Everyone is going green! From companies to retailers to plain old people, environmental concerns are the hot topic today. While environmentalism has been in the background since the 70s, it has finally make the jump to the forefront of today's world. I am glad to see people really thinking about the decisions they make and the products and services they buy. There are usually more environmentally-minded ways to do just about anything. Here are some simple (and usually frugal) ways to go green:

Use CFL light bulbs: Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs are all the rage. You can find them at any home store such as Home Depot and Menards. They come in a range of intensities and light qualities. I don't recomment investing hundreds of dollars to replace every light bulb in your house all at one time because you may not like one particular bulb for one purpose, but it may serve for another. I have many different light qualities and wattages in my house. CFLs save approximately $30 of electricity charges over the life of the bulb. Many last a really long time and are guaranteed for ten years or more. They do contain a small amount of mercury so please dispose of them with your used batteries and other chemical household waste. I save all that stuff in old shoeboxes and get rid of them in my town's annual drive to accept chemical household waste. Oh, and CFLs give off about 75% less heat than a traditional bulb, so your house will stay cooler in summer.

Switch to truly green cleaners: Many, many people are finding they have allergies, and no wonder. We are exposed to so many chemicals in our food, air, and water that sometimes the body revolts. I read recently that a study was done to measure levels of dioxin in people's blood, and it was found in detectable levels in every single person they tested! Chemicals such as pesticides,plastics, and fire retardants have even been found in breastmilk and the cord blood of newborns. These substances do pass to an unborn child. The chemical industry touts the safety of the chemicals they promote, but did you know there is no FDA for chemicals? There have been almost no studies done by independent groups to establish safety or toxicity of the chemicals in your personal care products, makeup, or the chemicals you use around the home. Most of the safety and toxicity studies that have been done are paid for or performed by the chemical manufacturers themselves. Check out the Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database by Environmental Work Group athttp://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ You can look up personal care products to see where they fall on the toxicity scale. To get back to green cleaners, try plain old vinegar! Vinegar has antibacterial properties and can be used to clean bathrooms, kitchens, windows, and more. I actually used diluted apple cider vinegar as a toner after I wash my face. It works great!

Conserve energy: Try shutting off unused lights, unplugging electrical items that suck power even when they're off (such as VCRs and DVD players), and running dishwashers at night. You can also purchase Energy Film at Home Depot that is a cling film that blocks 97% of damaging UV rays. Keeps your house cooler in summer and warmer in winter.

Recycle and use recycled products: You recycle plastic and aluminium. You can buy Seventh Generation products made from recycled plastic and aluminium. Check with your municipality regarding exactly what and how you can recycle.

Check out sites such as:

http://www.terracycle.net/ Recycling

http://www.terressentials.com/ Green personal care products

http://www.350.org/ Global warming

http://www.thegreatergreen.com/

http://www.americanrivers.org/ Help clean up your local rivers

http://stores.nurturemybody.com/StoreFront.bok Green personal care products

http://users.resist.ca/~kirstena/pagehomemadecosmetics.html Green personal care recipes

http://www.lifeinitaly.com/beauty/home-cosmetics.asp More green homemade personal care recipes

http://www.100percentpure.com/fruitpigmentedintro.html Awesome makeup made from fruit

http://www.eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_solutions.htm

http://www.larenim.com/ The best purest mineral makeup

http://www.enviroblog.org/ Latest news on going green

http://digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/cookbooks/index.html

http://thestarfishproject.org/donate.cfm Donate unused, unexpired medicine

http://apps3.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/buying/buying_power.shtml Buying green power to power your home

I'm not affiliated with any of these companies. I do buy things from most of them, but I don't receive anything if you do, too. I just wanted to pass along what has worked for us. If you have questions, please feel free to contact me at drumm260@comcast.net Thanks!