Green Your Halloween: Trick or Treat! (Part 2)

You've carved pumpkins, put together a costume, decorated the house, had a Halloween party, and picked up your Halloween goodies to hand out on the big night. Now it's time to grab your little ones and head out for a fun night of trick-or-treating. Here's how to keep it green:

Carry A Reusable Sac: Grab an old pillowcase, a tote bag, or a canvas shopping bag for your kids to fill with treats. But whatever you do, don't use a flimsy, disposable, plastic bag that is likely to break before the night is through.

Eat Some Candy!: It's Halloween, and if you're going to do the whole trick-or-treat thing, relax a little bit and let your kids gobble up some of their hard-earned treats! Set a limit for the amount of candy they can eat that night and then put the rest away (preferably out of sight) for another time. If they decide to eat as they go, just make sure they put the wrappers in their pockets to throw away later.

Pass It On: It takes just one small-town neighborhood block for my kids to accumulate enough candy to rot out all of their teeth (even the ones they don't have yet) and rev up their systems for a good month. So at our house, the kids get to indulge for a few days before I pull the plug and get rid of the sugar. Fortunately, there's no need to throw it all away. Nursing homes, women's shelters, and Boys and Girls Clubs all happily accept candy donations.

Green Your Halloween: Trick or Treat!

If you're shopping for treats to hand out this Halloween, you are likely to find a frightening assortment of artificial ingredients, plastic packaging, and sweatshop trinkets. How scary! Steer clear of these ghoulish wares and Green Your Halloween by giving out treats that don't trick! Here are a few ideas:

• Fair Trade Chocolates: Chocolate is always a popular choice at Halloween. But according to the non-profit group Global Exchange, 40% of the world's cocoa is produced in "abysmal working conditions" where children are exploited and used as laborers. Give out fair-trade chocolates instead. (Try Exquisite Swiss or Endangered Species Chocolates)
• Gummies: Fruitabu's Organic Smooshed Fruit is made without any scary artificial ingredients. Individually-sized packs come in great seasonal flavors like Autumn Apple, Abundant Apricot, and Bountiful Blackberry.
  
• Lollipops: College Farm Organic offers an assortment of lollipops and hard candies made with all-natural ingredients. Even better, the candy bags and wrappers are fully-compostable leaving you with a no-waste treat!
• Popcorn: Hand out individually-wrapped bags of organic microwave popcorn. (Try Newman's Own Organics)
  
• Raisins: Earthbound Farms organic raisins are available in individually sized boxes
  
• Snack Bars: Earth's Best snack bars make the perfect bite-sized Halloween treat
• Soy Crayons
  
• Stickers
• Temporary Tattoos
  

Green Your Halloween: Parties

Ready to scare up some Halloween fun this weekend? Decorate in black and orange for your next Halloween party but keep it green with these easy tips. And be sure to have a great, green time!

Invites

• Poo Poo Paper: Skip the usual paper invites that cost a fortune to mail and take forever to fill out. Instead, email an invite to your friends for free (try www.evite.com). If you really want to mail out a card, put the poo poo on paper with an invitation made from elephant dung (www.poopoopaper.com)!

Food

• Keep It Local: Serve locally grown and produced foods to your party guests. If it's a potluck, challenge your guests to bring a dish that contains locally grown ingredients.
• Pass On Paper: Use dishes, utensils, and napkins that can be washed and reused rather than disposables. If it's a huge party and dishwashing is not an option, consider purchasing biodegradable plates, cups, and utensils that can be tossed in the compost bin.
• Show Your True Colors: Enlist your kids help in coming up with dishes that show off your Halloween green (and black and orange). Ingredient ideas include black olives, raisins, orange bell peppers, carrots, sweet potatoes, kiwi, and green apples.
  

Decorations

• Click here for a ton of Green Halloween decoration ideas

Games

• Bobbing for Apples (another alternative is to tie strings to apples and hang from a tree. Blindfold guests and have them try to chomp one.)
• Pumpkin Carving: Gather up some locally grown pumpkins (click here for more info about pumpkins) from a nearby pumpkin farm and let guests carve or paint their own to take home.
  
• Recycled Costume Exchange: Have guests bring old costumes from years past or old clothes and props from around their house that can be recycled as costumes. Click here for some great DIY costume ideas.
  
• Make Your Own Haunted House: Turn old bed sheets into ghoulish ghosts, rocks into creepy spiders, and old dolls into "headless" horsemen! (Be sure to factor in the ages of your guests so as not to frighten little ones)

Green Your Halloween: Pumpkins

Nothing says "Happy Halloween" like a pumpkin. Whether it's carved or painted, spooky or silly, a pumpkin is a tried and true symbol of the Halloween festivities. They are ridiculously versatile...you can use them as decorations, as side dishes, and even as inspiration for your costume. And growing pumpkins is even good for the environment. According to a report from the Royal Military College of Canada, pumpkins have the ability to remove toxic DDT from the soil. So do something good for the planet and go get some pumpkins!

Here's how to Green Your Halloween and have a Jack-O-Lantern full of eco-friendly fun with pumpkins.

1. Go Local: Buy your pumpkins (as well as apples and other seasonal produce) from your local pumpkin farm or farmer's market to save energy and resources that would otherwise be used for shipping, packaging, and transportation.
   
2. Use It All: If you carve your pumpkin, be sure to save the seeds. Pumpkin seeds can be baked and served as a special treat at home or at your next Halloween gathering. You can also feed them (dry or wet) to the birds and squirrels in your yard. Some zoos even accept pumpkin seed donations for their animals.
   
3. Compost: When the holiday has past and your pumpkin begins to look a little wilted, be sure to give him a proper "burial" in your compost pile.
   

Green Your Halloween: Decorations

Not that long ago, Halloween decorations consisted of a couple of pumpkins on the front porch and old clothes fashioned into a stuffed scarecrow in the yard. But today, Halloween has begun to rival Christmas with the amount of planning, preparation, and purchasing that goes into the holiday decorations. Don't be frightened....there are plenty of ways to decorate for a Green Halloween that won't spook the planet. Check out these ideas for Green Halloween decorations...

1. Seek Out The Spooky...Reuse and recycle stuff around your house to use as Halloween decorations. Don't worry if it's not perfect. Halloween as all about the eerie, the gross, and the creepy, so it will look even better if it's dirty or falling apart.
   
2. Get Thrifty: Hit your local thrift store for awesome decorations that won't cost a fortune.
   
3. Reuse decorations from year to year...don't just throw them away...that's SCARY!!
4. Go Au Naturale: Skip the inflatable and light-up decor that wastes both money and resources. Instead, opt for natural decorations like pumpkins, corn stalks, mums, and straw bales.
   

Add a little spookiness to your front yard with stuff that's already laying around your house. Check out these ideas for transforming everyday items into frightfully fun decorations:

Cardboard Box

• Coffin: Paint it black, stuff a shirt with newspaper and hang it from the side
  
• Tombstone: Paint it gray and add a funny epithet
  
• Skeleton: Paint it white and cut out a skeleton design
  

Recycled Newspaper/Paper

• Witch's Hat: Paint it black and fold into a pointy witch's hat.
  
• "Chain": Cut out strips of paper into chains that you can use to decorate inside or out
  

Rocks

Spiders: Paint black and attach pipe cleaners as legs

More Ideas

• Stuff old clothes with newspaper to form a scarecrow for your front porch. Add a hat and some funky shoes.
• Use old stockings or the netting from a bag of oranges to make spiderwebs.
• Turn an old sheet or pillowcase into a ghastly ghost. Use a small amount of crumpled newspaper to stuff the "head." Tie off the head with a string and add a spooky face with markers. Hang your ghost in a nearby tree and let him blow in the wind.
  

Green Your Halloween: Costumes

With Halloween fast approaching, I am dedicating this week's blog entries and newsletters to helping you prepare for a Green Halloween. I'll give you the scoop on the costumes, decorations, pumpkins, and treats that provide scary amounts of fun without frightening the planet. Ready to get started? Check out these ideas for greening your kids' Halloween costumes...

• Raid The Thrift Store: Hit your local thrift store first when looking for Halloween supplies. Most stores have an abundance of pre-made costumes set aside that you can pick up for pennies a piece. If you don't find exactly what you're looking for, wander the aisles to find cool clothes that will transform you child into a clown, princess, wizard, nurse, "mad scientist, or treehugger!
  

• DIY The Props: If your child needs a special prop to go with his outfit, help him make it out of the materials you have at home. Swords or “magic” wands are easily made by cutting the shape out of a piece of cardboard and covering it with aluminum foil. Make a cape for a wizard or princess using an old fancy pillowcase. Cut it lengthwise and attach a thin piece of felt at either end.
  

• Add Effect: Add "glow in the dark" stars to your little one’s princess or ninja costume for an extra special effect. Or jazz up your child's costume with green (or red or blue) facepaint. Just blend ½ teaspoon diaper cream with 1 heaping teaspoon of cornstarch. Add a little water to get the paint to the desired consistency. Scoop the mixture into a few separate containers (such as egg cups or bottle caps) and add 1 or 2 drops of the food coloring of your choice to each. (These face paints will wash off with warm water, but be sure to take the usual precautions for allergies and clothes stains.)

Costume Ideas

Here are some great ideas for simple, eco-friendly Halloween costumes for you and/or your kids. Got a few great ideas of your own? Post them here for a chance to win great Halloween prizes (can you say fair-trade chocolate and reusable treat bags?)

Black Cat: Black sweat suit, black headband (attach 2 black felt ears), old black scarf or boa to use as tail (attach with a safety pin). Use black eyeliner to draw on cat eyes and whiskers.

Cowboy/Cowgirl: Jeans, flannel shirt, bandanna, boots, cowboy (cowgirl) hat

Ghost: It doesn’t get any easier than this one. Cut two eye holes in an old sheet (if you don’t have an old one, you can pick one up at your local thrift store.) Jazz it up by using a permanent marker to add spider webs, chains, and a face.

Mummy: Dress child in an all white or all black outfit. Cut an old sheet into long strips. Attach strips with masking tape to child’s clothes and wrap loosely around legs, torso, and arms. Use white face paint all over face.

Ninja: Black turtleneck, billowy black pants, black belt, and a sword

Pirate: Red pants, white billowy shirt (open at the collar) balck belt, black boots, black hat, 1 dangly clip-on earring, 1 black eye patch

Princess: If you can’t find an old princess dress at your local thrift store, seek out any material that is frilly and/or sparkly that can be pinned around your child’s waist as a skirt. (Try a fancy pillowcase or tablecloth). Make a crown out of aluminum foil. For special effect, add glow in the dark stars all over the costume.

Scarecrow: Old jeans, flannel shirt, straw hat, boots. Cut an old newspaper into thin strips. Using duct tape, attach the newspaper strips to the inside cuff of each pant leg and the inside cuff of each shirt at the wrist. Use red face paint and black eyeliner to make red cheeks, and black “stitching” around mouth and eyes.

Spider: Black sweat suit, 2 pairs of black tights. (Cut the legs off of the tights and stuff them with old newspaper (4 legs total). Attach 2 legs to either side of sweatshirt with safety pins. Using black sewing thread or safety pins, attach the lower leg on the left with the lower leg on the right in front of child. Next, attach the middle leg on left to the left sweatshirt arm and the middle right leg to the right sweatshirt arm.)

Zorro: Black pants, black shirt, cut mask into strip of black felt, black belt, black shoes or boots, sword

Photo courtesy of scol22, stock.xchng.

Got Leaves? Get Composting!

Have you ever met a kid who didn't love jumping into a pile of freshly raked leaves? I certainly haven't! So with a beautiful fall weekend almost within reach, it's time to rev up you rakes and get ready for some weekend fun. And after your kids get finished smashing the leaves to smithereens, be sure to add any leftover bits to your compost pile. Composting is the ultimate recycler, turning your yard waste and kitchen scraps into usable (and sought after) plant food. If you don't already have one, this is the perfect time to get started.

Why Compost?

1. Save Money: Why pay money for plant food and fertilizers when you can make your own with some broken down leaves and newspapers. Composting is not as hard as you think and it can save you a fortune in yard care products.
   
2. Reduce Waste: Every scrap you put in the compost bin is one less scrap that's locked away in a landfill.
   
3. Protect Your Plants and The Planet: According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "compost has been shown to suppress plant diseases and pests, reduce or eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers, and promote higher yields of agricultural crops." The organization has also found that the composting process can help absorb odors, bind heavy metals, and break down toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Starting A Compost Pile

There are tons of resources out there that cover the composting process inside and out. Basically, to get started you will need 2 types of ingredients:

• Carbon (shredded newspapers, cardboard, and straw)
• Nitrogen (lawn clippings, kitchen waste, and weeds).

Combine them together and before long you'll have compost. If you're feeling lazy you don't need to do anything else (but wait and wait). You'll have usable compost by next year even if you never touch the pile again. If you'd like things to move along a little more quickly, you'll need to turn the pile and add a few drops of water every few weeks. If you really want to get the most from your waste, check out a few online resources:

How To Compost.org
How To Make Compost
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Composting Info

Do The Doo

Nothing says "sucker" quite like the sight of a human being bending over to pick up a pile of doggie doo. Having a pet is like having a toddler that will never become potty trained. You're stuck in perpetual diaper duty. And all of that duty makes for a pile of doodie that needs to go somewhere. Fortunately, you can still be a Green Parent while tending to your pet's needs. Here's how:

Dogs: Why place biodegradable doggie doo in a plastic bag that will keep it locked up for hundreds (if not thousands) of years? Instead, look for biodegradable poop bags that can be thrown in the compost bin (for use on non-food plants) or collected at your curb with other biodegradable yard waste. EcoChoices makes reasonably priced bags that are 100% biodegradable and made from non-genetically modified corn.

Cats: Traditional clumping clay litter is made from strip-mined clay that is infused with carcinogenic silica dust and sodium bentonite, chemicals that are harmful for the health of your cat as well as your children. Look for a non-toxic, biodegradable kitty litter such as the wheat-based, Swheat Scoop.

Rabbits: If you keep your rabbit in a cage, do not use cedar or other wood shavings as litter or bedding as these may cause liver damage or trigger allergic reactions. Like cats, rabbits can be litter trained and do best with organic litters made of paper, wood pulp, or citrus.

Ferrets: Ferrets also do well with a litter box. Look for biodegradable litters made from paper or plant fibers. And be sure to scoop regularly as ferrets are not great at the "cover-up."

Reduce Your Dinner's Food Miles

I recently wrote about the exploits of Manny Howard, who attempted to grow all of the food he needed for his family of four in his 20 x 40 foot Brooklyn backyard. And while Manny's experiment went beyond the limits of extreme, it was indicative of the growing national trend to eat locally.

Eating locally is not a new idea, in fact, the opposite is true. When my grandmother wanted tomatoes in the winter, she reached into her cupboard and opened a jar that she canned over the summer. It never would have crossed her mind to order tomatoes from Israel for her holiday menu. Yet today, my local grocery store gives me access to any type of produce I want, regardless of the season or my locality. And this access comes at a hefty price to the environment.

According to the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, "the vast majority of energy used in the U.S. food system (around 80 percent) goes to processing, packaging, transporting, storing, and preparing food."

In 2001, the Leopold Center created a paper called "Food, Fuel and Freeways," that tracked the distance that 30 items of produce travelled to get to the average Iowans table. According to the Leopold Center, "fresh produce transported to Iowa consumers under the current conventional food system travels longer distances, uses more fuel, and releases more CO2 than the same quantity of produce transported in a local or Iowa-based regional food system." Check out the following graphic to see a summary of their results*.







So what does all of this mean for you and your family? It means that you need to think twice about the foods you choose to bring home from the store. Even produce that is grown organically will cause unnecessary environmental damage if it must be flown from overseas, or trucked across the country to get to your kitchen table. Here are a few great ways to reduce the carbon footprint of your next meal:

• Check out Sustainable Table for a state-by-state list of seasonal produce availability. It's a great opportunity to teach your kids about the types of foods that grow in your area and the seasons they prefer to grow in.
  
• Talk to your school officials about the Farm To School Program that benefits local farmers while providing fresh fruits and vegetables to schools.
• Plan a 100-mile party with your friends; a potluck where you all bring dishes prepared with foods found within 100 miles of your home.

* Information for this chart is based on the weighted average source distance, a single distance figure that combines information on distances from production source to consumption or purchase endpoint. For these calculations, USDA Agricultural Marketing Service arrival data for 1998 were used to identify production origin (state or country). Distances from production origin to Chicago were estimated by using a city located in the center of each state as the production origin, and then calculating a one-way road distance to Chicago using the Internet site Mapquest (mapquest.com). Estimations do not include distance from the Chicago Terminal Market to point of retail sale.

Source: Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, "Food, Fuel and Freeways" by Rich Pirog, Timothy Van Pelt, Kamyar Enshayan and Ellen Cook. Graphics by Matt Miller.

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Skip The Water Cooler

The office water cooler is an excellent place for gossip, but not so great for the environment. According to the Environmental Protection Agency,

Water coolers use 4 billion kilowatts of energy each year, producing annual pollution roughly equivalent to the emissions of over 700,000 cars.

In addition, the agency estimates that Americans spend $300 million each year on utility bills to operate water coolers.

You can eliminate the waste consumption and resource depletion of traditional water coolers, bottles, and fountains by installing an inexpensive water filter on the office kitchen tap. Keep a stash of water pitchers and cool reusable cups and mugs nearby so that employees always have access to cold, fresh, clean water. Make the kitchen area a fun spot for employees to gather (and gossip) and they'll never miss that wasteful old cooler!


Image courtesy of Lotus Head http://www.pixelpusher.co.za

Hold The Beef!

Skip the beef at dinner tonight and opt for a veggie meal instead. A vegetarian diet is not only healthier for you, it is also better for the environment. The production of beef makes more of an impact on the environment than any other type of food. According to a report produced by the World Wildlife Fund, more pasture is used for cattle than all other domesticated animals and crops combined. Cattle also eat an increasing proportion of grain produced from agriculture, are one of the most significant contributors to water pollution, and are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. The average American eats roughly 4 servings of beef each week. So hold the beef at dinner tonight and you can reduce your environmental impact by 25%.

Now, I know it can be difficult enough to get your kids to eat veggies as a side dish. If you tell them their dinner is “vegetarian,” you risk an all-out mutiny. But it’s easier than you think to pull off a vegetarian meal. Cheese pizza is popular with kids of all ages, and the same goes for mac and cheese, bean burritos, or spaghetti with a yummy marinara.

If dinner is a hit and you decide to take things one step further, consider taking PETA's "Pledge To Be Veg" for 30 days. Sign up at their website and they'll send you an email loaded with recipes and tips for going veggie. Check out their "Chew On This" video below for 30 reasons to go vegetarian. (Please note...THIS VIDEO IS VERY GRAPHIC. IT IS NOT FOR CHILDREN OR FOR THE FAINT OF HEART.)




Watch more videos at PETA.org

Get A Green Clean, Part II

I'll admit it...I hate to clean. I am not one of those lucky folks who finds cleaning to be relaxing or therapeutic. Instead, I think it is a chore. Unfortunately, I am one of those folks who really likes to have a clean house. So it is a chore that I tackle regularly. The good news is that since I have been using eco-friendly cleaning products in place of the chemical stuff you find on most store shelves, I find the chore of cleaning to be much more pleasant. No more toxic chemicals (Click here to see a previous post about the cleaning chemicals to stay away from.) Green cleaning leaves you with nothing but a clean, fresh house that's safe for your family and the environment. Here's what you need to know to get a green clean:

DIY

You don't have to have a chemistry degree to save a bundle in $ and make your own cleaning supplies. In fact, it's so easy, you'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner. You can use simply vinegar and water to get your windows, floors, and countertops sparkling (at least until the kids come along). And a sprinkle of baking soda is all you'll need to clean toilets, sinks, and bathtubs. If you really want to get fancy, try out some of the great recipes I have listed in the book for specialized cleaners (disinfectants, stain removers, carpet cleaners, over cleaners, metal cleaners, etc.)

Products To Try

If DIY is not your thing, you can still get a green clean with a product from one of these nifty companies:

• Seaside Naturals: Their All-Purpose Cleaner is my new favorite cleaning product. Not because it smells great and kicks butt on dirt (although it does) but because my HUSBAND loves it and therefore uses it often :)
• Ecover
• Seventh Generation
• Begley's Best

Happy Cleaning!!

Heat Things Up with Non-Toxic Antifreeze and De-icers

Brr...Well folks, summer is officially over and the crisp cool air of fall is moving in. Before you know it, winter will be here, and despite the best efforts of global warming, many of us will still have to deal with snow and ice this season. And while the white stuff isn't falling yet, the temperatures are already dipping into the freezing zone in many regions. So, I wanted to go ahead and post this information about non-toxic anti-freeze solutions that are safer for the environment, your children and your pets.

1. Ice Clear: This solution is a non-toxic, bio-based, food-grade solution that works just as well as conventional anti-freeze for de-icing sidewalks but without the petroleum based, toxic chemicals.

2. Birdseed: Use bird seed on icy sidewalks. It gives you traction, and the birds help to break up the ice while they eat it.

3. Vinegar: Mix up a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water and spray it on your car's windshield before you go to bed. It will keep the ice from forming on your windshield and save you that early morning scraping.

4. Propylene Glycol: For your car, look for an anti-freeze that uses propylene glycol in place of it's toxic cousin, ethylene glycol. Propylene glycol is still petroleum based so it is not great for the environment, but it is non-toxic and safe for pets and children.

Green Festival 2007

Last weekend I had the good fortune to attend the Green Festival in Washington, D.C. where I saw a convention center full of great eco-savvy products and learned the latest in environmental news from incredible speakers like Bill McKibben and Timberly Whitfield. Here are some of the highlights from the event:

Step It Up 2007: Bill McKibben, a true environmental leader and author of the bestseller, The End of Nature, has organized the Step It Up 2007 campaign to demand leadership and action on global warming from our elected officials. In April, 2007, the group organized 1,400 rallies in all 50 states across the U.S., amounting to the largest environmental movement since Earth Day 1970. Step It Up is planning another set of rallies for Nov 3rd of this year (one year before the election). Click here to find an event in your area.

The Hungry Vegan: The Hungry Vegan is a food delivery service offering organic, vegan meals that are already prepared and ready for your freezer or dinner plate. They deliver a week's worth of meals directly to your door (or to your hotel if you are traveling) for an extremely reasonably price ($75/week for 1 person or $140/week for 2). What a perfect gift for new parents, college students, or anyone else who needs a break in the kitchen!

Gaia Girls: From author Lee Welles comes a series of books for eco-savvy Green Kids along the lines of Nancy Drew or Harry Potter. The first book, Enter The Earth, introduces Elizabeth Angier, an average American 10 year-old who grows up on an organic farm and happens to possess the ability to command the "Earth" (soil, trees, etc.) at will. Elizabeth's adventures as an eco-hero leave the reader ready and willing to protect the planet. Subsequent books in the series introduce girls with the power to command air, water, and fire. Kids of all ages will devour these enthralling eco-adventures!

When To Buy Organic

Just a few years ago, the organic section in my small town grocery store was limited to a dated funky looking package of tofu and a few dried up herbs. Now, organic foods are all over the store, from coffee, to eggs, to salad dressing. Organic foods are produced without all of the chemicals and genetically modified ingredients that are common in traditionally produced foods, so they are bound to be better for your health and that of the environment. But if you can't afford to go whole hog (so to speak) and purchase everything with an organic label, use these tips to decide out when to buy organic and when to pass.

Buy Organic

• Fruits and Veggies: Foods such as apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, imported grapes, lettuce, nectarines, peaches, peanut butter, pears, potatoes, red raspberries, spinach, and strawberries use and retain the most chemical pesticides.
• Baby Food: If you have a baby, find room in your budget for organic baby food, or better yet, make your own homemade baby food using organic ingredients. Babies have fragile, developing immune systems that cannot protect them from the adverse health affects associated with pesticides.
  
• Meat and Dairy: Beef, poultry, and eggs are also good to buy organic, especially if you and your family eat them frequently.
  
• Extras: If money is no object, consider purchasing organic processed foods such as ketchup or soup. These foods will contain some, but not solely, organic ingredients.
  

Don't Bother

• If your budget is tight, don’t worry about organic when it comes to onions, avocado, pineapples, mango, asparagus, kiwi, bananas, cabbage, broccoli, and eggplant as these fruits and veggies contain the least amount of pesticides.
• Don’t even bother with organic seafood as there are currently no standards in place to regulate their labels.
  

Top 10 Foods To Buy Organic

1. Peaches
2. Apples
3. Baby Foods
4. Peanut Butter
5. Bell Peppers
6. Berries
7. Imported Grapes
8. Beef
9. Dairy Products
10. Eggs

One final note: All grocers are legally required to place organic foods (especially fruits and vegetables) where they won’t be exposed to the pesticide-laden water runoff from conventional produce. If your local store has forgotten that rule, remind them. If they still don’t move the organic food, shop somewhere else.

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Think Globally; Act Locally

Here's a high-tech way to clean up your neighboorhood. Next weekend (Oct 13th-14th), Google is hosting an International Cleanup Weekend in an effort to spread the word about taking care of the planet. They are hoping to inspire folks to make an impact by thinking globally and acting locally.

Log on to Google's clean-up site and join up with a clean-up event in your area. Or, if you're feeling ambitious, organize your co-workers, friends, family, or neighboors to clean up your local area. Using their step-by-step tutorial, you can learn how to organize your own local clean-up event and "map" your event to make it part of the international effort. If you don't have time for a big event, keep it simple and grab your kids, a few bags, and a picnic lunch to spruce up your favorite local spot. After your clean-up, you can post photos and videos of your event for the whole world to see.

Dive Into A Carpool

How much does your car weigh? Personally, I can't answer this question except to say that my car is pretty darned heavy. That's why I find it so disturbing with the findings from FuelEconomy.gov that "most vehicles produce several times their weight in greenhouse gases each year." The amount of time we spend behind the wheel has a significant impact on the planet. So if you are ready to make a change that will really make a difference, consider organizing an office carpool. Carpooling is a fantastic way to save money, reduce congestion and save the planet.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, each person that carpools saves 77 lbs of hydrocarbons (the nasty stuff that makes smog); 550 carbon monoxide; 33 lbs of nitrogen oxides; 9,900 lbs of carbon dioxide; as well as 500 gallons of gasoline every year.

Here's how to get your carpool up and running:

• Find out what kinds of transportation benefits are offered by your employer. If they don't have a policy established, talk to them about the government sponsored Commuter Choice program that works with employers to design commuting choices. Commuter Choice can work out a custom plan that takes into account tax incentives for any commuting benefits offered to employees as well as solutions involving flex-time, route planning, and van-pools.

• Seek out co-workers and friends who might be interested in sharing a ride. Don't know anyone interested in carpooling? Find fellow commuters in your area at eRideShare or Carpool Connect.

• Once you've established your carpool, go over some Carpool Etiquette to make sure that everyone stays happy.

• Kick back, relax, and enjoy the guilt-free ride!

Toting Canvas

As a Green Parent, I try to minimize my impact on the environment each day, especially at the store. I take the time to buy organic and locally grown foods as well as all-natural personal care products whenever possible. I check ingredient labels and “vote with my wallet” to support companies with an environmental backbone. But all of this effort used to go out the window when I got to the checkout line and was forced to answer the inevitable question…Paper or Plastic?

According to the Environmental News Network, 90 percent of all grocery bags are plastic with Americans alone going through about 100 billion plastic bags each year. Yet only 1 to 3 percent of these bags are ever recycled. The rest line our waterways, sewers, street corners, and occasionally landfills where they take hundreds of years to break down into toxic particles that leach into the water and soil. And paper is no better, the 10 billion or so paper bags that Americans use each year consume 14 million trees and cause pollution and recycling problems of their own.

In the past, I tried to reuse plastic bags whenever possible around my house. But the time has come to for a more eco-friendly option...reusable totes. If it sounds too dauting, just start slowly. Toss 1 or 2 reusable tote bags in your diaper bag or in your car so that you will have at least a few on hand the next time you’re at the store. Once you get the hang of it, try adding a few more totes to your collection until you no longer need to use plastic. Here's a few more tips:

• Look around your favorite store to see if they offer a reusable alternative. Trader Joe’s, Wegmans, Publix, Giant, and Albertsons all offer reusable cloth bags for sale in their stores (some for as little as $1 each).

• DIY: I’m not that handle with a needle, but even I can whip up a homemade tote bag. Here’s a few instructional sites you can try:

Make-It-Easy
And Sew It Is
DLTK Kids

• Buy "Preloved": Tote bags multiply faster than rabbits so you are sure to find a good deal at your local thrift store or area garage sales.

• Win: If you have scoured your house and local thrift stores and you still can't find a decent tote, register to win one through The Green Parent. Just enter your info in the column on the right. I'll give away one free bag each week for the next year!

Oh...and if you still have a bunch of plastic bags laying around your house, check out these sites for some creative ways to reuse them:

Reader's Digest Living
The Frugal Life

Green Parent Tip: If you have a problem remembering to put your totes back in the car after you've used them; try hanging them on the doorknob or in the same place you put your car keys!