Use Greener Cleaners
As many as a third of Americans have an adverse reaction to common household chemicals. Annie B. Bond, 54, was one of them. The author of "Better Basics for the Home," she became a leading advocate of natural home-care products after an exterminator visit to her apartment building landed her in the hospital with chemical poisoning. In her online newsletter she provides recipes for natural alternatives (care2.com/healthyliving). "The environment isn't 'out there,'" she says. "It's inside you." Safer products can save you money, too. While furniture polish will set you back about $4, cleaning with 1/4 cup of distilled white vinegar and a few drops of olive oil costs mere cents.

Go Carbon-Neutral
If you can't avoid driving to work every day, you can at least offset the damage. Carsten Henningsen, 46, chairman of Portfolio 21, a global equity mutual fund that invests in environmentally progressive companies, does it by buying offsets for the carbon dioxide he contributes annually to the atmosphere. You can, too. Go to carboncounter.org and calculate how many tons of CO2 your household emits each year (factors include the size of your house, utility bills, and type of car), and then donate to an organization that works to reduce carbon emissions, such as climatetrust.org or carbonfund.org. (Henningsen suggests giving $12 for every ton.) "By donating based on how much CO2 you contribute," he says, "you become more conscious of what you consume."

Eat More Veggies
What's good for the planet is good for you, too. That's why Frances Moore Lappe, 63, author of "Diet for a Small Planet," champions a vegetarian diet. "Eating low on the food chain is one of my core lifestyle choices," she says. While a meat-centered diet deepens our ecological footprint and contributes to pollution, a plant-centered diet requires fewer resources and supports long-term health. Research shows that vegetarians have lower cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and lower rates of hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, and prostate and colon cancer. You don't have to go completely veggie to reap the benefits; try gradually shifting the emphasis of your meals from animal-based proteins to plant-based ones like soy foods and beans.

Pass on the Paper Towels
No matter how you look at it, paper towels create waste -- even if you stick to recycled brands. "You use them once and throw them away. Most end up in landfills," notes Danny Seo, 30, green-living guru and author of the "Simply Green" series. In his house you'll find only reusable microfiber towels, which grip dirt and dust like a magnet and don't let go, even when wet. Paper towels, he says, "just push dirt and bacteria around." When you're finished toss the towels in the wash and reuse. (You can find Seo's favorite brand, Method, at Target and Office Depot.) "Next time you wipe your counter or clean a mirror with a reusable microfiber towel," he says, "you can think of the trees you're saving."