by Paulina Aguilera
Kermit the Frog said it best when he said “It’s not easy being green.” But with the advent of the World Wide Web, being green really is easy – not to mention cheap. It’s just a matter of knowing where to turn to for helpful green advice, eco-friendly tips, and money-saving information that helps us save our environment at the same time.
Say what you will about the Internet, but without it, the spreading of environmentally sound advice to millions across the world couldn’t be possible. If you want a recipe for all-natural, animal-friendly, all-purpose cleaner, you only need to ask the Google gods. Maybe you want to green your upcoming wedding. You can just hop online, type in “green wedding” and thousands upon thousands of possibilities are instantly presented before you. Here’s something I learned using the power of the net: Wear a vintage wedding dress. You will get it at a steal, it will likely be made in America, and no one else will have one quite like it.
There are so many venues to find eco-friendly living advice, so the greatest challenge is no longer “Where can I find good green tips?” but “Where can I find the best green tips?” Of all the Websites and blogs currently touting green living advice, we here at MovingCost.com have selected the four best that will be worth your precious internet browsing hours.
ecolife (http://www.ecolife.com)
This Canadian-based blog covers every aspect of a greener lifestyle, from parenting to beauty. Not quite sure what the hullabaloo about carbon offsets is about? Ecolife lays it out so you can understand it better in the blog entitled “Clearing Up the Offset Confusion.” Think conventional baby formula is a good idea for your infant? Maryruth’s excellently researched “Choosing Organic Baby Formula” exposes the potential harms of using regular baby formula, and includes links on recipes for making your own organic baby formula at home.
And if you’re moving a long distance, ecolife presents a great guide to finding green airlines that help you get to your final destination with a reduced carbon footprint. But the blog of particular note is the recycling facts – a must-read for any avid recycler. Until I read it, I had no idea that sending yard waste to the landfill could lead to the development of leachate, a dangerous combination of toxins and metals that seeps into our groundwater.
The Mindful Consumer (http://www.themindfulconsumer.com)
The Mindful Consumer blogs are the brainchild of Washington D.C. duo Sara Ellard and Ron Exler. Both Washingtonians describe the challenges of living as a green consumer everyday. Together, they have managed to bring well-researched blogs that are relatable, explore a broad variety of topics, and comes from a genuine place of concern for the environment.
Most of us trying to live an environmentally conscious lifestyle are fed up with paying higher prices for organic and all natural goods. Ron shares his irritation with the situation in this blog that calls for equal prices on green goods. Plus, Sara offers five cheap ways you can go green, including a tip that will help you furnish your new home for less.
Green Matters (http://www.greenmatters.com)
If there was a green living bandwagon, best-selling author of It’s Easy Being Green: A Handbook for Earth-Friendly Living Crissy Trask would be driving it. She’s been dishing out excellent green advice on her Green Matters blog since 1999, which explains the tagline “The Original Green Lifestyle Website.”
Crissy’s blogs range from tidbits on newly coined words (take the word cheatatarian, for one – you know who you are…) to political discussions, like her thoughts on Sarah Palin’s decision to feed school kids cookies in a school with limits on sweets. And if you’re in the habit of feeding ducks at your local park, read Crissy’s plea on why you need to stop feeding the ducks.
Mother Earth News (http://www.motherearthnews.com)
This Website is also a popular sustainable living publication – one of the longest running magazines of its kind, in fact. Although they don’t proclaim to be a green living Website, Topeka-based Mother Earth News aims to make your life choices wiser. This is the go-to site if you have dreams of the simple life consisting of a vegetable patch, a few cows, and maybe some chickens running around.
Got a green thumb? You could spend hours browsing and reading the many organic gardening posts featured here. Curious about the new electric cars hitting the market this year? Take an in-depth look at the fact-filled “Why Electric Cars Are Greener” blog from James Kliesch. For the handyman or woman moving into a fixer upper, don’t miss the many projects in the must-read do-it-yourself section.
There you have it! These four eco-conscious blogs and sites are the perfect resources for your environmentally friendly self. You can spruce up your beauty regimen with the natural makeup remover tips and products researched by ecolife. You can learn how to be a Mindful Consumer with help from Sara and Ron’s camp. You can find tips on caring for livestock for your eco-friendly farm at Mother Earth News. So start browsing and stop wasting!