Some bright spots Girlawhirl's particularly happy to see:

The US Government is really on board when it comes to the greening of American homes and buildings. Tax breaks of up to 30% are up for grabs for new windows and doors, better insulation, and building green from the ground up with solar panels and/or geothermal heating systems. See the whole list of tax credits for homeowners online here.

Electric cars are coming on strong: Check out Better Place's plan to create a world where everyone drives a battery powered vehicle. Broad strokes: they won't cost more than the cars of today, we'll buy mile plans like we currently do for cell phone minutes, and there will be charging stations in parking lots, home garages and anywhere else they're needed. Guess what? The plan's already being enacted! Renault and Nissan have built prototype cars that allow for batteries to be changed instead of charged (to accommodate long trips), charging stations are being built in Israel and Denmark. Australia and Ontario have signed on along with Hawaii and the San Francisco Bay area. Find out more at betterplace.com.

Parabens, Phthalates, and other nasties are becoming a thing of the past: Most of Girlawhirl's favorite brands of cosmetics have re-formulated their products to eliminate the ingredients that have the public up in arms – giving her plenty of options and choices. And yes, that thrills her, but it also reminds her that this is one issue where public awareness and pressure can make a real difference. Skin Deep, a cosmetic safety database from the Environmental Working Group is her favorite resource for information on these ingredients.

Big Business is participating as well. Maybe it's because Wal-Mart led the way by showing Wall Street that green was good for the bottom line, but now it's almost a necessity to have a sustainability expert or team in house. Dow Jones rates companies on a Sustainability Index where environmental concerns are one of the elements that are evaluated. And sustainable investing – where investments are made in companies that make decisions and follow practices with the environment in mind – is a new way of looking at investment portfolios.

That's plenty to celebrate this Earth Day – all of the above signal big changes to come…