods I request) to me weekly, and at a rate that is pretty much on par or cheaper than local grocers.

Why do I love it? Well, it’s a great idea. Local growers (whom I’d love to support) get my money without me actually having to go to farmers’ markets (which are usually open at times I can’t go). This keeps small businesses alive, and reduces my gas consumption for food transportation to a third of what it is when I shop at regular grocers.

All idealism aside, it’s also just a good deal. I don’t have a car, so the delivery (which is free) is very convenient. I can order a couple of things that I want to receive weekly (currently that’s bread, eggs, and cans of tuna), and they deliver that along with a “Fresh Harvest Box,” which contains their selection of the best seasonal fruits and vegetables in the area. I’m cooking more than I used to (which is good for my budget), and eating more fruits and vegetables than I used to (which is good for me).

It’s also easy to set up, and maybe I’m silly, but grocery shopping online is frankly kind of fun. If you live in Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, or Portland, the same joy can be yours! For more info, check them out at www.spud.com.

Vicarious Traveler has just made a fabulous post detailing the differences between various carbon offsets programs. The idea of carbon offsets is an idea that is difficult enough to grasp superficially, and Vicarious Traveler has managed to strip off the layers to make it easy to understand what you’re actually paying for when you send $100 off into the blue of the internet, in the hopes that it’s somehow affecting the environment for good instead of ill.