As the head of Yahoo! Green, I see all sorts of odd stories related to helping the planet – world naked bike rides, homes made of recycled shipping containers, and even a Buddhist temple made of beer bottles. But they’re also great anecdotes that can help us feel optimistic about where this world is heading, especially amid the dreary economic news.

With all this recession obsession, we wondered whether people would focus on the other kind of green this Earth Day (which is tomorrow). That’s why we decided to take on the common misconception that being green costs more.

Our Earth Day site this year focuses on how you can save money by being green at home. We’ve created an interactive house tour with tips for each room. Some of my favorites include:

• Adjust the brightness of your TV to the "home" energy setting, and your favorite shows will use 30% less energy;
• Borrow designer handbags and jewelry from Bag Borrow or Steal, instead of buying new;
• Try cleaning products that are safe enough you can eat them.

We also have buying guides so you can choose the best cleaning products, water filters, and energy efficiency products for an affordable price. We know everyone is at a different point on their path toward green, so we have easy tips, more intermediate ideas, or even tips for the greenest among you. We also dissect those classic “what’s greener?” choices – you might be surprised that it doesn’t matter whether you use paper or plastic (though reusable is always best) or cloth or disposable diapers.

Every year our employees get caught up in the Earth Day celebration, too. In the past, we’ve watched our founders sumo wrestle after we reduced our resource use, and we hosted a reuse fair where people could swap stuff they no longer wanted. This year we’re playing “Tag, you’re green” in five offices across the country. If employees are spotted taking green actions (reusable mug, vegetarian meal, riding the train, taking the stairs), they’ll receive small prizes.

And finally a shout out to you for making Yahoo! Green the #1 green site (Comscore, March 2009) – you know that Earth Day is every day. I’m off to go unplug some energy vampires… and keep more green in my wallet. What’s your plan?

Erin Carlson
Director, Yahoo! For Good

Photo from noticelj