ABC: Make Sure Your Funeral Is “Green”

If you've recently lost a loved one, it's likely that being "green" is low on your list of priorities. It shouldn't be, according to ABC's "Good Morning America" and author Gay Browne.

Browne, the author of the new "Greenopia" city guides, appeared on ABC's morning show July 14 to promote the guide to going green. The book tells you how to shop, eat and live an all-around "toxic-free life."

"'Greenopia' should empower people to go out and make [eco-friendly] choices," Browne said. "We have over 52 categories, whether it's pet stores, nail salons, even burial services. There's an eco-friendly alternative."

Browne suggested viewers eat at restaurants that recycle and use local food. Why? "Most people don't know that most fresh dinners travel 1,700 miles to get to your plate. That's a lot of gas," she said.

The "Greenopia" Web site offers other suggestions on how to live a "greener" life: Buy furniture that isn't "toxic." Stop eating shark, Atlantic cod, and monkfish. And finally, stop using your dryer and hang your laundry out to dry.

Hanging your laundry out to dry may save some money, but "Greenopia" doesn't mention the negative side effects: stiffer and maybe smelly clothes. The segment also didn't address the added expenses often involved in "going green," like paying more for "clean" energy or organic food.