Going "green"

I have gone over a week without using paper towels.

This may seem like a stupidly small way to go "green," but I'm of the opinion that every little step helps.

Problem is, I have no idea whether this effort really is "green" at all. How much energy does it take to run my washer and dryer to clean the rags I'm using instead? How much work does it take to clean the water used in my washing machine, as well as the extra water I'm using because of rinsing rags after each use? Do those answers trump the amount of energy, material, chemicals and other environmental pollutants used to create the paper towels?

We also began recycling about a week ago. Same questions apply here (i.e. is recycling all of these unnatural products like plastics and natural products like paper really worth the effort?).

I've started phasing out chemicals that don't clearly state that they're not harmful for the environment. So far we've got dish soap and laundry detergent that are "earth friendly."

We planted a very small garden two weeks ago. That, I am sure, will have a positive environmental impact.

I've really been convicted about how ignorant I am regarding my carbon footprint. I've never thought about the impact on our air and natural resources when driving my car around aimlessly. I've chosen not to think about the waste I'm contributing to landfills. I've never thought about the risks, to everyone, of my in-home chemical use.

So I'm choosing to think about it. I'm taking some baby steps (assuming that these are steps that are actually helping our environment).

And I'm wondering: what baby steps have you taken to go "green"?