In this fast paced modern life, living green is about finding balance between the demands of daily life and consciousness about the health of the planet.
It is easy to get overwhelmed by the thought of having to do more, learn more, or add one more thing to the growing list. But, eco-friendly living does not have to be a chore. When we tap into our belief system and discover what is truly important to us, green living becomes a way of life.

Step One: Awareness

Becoming conscious of our daily decisions is the first step towards living a greener life. Just like beginning a meditation practice starts with becoming aware of your thoughts, living greener starts by becoming aware of our actions and how our actions affect the greater community. It may not seem like a big deal to get a few extra pieces of junk mail each day, but imagine how many people are in you neighborhood, in your city, or country and how a few extra pieces of paper can really add up to an enormous pile of waste each day.
If extra trash and deforestation doesn’t get you motivated, start focusing on your personal health. Common household cleaners pose a great health risk to the environment and your health. Not only toxic to the environment, toxic household cleaners have been linked to allergies, asthma, and infertility. Becoming aware of the cleaners you are using and the risks they pose is a significant step towards leading a greener life.
Read and learn about healthy living, both for your personal health and for the health of the planet. Discover which topics hit your hot button and become conscious of your daily choices and their health impacts.

Step Two: The alternatives

There are easy, cost effective ways to make your environment safer. Vinegar is a universal cleaner and disinfectant. Energy saving compact fluorescent light bulbs use ¼ the energy of traditional bulbs. Eating local foods not only tastes better, but significantly decreases transportation cost and petroleum use. The list of eco-friendly tips could go on forever, but the point is after becoming aware of your actions, learning and implementing greener alternatives is the next step. The Environmental Working Group, GreenPeace, and Friends of the Earth are a few organizations dedicated to preserving natural resources and offering environmental education. Find ways to incorporate green living into your daily life. Experiment with energy saving techniques and health promoting alternatives to see what practices fit into your lifestyle.

Step Three: Preach what you practice

As you learn more energy saving, health promoting ways of life, begin sharing them with others. Your commitment to sustainability will be contagious. The majority of people love to save money, contribute to a greater cause, and take care of their health.
Be an inspiration to others by preaching the sustainable, eco-friendly ideas you practice. The more you share, the more others will open up and global consciousness will emerge, providing our future generations with the resources and diversity they deserve.

In case you haven’t noticed, retailers, even giants, are “going green”. It was bound to
happen and it is a welcome change. Of course the Wal-marts, Targets and Sams Clubs of
the world, most likely, will never go fully earth-friendly, and merely offer sections in
their stores rather than become another Whole Foods, it is still a very good sign.

Why is it a good sign. The obvious part is that anything a person, organization, company,
or group and do, in any tiny way, to leave shorter “carbon footprints”, the better. The signs
of a “planet in trouble” have been with us for awhile. It is nothing new. Today, one does not
need to be what was commonly referred to as a “tree-hugger” to do their part in pitching
in to help in their own small way to help the planet.

I am a cartoonist and online retailer. I sell licensed images of my cartoon images on
a myriad of products such as Tshirts, mouse pads, coffee mugs, and others. When I told
my friends I was planning to open a 100% organic cotton (using nontoxic dyes) T-shirt
shop as my latest online venture, a good many of them laughed. And not at my cartoons.
Some felt I was “losing it”. The truth is, I am finding it. Though I don’t know if I will
ever become 100% earth-friendly in my entrepreneurial pursuits, that is my goal. I still
have many existing customers at other stores who have supported us all these years, and
they are a completely different market. It is imperative to cater to them and provide
a product and service that they have come to appreciate. It does not make them “bad” or
me bad for providing that.

What would make me bad is if, now that I have been given the opportunity to get into
the “green sector” of business, not to have taken it. Actually, I had been trying for a long
time, but I could not strike a deal with a manufacturer that suited me. I wanted to find one
in which I could provide an extremely high quality fabric, and have my cartoon images
imprinted with natural dyes that would not harm the skin. Easier said than done. There
were a few our but there was always an issue or minimal purchases, quality control, etc.

Finally, thanks to a print-on-demand company called Zazzle.com, and contracts they
have with American Apparel and Edun Organics (two of the best), I can offer the
quality green tee and have it printed and drop-shipped anywhere in the world within
24 hours. Not bad, and at very competitive prices.

Statistics show that eco-friendly shoppers have tripled in America in the past sixteen
months. It is rare when such a business phenomena happens, in which the products may
cost a few dollars more, in an “iffy economy”. That generally means it is not “just a trend” but
becoming the mainstream. So green retailing and buying is not just a good thing it is a smart thing,
an investment in body, soul, mind, and planet earth. The return on investment is priceless.

Americans, and citizens of other countries, love our t-shirts. According to a study, the
average American has at least thirty designed tees, and almost one hundred percent have a “favorite one”. I know I do. We also are health-conscious people these days. We try to eat healthier foods, take organic vitamins, eat less red meat, consume less trans-fat. The skin is the largest and most absorbable organ the body has. Wearing non-toxic dye tees is smart. And wearing premium ones, paying about $5-6 more than one would for a regular cotton or cotton blend tee is even smarter. It looks sexier.

It feels better. And one is doing their part to help the planet a little. To me, that kind of peace of mind is worth a lot more than a McDonald’s Happy Meal.