If you're a commuter, chances are you drive to work alone -- after all, 76% of us do, producing three quarters of all transportation emissions along the way. The whole point of the book Bowling Alone is that Americans aren't as sociable as they used to be -- only 64% drove alone in 1980 -- and that's why the carpool bit the dust.

Don't think driving's a problem? How about that New Orleans oil spill?

A company called Avego thinks it has a solution for our wired-in times. It does require relating to other human beings, though. "Shared Transport" is a variation on the informal "slugging" or "casual carpooling" that has grown up around congested highways in Washington, D.C., and San Francisco. Because cars with two or more occupants can travel in the HOV lanes, people gather at set take-up points for free rides.

Try walking instead; here are the 10 most walkable cities in the country.

Avego Shared Transport is a free iPhone app for on-demand ride-sharing, and it's just been updated to be

By Jeff Yeager, The Daily Green
More from The Green Cheapskate blog

I've confessed before that my enthusiasm for gardening usually dies on the vine long before the first cucumbers of summer are ready to harvest. I'm always looking for easy ways to satisfy my green thumb and, of course, ways to get the most broccolis for my gardening buck. That's why I'm a big fan of growing perennial vegetables in my garden -- plant them once, and enjoy the fruits (well, actually, vegetables) of your labors for years to come.

I'll always remember when the UPS man delivered a mysterious, rather dirty looking box to our new home the first spring we lived here. The box was carefully packed with damp sphagnum moss, the packaging material of choice for shipping the sacred Yeager Roots, a housewarming gift from my parent.

Other families pass down jewelry or antique furniture, but for the Yeager clan, the holy triumvirates of family heirlooms are root starts of asparagus, horseradish, and rhubarb.

By Lori Bongiorno
More from The Conscious Consumer blog

Getty ImagesIt's definitely unnerving to see a line of ants marching across the kitchen floor. But you don't need to hire an expensive professional exterminator or spray toxic chemicals to banish nuisance ants from your home.

Pesticides can harm your family's health as well as your pets'. Plus, they don't get to the root of the problem.

Instead, try these tips for preventing ants from entering your home in the first place and banishing them once they get there. (Carpenter ants are a more serious problem, so make sure that those aren't what you're seeing in inside.)

Keep the ants from coming in

Seal cracks or holes where outdoor ants are entering the house. This will require less than an hour of your time and an inexpensive tube of caulk. It's also a good idea to trim the branches of trees or shrubs that touch your home so that ants can't crawl in through windows and doors.

Sprinkling cinnamon, cayenne pepper, or

By Annemarie Conte

Facials are a great way to keep your skin glowing, but they can be pricey. We asked Louisa Macan-Graves, author of Hollywood Beauty Secrets: Remedies to the Rescue, and Elda Argenti, owner of the Plantogen skincare line, for their favorite make-at-home face masks crafted from common household ingredients.

For All Skin Types

Brighten: Cut a slice of ripe papaya and remove the seeds and pulp (save the pulp for a snack later-it's great for digestion). Rub the inside of the papaya peel on your cleansed face, focusing on lines around the mouth and eyes, crow's feet, thinning temples, neck and hands. Let it dry for 15 to 20 minutes, then rinse with tepid water. This mask can be done twice a week. "The enzymes in papaya exfoliate, repair sun damage, diminish age spots and smooth skin. Your skin will look brighter, with a more polished finish," says Macan-Graves.

Exfoliate: Combine 1 tsp honey and 1 tsp olive oil. Separately, prepare a

April may be the month dedicated to celebrating Earth Day, but we all know it's good practice to be eco-friendly 365 days a year, not just the 30 days of the month. It doesn't have to be difficult, in fact, being more green conscious is just the opposite. Check out these ways you can make a slight switch in your life to become a go green getter.

Decrease Your Carbon Footprint, Decrease Your Weight

It's no secret that when you get out of the car and on your feet your waistline will shrink, but sometimes it's just not feasible to hit the gym everyday after work when you have hungry mouths to feed. If you live within biking distance to work, try riding to decrease air pollution and burn calories at the same time. Start practicing now so you can take part in Bike to Work Week May 17-21. For more information visit bikeleague.org. If the average woman (approximately 160 pounds) biked 20 minutes to and from work, she would burn 292 calories on top of getting killer legs! Just remember,

Sustainable fabrics will keep you on your toes throughout spring and summer!

- PJ Gach, BettyConfidential.com

When you think of Vegan, vegetarian, eco-friendly shoes or whatever you want to call them, do you think of hard plastic shoes without any style or comfort? Think again! You can find the latest trends in eco wear. Natalie Portman an avowed vegetarian designed a line of fashionable veggie shoes for Te Casan that had fashionistas clambering for them. Designer Stella McCartney only designs veggie shoes, they're chic and but not cheap. Here's a round-up of shoes that don't hurt the environment, some are made from sustainable ingredients and a few that are made from recycled materials. Sanduk's Yoga Mat flip flops are made from, yes, you guessed it, recycled yoga mats!

Read How to Give Yourself a Pedicure

1. Lovely People women's Aziza Pump ($61.02 endless.com)

2. Stella McCartney Cork stripe pump ($635, barneys.com)

Evening Shoes

3. Kiwi by

Sherri JamesSherri James loved sitting on the front porches of her small, progressive college town in Ohio, sharing stories and a glass of wine with friends. What she didn't like was the idea of throwing away the empty bottles, since her town doesn't recycle colored glass. But instead of a conundrum, Sherri saw an opportunity and created Blue Moon Bottles to turn waste into beauty.

Blue Moon Bottles' recycled glass tumblersBlue Moon Bottles, now six years old, creates handheld works of art from reclaimed wine bottles. Sherri's drinking glasses and vases are made from bottles that vary in color, size and shape, but all catch the light beautifully. She collects the bottles from friends, neighbors and local restaurants that save them for her so she's got enough material to keep working. Each piece of "wine bottle reclamation art," as Sherri calls it, is a hand-cut original. This idea came from one of our good friends here at Daily Grommet, Barbara Gordon.We love the smoothed edges and weighty feel of the tumblers, and the graceful curves

Your diaper bag has to be a lot of things: practical, functional, stylish and stocked with essentials. If eco-friendly is also on your list, you might start thinking your dream diaper bag isn't much more than a pipe dream. Not so fast. We found five eco-friendly diaper bags that meet all of these criteria - and you can even add affordable to the list: All five of these are less than $100.

Shop more of the best diaper bags in our buying guides.

1. We think Paul Frank's signature monkey is adorable without being cloying - all the more reason to love this organic cotton diaper bag ($98).

2. Skip Hop's Studio diaper tote ($89) is PVC-free - instead, it's made with eco-friendly materials that are good for the environment, not to mention you and your baby.

3. Sherpani's Nuvie diaper bag ($74) is made from 67% recycled materials. When baby graduates from diapers and bottles, this also makes a great (and unisex!) gym bag.

4. This diaper bag ($98) by