3. Make Informed Food Choices

The spring of 2008 marked the spread of a global food shortage. High gas prices led to increased transportation costs, which added to the overall cost for food producers. This increased cost of doing business was passed on to consumers around the world. While many people in developed countries simply felt a pinch in their wallet, residents of some developing nations simply didn't have the money to pay for food. As a result, riots over high food prices broke out in nations like Haiti and Bangladesh [source: CNN].

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Shopping at a local farmers' market rather than a grocery chain supports small business and you're sure to find organic items in vast abundance.

­While it can be difficult to justify paying extra to help the Earth even during stable economic times (let alone when grocery store prices are high), you can probably afford to buy at least one item or two that are more expensive but more environmentally friendly. Just paying attention to the labels of the products you buy can lead you in the right direction. Logos that credit a product as organic tell you that you're buying a product that helps sustain the planet.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) launched its National Organic Program (NOP) in 1990 [source: USDA]. The NOP provides guidelines for food producers who grow and raise organic certified products (you can tell who's made the cut by looking for the words "USDA Certified Organic" on the label of the food you buy). Under these guidelines, farmers can't use most synthetic pesticides or many kinds of fertilizers that can prove harmful to people and the environment, like sewage. To produce certified organic goods, they also can't genetically modify or irradiate their products. A USDA "100 percent organic" seal means all of the ingredients in the product you're buying were produced under NOP guidelines. A USDA "organic" seal means that 95 percent or more of the ingredients are organic by USDA standards [source: Fox News]. Some states, like Washington and California have developed their own (stricter) organic standards and have their own labels for food that meets their guidelines.

Organic foods are better for the environment because their production doesn't demand the use of cheap but harmful chemicals. Synthetic pesticides and fertilizers have long shelf lives and can be reintroduced into the environment after their application. For example, excess fertilizer can be carried as runoff to watersheds when it rains, affecting the water quality in surrounding areas.

You can also lessen your impact on the environment by shopping locally. When you buy produce at farmers' markets that allow only local farmers to sell their produce, you're cutting down on the number of miles the food traveled to get to your house. The fewer the miles, the lower the carbon dioxide emissions associated with transporting that food.

Don't forget about that garden you're growing -- it doesn't get more local than your backyard. There's no better way to ensure that the food you eat is organic than producing it yourself. Growing a few plants that bear the fruits and vegetables that commonly grace your table will lower your grocery bill and your environmental impact.

Let's get out of the garden and go back inside, shall we? Find out about greenifying your home's envelope on the next page.