Parents Magazine
Summer 2015
Go Green Kids &
Go Green Kids and Parents Magazine invites your family to open up our pages as you discover facts and heart felt compassion and concern for our children and the planet; remembering one cannot recognize one with our the other. Our future is our children's and what we leave behind. We are pleased that every one of our readers, young and old, will join us in the continued journey and adventure into a lasting relationship in becoming a society of sustainability with good citizens in mind and body. Our earth needs our participation, and our children and families need your love to create a team effort in their personal environment and achievements in their worlds.
Mission Statement
Publisher Charlene Alvarez
Go Green Kids and Parents Magazine is dedicated to creating a strong sense of
Editor
awareness, community, enjoyment, involvement and education regarding environment aspects along with a healthy positive lifestyle fit for
Dr. Indranie Hassad
children, families and adults. Go Green Kids and Parents Magazine captures the essence of society bringing forth a better world for our future generations.
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Advertising & Sales Crystal James www.gogreenkidsllc.com
The artist is a receptacle for emotions that come from all over the place: from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider's web. ~ Pablo Picasso
photo courtesy of IP
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Summer 2015 PG 6
PG 8
PG 10
FRUIT
FLOWER
ANIMAL
You Need to Know
You Need to Know
You Need to Know
PG 16 PG 11 On The Cover: GGK Team L-R Valrie, Aaron, Jorge, Katherina, Vanessa, Alyssa Legacy Memory Books
GO GREEN KIDS LEGACY MEMORY BOOKS
PG 28
PG 27 Tips for growing a waterconservative garden
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GO GREEN KIDS PROGRAM
Want to teach your children to be good stewards? Time to get your hands dirty
PG 24 Green living tips: recycling while cleaning
PG 31 Ways to Decrease Your Carbon Footprint
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FRUIT
You Need to Know
Watermelon
This Month
xtremerain.com
Today, farmers in approximately 44 states in the United States grow watermelon commercially. Georgia, Florida, Texas, California and Arizona are the United States' largest watermelon producers. This now-common fruit is often large enough that groceries often sell half or quarter melons. Some smaller, spherical varieties of watermelon, both red- and yellow-fleshed, are sometimes called "icebox melons." The largest fruit recorded from the United States was grown in Tennessee in 1990 and weighed 119 kg (262 lbs) Growing watermelons demands warm temperatures—both soil and air. Transplant or direct seed watermelon only when the average soil and daytime air temperatures are at least 70°F. Do not grow watermelon unprotected where nighttime air temperatures fall below 60°F. If the air temperature dips, protect watermelons with floating row covers. Watermelons have a longer growing period than other melons, and can often take 85 days or more from the time of transplanting for the fruit to mature.
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FLOWER Anemones
You Need to Know This Month
Anemones come in lots of bright colors, but they can be fragile. They are also known as wind flowers. The name anemone comes from the Greek word “anemos” which means wind. The flowers will turn toward the sun and wind, opening up in that direction. The wind will also blow away the dead petals. They have a stunning dark center and the white varieties work well for a dramatic black and white palette. Available: Mostly in the spring, available year round from some distributors Boom Size: Up to 2-3 inches Cost: Mid-range to expensive, part of the cost can be ordering extra flowers since they are more fragile Fun Fact: While they are mostly associated with wind in Greek mythology, there is a second origin myth that says that the flower first sprung up from the blood of Aphrodite’s lover Adonis when he died. 8
ANIMAL
Harbor Porpoise
You Need to Know This Month
Vulnerable (VU) Endangered List Faces a high risk of extinction
According to Scholastic Reader, the marine mammals, called harbor porpoises, fled the Northern California waters during World War II. The area was a major shipping route during the war. Porpoises have sensitive hearing and need lots of room to leap and hunt, and the shipping lanes made the bay too noisy and dangerous for the animals. When the war ended, the area became home to many factories and businesses, some of which polluted the waters. The contaminated waters likely drove away the porpoises completely. There is evidence that porpoise's are being regularly affected by pollution and disease. International restrictions on hunting would certainly help the harbor porpoise, but further action is needed to prevent accidents caused by fishing nets and tackle, which kill thousands of porpoises a year. But thanks to the Clean Water Act of 1972—a federal law aimed at improving the quality of surface waters—industries could no longer simply discharge their waste into waters and pollute waterways. Instead, they had to adhere to standards and limits on what could be put into lakes, bays, rivers, and streams. Since then, the water quality of the bay has improved. Scientists believe this could be why the porpoises are now returning to San Francisco Bay. In 2012 researchers did identify 250 porpoises in the bay. It gives one hope,” Jonathan Stern, a San Francisco State University whale researcher, told NPR. 9
GGK Legacy Memory Book
A tribute gift or a family heirloom, GGK Legacy Memory Book is a meaningful way to honor someone important to you or to bring back a memory for a loved one. Your donation or order supports Go Green Kids in our many go green programs in and out of the hearts gardens. By ordering or sponsoring a book, you bring awareness in kindness and plant the seeds of kindness that help break the cycle of separation with our elders and youth; and with your donation or purchase you give children in the world a mission to pursue kindness in success with self-esteem to reach for solutions in a world of debris in our actions and reactions. With your gift or order, we will include a personalized gift card that can either be sent to you or to the person that you are honoring with your order. If you are a company sponsoring a donation in our mission, your company name will be displayed on our magazine and logo shirts worldwide for your support and contribution. Go Green Kids Worldwide www.gogreenkp.com
www.gogreenkp.com gogreenkidsandparentsmagazine @gmail.com 954.548.1291
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Y GGK LEGAC OOK MEMORY B
GO GREEN KIDS LEGACY MEMORY BOOKS Memory Legacy Books are a collaborative project with Olsen Middle School Green Students of the Arts. Students are creating and preserving
personal and family history for residents in nursing homes throughout Broward County. The GGK Legacy Memory Book are
enhanced by creative recyclable materials with our students team work and creativity. GO GREEN KIDS WORLDWIDE, INC. WWW.GOGREENKP.COM 11
Memories of love bloom in color for the hearts of the elders with love from the youngsters!
Golfcrest Activity Director & GGK Team Hollywood, Florida 12
IP COURTESY PHOTOS
We should value all ages in our communities, from the very young to the very old. But the eldest in the nursing homes and assisted living facilities often feel isolated and excluded. Developing stronger connections between these older adults and their community can have tremendous benefits for young and old. Even older adults with serious memory loss or cognitive limitations can still enjoy a memory from the past, even if they don't remember it later. Children, especially those in sixth to eight grades, often value the opportunity to make a difference in an older person's life. They are often eager to help in a nursing home once they become comfortable. In our Go Green Collage Art Program, children learn how to interact with people different than themselves, they learn responsibility with history in creating memories with recycled paper products. In this workshop our students are creating a connection between a generation of the past into the future. The richness gained in this interconnection of memories brought to life in a book of legacy will in itself create a lasting new heirloom for generations to come. In this workshop our children contact the activity directors of each nursing facility. The students put together a presentation for the activity director and staff. Once the presentation is accepted and volunteer forms are in order, three team members conduct memory interviews with the nursing resident along with their 10-12 photos for their personalized GGK Legacy Memory Book. Team members then take those precious memories that are recorded and noted, along with their photos back to our Creative Space Art Work Room. It is then the magic begins with our collection of various recycled embellishments, greeting cards, magazines and various other item used in creating the GGK Memory Legacy Book
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for each participating resident.
In our projects with our older generation we have found sustainability hidden in the memory banks from a generations long ago. They are the farmers, the woodworkers, the bakers, the creators, and motivators, the seamstress, the tailors, the painters and the decorators of the past. We are Go Green Kids of the Arts finding repurposing in a new world of sustainability in products and lives. When we create, we plant seeds to harvest in the hearts of an older generation with a purpose of creating a new generation of kindness.
If you or your company would like to sponsor a GGK Memory Legacy Book for a loved one or a friend, we are a nonprofit that provides taxdeduction receipts upon your order. www.gogreenkp.com gogreenkidsandparentsmagazine@gmail.com 954.548.1291
SCRAPBOOK
GGK Legacy Memory Book
GO GREEN KIDS INC. 501(c)(3)non-profit
Charlene Alvarez telephone | 954-548-1291 www.gogreenkp.com email | gogreenkidsandparents@gmail.com
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http://ecobabyandhome.com/collections/bed-bath
http://www.ecotoys.com.au/store/
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GO GREEN KIDS PROGRAM “Wideness is the raw material out of which man has hammered the artifact called civilization. Wilderness was never a homogenous raw material. It was very diverse, and the resulting artifacts are very diverse. These differences in the end product are known as cultures.
The rich diversity of the world’s cultures reflects a corresponding diversity in the wilds that gave them birth.” -Aldo Leopold
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GO GREEN KIDS Charlene Alvarez telephone | 954-548-1291 email | gogreenkidsandparents@gmail.com
MISSION | Maintaining this diversity in nature may depend on maintaining cultural diversity among our ranks. Somehow, unfortunately, Environmental Education has been seen as a mainly middle to upper class endeavor, but often the groups that are most severely impacted by environmental degradation are people of color and/or low-income. We need to find ways to remedy this disparity if we are to succeed in creating and environmentally literate population. ~ Diversity Resources
Our Mission at “Go Green Kids” is to encourage and teach a generation of global citizens who are knowledgeable about and inspired to take responsibility for the sustainability and awareness of the world; and to become a cultured and diverse citizens of the new green world of accountability and works for a greener future for all.
WE WILL ACCOMPLISH THIS BY • Encouraging and emphasizing “works by actions” • Becoming students of social responsibility. • Encouraging by example; integrity, honesty, ethics and compassion for all residents and nature by the world in which we reside. • Recognize and honor the importance of education and our individual environment to become green stewards.
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PROGRAM | • The purpose of our Go Green Kids Program is to cultivate respect and care of the natural world we share. • To enlighten students’ in awareness in the world by which they share; to promote stewardship through diversity and cultures, intertwining customs in creating solutions for a greener generation globally. • To achieve an understanding and practice the harmonious integration of land and residents of the earth. To learn to use nature and it’s comities to provide food, shelter, energy, and other materials. Including participation of creating a on-campus or off campus food garden, aquatic systems, awareness of water usage and composite of waste to energy. Learning and participating in local community environmental awareness projects. Participate in designing with renewable natural resources for projects and presentations.
PURPOSE | • Develops the child's inner garden of creativity using earth’s natural products in art and creativity. Using these two entities we incorporate nature as a daily learning tool to help achieve every students full potential of learning through nature and creativity of the arts and their imagination. • Includes every aspect of nature in learning and participating in sustainability and implementing ideas through cultures and collective data in diversity and solutions for everyday living. • Recognizing and celebrating individual cultures and diversity in environmental views and customs. To share and learn in a universal language shared by all... “Nature.” • Is based on a continual learning progress of combining cultures and knowledge to achieve eduction and harmony for every student of every nationality, regardless of social status.
• To understand sustainability as an entire connection of relationships in cultures and individual communities. Human and non-human connecting as a whole in one connection and one home “Earth.” To live in harmony with all residents of our EARTH. • To collaborate with the a diversity of cultures creating a bond of inter-connecting patterns and contexts of individual environments. • To encourage the students a love for learning about nature, each other, and themselves in the world in which they co-exists. • To encourage self esteem, pride, responsibility, and participation among all students as life-long stewards and future leaders of green in the world.
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ART FOCUS | Every student will be encouraged to participate in an area of arts as a learning tool and therapeutic outlet. According to “Visual Arts” by Karen Randle. Present studies have been focused on how integrating visual art and the writing process enhance fourth grade students’ creative writing quality. The qualitative inquiry uses three writing conditions including open-ended textual story prompts, fine art images as story prompts and student created artwork as story prompts to motivate students to write creatively, as well as student interviews, field observations, and artifact analysis. The results show that open-ended prompts both textual and visual lead to more imaginative story-lines, complex sentences structure and elaborate character development than the comparison writing condition using a highly scripted writing prompt. The benefits of using visual art and art production in the prewriting process include greater student engagement in the writing process as well as heightened student investment in the end product. Through many studies and observations every student will have the opportunity to choose their area of focus for this block of time.
In addition we offer our own Green Awareness subjects such as; Global Awareness, Recycling, Lil Hands Cleaning Our Earth Program, Lil Hands Recycle Center and Recyclable Arts Creations.
GO GREEN KIDS INC. 501(c)(3) nonprofit
Charlene Alvarez telephone | 954-548-1291 www.gogreenkp.com
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email | gogreenkidsandparents@gmail.com
Green Art Gift Workshop for Teacher始s Appreciation Week.
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Painted Palm Tree Wood.
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Green living tips: recycling while cleaning by Fringilla Viverr Sophomore
When you clean your home, do you end up throwing items in the trash? Getting rid of clutter is a natural part of the cleaning process, but did you know that much of what you throw away can likely be recycled? For example, recycling batteries and cellphones has never been easier. Call2Recycle is North America’s first and largest consumer battery stewardship program - a non-profit that collects and recycles batteries at no cost for municipalities, businesses and consumers. In the United States, it focuses on recycling cellphones and rechargeable batteries (such as nickel cadmium, nickel metal hydride, lithium ion, small sealed lead acid and nickel zinc). In 20 years Call2Recycle has collected more than 100 million pounds of batteries and cellphones, diverting these materials from landfills. The organization ensures that these items, which contain valuable resources, are responsibly recycled to create new batteries and other products, preventing potentially hazardous materials from entering the waste stream. Recycling these items is free of charge to consumers.
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Green living tips: recycling while cleaning by Fringilla Viverr Sophomore
Ask the question: “Can this be recycled?” Seems elementary, but simply asking this question is the most crucial step for getting started. It means you’ve made a conscious decision to engage in a more sustainable, safe and responsible lifestyle. Every single person’s effort makes a difference. The number of cellphones and devices powered by rechargeable batteries is skyrocketing. Cellphones and rechargeable batteries may contain metals that can be harmful to the environment if not disposed of properly. Recycling keeps potentially hazardous material from entering the local landfill and recycles them for other uses.
Visit www.call2recycle.org/ locator and use the location finder to locate the nearest collection site. For other items, visit 1800recycling.com or Earth911.com for a great list of recycling options.
Celebrate and share. Now that you know how more items around your home can be recycled, share this information with friends and family about how easy it is to recycle. Through recycling you have made your community more sustainable and prevented Find a collection service or potentially hazardous materials location near you. from entering the waste stream, Now that you’ve committed to which is good for people as well recycling your old stuff, you need as the environment. to know how and where. For rechargeable batteries and Short list of acceptable cellphones, Call2Recycle has a materials: network of more than 34,000 Do your homework. A simple Internet search will help collection sites located within 10 Paper: mail, miles of 89 percent of consumers you learn which items are magazines, newspaper, across North America. This recyclable. For example, boxes, cardboard Call2Recycle accepts cellphones network includes retail stores in your own community that you and rechargeable batteries Cartons: milk cartons; may visit regularly, including (weighing up to 11 pounds), juice boxes; soup small businesses and including those you find in cartons municipalities. cordless power tools, laptop computers, digital cameras, twoPlastic: bottles, jugs, way radios, MP3 players or cups, containers and iPods, tablets and cordless lids phones. The general rule with batteries is if it is rechargeable, it Metal: food and is recyclable. beverage cans Glass: bottles and jars
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Tips for growing a water-conservative garden - Families can decorate their homes with colorful flowers and bring healthy, home-grown foods to the table with gardens. Gardening, however, can use quite a bit of water, and in states struck by drought it’s important to conserve as much water as possible. (BPT)
If you're living in an area of the country under drought advisement, you can still have a garden this year if you carefully plan what you plant, how you plant it, and how you give it the water it needs. Here are some water-conservation tips for growing a garden and using the least amount of water possible: * Choose plants that thrive in drier conditions. Vegetables like corn, spinach, mustard greens and some beans are drought-tolerant, and desert rose and snake plant are beautiful landscaping plants that need less water. * Water only where it's needed so it doesn't go to waste. When you use a lawn sprinkler to water your garden, much of the spray misses your flowers and vegetables and ends up on the grass, the sidewalk or the neighbor's yard. Make certain the water gets to the roots of your plants via a drip-irrigation system like Raindrip. Raindrip irrigation uses 70 percent less water than underground sprinklers and frees the user from constantly hauling around hoses because the system stays in your garden all summer long. The Raindrip kit, found at raindrip.com/drip-kits automates the entire process, saving you time and water. Just turn the kit on – without needing to get out the hose - and if you really want to conserve water, set the timer to let the water run for a specific amount of time each day. On rainy days, simply set the timer ahead to the next day so water is not wasted. * Water at night or in the early morning when the sun is least likely to evaporate the moisture. This allows as much of the water to penetrate to your plant's roots instead of evaporating. * Build beds that encourage soil to stay damp as long as possible. Some ways to do this include digging the bed deeper to help loosen the soil prior to planting. This gives roots the chance to go reach deeper and gain access to where water might be more available. Also, once planted, cover the bed with a good layer of mulch or compost. This will help keep the soil good and moist. * Raise vegetable crops during the rainy season. Many areas of the country have a cooler rainy season. Peas, leafy greens, radishes and other vegetables with short growing seasons are great for planting early in the spring and sometimes again late in the fall. Because temperatures are cooler and the early and late seasons tend to produce more rainfall, you can grow vegetables using less water. Drought affects all areas of the country during different years, so even if you aren't living in a drought situation now, you could experience one next year or several years down the road. It's important to know what steps you can take to be more water conservative when it comes to your garden. Apply these tips to your vegetables and flowers this year to see how successful you can be at reducing the amount of water needed to grow your plants. 27
Want to teach your children to be good stewards? Time to get your hands dirty - Growing your own garden is a popular pastime that cuts grocery bills and puts fresh produce within arm’s reach. But to parents it’s so much more than that. Gardening is a trending family activity that provides plenty of teachable moments, and it also promotes positive characteristics like self reliance and stewardship of the earth. (BPT)
“You don’t have to be a green thumb to start a garden at home,” says Kevin Bryant, a garden enthusiast and director of national marketing at Tractor Supply Company. “It’s a fantastic activity for families to do together that also lets parents teach valuable lessons to their children. Whether it’s just a few garden boxes on the deck or a full plot with backyard chickens, families everywhere are embracing the adventure of gardening together and learning so much about nature and each other in the process.” The recent self-reliant movement sweeping the country is highly appealing to families. Plus, growing basic vegetables, fruits and herbs at home is a viable option whether in the city, suburbs or rural areas. In fact, 29 percent of Americans obtained locally grown food in the past year from a home garden, according to a national Tractor Supply survey – and interest appears to be on the rise.
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Furthermore, many families have a deep desire to improve their children’s comprehension of nutrition and food resources. A whopping 89 percent of American parents agree with the statement “My children need a better understanding of where their food comes from,” the survey found. Now is the ideal time to start planning your garden. Consider these four steps to ensure your family gets the most out of their gardening time together:
1. Research plants The region where you live will dictate which seeds you should plant and when. It’s best to select high-yielding plants that you know will be successful, particularly if you have a small garden. Your local extension service is a great resource. 2. Decide on size If you have a large backyard, a bigger plot might be a good option and allow you to grow a wider variety of plants. If you live in the city or a restricted area, container gardens or garden boxes are a great option for herbs, flowers and some vegetables. Don’t bite off more than you can chew during the first year; starting small increases the likelihood of success, and you can always increase the size next year. 3. Go shopping Once you have a general idea of your garden’s size, location and types of plants you’d like to grow, it’s time to take the family shopping. Visit a store, such as your local Tractor Supply, for seasoned advice, tools, soil, seeds, fertilizers and pest control. You can also find all the supplies necessary for raising backyard chickens, which offer a great way to eliminate backyard pests and boost the health of your garden. Additionally, the kids will love tending to the flock. 4. Make time together Children love to get their hands dirty, so involve them in every step of the gardening process, from tilling the soil to harvesting the produce. Set a schedule for watering and weeding to teach kids responsibility. Be sure to keep an open conversation about their observations and try to answer their questions. If you don’t know all the answers, explore and learn together. “Getting outdoors, growing a garden and learning about the land is one of the best things families can do during the warmweather months,” says Bryant. “Plus, kids are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables when they help grow them in their own backyard. That’s a win all around.”
Children love to get their hands dirty, so involve them in every step of the gardening process, from tilling the soil to harvesting the produce.
Gardening tips for every season are available online at TractorSupply.com/KnowHow.
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www.urbangreenfurniture.com Brooklyn Army Terminal 140B 58th Street, Unit 8F Brooklyn, New York 11220 T: (718) 567-0777 F: (718) 567-9777
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Ways to Decrease Your Carbon Footprint Via Frogs Snails and Puppy Dog Tails By: Danielle Hegedus
Via Rodale News
Buy From Farmer’s Markets--and Don’t Forget the Entire Family! “Food miles,” refer to the number of miles that your food has to travel before it reaches your dining room table. Making an effort to buy food that is produced locally can significantly decrease the environmental impact of your meals. You’ll also be supporting local businesses and improving the economy--win-win! Local Harvest has a very helpful website that will help you find farmer’s markets in your area, as well as fun events that are focused on sustainable living. for five years.”
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Opt Out of Junk Mail
Via Pinterest
Nobody likes junk mail, but are you aware of the toll that it takes on the environment? According to CarbonFund.org, “The energy used to produce, deliver and dispose of junk mail produces more greenhouse gas emissions than 2.8 million cars. You can dramatically reduce your junk mail through the service of our nonprofit partner, 41 pounds which will contact dozen of direct mail companies to remove your name from lists, including catalogs if you specify. The cost is $41 for everyone in your household for five years.”
Via Shape.com
Drink Tap Water In the U.S., we are so fortunate to be able to turn on our faucets and quickly access safe drinking water. While many cities have invested in the quality of their drinking water, look inside any recycling bin and you’ll see piles of empty bottled waters. Plastic bottles just don’t take a long time to biodegrade--450 years--they are also made with petroleum products. The amount of energy needed to produce, transport, and then (hopefully) recycle these bottles is completely unnecessary if we would just switch to the tap. If you are skeptical about the tap water, try infusing it with fresh fruit to boost the flavor. I like adding cucumber and basil to mine.
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Celebrate Earth Day
Via P is for PreSchooler
We should probably think about our environment and what we can do to protect it, every day. On April 22nd though we celebrate Earth Day and environmental awareness is raised around the globe. Make Earth Day special for your family. Get creative and recycle household waste into a unique art projects. Read a book together that teaches your kids about their shared responsibility to the environment. EDventures with Kids has great books recommendations. Most importantly, get outside! Think about planting a tree or adding some flowers to an area of the neighborhood that could benefit from some TLC. The Educators’ Spin on It has some great outdoor activities for Earth Day including turning your backyard into your very own zoo.
Via Birds & Blooms
Compost! I’ll admit that I was afraid to compost because it seemed, well, gross. Once you get started though, it is addictive! Instead of just tossing something into the trashcan, you’ll actively think about the waste that you are producing and work hard to find items that can be composted. Compost creates nutrient rich soil that is great for your garden and sends less items to the landfill. Green Action Centre details many ways in which composting can offset your carbon footprint including decreasing our need for chemical fertilizers that can pollute river, lakes, and streams.
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Via Bent on Better Lunches
Don’t Forget to Go Green at School Being mindful of your family’s carbon footprint doesn’t have to stop at home. Take your commitment to eco-friendly living out with you into the world. Do you live close to your child’s school? Try budgeting a little extra time in the morning to walk or bike to school with them. If that’s not an option, try to set up a carpool. Either way, you’ll get to spend extra time with your family, while decreasing carbon dioxide emissions. How many school lunches do you make in a year? earthshare.org/ estimates, “the average American child who brings their lunch to school creates 67 lbs of garbage per year! This garbage includes juice boxes, plastic bags, plastic utensils, napkins and single use containers like potato chip bag and cans of soup. All of this waste does not get reused and most if it ends up in the landfill. Purchasing prepackaged and pre-made food not only contributes to the waste but is often less healthy than a homemade “real food” option with no preservatives. “Commit to making waste-free lunches. Get a reusable water bottle for your child and use containers instead of plastic baggies.
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http://modernize.com/
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Photography
Joanna May