No matter how much money you make, what your politics are, or what you do for a living, we can all agree that we want to be able to drink the water and breathe the air without worrying if it is safe. This planet is our lifeboat in an uncaring vacuum, and we have an obligation to care for it, for our children, our grandchildren, and every generation that comes after.

Step 1: Use less energy. If you lower the temperature on your thermostat by just a couple of degrees in winter and instead bundle up a warm sweater and turn up your thermostat on the air-conditioning again by just a few degrees in the summer, you will use a lot less energy. That doesn't mean that you have to freeze in winter and bake in the summer. Most of the time, a couple of degrees isn't going to be noticeable and it will really add up to an amazing savings in energy. Also, don't forget when you leave rooms to turn off the lights, and if the sun is out and keeping your room is nice and bright, why use an artificial light at all? Another way to save energy that people often overlook is to make sure to turn off the iPod, TV, and computer when you're not using it. This is common sense if you are thinking about saving energy, and as an added benefit it also saves you cash.

Step 2: Use less water. For example, don't just leave the water running as you brush her teeth. Also, don't leave the water running while you're waiting to get in the shower. And when you are in the shower to wash your hair, can try wetting it, turning off the faucet while you lather up and then turn it back on for when you rinse. You can do the same thing when you shave. Why not wet the area, lather it up, shave, and then turned back on the water to rinse? There's no point in throwing away gallons of water when you're not even really using it.

Step 3: Recycle your trash. This may seem obvious, but you would be surprised number of people who don't take advantage of their city recycling program. Separate out your glass, plastic, paper, metal, and organic waste, and recycle them in the appropriate places.

Step 4: Reuse. You can take your peanut butter or jelly jar and when it is finished wash it out and use it to store something else. You can also reuse old nails, newspapers, print on the blank side of something you printed previously, and save by reusing many other things in-house that are usually thrown away. Again, not only is it saving the environment, but it's putting precious dollars and cents back in your pocket.

Step 5: Educate yourself. You can find a ton of free info online and in your community about how to live a more eco-friendly life. All you have to do is read it. Once you learn how to reduce waste, and live green by cutting energy, harmful chemicals, and expenses, you'll be well underway to being an eco-friendly person.

In summary, in order to eco-friendly, you'll want to follow these five steps: save energy, save water, recycle, reuse, and educate yourself. With these tools in hand you'll be set on the road to eco-friendly life.

Kelly has a passion for eco friendly products and writes for Urban Clotheslines in the USA who stock Eco Friendly Clotheslines as well as Urban Clotheslines