Being mother earth friendly

I disagree. If you are already in a buy local mode, local vegetable based meals use less resources overall than growing grains to feed cattle (in particular) and poultry.

The waste products of concentrated animal raising is a danger to water sources and a form of "smell pollution."

the water and grain protein it takes to add a pound of weight to a cow or calf is inefficient compared to growing grain or a row crop for human-direct consumption.

Dryland cattle raising is OK resource wise, unless you are dealing with severe drought.
In 2002, ranchers in eastern Colorado (and all over the west, really, but I actually interviewed and wrote about these particular raisers) were either importing hay from eastern states or TRUCKING the animals to STATES EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI.
They would get trucked BACK for auction sale (that's how the knackers/ finishers get animals in this area)
Even if no calves or cows died, the resource use would at least triple for those animals. Prices were not rising accordingly at auction , wholesale meat or the local grocery. Only milk rose above inflation at that point.
lesson for me? buy local if you buy meat at all. (I was already a local-sustainable shoppper ). I buy meat for my husband. I'm a 26-year veggie, who has lived in cattle country the largest porportion of my life.

 

Ok, now off meat, and onto general consumption, working on the assumption that one has their garden or containers in production:
think about how your purchasing affects the larger picture.
Not a knee jerk (insert corporation here ) is evil reaction, although I agree most corporations are centered on profits, but that is sort of their job. Now, can they do it with less impacts on the planet and people? Support those that can and do.
But don't settle for shoddy low quality work. No reason to buy a, say, comb, from a "good company" if you will have to replace it more often. When you must buy new, buy what will last.
Don't buy on impulse. have a one week or 30 day rule where you think about the purchase. If you can live without it another 30 days, you don't need it.
I've been on a six month rule on a particular kitchen appliance, and a one year rule on a second.
The second I know is high quality, but it has a scary price tag (a vitamix).
The first, I'm still researching if in fact I'd need it if I had the vita mix. (food processor)
Why even do this? to cut down convenience food purchases at the grocer's and restaurants.
That will allow me to enjoy and support restaurants that think about resources (the new local pizza place that aims for all local and /or organic, the veggie cafes)
Having tools to make the job of food prep easier also frees up time, that I can use to avoid other forms of convenience. I can make my own casual clothing, recover old furniture rather than donate and pick up someone else's donation. That takes a LOT of gasoline. Fabric I can carry.

The more organized your home is, the more pro-planet choices you can make.
You will have an easy-to -use recycling center, your clothing will last longer so you will replace less. Your mending will get done. (theoretically)
Cleaning is easier, so you can use less-impact cleaners.
see the laundry comment above: if you wear a day air a day on clothes you didn't sweat in, you can drop a load a month.
For me that is a load that I have to get a mile away to a laundromat, so air a day is my friend.
I also hand wash a lot of my work clothes, in water left over from my bath (no conditioner in the water is important).
Only the rinse is fresh water.

Transportation:
use human power wherever you can. Then public transport, then shared, then single-passenger transport.
read: walk and bike, bus and train, car and vanpooling/ combined trips, then private car or taxi.
Human powered means the right winter and rain wear, but it is a good option, even in rough weather or over longer distances.
A great book is Divorce your Car, by Katie Alvord
http://www.newsociety.com/bookid/3683
sadly, I do drive some in my job, and that's the book I keep to read when I arrive early to a meeting.
also look up "car free" on your fave search engine.

Be aware of your footprint on the earth. find the things, big and small that help.
maybe you cannot afford a hybrid car, but you can get a car with good milage and few repairs.
Keep tyres/tires inflated and rotated to keep them on the car and not in a pile behind a shop.
Got diesel? go bioD by purchase or by making your own. Fryer grease is the most eco-aware version.
http://www.realgoods.com/renew/shop/product.cfm?dp=3704&ts=4000001&kw=bio%20diesel
http://www.realgoods.com/renew/shop/product.cfm?dp=3704&ts=6630024&kw=bio%20diesel
you can build one of your own, of course.
look at your utility company: does it offer wind? What happens is that you pay a slight charge (like the fuel adjustment charges on gas and electric) that gets a certain number of kilowatt hours into teh energy stream. power is power once it's in the line. You basically buy what is called offset: you bring in a percentage of your use (Xcel in Colorado allows up to 100 percent. In the winter, it's a lower fuel adjustment fee than natural gas, which saves me $$, and the power plants are NG then coal) as wind (or solar) generated power that "comensates: for the power you use. you can't say that your home runs on wind, technically, but you can say you replace your use with wind.

awareness in the community.
When you see people and businesses that have eco-friendly methods, support them and let them know WHY.
Tell the business you left WHY, too, but kindly.

Show how easy it is once you are in the groove.
My sunday mornings include: load trunk with recyclables. load back seat with laundry and grocery bags.
drop off recyclables.
do laundry (no hot cycles, Lay items to be air dried over passenger seat)
I dry towels and jeans about 3/4 of the way.
Hand wash is always air dried
then:
hit grocery. I have cloth and cooler bags. I also have a travel mug so when I treat myself to a soda/ tea, I'm not buying a cup to toss.
I also have a Nalgene bottle for water. (I chose USA over import despite the Lexan debate with animal cages. CSI's are made in China. My son has one and he said he'd swap for a Nalgene any day.)

all that $$ I save not over consuming goes to tzedekah (charity) for ecological causes (including memberships in Rock the Earth), arts causes (Swallow Hill Music Association) and my art hobby which is recource-intensive, so I donate a few pieces annually to silent charity auctions) and social causes as needed: food banks, friends got busted on tour/ medical funds for artists, the fund at my synogogue, etc.

Here's the treat for reading this far:
do what you can, plan for what you can do better later and forgive yourself when a choice is not "perfect."