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What should you NOT do on Earth Day?

You've probably already received hundreds of tips on what you should do - and maybe they're now a big mish-mash in your brain. Here are ten things you SHOULDN'T do. So don't.

1) Don't drive like a teenager, speeding up and slowing down and weaving in and out of traffic. Aggressive driving lowers fuel efficiency by 33%. Accelerate gently and stay with traffic to save gas and money.

2) Don't use cleansers and personal care products that contain triclosan or other antibacterial agents. Public health officials worry that antibacterials (in cleansers, window cleaners, and soaps are causing us to become resistant to antibiotics. Use simple soap (like Dr. Bronner's castile soap) and hot water for cleaning, and body soaps and lotions that do not say "antibacterial" or "fights germs" on the label.

3) Don't go shopping without a list! According to the U,S. Department of Agriculture, people waste about 30% of their household food budgets buying groceries that eventually expire and have to be thrown out. Know what you want to buy before you hit the store aisles - you'll buy less, buy more of what you're likely to use, and reduce the impact your shopping has on the planet. Then put your list on your refrigerator so you don't forget what's inside.

4) Don't leave the lights on when you leave the room. You could save as much as $100 a year in electricity costs by turning off a 100-watt lightbulb when you're not using the light.

5) Don't leave the computer on if you're going to be gone longer than two hours. Don't leave the monitor on if you're going to be gone longer than 20 minutes. If you plug your electronics into an energy-saving power strip, you can reduce the energy they use by as much as 40%.

6) Don't leave the water running when you brush your teeth. Turning off the tap when you brush your teeth can save up to 8 gallons of water a day, 240 gallons a month, and hundreds of dollars on your water bill each year.

7) Don't buy "snack packs" that come wrapped in cardboard and plastic. Small individual packages use more energy and resources to manufacture and transfer, and are often twice as expensive as the same product sold in a larger bag or box.

8) Don't use so much shampoo, soap, lotion, make-up, gel and perfume. More than 25% of all women and one of every hundred men use at least fifteen products daily, exposing people to hundreds of chemicals in just one 24-hour period. Can you reduce the number of products you use by at least three?

9) Don't buy anything new. Remember the 3 R's of eco-friendly living? They begin with "reduce" (the other two are "re-use" and "recycle"). If you need to shop, start with EBay.com, Freecycle.org, the neighbor's yard sale, or the community vintage or thrift store.

10) Don't sit at your computer all day. Get outdoors for at least an hour to remember why Mother Nature is worth protecting. Besides, if you've done all the other don'ts on this list, you deserve to take a break!
family hiking
If you prefer "do" rather than "don't" ideas for Earth Day, consider these low cost, high impact suggestions:

Low Cost

Go outside. Take a walk, sit on your porch, have lunch in the park, eat a picnic dinner with family or friends. Just get out there and ...relax.

Plant something. If the idea of relaxing drives you a little bit crazy, do something useful. Plant a tree, sow vegetable seeds in your garden, transplant seedlings, fill your porch pots with flowers you'll enjoy the rest of the spring and summer.

Look out your window. Okay, for all you people who want to be "eco" but really hate the idea of digging dirt or lunching en pleine aire, pull up a chair to your favorite window and take a gander outside. Notice the birds in your yard, the buds on the trees, the clouds in the sky. Sound sappy? Maybe. Try it, just for half an hour. Let me know what it does for you.

Go see a movie. AFTER you've connected to your own backyard, connect to the world. "Nature," the new Disney movie, offers stunning cinematography of some of the most spectacular natural places on the globe. Plus, Disney is planting a tree for every ticket sold (so...it's an easy way for you to take credit for #2, above).

Sign up for the One-in-a-Million Campaign. We've inspired thousands of people to shift their spending to products and services that offer the greatest environmental benefit. Joining the campaign is free, and over time, the actions you take will save you thousands of dollars.

High Impact

Prepare organic food. If you've been thinking you should switch to organic produce, free range meat, and hormone-free milk, now's the time to make your move. You should be able to find organics at your local grocery store, food coop, or natural foods store. If not, ask the store manager to order it for you. Give the manager your name and phone number and say you'd like to be notified when the items come in. Let the manager know you and your friends want to see more organics on the shelves.

Plug into a power strip. Computers, fax machines, printers, televisions, microwave ovens and other appliances use almost as much energy when they're plugged in but turned off as when they're turned on. Plug into energy-saving power strips (one in the office, one next to the family tv, one in the kitchen) so you can easily cut the current; the money you save will pay for the cost of the power strips.

Carpool, telecommute, bicycle or take mass transit. Burning gasoline for transportation is a major cause of air pollution, smog, and climate change. On Earth Day, change the way you commute to work or get kids to sports practice and music lessons.

Make every day Earth Day. Yes, it's corny, but true. Taking one action on Earth Day may make you feel good, but it won't add up to much unless it's repeated over time. Besides, don't you need an excuse to spend a half an hour every day just looking out the window?

Heart of Green Award
We're honored to report that we've received recognition from the prestigious website TheDailyGreen.com for our efforts to inspire consumers -- especially -- women to use their money to protect the planet.

The Heart of Green nod "recognizes those who are bringing "green" messages to the mainstream, and your work influencing the buying habits of American women fits the bill," said TDG editor Dan Shapley.

A Heart of Green celebration, which will be sponsored by the EBay Green Team, will take place April 23 in the LEED-certified Hearst Tower in New York City.

We also made Blogtrepreneur's List of Must Read Blogs by Women. Please stop by the blog, take a look, and tell us what you think.


Can I ask you to do one more thing for Earth Day? Pass this information along to a friend! Just click on the Forward button right below my signature.

Talk to you again soon,

Diane's Photo
Diane MacEachern
Big Green Purse

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