Mom Goes Green

My love of dolphins has been lifelong. I don’t remember when it started, but I know it has never ended.

I do remember visiting Sea World and coming home with a dolphin mobile that hung over my bed from the time I was 5 until I headed off to college.  There is something dreamy, graceful and mesmerizing about these animals and their extreme intelligence is without question.

So when I heard about the documentary “The Cove” I was caught between that feeling of “I must see this” and “oh, I don’t want to see this…”  Well, I watched it… and it is absolutely haunting.

Richard O’Barry, Louie Psihoyos and their team uncover the killing of these beautiful and intelligent animals in a closely guarded and shielded cove in Taiji, Japan.  Each day, they are driven into the cove where the most visually-appealing dolphins are selected and sold to marine and aquatic parks, and the others are brutally and inhumanely slaughtered for their meat (meat that is passed off as expensive whale meat and sold for a premium price, and because of dolphins’ place in the food chain, contains extraordinary levels of mercury).  Take a look…

There are so many points of this story that just sicken me.  From the capture of these animals to turn them into “entertainers”, to the inhuman killings, to feeding unknowing consumers and school children(!) toxic food… it’s despicable.

As pointed out by the film, the 70′s had a massive movement to “Save the Whales”… now is the time to “Save the Dolphins”…

Please take time to see this documentary.

And if you’re like me and you want to do something, please go to TakePart… and help us make a change and stop the killing…

Wouldn’t that be nice… purchase ONE gift and you’re done for the whole year??? Well, that’s not exactly what I meant but we can all dream, can’t we?!?!

Sincerely, I feel like I’m constantly purchasing gifts for some sort of occasion.  The problem is that we often feel pressured to fulfill someone’s wish list, but there is nothing wrong with fulfilling some of our own wishes too, so how about using gift-giving occasions as an opportunity for spreading a little green cheer.

Here’s is what I have in mind… right now, choose one green, environmental and/or eco-friendly item… and choose to buy it EVERY time you have a gift giving occasion. Sound impossible? Well, it’s really not. I’ll give you a couple of ideas to get you started:

• Reusable water bottles – it’s impossible to shop and NOT run into reusable water bottles, in every color and style possible, for everyone, of every age.
• Reusable bags/ totes – anything from shopping bags to fabric totes,  to sport packs and kids’ carry-alls (extra points for organic cottons, upcycled and reclaimed fabrics!).
• Books – every bookstore has a diverse supply of eco-themed books, regardless of interest or age.
• Movies – a quick search will turn up everything from Wall-e, to Planet Earth, to An Inconvenient Truth… there is something for everyone.
• Clothing – who doesn’t love a comfy tee?  Buy organic cotton with an earth-friendly message and the message will be spread even further than the recipient!

If your recipient has the technology to accommodate, you can also go another step greener and buy e-books or iTune gifts!

So, do you think you could do it? I bet’cha you could. Will I? You bet’cha, I will!

Imagine life with no electricity, no cars or public transportation, no “new” products, no plastic, no computer, no elevators, no TV, no cosmetics, no take-out or processed foods, no coffee (what?!?!)  Think about taking those things away for just one day… now imagine you’ve just given them up for an ENTIRE YEAR!!! (I think I just stopped breathing!)

Well, that is exactly the experiment that was undertaken by the Beavan family in New York City… for one… whole… year! And this wild, yet amazingly environmental, journey was all documented in the film “No Impact Man”.

The dad was actually the initiator of this “whacko” idea, as his wife calls it.  He dragged them, nearly kicking and screaming, to join him in his quest. His wife was admittedly a “TV addicted, high fructose corn syrup & caffeine lover” and had her fair share of concerns (wouldn’t we all!?).

I really don’t think there is a possibility that my family and I could even begin to scratch the surface of what they were able to accomplish, but I am so excited to see the movie because I know it will give me amazing ideas of how to give up some things I had never considered before.  Colin Beaven even gives his top 10 eco-lifestyle changes on his blog… smart stuff!

If you’re in NYC or LA, the movie premieres today, with other openings soon to follow. But if you prefer to read about their experience, there is also a book, No Impact Man.

While they discovered that this project was undoubtedly environmental, they also rediscovered “life”… and each other.  Isn’t that an experiment we could all benefit from?!

(This giveaway is now closed for entries… congratulations “Marisa”!)

Last year was the first time we really participated in Earth Day.  We planted a small tree in our yard (that shortly thereafter became a deer’s lunch… but at least we tried!), read some books about the Earth and had an eco-friendly dinner complete with some dirt for dessert (don’t call the authorities – it was just the dessert that LOOKS like dirt!)

This year I was so excited to learn that Disneynature is premiering its first film, Earth, on Earth Day, April 22, 2009.  The trailer looks just incredible.  Narrated by James Earl Jones, this film tells the remarkable story of three animal families and their amazing journey across the planet we all call home.  Earth combines rare action, unimaginable scale and impossible locations by capturing the most intimate moments of our planet’s wildest and most elusive creatures.  In fact, it’s directed by the same creative team behind the Planet Earth series (that we love!).

To make this an even more impactful event, Disneynature will also plant a tree in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest (the most endangered rain forest in the world), in honor of every moviegoer who sees the film in its opening week.  If a weekday viewing isn’t possible, you can plan for the weekend too, and still make a difference!

To top off this great effort, Disneynature has also offered a giveaway to a Mom Goes Green reader.  This Earth-branded package (valued at $60) includes a canvas tote, a biodegradable tumbler, a fleece blanket and a tree seedling (that hopes NOT to become a lunch!).  To enter this contest, just leave a comment and tell me how you will spend Earth Day this year. You can also send a Twitter message that includes a reply to @momgoesgreen and a link to this blog or write about this giveaway and link back.

A random winner will be selected one week from today’s post (US residents only, please… sorry!)

So plan your Earth Day activities, schedule a viewing of Earth and enter to win… all in celebration of this great planet we share!

At the end of a “crazy, busy kid” weekend, we all settled in for some mindless TV viewing before bedtime.  America’s Funniest Videos was on (yes, we all love it… especially when people fall down… how mean of us!) so I paused it and we went to take baths and get jammies on.  Needless to say, when we returned, I accidentally hit the wrong button, changed the channel and POOF!  AFV was gone…

My kids were not amused.  So I searched around for another option and found the “Planet Earth” series re-running on The Discovery Channel.  I was suddenly happy I made that button mistake.

The kid’s were immediately ‘into it’, because we had seen parts of the series when they originally broadcast.  We were watching the one about the oceans and then it switched to caves, but our kids were silent and never protested even a second.  They sat wide-eyed and watched, in amazement, all the breathtaking views of this incredible world we live in.

If you haven’t heard about it, the series was five years in the making (talk about dedication!).  For the first time, we get to take a look at all of the things you can’t see outside of your door and travel won’t even allow a glimpse of.  You can venture deep to the ocean floor, through underground rivers and the darkest caves and explore untamed jungles and forests.  You truly won’t believe what you’ll see.

It gave me a reminder of why we’re doing what we’re doing.  Why we are working so hard to preserve this AMAZING planet we live on.  Why we’re not the only “thing” to consider.  It really rejuvenated me to work harder and continue my journey to do all I can do to see that we aren’t part of the destruction of the planet, by giving us views of the beauty of it all.

If you haven’t seen it, please do.  I’m sure it will have the same effect on you and your family.  Read about the series at The Discovery Channel or buy your own copy, so you can be reminded again and again.

As I was tucking our daughter into bed she said “Mommy, it’s okay that you changed the channel.  I know it was an accident, but really… Planet Earth was way better anyhow.”  (* insert huge, proud smile here! *)

Have you ever watched a movie that felt so real, it kind of left you feeling dizzy when it was all over?

Well, we just watched a movie that left me feeling like I was in a tornado… and the worst part?  — it was real.

The movie is called “The 11th Hour.”  It’s all about global warming, sustainability and the environment, and it spews out some serious, hardcore facts that come from scientists, environmentalists and all kinds of big-brained people.

Truth be told, it disturbed me because it really laid out how critical the climate crisis has become.  I almost didn’t want to watch because it felt so out-of-control and upsetting (because there’s only so much I can personally do to change things).

One of the things that really hit me was the realization that people rally around the fact that they want to “Save the Earth” when in reality, it’s not about saving the earth…it’s about saving ourselves.  The earth will survive…WE are the ones in jeopardy.  If we turn our planet into a place that’s uninhabitable, we’re simply risking our own existence.  Sheesh. That gave me chills all over again.

As one expert pointed out -  99.9999% of life that has existed on earth has become extinct.  It really IS a frightening prospect.  And pretty profound when you think about it that way.  I wish I could talk to everyone who thinks global warming is a hoax and beg them to open their minds.

The bright side is that they didn’t conclude without offering hope.  And we all need hope, or it would be pretty depressing.

I don’t have a witty conclusion for this post, but I think this film said it all… “the hope is you.”

(there are great resources for ideas and solutions at: 11thhouraction.com)

This weekend our kids begged us to take them to see “WALL-E”. Besides being an always-reliable Pixar film, we were introduced to a lovable, doe-eyed robot that leads us through a story with a message more important than I’ve seen in a movie in recent years.

What bothers me is the message seems to be a real afterthought for all of the reviews I’ve read. I haven’t heard a “buzz” so it was actually unexpected. I don’t believe this will be a spoiler (because it’s only a part of the storyline) but the message was truly profound. In a nutshell (and I won’t give you any more detail than this, so as NOT to get nasty emails!), Planet Earth becomes uninhabitable because it becomes overrun with trash, trash and more trash. It’s a wasteland, littered with humans’ remnants of excess.

Our kids are a little young to entirely pick-up on the message, but it was a golden opportunity to talk about it with them. They really embraced the idea and started talking about “yeah, that’s why we recycle” and “it’s baaad to litter!” Ahhh, my little sprouts make me proud!

My husband and I also picked up on some shots at big corporate greed and mega-retailers and appreciated the jabs they threw in. But more than anything, I love that they included a real message about the dangerous course that we, as Earth’s inhabitants, are currently on…and the abuse we are permitting.

I can only hope that movie-goers actually hear the message and recognize a story that I believe was entirely intentional, and (sadly)…very true.