How to Help

Things you can do for a Healthier Planet

Moms for a Healthy Planet

Do you really need every bag and piece of tissue paper that they give you when you go
shopping? Politely ask the assistant to not wrap your new purchase in tissue paper. Decline
a new bag, simply combine your new purchases. It's great to carry less bags! Better still,
take a cloth bag with you and use that.

Reduce your use of kitchen paper towels and use a kitchen sponge instead (when the
sponge gets dirty, stick it in the washing machine with your regular laundry).

Visit Seventh Generation for some great reasons to use alternative products. For example,
Seventh Generation says that "If every household in the U.S. replaced just one bottle of
150oz. ultra petroleum based liquid detergent with Seventh Generation 150oz. ultra vegetable
based product, we could save 340,000 barrels of oil, enough to heat and cool 19,500 U.S.
homes for a year."

Use bleach-free tampons, panty liners and pads. These can be purchased at
www.herbtrader.com

Use bleach-free baby wipes. These can be purchased at www.herbtrader.com as well as
your local whole foods type store e.g. Henrys, Whole Oats

For those people in the USA, call 1-888-567-8688 and follow the prompts to stop getting
pre-approved credit offers in the mail. This will reduce the junk mail in your mail box and
save some trees.

Use 100% recycled paper for printing. You can find 100% post consumer recycled paper and
other bleach-free paper products at http://www.worldcentric.org/store/paper.htm.

Go to Consumer Reports Choices site to get help on making the right green purchases and
so reduce pollution and energy-consumption.

Take time to write to your local politician and favorite presidential candidates to ask what their
policies are regarding lowering emissions and global warming in general. C lick here to see
a letter template that you can send to let them know these issues are important to you. And
click here for all the contact information for the 2008 Presidential Candidates.

When you get junk mail and catalogues, take a minute to call the company that sent them
and ask to be taken off their mailing list - it's great! Less junk mail means less wasted paper
and ink, as well as less gas being used to deliver it.

Purchase a Hybrid as your next car. Visit any of the following sites for further information.
www.HybridCenter.org
Toyota web site
(click on the Hybrid tab at the top or click on "Explore and join the community")
Ford web site
Lexus web site
(click Luxury Hybrids tab at the top of this home page)
Honda web site
(click on any of their hybrid models in the panel on the right)

You can become aware of your energy consumption using a handy gadget called the
Electrisave or Centa-meter. This can help you reduce your electricity bill and save electricity.
Visit their web site.

Use fluorescent bulbs in your house wherever possible - this will save you money as well as
energy.

Log on to the Conservation Fund's Carbon Zero Calculator to estimate and offset your
emissions through a few simple calculations.

Take reusable bags to the grocery store, including reusable bags for produce selections.
Visit Reusablebags.com for some good organic bags.

Visit Co-Op America's site on toxic-free art supplies for your children.

Visit the clothing store Patagonia for your clothing needs - they have clothes made from
reclaimed material and Patagonia will recycle your old Patagonia clothing when you are
finished with it.

Visit Natureworks.com to see their clear packaging - it is made using corn. If you are a buyer
or own a company - consider using this packaging instead of plastic.

When buying new products try to buy products marked with the EPA's "Energy Star". These
products use less energy. Their web site also has useful information on saving energy
around the house. Visit www.energystar.gov.

Use GDiapers - even if you only replace one disposable with a GDiaper every day, that
would mean 365 less diapers in the landfill that year. Think of the reduction in landfills if
every family did this. Check out GDiapers by clicking the picture below.

I love GDiapers and will be writing a full review of my experience very shortly

There are many online organizations that you can join to get more information on how to
reduce pollution and make a positive impact on the planet. Two of these are:
www.FightGlobalWarming.com
www.TreeHugger.com

Visit Littlegreenstar.com for kids shirts that are "made from sweatshop free, 100%
organic cotton and printed with non-toxic water-based ink." Very cute designs!