The November/December 2008 issue of E – The Environmental Magazine (now posted at: www.emagazine.com) takes a skeptical look into the world of high-class luxury green, where compost piles and recycling bins have been replaced with solar-powered yachts and sustainable caviar.

A recent Yale study confirmed what the marketers have long known: Even Americans who describe their financial situation as “poor” say they are ready to pay more for environmentally friendly products. And for the richest consumers, adding solar panels to the pool house or a luxury hybrid SUV to the garage is a sacrifice-free guilt reducer.

E examines the far reaches of high-end green design — from eco-mansions and eco-fashions to luxury hybrid SUVs and pampering holistic spas. Much of it, E notes, is an expensive distraction from the real solutions that are needed to reduce emissions and get the planet back on track. Says Editor Brita Belli in the package’s introduction: “Reducing consumption, eliminating waste, saving energy and driving smaller, fuel-efficient vehicles does not a sexy story make, but it’s the only path to healing the planet.”

The idea of shopping our way out of climate catastrophe may feel good, but it’s only making minor improvements when complete overhauls are called for. In homes, for example, the biggest energy savings come not from expensive renewable retrofits, but from reducing home size. Next is proper insulation and sealing, with solar and wind as the green icing on top. Starting out with a 10,000-square-foot home, we’re going at it backwards, with or without the PV panels.

And scaling down is the real solution for greening our automobiles, too (along with car-sharing, using public transportation and biking or walking more). Instead, the major car companies keep producing oversized hybrid SUVs, many of them aimed at a luxury market. Not only are they prohibitively expensive for most, they actually accomplish little in the way of real fuel efficiency thanks to their big size and weight. The Lexus RX-400h hybrid SUV or hybrid Cadillac Escalade may look cool and come with all the perks like climate control and a Bose sounds system, but they can’t even compete with the average compact car in terms of fuel efficiency. When it comes to vehicles, writes green car expert Jim Motavalli, “There’s nothing magical about hybrid technology. SUVs are heavy and have poor aerodynamics, so when they’re hybridized poor fuel economy just gets a little bit better.”

On the other hand green fashion expert Starre Vartan, founder of eco-chick.com and author of The Eco Chick Guide to Life, argues that eco-fashion has been a positive force for change in the fashion industry. The luxury sustainable brands­often worn by green-minded celebrities­have created a shift in the marketplace, and now organic, responsibly made clothes are available in both Wal-Mart and Saks.

Finally, E looks at the question of carbon offsets, the idea of buying back your emissions from plane and other travel, and whether they are just a luxury only the Al Gore’s and Arnold Schwartzenegger’s among us can afford. And E picks its top 10 eco-celebs (including Leonardo DiCaprio and Lost’s Dominic Monaghan) and highlights some of the most over-the-top green products­ including $5,169 “ethical cufflinks!”

E – The Environmental Magazine distributes 50,000 copies six times per year to subscribers and bookstores. Its website, www.emagazine.com, enjoys 60,000 monthly visitors. E also publishes EarthTalk, a nationally syndicated environmental Q&A column distributed free to 1,700 newspapers, magazines and websites throughout the U.S. and Canada ( www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/thisweek). Single copies of E’s November/December 2008 issue are available for $5 postpaid from: E Magazine, P.O. Box 50032, Boulder, CO 80322. Subscriptions are $29.95 per year, available at the same address.

Send your environmental questions to: EarthTalk, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php. EarthTalk is now a book! Details and order information at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalkbook.