Protecting our environment is one of the biggest issues facing our planet today. But how do we solve a problem that can seem overwhelming-even hopeless? As Diane MacEachern argues in Big Green Purse, the best way to fight the industries that pollute the planet, thereby changing the marketplace forever, is to mobilize the most powerful consumer force in the world-women.

MacEachern's message is simple but revolutionary. If women harness the "power of their purse" and intentionally shift their spending money to commodities that have the greatest environmental benefit, they can create a cleaner, greener world. Spirited and informative, this book:

- targets twenty commodities-cars, cosmetics, coffee, food, paper products, appliances, cleansers, and more-where women's dollars can make a dramatic difference;

- provides easy-to-follow guidelines and lists so women can choose the greenest option regardless of what they're buying, along with recommended companies they should support;

- encourages women to spend wisely by explaining what's worth the premium price some green products cost, what's not, and when they shouldn't spend money at all; and

- differentiates between products that are actually "green" and those that are simply marketed as "ecofriendly."

Whether readers want to start with small changes or are ready to devote the majority of their budget to green products, MacEachern offers concrete and immediate ways that women can take action and make a difference. Empowering and enlightening, Big Green Purse will become the "green shopping bible" for women everywhere who are asking, "What can I do?"

Diane MacEachern, the founder and CEO of Big Green Purse, is passionate about empowering women to use their marketplace clout to protect the environment.

A best-selling author, successful entrepreneur, sought-after public speaker, and long-time conservationist, she has launched the only company in the U.S. dedicated specifically to transforming women’s environmental concerns into measurable improvements in our quality of life.

Diane encourages women to green the marketplace by choosing products whose use or manufacture offer the greatest environmental benefit. Through her books, articles and speeches she motivates women to take actions that will make a difference. She helps environmental organizations engage more women as members, activists, and donors. She also encourages companies to green their products to appeal to more women consumers.

Diane’s books have reached hundreds of thousands of people with their “you can change the world” messages. The best-selling Save Our Planet: 750 Everyday Ways You Can Help Clean Up the Earth has been featured on national television programs ranging from CNN Headline News to Live with Regis and Kathie Lee to The ABC Network Television Earth Day Special and reprinted in Italy and Japan.

As the co-founder and president of an award-winning communications company based in Washington, D.C., Diane's clients included the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme, the Earth Council, World Wildlife Fund, Earth Day, the National Wildlife Federation, Earth Share, the League of Women Voters, and the Women's Environment Development Organization.

Diane played an integral role in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's campaign to educate the public about global warming. She also worked with the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance to establish the Grand Staircase/Escalante National Monument during the Clinton Administration.

As a nationally syndicated Washington Post Writer's Group newspaper columnist, Diane wrote weekly “Tips for Planet Earth,” answering readers' questions on a wide variety of environmental topics. She has produced numerous award-winning publications for members of Congress, the media and the public at large. Her writings have appeared in MoveOn's best-selling 50 Ways to Love Your Country and The Cousteau Almanac on the Environment, as well as Good Housekeeping, Family Circle, Self, Christian Science Monitor, Ladies Home Journal, Reader’s Digest, First for Women, Baltimore Sun, Country Living and many more.

Diane is also the author of Enough is Enough! The Hellraiser’s Guide to Community Activism: How to Organize a Successful Campaign for Change, and Beat High Gas Prices Now! The Fastest, Easiest Ways to Save $20-$50 Every Month on Gasoline.

A frequent speaker on women and the environment, Diane serves as the vice-chair of the board of directors for the Alaska Wilderness League. She has been cited for her Distinguished Service as a board member of the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Diane lives with her husband and their two children in the energy-efficient home they helped build more than 20 years ago. She received her Master of Science Degree from the School of Natural Resources and Environment at the University of Michigan.