Mom Goes Green

So, Mom Goes Green just returned from a nice, long vacation at the OBX with my fantastic family! There is nothing like fresh ocean air each and every morning, noon and night.  We experienced everything again this year… from dunes to surf, to sun to moon…

Surely I didn’t leave my green principals behind. We conserved (lights off, no waste), we recycled (more on that in a moment) and simply enjoyed the purity of a beautiful environment.

Truly, after evaluating our trip, I feel no guilt.  We were honestly conscious not to be wasteful (especially three minutes after arriving in our condo and experiencing a power outage!). We made sure not to waste energy or over-consume — from lights to waiting for a full dishwasher — and even purchased all of our usual organic food and earth-friendly products.

We recycled absolutely everything too. This ended up being much to the dismay of my dear husband who was sent to deliver our recyclables to the local recycling center on the morning of our departure and, as he approached with an ENORMOUS industrial-sized bag of recycling, was informed that “they must be sorted”… ewwww, (*heavy sigh*) … he had to pick each and every item from the bag and place it in the proper receptacle… and for me (*smooch, smooch*) he did it, and nothing met the trash can!

I could go on and on about all of our practices but, for me, the shining moment was when I took time to sneak to the beach in the late-night, moonlit hours while everyone else was fast asleep and stood there, awestruck.  How amazing and peaceful.

With the risk of sounding incredibly cheesy… I felt so lucky that this planet actually ALLOWS us to live here. Really… everything we need, in perfect harmony, supplied by this beautiful planet (see, I told you it would sound cheesy!) but the moon and the waves… just me and an empty beach… truly, I invite you to take a moment, stop, and just think about it.  It’s pretty incredible that LIFE can be so generously sustained here.

THAT is why I do what I do… I refuse to abuse this “gift”… thank you, Mother Earth…

Is World Environment Day new to you? Last year was the first time I’d ever heard of it myself.  It actually commemorates the day the United Nations General Assembly established its first global effort aimed at protecting the environment in 1972.  It’s meant to bring worldwide awareness to the environment, enhance political attention and bring action for future generations.

This year’s theme is “Many Species. One Planet. One Future” and will celebrate the incredible diversity of life on Earth as part of the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity.  Seems a bit ironic considering we’re into day 46 of the tragic and catastrophic oil spill in our Gulf, doesn’t it?  The pessimistic side of me would say that it’s more like “Destroying Species. One Corporation. Devastated Future”, but the optimistic side of me keeps hoping that changes will come and there will be lessons learned so this is never, ever, allowed to happen again.

For today, I will push the soapbox aside and just invite you to join me in celebrating this planet and our environment. WED has a list of things you can do, from A to Z, to make a change and make a difference.  (Actually, the list ends at W… go figure… but there are still plenty of things you can do!)

Despite everything happening that is completely out of our control, don’t be discouraged. While we can’t control many things in our world, we can certainly control what happens in our own little corner of it!

Happy World Environment Day… we do live in quite a remarkable world.

I’m shocked to discover that I am celebrating my 300th post! I was trying to figure out what my earth shattering topic should be but sadly, I’m feeling discouraged.

Why?  Well, because some days these efforts really feel in vane, don’t they?

The news seems to be filled with events that are so out-of-our-control that its sometimes difficult not to feel silly when I put my tiny little cream cheese box in the recycling bin, or try to find better ways to do laundry and dishes, or plan my errand-route efficiently to drive less…

In the past few weeks alone, a long-inactive volcano violently erupted (believed to be only the start of many, as global warming melts the glaciers and ice sheets, decreases weight on the volcanoes and in essence ‘allows’ these eruptions), a Chinese cargo ship ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef (while violating restricted areas and shipping lanes) dumping fuel and oil and causing extensive and long-term damage to the reef and its inhabitants, and now oil is pouring out into the Gulf from the off-shore well also doing catastrophic harm to the ocean, beaches, marshes, marine life and (essentially) us!

WHAT are we doing to our planet and ourselves? It’s mind-boggling… and heartbreaking…

So today, instead of letting myself feel discouraged I’m going to try and turn that around and remind myself that I can only control my own little corner of the world… but I CAN do something.  I can take charge of how I treat our world, what my family consumes and use my voice to constantly remind people to use their actions and voices to MAKE A CHANGE!

Your choices matter… our voices will be heard… don’t give up… only WE have the power to make a difference.

This Thursday, April 22, 2010, marks the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day! Created in 1970, it is a way to remind us to appreciate nature and this amazing planet we live on, and learn how to protect our environment and all of its inhabitants. While it is celebrated in the spring in the northern hemisphere, it is actually observed in the autumn in the southern hemisphere (both days being the exact “middle point” of the season).

This year, find a way to celebrate. Take notice of all that we HAVE to celebrate and no matter how small and insignificant your actions may seem, they matter… they add up… they make a difference…

• Plant a tree or sponsor the planting of a tree
  
• Buy local and/or organic and make a fabulous meal
• Attend an Earth Day event
• Read a book (or a blog!) about going green
• Read an earth/recycling/nature book to your kids
• Clean out the clutter and donate it
• Go for a walk/hike/bike ride
• Pick up trash in your neighborhood or community
• Break ground for a garden or plant some veggies
• Adopt nature or an endangered species
• See an “earth” movie (“Oceans” is premiering!)
• Make recycled crafts with your kids
• Vow to use earth-friendly cleaning products only
• Improve and increase your recycling practices
• Switch some lightbulbs to CFLs
• Buy and use reusable bags, always!
• Keep your car parked for the day… and walk!
• Turn off some lights
• Reduce your water consumption
• Buy a composter or a rain barrel

Take action, talk about it, MAKE a difference… EVERY day should be Earth Day!

Ready for the answer?… Cleveland, Ohio!

Oh, quit your groaning!  I don’t want to hear the pitiful “mistake on the lake” jokes and all the incessant “your river caught on fire” stuff.  (The truth of the matter is there were a LOT of rivers catching on fire over 40 years ago in industrialized cities, but it just so happens there was a news crew in the area and we got plenty of (unwanted) coverage, and this fire actually ignited (no pun intended) the conception and passage of the EPA’s Clean Water Act…  so shush!)

Anyhow, why should you be in Cleveland for Earth Day?  Well, because our beloved Cleveland Metroparks Zoo hosts EarthFest, the longest-running Earth Day celebration IN THE NATION and the largest environmental education event in Ohio!  (… See, I told you!)  This year’s celebration will be held on April 18 and includes over 175 exhibits for climate change solutions (from transportation, to home, to food choices).  And the zoo will be wind-powered for the day too!

This year actually marks the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day (April 22). It was created in 1970 as a way to remind us to appreciate nature and learn how to protect our environment.  While I truly believe that EVERY DAY should be Earth Day, this is a great time to celebrate planet Earth!  Hopefully you will find an event that is as much educational as it is a celebration.  Check out the Earth Day Action Center,  the EPA Event page or your local zoos, nature centers and communities for event possibilities.

Whatever you do, just celebrate and embrace Mother Earth for Earth Day and continue that momentum every day of the year!  If you can’t come to Cleveland then, sadly, you will miss the Earth event of the year… maybe another time. 

(See…  Cleveland isn’t sounding so bad after all, is it?)

(This giveaway is closed for entries.  See “comments” for winner announcement.)

As if I haven’t mentioned it at least a dozen times, I love reading with my kids.  During Earth Hour we read books by flashlight(!) and, with Earth Day just around the corner, there is a lot of eco-reading happening at Mom Goes Green’s house!

One of our new favorites is The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge… the newest installment in the series.  My daughter was thrilled to help me review this book because ever since she picked up her first Magic School Bus book, she’s been hooked… and so have I!  This time the adventure takes us from the Arctic to the equator to see all of the causes and effects of global warming… and give kids ways to make a difference, in terms that they’ll understand.  And, as always, Ms. Frizzle and her class does it in their usual fun and humorous way that makes “eco-friendly science” extraordinarily kid-friendly too!

Our daughter loves the book and it’s clear that she’s learned a lot because she loves spouting off little facts every so often.  Clearly, The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge made an impact on her and thanks to Scholastic a few Mom Goes Green readers can share the adventure too!

These fantastic prizes are up for grabs:

• One Grand Prize winner will receive a copy of The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge, plus a set of organic, reusable sandwich and snack bags
• Two additional readers will receive a copy of The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge

How do you enter?…. well, just leave a comment saying you’d like to win and tell me about the “little adventurer” you’d like to share these prizes with, or send a Twitter message that includes a reply to @momgoesgreen and a link to this blog. The winners will be randomly selected on April 26! (US entries only… sorry!).

If you’d like to take on an additional adventure join in the live webcast with author Joanna Cole and Bruce Degan on Tuesday, April 20th (1 pm ET/10 am PT) as they join Ms. Frizzle to celebrate Earth Day and their new book at the Liberty Science Center.

In the meanwhile, climb aboard… and join Mom Goes Green on The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge!

Once again the Mom Goes Green household proudly participated in Earth Hour 2010!… and the kids were no less excited than they were last year!

They eagerly stacked pillows all over the floor so we could snuggle up to read some books by flashlight and assisted Daddy in getting a fire roaring in the fireplace so we could make “S’mores”!  Undoubtedly our book was about climate change and I might have been annoyed by all of the interruption of questions, but it meant they were listening… and understood… and cared.

They knew it would be fun but they also excitedly talked about how people all over the world were switching off their lights too.  I can’t tell you how many times they asked where the lights were going off!  I’m excited to say that I can actually show them…. thanks to this fantastic collection of photos compiled by Boston.com you can show your kids that they really did participate in an incredible worldwide event.

In this presentation you can click on the photos and watch as the lights dim in these amazing places all over the world… take a look at this list:  Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Las Vegas, Seattle, Singapore, Beijing, Moscow, Sydney, Athens, Jakarta, Rio de Janeiro, Toronto, Atlanta, Hong Kong, Oslo, Albany, Hiroshima, New York City, Abu Dhabi, Bucharest, Capetown and Cairo! When else can you imagine these cities and countries banded together in a unified cause… Earth Hour brought the world together in support of our common thread… Planet Earth!

I loved being a part of Earth Hour again this year. It “moves me”… what can I say!?  Now I’m also excited to see how many students from our daughter’s school participated.  Last week I sent home a notice with all 402 of them(!) announcing Earth Hour and, if they sign the pledge that says they participated, some of them will be randomly selected to win an eco-prize reward including BPA-free water bottles, pencils made from recycled newspapers and TerraCycle pencil bags (made from upcycled drink pouches)!

If you and your family participated, THANK YOU! If not, look and be inspired… and take a moment to enjoy the view of this spectacular event…

Have you marked your calendar?  This Saturday, March 27th, 2010, from 8:30-9:30 pm is Earth Hour!

Earth Hour started in Sydney, Australia, in 2007, with 2.2 million homes and businesses turning off their lights for one hour as a “vote” FOR the earth, and a “vote” AGAINST global warming.  By 2009, this movement had grown to hundreds of millions of people, and even darkened the Sydney Opera House, Rome’s Colosseum, The Eiffel Tower in Paris, The Parthenon in Greece, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, the Las Vegas Strip and New York City’s Times Square.

Last year people from all around the world switched off their lights in a unified vote because, regardless of where you live, we all depend on the same planet! This is the perfect time to turn off the lights, discuss global warming and the importance of “being green” as a family and consider taking actions to assure that we aren’t polluting our earth and overusing resources in our everyday lives.

For more information, go to www.earthhour.org and sign-up to be “officially” counted!

Want to know what we did last year?… click here… now…

Will you “vote” with me again this year?

Today we celebrate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. Although he died before I was born, I have always stood in awe of his passion, dedication and ability to take action and make a difference.

I also find it nearly impossible to see one of his speeches and not feel moved, inspired, energized and driven to speak clearly about what I feel passionate about as well.

While his legacy is the civil rights movement I have no doubt, were he alive today, he would embrace this movement to also preserving our precious Earth.

Use today to reflect on some of his words.  They are truly relative to every aspect of human life and the world around us.

“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.”

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

— Martin Luther King, Jr.

You, too, need not wait a single moment before you begin to speak out and make a change that makes a difference.

Tuesday evening we were all reminded about the true instability of our planet. When she decides to release some fury, it can have catastrophic consequences.

My heart is absolutely breaking for the people of Haiti.  They were already living with such suffering and struggle in their daily lives and now to have what little they possess destroyed and literally topple around them is just inconceivable.

It is believed that this earthquake has directly affected up to three million people… one third of the country.  The situation is absolutely dire.  The death-toll is expected to reach 200,000.  And sadly, we may never know the true magnitude and number of precious lives lost… there is a complete loss of human dignity because the bodies are being deposited into dump trucks, never identified by their loving families and hauled away. Truly devastating.

The need that exists is unimaginable.  Medical attention, food, water, shelter… even those who survived this catastrophe are in jeopardy if they don’t receive antibiotics for even mild injuries.

Today, please commit to helping in the rescue and relief efforts…

• Text “Haiti” to “90999″ to make a simple $10 donation to the Red Cross 

If you can do more, please donate directly to:

• The Red Cross
• Doctors Without Borders or
• The World Food Programme

All are currently in Haiti… helping our fellow citizens of the world who so desperately need our help.

The devastation is unbelievable.  The need is immense.  Please help.