Lifestyle

Happy Earth Day everyone! On this celebratory day I thought I’d recap some of the simplest things you can do year-round to help the earth. Longevity and health are key – and there are choices we can make each day to do our part. Here’s four easy areas to greenify:

Philly's 3rd Annual Spring Cleanup had its biggest cleanup ever thanks to greenies like you with its UnLitter Us Campaign! Over 11,000 volunteers worked at 231 official project sites to collect over 1.3 million lbs of trash, 140K lbs of recycling, 50 parks & recreation centers cleaned and 763 neighborhood blocks cleaned! Incredible numbers, Philly! But how can you keep it up for this Earth week (and always...) Here's some suggestions:

The NBA (National Basketball Association) dubbed April 1-9 the league’s official 2010 Green Week. This week marks the second annual green week for the NBA. I can be a bit of a skeptic when it comes to determining if a major association is simply using the green movement as a marketing tool. However, the NBA is putting some a-c-t-i-o-n behind their Green Week. Here’s some examples of what NBA teams are doing to support the environment:

Looks like karma does come around – Thank you random.org for choosing our EcoSmart Bug Killer Giveaway: Congrats to EcoBro2000 & his friend – good luck in Africa! Best, Julie & Beth

When I spotted "Confessions of an Eco-Sinner" at the local library, I was wary of a green-washing book However, I skimmed the brief summary and gave this book a read - I'm quite glad I did! Although my friends & family may be sick of me continuously spouting things I learned, I can't get enough. Fred Pearce is a British author who decided to track down where various items he uses originate, how they're created and what the impact is on both the local inhabits & environment. For example, he follows the birth of his wedding band into the gold mines of Witwatersrand, Africa (by Johannesburg). He checks to see if his 'Fair Trade" Coffee and cotton are actually "fair trade" - (which is quite complex). Here are just a few fascinating takeaways I learned:

Bottled water tastes SO much  better than tap. It’s cleaner, comes from mountains (aka the heavens) and is bottled up by major manufactures (such as Coca-cola, Fiji and many others – even supermarket brands) delivered to you, tasting better than water you...

Guest Blogger Clay‘s Recommendation: Rocky Mountain Institute Founded in the 1980s by brothers Amory and Hunter Lovins, The Rocky Mountain Institute has since become a global thought leader in the efficient and restorative use of resources.  RMI prides itself on...

56% of women use disposable razors, according to Gillette. Don't do it! But just because you're green doesn't mean you have to stop shaving. Here's greener alternatives:

You feel good about carrying reusable bags, drinking out of your SIGG and cleaning with homemade eco-friendly products . Making sustainable, smart choices in your daily habits can go a long way. What about less frequently marketed ‘green’ products? Here’s two daily items you may not have considered – yet :