Green Living
“Going green” and adopting an environmentally friendly lifestyle may be all the rage, but truly changing your lifestyle and habits can be a challenge. If you know where to look, though, the Internet can be an important part of your sustainable world. The resources in this Web guide explain how to reduce your environmental impact in ways big and small. So get started with green living, and even find out where to connect with other green people and organizations.
Expand All Guide SectionsGoing Green
There are many ways to go green, whether you choose to make tiny changes or drastic ones. If you’d like to make your life a little greener, or better understand environmentally friendly living, use this section to learn what going green entails and how it might apply to you.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Signing up for a daily e-mail with simple ideas for green living can be a good way to remind yourself about going green every day of the year. Ideal Bite is a lighthearted, sassy site with down-to-earth tips that anyone can follow.
- When reading about green living, you may encounter acronyms like LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), used in rating green buildings; and LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability), a term created by the Natural Marketing Institute.
- For information on going green at the dinner table with organic and sustainable food, see the findingDulcinea Socially Responsible Food Web Guide.
Dulcinea's Picks
For general information …
TheDailyGreen.com
features an “ecopedia” that defines multiple terms related to green living. Scroll down the right side to the “getlocalinfo” section to find resources in your area.
Do It Green Minnesota
is full of information about green living. Search for a topic by keyword or browse the extensive list of categories like Gardening, House & Home, Energy and more.
The Natural Resources Defense Council’s
Green Living page features “This Green Life,” a personal journal dedicated to sustainable living. Take a look at the “Green Living Toolkit” to study several guides and tips for going green.
To assess your ecological footprint …
Redefining Progress
dives right into green living principles with a quiz that claims to measure “how much ‘nature’ your lifestyle requires.” When you’re finished, see how your ecological footprint compares to the average person.
Low Impact Living
provides an environmental impact calculator that suggests projects to help decrease the impact of your lifestyle. It explains when the benefits of these projects will cancel out their costs and how much of the planet’s resources they’ll save. Use the project filter to view projects that are more favorable to you based on concerns such as budget, time or specific environmental issues.
To make your home greener …
National Geographic Magazine
offers an interactive “‘Green’ House” tour that tests your “energy IQ” and shows how to correct areas in your home that aren’t environmentally friendly. Using this site requires a Flash plug-in.
Energy Star
, a government-sponsored Web site, is one of the best resources for finding green products for the home. Learn about “Common Home Problems” that may be affecting your energy efficiency, and then check out the list of “Energy Star Qualified Products.”
American Water and Energy Savers
has a list of how to “Save Water 49 Ways,” including sections on indoor water, outdoor water and general conservation.
For recycling information …
The Internet Consumer Recycling Guide
explains one of the most basic ways to embark on green living. Learn how to recycle, what to do with different materials, how to go “beyond the curbside” and how to reduce your unwanted mail.
Earth 911
supplies community- and home-related resources for creating a green lifestyle. Use the search feature at the top of the page to find recycling or re-use locations that accept a variety of items like batteries or paint.
To buy carbon offsets …
Carbonfund.org
features an “Offset Your Footprint" section where users can choose a category (ZeroCarbon, car, plane or home) and how much carbon they want to offset with a financial donation.
TerraPass
calculates all of your different types of carbon emissions and then recommends a donation plan for offsetting your annual amount. The money goes to renewable energy sources such as wind farms.
Be Green
assesses individual carbon production in four areas: electricity, vehicle(s), air travel, and natural gas. After you see how much carbon you contribute to the environment, you'll be able to purchase carbon offsets to help lessen the effects of your CO2 emissions.
Who knew?
Breathing Earth
is a simulated presentation of the carbon dioxide emissions in every country of the world, as well as the regional birth and death rates. All in real time, witness an accurate, quantified representation of how many pounds of carbon dioxide have been emitted and how many people have been born and died since you began viewing the site.
Choosing Green Products and Services
No matter where you live, you can make a difference by buying green products, choosing green energy ... read more »
Environmental Activism
It’s nice to know you’re not the only person out of the world’s six billion who ... read more »
Environmental News
You may think your neighbor with the hybrid car has already taught you everything you need to know ... read more »
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