With technology the way it is today, there is no limit to what is possible. This is especially true for mobile phone technology, specifically applications (also known as “apps.) These apps are made for a variety of reasons and uses, and are usually considered to be cost-effective, convenient and useful, as you can use them wherever you are, as long as there is some semblance of a cell phone connection. There a number of very interesting subcategories for mobile apps, and one of those categories involves green technology and environmental science uses. Recommended reading: Top Green apps for Smartphone.

Here is a short list of some of the best environmental apps available for the iPhone:

iPhone Environmental App #1. Skeptical Science

This cell phone app is completely free for users and is run by an Australian blog that has the goal of outing scientists and scientific research that seeks to negate the impacts of global warming and other environmental issues. The app is made to provide information that proves the skeptics wrong and focuses on scientific fact- through the aid of tons of research, studies and scientific papers written on various environmental subjects. One of the best features of the app is its searchable database, which allows you to type in a certain environmental issue and then it will show results that either back-up or disprove whatever assertion you are basing your search off of.

iPhone Environmental App #2. Good Guide

This free app allows you to shop green and guilt-free. The app allows you to scan various items that you may encounter during your shopping, and then it will notify you of whether or not those items are considered “green” and environmentally-friendly according to various guidelines. It is the perfect app for anyone who seeks to buy local and buy as green as possible. In essence, it is the perfect app for someone who thinks voting with their money is a way to enact social change where environmentalism is concerned.

iPhone Environmental App #3. Commute Greener 

The imaginative app allows you to track your carbon footprint via various ways. It can track what items you purchase, what you eat, how you travel and how often you perform various tasks that may effect the environment- even in the smallest ways imaginable. The app will also offer suggestions for ways in which you can reduce your carbon footprint. All in all, it is a fun app that can provide you with insight into how your actions, and the actions of people around you, can effect the environment in significant ways. This app makes you realize that even the smallest of actions can have quite a large impact when taken into account.

Brad is a freelance writer for a host of community newspapers, environmental blogs and web sites as well as magazines that focus on green living. He received an environmental law degree from the University of Vermont.