PETS
Go green, Fido!
We want the best for our pets. They don't ask for much, and they rely on us so completely. What we give them or unwittingly expose them to shouldn't harm them -- inside the house or out in the yard. Here area few ways to give your pets an eco-friendly lifestyle, too.

Don't cook on non-stick
Good for the environment: Toxic emissions from non-stick pans have been linked to pet bird deaths. Use cast-iron or stainless-steel cookware instead.
Good for you: Cooking in cast iron boosts your food's iron content. Plus, an Environmental Working Group study suggested that the toxic particles and fumes released when non-stick pans are heated can cause flu-like symptoms in humans.

Use biodegradable litter.
Good for the environment: "Consider wheat-, pine- or corn-based alternatives to clay kitty litter, which contains carcinogenic crystalline silica and is obtained by open-pit mining," says Wendy Gordon, of National Geographic's "The Green Guide." Some of those eco-friendly litters can even become mulch after use.
Good for you: Corncob litters such as One Earth claim to be twice as absorbent as clay products.

Make your yard pet-safe.
Good for the environment: Pets get their noses into everything. "I started in the backyard with the grass -- no chemicals in the lawn," says Patti Purcell, president and co-founder of Blue Egg, an eco-living media company. "I've also asked my neighbors to stop using non-organic fertilizers."
Good for you: One less thing that can make your pet sick.

Get rid of fleas naturally.
Good for the environment: Gordon recommends this citrus-based, chemical-free treatment for your dog (beware, cats don't like citrus): Pour almost-boiling water over two sliced lemons, then let it sit overnight. Strain the liquid into a spray bottle, spray your dog liberally, and massage it into his coat.
Good for you: "Citrus oil kills and repels fleas," Gordon says. "And the pooches smell great, too."

Choose pet fish carefully.
Good for the environment: Fill your aquarium with farm-raised fish. Pet fish from the wild often are caught using cyanide or dynamite, which isn't good for surrounding aquatic life. If you must have wild fish, look for those certified by the Marine Aquarium Council as being caught in an eco-friendly way.
Good for you: Healthy reefs beget healthy fish, which beget happy pet-fish owners.

Feed dogs bison meat.
Good for the environment: Bison eat indigenous plants and require fewer resources.
Good for you: "Bison jerky is low in fat and high in iron and protein," says Jen Boulden, co-founder of eco-lifestyle website IdealBite.com. Plus, bison are not injected with hormones or antibiotics, so your dog won't ingest those chemicals.

Use a canvas or hemp leash and collar.
Good for the environment: "Nylon emits a greenhouse gas, nitrous oxide," says Thomas Kostigen, co-author of "The Green Book." "And the pet industry is so huge, you can find canvas instead of nylon almost anywhere." Hemp is eco-friendly because it can thrive without pesticides.
Good for you: Hemp is durable, so you'll replace leashes and collars less often.