Guest Blogger Sophie Uliano--

The tide has turned and “Green” is in the vernacular – it’s become mainstream. Only two years ago, I got quite a few blank looks when I asked people if they were green and when I told a man on a flight that I was writing a book called Gorgeously Green, he thought it was about money! Now people all over the country associate the word with global warming or toxic cleaning products, however, it’s become rather a generic term that we can easily slap onto anything or anybody. So what makes a person really green? Do they need to be vegan? Do they need to recycle everything and walk rather than drive? What really makes a girl green?

I like to think about different shades of green: one end of the scale is a very light, perhaps even just a tinge of green and on the other end of the scale is a dark, forest green. Where are you? I’m probably somewhere in the middle (sometimes towards the darker side) – yes, I’m a bright, crispy apple green and that’s my sweet spot. I think we need to find a way of being green that works for our lifestyle, even if its just baby steps in the beginning. Many of my friends got put off at first, thinking that if they would be penalized for using paper towels and zip lock bags, but that’s not how it should be. Guilt-tripping oneself or others never works. It’s like a diet that you pick and it just doesn’t work for your lifestyle and so you keep punishing yourself for caving in. It’s simply about doing your best and knowing that it is almost impossible to be perfect.

On the other hand, there are plenty of people that I’ve come across who are proud of not being the slightest bit green. The other day a woman announced to me that she’s not at all green and just doesn’t get it. She was vehement about not letting go of her plastic water bottles ever; another girl told me that she was ridiculed by her boyfriend when she had suggested that they should start recycling – he didn’t want them turning into “tree-hugging” types. I understand there’s a backlash against anything that’s become popular but come on people! Are we going to have to wait till this planet becomes uninhabitable for these insane individuals to “get it?" Growing up in England, people who gave up smoking twenty years ago, were considered to be pathetic, anxiety-ridden neurotics who better are not point their finger at the rest of us. We didn’t want our heading-toward-lung cancer fun spoiled. Toxins in our environment are the new cigarettes – yet to be exposed as seriously harmful to human health.

At the other end of the scale, we get the dark, dark greenie, who loves a compost toilet and a yurt. These types can be a bit frightening to even the bright greens, as they look on our creature comforts and “convenient” lifestyles as being supremely selfish, if not just plain stupid. I can see where they are coming from; however, this attitude is not attractive or helpful to the millions of Americans who are just trying to get their heads around the fact that gas-guzzling SUV’s are damaging to more than just one’s pocketbook.

So the middle road is a good place to aim for. A great elementary school teacher once told me that his success came from the fact that he teaches to the #2’s. He explained that he divides a classroom into 3 categories: The #3 group who are almost perfect students, the #2 group who are somewhere in the middle and the #1 group, who are the troublemakers. When he teaches to the #2 group, the #3’s stay where they are, and the #1’s strive to get into the #2 group. This is a perhaps complicated way of saying that if you are even just a tinge of green, head for the middle ground and encourage everyone you know to do the same.

BackStory:  Sophie's book--Gorgeously Green includes a forward from her pal Julia Roberts--

"I quite simply cannot list all the amazing aspects of this book you are about to read, but I can tell you this: I love to shop, I love to cook, I love to feel I have done some one thing a day to educate myself and my children in making the world a better stronger place to live in.  Easier said than done right?  We would all do the right thing/things if only we had the resources, the answers, the advice we need.  What can I tell you, but here it is!"

Julia Roberts

Actress, Mother & Activist

More Expert Advice:

How To Reduce a Baby's Environmental Impact

The Best Breakfast Foods

Your Diet Affects Your Fertility

Catherine eyed me skeptically over the breakfast table. "Are you really going to bike?" she asked with surprise.

"I think so," I said. "I mean, my brain believes I am. My body might have other ideas. Like the bus."

Just then the bus rumbled past the front door. We smiled at each other. "Well," I said. "What I meant to say is, yes. I’m biking. I’m gonna race the bus."

It was Tuesday morning, 7:10 AM. My car had broken down the morning before on the way to work, leaving me
to coast to the mechanic on a busted clutch. I’d had to roust my housemate Catherine from her warm bed, and
beg her for a ride to work. I’d been half an hour late, and stressed and frazzled to boot.

But this morning, although my car was still in the shop, I was prepared. In the grayish dawn light of my bedroom, I donned long johns, jeans, two shirts, a wool sweater, a windbreaker. I pulled on a ski mask to protect my neck from chilly drafts, gloves to shield my fingers, and of course, perched atop it all, my shiny yellow helmet.

"Well," said Catherine. "At least if you fall off your bike, you probably won’t even get hurt. You’ll just bounce."

I wrinkled my nose at her, not that she could see it under my arsenal. "I won’t fall," I said. "I’ll be fine."

Waving goodbye, I shuffled out the door and clambered atop my bicycle. With one kick, I rolled down the sidewalk, swung to the right, and hit the pavement. I was off.

I was prepared for an arduous journey. My work commute takes 25 minutes by car, from my urban neighborhood
just south of downtown, to Guilford Tech’s satellite campus on the outermost reaches of the northeast part of town. Every morning, as I dodge the rush-hour traffic crowding the city’s vehicular arteries, I think, "Today’s the day I’m going to die." But I haven’t. At least not yet.

This morning was different. I headed due east, straight toward the pink streaks heralding the sun’s imminent arrival. Cars whizzed past, but I didn’t notice them much. I was more occupied with the tight feeling of my thigh muscles and the slight grinding feeling of something in my hip. 'Oh jeez, what am I thinking?' I berated myself. This is insane. I could
see the bus stopped four or five blocks ahead of me. 'Maybe I can catch up with it,' I thought hopefully.

Eight minutes later I was passing downtown. The clock tower read 39 degrees, but I was soaked in sweat. What
had happened to spring?  I stopped to strip off my windbreaker, welcoming the chilly wind through my wool sweater. Lord, it felt good.

I’d expected heavy traffic on this four-lane road, but I barely even noticed the cars that passed me. Instead, I watched the blistering orange sun bobbling over the horizon. I checked the gas prices at each gas station I passed. $3.47. $3.51. $3.56. My legs no longer felt tight. I felt like an engine, a smooth efficient machine. I wondered how much I’d get for
selling a Toyota with a broken clutch.

I passed a service station where a lady in a thin spring dress paced as a mechanic peered under the hood of her stalled car. She stared through me as if I were invisible. I passed a house where two men stood, hands in armpits while a Chevy idled in the yard, warming up. I held my breath and ducked through the cloud of exhaust.

I was flying. I felt like a bird. I had no idea how long I’d been riding. Five minutes, fifteen, fifty. My four-lane city road merged with a county road; the buildings gave way to stubbly fields. I passed the farm bureau, the coop extension, the county agricultural office. A lazy train track wove beside the road. I looked up: brilliant green tree branches silhouetted against the throbbing sunrise sky.

One last hill, and I turned on Aunt Mary Lane. I cut north, crossed a six-lane road, and breathlessly coasted onto campus. I craned my neck to see the school clock. Was I late? How late?

The clock read 7:48. My body surged with elation. I grinned wordlessly under my ski mask. It had taken me
33 minutes to cross town by bike, just eight minutes longer than by car.

I couldn’t believe it. For the past six months, I’d been complaining about how impossibly far away my job
was. I’d acquired my car reluctantly, and winced with each accumulating mile on the odometer. The tanks of
gas, the car insurance, the stress - it was a necessary evil, I’d believed. Riding the bus to any job would take unbearably long, and there was no way I had the stamina to bike to destinations outside of my neighborhood. Only an athlete could bike that far.

What had I been thinking? I wasn’t even tired. In fact, I felt remarkably alive. I almost skipped from the bike rack to the bathroom, where I peeled off my sweaty long johns and slipped into a fresh blouse and slacks. I scooped my hair into a ponytail and regarded my reflection quizzically. My cheeks were so pink I looked clownish. My eyes were twinkling. I felt upbeat and energetic – a mood I can’t usually attain at 8 AM no matter how much coffee I drink.

I strolled to my classroom carrying my bicycle helmet like a badge of honor. When my car had broken down, it
sure hadn’t seemed like a blessing. But I guess that faulty clutch was the miracle I was waiting for to show me that sometimes the solution I need is right in the place where I refuse to see it. Here I’d been, racing home from work in my car so I’d have time to get to the gym for exercise. I’d never even considered biking to work because I hadn’t thought I was strong enough. I didn’t think I could afford to spend the time or energy. But this morning, I knew I couldn’t afford not to. As the bus pulled up to the campus bus stop, right next to my parked bike, I smiled to myself. I’d won this race on my own two wheels.

Do you ride a bike?

Related:  The Car Addiction

Get An Oil Change And Save On Gas

Cheap Gas Tips

The Health Benefits of Cycling To Work

Sally Kneidel, PhD, is the author of eleven books on nature, conservation, and science topics.  Two books from Fulcrum co-authored by Sally and Sadie Kneidel are Going Green: A Wise Consumer's Guide to a Shrinking Planet (May, 2008) and Veggie Revolution: Smart Choices for a Healthy Body and A Healthy Planet (Nov, 2005).  Contact the author at skneidel@earthlink.net.

Guest Blogger Sally Kneidel--

China's rapid industrialization and increasing population, along with a growing preference for meat on the dinner table, are creating water shortages that will have world repercussions. In coming decades, China will have to rely on food imports to meet demand.
China is home to 21% of the world's population. Its economy has grown at the fastest rate in recent world history, about 8% per year over the last two decades, says Junguo Liu, an environmental scientist in Switzerland.
During this period of unprecedented growth, the consumption of grains in China has remained steady, even dropping a little. But the consumption of meat in China has more than quadrupled since 1980. The production of meat requires much more water per serving than any other kind of food. Even though meat and other animal products made up only 16% of the typical Chinese diet in 2003, those foods accounted for more than one-half of the country's food-related water consumption, report Liu and colleague Hubert Savenije of Delft University in an upcoming Hydrology and Earth System Sciences.
How does the Chinese diet compare to the American diet?
Food-related water consumption per capita in the United States is about 3,074 cubic meters per year, almost four times the Chinese figure. The water needed to produce the typical U.S. citizen's consumption of meat alone far exceeds that required to produce the average Chinese citizen's entire diet.
Why is that? According to Danielle Nierenberg of Worldwatch Institute, Americans eat 248 lbs of meat per person per year, far more per capita than any other country in the world.
The world of the future will not be able to support a growing population eating more and more meat. Already more than 1/3 of the world's population live in regions where water is considered scarce.
Sources:
Sid Perkins. "A thirst for meat." Science News. January 19, 2008.
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20080119/fob4.asp
Danielle Nierenberg. "Happier meals: rethinking the global meat industry." Worldwatch Institute. 2005. http://www.worldwatch.org/node/819

More: The Car Addiction

          Diet Contributes To Global Warming More Than Your Car

Guest Blogger Doug Fine--

You might think it ain’t easy being Green. That’s totally understandable. So much of what we read about people who attempt sustainable lifestyles involves things like eating Steamed Dirt in remote, unheated cabins while walking 17 miles to fetch pots of fetid water for the evening local “meal.” 
 
Well, I have some great news, well-intentioned but comfort-loving citizens of the Digital Age: you don’t have to suffer to be sustainable. With no experience nor any construction, electrical, mechanical, automotive or plumbing skills to speak of, in less than a year I got upwards of 80% of the petroleum out of my life. And you can, too. 
 
As I write in Farewell, My Subaru, my new Random House book (info about the book including a short film , once you get past some basic rookie green mistakes I made (or avoid them by reading Farewell, My Subaru), you can turn your home to solar, drive on waste vegetable oil and grow and purchase your food locally almost immediately. 
 
And here’s the really lovely part: you won’t even notice the difference. You won’t miss being an oil customer. For example, on my Funky Butte Ranch, I have a washing machine, refrigerator, plenty of lights, a laptop, Internet, and most of all, booming stereo subwoofers – all of them powered by the sun. The only time I realize I’m on solar power is when the rest of my valley experiences a power failure, and my ranch is the only one with lights. 
 
You can even keep your car while going Green – you’ll need to get a diesel engine vehicle, though, and have a mechanic convert it to run on straight vegetable oil (or, SVO). But don’t worry -- you’ll pay off the cost of the conversion in lower fuel costs within a year, probably even sooner. Here’s how it works: a second fuel tank is added to the vehicle (this is where the SVO goes). Then a heating system is installed, so the oil flows smoothly, rather than getting all coagulated like day-oil Chinese food leftovers. Then it’s just a matter of gathering the oil from the fryers of greasy restaurants. You can do this yourself with a pump and a filter, or your can buy the filtered oil, often from the installer who did the conversion of your diesel vehicle for you. Usually this will be cheaper than diesel fuel, and definitely more environmentally friendly. The only down side is your exhaust smells like Kung Pao Chicken, so don’t drive hungry: you’ll be pulling over at every take-out place. 
 
The last piece of the puzzle is getting the “carbon miles” out of your food. This means, to give one example, the oil embedded in buying apples out of season from New Zealand, fish from Chile, and tomatoes from some far away hothouse. Believe it or not, something like 60% of the petroleum we use is “hidden” in non-local food we eat. More fantastic news here – you can have fun planning a garden, raising chickens, or just researching what food is local and in season in your region. Shopping at farmer’s markets is a great help here, too. 
 
Follow these steps, which I write about in Farewell, My Subaru (and which I blog about), and you won’t believe how easy it is being Green. 

Related:  Cheap Gas Tips

              The Car Addiction

Dr. Shawn Messonnier, DVM the host of the weekly award-winning radio show, "Dr. Shawn-The Natural Vet" on Martha Stewart Radio (Sirius 112 Tues 8-10 PM EST and Sat 9-11AM EST) sits on the advisory board of the Journal Veterinary Forum, and is a holistic pet columnist for Animal Wellness, Body + Soul, and Veterinary Forum. In addition to serving clients in his Paws & Claws Animal Hospital, he has written several books on the natural care of pets, including The Natural Health Bible for Dogs & Cats, The Allergy Solution for Dogs, 8 Weeks to a Healthy Dog, and most recently Preventing and Treating Cancer In Dogs.

Guest Blogger Shawn Messonnier--

Jesse is a four year old female Scottish terrier (Scottie.) She was rescued by her current owners, Jan and Terri, who thoroughly adore these special little dogs.

Jesse is a rescue dog and found herself in a foster home because her previous owners could not deal with her horrible chronic skin problems. Jesse, like many terriers, suffered from really bad allergies and skin infections. Her previous owners had no success with conventional treatments, and felt that they were spending way too much money on her especially since she was not getting any better with her treatments.

Jan and Terri were referred to me by Jesse's foster parents, who hoped that my approach using integrative medicine would offer help for Jesse.

When I first saw Jesse, she didn't look too good. She was missing most of the beautiful black hair that Scotties are known for, her skin was greasy, and she smelled pretty bad, due to what I suspected was a chronic yeast infection on her skin which likely developed as a result of her prior chronic therapy with steroids and antibiotics.

The good news, as I explained to Jan and Terri, was that I knew that I could help her using an integrative approach to her care. Using various herbs and homeopathics, as described in my book, The Allergy Solution for Dogs, plus frequent bathing with a medicated shampoo, it only took a few weeks before Jesse was feeling better, looking better, and thankfully smelling better!

In order to minimize future problems, I prescribed a maintenance supplement protocol for Jan and Terri to administer to Jesse, including an antioxidant called Proanthozone by Animal Health Options that helps many of my patients with allergies and skin infections, and Vim & Vigor, by Pet Togethers, which also helps reduce itching in many of my allergic patients. And since regular bathing is very important in order to keep allergic pets from itching all the time and developing more skin infections, I prescribed an aloe vera-oatmeal shampoo for Jan and Terri to use several times a week.

Fortunately Jan and Terri were able to comply with my recommendations for Jesse, and this special little dog, previously given up by owners who could not find effective therapy for her, is still living a happy, healthy, and itch- free life!

Shawn Messonnier's Veterinary Insight:

Prevent Alzheimer's --In Pets

Get The Fat Out!

Prevent Cancer In Your Pet

Susannah Marriott is a writer who specializes in green issues, pregnancy and babycare and has been bringing up her babies the green way for ten years: she had natural home births, used washable nappies (diapers) and carried her babies everywhere in a sling. She grows and cooks her own organic food, and is restoring her farmhouse overlooking the sea using reclaimed materials, solar panels and sheep’s wool insulation.

Susannah started her professional life as editor of the pregnancy and babycare gurus Zita West, Sheila Kitzinger and Penelope Leach, and is now author in her own right of 18 books, which have been translated into ten languages. They include Your Non-Toxic Pregnancy, Natural Pregnancy, The Art of Motherhood and Green Babycare, as well as titles on yoga, relaxation and natural living. Her writing has appeared in newspapers and magazines including The Guardian, The Times, Junior, Zest, Shape, Top Sante and Healthy, and she has broadcast on BBC Radio 4. She lives in Cornwall – one of the most eco-forward places in Europe – with her husband and three daughters.

Guest Blogger Susannah Marriott--

Having a baby turns your world upside down – traveling, eating, sleeping, even washing are never the same again. So it’s the perfect time to make changes in the way you live. And making your life greener now can even make it simpler! Here’s how:

1. Avoid baby skincare products. Stop buying shampoo, baby lotion, moisturizer and bath products and everyone wins: you have one less shopping aisle to visit, our water courses and marine environment are protected from polluting petroleum-derived products, and, perhaps most importantly, your baby’s delicate skin and respiratory system doesn’t have to deal with extra toxins. One study found the highest levels of phthalates – man-made chemicals linked with reproductive disorders – in babies exposed to most babycare products. Instead use plain water, olive oil and a little pure Castille soap now and then.

2. Try washable nappies or diapers. Using ‘real‘ nappies can reduce your climate-change impact by a quarter, so the planet benefits, but so do you: the average family using washables saves £500 or $992.76 even after laundry costs, plus you cut the size of your weekly shopping. You’re likely to need nappies for fewer months, too: babies who wear washables tend to potty-train earlier. When it’s not practical to use a washable, look for completely biodegradable disposables.

3. Eat as a family. Food and drink production is thought to be responsible for about a third of a family’s environmental impact. Reduce your food miles by buying less processed food and cooking up dishes from local ingredients where possible. Try to eat together and to share the same home-cooked food, rather than preparing separate dishes for babies, toddlers and grown-ups. Studies suggest that children who grow up eating with their parents tend to eat more vegetables and fruit, have a higher nutrient intake and are less likely to become overweight.

4. Explore your region. Travel with a baby or toddler is stressful, so put long journeys on hold for a while and explore your local area. Can you socialize, shop and take baby classes nearer home to cut your car use? Motor vehicles are the largest source of global atmospheric pollution, and research suggests that children who travel by car seem more likely to develop into car-dependent adults. A sling is the greenest form of transport. Need more convincing? In studies, carried babies seem to cry less and spend more time quiet and alert.

Related: Diet Contributes to Global Warming More Than Your Car

              The Best Breakfast Foods

Sally Kneidel, PhD, is the author of eleven books on nature, conservation, and science topics.  Two books from Fulcrum co-authored by Sally and Sadie Kneidel are Going Green: A Wise Consumer's Guide to a Shrinking Planet (May, 2008) and Veggie Revolution: Smart Choices for a Healthy Body and A Healthy Planet (Nov, 2005).  Contact the author at skneidel@earthlink.net.

Guest Blogger Sally Kneidel--

Our diet choices have a huge impact on the environment, even more than emissions from our cars. Earth Day is a great day to begin making changes. Here is my list of the top 10 eco-friendly diet choices.

1. Buy local food. The average food purchase at a grocery store travels 1500 miles from its source to the grocery. A survey of the stickers on "fresh" produce at my nearby Harris Teeter supermarket in North Carolina turned up yellow bell peppers from Holland and red bell peppers from Israel. When I asked the produce manager if any of the produce was local, he said most of it was from South America. The transport of food from other countries, or across the US, uses fossil fuels and generates greenhouse gases.

2. Buy produce from farmers who don't use pesticides. Pesticides are not only dangerous to our health, they poison animals and ecosystems around the agricultural fields, as well as downwind and downstream of sprayed fields.

3. Buy produce from farmers who don't use chemical fertilizers. Runoff from chemical fertilizers is the biggest single source of nutrient pollution in streams, rivers, and groundwater.

4. Choose foods with minimal packaging. Paper packaging creates demand for wood pulp from pine plantations, which are displacing Southeastern native forests. Leftover dyes from the manufacture of packages find their way into our streams and rivers. And most packaging winds up in our landfills.

5. If you consume dairy products, buy from a farmer who uses sustainable farming practices. If this isn't possible, buy certified organic dairy products. This means the cows' feed was grown without persistent pesticides.

6. If you eat meat and eggs, buy products that came from pastured or grass-fed animals. Animals at pasture don't generate the waste-management problems that animals in confinement do. Pastured waste is assimilated back into the soil naturally. In contrast, waste from factory-farmed animals is liquified and stored in vast "lagoons," then sprayed over cropfields, much of it washing into streams and rivers.

7. If you can't buy pastured meat, buy organic meat. The animals' feed was grown without dangerous pesticides, and their waste is not laden with antibiotics and hormones. When animal waste washes into streams and rivers, the feed-additives in their waste also enter the aquatic ecosystem.

8. Eat seasonal produce, even in winter. When you buy produce that a local farmer grows in winter, such as greens, you are helping the farmer stay in business year-round, selling locally-grown foods in his own community. You are supporting small-scale local farmers who are much more likely to use sustainable farming methods than are farmers on huge farms with corporate contracts.

9. Eat less meat. The average American eats 248 lbs of meat per year, far more than any other country. In the U.S., 66% of our grain goes to livestock, a very inefficient use of our agricultural lands. Feeding the grain to people directly could feed up to 10 times more people than feeding the meat to people. Or, another way of looking at it - we could stop converting natural lands to agricultural lands if we made more efficient use of the farms we have now. The U.S. population passed 300 million in 2006, and will increase another 19% by the year 2025.

10. When you choose foods for environmental reasons, be vocal and visible about it. If you're eating out with friends, tell them why you're not eating a fast food burger (fast food burgers are often made of poor-quality Latin American beef grown where rainforests used to be). Ask your local supermarkets and favorite restaurants to carry local, seasonal, and organic foods. And when they do, thank them. Tell them how tasty it was!

Making just small changes, even a couple of days a week, can have a big impact. It doesn't have to be all or nothing to be effective!

More From Sally Kneidel: 

Bobby Kennedy--The Most Influential Environmentalist in the U.S.

Hillary's Gender VS. Obama's Race: Stereotype Liabilities

Sam Davidson is a speaker, writer and dreamer who tells the stories that need telling in order to motivate others to change the things that need changing. In 2006, he and co-founded CoolPeopleCare, a social awareness Web site that connects individuals who want to change the world with opportunities and ideas to do so. Having worked and consulted in both the the for-profit and nonprofit worlds, his approach to impacting one's world is believable and, even more importantly, doable.  New Day Revolution , his first book, shows how small changes in the daily routine make a big difference in our communities and ultimately--the world.

Guest Blogger Sam Davidson:

Earth Day, like most holidays, is one in which there’s a lot of buildup and talk, but very little action, especially days and weeks after the big celebration. And while cities around the country celebrated Earth Day with festivals and gatherings this past weekend, it is more crucial than ever that we all begin to live out the values of Earth Day everyday.

As global warming and climate change not only dominate the headlines but also our collective psyche, here are ten quick ways you can make Earth Day every day. After all, as big and important as the Earth is, we need more than 24 hours to reverse the trends we’ve started. But luckily, a few small actions can really add up, as evidenced by the yearly benefits we list.

1- Take your own mug to the coffee shop. Do this every day for a year and you’ll save one tree.

2- Shower a minute less each morning. Depending upon your showerhead and water pressure, you could end up saving more than 1,000 gallons of water in a year.

3- Unplug that cell phone charger when you’re not using it. You can save up to $30 and as much as 250 pounds of coal.

4- Turn your computer off when you’re not using it. You’ll save about 500 pounds of CO2 emissions.

5- Pack a waste-free lunch with reusable containers. You’ll keep 67 pounds of trash from landfills.

6- Opt for reusable canvas bags at the store and you’ll make sure nearly 1,000 plastic bags don't end up in landfills.

7- Dry your clothes outside. You’ll save some cash and keep 250 pounds of coal in the ground.

8- Install aerators on your faucet and increase your water efficiency by 25%.

9- Set up your own rain barrel for your plants and save 1,000 gallons of water, depending upon how often you water.

10-Combine your errands in order to save some gas, carbon emissions and money.

Saving the earth is a big task, but Tuesday is the perfect day to start making a difference. Celebrate Earth Day with changing a few habits of yours each day.

For More Tips On How To Save The World Check Out New Day Revolution: How To Save The World in 24 Hours By CoolPeopleCare’s Sam Davidson & Stephen Moseley

Related:  Change--We Can All Do Something To Improve Our World

               Turn Your Lights Off One Hour For a Healthier Environment

Diane MacEachern, the founder and president of Big Green Purse and the author of Big Green Purse: Use Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World (featured on CSPAN's Book Notes), is passionate about empowering women to use their marketplace clout to protect the environment. A best-selling author, successful entrepreneur, sought-after public speaker, and long-time conservationist, she has launched the only company in the U.S. dedicated specifically to transforming women’s environmental concerns into measurable improvements in our quality of life. As the co-founder and president of an award-winning communications company based in Washington, D.C., Diane's clients included the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme, the Earth Council, World Wildlife Fund, Earth Day, the National Wildlife Federation, Earth Share, the League of Women Voters, and the Women's Environment Development Organization.

She is also the author of Enough is Enough! The Hellraiser’s Guide to Community Activism: How to Organize a Successful Campaign for Change, and Beat High Gas Prices Now! The Fastest, Easiest Ways to Save $20-$50 Every Month on Gasoline. Big Green Purse has reached #7 on Amazon's ranking of environmental books.

Diane MacEachern--

With gas prices approaching $4 a gallon, there's never been a better time to conserve fuel. The following tips will help you save from $20-$50 a month at the pump. Added bonus? They'll protect the environment, too, since every gallon of gas burned generates the carbon equivalent of a 20-pound bag of charcoal briquettes!

1. Drive smart - Avoid quick starts and stops, use cruise control on the highway, and don't idle. (Using cruise control alone can improve fuel efficiency by as much as 14%!).

2. Drive the speed limit - Remember - every 5 mph you drive above 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.10 per gallon for gas.

3. Drive less - Traveling a mile or less? Walk, bicycle, use a scooter or moped. Have lots of errands to do? Combine trips. Researching, making conference calls, and writing? Telecommute, and do those jobs at home.

4. Buy the cheapest gas you can find - Buy gas in the morning, from wholesale shopper's clubs, and using gas-company rebate cards. Track neighborhood prices on the Internet.

5. Keep tires properly inflated - Improve gas mileage by around 3.3 percent by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure. Replace worn tires with the same make and model as the originals.

Excerpted with permission from Big Green Purse: Use Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World, by Diane MacEachern. Available in bookstores and on-line now.

Related: 10 Tips For Greener Living

              A Better Diet Prevents Premature Death

              The Health Benefits of Cycling to Work