 |
This past Saturday marked another historic Step It Up 2007 event with hundreds of demonstrations going on across the country to raise awareness about climate change and the steps needed to reverse it. Across the nation, tens of thousands of Green Parents and Eco Kids of all ages gathered to learn more about climate change, how we can halt it, and what we can and should expect our elected officials to do about it. Click here to see a list of elected officials who attended a Step It Up event.
I was fortunate enough to attend the D.C. event held in front of the Lincoln Memorial where I was entertained by rapping polar bears, informed about climate change by advisers such as David Donegan and Dr. Beverly White, and motivated to make a difference by inspirational speakers like Van Jones, founder of Green For All. All of the afternoon's speakers were phenomenal.. Van Jones, in particular, gave an incredible speech, as he spoke about the "green pathway out of poverty," through which we should focus on the development of green collar jobs f  or those who are in most need of work. Here's an excerpt:
"In this society, we believe that we have throwaway stuff, throwaway resources, and throwaway materials. We also believe that we have throwaway children and throwaway neighborhoods. If we are going to truly make a difference, we can't just stop throwing away resources, we have to stop throwing away people."
Today, (Monday, Nov 5th) leaders from each of the weekend's events will be taking their case to Congress, meeting with their elected officials to discuss Step It Up's plan to increase the number of green jobs in the U.S. and decrease the level of carbon emission by 80 % by 2050. So, if you missed an event but still want to be part of history, pick up your phone and call your Congressperson (Click here to find phone numbers) and let them know you are concerned about climate change.
Special thanks to my polar bear models...Alexis Bayden-Mayer and Arundhati Baden-Mayer Eidinger
Are you going to be a part of this weekend's historic Step It Up 2007 events? The Step It Up 2007 campaign was launched on April 14th of this year in an effort to draw national and international attention to climate change; calling on Congress to enact legislation that will cut carbon emissions by 80 % by the year 2050. Click here to learn more about the Step It Up initiatives.
In April, tens of thousands of Americans "Stepped Up" to attend the 1,400 events held in each of the 50 U.S. states. The collective event was dubbed "the largest environmental movment since Earth Day 1970." The people spoke...and now the elected officials are listening. So now, while we have their attention, comes the next phase of the event. This Saturday (November 3rd) Americans will once again "Step It Up" to demand leadership and action from our elected officials with respect to climate change. Family-friendly Step It Up 2007 events will once again be held all over the nation, bringing speakers, activists, and elected officials together to call attention to climate change. Click here to find an event near you. Will you be part of this historic event? I'll be attending the D.C. event and I hope to see you there!
Ahhh...the Halloween festivities are over. And as your kids crash down from their sugar high, it's time for you to wipe off the smudged face paint, take apart the costumes, put away the candy corn, and get rid of those wilted pumpkins. Here's how to clean up after your Green Halloween:
Pumpkins: Pumpkins are 100% compostable, so chop 'em up and toss them in the pile or bury them in the backyard. Don't have a compost pile? Click here to learn how to start one. In some areas, you may be able to throw your pumpkins in with other compostable yard waste for the city or county to pick up.
Costumes: Just because Halloween is over doesn't mean that your child has to give up his favorite costume. Put it in the dress-up box for playtime around the house. If you do want to get rid of it, pass it on to your local thrift shop or sell it on eBay.
Candy: If you've hit your limit on Halloween candy, pare down your supply and donate the rest to a local nursing home, Boys and Girls club, or women's shelter.
Photo courtesy of Thad Zajdowicz
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.
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
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)
 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
|
|
or those who are in most need of work. Here's an excerpt:
or 
