Go Green for Earth Day: 10 Easy Things You Can Do Right Now to Live Greener

Over 140 countries around the globe celebrated EARTH DAY on April 22^nd. For all of you Savvy City Girls, being green doesn't mean you have to trade in your pumps for a pair of Birkenstocks. There are easy ways for busy urban women to make a huge impact on the environment by taking some very small steps.

Here are 10 Easy Things You Can Do Right Now To Live Greener that are so simple and effective, you can't NOT do them. Start today and cut back on your energy consumption and waste production, show your love for the planet, and live a greener life.

1 Take the Stairs

Small steps make a big difference. As an urbanite, taking the stairs is one of the simplest lifestyle changes you can make that impacts both energy usage and your health. If you work in an office building, consider making the trip down the stairs for lunch part of your daily work routine. At home, make taking the stairs a family affair, especially when heading down to the lobby.

2 Keep Your Kitchen Green

In addition to buying organic, there are small, common sense things you can do in the kitchen to reduce your energy usage AND be a more efficient cook:

• keep your metal burners clean so they work more efficiently
• turn burners from high to medium when boiling water
• use a lid to keep heat from escaping
• use rice cookers and Dutch ovens - they're more efficient
• thaw frozen foods before cooking them

3 Say Hello to the Market Tote

Keeping a reusable shopping bag in your handbag and using it each time you shop will save between 400-500 plastic bags a year. Talk about a no brainer! Not convinced plastic bags are a problem? Check out these Twenty-five Reasons to Go Reusable.

Here are some fun Market Totes on Etsy.com:

• Utterly urban organic: flying French bulldog tote by MisNopalesArt
• Splendid hand-painted: I am Splendidly Imperfect tote by imperfectworld (pictured above)
• Recycled classic: Milk and Butter tote by thecraftpantry

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4 Hoof It to the Market

Fresh Direct is a model of the conveniences we city dwellers adore. And while their trucks run on biodeisel fuel, they still double park on city streets, contributing to increased congestion, which in turns adds the to fuel consumption of every other (non-biodeisel) vehicle on the road. And don't forget the noise pollution. Be kind to your neighborhood and your neighbors, walk to the local market for your grocery needs.

5 Load up the Dishwasher for a Greener Clean

A European Comparison of Cleaning Dishes by Hand study done at the University of Bonn, Germany revealed that hand washing dishes uses 6 times more water and 2 times as much energy as a dishwasher. Hand washing dishes also uses considerably more soap than a dishwasher. So rinse, load and run.

6 Cut Out the Meat 1 Day a Week

Did you know that 50% of all greenhouse gas emissions are caused by the livestock industry? Consider cutting meat out of your diet 1 day a week. It'll do every-body good.

7 Get off the Treadmill and Get Outdoors

Have you ever considered that running on a treadmill uses more energy than just that of the machine? There's the TV you watch to save your sanity while running in place facing a window or wall, the lighting, and the A/C that is needed to cool down the space because of the extra heat being produced by you, the treadmill, TV and lighting. When you pile on all of the factors surrounding treadmill use at the gym or even at home, it starts to add up in CO2 emissions, especially for you faithful runners. This spring, get out of the gym and get outdoors to your favorite park, path, or neighborhood.

8 Water 101: Tap, Filter and

Pour

Americans throw away an astounding 2.5 million plastic bottles in an hour. This year, put an end to your participation in the plastic bottle dilemma by purchasing a filtered pitcher and reusable stainless steel water bottle. Fill your pitcher with tap water, keep it in the fridge, and use it to fill your stainless steel bottle to take with you on the go.

9 Go Green TV: LCD over Plasma

Plasma is a bit of a power hog,

eating up to twice as much energy as a LCD model of the same size. Plasma TVs also produce more heat, so you'll be turning up the A/C in the warmer months and consuming more energy. For the most green TVs keep an eye out in 2011 for OLEDs in sizes that make sense for TV viewing. In the meantime, stick to LCD models.

10 Bring a Mug to Work

Bring a reusable mug or glass to work and use it every time you head to the watercooler or coffee maker. And lay off the disposable cups once and for all.