Joel Makower is Executive Editor of GreenBiz.com, author of the new book Strategies for the Green Economy, and writes the “Two Steps Forward” blog on green business practices and clean technology.

How do you eco?

I’ve helped companies for the last 20+ years integrate an environmental thinking into their operations that aligns with being more profitable. I wrote a monthly environmental newsletter for 15 years, then started GreenBiz.com and related websites, reports, conferences and services based on the same concepts. I’ve worked with the world’s largest companies through GreenOrder and leading clean-tech venture fund, VantagePoint Venture Partners. These fun and stimulating projects and partnerships keeps me on the move.

My biggest impact is far and away air travel, for which I buy offsets. That’s hardly an adequate substitute for the environmental impacts of flying, but it’s the best I can do.

Why did you go eco?

I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area in a family that routinely celebrated the great outdoors, by enjoying them in the form of camping and hiking as well as supporting environmental activities. My parents joined the Sierra Club back in the 1950s. Growing up, my father made us turn out the lights when we left the room and avoid being wasteful.

I’ve always strived to do things professionally that combined with my passions and values. I started writing about environmental issues in the 1970s. I wrote a book called “The Green Consumer,” which was published just before Earth Day 1990. That began a trajectory that hasn’t yet peaked, a career for which I feel extraordinarily lucky.

What’s your favorite eco tip?

People ask me whether I practice what I preach. I tell them that I try not to preach — it’s not an effective means of change. I argue that we should do what we can reasonably do, and not feel guilty about the rest. I think companies as well as individuals — get paralyzed when pondering all of the many things one needs to do to be green. I think it’s better to find one or two things you can do that will make a difference, then build from there. Guilt will never get us to green.

EcoLinks

• GreenBiz
• Two Steps Forward
• Joel Makower
• WorkEco Websites
• ClimateBiz
• Green Computing
• Greener Buildings
• Greener Design
• Clean Edge
• Green Order

Andrea Donsky is co-founder of Naturally Savvy, a site all about living a naturally healthy lifestyle using natural and organic products. A registered holistic nutritionist and mom of two, Andrea finds easy ways to use eco-friendly products in everyday life.

How do you eco?

I try and do as much as I can such as eating organic food, recycling, unplugging my appliances and turning off lights. I also Eco by teaching my children to respect their environment by turning off the water when they brush their teeth, recycle and re-use (especially with arts & crafts). We’re most proud of our recent green home renovation project. My husband and I completely renovated our main floor and basement and did it in a non-toxic, eco-friendly way. Everything from the wall insulation to the kitchen cabinets are eco-friendly.

Why did you go eco?

Because I want my children and their children to live in a healthy world. Although the Eco policies of large companies and countries like China and India will have a larger impact, I am an optimist and believe every little bit counts. I also Eco because I want to inspire my children to do the same. As we know, children learn by example so what kind of role model would I be if I didn’t show them how it’s done.

What’s your favorite Eco tip?

Eat as much natural and organic as possible. Use non-toxic, environmentally-friendly cleaning products and stop spraying our lawns with pesticides!

EcoLinks

• Naturally Savvy
• HomeEco websites

Part of a series featuring green moms, the new Chief Eco Officers.

Megan Gerst, founder of Sustainable Motherhood blog, writes for parents looking to live lighter while balancing parenthood, career, and community. Once a city mouse who grew up in New York City, Megan recently became a country mouse after moving upstate. She’s involved in the local sustainable community and runs an event management company.

How do you eco?

My family went from eco-criminal to eco-conscious, but we’re not yet eco-crusaders. We practice the four R’s - Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose and Recycle. We grow some of our own vegetables and buy the rest local or organic. We reduced the amount of meat we eat and have eliminated heavily processed foods. Much to my husband’s chagrin we often eat leftovers. We use fluorescent bulbs; shut off the lights when we leave a room and the water while we brush. We use reusable grocery bags, water bottles and coffee cups. We limit our use of plastic and use single serving portions in reusable containers for school lunches. We think before we buy and before we throw away.

Why did you go eco?

I grew up in New York City, a very easy place to ignore your environmental impact. When we moved to the country, I realized how our choices and actions impact the environment and the local community. It started with pocket book issues, as we looked at where we wasted money. After watching Inconvenient Truth and reading Michael Pollan’s book The Omnivore’s Dilemma things really started to connect. I realized that I worked long hours and spent time away from my son so we could buy things we really didn’t need, were wasteful and sometimes unsafe. So after doing eye-opening research on toy standards, I began to live lighter and greener in pursuit of what I call “sustainable motherhood.” Which I define as a balance between your personal well being, parenting, professional achievement, and giving back to your local and global community.

What’s your favorite eco tip?

My favorite thing by far is shopping locally at the farmers market. The vegetables and produce are so much better than than what you find at the grocery store and it is such a great way to support local community agriculture.

EcoLinks

• Sustainable Motherhood
• Chief Eco Officers
• Sustainable Warwick
• Harvest at Greenwood Lake
• Warwick Farmer’s Market
• Z recommends
• Eco Childs Play
• Safe Mama
• My Green Conscience
• Earth First
• Dianes Big Green Purse

Part of a series featuring green moms, the new Chief Eco Officers.

Anna Hackman, writer of the Green Talk blog, believes if you build it green, they will come. Anna first focused on green building products and now has expanded to green living tips, recycling and gardening.

How do you eco?

When we started building a new house five years ago, we wanted to incorporate green building products into the construction process. Our goal was to make the house as nontoxic and energy efficient as possible. The learning curve was huge. I worked as the assistant general contractor in charge of green building products. My legal background came in handy as I researched every product we used. We are still working on this house! It is never ending.

I started the blog to focus on green building products. It has now expanded into green products, green living tips, recycling and gardening. I try to approach most situations with humor since otherwise my own compulsive, overanalyzing behavior would make me crazy. I am amazed at some of the responses that I receive and have learned much from my readers. I started a green building consultancy business that uses my own personal experiences to help others.

Why did you go eco?

I have four children who all have learning issues and allergies. I am convinced that the products used in our past homes contributed to their issues. This is one of the reasons we built our new house with as many nontoxic products as possible.

Another reason is to preserve Mother Earth. Spending time in my garden watching the bees buzz and the butterflies flutter, it easy to see why Mother Earth is so important. It never ceases to amaze me how humans can impact the Earth.

We need to teach our children by example since they will inherit the earth. I remind them to always turn off the lights, recycle and don’t waste anything. I hope it will stick as they become adults.

What’s your favorite eco tip?

Take your shoes off when you come into your house. You’ll avoid tracking in pesticides and other
toxic materials into your home.

EcoLinks

• Green Talk
• Chief Eco Officers
• HomeEco
• PlayEco

Part of a series featuring green moms, the new Chief Eco Officers.

Jennifer Doucette, mother of three small children, writes the Mothers Going Green blog, a daily record of her implementation of green changes into her home and lifestyle.

How do you eco?

I look at everything we do each day and see if we can do things ‘greener’. We buy local and organic whenever possible. We use eco-friendly household cleaners and personal products. We grow our own vegetables and use worm composting to reduce our waste. We recycle, reuse and reduce almost everything. We conserve both energy and water; don’t use plastic bags; and minimize other use of plastics.

Why did you go eco?

I was inspired after reading, The 100 Mile Diet: A Year of Local Eating. It opened my eyes to the damage we are doing to the earth. I’m doing this mostly for my children and their children - so that they can know the same beautiful earth I have known. And if it doesn’t turn out perfectly– at least I know that I tried my hardest. I’m also doing it for ‘mother nature’ she has nurtured us for so long now and it is now time to return the favor.

What’s your favorite eco tip?

The top one would be: No plastic bags! Followed by: conserve water and energy, plant trees and eat local and organic food.

EcoLinks

• Mother’s Going Green
• Chief Eco Officers
• HomeEco
• PlayEco

Part of a series featuring green moms, the new Chief Eco Officers.

Jenn Savedge writes The Green Parent blog and is author of The Green Parent: A Kid-Friendly Guide to Earth-Friendly Living. She focuses on helping parents raise kids that care about the environment without trashing the planet.

How do you eco?

I’m a firm believer that every little change makes a difference, so I make try to make every aspect of my daily life from cleaning my home to shopping for groceries as green as possible. But I can’t do it all. It can be hard to deal with “eco-guilt.” As a green author, a lot of folks expect me to be the model of “greenness” at all times. But I’m just a regular mom who is very interested in going green and tries make a difference everyday.

Why did you go eco?

I’m a big animal fan and worked for a number of years lobbying the Congress and United Nations to ensure better protection for endangered species like elephants and tigers. When my kids came along I found it tough to fit it all in. It was hard to keep up my garden and walk everywhere with a little baby in tow. My first instinct was to set eco-matters aside and focus on my kids. I then realized that eco-matters affect my girls as much if not more than all other decisions I make to keep them happy and healthy. So now, even with my work and their many activities, I eco for my girls, for their present and for their future.

What’s your favorite eco tip?

Focus on the money-savers. People seem to think that going green is only for those who can afford it. The essence of going green is to use less stuff, and to be more discriminating about the stuff we do need to use. More often than not, that translates into major savings (and who couldn’t use a little extra green?).

EcoLinks

• The Green Parent
• The Green Parent Forum
• Chief Eco Officers
• HomeEco
• PlayEco

Beth Terry, writes the Fake Plastic Fish blog, is an anti-plastic girl in a plastic world. Her detailed log of how much plastic she uses or comes across is a eye-opening view into our disposable culture.

How do you eco?

On the surface, my life and mission are about plastic. How to reduce plastic consumption and waste and find better, healthier alternatives. I track my own plastic waste and hopefully inspire others.

Our plastic habits are an example of the lifestyle our culture promotes. Plastic is convenient, because nothing can be easy enough for us. Plastic is lightweight and cheaper to ship, so we can buy and import more and more. It lasts forever in the environment as tiny plastic pieces. Plastic objects often break and usually can’t be fixed, a view into our disposable society.

Once at a meditation retreat, I ranted about garbage and the environment. The teacher pointed at his head and said, “You know what? The real garbage is in here.” I never forgot that moment. The first place I always try to start with is my “inner environment”, the source of all my actions.

Why did you go eco?

I read an article Plastic Ocean about the damage plastic particles are doing to the marine environment and how those toxins move up the food chain. There was a photo of a dead Laysan albatross, whose carcass was full of plastic bottle caps, a toothbrush and even a cigarette lighter. That photo has never left my head, and it influences my daily choices.

What’s your favorite eco tip?

Two things:

• Read the Plastic Ocean article. Then decide how you can begin eliminating unnecessary plastic.
• Use baking soda. It’s a wonder substance. I use it for cleaning, as a deodorant (yes, it really works!) and even to wash my hair. I buy it from Whole Foods in the San Francisco Bay Area that has bulk bins, where you bring and fill up your own container. So it’s zero waste. Gotta love that!

EcoLinks

• Fake Plastic Fish
• Recycling & Waste

Part of a series featuring green moms, the new Chief Eco Officers.

Tabitha Liddiard, writes the Organic for Baby and Organic In Style blogs, searching out the best organic and eco-friendly products for babies, children and adults. Products of good quality, excellent craftsmanship and–a certain hip and trendy style.

How do you eco?

Be aware of my choices. It sounds simple, but it takes conscience effort. Like going back to get my tote bag rather than using more grocery bags. Being willing to pay a little more for an eco-friendly, organic product rather than choosing the cheapest item available. My husband has even gave up his beloved gas lawnmower for a push mower. He gets a good workout with it too!

Why did you go eco?

I started doing research because I was hearing a lot in the media. There are a lot of scary facts floating around so I decided to research for myself. The more I learn, the more I try to change and apply these principles to my life. I want to make a difference for me and for my family.

What’s your favorite eco tip?

There are materials other than traditional cotton that are safer and better for the environment. Materials such as bamboo, hemp and soy. (Did you know that hemp will produce 1500 pounds of fiber per acre, whereas cotton will produce only 500 pounds per acre?) And these feel great too!

EcoLinks

• Organic for Baby
• Organic In Style
• Chief Eco Officers
• HomeEco
• PlayEco

Part of a series featuring green moms, the new Chief Eco Officers.

Kirstin Aadahl, new mother and a former special education teacher of 14 years, writes the Trying To Be Greener, a blog about safe, eco-living one day at a time.

How do you eco?

Everyday, I work at finding out a new way to make safer choices that will make a difference in being healthier and saving Earth’s resources. It can be as simple as learning where to take rechargeable batteries to be recycled, how to bank online to cut down on resources, and why to grab a BPA-free reusable water bottle when I head out the door. Safer, eco-living can be done one day at a time.

Why did you go eco?

After I became pregnant last year, I thought a lot about how small amounts of chemicals, whether in food, soap, or a mattress, could affect a little baby. Having a daughter inspired me to research safer soaps, toys, cleaning products, and food which also helps me to make better choices for myself. I can’t eliminate all hazards but I can try to reduce them. These changes haven’t made a huge impact on the world’s pollution or waste but it’s still progress. Small substitutions over time will have a bigger impact on our family’s health. By spreading the word on what I’ve learned, perhaps I can inspire others to want to do the same and all of us making safer choices for ourselves and the environment add up to measurable differences.

What’s your favorite eco tip?

There’ s one small, inexpensive thing we can do on a daily basis that would make an incredible difference if everyone adopted it - bring your own bag. Each year 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are produced and only 1% are recycled. Keep reusable bags in you car, under your stroller, or in your handbag. Use them often and see the great response you get from people when you pull them out to use!

EcoLinks

• Trying to Be Greener
• Grean and Clean Mom
• Safe Mama
• Tree Hugger
• Chief Eco Officers
• HomeEco
• PlayEco

Part of a series featuring green moms, the new Chief Eco Officers.

Christine Escobar writes the Green Parent Chicago blog as a welcome harbor for Chicago-area parents interested in natural family living and caring for the environment. She focuses on natural birth, breastfeeding, organic and vegetarian nutrition, alternative education, non-traditional families, home schooling and environmentalism.

How do you eco?

Right now, we’re trying out vegetarian meals and it’s been successful. We recycle; bring our own bags and water bottles; avoid chemical cleaners, disposable products, paper towels and excessive packaging. Whenever we can make something by hand or from scratch we try to make the time to do that. We also try to buy recycled or used items. We donate as much as we can as there is always another family who could use things taking up space - like clothes, toys, books and furniture.

Why did you go eco?

Since our kids were babies we’ve had a philosophy of doing more with less and have embraced natural parenting practices like breastfeeding and cloth diapering. Now that they’re older, simple living and homeschooling allows us to be more creative with our resources. It seems like the right thing to do for them, our family and the environment. It made more sense to us than other ideas. It’s important for our children to consider how their actions effect others, whether it be other people, animals or plants.

What’s your favorite eco tip?

You can be happier and enjoy life more with less. We certainly have our share of toys, clothes and stuff. But now when I shop, I ask whether this something we really need, already have something similar and what purpose will it serve in our house. There are so many ways to enjoy your day when you have children. Don’t waste time maintaining and cleaning possessions which cuts into time doing more important things as a family.

EcoLinks

• Green Parent Chicago
• The Green Baby Guide
• How Can I Recycle This
• Chief Eco Officers
• HomeEco
• PlayEco