What to buy and what NOT to buy...

Not all of us are going to dedicate our whole lives towards going into polluted rivers or develop technology to clean the planet that we all share. Nevertheless, we all have a great power bestowed upon us that may seem futile at a first look - the power to choose what to buy and what not to buy. Money goes a long way, and by taking a little time to make sure we aren't supporting businesses or the creation of products that are causing undue suffering to animals or the environment we can make just as big of a difference.

You may have heard about the benefits of organic (the most important ones include eliminating dangerous pesticides as well as the greenhouse gases needed to make them and giving animals more humane treatment), but how much organic is in your own life? There is a challenge out there to make one out of ten of the things you buy organic - and even this is low for the standards of those of us that consider ourselves hardcore 'treehuggers'! Don't believe the hype? Is organic turning out to be more expensive? There are savvy ways to save your money when buying organic (such as buying in bulk), and for those just starting on the organic journey it may be wise to start with just a few products that are most likely to retain harmful pesticides otherwise (fruits such as apples - check out this top 10 list - http://www.care2.com/greenliving/the-top-10-foods-to-eat-organically.html).

Also, did you know that organic eating can be better for your heart? Check out this article: http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/070607HA.shtml.

For those of you that want to go a step further, there are organic fibers as well! I've heard that it is not so important to bother about organic dry cleaning or organic cosmetics, but check out some awesome alternatives to dangerous chemical-filled dry cleaning here: http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/ask/wetclean.

Now, here's another important category - local products! Yes, this is an endorsement for your farmer's market. (Check out where to find one near you - http://www.localharvest.com.) There is an excellent argument on that site for local organic food, but basically we can lessen our contribution to global warming by cutting down on transportation costs. Try seeing if you can get fresh farm delivery with a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program each week - Local Harvest also has great information about them! If you think you're ready to transition, take on the 100-mile diet! (Check out http://www.100milediet.org!)

It's all right if you don't get EVERYTHING organic and local at first, but we encourage you to make realistic goals each week that work for you and the environment. However, here are just three of the 10 things that Co-op America says we should NEVER buy again (http://www.care2.com/dailyaction/primary.html?da%5Btoday%5D=2007-08-20):

• Styrofoam cups (trash that lasts forever!)
• Paper towels (this can shock almost everyone! Try looking for recycled ones or, better yet, stick with rags or dishtowels!)
• Conventional household cleaners (look for advice on the site above or http://www.care2.com to see how to make your own cleaners that are better for your health and nature's but just as effective!)

Boycotting has been one of the primary historical means of rebellion - why not use a tried and true method even as we explore innovative products that may help to save our planet?

Hopefully these tidbits will inspire you to start with at least one small step to change the world!

Any comments, advice and additional tips are heartily welcomed!

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Thanks for taking this chance to learn how to be a responsible consumer!