What better way to wish someone a happy Earth Day and be green than sending a free Earth Day eCard? In searching for great eCards for Earth Day we came up with the following sites as our favorite.

Care2 has great Earth Day eCards, and 5% of all of their advertising revenue goes to charity!

The Nature Conservancy encourages you to share your love of nature by sending their eCards. All of their eCards are from pictures their users send in. Send in one of your pictures of nature to be an eCard too!

World Worldlife Fund has great Earth Day eCards that encourage change. Send these eCards and show other people all the change the WWF is creating!

Send eCards. Save paper. Celebrate!

Between having ties to Brazil and wanting to save our planet, we thought we should share this great project with you. It is a project called Plant a Billion Trees which was started by The Nature Conservancy. For every dollar donated, they will plant a tree in The Atlantic Forest of Brazil.

Why this forest in Brazil? The Atlantic Forest is now only 7% of its original size due to many problems such as illegal logging,  urban expansion, and coastal development. Many species are in danger, and our climate is too. Tropical forests such as The Atlantic Forest are responsible for containing enormous amounts of carbon dioxide and releasing enormous amounts of oxygen. What will happen if all of this carbon dioxide is released and the production of oxygen disappears? Check out this link for more facts.

How do we fix this problem? The Conservancy’s goal is to conserve millions of acres of land and plant a billion trees. While doing this, they will work with the local communities and the ruling authorities to make changes in their policy and help protect the forest through time. With these changes, The Conservancy states that the amount of carbon dioxide removed from our atmosphere every year will be the equivalent to take 2 million cars off the road! Not only will our atmosphere be cleaner, but watersheds for the people of Brazil will be plentiful again. For more on what the Conservancy plans to do follow this link.

What can you do? Act now! You can make a donation, a monthly gift, or give a gift of trees to someone else. You could also download a widget to support wildlife and show others what you stand for, post this program on your website, or even send e-cards. Spread the word: $1 to plant 1 tree!

The forests in Brazil are almost as important to you as they are to the people of Brazil. We rely on these large tropical forests to help sustain a healthy climate around the world. Help save the planet one tree at a time.

What are you going to be doing for Earth Day? Whatever it is, be sure to record it at One Million Acts of Green! One Million Acts of Green is a website started by Cisco that was made to encourage users to take green action, inspire others to be green, and see the change each green act will make in our world.

Each time you do something green, such as changing your incandescent bulbs to compact fluorescent lights, adding a ceiling fan, planting a tree, sending an e-card instead of a paper card, reusing, reducing, or recycling anything, you can record the action and show off how many greenhouse gases you have saved. If you want ideas on what green actions to take, check out their page called All Acts of Green for inspiration.

What a great way for each and every one of us to see how each and every little change we make affects the world around us. Start recording today!

We try to make  green changes in all aspects of our lives from how we get to work to what foods we eat, and how we take care of our waste. If we green all of these, why not make our work out routine a little greener too?

There are several ways to green your exercise routine. One way is to stop using electric machines like the treadmill and eliptical for your cardio work out. Instead, try bringing your routine outdoors. You can walk, run, jog, and do jumping jacks outside, and we guarantee you’ll get a better view. Switch up where you work out. Try a park, or a forested hill for a bigger challenge. Run to your local store to do your errands. You can even  get some strength training in by using your own weight. Try lunges or bring a pair of free weights to lift while you are working out. Pick up a basketball, play tennis, or find a nice spot to practice some yoga positions. You can work out without wired electricity. Grab a friend to join you and get ourdoors!

If you prefer to be indoors, try using machines that do not require energy, like a stationary bike. Utilize free weights instead of machines that require electricity.

Beyond your physical routine, you can make changes to the clothing and work out gear that you use. Try to shop for eco-friendly work out clothes, or a natural yoga mat. Check out the eco-friendly yoga mats and the eco-apparel at Amazon.com.

Want to learn how to recycle your old work out gear? Check out our post about Nike and Patagonia. Green your work out routine today!

We have been researching the different plastics that are often found in our homes, and we keep coming to the conclusion that polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic and vinyl products are by far the worst to our health and the environment. This post will address the dangers of PVC, and the products that typically contain it.

PVC has a very harsh life-cycle process which includes the use of many chemicals to produce it. The use of these chemicals is harsh to our environment. In the end of the lifecycle, most PVC is not recycled, but left in a landfill. PVC is harsh to our health as well. The EPA notes the following are short term and long term symptoms from exposure to PVC: “Acute (short-term) exposure to high levels of vinyl chloride in air has resulted in central nervous system effects (CNS), such as dizziness, drowsiness, and headaches in humans.  Chronic (long-term) exposure to vinyl chloride through inhalation and oral exposure in humans has resulted in liver damage.  Cancer is a major concern from exposure to vinyl chloride via inhalation, as vinyl chloride exposure has been shown to increase the risk of a rare form of liver cancer in humans.  EPA has classified vinyl chloride as a Group A, human carcinogen.”

Now that you are aware of the effects of PVC to your health, let’s take a look at where you may find it in your home. PVC will be found in most construction products such as flooring, wire, and piping, but it is also found in your everyday household products. Have you opened the bag of a shower curtain liner, and for several days it has this sweet, yet strong odor? That is the smell of PVC. PVC is also in many plastic wraps, garden hoses, children toys (think of the smell when opening a fast food joint’s happy meal toy for the first time), office supplies, and credit cards. When shopping for plastics, look for the word “vinyl” on the packaging, as this is typically a sign that the product contains PVC.

We understand that it may be impossible to eliminate our use of PVC in today’s society when we depend on it so much for building our homes and offices, but we can learn to eliminate it in the most harmful of areas. Children’s toys, shower curtains, and plastic wraps are products that we are in contact with constantly. Luckily, these products are often fairly affordable. Instead of using PVC prodcuts, consider purchasing toys made from other materials such as wood toys, shower curtains that are eco-friendly and vinyl free, or plastic packages that do not contain PVC. If the smell alone does not show you how bad PVC must really be, re-read the EPA statement and see why you should make these small changes.

For a healthier world, use less PVC.

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We can make many changes to our own lives to help improve our health and the environment around us, but what about the rest of the world where they need more people to help make these changes? We have found a great organization that helps do this: World Wildlife Fund. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is one of the largest environmental conservation oganizations in the entire world, with over 5 million supporters, so we thought we would give you a look into what this organization is all about!

World Wildlife Fund protects endangered environments (such as the Amazon or the Arctic which are harmed by human actions and climate changes) and species (such as Polar Bears and Whales which are harmed by hunting and changes in their environments) around the world, so that the human race and the environment can live together sustainably.

You can help with WWF in many ways.  You can take action by joining the Conservation Action Network and joining various efforts across the world. You can make a general donation to the WWF and receive a World Wildlife Fund gift with certain donations, or you can adopt a species by making a donation with a virtual adoption of one of 90 different species! You can even make an adoption or donation as a gift to a loved one. If you adopt a species, your donation will go to supporting the wild species and its habitat. And just when you think WWF couldn’t support much more,  you will see that they even support donations towards the making of crafts for sustainable livlihoods of indigenous peoples.

For every little donation each of us can give, to every signature we can sign to support change around the world, and for every person we share our knowledge with, a difference can be made in a place that may have never changed otherwise. Check out the World Wildlife Fund today and consider the change you can create around the world.

Disney is doing a lot to celebrate Earth Day this year, and we would like to give you a sneak peek!

Disney is promoting its Plant a Billion Trees campaign at all of its Disney Stores. For every dollar donated to this campaign, Disney Stores will plant a tree! So far over 95,000 trees have been planted.

At every Disney Store, a campaign called Recyling is Magic will be featured on Earth Day. Each store will have bins for the recycling of plastic bottles, and they will be selling earth-friendly products (many made out of plastic bottles themselves). In exchange for three plastic botles, Disney Store will give you one magical t-shirt, which is made partially of recycled plastic bottles.

Starting April 13th, Disney will also be featuring Boys and Girls Club of America’s Earth Day Murals at all the Disney Stores.

Disney has some great educational resources too. Disney has a book called No Place Like Earth in which the Mickey Mouse Club celebrates Earth Day. Even Playhouse Disney has gone green for the month of April!

Perhaps one of the most exciting events Disney will have on Earth Day this year is the release of its new movie, Earth. This movie will be the story about 3 different animal families making their treck around the world! The previews look great. We cannot wait to see it!

Be a Kid! Celebrate Earth Day the Disney Way.

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As we count down to Earth Day, we would like to help you find Earth Day festivities in your area! Earth Day Network has a great search engine for you to find Earth Day events by keyword, location, or date.

We encourage you to review the rest of the site as well. Earth Day Network believes that every day is Earth Day, and supports many green school programs, diversity, and global campaigns. It is time to get involved! Celebrate Earth Day with your community. Tip: you can even submit your own events for others to see!

 Did you know…that this Earth Day is themed “Green Generation” ?

Although at EcoYourself.com we would prefer that everyone take the necessary steps to lower their carbon footprint with physical changes in one’s lifestyle, we understand that there are some activities we just can’t avoid. A great way to offset the greenhouse gases that we release through our homes, when flying, and when driving, is by donating to a carbon offsetting company/non-profit. A carbon offsetting organization will use your payment to support various programs that promote renewable resources or reforestation.

There are hundreds of carbon offset providers out there, and we want to help you find reliable companies and non-profits. For those that would like to conduct some research, a great site is CarbonCatalog.org. CarbonCatalog.org will provide you with ratings, cost per 1,000 lbs of CO2, location and type of organization (company or non-profit), and a brief bio.  You will notice that prices vary greatly per 1,000 lbs of CO2 from company to company. We have found costs as cheap as $5.95/1000 lbs of CO2 to as expensive as $30/1000 lbs of CO2 in the U.S, and projects ranging from promoting renewable energy sources to reforestation. Below is a summary of our favorites.

CarbonFund.org (U.S.) is one of the most user-friendly carbon offsetting websites, and it requires the lowest cost for 1,000 lbs of CO2 emissions. Their projects include renewable resources, energy efficiency, and reforestation. The customer gets to choose which project(s) their carbon offsets should go to. In return, CarbonFund.org will send you an E-certificate. You can also add an additional carbon-free donation that is tax deductible.

TerraPass.com (U.S.) is more expensive per 1,000 lbs of CO2 emissions. Their projects include farm power, landfill gas capture, and wind energy. They will send you bumper stickers, luggage tags, and kitchen magnets in return. TerraPass.com also has a store for the purchase of energy saving gadgets, solar chargers and batteries, toys and games, and books. You can even offset a wedding or large event, and send gift certificates!

planetair.ca (Canada) uses Gold Standard carbon offsets and myclimate projects (hydropower, wind energy, efficient cook stoves, wastewater power, and biomass) in developing countries. Planetair.ca provides options for monthly payments and gifts. Planetair.ca will also provide assistance and a carbon offsetting certificate and logo for weddings and events that offset their carbon emissions.

Go to these sites and calculate your footprint (with data from your household, car, and flying usage) or select a pre-made package! Create a zero-footprint for yourself. With lifestyle changes, and an offsetting program, you can make it to zero.

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The world of fishing is not a pretty one. Current fishing practices around the world are hurting our oceans: they are endangering fish, destroying ecosystems, and polluting the water. Transporting fish from one part of the world to another requires a lot of energy. The fish need to be kept at the right temperature, and much fuel is needed to move them around. What can we do to lessen the harm inflicted on the environment, and to reduce our carbon footprint while enjoying seafood? Eat sustainable seafood.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium has an Online Seafood Watch for Sustainable Seafood. You can visit their site, click on the region in which you live, and learn which seafood is considered sustainable in your area. The most sustainable seafood will be fish that are in great abundance and that are caught in environmentally friendly ways. The Watch calls these “Best Choices.” If these “Best Choices” are not an option, they have a list of fish (Good Alternatives) that are in fair abundance, but with questionable ethics when it comes to fishing. Fish under the “Avoid” list are almost depleted in the region, and tend to have catching methods which are harmful to the environment. Sustainable seafood will be caught locally and ethically. The site even offers downloadable pocket guides for your region! You can bring this folded list to the market and local restaurants to aid in your food decisions.

Explore this website to learn about actions you can take in your community, to learn about seafood and your health, and to even learn about sushi!

Save the oceans. Only eat sustainable seafood.

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