Mary Isakson
Environmentally speaking: What should you do? What is most important, most efficient, and most effective?
Good questions, but in a way, insufficient. To develop a real commitment to environmental issues, you also need to ask: What do you enjoy?
I believe a mom’s attitude toward her own participation in environmental community service impacts her children. I encourage my daughters to participate in community service, and explain to them that it can be an opportunity to pursue something you enjoy. While we all have an obligation to contribute to society, it ought not be a burden and should not be a gift given grudgingly. Helping my daughters find what is right for them is a work in progress. In the meanwhile, I hope that setting an example may speak louder than lectures.
One of the opportunities for service that I have been lucky enough to find is at TheLotusGarden.org. For almost ten years I have had the privilege of tending a plot at the garden and helping to host community events, including field trips by my younger daughter’s preschool (this daughter will soon be entering sixth grade, but my trips with the preschool continue to be an annual event). This allows me to share my joy in gardening with an enthusiastic audience, and to impart increased knowledge of and appreciation for nature in the process.
The children love to see our lush "secret garden," delight in discovering the paths, the goldfish, the variety of plants and flowers. They enjoy participating in some gardening or a garden related craft project.
The entire visit takes under two hours, and the preparation for it is also fairly minimal. For me the morning is exhausting and satisfying; filled with the contagious enthusiasm of young children and a reminder of the focused attention they require. I love the time with them, and the peace when they depart, their piping voices quietly fading in the distance after the garden gate swings shut. It is always a pleasure for me to recognize one of these youngsters leading his or her family back for a visit on a subsequent Sunday.
Ok, I admit it. I am kind of looking forward to my son starting school in the Fall. It's not that I don't love our camping trips and days at the beach, it's just that juggling work and play is hard and the hours he is in school make it much easier for me to balance things. To be able to really sink into being with him when we are together. What I am not looking forward to is the idea that he will be spending over five hours in a day in a potentially toxic environment.
The pesticides and cleaning agents that are commonly used at most schools have been shown to impair learning as well as reduce overall health and well-being. Furthermore, the lack of proper ventilation increases the risk of allergies and life threatening diseases such as asthma and cancer associated with exposure to many of these contaminants. If that's not enough incentive for you to consider greening your child's school:
- K-12 schools account for 7 percent of all energy used by commercial buildings, costing a total of $6 billion every year, and schools account for a large percentage of the over 1 billion trees worth of paper that is thrown into landfills each year in the United States.
- Being green can save money and help improve test scores. Purchasing Energy Star appliances and light sensors can save up to 50% on energy costs. Reducing garbage can save your school thousands of dollars per year.
Now that you're inspired, here are a few steps to start with:
3. Encourage parents and kids to pack waste free lunches by using biodegradable and non-toxic containers.
4. Bring organic food into your school in whatever ways you can. Work with local farmer's markets, Community Supported Agriculture programs, parents and students.
5. Work with teachers and school officials to integrate your Greening into school curriculum. This can include science projects that measure waste, reduced CO2 emissions, pesticide use, lead and radon tests etc.
6. Plant a school garden that uses all organic farming methods and teaches students about good nutrition, the cycle of life and food production. The fruits and vegetables can then be used in school meals.
7. Convert your school buses to bio-diesel. Install solar panels.
8. Make sure classrooms have been tested for lead and radon. Keep classrooms properly ventilated.
9. Buy recycled paper products.
10. Use light sensors so unused rooms and hallways don't waste energy
11. Encourage your school to use non-toxic cleaning supplies, pesticides etc.
12. Reduce trash by buying in bulk, reusing and recycling.
13. Align with community organizations that can help you implement these changes.
Greening your school can be a community building experience. Parents may come forward with new skills and ideas that you never even knew they had. Celebrate your initiatives and accomplishments. Word of mouth helps to inspire others so be a walking, talking, greening example. For more information, the Green Schools Initiative is a great resource. I imagine a day when every school is a green school and every mom is an Eco Mom . . .
Michelle Bexelius, co-founder of EcoRemedi.com
Going to school is the most exciting thing to do as the new kid on the block. There are so many new things to discover and learn, but I've noticed that so many things can be improved to strengthen their experience.
The first thing I noticed as a parent of a kindergartener touring schools is the lack of fresh air and circulation in the classrooms. There are enough germs going on between buddies. Wouldn't it be nice to open the windows or better yet, use an air filter to also rid the place from bacteria and dust? Who wants to bring that home anyway?
Ventilation is especially important in the presence of art materials such as glues and paints as the little guys create their masterpieces. Air filters don't cost much these days and the filters really only need to be replaced every 3-5 years.
Each year school supplies get replenished after hours of use, spilling, knocking over, etc., but one thing I would like to see is schools starting to use more non-toxic ingredients for the little hands that touch them. Glues and crayons can be made without animal by-products and lead. Soy wax crayons and safe glues are a phenomenal alternative.
Here's a list of some things you can do to make your school green and healthy:
- Ask the grounds crew to use natural herbicides and pesticides.
- Create paper, plastic, and aluminum recycling centers near waste bins.
- Request that the school copy center and administrative offices use 100% recycled paper.
- Work with the administration and food services departments to eliminate Styrofoam cups and plastic utensils, and to use non toxic cleaning products.
- Place air filters in the classrooms
- Suggest that your school compost leftovers for a school or community garden. If your child's school doesn't have a garden, organize an effort to create one.
- Encourage the school to stock up on recycled paper goods: toilet paper, napkins, and paper towels
- Pack your child's school supplies box with soy wax crayons (a host of regular crayons have lead in them)
- Make sure your child's school is aware of environmentally safe paints for buildings
- Suggest wax paper bags for home lunches brought to school
For more green back-to-school ideas, check out GreenThisLife.com.
Charlotte Hudson
When I found out that I was pregnant, I knew that I was going to have to make a large investment in all the gear you need for bringing a small bundle home from the hospital. What I didn't expect, however, was how much of it was made of plastic.
I don't have anything against plastic, but the sheer volume of it was overwhelming -- from the pack n' play to the stroller, from the high chair to the baby plates and spoons... not to mention the toys. While I didn't find alternatives for some of the bigger items, I did try to change some small things. (And if any of you out there found other alternatives, I would love to hear about them!)
At least until my son is old enough to start feeding himself, I have avoided using plastic bowls and plates to warm his food and starting using glass instead. Especially if you are using the microwave (yes, I admit it!), I found great little glass dishes with lids at Kmart. Although there is still some debate about what concentrations of chemicals leach into food from plastics at high temperatures, for me, it was worth $20 in glass bowls to not have to think about it.
The other small change has been introducing toys that aren't plastic. There is something about the old wooden toys that I used to play with that I miss. My son loves the remote control and our cell phones, so yes, he does have his share of shiny plastic with songs and lights, but I recently found a good source of wooden toys at FatBrainToys.com. They carry brands like Melissa & Doug and Haba that are all wood.
I don't think plastic toys are unsafe or that there is really anything wrong with them, but I chalk up this need for more natural toys as a way to introduce my son to different textures and let his brain do a little more creative thinking.
Although, plastic or not, I do admit that the best toy out there is an empty water bottle filled with some dried beans or rice -- and, at least the beans are natural!
Wendy Gordon, General Manager, National Geographic's TheGreenGuide.com
There's no place I'd rather be in July than our garden.
I feel pretty lucky to have this garden, all 40 x 30 square feet of it, which is just a couple dozen yards from a 100+ year-old farmhouse we have in the western Catskills. It produces an abundance of vegetables from early June through late September. There's no evidence proving that locally grown is better for you, or "more nutritionally complete," but no group of scientists are needed to inform me that my fresh-from-the-garden vegetables taste a whole lot better than those that have shipped thousands of miles from farm to fork.
I also like that I haul my dinner greens to the kitchen myself -- no car, not even a bag. According to Joan Gussow, Columbia University nutritionist, shipping a strawberry from California to New York requires 435 calories of fossil fuel but provides the eater with only 5 calories of nutrition.
Gardening is something my husband and I enjoy. The kids seem to always disappear when it's time to plant, mulch, or weed. But they are always at the ready when harvest time comes around, which starts early in our garden --when perennials, including rhubarb and asparagus, come bursting through the cool soil at the same time we're planting the first early season peas, beans and lettuce seeds -- and runs pretty much straight through October.
Our approach to gardening is a bit haphazard, but we have gotten better at picking seeds that are right for our region. Most catalogs offer a zone chart and other keys; Seeds of Change has the best charts among the catalogs we get, showing how much sun and water certain plants need and in which zone they are best suited.
Then there is the matter of which seeds to choose. We're not purists about it, but we do try to buy organic seeds whenever there is an option. Conventional seeds might have been harvested from chemically grown plants, and they also may have been treated with insecticides or fungicides prior to sale. We also try heirloom varieties that are from our region whenever we come across them. Even the major seed catalogs, such as Burbee, offer a number of organic and heirloom varieties.
You don't need a big yard or even a yard to plant a garden. A small potted garden on a terrace or sunny apartment window sill can provide a year round bounty. As part of my work on The Green Guide, we've come up with lots of tips on starting a vegetable garden, including a list of companies offering organic and heirloom seeds.
Tiffany Washko, NatureMoms.com
For many green moms and dads the decision about how to diaper their baby does not come so easy. We all know disposable diapers are bad with a capital "B," but the other options just seem so archaic and inconvenient.
But it's not as bad as you may think. There are some pretty appealing diapering alternatives nowadays. If you want to lighten your environmental footprint by avoiding those landfill-filling, disposable diapers, then two options you might consider are cloth diapers or gDiapers.
Cloth Diapers
When many parents think of cloth diapers they still think of those thick, towel like diapers (the ones we now use as burp rags), diaper pins, and the plastic vinyl pants that go on top. Well, the cloth diapers you find today are far cry from that these days.
Bum Genius cloth diapers by Cotton Babies are designed to make cloth diapering easy for every-day people -- like your babysitter, grandparents and even dad. Using a BumGenius cloth diaper is just like using a disposable, but you don’t throw it away! Just wash it and they’re ready to go again. They come in a variety of beautiful colors like Blossom Pink and Grasshopper Green.
They are pocket diapers, which allows you to use the type of insert that meets your absorbency needs (although the included microfiber insert should be sufficient). Bum Genius also offers an all-in-one diaper, which is a one-piece diaper that most closely resembles a disposable. Plus, Bum Genius diapers have neat stretchy tabs that make diapering even the most wiggly babies a breeze.
The best thing about these diapers by far is that they are one-size-fits-most. They will fit babies between 6 and 35 pounds, so there's no need to buy a bunch of diapers in different sizes. Ingenious!
If you want to go a step further you can try a cloth diaper made from sustainable materials, such as organic cotton or even bamboo...
Michelle Bexelius, co-founder of EcoRemedi.com
Having a baby can be exciting and overwhelming at the same time. There is so much to learn about bringing a newborn into the world, not to mention such questions as what crib to buy, what mattress, what bottles, clothes, toys, etc. We all want to make their environment safe, welcoming and healthy.
Today I went to a home where a woman was preparing for her son's arrival and had some questions about setting up his nursery. She had lots of questions and was concerned with creating a healthy yet stylish environment for her little guy. Babies spend 60% of their lives sleeping their first year, so it's important to make sure their space is set up so they have a chance to grow up without toxins. Here are a few practical yet important things I told her about that can ensure the safety of baby's space. It's a place to start.
- To start, there are several mattresses on the market that are non-toxic, don't contain harmful fire retardants, are breathable, and resist dust mites, mold and mildew, so her baby can have a truly healthy night's rest.
- Once you have the right mattress, you need a crib that is made from solid wood with a non-toxic finish. Furniture finishes are often laden with toxic glues and stains, not to mention lead in some of the older models. Babies often teeth on the railings of the cribs when they are older, and the glues off-gas while they are sleeping.
- The next important thing: Make sure that almost everything that touches his skin is free from dyes and chemicals. This includes sleepwear and clothing, sheets and blankets. There are many types of sleepwear that contain fire retardants. Fire retardants are known carcinogens that are harmful to your baby's health.
- To truly make your baby's space as healthy as it can be, I suggest getting an air filter. Believe it or not, the air we breathe in our homes is often far more polluted than it is outside in a congested city. Bacteria, mold, dust mites and pollen are prevalent in most homes and a good quality air filter can remove them, so your immune system can function properly.
Mary Isakson
A garden is one of life’s dirty miracles. I have fond memories of my father’s small-scale composting of coffee grounds and vegetable peelings in our back yard. I picture the climbing green bean vines, and recall with fondness the tiny carrots I grew in my own small plot. I pulled them up early and was disappointed with the scrawny little orange carrots covered with hair-like roots; carrots that would scrape down to the size of splinters when cleaned. But I wonder: Would I ever have recalled full-grown carrots so clearly or so fondly? The enthusiasm that led me to yank them up early infuses my memory of those tiny carrots with warmth that no full-grown vegetables have ever invoked in me.
It was with hope of giving my urban daughters a taste of that enthusiasm, a tangible connection to the earth, that I joined a community garden. To be honest, their level of participation in gardening has been less than I expected when I joined. But in the end, it has been a great experience for them and for me. They have picked cherries, strawberries, peaches, and currants that grow in the garden and are lucky enough to take for granted this access to truly fresh fruit. They have spent many summer evenings at the garden, sometimes offering help in my plot, more often mucking about with friends in the dirt, chopping compost, catching fireflies, and hiding mysterious objects in my plot.
My tiny carrots were disappointing; at the time it felt as if my experiment with gardening was a failure. With their memory, though, has grown recognition of a connection forged. This connection informed my decision to garden as an adult, and to share the joy of a garden with my daughters. If nothing else, I believe that this will foster their understanding that in fact the earth came first, and is underneath (and the foundation of) those concrete sidewalks they tread every day.
Laurie Benenson
I've slowly come to the realization that I've accumulated enough old cables, wires, plugs, and various digital gadgets to start a Radio Shack.
The only problem is, they're all obsolete. Take this charger, for example -- from a two-generations-ago cell phone. And what about this dear old Palm Pilot? We sure had some good times together. But now it's time to throw you away, old pal. You've been usurped by my Blackberry. Which will no doubt go on to be replaced by whatever is the next big thing in all-things-to-all-people technology. So the question is: how do I get rid of all this stuff?
Ideally, there should be a special trash container dedicated to recycling electronic waste, which would be emptied along with the other three categories of cans that we have: "regular" garbage, organic waste like grass and leaves, and recyclables like paper, plastic, glass and tin. Those three categories were devised long before the incredible glut of electronic gadgetry that we now have to contend with. So what about adding a fourth category?
It's time to recognize the realities: electronic disposal is a regular part of daily life. Until our municipalities get around to offering a house-to-house service, though, there is an excellent website you can consult to find out the nearest e-waste recycling center...
Kimberly Danek Pinkson, Founder of the EcoMom Alliance
The very first thing I ever bought my son was a cradle. I was rather superstitious and not planning to baby shop until I was at least six months pregnant, but as I left Whole Foods and drove by a second hand store with baby furniture in the window, I found myself pulling over and going in. I think it was the hormones driving because before that moment, I had never shopped in a thrift store, unless you count some of L.A.’s vintage boutiques as "thrift stores," but that’s a whole other snobby, semantic story.
Anyway, the first thing I saw was this cradle. Still in its box. Never opened. FSC certified, all natural wood. I felt a little guilty about the impulse buy, but it came home with me. And fittingly, thus began my shopping adventures as a green mom.
Turns out I had nothing to feel guilty about because six years later, I still have that cradle and just thinking about it makes me feel happy again. Plus, two of my nephews, as well as the babies of three dear friends, have all come to use it. With every “recycle” I put on new bedding and tie on new ribbons. It feels good to pass on the memories of my newborn son swaddled within, and it feels good to know that my purchase is being reused over and over. My point here is that going green is easier than you may think -- and in fact, you may already be making some green choices...
