Category — Social Responsibility

Image via Flickr user Fredthechicken under a Creative Commons license

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of enduring one of life’s most stressful events: moving. While I was thrilled to be relocating to an apartment that was newer, more spacious, and in closer walking distance to some of my favorite shops and outdoor spaces, there were other aspects of the move—like living in cluttered chaos for the week prior, spending every night packing after a long day at work, and trying to organize my cable service transfer—that were less than pleasant. Another not-so-great thing about moving that I realized while surrounded by trash, boxes, and packing materials? How inherently un-green the entire process is.

Now, my husband and I (and our dog) lived in a tiny, one-bedroom apartment. So we’d always worked hard at restricting our purchases to the essentials in an effort to avoid accumulating too much stuff. Who knew the “essentials” would end up filling over twenty cardboard boxes? As someone who prides herself on living simply and without (too much) extra froufrou, I was sort of appalled at the amount of stuff I actually owned (a whole box full just for my shoes? Really?), and the amount of resources it required to move everything to our new place—that was literally only a mile away! But as frustrating as the whole thing was, I’m happy to say that we did employ a few small—but still significant—tricks that helped make the moving and packing process a little bit greener:

Go through your stuff before packing Even though we ended up with twenty boxes of stuff to transport, that number would’ve been even higher had I not gone through our belongings ahead of time to find the items we no longer used. Instead of packing clothes I don’t wear, books I’ve already read, and papers I don’t need, I could donate or recycle them.

Rent boxes We really did want to do the move ourselves—but the thought of carrying several pieces of furniture up three steep flights of stairs on a 100+ degree day seemed near impossible, so we reluctantly hired a moving company. It cost some money, but hiring movers did help us with another thing: boxes. With a deposit, our moving company let us take as many as we needed. Instead of throwing them out afterwards, we can bring all the empty boxes right back.

Use packing material you already have Since we seriously underestimated how much stuff we had to pack, we only took one small roll of paper to use for wrapping our breakable items, like glasses and dishes. So it wasn’t long before the paper ran out, but we didn’t go back to get more. Instead, we started wrapping items in towels, kitchen rags, t-shirts, and even oven mitts. It worked like a charm, and actually helped us pack a few less boxes overall, since those cloth items didn’t need to be packed on their own.

Buy used We moved into this new place so I could set up a home office in the spare bedroom. When it came time to buy a desk, I headed to my favorite local vintage store and found a fantastic midcentury modern one made of dark wood—for $113! For a fraction of what it would’ve cost to buy new, I got a super cool looking desk that used zero new resources to build or pack. The moral of the story: If you need to furnish the new space, go secondhand when possible.

What about you? What are some of the ways your family has or will green a move?

-Marygrace, staff writer

Today’s KIWI College webinar featured Paige Wolf, author of Spit That Out: The Overly Informed Parent’s Guide to Raising Children in the Age of Environmental Guilt. We had a great discussion with the audience about good ways to deal with friends and relatives who aren’t so into being green, how to make cloth diapering work for you, finding deals on organic foods, and more. Paige suggested a number of deal and coupon sites, so in case you missed them:

Mighty Nest (eco-friendly dishware, toys, and more)

Rosie Hippo (green toys and products for kids)

Pure Citizen (“flash sales with a heart”)

GreenBabyBargains.com (daily deals on green goods)

Eco Baby Buys (daily deals for baby items)

YourGreenHelper.com (coupons and deals for green moms)

Organic Deals (organic coupons and deals)

Visit Paige’s site and Facebook page for more, and share your own favorites there or on KIWI’s Facebook page!

—Sarah, editorial director

I recently read a really scary book.

It wasn’t written by Stephen King or James Patterson. It wasn’t even fiction. But the tales of necrotizing pneumonia and pus filled abscesses caused by a virulent strain of antibiotic resistant bacteria made my hair stand on end.

Maryn McKenna, an award-winning medical writer, created a terrifying and vivid portrayal of drug-resistant staph in Superbug: The Fatal Menace of MRSA. The book has the style of a crisply written detective novel from its first paragraph, comprised of one line:

“Tony Love’s knee ached.”

This ordinary knee ache resulted from a collision on the volleyball court where he scraped his elbow. From this ordinary childhood injury, came a knee so swollen that this healthy teenager could not put weight on it. The first ER visit resulted in a prescription for Motrin and hot towels. A few days later, the teen was in so much pain that he could not walk or even eat. Within minutes of the family’s arrival at the ER, Tony crashed into septic shock. His body was wracked with infection – a voracious antibiotic resistant staph known as MRS (methicillan-resistant Staphyloccus areus). Tony ultimately recovered, but the story of how a little bit of bacteria felled an otherwise healthy kid is only the beginning of McKenna’s nightmarish portrayal of the infection that could hit any one of us at any time.

The backstory: The antibiotic era began during World War II, when penicillin was released to the public in 1944. While it was heralded as a wonder drug, even its creator, Sir Alexander Fleming, was beginning to fear the ability of the bacteria to circumvent the drug’s protection.

Given the wont of Americans to overdo, this fear was justified. Penicillin was added to face soaps and body creams and was prescribed to excess. The nimble bug it was supposed to cure evolved, getting stronger. Appearing first mainly in hospitals where the patient’s resistance is weak, the bacteria then developed a community strain, infecting individuals with no connection to hospitals, either patients or workers, killing, in some instances, healthy children within hours.

The current problem: The real story, however, is not the spread of this Superbug, but the system that we constructed to give it life. The over prescribing of antibiotics by busy doctors, overcrowded prisons, and poor hygiene are part of this perfect storm that we’ve created. While these are large contributors, we must not forget the livestock industry. Between 70 and 80 percent of the antibiotics used in this country are given to animals raised for food. The lion’s share of this percentage is provided either preventatively (i.e. so that otherwise healthy animals will not get ill under the wretched confinement system that they are forced into) or as sub-therapeutic doses to help the animals gain weight so that they can reach slaughter sooner. Despite connections made between the antibiotics used in livestock production and resistant bacteria that infects individuals working with these animals, the livestock industry has claimed that this relationship is not proven with absolute certainty. Their case is growing weaker by the day.

Why this matters for families: Before reading Superbug, the question of confinement raised animals was an ethical one for me – whether the misery inflicted upon animals and, for that matter, the humans working in those facilities by the putrid conditions outweighed the need to eat cheap meat. Even the environmental degradation resulting from the inevitable careless management of CAFOs seemed a distant and intangible casualty. For me, Superbug has changed the argument from one of ethics to a moral imperative. In every hamburger of unknown origin, I see Tony Love’s face–or even worse, that of Carlos Don IV.

Carlos was another healthy kid who left on a school trip and returned with a 104°F fever. The first doctor diagnosed Carlos with walking pneumonia so his mother kept him home bundled and hydrated until she realized that he was beginning to hallucinate. She rushed Carlos to the hospital and the doctor’s ultimately diagnosed his condition as MRSA. A long slow death march ensued during which Carlos’s lungs dissolved and clotting choked off the blood to his lower intestines, legs and arms. In two weeks, he was dead.

After reading Carlos’s story late in the evening, I woke my son from a dead sleep to scrub his hands clean. I hugged him as tightly as I could.

What we can do: Since the government has been slow to respond to this growing menace, we moms need to take action. Pew Charitable Trust is launching a Mom’s Campaign to Save Antibiotics. If we don’t, we may soon reach the end of antibiotics and the 20th century wonder drug will be powerless to protect us and our children.

To learn more about this issue or to join the campaign, visit Save Antibiotics.org. They also have a Facebook page and a twitter feed @saveantibiotics.

—Guest blogger Melissa Graham is the founder of Purple Asparagus.

Image via Flickr user heraldpost under a Creative Commons license

When people ask me how to teach kids about being “green,” it always takes me aback a little. Our mission at KIWI is to introduce families to a healthier way of life and we’ve included children in that mix. But it’s still a daunting task to speak to children about the future of the planet, pesticides in our food supply, GMOs, artificial ingredients, and more. What can they possibly understand? How can children “get it” if so many adults (including our own lawmakers) don’t?

This is my best advice to you, to the parents who care about the kind of adults your children will become: LIVE IT!

Quite simply, if you live it, they will too. One of the greatest joys of parenting is to watch your children pick up what they see you do—not just what you tell them to do. As your kids become older and begin making their own decisions, it’s gratifying to watch them emulate you, and incorporate your choices into their own.

My daughter just turned 13 and I’m seeing first hand that “living it” pays off. For example, she recently went to a friend’s house and was offered an unfamiliar brand of a beverage, so she texted me, “Can I drink this?” It was a bottled iced tea with artificial sweeteners. I texted back, “No…there’s caffeine in this and artificial sweeteners.”  She wrote back, “I thought so and it’s also not organic. Thanks.”   Chalk one up for me (smile).

No matter what age your children are, it’s never too late to start leading by example. And don’t feel like you have to do everything. At KIWI, we believe that whatever you do to create a healthier family is good; one small step is a perfect way to begin. I suggest starting with what you and your kids are exposed to the most on a daily basis:

• Put “organic” in the refrigerator every day:  organic milk, organic juice, organic butter, and organic peanut butter.
• Switch your dish detergent to a natural brand, as it sits in your kitchen and is used daily.
• Make sure to use natural hand soaps and shampoos, as they are also used daily.
• Replace your paper towels with those made from 100% recycled paper
• Cut down or eliminate paper cups and plates.
• Give your kids a chore: put them in charge of placing recyclables in the recycle bin daily so they get used to the process

I’d love to hear how your family is  ‘‘living it” including your hits and misses. Wishing you a Happy Earth Day today and every day!

-Maxine Wolf, CEO & Publisher

As a New Yorker, I take great pride in how green I live. I rarely drive, so I take public transportation, walk, and ride my bike instead. So eco, I should pat myself on the back!

Okay, but the truth is, this is green living at its very easiest. Having a car here is a pain, not to mention expensive. And relying on public transportation isn’t something I can tell everyone else to do. My friends in suburban areas would be stuck at home, their kids play date-less, without wheels. I’m not about to suggest that my own mom, who lives in the country, walk four miles to town and then lug back milk and dog food. And horse feed.

So, here are a few green transportation tips that you’ve probably heard before—and KIWI’s more realistic, everyday solutions:

Ideal: Take public transportation.

Real: Carpool—but think beyond the trip to school. Can you hitch a ride to the grocery store or church? Or, don’t leave home at all: Can you trade off quick trips to the store with a neighbor?

Ideal: Buy an electric car.

Real: Keep your car in good shape. Wouldn’t it be great if we could all run out and buy a new car? But that’s just not practical (besides, how green is it, really, to junk the new-ish car you’ve already got?). Until you’re ready for a hybrid or electric car, make sure the one you have gets its oil changed regularly, has the right amount of air in the tires, and you’re not driving with extra bags or a roof rack you don’t need every time. That’s not only more fuel efficient, but how you make the most of what you’ve got.

Ideal: Bike or walk everywhere.

Real: Bike or walk somewhere. And don’t just think of the bike as an alternative to the car—it’s also an alternative to watching TV, playing video games, or just sitting around with the AC and lights on. Turn off, unplug, and walk around the block. Every little bit counts.

—Sarah, editorial director

Here at KIWI, we know you’re doing your part all year long to make a positive impact on the planet, but we thought we’d celebrate Earth Day by providing eco-friendly suggestions you can use everyday to live your life greener. Today, some simple tips on cutting back on waste.

Judge a product by its cover When shopping for anything, whether it’s food, home items, or beauty supplies, seek out products that are packaged with minimal plastic or cardboard, or with recycled materials. For instance, diluting a concentrated version of your favorite dish soap will not only make it last longer, the smaller container most likely requires fewer packaging materials. Also keep an eye out for products with a post-consumer recycled seal, which indicate the packaging has been made with 100 percent post-consumer materials.

Super-size it Get the most bang for your buck with the least amount of packaging by buying the largest-sized containers available for products like laundry detergent, shampoo, and pet food. Just beware of individually wrapped items that are packaged twice to be sold as bulk, like two shrink-wrapped boxes of toothpaste tubes; you’ll wind up with more packaging than you were counting on. And when possible, take advantage of products that can serve multiple purposes: Tea tree oil is great for moisturizing hair and skin, and can also be used as a disinfectant around the house. And a few drops from a large bottle of castile soap can be used for anything from hand-washing to general household cleaning.

Beware special offers and discounts It’s easy to get lured into buying things you don’t need with two-for-one deals and other specials, but avoiding these sales is one of the easiest ways to reduce waste (unless, of course, your family really is able to eat 10 pounds’ worth of apples before they go bad!). On-sale items may seem like a great bargain, but before tossing that 3-in-1 chopper/dicing/slicing thingamajig  in your cart, ask yourself if you really need it, or if you’re only buying it because it’s 20% off.

Make a list—and stick to it To help curb impulse buys, make a list! Having one not only saves you from making multiple trips because you forgot this or that (read: less gas!), it can also make you think twice about tossing those items in your cart that you could really do without. Take inventory of what you need before you head to the store, making sure your list takes into account what you already have in your medicine cabinet or pantry.

Turn your trash into treasure Before tossing them into the recycling bin or trash can, see if you can find a way to give the used goods a new life. Use old baby food jars to hold homemade candles , or have your child make greeting cards out of old grocery bags—involving him in eco-crafting is a great way to get him into the habit of reducing, reusing and recycling at a young age. For more ideas on how to get creative with your recycling, head over to KIWI’s eco-craft page. (www.kiwimagonline.com/ecocrafts)

Try a waste-reduction challenge How many trash bags does your family usually fill each week? Challenge everyone to work to cut that amount in half by throwing fewer items in the trash. Or, challenge your child to find three toys she no longer plays with that can be donated to kids in need. Remind her that her donation not only benefits others, but that it’s environmentally-friendly too.

What about you—what are some ways your family works to make the planet a little cleaner, on Earth Day and all year around?

-Dana, KIWI Intern

Image: Flickr user •• Federì •• under a Creative Commons License

Pandas are usually the first animal that comes to mind when most of us think of endangered species. And according to the World Wildlife Fund, there are less than 2,500 giant pandas alive in the wild today. 2,500! It seemed like a teeny, tiny number—until I saw the news this morning about a type of giant, soft-shelled turtle in Vietnam, whose numbers are down to four. One of the turtles (whose shells are the size of a desk!) was recently spotted in Hanoi’s Hoan Klem Lake with open wounds on it’s head, legs, and shell, much to the alarm of local residents. (According to Vietnamese folklore, this giant turtle is the same one that helped the Vietnamese fend off Chinese invaders over six centuries ago.)

Biologists believe pollution in Hoan Klem Lake is responsible for the turtle’s declining health, and earlier this month a government coalition was formed to try to save it. Hopefully, their plan works—but the Hoan Klem turtle isn’t the only marine animal in danger. Because of pollution and trash in our oceans, as well as melting ice caps caused by climate change, the habitats and well-being of sea creatures all over the world are being threatened.

Fortunately, there’s a way kids can help. Since September, middle schoolers all across the country have been sharing their eco ideas with Project Blue Planet, a challenge for students to improve the environment for marine life. The Smithsonian’s National Zoo has partnered with KIWI, Whole Foods Market, the EPA, and the NOAA to encourage tweens to build teams and create projects that benefit sea life and educate others. And the really fun part? The winning team will be rewarded with an exclusive first look at the new seal and sea lion exhibit at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo.

Project entries are due by April 30th—which means there’s still enough time for students to share their planet-saving plan at the Project Blue Planet web page. Get started today!

-Marygrace, staff writer

These three contests for kids are great because kids can learn about important things–cooking, ocean conservancy, and endangered species–while they work on their entries. Plus, of course, they can win great prizes!

* Next Great Young Chef. This is KIWI’s own cooking contest, and a really great way for kids who love to cook to show of their skills. Send in a video of your child cooking his or her original recipe for a chance to win cash and a feature in KIWI! Here’s a hint from one of the judges (me!): Have fun! It’s totally okay if your child is a little nervous, but if he looks like he likes cooking and sharing what he knows, we’ll be charmed. Entries are due May 31.

* Project Blue Planet. Kids can make a difference, and this contest proves it. Kids—always full of ideas, right?—come up with ways to protect our oceans, do research on it, and share what they’ve learned. The team with the best project wins a trip to the National Zoo in DC. This one is for a group of kids—classmates led by a teacher, or a group of homeschool kids led by a parent, or…get creative! You have to finish your project by April 30, so now’s a great time to get started.

* Endangered Species Art Project. Got a kid who loves to draw? He could win a trip to DC, too, in honor of Endangered Species Day on May 20. Kids in four different age categories (K-2nd grade, 3rd-5th grade, 6th-8th grade, 9th-12th grade) can submit their original drawings of an endangered species for a chance to win. Entries are due March 15, so hurry!

-Sarah, editorial director

How green are you? Pretty green? Impressively green? I, it turns out, am solidly green. At PracticallyGreen.com, I answered a genius yet simple questionnaire and found out that I’m doing a good job with things like eco-friendly cleaning products and avoiding plastic (yay!), but there’s still room for me to try new ways of lowering my impact. Just taking the quiz is a learning experience, but the best part is that after you’re done, you can create an action plan of large and small changes you want to make. One of the things I’m pledging to do is drive the speed limit. (I have a lead foot, what can I say?)

If you need a little inspiration, you can check out the action plans of many leaders in the green world, including KIWI’s friends from Celebrate Green, Corey Colwell-Lipson and Lynn Colwell. (I’ll admit: The folks at Practically Green have my action plan in with these movers and shakers, and I’m very honored.)

After you take the quiz and pick out some (very doable!) ways to get greener, check out Practically Green’s blog, too. I’m always getting inspired, like how to recycle old electronics (this is one of those things I know is totally doable and yet need a push to actually do. Thanks, PG!). I appreciate that, like KIWI, Practically Green is about helping us do our best: We can all make a difference.

—Sarah, KIWI editorial director

Who doesn’t love adorable, cuddly-looking pandas? We at KIWI are huge fans of the gentle giants, and so are especially excited to congratulate our friends at the Smithsonian National Zoo, who recently completed negotiations with the China Wildlife Conservation Association to extend the Zoo’s panda program for five more years.

Over the next two years, the Zoo will continue to conduct research in panda breeding and cub behavior by overseeing giant pandas, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian. If the pair fails to produce a cub in that time period (their last cub, Tai Shan, was born in 2005), the two organizations plan to discuss exchanging Mei and Tian for another pair of breeding pandas. The most exciting part of all: If a panda cub is born at the Zoo, it’ll now be allowed to remain there for four years, while in the past, panda cubs were sent back to China by age two.

With only 1,600 known to exist in the wild, giant pandas are one of the most endangered animals on the planet. Best of luck, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian!

-Marygrace, staff writer

Raising caring kids is one of the values we’re committed to here at KIWI. That’s why Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is an important holiday for us: Teaching kids to take care of the world they live in includes respecting the people in it.

To me, my grandfather exemplifies what it means to practice what you preach—literally. A white, Presbyterian minister from East St, Louis, Illinois, he marched with Dr. King from Selma to Montgomery in late March of 1965. This was the last of the famous Selma marches—the earlier ones had turned horrifyingly violent (the one on March 7 is the one we now call Bloody Sunday), and my grandfather was one of a group of clergymen who came together to denounce that violence and support Dr. King’s movement.

His congregation did not support this decision. Longtime members left his church. East St. Louis was a diverse city, but not an integrated one. It had a long history of racial tension and even violence: In 1917, the city witnessed one of the country’s worst race riots. For the people of 1965, who had grown up in East St. Louis, just as their parents had, that was not so long ago. For some, that meant the races should stay apart. For others, like my grandfather, it meant exactly the opposite.

So my grandfather risked his reputation—not to mention his safety—to travel across the country to stand up for what he believed was right. It was, as my father explained, part of his theology and his worldview, and I think that witnessing a life with beliefs like that influenced my dad and, in turn, me.  I’m not only proud to tell this story about him, I’m humbled by what he did.

So today I not only honor Dr. King, but my grandfather, Arthur Smith, and the thousands of other marchers and supporters whose names I don’t know. From what I have learned of Dr. King, my guess is he too would appreciate taking today to remember the people who stood with him.

—Sarah, editorial director

I am a chocolate junkie. And while I manage to refrain from indulging my sweet tooth after every meal (only in a perfect world!), when I do eat the dark stuff, I like to choose bars that are socially-responsible. Some of my favorite chocolate comes from Equal Exchange, whose goods are fair-trade certified. Founded in 1986 the brand seeks to empower small farmer co-ops and support sustainable farming methods. They often partner with co-operatives of farmer who provide high-quality organic coffees, teas, chocolates, bananas and snacks from all over the world. Equal Exchange is trying to provide local communities with a better food system and in turn, a healthier planet, which in my book, is pretty sweet. For a limited time, Equal Exchange is offering KIWI readers 15% off on any online order through 1/15/11. Just enter code KIWIGIFT for yummy, discounted holiday gifts that do a whole lot of good.

-Brittany, KIWI staffer

This year, it seems more folks than ever are eschewing big, glitzy holiday gifts in favor smaller, more personal presents (or no presents at all!). And I’m all for it: Creating handmade gifts is one way to put some extra time, thought, and care into giving this season. Not handy with the glue gun? Me neither—but that’s okay! All across the country, local craft fairs abound over the next couple of weeks, giving us less-than-artistically-inclined people the opportunity to seek out the perfect hand-sewn doll, glass-blown vase, or silkscreened tote for everyone on our list. Not only will your gifts be more awesome than anything you could pick up at an overcrowded mall, they’ll support artists in your community and give money to your local economy. (Local, handmade gifts also likely require less resources, since they aren’t mass-manufactured, tend to use more sustainable materials, and aren’t shipped long distances.)

Sounds good, no? Even better, craft blog Hello Craft recently posted a huge list of craft fairs in major cities across America, with plenty more happenings posted by readers in the comments section. I’m actually almost tempted to take a road trip across the country to stop at craft fair after craft fair, but then I’d probably wipe out my holiday gift budget just on gasoline alone. No worries–I’ll definitely be checking out the Local Foods Holiday Gift Fair at here in Austin to pick up some extra special treats to round out my homemade edible gift baskets. (Note: The Local Foods Holiday Gift Fair is probably one of the many, many gift fairs that aren’t included on Hello Craft’s list, so be sure to check your town’s local listings, too!) And if you can’t make it out to a craft fair in your community—never fear! There’s always Etsy.

Are you supporting handmade gifts this holiday season?

-Marygrace, staff writer

You’ve finally figured out a way to remember your reusable bags (almost!) every time you go to the store–but disposable shopping bags aren’t the only way we use the stuff. I’m talking about plastic, and there are plenty of ways to cut your family’s use even further. Some ideas:

Choose a recyclable toothbrush Preserve makes brushes from recycled yogurt cups (don’t worry, the bristles are new!). When you’re done with it, put it in the mail-back package and the company will recycle it all over again.

Skip the produce bags They aren’t necessary for most fruits and veggies, and you can invest in a couple of reusable produce bags for loose or wet items, like baby spinach leaes or head of lettuce.

Bring back your bulk containers Rinse and bring back the bag or tub you used the last time you loaded up on almonds, or put bulk items in old containers or jars (like juice or pasta sauce bottles). Get ‘em weighed at the register first, then stick a label on the front so you aren’t charged for the extra heft.

Choose natural bar soap Even the most eco-friendly body washes come in plastic containers. Instead, opt for a bar soap (locally-produced, if you can find it!) made with minimal paper packaging.

Make your own food staples Homemade yogurt, crackers, or bread taste deliciously fresh and are easier than you think (especially on a chilly winter weekend when staying cozy inside sounds like the perfect activity). Plus, the items have no packaging at all.

-Marygrace, staff writer

There are tons of reasons why we should all eat more yogurt: It’s a yummy source of bone-strengthening calcium and vitamin D, is loaded with bacteria that promotes gut health, and offers good-for-you protein at an environmental cost lower than meat and fish. The one drawback? Most yogurt comes in tubs made of petroleum-based plastic, a resource-intensive material, to say the least.

Fortunately, Stonyfield Farm has set out to make their yogurt packaging better for the planet. Earlier this month, the organic dairy manufacturer unveiled a new plant-based, BPA-free plastic container for all of their multipack yogurt cups, including the YoBaby, YoToddler, YoKids, and O’Soy lines. Hooray! Instead of traditional polystyrene (plastic #6), the new cups are comprised of 93 percent polylactic acid, a GMO-free, corn-based alternative (that looks and feels just like the cups you’re used to). While not yet recyclable in most communities, the cup requires less resources and fossil fuels to manufacture—slashing it’s carbon footprint to nearly half of traditional plastic yogurt cups.

“This new yogurt cup is something we’ve been working to achieve for years and we are excited to be able to introduce it now,” explained Nancy Hirshberg, Stonyfield’s VP of Natural Resources.  “Even without a recycling option in the early stages, plant-based plastic is already better for the planet than polystyrene because it produces lower carbon emissions and requires less fossil fuel to make.  As this new type of plastic become commonplace, the potential environmental benefits only get better.”

-Marygrace, staff writer

Here at the KIWI offices, we know a lot about a lot of things—but we don’t know everything! That’s why as part of our KIWI family we have a trusty advisory board, a group of experts in green, health, and family issues. We turn to them for advice, for help answering your questions, and for insight into what’s going on in their corners of the green world.

I’m thrilled to welcome to our advisory board Dr. Fred Pockrass. He’s an eco-friendly dentist who (like pediatrician and advisory board member Dr. Larry Rosen) considers himself integrative. I think his approach is very KIWI: He includes alternative approaches to dental care in his practice, while staying up-to-date on technology and the other latest issues and practices in his field. His practice, Transcendentist, is in the first green dental practice in the country, and he’s one of the founders of the Eco Dentistry Association. And perhaps most importantly, he’s exactly the kind of open-minded and interesting guy you’d really want to see every time you go to the dentist!

I think you’ll all enjoy hearing from Dr. Pockrass in future issues and right here online, too. You can e-mail your dental questions anytime to info@kiwimagonline.com, or leave a comment here.

—Sarah, KIWI editorial director

Each fall, I get excited about pumpkin. Of course, because I love it’s taste and bright orange color, but also, I think, because I only ever eat pumpkin in October and November. So it always reminds me of wholesome fall days, complete with sweaters, crisp blue skies, and blustery winds. It also reminds me of being warm and cozy at home with my family, since we always eat pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving. What’s more, I’m willing to bet you feel the same, because pumpkin seems to be one of those foods that evokes universal feelings and memories. Kind of like corn on the cob or watermelon.

For the last couple weeks, I’ve seen huge piles of pumpkins (plus gourds and squash) sitting outside of nearly every market around town. It really made me want pumpkin pie, but deep down I know it’s not quite time yet. Instead, I left the cinnamon and nutmeg in the spice cabinet, and made this savory stir fry. Served over rice, it’s a light meal, but you can bulk it up with cubed tofu or tempeh, too. What’s more, it’s cozy, invigorating, and satisfying—sort of like fall itself.

Pumpkin broccoli stir-fry
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 10-12 minutes

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons canola oil
½ of a medium sugar pumpkin*, peeled, seeded, and chopped into ½-inch cubes
2 cups broccoli florets
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (optional)
¼ cup pumpkin seeds, toasted

1. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, maple syrup, rice wine vinegar, and toasted sesame oil. Stir and set aside.
2. In a large skillet over high heat, warm the canola oil until shimmery. Add the pumpkin cubes and sauté, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add the broccoli and sauté 5-7 minutes more.
3. Add the garlic and jalapeno pepper, stirring for 30 seconds. Add the soy sauce mixture, stir again, and remove from heat.
4. Transfer to a bowl and garnish with the toasted pumpkin seeds. Serve.

Serves 4
Per serving: Calories 163, fat 8 g, protein 3 g, carbohydrates 22 g, dietary fiber 5 g

*You can use the rest of the pumpkin to make a puree for use in pie, muffins, or pancakes. Peel, seed, and chop the other half of the pumpkin into 1-inch cubes and roast for 20-25 minutes. Remove the oven to cool. Once cooled, process in a food processor or blender until smooth, adding water to thin if necessary. The puree will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator, or up to six months in the freezer.

Want even more yummy ways to enjoy the orange squash? Check out our top five pumpkin recipes at kiwimagonline.com/pumpkin.

-Marygrace, KIWI staff writer

Have you seen the commercial for the Nissan’s new electric car, the Leaf? A polar bear leaves his melting Arctic home in search of shelter, and ends up wandering through a bunch of un-polar bear friendly places like a forest, a city street, beneath a highway overpass, and finally, into the driveway where a Leaf is parked. When the Leaf owner comes out of his house, the polar bear gives him a hug–its way of thanking him for doing his part to combat climate change. The minute-long ad is terribly sad, but not just because the polar bear’s habitat has been destroyed. It’s also sad because not everyone—not most of us, in fact—have the money to go out and buy a Nissan Leaf, effectively saving the planet.

Fortunately, I know there are still plenty of other ways I can green my transportation and lower my carbon footprint, like walking, bicycling, or carpooling whenever possible. If I was a kid watching that commercial, though, I might feel a little left out. I’d want to help that polar bear, too! But according to the commercial, saving the planet is a job for grown-ups.

No more, thanks to Project Blue Planet, a challenge for middle school students nationwide to improve the environment for marine life. The Smithsonian’s National Zoo has partnered with KIWI, Whole Foods Market, the EPA, and the NOAA to encourage kids to build teams and create projects that benefit sea life and educate others. And the really fun part? The winning team will be rewarded with an exclusive first look at the new seal and sea lion exhibit at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo.

The competition runs through April 30th, 2011, but sign up forms are available now—meaning there’s no time to lose! Get the details and register your group today at the Project Blue Planet web page.

-Marygrace, KIWI staff writer

When’s the first time you heard about organic food? Sometime in the late ’90s or very early 2000s, I remember my mom going to a little-known store called Fresh Fields (which, a year or two later became Whole Foods) bringing home organic wheat grass, apples, beets, and more to make fresh juice. Have you ever tried vegetable and fruit juice with a shot of wheat grass? Health-conscious eater though I am, I could never get behind that stuff (and to this day, still can’t!).

My mom said that organic food was better for us—though I don’t remember ever getting an explanation why. To her credit, I bet a lot of other early buyers of organic didn’t have all the answers they have today, either. But the stuff seemed healthier, so they tried it.

In 2004, I learned for myself what organic meant. I was a senior in high school, and had begun taking charge of my health with a vegetarian diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains. When I decided to apply for a part-time job, I naturally (no pun intended!) turned to Whole Foods—the once small and sort of strange health food store whose popularity was on the brink of exploding. At my job orientation, one of the WF team leaders explained the company’s core values, which included—among other principles—selling the highest quality natural and organic products available. There, I learned the difference between natural and organic (something many people still aren’t clear on—but it’s getting better!), and what organic products mean for the health of people and the planet (sustainable methods of production that are gentler on the environment, plus no artificial chemicals). I was hooked.

Despite the fact that I no longer have a 20 percent discount card for Whole Foods (just one of the many perks of working there), I still support organic. My husband and I live on a small budget, but supporting health and sustainability is something we refuse to skimp on. We belong to an organic CSA where, for $32 a week, we receive an enormous box of fresh, local vegetables. And if the organic apples cost $3 per pound at my co-op, that’s okay with me—I’ll just buy fewer and space them out throughout the week. To me, the price is justified, because buying organic reflects the true costs of what it takes for a farmer—and his land—to produce real, wholesome food.

So, think back five or 10 years ago—was buying organic something that was important to you? Did you even know what organic meant? For many of us, the answer is no, which in my mind is a good thing, since it shows just how far the movement has come in such a short time. Best of all, there’s so much more room for education and growth: September is Organic Harvest Month, so I’m taking the opportunity to promote sustainbly-produced food, clothing, personal care products, and more as much as possible. I encourage you to do the same.

-Marygrace, KIWI staff writer

My first response to this question was a resounding Yes!…though it would be incredibly, incredibly difficult and I wouldn’t really want to. But the concept is an admirable one, and certainly something to get us all thinking about the massive role petroleum plays in our lives—and how we might be able to reduce our consumption.

That’s the goal of Molly Eagen’s blog, 100 Days Without Oil, where she’s chronicling her three-month journey living petroleum-free. A graduate student at the University of Minneapolis, Eagen’s project seeks to “identify the dramatic design changes which will take place in our society as oil becomes more expensive/depleted.”

She’s tracking oil use (or rather, her lack of oil use) in seven areas: Transportation, food, waste, water, electricity, health/hygiene, and communication/entertainment. This means avoiding obvious oil-users like cars in favor of bicycling or walking, plus sticking to a strictly local, organic diet, but also using only the water she collects when it rains on her roof and using only electric energy from renewable resources. (Even though oil doesn’t play a huge role in electricity, Eagen points out that residents in her part of the country get most of their power from coal, which she sees as a younger form of oil.)

Going 100 days without oil is an enormous undertaking, to be sure, but given Eagen’s determination as well as her thorough research and planning, I think she’ll be able to do it. And we’re routing for her!

-Marygrace, KIWI staff writer

A series of salmonella outbreaks across the country have prompted Iowa egg producer, Wright County Egg, to recall 380 million products. Eggs under the brands Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph’s, Boomsma’s, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farm, and Kemps should be returned to the store in which they were purchased for a refund. The recall is for shelf-eggs only, meaning that products containing eggs are not affected.

Prior to the recall, Wright County Egg was being targeted by government regulators for environmental violations, unsafe working conditions, plus worker harassment, reports the New York Times. In fact, recalls like this one are very often the result of giant food factories operating under unsanitary conditions—and a great reason why we should buy from small, local farms whenever possible. Sometimes, doing so is more expensive and less convenient, but the price paid in dollars or an extra trip to the farmer’s market is worth it to support a food production system that cares about people, animals, and the planet.

While some consumers will choose sustainability whenever possible, many more will require some sort of threat to their personal health or lifestyle as motivation to reject unethical food. Where do you fall?

-Marygrace, KIWI staff writer

Ever wish you could do something to help those sweet dogs and cats looking to be adopted at the pet store? Here’s your chance, because August 21st is International Homeless Animals Day! Here, ideas for helping our furry friends:

• Volunteer at a shelter Cleaning cages and crates are one job—but it’s not the only one. Shelters often need volunteers to help with office work, take photos of pets that are up for adoption, and even update their website. Find a local shelter at petfinder.com.
• Collect donations Set up a lemonade stand and announce that proceeds will go to a local shelter or animal organization, like the ASPCA. You can also collect blankets, towels, food, or toys to give to a shelter.
• Open your home A parent’s worst nightmare, right? Adopting a pet can be a boatload of work, but think about it this way: if everyone chips in, then it’s not just your pet, but a family pet. Animals can be a great comfort, not just a terror, and adoption or foster care is a way to teach responsibility to kids.

-Jillian, KIWI intern

Ever since Al Gore’s 2006 documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, the polar bear (stranded on a tiny piece of ice) has become the unofficial symbol of global warming. But climate change doesn’t just hurt the world above water—it also affects what’s happening down below, something marine ecologists from the Wildlife Conservation Society, James Cook University, and Syiah Kuala University have recently found.
Because of a harsh temperature rise in Indonesian waters, there has been a large scale coral bleaching that may not grow back. Coral bleaching occurs when the algae that live in the coral tissues die. Over time the bleached coral may recover, however, this area doesn’t look so promising: The bleaching in Aceh (an Indonesian province) is an indication of temperature stress in the Andaman Sea. In late May, the temperature of the water reached 34 degrees Celsius, which is 4 degrees higher than average, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Coral Hotspots website.
Since 2005, The WCS and JCU have been working to helping to recover the coral reefs that were destroyed in the 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean. Unfortunately, the temperature rise is causing their efforts to be undermined: Scientists who have studied the reefs found that 80 percent of some species have died since the initial assessment in May, making this one of the most deadly coral bleaching ever recorded.

-Angela, KIWI intern

Earlier this summer, my best and and I visited the stunning Zion National Park in southern Utah. We didn’t camp in the park itself, instead staying at a cabin on a buffalo preserve closeby. I brought along my cell phone to keep in touch with my family, but as it turned out, I was only able to talk to them a couple of times because I couldn’t get a signal in Zion or even at the preserve. Not having to bother checking my phone for missed calls or texts every 10 minutes was a little strange, but it also felt great. 

The point is, I didn’t really need a cell phone on my vacation. My friend and I were with a guide, so we weren’t worried about getting lost. And if my family needed to reach me (or I, them) we could still get in touch via landline. Considering this, it probably comes as no surprise that I definitely didn’t need a laptop. I was on vacation, so I wasn’t planning to check e-mail. And I was hiking and biking through some of the most beautiful forests and canyons I’ve ever seen, so I definitely didn’t need the internet to keep my entertained.

Yesterday, NPR had a feature on campgrounds and parks that now offer free wi-fi. I wasn’t really sure how to react: The internet has become a basic necessity, and people expect to have access to it anywhere and everywhere—so if they want to spend time on their Google reader while sitting around the campfire, I guess they should be able to do that. But on the other hand, hearing a family boast delightfully about how they watched Big Brother streaming from their laptop while on their camping trip (because they always watch it) seemed truly ridiculous. To me—and I hope, to others, too—it almost goes without saying that the point of spending time outdoors (and not just a national park or campground, but the local playground or nature trail, too) is to spend time outdoors, not spend time on the internet.

Most Americans already have a serious disconnect to the natural world, and I’m not sure whether offering wi-fi access in our parks and campgrounds is simply making that disconnection even worse, or is actually a product of that disconnect. What do you think?

-Marygrace, KIWI staff writer

I never really understood the fascination with NASCAR. Even after a visit from a cousin who grew up in North Carolina and is obsessed, my opinion didn’t change much (he sat me down and forced me to watch—but I still couldn’t see what all the hype was about). Now, my attitude is changing towards the South’s most popular sport.

After getting fed up with a pretty pricey electric bill ($700,000!) Pocono Raceway president, Brandon Igdalsky, decided to take his track down a greener path. This weekend, the raceway unveiled it’s own 25-acre solar farm, kicking off the event with visits from NASCAR’s top racing circuit, the Sprint Cup Series, the Camping World Truck Series and ARCA circuits. 

With nearly 40,000 solar panels, Pocono Raceway is now the largest solar plant in Pennsylvania (not to mention the tenth largest in the country and the largest renewable energy project in any stadium in the world!). Even better: the solar energy won’t just power the racetrack, it’ll also power almost a thousand local homes. 

The average racing car gets an astonishingly meager 5 mpg, making NASCAR a prime target for environmentalists. While they might not be able to solve their gas problems anytime soon, Pocono Raceway’s solar panels are just one environmental initiative the sports organization has taken on. Recently, they hired their first director of green innovation, and Roush Fenway Racing has renovated its race shop to become LEED-certified. 

-Angela, KIWI intern

The Toxic Chemicals Safety Act of 2010 isn’t the government’s first attempt to protect consumers from harmful substances, but if passed, it could be the most effective. Introduced to Congress earlier this month, the new bill seeks to overhaul the 1976 Toxic Substance Control Act, which legislators say fails to regulate asthma- and cancer-causing chemicals found in consumer products.

The burden currently falls to the Environmental Protection Agency to prove chemicals are unsafe, but the new law would put the chemical industry on the defensive, requiring it to prove that chemicals are safe. What’s more, chemical manufacturers would be required to publish basic health and safety information for all new or existing chemicals on the EPA’s website.

Details are still in the works, but here’s the bottom line: The bill’s improved standards would reduce the environment’s exposure to toxic chemicals and allow American families to make better-informed purchasing choices. Show your support today at saferchemicals.org and by asking your Congressional representative to co-sponsor the legislation. 

-Victoria, KIWI intern

When it comes to bringing a new dog or cat into the family, I’m a strong advocate of supporting local animal shelters or rescue organizations. Pet adoption not only saves countless dogs and cats from euthanasia, it’s also a stance against the puppy mills and kitten factories that supply pet shops across the country. 

That said, you can imagine my excitement when I learned that San Francisco is considering new legislation that would ban the sale of dogs, cats, birds, and other small animals. Instead, residents looking for a pet would have to adopt, thereby reducing the city’s shelter population while eliminating support for large-scale breeding operations that typically favor inbreeding and force animals to live in squalid conditions.

Opponents say the initiative takes choice away from consumers and could negatively impact the pet shop industry—to which I say, who cares? Pet shops that earn the majority of their profits from selling factory pets can find new, more humane ways to make money, while more local citizens will begin to consider the importance of animal welfare. If the proposed legislation becomes law, everyone in San Francisco (furry or not!) will benefit.

-Marygrace, KIWI staff writer

Say what you will about soda—but Coke is making big efforts to do some green good.

Since 2007, the Coca-Cola Company has worked with the World Wildlife Fund in an intense effort to help polar bears in the Arctic Circle, whose habitat is rapidly disappearing due to global warming. The beverage giant has donated half a million dollars to support the WWF’s Umky patrol in Russia, which monitors and tracks polar bears in the Arctic. Coke has also helped fund research on climate chance and its effects on marine mammal species. While this is all impressive, the Coca-Cola Company and Coke drinkers can’t do it all on their own. By visiting the Coca-Cola Company Polar Bears Support Fund website you can learn more about the furry white critters, their home, plus how to reduce your impact on the global climate. 

Coca-Cola is working to help the planet in other ways, too. Almost 85% of Coke’s unit case volume (a case containing 24 eight-ounce servings) is delivered in recyclable cans and bottles. What’s more, the Coca-Cola Company is also working to address the greenhouse gas emissions from its refrigeration equipment and limit its energy consumption.

So next time you grab a Coke, you can sit back and relax as you save the planet, one delicious sip at a time—just don’t forget to recycle that bottle when you’re done!

-Angela, KIWI intern

Getting a new computer is always exciting (it’s so fast! there’s no file clutter!), but figuring out what to do with the one it’s replacing, well, isn’t. Often, old computers simply end up in the landfill or—for those of us who are good-intentioned but too lazy to ship them off to the manufacturer for repurposing—collecting dust in a dark corner of the garage. No more!

A new program from Dell and Goodwill, Reconnect accepts any brand of computer (plus almost any device that can be attached to a computer) and recycles it for free. All you have to do is drop off the old equipment to a participating Goodwill location, and you’ll receive a receipt for tax purposes. The payoff? Some extra money for you, (slightly) less clutter at home, and a lot of good for the environment. 

-Marygrace, KIWI staff writer

Over the past ten years, hummus went from the food your friend raved about after vacationing in Israel to a ubiquitous component of appetizer menus and vegetarian sandwiches. And why not? Hummus is made of chickpeas, which are a good source of plant-based protein, iron, and fiber. Plus, it’s a flavorful, healthy swap for more fattening dips and spreads.

I was getting a little bored of hummus until I attended the launch of Tribe Origins, Tribe’s new line of hummus that’s all natural, super fresh, and follows a traditional recipe. The hummus is creamier and lighter than any hummus I’ve had before—almost like savory mousse—and delicately spiced. The flavored Origins hummus varieties (Zesty Spice & Garlic, Spicy Red Pepper, and Tomato & Veggie) come with a garland of tasty and colorful pistou, but I like the Classic best, because the flavor of the tahini is more pronounced. For me, it ranks along side avocados and butter: Foods so rich and smooth on their own, they’re all it takes to transform a piece of bread into a satisfying snack.

One KIWI editor uses hummus as a thick salad dressing, and another KIWI intern likes it with pretzels. Tribe recommends using it instead of mayonnaise in recipes like artichoke dip and deviled eggs. How do you eat hummus?

-Kat, KIWI Intern

The Tribe Origins line will be rolling out in supermarkets and convenience stores nationwide in the beginning of August.

A few weeks ago, I read an interesting article in New York magazine about domestic workers here in NYC. The nannies talked about the low pay, the lack of vacation time and health insurance, and the tricky situation at the heart of child care workers: You’re a member of the family, sort of, and you’re paid, but not that well. There’s a lot of guilt and confusion when it comes to what domestic workers can and should ask for, and Domestic Workers United, a union, is trying to educate women (these child care providers are usually women) about their rights.

And then this week, I learned that more and more states are allowing unions to represent home-based child care providers, which might help them obtain better pay and subsidized health insurance. The National Women’s Law Center says that this category includes what we think of as nannies (the sitter works in the family’s home) as well as people who take care of kids in their own home, rather than a daycare center. 

What do you think about nannies and other child care providers joining unions? Would you be happy if your sitter did? What kinds of things do you think parents can do to make sure they’re treating their child care providers fairly?

-Sarah, KIWI editorial director

Record-breaking heat continues to oppress much of the Northeast today. You’ve probably already heard plenty about how you and your family can avoid heat-related illness, but periods of inclement weather are also an important time for neighbors and community members to look out for one another.

Here are some ways you can be a heat wave hero:

1. Offer help to those at risk. Call elderly friends and neighbors, and ask if they need help getting windows open, moving fans or installing air conditioners. Even if their house is a safe temperature, you can help them avoid exertion by offering to pick up their groceries.

2. Use the buddy system. Do you know a big kid who comes home to an empty house or a pet who sits in the back yard all day? Call people who you know work all day and offer to check in on their loved ones home alone. You can change a neighbor’s dog’s water or offer friends’ kids rides to movies, libraries and other air conditioned public places.

3. Share your resources. If you have centralized air conditioning, a swimming pool, or a pool membership, share it with your friends who don’t. Heat waves put a huge strain on energy companies; you can avoid black outs and conserve natural resources by encouraging friends to turn off their window units and desk fans and come over to cool off. Turn off the lights; serve watery drinks (no alcohol and no caffeine) and fresh fruit. Try bananas—potassium is an important electrolyte for maintaining hydration.

4. Create an oasis. Think about where the people most affected by the heat are—commuters getting off the train, construction workers on a shadeless lot, crossing guards baking on asphalt—and set up a relief station there. Make a friendly sign, bring a cooler full of water bottles or a few boxes of popsicles and distribute them to anyone who looks tired.  You may only offer temporary relief, but the goodwill should last until Christmas.

-Kat, Editorial Intern

Where is Superman when you need him?  If only it were that easy.  Facing one of the greatest environmental disasters of our time, the citizens of New Orleans could sure use a caped superhero capable of turning back time by spinning the world in the opposite direction.  While he’s at it, why not go back five years, before the onslaught of Katrina, which plunged families in the Gulf into a dark abyss that has destroyed lives and continues to ruin both homes and health.  One of the dark truths made evident by the response to Katrina and to the Gulf oil spill is that there is a sector of the American population – specifically poor children –increasingly victimized by what is termed environmental injustice.

What is environmental justice?  It is one of the top priorities of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), defined as follows:

“Environmental Justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. EPA has this goal for all communities and persons across this Nation. It will be achieved when everyone enjoys the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards and equal access to the decision-making process to have a healthy environment in which to live, learn, and work.”

Environmental injustice, then, is done when there exist health disparities based on these same factors.  The National Environmental Justice Advisory Council, in response to the BP/Deepwater Horizon oil disaster, challenged the EPA to “do a better job of targeting communities that have historically been underrepresented in disaster response, including people of color and Native Americans.”

Children, in fact, are a unique population susceptible to unfair treatment based simply on one factor – their age. As noted in a recent editorial by Dr. Philip Landrigan, Director of the Children’s Environmental Health Center at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, “Infants and children, because of their unique biological vulnerabilities and age-related patterns of exposure, are especially vulnerable to the health impacts of environmental injustice.”  And certain children – victims of poverty and often those of certain racial groups – are particularly at risk.  They are the most vulnerable of the vulnerable.
[Read more →]

Fourth of July weekend is just around the corner. How will you celebrate? If you’re planning on grilling out, consider these tips for an eco-friendly barbecue. You’ll know you’re taking better care of America the beautiful.

Clean Greener

Is your grill grate overdue for a scrub? Avoid putting toxic chemicals in contact with your dinner—you can make a homemade cleaner from pantry items. A mixture of baking soda and white vinegar will disinfect and loosen crud, lemons will cut grease, and you can rub the grate down with olive oil to prevent food from sticking again.  There are also several manufactured green grill cleaners, like SoyClean Non-Toxic BBQ Grill Cleaner, Simple Green Heavy Duty BBQ and Grill Cleaner, and Seventh Generation Multi-Surface Concentrated Cleaner

Fuel Greener

Gas grills certainly have a smaller carbon footprint than classic charcoal grills. But for many, it wouldn’t be a barbecue without the charcoal flavor. If you’re charcoal die-hard, consider natural, ‘lump’ charcoal. They burn more neutrally than run-of-the-mill briquettes, whose additives burn off as particulate matter and cause smog. Definitely avoid charcoal lighter fluid—it releases volatile organic compounds which cause ground level ozone. Try a chimney starter instead. The Big Green Egg grill’s unique design is engineered to conserve charcoal and has a built-in smoker.

Eat Greener

There’s no shortage of delicious grill-ables in season right now. Check out what’s in peaking at your farmer’s market. Need a little guidance? Health and Earth-conscious New York Times food writer Mark Bittman just published “101 Fast Recipes for Grilling.” They’re not fool-proof, but he points out some inspired flavor combinations (number 77: pickled red onions on top of cumin-carrot lamb burgers) and makes use of lots of seasonal ingredients (check out the fresh-from-the-garden grilled ratatouille recipe). Skip the paper plates, napkins and plastic cutlery for a truly green BBQ!

Decorate Greener

No need to buy all those red white and blue decorations, use what you already have. Look around the house for items you might have thrown into storage-possibly those Red and White holiday lights. Candles can be used as easy and quick lighting that is extremely inviting. Instead of buying three huge tubs of ice cream, buy one plain vanilla and add red and blue food coloring to make it as patriotic as you want!

-KIWI Editorial interns

Today is Take Your Dog to Work Day, a day that encourages adoption from humane societies and shelters, and I’m celebrating by having my own shelter dog help me out in the office. As you can see, she’s getting right in on the action. She’s had some great story ideas for KIWI, such as:

• Which natural and organic company sends delivery people who will pet me?
• Wouldn’t it be more eco-friendly to turn off your computer and pet me? 
• If I sit on Amy’s foot and stare at her longingly, will she pet me all afternoon?

My husband and I adopted Penny, who’s 3,  just a few weeks ago. She has already settled into her new life: She’s properly deferential to the cat we adopted several years ago (that’s Pepper, below, still a little wary), and she likes to run and relax in the same ratios that we do (a little running, a lot of relaxing).

Do you have a shelter dog? Share your stories!

-Sarah, KIWI editorial director

Our computers go from precious lifesavers to obsolete trash faster than we like, and they’re definitely harder to recycle than we like. Know someone with an electronics graveyard in their basement? Point them toward 62 Projects To Make With a Dead Computer (and other Discarded Electronics), by Randy Sarafan and published by Workman. It’s a fun and funny source of ideas for creatively repurposing computers, phones, televisions, remotes and more.

It seems the computer is to Sarafan what the buffalo was to the Native Americans—he lets no part go to waste. RAM becomes a money clip, ribbon cable becomes hair clips, CD-drives become desk organizers and book-ends, and a keyboard becomes a magnetic memo board, a lamp, and earrings. For those more interested in resuscitation than redecoration, there’s a chapter of gadget ideas. There are Frankenstein-esque LCD projectors, speakers, flashlights, and desktop fans brought to life from a hodgepodge of busted bits and pieces.

The book has a cool aesthetic (the steps are hand-illustrated and the finished products are hipster-modeled) without taking itself too seriously (puns and factoids litter the pages), which makes it a great read for your eco-crafter sprinting toward tween- or teenage-dom. Some projects require tricky skills like soldering or hacking, but with parental guidance they’d make an interactive and environmentally-minded entry to technology education.

-Kat, KIWI intern

Although many of us would not like to admit it, head lice does happen.  If you share a hat, an item of clothing, or anything that has been in contact with lice, there is a good chance you may catch it too.

Head lice attach themselves to your body by biting your skin and are found on the scalp. Lice lay nits, which are eggs that attach themselves to the hair shaft.  These nits can cause extreme cases of itchiness and irritation (if you scratch too hard!).

Head lice can last for a month or more at a time so it is very important to treat it as soon as possible.  Try using Lice Ice, a non-toxic gel that is safe, powerful and proven to be an effective treatment.  While many moms and dads have to spend hours combing through their kid’s hair looking for eggs, Lice Ice uses a gel that hardens and wipes out lice in their tracks eliminating the need for combing.  You apply the gel and leave it on your scalp for approximately 15 hours.  After this one application, you will find Lice Ice has helped to kill lice and nits from embedding themselves on your little one’s (or your own!) scalp.

This remedy also stops re-infestation from occurring and only costs $12.95 a tube! For more information on this natural approach to head lice, please visit Lice Ice.

-Brittany, KIWI staffer

Here’s a stat that’s startling to any parent: at any given time, there are nearly 500,000 American children in the foster care system. Whether they’re waiting to be reunited with their biological family or looking to be adopted, kids in out-of-home care need stable, loving care from a nurturing adult. This month, hundreds of events are taking place across the nation to honor foster parents, raise awareness about the foster care system, and engage caring adults to change a child’s life by becoming a foster parent. To learn more about the National Foster Care Month campaign and how you can help, visit fostercaremonth.org.

-Marygrace, KIWI staff writer

Farmers’ market visits mean you need something besides plastic for carrying your fruits and veggies. Here are two I came across recently: cute!

The produce bag line from Chico has you covered: The hemp-cotton blend is good for leafy greens, the mesh bag is good for fruits and veggies that would ripen too quickly or go bad in another kind of bag (apples, potatoes), and the other restricts air flow, so is good for veggies like squash and broccoli. And with the starter kit, you can get them all in a nifty little apple carrying case.

Flip & Tumble‘s bags are simple and stylish–and five to a set makes it easy to stock up without mixing your plums with your onions.

Happy veggie gathering!

—Sarah, KIWI editorial director

Whether your child loves to read or needs a little pushing to open a book, we have some great ideas for finding great books and making the most of your reading time:

* Check out Bookworms, the KIWI book review page. Our fantastic reviewer, Mary Talalay, scours through all the new releases to find and recommend the very best.

* Visit We Give Books, where you can read a book with your child right online. It’s free, and for every book you read, Penguin (the book publisher that stocks the site with their classic titles) will donate a book to a child in need.

* Explore One Potato, a lovely little online bookstore with great choices you might not see highlighted at your local big-box bookstore. You’ll buy through Amazon, but browsing here is like talking to a very knowledgeable children’s librarian.

* Speaking of children’s librarians, be sure to support yours: Visit the library today!

-Sarah, KIWI editorial director

By now, you’ve probably heard that the Gulf of Mexico oil slick that’s been looming near the coastline finally hit Louisiana’s shores this week, and with oil still gushing from the damaged rig, there’s no telling when matters will improve. It’s a devastating situation, to be sure, and one that’s only made more frustrating to eco-enthusiasts who want to help but aren’t sure how. Turns out, you can do some good—that is, if you’re up for a haircut.

Hair for Oil Spills is a program started by the folks at Matter of Trust. Since hair (and fur, for that matter) does a great job of collecting oil (that’s why we shampoo, after all!), the planet-friendly nonprofit is encouraging salons, groomers, wool farmers, and individuals to donate their clippings. Once collected, the fibers can be stuffed into nylons or woven into mats to create what could best be described as sponges that sop up oil along the shoreline.

Sounds crazy? Maybe…but after seeing a photo of a sea bird covered in crude oil, I’m considering a haircut. To learn more about how you can help, visit matteroftrust.org.

-Marygrace, KIWI staff writer

We’ve all heard about the Children’s Tylenol recall by now: If you have certain Infant’s or Children’s Tylenol, Motrin, Zyrtec, or Benadryl, you shouldn’t give them to your kids.

But then what? You can’t give them to your kids, so what do you do with the bottles on your shelves? Last time I saw KIWI’s pediatrician, Dr. Rosen (we chatted before his appearance on Good Morning America), we talked about safe ways to get rid of prescription and OTC drugs. (I just moved, and had a medicine cabinet to clean out.) 

He told me that number one, we should not flush drugs down the toilet. That’s dangerous for our water supply. Throwing them in the trash is better, but best of all is to get them to a group that can dispose of them with other hazardous waste. Dr. Rosen’s office participates in this kind of drug take-back program; call your doctor or pharmacist to find out if they do, too (or search for recycling centers for “unwanted or expired medication” at Earth911.com).

-Sarah, KIWI editorial director

Remember the movie Pay It Forward with Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt, and Haley Joel Osment? It centered around a kid who works to make the world a better place by doing one nice thing for three other people after any time someone did something nice for him. Whenever he helped someone out, he encouraged them to continue the spread of kindness by paying it forward. Sounds pretty good, right? Turns out, people all over the world agree: today is Pay It Forward Day!

28 countries have pledged to participate in the event, including the United States, Canada, England, France, and even Herzegovina. What’s more, while participants can pay it forward with pretty much any good deed imaginable, the Pay It Forward Day website has some fun suggestions to get you inspired. A few of my favorites:

• On a rainy day, buy a few umbrellas and give them to those who don’t have one and are getting wet.
• Buy a train or bus ticket for the person behind you.
• Get a bunch of people who travel for work and frequently stay at hotels to donate the free soap, shampoo and conditioner towards a group that would benefit.

For more ideas, plus printable Pay It Forward leaflets and cards, check out payitforwardday.com.

-Marygrace, KIWI staff writer

Recently, I blogged here about the recent trip my daughters and I took to Puerto Rico.  The whole island is amazing – great food, great people, interesting things to do – but the island of Vieques, about an hour’s ferry ride from the main island – made our list of must-visits.  Vieques, full of cute open-air restaurants and artists selling their wares – looks like something Jimmy Buffet would invent.  It’s flip-flop casual and flippin’ fun.

During the day, the Vieques beaches are where it’s at, but nighttime is the time for the bio luminescent bay, the world’s best destination for viewing glow-in-the-dark dinoflagellates, a microscopic form of plankton.  Vieques’s bio bay has an especially high concentration of these tiny creatures.  When the organisms are agitated (how?  By your kids’ swimming among them, of course!), they throw off a bluish light.  Get them in your hair and it looks like you’ve been sprinkled with fairy dust; swim with them in the water, and it will appear that a ghost is dogpaddling along.  If your kids are anything like mine, they won’t get out until they’re pruny. 

Head to the bio bay on a night with just a sliver of a moon.  While many tour operators take tours out, be sure to look for one that offers a kayaking option, not a boat – the fun part of the bio bay is jumping right in (and don’t worry, the water’s warm)!  One note of caution: Although all tour guests wear  life vests on the bay, you’ll need at least a one adult per kid ratio.  It’s dark out there with no moon, and you’ll want to keep a close eye on your swimming kids.

—Guest blogger Lisa McElroy

Just a few years ago, I’m willing to bet Earth Day passed almost unnoticed on many of our busy calendars. Now, though, more and more Americans (and people all over the world!) are stopping to pay attention—and are making changes to improve the health of people and the planet. Of course, the KIWI team is no exception! Here, how some of us have gone greener since joining the magazine:

Maxine Wolf, CEO and Publisher
One of the many green changes I’ve made since founding KIWI has been to make my daughter’s lunchbox as waste-free as possible by replacing plastic sandwich and snack bags with reusable fabric ones. We are so fortunate at KIWI to learn about so many of the exciting, new green products that make it easy to live eco-friendly. Plum Creek Mercantile sent us several of their fabric sandwich bags to review a few years ago and I’ve been using them ever since!

Sarah Smith, Editorial Director
My cat eats fancy cat food. I used think, “I love her, but come on, she’s a cat.” But I realize that there are bigger implications to choosing things that are made responsibly (in this case, without any gross animal by-products). She may be a cat, but I’m the one with the wallet. Also, she’s nuts for the stuff.

Rosemary O’Connell, Creative Director
Easy! I’m getting produce from my local farm. It’s better for the planet and it tastes great, too.

Brittany Golde, Marketing Manager
Working at KIWI has motivated me to start recycling and to choose more organic products when I can. And when I attend green festivals and expos on behalf of the magazine, I always do a go-around to check out the products and services to find greener alternatives for the things I use most.

Nicole McGovern, Editorial Intern
I pay a lot more attention to the energy waste in my house. I run around shutting off lights, unplugging unused appliances (my parents leave the coffee maker plugged in 24/7…then complain about the bill!) Also, I spend a little more time looking at the ingredients in the foods I eat.

Marygrace Taylor, Staff Writer (that’s me!)
Before moving to Texas, I was fortunate to live super close to KIWI’s New Jersey office—so close that I was able to bike commute to work every day! It felt great knowing the only source of energy being used to power me to the office each morning was my own body! Now in Austin, I work from home and no longer commute at all, but continue to drive as little as possible, instead opting to walk or bike.

What green changes have you made over the years? Let us know in the comments!

-Marygrace, KIWI staff writer

April 22nd is Earth Day. I believe (and I’m sure you’ll agree!) that every day is a good day to teach children to be kind to our planet. I’ve been asked a number of times what I do to communicate this on an ongoing basis to my four-year-old son. I’d like to share an acronym that I use to help teach Ethan about the EARTH:

-E is for Experience. Since Ethan was a baby, I have tried to expose him to nature in a way that resonates with him because for kids, it’s all about experience! From taking him outside when he was a week old to feel the rain, to crawling on the grass for the first time, to hiking in the woods when he was 2 and feeling the bark on the trees and the moss on the ground and listening for birds we can identify—the exposure to colors, textures, sights, and sounds and the opportunity to experience beautiful things about the Earth is important for building an appreciation of them.

-A is for Appreciate. With every experience, I would talk to Ethan about how important it was to appreciate the things around us. I’d tell him it’s important to be kind to the creatures on the Earth and to our natural resources in order to build an appreciation for clean water, clean air, plants, and animals.

-R is for Reuse, Recycle, Reduce. Ethan and I talk a lot about R,R,R. Always carry out what you bring in when hiking. Recycle whenever possible. Use both sides of the paper to draw. Turn off the water when brushing your teeth. Turn off the lights to save energy. By incorporating these messages into our days, they become “just the way we do things” and are part of our lives and who we are.

-T is for Teach. My feeling is that every day and so many moments are teaching opportunities…and I remind myself that the most powerful teaching is by example. And there are many beautiful books and stories that help to illustrate how we all can make a difference. Stories like The Lorax really resonate with children (this is one of Ethan’s favorites!).

-H is for Help make a difference. I point out to Ethan how he can help make a difference as a young child. He picks out clothes to donate to the Red Cross, toys to donate to a local thrift shop that supports the community health services, and coats to send to keep children warm. We are also building a well as part of the Born in September program of Charity Water (as Ethan was born in September). He watched the benefit for Haiti with me and is collecting change to send to Haiti.

-Kim Bloom is the founder of RosieHippo.com, an online store that sells wooden and other all-natural, eco-friendly toys.

I’ve come across some great contests for kids lately. Is your kid ready to win big?

• Got a kid who loves to cook? Don’t miss KIWI’s own Next Great Young Chef contest. You still have a few weeks left to enter his or her favorite recipe. We’ve received lots of adorable videos already–don’t miss out on showing us how cute and talented your kid is! Not only do the winning kids get featured in KIWI, but they get cash too ($2500 for the grand prize winner!).
• Is your kid great at building things? In honor of Earth Day, PBS KIDS GO!’s Design Squad recently launched the Trash to Treasure contest, which challenges kids (ages 5 to 19) to create a new invention out of—you guessed it—trash. Three winners will get to go to Boston and be on the Design Squad show. Super cool!
• Does your kid have great ideas for helping others? The Be BIG in Your Community Contest is sponsored by Scholastic (and Clifford the Big Red Dog), and encourages kids to think of big ways to help out their communities (last year’s grand prize winner wanted a playground that would work for everyone, including kids with special needs). The winning team gets $25,000 to make their big dream happen!
  

-Sarah, KIWI Editorial Director

Close your eyes and imagine a future where you can buy any food, cleaning, personal care, or other product without having to turn over the label and determine whether the item is safe for your family. OK—maybe that’s wishful thinking, but if it passes, the Safe Chemicals Act of 2010 will help consumers feel at least a little more at ease in the store aisle.

The Safe Chemicals Act of 2010 was introduced to Congress yesterday by U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) in an effort to improve the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to protect the public from toxic chemicals. Current legislation is more than 30 years old, and has only required testing of 200 of the 80,000 + (!!!) chemicals used in consumer products. Should the Safe Chemicals Act of 2010 pass, it will afford the EPA greater power to test and regulate more chemicals, keeping people (and the planet!) healthier.

Families can show support for the new legislation by writing to their Congressional representative via democracyinaction.org. Or, add your voice to Seventh Generation’s Million Baby Crawl, a campaign by the natural cleaning product manufacturer that supports toxic chemical reform.

-Marygrace, KIWI staff writer

Every April, I get the urge to start reading up on all the things I should be doing as part of a spring cleaning routine, and next thing I know, I’ve sent myself. Flip the mattress! Air out the pillows! Deep-clean the carpets! It’s enough to make me throw my hands in the air and abandon the task all together.

So while I might tend to avoid the deep spring clean (I’m not a slob, really!), I can certainly appreciate a sparkly surface clean–especially when it comes by way of DIY methods. And thanks to Linda Mason Hunter’s homemade cleaner recipes, I’m able to spring clean the natural way. My favorites:

• Counter cleaner. Combine 1/4 cup baking soda with enough liquid castile soap to form a creamy paste. Use a sponge to clean surfaces, then rinse well.
• Disinfectant. Put 2 quarts apple cider vinegar in a jar with a screw-top lid. Add two handfuls each of lavendar, rosemary, sage, mint, and rue. Mix and allow to sit for at least 4 weeks. Strain out the herbs and pour the mixture into a spray bottle. Spray germ-heavy places such as telephone receivers, handrails, and doorknobs.
• Porcelain and tile cleaner. Keep bathroom surfaces clean and odor free by dusting with baking soda, then scrubbing with a moist sponge or cloth. For tougher grime, add kosher salt to the mix.

Want more ideas? Check out the rest of Hunter’s recipes here—and let me know how you green your spring cleaning!

-Marygrace, KIWI staff writer

Here at KIWI, we get a ton of products sent our way–food, toys, cleaning supplies, etc. The problem is we’ve got such a small staff, we can’t possibly use, eat, or play with every item that comes through our door (although we may want to!). So a few weeks ago, we cleaned house. Everything was jam-packed into in our prop closet (seriously, we could barely walk in there!). So we researched a few charities and decided to make some donations.

City Harvest is a food rescue organization that aims to feed New York City’s hungry men, women and children. They’ve got a great community food program where they deliver meals by truck, bike, and on foot. We donated nearly 80 pounds of food and drinks from our closet! For more info, or to donate something from your pantry, visit City Harvest.

Grand Street Settlement offers programs from early childhood (Daycare, Pre-K) and youth development (Summer Day Camp) to community support for adults and seniors (Baruch Elders Services Team (BEST) Program). They also provide services for low-income families and individuals. We donated a ton of beauty, bath and hygiene supplies for their “Take Back the Night” event for teens and tweens. If you want to volunteer or make a donation yourself, check out Grand Street Settlement.

Even after that, we had just a little wiggle room in our closet. Next up, we’re donating baby items to Room To Grow, a nonprofit that provides essential baby items and support to parents raising their little ones in poverty. For more info, visit Room To Grow.

Seriously, it feels so good to give back!

-Nicole McGovern