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Peter Corbyn says no one needs to go broke to go green.

In fact, the co-founder of GreenNexxus - a Facebook-style social-networking site where members swap environmentally friendly tips - said there's a huge misconception about the cost of green practices. He said working to save the environment can help anyone save money.

"Whether it's people's homes, small businesses or large multibillion-dollar businesses, they always want to start with stuff that doesn't cost that much," he said.

"And as you go further and further into it, you start trusting more that you get payback in what you do. Starting with small stuff makes sense all the time."

Corbyn said anyone can start with simple things, such as unplugging appliances when they aren't in use so they don't draw power, to reduce their carbon footprint and electrical bills.

Those actions are showcased on the One Million Acts of Green website, where users can punch their environmentally friendly acts into a calculator designed by Corbyn and other GreenNexxus members.

For instance, it said 1,410 members have insulated their air ducts, which eliminated 282,000 kilograms of greenhouse gases.

More than 10,000 Canadians eliminated almost 500,000 kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions by not leaving the taps on while brushing their teeth.

As well, members who installed storm windows and more efficient furnaces eliminated three million kilograms of emissions.

Aside from tabulating these acts, Corbyn and other GreenNexxus designers are working to build a green network on their website where individual members can share their ideas.

One member from London, Ont., posted the steps it took him to build a small wind turbine for his cottage for $250. His particular page on the site has had more than 4,000 hits since he posted that project earlier this year.

Other projects include solar heaters that can warm any backyard swimming pool for less than $100.

"It's all about incentive," Corbyn said. "Most people want to know someone else did it before they do it, and it validates their thinking. Most people now have compact fluorescent bulbs, but not many have programmable thermostats or devices to monitor energy use. So it's all about people getting more and more comfortable with it in their homes."

Corbyn said he hopes that taking these small steps at home can lead to bigger projects, such as solar panels and wind turbines, becoming more mainstream. He said if that breakthrough can be made, it will only be a matter of time until most houses can live off the electrical grid and be leaner and greener.

"Thirty years ago, no one could afford to have a computer at home. Only banks and governments could house them. Now you can create a website from a coffee shop on your Blackberry.

"I feel that technology can be used in the same way to decentralize energy production."

But Corbyn said those steps have to be taken now, before it's too late. For better or worse, he said, the decade will be defined by how we treat the environment.

"I believe, 50 years from now, we'll look back at 2010 as a generation that either got it right environmentally or kept going down the wrong path."

But it's not too late to start becoming more environmentally conscious.

"If I thought we were too late, I'd quit doing what I'm doing right now," he said. "I'm very hopeful for the future. With the Internet, young people have helped put environmental issues on the radar while, quite frankly, my generation has screwed up, so we should be partially responsible for fixing it."