Verdant Kitchens and closets: how to green up your daily life

The World Wildlife Fund projects that by the year 2050 we will need two more Earths to sustain our voracious appetites for consumption. As worldwide resources continue to dwindle, we need to get our act together quickly. Although it's not simple to change your life overnight, baby steps can reduce your carbon footprint.

A more natural lifestyle is integral in doing your part for the Earth . The simple truth is we need to consume less. It seems like no matter how many images, statistics and studies are thrust in front of us, most people still go on trying to keep up with the Joneses, buying things they don't really need. Take a moment to do some research and make some savvy, even fun, upgrades to your daily life to improve the Earth and your health.

Grow Food in Small Places

If you live in an apartment or condo with no space for a garden, stop daydreaming about delightful strolls through lush rows of greens. Bring the green indoors and grow windowsill herb gardens or other small, potted crops. More and more companies are creating DIY home gardens for the busy professional. If you love fresh, organic food they're worth looking into.

• For only 25$, you can grow up to two pounds of fresh pearl oyster mushrooms in only ten days, and that's just the tip of the grow-your-own iceburg.

• The Topsy Turvy system (yep, the same one from TV) allows you to grow your own strawberries or tomatoes vertically, making space limitations a non-issue. A simple Goggle search will help you find them for less than ten dollars.

• Chia Her Garden, anyone?

Stock Your Closets With Knowledge

Most of us like to have some semblance of style, even if it is “just rolled out of bed” chic. Green fashionistas however, are aware of the environmental impact that even  hand-me-downs can have. The environmental risks of fashion manufacturing stretch far beyond the horrible conditions of sweat shops, points out Eco-fashionista Lynda Grose of Faircompanies.com. In fact, the dyes, washes and scraps from clothing manufacture can have horrible effects on the workers producing them and the environment surrounding them. And most people don't realize that most of our old clothing ends up in landfills. Environmentalist Stephen Dent recommends buying recycled and or organic clothing. Cottons and wools grown without pesticides, hormones or antibiotics are ideal.

• The Andira Rain Tee collection is not only sustainable and all natural. Each shirt they sell goes towards planting trees in the rain forest.

• Green Label Organic sells their popular T-Shirts at stores like REI, but they can also be purchased online. Not only is all their apparel made in the U.S., it's made with low-impact garment dye in a sustainable fashion.

• Ecogear.com offers a number of products, from brief cases to mountain climbing gear, that are as nice to look at as they are on the environment. The company was inspired by a vacation the owner took. He wanted to ensure his children had a beautiful world in which to grow up, and began designing eco-friendly products around a sustainable concept.