Living Green with a Baby - Choosing the Most Eco-friendly Products for Your Little One

By: Rene Hernandez

     Healthy, eco-friendly baby products are the best way to ensure that you will give your baby a healthy environment in which to grow their first few years. Fortunately, green baby products have become explosively popular recently. Rightfully so, there are many chemicals that babies do not necessarily need to be exposed to.

     For example, the crib mattress generally contains many chemicals, but there are organic options always available. The same goes with bedding: there are always organic materials (such as wool or cotton) that can replace plastic and chemically infused sheets. Stuffed toys are available in organic cotton, as are clothing. Diapers can be found in recyclable and chlorine-free form, as cloth. However, perhaps a bit more cumbersome, they will save on your home's trash output, and be softer on contact with your baby. Essentially, most wool or cotton materials are enough to keep unnecessary chemicals away from a baby's soft and vulnerable skin.

     As far as the products for feeding your baby goes, many bottles are made with bisphenol A, also known as BPA, a chemical that will seep into the liquid contained inside. As a result, many manufacturers have begun to produce BPA-free bottles. They are also available in shatterproof materials, as many parents are concerned about feeding babies through bottles that may shatter. The same problem exists for breast milk storage containers: be sure to use PVC- and BPA-free containers to store milk, either glass or plastic.

     Lotions for babies also come in an organic variety. Before purchasing your baby's lotion, check the ingredients for chemicals. A plant-based lotion can replace any product whose first ingredient is a chemical. The same goes for shampoo and body soap, be sure there are primarily organic materials, and that the product has not been tested on animals prior to sales. Luckily, organic soaps and shampoos for babies have recently become very popular products, and are thus readily available at low prices.

     Unfortunately, replacing chemical and potentially toxic materials with green baby products tends to be a much more expensive choice. Many parents will have to choose which green products with which to surround their baby. However, a reduction in the chemicals in your baby's environment, as a whole, will guarantee a healthier baby, and help you maintain an overall greener, more eco-friendly lifestyle.

The 7 Habits of Successful Gardeners

By Malerie Eeds
Gardening for the first time? You can't go wrong with these time-tested techniques. 

It’s Spring Time! Beautiful weather and beautiful plants and flowers… 

1. Make Compost
2. Use Compost
3. Plant Crops in Wide Beds
4. Mulch
5. Feed the Soil, Not the Plants
6. Share Something
7. Be There

Photo: The compost bins at Stonecrop Gardens in Cold Spring, N.Y.

1. Make Compost

Short version: Mother Nature never throws anything away.

Longer version: Composting is the rare silk purse from sow's ear, something for nothing, win-win. You start out with kitchen, yard and garden debris and wind up with two benefits: 1) a great soil amendment, and 2) many green points for avoiding the landfill.

It's easy to fall into thinking that compost's last name is bin, and that careful layering and turning are part of the deal. But piling shredded leaves in a corner counts too. So does "trench composting," handy for those with little garden space, and so does bringing your kitchen scraps to a place (try the nearest community garden) that will compost them if you can't. I have a friend in Manhattan, for instance, who brings her coffee grounds, orange peels and such to the Lower East Side Ecology Center at Union Square Greenmarket.

See the three simple steps to making compost.

2. Use Compost

Spread it around plants to ward off disease; put a bit in your potting mix to add slow-release micronutrients; top-dress beds with it to improve soil structure no matter what kind of soil you have; use it to help restore life to soil that's exhausted from years of chemical abuse. Sprinkle it on the lawn spring and fall to encourage the shallow grass roots... It's almost impossible to use too much.

3. Plant Crops in Wide Beds

Crops are anything planted for harvesting: vegetables, cutting flowers, shrubs on hold to be transplanted... keeping these grouped as tightly as possible in beds that are not trod upon cuts down on weeding, conserves water, allows the compost to be concentrated where it will do the most good and improves soil structure year upon year as the layers of organic matter pile up. These beds are frequently raised or at least corralled neatly by boards or — I saw it once and am still impressed all these years later — by long slabs of granite. Aesthetics aside, the primary virtue of this tidiness is easier path maintenance. From the soil and plant point of view it's the special treatment that matters.

4. Mulch

Mulch clothes the soil in a protective barrier that moderates temperature, conserves water, helps keep soil-borne diseases from splashing up and helps keep soil itself from splashing up — on your lettuce, for instance. Almost any organic mulch that will rot down into the soil is almost always preferable to landscape fabric with some kind of icing, but choosing the right mulch for each job is worth the extra effort.

Straw for instance is inexpensive, but it's untidy compared to wood chips and it breaks down a lot faster. That suits straw to the vegetable patch while the chips win under shrubs. (The specialized mulches for warming soil and/or reflecting back just the right light upon your vegetables are seldom biodegradable. My experiments with them are ongoing so all I can say at this point is: Remember that they work only when light falls on them; the more your garden resembles a jungle — no names, please — the less effective they will be.)

5. Feed the Soil, Not the Plants

Short version: Junk food, including organic junk food, has plenty of calories and may include added vitamins. But it's not great long-term nourishment, for many reasons we've learned and others we can so far only observe. Our bodies know the difference between eating a carrot and taking a capsule of vitamin A. Same deal with the soil.

Longer version: Plant health depends on healthy roots; healthy roots depend on healthy soil for air, water and nutrients delivered in forms plants can use. Soil rich in organic matter — compost! — is generally rich in nutrients and in the teeming life (fungi, bacteria, worms, etc.) that makes those nutrients available to the plants.

Ornamental plants in good soil seldom need added fertilizer, and crop plants that do need extra food need less of it when it's released slowly by friendly soil from things like rock powders, kelp and green manures. For an example of how this works with nitrogen, one of the most important nutrients, here's a Rodale Institute Research Report.

6. Share Something

If you've got a garden, you're rich.

Got seeds? The Seed Savers Exchange isn't just about vegetables; there's an affiliated Flower and Herb exchange, too. Got flowers? Hospitals won't take them anymore (allergies), but group homes, soup kitchens and — why not? — your neighborhood hardware store might be delighted with a bit of brightening up. Got produce? There's a national umbrella campaign for vegetable gardeners who want to plant a row for the hungry, and many food banks, farmers' markets and community gardens have set up organized donations. But there's no law that says you can't just give your extra beans to anyone who genuinely wants them. Hunger isn't always physical.

The garden itself is worth sharing too. Garden tours are popular fundraisers so if you're up for the attendant stress, it's likely there's a cause that's looking for locations. In my experience with these things there's always a lot more preparation than I've allowed for... but also a lot more given back in new friends, new ideas and gazillions of pats.

Find dozens of delicious summer recipes at TheDailyGreen.com.

7. Be There

Whether Lao-Tse actually said it or not, it's true: The best fertilizer is the shadow of the gardener.

Photo Credits: Leslie Land, Leslie Land

Read more: http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/blogs/organic-gardening/gardening-tips-460109#ixzz2Q0RCiZVH

Earth Day Initiatives Becoming Commonplace

By: Terry Shannon

Stadiums throughout Major League Baseball are adopting green programs

(From mlb.com)

(Photo:  Fans of Pittsburgh Pirates don green hats in support of the team’s green initiatives.)

Starting with Opening Day, the Major League Baseball calendar features many special days: Jackie Robinson Day, Mother's Day, Memorial Day, Father's Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Roberto Clemente Day and Veterans Day.

Earth Day truly belongs on that list now.

There was a time during the past decade when the important worldwide date was something you recognized with scattered examples of clubs' environmental stewardship, looking for a common bond. Sunday is Earth Day 2012, and around the national pastime it arrives with an instituted resolve that brings daily club news of harnessing wind, installing solar arrays, carbon offsets, hydropower, recycling and composting, paperless ticketing, conservation awareness, sustainable food practices and much more.

The initiatives are a fact of life in front offices, along with player scouting and game production. It has been the gradual infusion of change that all started in 2006, when MLB became the first sports league to partner with the Natural Resources Defense Council and subsequently formed the "Commissioner's Initiative on Sustainable Stadium Operations and Team Practices" -- now known simply as the MLB Greening Program<> .

"Baseball is a social institution with social responsibilities, and caring for the environment is inextricably linked to all aspects of the game," Commissioner Bud Selig said. "Sound environmental practices make sense in every way and protect out natural resources for future generations of baseball fans."

"Earth Day should give all of us reason to reflect on our own efforts to act responsibly and sustainably," said Pirates chairman Bob Nutting. "We all have a responsibility to do as much as we can to protect our environment."

If you work in baseball today, you work in environmental practice. It touches virtually everything you do. Green practices save clubs money in addition to saving the planet. Examples are everywhere you look, few of them more prominent than the innovative, corkscrew-shaped wind turbine that stands sentinel atop Progressive Field. It was installed at the start of this season, making the Indians the first club to harness wind power.

Dr. Majid Rashidi, a professor of Mechanical Engineering at Cleveland State University's Fenn College, is the creator of the "helical wind turbine" design, which amplifies airflow around a central cylinder to power four small turbine fans. Funded through grants from the Department of Energy and the state of Ohio, it is more conducive for urban areas and confined spaces than a traditional long-blade wind turbine, and rated at 25,000 kilowatts per year.

"Dr. Rashidi's new technology is playing a significant role in the advancement wind energy," CSU president Ronald Berkman said. "We are proud to showcase this exciting new design in our hometown, along with the Cleveland Indians, and use this venue to move the technology closer to commercialization."

"With this project we hope to not only benefit the environment by increasing our use of renewable energy, but also help an impressive new technology generate local jobs by taking advantage of Cleveland's great manufacturing workforce and factories," said Brad Mohr, Indians assistant director of ballpark operations.

Re-using and recycling egg cartons

By: Paige Merritt

First published July 2011, last updated March 2013

A common household waste item is the egg carton – it’s waste that in many cases doesn’t need to be taking space in landfill.

According to data from the American egg board; in 2011, 247.8 eggs per person were consumed in the USA (egg in shell and in products).

It’s a lot of eggs and while not all are transported in the egg cartons we see in the supermarket; it would still work out to be many millions of cartons each year being discarded.

What are egg cartons made of?
An egg carton may be made from plastics such as Styrofoam or fromrecycled paper and molded pulp. One way to make your egg consumption a little more environmentally friendly is to ensure you buy eggs in paper based packaging as styrofoam is difficult to recycle.
Recycling egg cartons
If the eggs you buy are in plastic packaging that isn’t styrofoam; look for a triangle with a number inside it stamped on the packaging. This is a plastic resin code and depending on the number, it may be possible to place this packaging in your recycling bin.
Even though the paper based version of the packaging is biodegradable, when thrown in with your general household rubbish it will likely wind up in landfill where the decomposition process takes a lot longer and take up valuable space.
Additionally, as the waste in landfill is buried, decomposition occurs in an anaerobic environment, which is one without oxygen. Microbes that thrive in anaerobic conditions give off potent greenhouse gases such as methane as they digest material. Methane has a Global Warming Potential (GWP) 62 times the carbon dioxide.

Raising Green Kids

By: Misty Capley

     Teaching your kids to be greener is a lot easier than you’d think. Cleaning up the planet is a lot more fun than cleaning up your room. Green families now have more access to support and resources than ever before. Start simple and explain to your children why your family is making small changes. Children might not understand all the nuances of the global warming debate, but even a toddler knows that he doesn’t want to drink yucky water.

One of our green family favorite books is Todd Parr’s “The Earth Book,” which has simple images and green kid friendly language that makes caring for the Earth fun. Check it out from your library to be especially green. After reading a green book, suggest to your children that they choose one greener activity to add to the chores list. Rinsing the recycling while helping with dinner, turning off the water while brushing teeth, or bringing bags to the market are easy responsibilities for young children.

     Start by choosing a green activity that is easy to incorporate into your normal daily routine. Since your green family has to shower every day anyway, try water saving as an easy achievable goal. Shorter showers will save some water and save some precious time in the morning rush. A kitchen timer with a loud ring is all you need to implement this greener family initiative.

     We attend a weekly play group and have used that as an opportunity to spread a green message and practice a green lifestyle. We pack our snacks in washable containers rather than disposable bags. We also choose snacks that are fresh local foods or organically grown. We bring recycled and homemade toys to share. During clean-up, we sort our recyclables. This way, green living is normalized. It’s just part of our regular day.

When starting a new green initiative, find a way encourage your children’s input. For example, if you want to start celebrating Meatless Monday as part of a greener lifestyle, ask them to choose their favorite veggies for dinner. Look at pictures in a cook book or on a recipe website together. Older children may even want to help in the kitchen.

For more ways to grow greener kids, take the Quiz at Going Green Today. Better yet, take the quiz with your children!

Eco-Friendly Baby Products

By: Rene Hernandez

Healthy, eco-friendly baby products are the best way to ensure that you will give your baby a healthy environment in which to grow their first few years. Fortunately, green baby products have become explosively popular recently. Rightfully so, there are many chemicals that babies do not necessarily need to be exposed to.

For example, the crib mattress generally contains many chemicals, but there are organic options always available. The same goes with bedding: there are always organic materials (such as wool or cotton) that can replace plastic and chemically infused sheets. Stuffed toys are available in organic cotton, as are clothing. Diapers can be found in recyclable and chlorine-free form, as cloth. However, perhaps a bit more cumbersome, they will save on your home's trash output, and be softer on contact with your baby. Essentially, most wool or cotton materials are enough to keep unnecessary chemicals away from a baby's soft and vulnerable skin.

As far as the products for feeding your baby goes, many bottles are made with bisphenol A, also known as BPA, a chemical that will seep into the liquid contained inside. As a result, many manufacturers have begun to produce BPA-free bottles. They are also available in shatterproof materials, as many parents are concerned about feeding babies through bottles that may shatter. The same problem exists for breast milk storage containers: be sure to use PVC- and BPA-free containers to store milk, either glass or plastic.

Lotions for babies also come in an organic variety. Before purchasing your baby's lotion, check the ingredients for chemicals. A plant-based lotion can replace any product whose first ingredient is a chemical. The same goes for shampoo and body soap, be sure there are primarily organic materials, and that the product has not been tested on animals prior to sales. Luckily, organic soaps and shampoos for babies have recently become very popular products, and are thus readily available at low prices.

Unfortunately, replacing chemical and potentially toxic materials with green baby products tends to be a much more expensive choice. Many parents will have to choose which green products with which to surround their baby. However, a reduction in the chemicals in your baby's environment, as a whole, will guarantee a healthier baby, and help you maintain an overall greener, more eco-friendly lifestyle.

Why Go Green?

By: Malerie Eeds

Time and time again I see trash cans full of recyclable material, the time wasn’t taken to simply separate the garbage. Lots of people do not consider the environment or what their actions do to our earth, but I believe it is simply because they don’t know. They haven’t been educated on why recycling and going green is important, they don’t understand the severity, and they will continue with their wasteful habits until they are enlightened somehow. So, that is why I decided to share the following information I found on www.green.org, to enlighten you in hopes that you will go on to enlighten others. Together we can help sustain the earth for future generations. 

“To decide to go green isn’t just about the present state of the planet, it’s also about the ever-unfolding future. It’s about the limited resources of the planet. In 1800 there were 1 billion people populating earth, which doubled by 1922. That 2 billion tripled to 6 billion by 2000, and conservative estimates are that there will be 9 billion people inhabiting our little planet by 2050.

Considering how many people are homeless and starving at present, what will that future be like if ways to go green and sustaining the planet and its population are not put into place before that future arrives?

Some of the smallest things people do on a daily basis have the greatest negative impact, and can easily be changed into small daily “go green” habits with a positive impact on life on earth.

Household electronics, batteries and harsh cleaners add dangerous chemicals to our environment and seep into the groundwater, which is the source of water that sustains human life. This harmful chemistry contaminates the soil where all our food grows. Much of this poisonous chemistry cannot be removed from the drinking water, cannot be removed from the soil, cannot be removed from the crops, and cannot be removed from the systems of the animals that eat the crops. Meanwhile, responsibly recycling these harmful components and using products that are green and kind to the environment, can easily be done. Simply go green!”

Sometimes it’s helpful to see examples of the effects of recycling and being conservative with resources. Here are a few:
• One recycled glass bottle saves enough energy to light a 100 watt bulb for 4 hours
• One recycled aluminum can saves enough energy to run a television for 6 hours
• Recycling 100 pounds of paper saves 350 gallons of water, 19 gallons of oil PLUS saves enough energy to run the electricity in an entire house for nine days!