When doing a kitchen renovation, many people dream of having marble or granite countertops. But many exotic stones come from faraway places like Italy and South America. These heavy slabs have to be trucked, shipped and re-trucked, which burns up a tremendous amount of fossil fuels, not to mention the environmental devastation of the areas from which the solid surfaces are mined. If you must have stone countertops, think local. Look for stone that comes from your state; not only is it more carbon neutral since it doesn't have to travel far distances, it's usually cheaper, too.

If you love the taste and smell of backyard barbecue and the smoky flavor that comes from cooking over hot charcoal, do this one thing: Skip the lighter fluid. The residual chemicals in lighter fluid can penetrate grilled food. But you really don't need lighter fluid to get a roaring fire going. Just use an inexpensive chimney starter with paper to start a slow-burning fire. It will help ignite the wood briquettes naturally and your food will taste so much better if you do.

Don't confuse the word "hypoallergenic" with "eco-friendly" when buying things like skin care products and bedding. "Hypoallergenic" only means it won't trigger allergic reactions. It's not a classification that means the product is natural, eco-friendly or organic at all. And even worse: There is no regulation from the U.S. government on what "hypoallergenic" actually means, so anyone can slap the word on any product. Read labels and learn if the actual ingredients and materials used live up to your green expectations.