by Jennifer Burss

Created on: June 20, 2009   Last Updated: June 22, 2009

In today's world it is becoming very important to a lot of people to live a more environmentally friendly lifestyle. Being more green can also be healthier and less expensive than conventional life. Some people think living green is more costly because of the cost of some more environmentally friendly choices in terms of various products. The truth is, that some things are out of most people's budgets in the present economic conditions. There are ways to balance out what we can't do for the environment, with that which we can do to help our planet.

Walk or Bike- Walking or biking to get to and from as many places as possible not only reduces carbon emissions, beneficial exercise is gotten, and a tank of gasoline lasts longer.

Reuse- Reuse and re-purpose as many things as possible. Buy reuseable shopping bags and use them for multiple purposes not just shopping. Buy a few extra for use as tote bags or overnight bags. Plastic shopping bags can be used to line trash cans, used as lunch bags, and to carry wet clothing or objects.

Buy Locally- Do your best to buy produce and other products from farmers and companies within 100 miles of your home. It reduces the amount of fuel used to transport products and supports local economies. If you aren't sure where a product is made or grown read labels or ask your grocer. If you are never able to find out the location of a product buy that item from somewhere as close as possible.

Don't Buy Bottled- Avoid buying bottled water and invest in a sink top filter system. Although they be more costly at first, they work just as well for providing filtered water(when and where desired) . Add to this a reusable water bottle and you get the convenience of portability without pounds of waste caused by the plastic bottles.

Cut back on the Fast Food- Fast food isn't healthy for our bodies, why would all the paper waste it generates be healthy for the planet? Try packing lunches for work and school in reusable containers. A similar idea is to buy foods and other goods in bulk and repackaging them once home.

Turn It Off- Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or switch off the lights when not in a room. It takes energy to produce energy, so machines are used to bring the water and power we use daily into our homes. The less we use them the less strain is placed on the system and less carbon dioxide(a green house gas) is produced, therefore there is less impact on the environment.

These suggestions are just a few things you can do to reduce your harmful impact on the environment. A lot of these suggestions also save money and are helpful in building a healthier lifestyle. If we all did what we could to help the environment, everyone would be a lot healthier and better off and so would the earth.

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