The Green Guide for Kids

Biodegradable and compostable picnic disposables

2010-05-14T09:42:00.005-04:00

credit: Design*Sponge

We've got a great BBQ weekend coming up in the northeast. Planning a picnic in the park or beach is one of my favorite warm weather activities, but I am always faced with the dilemma of having to use disposable plates, cups and silverware which can lead to a mountain of trash. For some great solutions and the latest on new biodegradable one-use picnic supplies, check out this great post from Design*Sponge.

Happy Birthday Earth Day and Green Up Day!

2010-04-22T10:12:00.012-04:00

Happy Earth Day!! Not only is today is the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, it's also the 40th anniversary of Green Up Day in Vermont. Green Up Day takes place on the first Saturday in May across the state of Vermont. Kids and adults alike gather in their communities to clean up liter. If you have ever visited Vermont, you will notice right away the impact this one day of action has. Not only do the roads, sidewalks, streams and trails get a facelift, but new generations learn the importance of keeping our environment clean. As a kid, I participated in Green Up Day with my classmates every year. I learned the importance not only of putting trash in the garbage can, but also the how important it is to recycle and to reduce the amount of trash we create. While scanning the ground, bushes and ravines for trash, I began to notice how our garbage impacts the habitats of small creatures in my community. Suddenly one day of action turned into a year-long effort to reduce trash, recycle and protect the natural habitats in my town.

If you live in Vermont, you can participate in Green Up Day on Saturday, May 1st. If you live elsewhere in the country or world, why not start your own Green Up Day? All you have to do is gather a friend or two, a parent or teacher and get greening!

Eco Boys and Girls Earth Day event!

2010-04-14T17:56:00.003-04:00

With Earth Day right around the corner, there are plenty of great opportunities to get involved and learn more about the protecting the environment. On Saturday April 24th there will be a great event at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, NJ that you might want to check out if you are in the area. Fashion designer, former model, artist and Eco-Pioneer Maria Snyder will be introducing her latest project, Eco Boys and GirlsTM with a two hour fun filled adventure and scavenger hunt for children. The event will introduce the children to Ernie Earth©, Lulu Love©, Patsy Peace©, Ray Recycle© and Sammy Sun© who will bring messages of love, peace and environmental awareness. To learn more, click here.

Earth Day Message from the President

2010-04-14T17:32:00.003-04:00

Earth Day is coming up April 22!

Beware the dust bunnies!

2010-02-28T22:46:00.006-05:00

Those balls of dust living under your bed aren't just unsightly, they can be toxic, too! Chemicals from around your home and from the outdoors wind up in your indoor dust when they resettle from home products and come in our your shoes and through windows and doors. Dust is made up of all sorts of yucky stuff, like human hair and skin, pet dander, fungal spores, tiny particles and fibers. To make those dust bunnies even grosser, studies have found that 66 different endocrine disrupting compounds have been found in house dust. The worst among these are fire retardants, phthalates, and home use pesticides. EEK!!! Sounds pretty awful right? They are indeed--when you are exposed to toxic chemicals, even low doses, your health can be compromised. This is especially of concern for small children, who often play on the floor and put objects in their mouths. Small amounts of PBDE's (fire retardant) can cause damage to the reproductive system, deficits in motor skills, learning, memory and hearing as well as behavioral changes.

So where do these toxic chemicals come from and how do the end up in a dust ball under your furniture? Products such as furniture, electronics, shoes, plastics, fabrics and food shed chemicals over time. Outdoor pollutants travel inside on your shoes or through a cracked window.

What you can do:

-Vacuum regularly with a vacuum that has a HEPA filter to trap small particles. Don't forget to vacuum upholstered furniture and under those couch cushions!

-Wet mop uncarpeted floors regularly.

-Buy wooden furniture or furniture filled with cotton, down, wool or polyester as it is less likely to contain PBDE's.

-Wipe furniture with a microfiber cloth or a wet cotton cloth to get those tiny particles. Skip the sprays and wipes, they only add more chemicals to your home.

-Keep electronic equipment dust free by wiping with a damp cloth.

-Change the filters frequently on your forced air heating or cooling system.

For more information on toxic dust and how to protect yourself and your family from other toxins, visit the Environmental Working Group website.

NRDC Action Fund: Mobilizing America for a Sustainable Future: This Is Our Moment

2010-01-29T11:10:00.002-05:00

NRDC Action Fund: Mobilizing America for a Sustainable Future: This Is Our Moment

Wisdom of the Wild

2010-01-26T21:03:00.004-05:00

Anybody that has ever had a pet understands that there is a sacred bond between human beings and animals. Although we may think of ourselves as the most intelligent creatures on Earth, there is much we can learn from from the animal kingdom. Wisdom of the Wild is a terrific PBS documentary that sheds some light on our remarkable connection with our fellow creatures, including what they can teach us about the world, and about ourselves.

Click here to view the full documentary: Video: Full Episode - Wisdom of the Wild | Nature

The living reef...Here today, gone tomorrow?

2010-01-06T21:40:00.003-05:00

Coral reefs are home to the greatest diversity of life on Earth. They protect our shores, contribute to our food chain, and provide us with medicines to keep us alive and healthy. Despite how important the coral reefs are to life on Earth, they maybe gone in less than 30 years due to global warming, over fishing, and the acidification of the oceans.

The reefs need your help! Read NOAA's 25 Things You Can Do to learn how you can help the reef.

Give to be green

2009-12-14T14:37:00.002-05:00

This time of year the fun and excitement of giving and receiving gifts is often overshadowed by a certain amount of guilt over mass consumption and wastefulness. And it’s not all in our heads; holiday waste increases by 25% from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day. That’s an additional 1 million tons a week dumped in our landfills. So how do you reconcile this concern and set an example for your kids while maintaining the tradition of holiday giving? Well, for a start, you and your kids can gather used books, toys and clothing to give to local charities, hospitals, schools or libraries.

Rummage through that closet or toy bin with your child and pick out gently used items that you don't need anymore. Find places around town like the Salvation Army, Goodwill, and Habitat for Humanity that would benefit from your items or pass them on to neighbors in need. Holding a rummage sale is another option. Earning hard cash will help kids realize that their castaway toys and books still have real value.

Passing on unwanted items to those who can use them is crucial for keeping our lifestyles sustainable. Everything we buy is made from valuable materials from the earth. Harvesting these materials, manufacturing them into products and shipping them around the world take a tremendous toll on our planet both in terms of resources wasted and energy consumed. Giving those items a second chance at life will go a long way in protecting the planet and remembering what the holidays are really about.

check out my non-material gift guides for more great holiday ideas...

Oh, Christmas Tree!

2009-12-10T10:28:00.002-05:00

Over at the Little Green Blog we are discussing green Christmas trees! And by green I mean eco-green!

"Nothing says Christmas like a beautiful tree covered in chemicals, right? Wrong! Sadly, many trees, that timeless symbol of Christmas, are dangerous to your child’s health." read more

what if...

2009-12-09T09:44:00.005-05:00

Have you ever wondered what Washington D.C. would look like if the Greenland ice sheet completely melted? Would politicians be able to ignore the threat of global warming anymore? What would happen to New York City, home to the world's largest financial institutions, world class museums, Broadway shows and home to over 8 million people, if see levels continued to rise?

Let's not let leaders and neighbors ignore the problem any longer. Add your voice to the millions around the world demanding real solutions at the Copenhagen Climate Summit this week. Join the movement at Hopenhagen.org.

**images copyright Vanity Fair Magazine, 2006

Win a Signed Print!

2009-12-05T12:22:00.004-05:00

I have a really exciting contest to announce! The author and illustrator of Redwoods, Jason Chin, has agreed to donate a signed print from his book and you could win it! Entering the contest is easy: just make a picture of something having to do with the environment and email it to me at deirdrekgill@yahoo.com. On January 1st I will choose a picture at random and send the winner the print. Here are the rules:

Make a picture of something having to do with the environment (anything you want, really!)
If you would like to also include a short explanation of what it is, please do.
Any kind of art is acceptable, but no photographs.
In your email DO NOT include your full name--FIRST NAME and LAST INITIAL ONLY!
In your email DO include your address, so that I can mail you your print if you win.
The random drawing will be conducted on January 1st and the print will be mailed out the next day.
All artwork will be displayed on this website after the contest is over.
You must be a kid or young adult to enter this contest...so please do not enter if you are over 18!

GOOD LUCK!!!

Homemade Holidays

2009-12-04T15:04:00.003-05:00

I am blogging over at Audubon.com's great blog, The Perch, today. Hop on over and get inspired to be crafty and green for the holidays.

"Creating homemade decorations was my favorite holiday activity growing up. Coming up with new ways to make gift wrap, gift tags, and ornaments from things found around the house and neighborhood was part of the challenge--and the fun. With being green on many of our minds this holiday season, we have an even greater reason to be resourceful and to look to nature for inspiration." Read more...

Ottawa's Greening With Green Bins

2009-12-02T22:39:00.008-05:00

I have always been proud that my neighborhood of Park Slope Brooklyn, is considered the greenest neighborhood in New York City. But one thing it lacks, and all of NYC in general, is municipal composting. Many cities across the country and world have starting composting city wide. Compost is picked up along with the regular trash by the city. Composting is a powerful tool in fighting global warming, as it prevents the creation of methane in landfills. Methane is a greenhouse gas that is 21 times more potent than CO2 and is responsible for almost half the global warming impacting our climate today. Click here to read about more ways you can prevent methane from hurting the planet and here to learn more about composting.

When I learned that Ottowa, Canada is launching a municipal composting this winter, I have to admit, I was jealous! The city is handing out green bins for composting organic matter. Not only are they doing a great thing to reduce trash, prevent methane, and create wonderful nutrient rich soil, they are also trying to make it fun for residents to learn about how to compost correctly. Take the Green Bin challenge and see how you score against other composters in this fun game. Then learn how to make a liner for your recycling bin out of old newspapers!

Is it green? Find out just how eco-friendly your favorite brands are

2009-11-30T23:07:00.002-05:00

Ever wonder how eco-friendly your sneakers are? Or if GE is really as green as their ads will have you believe? Around the holidays we are faced with the tough dilemma of wanting to give great gifts and not wanting to cause harm to the planet with the products we buy. ClimateCounts.org is a great database where you can search common brands and companies and learn about their environmental impact. We have a lot of power as consumers to demand sustainably made products!

NYC School Recycling Workshop

2009-11-21T13:22:00.002-05:00

The United Federation of Teachers will be holding a school recycling workshop this Monday, November 23rd at 5pm at the UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway, New York. Register here, it's free!

Going Green Short Animations for Kids

2009-11-19T09:46:00.003-05:00

Planet Green has a series of short animations with great messages about going green called My Place. They are silly, effective and fun to watch!

Dance for the climate

2009-11-12T09:40:00.001-05:00

Have an Eco-birthday

2009-11-09T21:04:00.005-05:00

Green Kid Parties in Atlanta, Georgia host eco-friendly birthday parties where kids do green crafts and munch on organic pizza and drinks. What a great way to have a fun birthday party without all the needless waste and unhealthy food!

Click here for more tips on throwing an eco-party.

Going Green with Kids: Top Ten Green Activities and Projects

2009-11-04T10:06:00.007-05:00

Here are some of my top 10 favorite green activities and projects I have written about over the years. Have fun!

Club Green: Starting an Environmental Club

Pillow Case Tote Bags

Recipes from the Garden: Delicious recipes from veggies grown right in your backyard

Bug Off, Bugs!: Concocting your very own non-toxic bug spray for plants

Container Gardening: Planting a mini garden

Grow Your Garden: Designing your very own garden

Dirt Glorious Dirt: Composting 101

The Nature Journal: Creating a nature journal from recycle materials

Green Cleaners: The real dirt on cleaning products and how to make your own non toxic versions

Backyard Habitat: Creating a welcoming home for the creatures in your area

The First Garden

2009-11-03T20:48:00.002-05:00

First Lady, Michelle Obama, shares with the public the inspiration and goals behind the new White House garden. Even the first family are locavores!

Recycling 101 and America Recycles Day

2009-10-30T10:43:00.004-04:00

In honor of America Recycles Day coming up on November 15th, I thought I'd re-post my handy guide to reducing, reusing and recycling. We could all use a refresher once in a while! To learn more about the day jump over to the Little Green Blog.

The 3 R's: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

We’ve all heard this catchy phrase. The last R, recycling, tends to get all the credit. Reducing and Reusing, however, are even more important. If you can reduce the materials you consume you will not only create less waste, you also won’t need to worry about what to do with all the things that you buy when you are done with them. Reuse is a great way to make the most of the things that you do buy. Once you no longer need or want something, pass it on! One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Buying or trading vintage, refurbished and used items is a fun way to get cool stuff while preventing pollution and saving the earth’s precious resources.

You can recycle up to 84% of your trash simply by taking it out of the garbage can and putting it in the recycling bin. Items made from recycled materials take far less energy and create only a fraction of the pollution to produce than items made from brand new materials. And of course, imagine the natural resources that are saved!

Here are some great ways to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle:

– Buy only what you need and use all of what you buy.
– Avoid buying things that use excessive packaging and buy in bulk.
– Buy durable things that will last a long time
– When things break, see if they can be fixed before throwing them away.
– Wash and reuse plastic cups, utensils and bags.
– Precycle by buying products whose packaging can be recycled
– And always bring your own bag! If you are just buying a few things just carry them in your hands.
– Complete the cycle and buy products made from recycled materials. When you buy products made from post-consumer recycled materials you are helping to reduce carbon emissions and saving resources.

Did you know?

–If all the other people on the Earth used as much "stuff" as we do in the U.S., there would need to be three to five times more space just to hold and sustain everybody.
– Americans throw away about 40 billion soft drink cans and bottles every year. Placed end to end, they would reach to the moon and back nearly 20 times. Recycling an aluminum soda can saves 96% of the energy used to make a can from ore, and produces 95% less air pollution and 97% less water pollution.
– Every pound of solid waste that goes into a landfill results in 2 lbs of greenhouse gases
– Americans throw away 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour.
– Every glass bottle recycled saves enough energy for a 100 watt light bulb to be lit for 4 hours.
– You’ll save two pounds of carbon for every 20 glass bottles that you recycle.
– Only about one-tenth of all solid garbage in the United States gets recycled.
– The average American creates 56 tons of trash every year.

Here’s Your Mission:

Set up a recycling system at home and at school.

1) Ask your local municipality for recycling guidelines and bins.
2) Set up a place in your home for the recycling bins. The garage or big roll–out kitchen drawers are good places.
3) Make a label for each bin clearly listing what items belong in them.
4) Bring your recycling to the curb on recycling day.

Become a fan!

2009-10-28T15:25:00.002-04:00

The Green Guide for Kids is now on Facebook!

Visit the page and join!

181 countries...5200 actions...1 message

2009-10-26T21:20:00.007-04:00

On 24 October, people in 181 countries came together for the most widespread day of environmental action in the planet's history. At over 5200 events around the world, people gathered to call for strong action and bold leadership on the climate crisis. Amazing photos came in from around the world. Visit 350.org to see more of them!

My husband and I marched across the Brooklyn Bridge with hundreds of others...in the rain!...to raise awareness on global warming. People all around the world went to amazing lengths to get the word out.

But it doesn't stop here...with the UN Climate Conference a little over a month away, we must continue to speak up and make sure our elected officials around the world hear us loud and clear. If you live in the U.S., search for their contact information here. If you live elsewhere in the world, search for their contact info online.

350.org Day of Action - Tomorrow!!!

2009-10-23T14:39:00.004-04:00

Tomorrow's the big day. Hundreds of thousands of people from 179 countries (and counting!) around the world will stand together to demand action on climate change. Join one of thousands of actions...there's bound to be one near you! Let us know if you are taking part and where. If you would like to send me photos I will share them on the blog next week. I will be joining Greenpeace and marching across the Brooklyn Bridge. Hope to see a few of you there!