Each year, I create an article focused on the day designated Earth Day, April 22. I try to highlight ways to be more environmentally conscious. This year will be no exception.

With films like “An Inconvenient Truth” and “Who Killed the Electric Car?” having been fairly recently released, the environment is definitely a hot topic. You may find yourself overwhelmed with all of the things you should be doing to help out the environment.

We’ve been told to change our lifestyles to include everything from recycling to buying more fuel-efficient cars or even walking or biking instead of driving to switching to non-toxic cleaners to eating only organically grown foods. If we were to try to do all these suggestions at once, one would almost certainly just feel like giving up and doing none of them at all. But have no fear! Just start with one thing at a time and before you know it, you’ll be saving the environment with the rest of us hippies in no time.

My favorite thing to help out the environment is reusable grocery bags. You can purchase really sturdy ones at www.ecobags.com. Most health food stores carry some version. Whole Foods Market offers a tote-style bag for a mere 99 cents. Not only is it better for the earth and all those on it, the bags are much easier to carry than either paper or plastic. And lest you think them uncool, Oprah recently featured the products of Eco-Bags on her show. At first, you’ll forget them. So I wouldn’t, I began leaving mine in my car. Now, I never leave home without them. I was so excited last week: While shopping at Whole Foods, someone saw me use my bags. She was inspired to buy one of the totes and when I expressed how awesome that was, she gave me the credit for getting her to do it! So inspiring others may be another bonus to using the bags.

Perhaps your next step might be to buy non-toxic cleaners. You can use up your toxic ones, if you wish. But when you need more, seek out the non-toxic kind. This covers general cleaners, such as for dusting or mopping, but also laundry detergent and dishwashing liquid and so on. They may be a bit more expensive, but the cost to the environment and your health in using toxic cleaners is greater. If you decide to dispose of your toxic cleaners, be sure to do so properly. Your city’s government office should be able to instruct you how.

After that, you might decide you’re ready to recycle. Again, your city’s government office can be helpful here. Most cities offer curbside recycling. Like the bags, it’ll be difficult to make the change at first. But stick with it. Before long, you’ll wonder why it took you so long to become a regular recycler in the first place.

So now that you’ve done all that, it’s time to start driving less. Walking or biking whenever possible will reduce emissions that contribute to pollution. What’s more, that muffin top that hangs over your pants when you sit down will be just as appreciative as the earth. It doesn’t really enjoy the way your jeans cut into it.

The more you get into conserving the environment, the more ways you’ll discover to do so. And it does get easier. For more ideas, check out www.sierraclub.com

Going green has never been easier, more fun or more important than it is now.