The world is in a sorry state due to greenhouse gas emissions. You know to recycle, reduce and reuse, but a girl can’t go around looking like a tree-hugging hippie; you must look chic at all times. And that includes every aspect of your green-living life, from the way you decorate your home to the way you accessorize your person. Remember, going green doesn’t mean you must abandon your sense of style or forfeit all things luxury.

Check out labels like Ecoist, which makes really cute purses and accessories out of repurposed paper and donates part of sales to environmental groups. Not only do they plant a tree when you buy a handbag, but they also have a line of specialty bracelets to help spread the word about global warming, which even come in kid sizes, so you can educate and decorate.

Ecologically sound clothing isn’t limited to hemp anymore either. A lot of designers are taking an interest in organic cotton, which is grown without harmful chemicals that not only cause health problems for handlers, but also air and water pollution. Other materials are also gaining poplar use, like soy and paper as well as luxurious silk for the diva in you. Check out Shop Regeneration, who also carries eco-friendly housewares and furnishings. While you browse the site, don’t forget about picking something up for the kids, the man in your life or your favorite four-legged friend. And you don’t have to feel guilty about shopping, because part of your purchase will go to help environmental organizations.

If your apartment or house is in need of a redecorating, check out furniture that is new to you, rather than fresh off the truck, like at antique stores and thrift shops. If you want to go new, make sure it’s made of sustainable materials, which minimize the impact of global warming during production. Earth Friendly Goods carries products and furniture made from sustainable and/or biodegradable materials, like bamboo, hemp, soy and other resources. This site is useful because it goes beyond furniture into household goods, products and the somewhat hard to find vegan-friendly shoes. And what girl can resist shoes?
Beautify your body with Nature Girl products, made from fresh organically grown products on small farms that use alternative pest control methods to prevent harmful chemicals from being released into the air.

Nature Girl donates a part of their profits to groups who work to save the planet. Not only will you help to eliminate the harmful toxins from being released into the atmosphere, you’ll be protecting yourself from coming in contact with them too, so your skin really will be as healthy as it looks!

It’s hard work to save the planet, but it sure is fun to try, especially when that means you get to do what you do best which is shop.

These days, a major factor for many home improvement projects is the need to cut down on energy costs by making the home more energy efficient. Many home owners are finding that simple projects that require little initial investment will save them a bundle in the summer and the winter, when heating and cooling costs really begin to add up. Here are some areas and ideas you can check on to make sure that your home is wasting the least possible amount of energy.

Water: Water in any form is a general conservation concern, and there are areas throughout North America where water is at such a premium that usage is measured in much the same way as electricity; through the use of meters. The same methods for conserving your water in the home can also be used when it comes to cutting down on your gas or electric bill by watching your hot water intake.

A major area for the loss of hot water is the bath. In order to cut costs, consider installing a water smart showerhead- these easy to screw on water savers can be bought both as attachable heads, which are mounted directly on your shower spout, or as heads attached to a tube which allows for flexibility and a large range of motion. The best water saving heads will have several controls to adjust the flow and pressure of water.

You should also take a look at repairing any leaky taps in your home, whether in the bathroom, kitchen, or laundry room. A leaky tap can mean hundreds of gallons of water used needlessly every day, in addition to the annoyance of the noise.

Heating and Cooling: The main factors in energy use as far as homes go is in their heating in the wintertime and cooling in the form of air conditioning in the summer time. Some basic home improvement ideas can help you maintain a static temperature in your home without having to use extra power.

Windows are always the first area to check in the event of air loss. Older houses contain only single-pane windows, and in order to retain the air temperature of your house double paned windows are necessary; in fact, in many places double paned windows are mandatory. Upgrading your windows is a relatively easy task, although the windows themselves may be expensive. Check the seals around the window edges to make sure they are intact and offer no leaks.

The next area to check for air leaks is around your doors. Doors will contract over time, leaving minute cracks along the bottoms and the edges which can allow drafts or escaped air. This is a pretty simple thing to fix, simply by adding some additional caulking or weather stripping to the area where you can feel the leak.

Finally, a roof in need of repair can cause a lot of air to escape. Remember that heat rises, so if your roof is in disrepair you stand to lose quite a lot of heat out of the top of your home. Check your roof every year to make sure there are no loose shingles, and most houses require a roof to be replaced every twenty-five years. Adding a second whirlybird to the top of your house can greatly improve the circulation of air inside.

According to the buzz, electronics are part of an energy-savings solution. Electronics increase control over home heating, cooling and lighting systems and make it possible to telework and to access information and entertainment from home-saving you money and gas and protecting the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

What does the industry recommend you do to help save energy for America and maybe some money for yourself? Here are some hints:

• Look for the Energy Star label. It can help you identify products that use less energy. Check out www.energystar.gov for a searchable database of Energy Star products.

• Go digital with your thermostat. Home heating and cooling systems use a significant amount of energy. Most digital thermostats quickly pay for themselves in energy savings. Programmable thermostats save energy while you’re away or asleep by adjusting temperature settings.

• Unplug mobile phone or PDA chargers when batteries are fully charged or when the chargers are not in use.

• Be power-wise with your PC. Most personal computers have power management features that control energy use.

• Check owners’ manuals to make sure you’re taking full advantage of any energy-conservation capabilities of your electronics.

• Plug electronics, such as TVs, DVD players and audio systems, into power strips, and turn the power strips off when the equipment is not in use, especially for long periods of time. Just be sure to read the manual first to make sure you won’t affect the product (for example, TVs that need to remain plugged in so that they can download program guides).

• Investigate home networking and automation products and services that let you control heating, lighting and cooling from a central location in the home.

• When in the market for home office products, consider a multifunction device, which combines printing, copying, scanning and faxing.

• Save fuel by shopping and banking from home on your computer.

• Ask your employer about working from home or a satellite business location to cut your commute.

Heating bills are rising up in every part of the country and the trend will continue because of World energy demands. The average US household expense on energy bills is estimated at 6% of the income in 2005, compared to 4% in 2003. Owners of efficient new houses spend considerably less than the people living in old houses. Financial burden due to increased energy expenses can be reduced by weatherizing and conserving.

Your house can be energy deficient in plumbing, insulation or heating. In many old houses, the biggest problem is not the cold air coming from windows but the air filtration from the basement due to floor joists and the structures supporting the floor. In an average American home, 50%-70% of the energy used goes to heating and cooling. If your house is built before 1980, it may no have adequate insulation. While most owners focus on attic insulation, they should not ignore the basement ceiling. Fiber glass is not a good insulation material as air flows right through it. Use spray foam or cellulose as an insulation materials for proper insulation.

Caulk and weather-strip all doors and windows that leak air. Look for all plumbing, ducting and electrical wiring the penetrates through exterior walls and seal those to prevent hot air leaking out. Keep the flue damper tightly closed when the fire place is not in use. If you are planning to change windows in your house, shop for insulating windows and install them as tight fitting as possible. You can use heavy duty clear plastic sheet to the inside of your window and seal them properly to prevent any leak.

Another areas where home owners can focus to reduce their energy bill is conservation. If you have an old thermostat, replace it with a new electronics control thermostat with digital readouts.. An electronics control thermostat is more precise than an dial type thermostat. Better, yet, is a programmable thermostat that you can program for the different hours of the day and night. Replace air filters regularly. If your house has a hot water radiator, bleed it once or twice during the winter season. If you dont know how to do this, search in the Internet or get the help of a professional.

When you buy new appliances, look for the Energy Star label. Energy Star labeled appliances are certified to be energy efficient. Most appliances now display a bright yellow and black Energy Guide label. These labels will tell you the average energy consumption cost of the appliance. While shopping for any appliance, do not forget to take into account this cost as another factor to evaluate before you make your final decision. You can find more energy tips at www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips.

The workshop is a great place for reusing items formally destined for the landfill. Even if you do not have a shop or craft area you can always donate the items mentioned in the following paragraphs to friends, schools, shops, youth centers The concept of reusing is as limitless as your imagination.

Screws, bolts, picture hooks, plant hangers, curtain hooks, and hinges are common hardware items used in most homes. Although not overly costly when purchased a few pieces at a time, they can add up over the years. Salvage any reusable hardware and parts from old cabinets, furniture or mechanical items before discarding. These can easily be organized and stored in plastic containers of different sizes. Shop with this in mind and purchase items like peanut butter or mayonnaise in clear plastic containers. These are our favorite as they are recyclable, sturdy and you can easily determine the jars contents at a glance. When buying screws and bolts avoid the small plastic packages and try to find a store that sells these items out of bulk bins. You save money and packaging too.

Strong plastic jugs from juice, milk, or detergents make excellent storage containers for tools, rags or parts in the workshop. At a section near the top of the jug remove all but a flap of plastic to attach it to a wall or post. Any rough spots can be filed off or covered with tape. Drill a few holes in the bottom for drainage and use in the same way outside in the garden and for storing clothespins.

Any clothing or towels too ragged to donate to a thrift store still have value. Cut the material into squares of different sizes to use as cleanup rags. Many garages, cabinet shops and backyard mechanics will gratefully accept excess rags. Sewing groups would gladly accept the buttons and zippers gleaned from the clothing. Childrens programs and daycare centers also use buttons for crafts.

Small household appliances that are no longer working can be salvaged for parts. If you are not familiar with this type of operation dont attempt it – you can always donate them to handymen types that you may know, or appliance repair classes in your community. Handles from pots and pans can come in handy for fashioning custom tools, or they can be used to make a storage box easy to carry. Old utensils can be bent and made into various picks and scrapers.

The workshop can become a veritable stew pot of reuse ideas. As it is not a place commonly viewed by guests or neighbors it will not matter so much if the look is compromised by the reused items. Of course, the most important thing is the fact that you are reducing your landfill contribution by taking the matter into your own hands and making a difference!