A week ago, I told you about a study that showed that China and Australia were found to be the greenest countries in the world, based on how serious their citizens were about taking care of the environment, how many steps they took to reduce their carbon footprint and how much they supported green companies. It got me thinking about that last point -- supporting companies who support the environment.

Do you make a special effort to purchase goods or services from companies who you know have a good, solid, eco-friendly reputation? In most ways, I try to be good to the environment, but this is one regard where I am not doing so well.I often don't think much about the companies I give my money to, and I don't look into their environmental impact. I tend to go for places that are convenient, and now that I think of it, I'm a little mad at myself for doing so.

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Are you using CFLs -- compact fluorescent lamps/lightbulbs? If not, read this -- pronto! And if you're one of the millions who've made the switch to super-efficient, low-energy bulbs, here's a tip: You can save even more energy by installing dimming swtiches in rooms where it's appropriate -- the dining room and den, for instance. That way, the bulbs don't have to be on full-force whenever they're turned on, though you can choose to have them on high when you need more light.

Doing this could potentially save quite a bit of energy. For example, if you reduce your lights by 25%, you save 25% more energy than you would if you has regular swtiches and so on.

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You can apply eco-friendly principles to pretty much every aspect of your life. But even ... your sex life? Yep, according to this article from TreeHugger. They've listed some things you can do and products you can use to protect yourself, protect the environment and still have a great time with that special someone. Some tips?

• Shower together. Not only do you save water, but you are sure to have a steamy time.
  
• When it comes to lubes and lotions, go for the ones that are as natural as possible -- so without artificial colour, scents or tastes. You can even find organic products at some stores.
  
• Try bamboo sheets on the bed -- they're sensual and slippery.
  
• Try some natural aphrodisiacs. Herbs like ginseng and ginko biloba are rumored to be aphrodisiacs, plus some food items like strawberries, oysters, chocolate and wine. Know of any others?
  

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Halloween is one occasion where we can get away with wearing bizarre items that have been sitting in the back of the closet for the past few decades. In fact, come to think of it, halloween is a great time for recycling any old thing you don't wear any more -- you can incorporate it into your kids' costume, or even your own! The DIY Diva at the Green Guide has some great suggestions:

• Paint yellow stripes on an old black turtle neck for a bumble bee costume.
• Stuff old newspaper in back stockings for spider legs.
  
• Cat ears can be made from a head band and some old material, or felt from the hobby store.
  
• For a mask, consider a paper mache one or one made from a paper plate.
  

In my house, we always had recycled costumes, and though I'm past my dressing up days, I'm at the point where I wouldn't consider buying one of those tacky department-store costumes. What do you think?

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The environment, global warming, and going green are all things that are becoming more and more embedded in our every day lives, which is of course a good thing. We can all be a little more conscious in our global efforts, and even if it's just making the smallest change the great part is that it multiplies across the population and can end up really making a difference. I thought for today's Jumpstart I'd take the idea that sometimes all your stalled workout needs is something new in the way of clothes or equipment to help make it interesting again, and going eco-friendly is the perfect excuse to help soothe that pang of guilt that's been holding you back.

Of course there are countless products out there to choose from in the green fitness world, and thankfully the options are only increasing. So what is it that would make the biggest difference for you and your workout right now? Maybe it's a new top, new shoes, or something else? Here's a few things I found online to help get the wheels of inspiration turning!

Today, October 15th, is a day of action -- blog action, to be exact. It's Blog Action Day and today, we ask that you do your part to spread the word. Blog Action Day is committed to educating the masses on the importance of the environment and how crucial it is that we all do our part.

In honour of blog action day, That's Fit and several other blogs on the Weblogs Inc. network will be rolling out helpful information on our earth and what we should be doing to care for it. And our newest blog, the Green Daily, will be providing full-day coverage of Blog Action Day -- be sure to check them out and show your support.

What an you do? Spread the message -- through your own blog, through Email or through good old-fashioned word of mouth. And practice what you preach -- it will encourage others to do their part for the environment too.

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