hey, I'm looking to change banks by the end of this year or sooner (currently using First County Bank... there's only 1 nearby and they've been pretty slow online lately--online banking here! saving paper!) & I was going to just switch to Commerce Bank, because it's open so late, but I was curious as to what the most "green" or socially responsible banks were. I'm in no way "married" to Commerce Bank, it's just my first choice based on availability (it's everywhere around me & open longer than most banks), but I'd rather choose based on my real values, not just time. Any options or information would be quite valued!
Thanks!
<3 Elisa

I did a Google search with the key words "green" and "bank" and Google returned a plethora of interesting sites. I don't have any personal experience with specific socially responsible banks. I too am looking to switch banks and am hoping to find one that benefits the local community, small businesses, and the environment.
From the sites I found it looked like there were two key issues. One issue was whether banks made responsible environmental decisions in their own operations. For example, some banks build "green" branches which are more energy efficient and have smaller foot prints. Some banks purchase electricity from renewable sources, and take other measures to make their branches and offices more environmentally friendly. The other issue is what companies the bank loans money to. Some banks strive to invest in local and/or sustainable businesses, while others continue to invest in coal-fired power plants and other projects which destroy the environment. Many banks do both. Co-op America's magazine RealMoney has an article "Responsible Credit Cards: Myth or Reality" which discusses various mega banks' policies. The article has useful information that could apply to choosing a bank as well as a credit card, and it provides food for thought about the different ways in which a bank could be good or bad for the environment.
Ceres did a report, "Corporate Governance and Climate Change: The Banking Sector" on 16 U.S. banks rating their efforts to reduce climate change on a scale from 0 to 100.
An October 2007 online extra from Business Week, "Banks All About the Green", discusses whether particular banks' reputations as "green" banks are deserved.
It is hard to decide what actions of a bank make the most difference for the environment. If a bank donates a large chunk of change to an environmental cause does that outweigh the damage if might do by investing in coal-fired power plants? It's hard to tell. Is it a bank's place to deny loans to environmentally damaging projects? If one bank denies funding probably another one will offer the loan. Some banks make the argument that by investing in certain industries the bank remains engaged with the company and can steer it to better environmental practices. It can be hard to tell which bank would do the most good and least harm with your money, because there are so many various factors to consider. Good luck searching!