Archive for June, 2009

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Charitable Mission:50 in 50 Wednesday, June 10th, 2009     Being on the mailing list for their newsletter, I have been receiving the updates from Cool People Care and their charitable collaboration with Soles4Souls.  Earth Promise  wrote a review of Cool People Care earlier this year in March.  For the most part, the site offers information on events, activities, and volunteering opportunities in your area. They also provide quick and simple green ways to make small changes that can make a big difference.  Soles4Souls “has a simple mission: To impact as many lives as possible with the gift of shoes.”  Shoe companies, retailers, and individuals can donate footwear (both new and used). Beginning on June 1st through July 20th, these two sites  joined forces to launch a campaign called “Barefoot Revolution” in hopes to distribute 50,000 pairs of shoes to people in need worldwide in 50 days. Many of us take for granted that we have at least one pair of shoes to wear; and these shoes offer protection to our feet on a daily basis.  If you visit the “making a difference”  portion of the Cool People Care site, you can read touching stories of gratitude. Something as simple as a pair of shoes can truly make an unimaginable difference in someone’s life.  For as little as $5, you can provide 2 clean pairs of shoes to someone desperately in need of foot protection, and in return, you not only get the satisfaction of doing a good deed, but will receive a Cool People Care sticker.  Visit either Cool People Care  or Soles4Souls for more information on how you can make a difference. And, of course come back to the make a promise  section on earthpromise.com to update or begin your earth promises. Tags: barefoot, barefoot revolution, carbon footprint, change, changes, charitble giving, climate change, cool people care, donate, earth, earth promise, earthpromise, eco-friendly, energy, energy efficient, environment, environmental, environmental footprint, environmental issues, foot protection, gift, global warming, green, green changes, green future, green hour, green living, green practice, green practices, green revolution, green tips, make a difference, nature, organic, shoes, soles4souls, volunteer, volunteering opportunities Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Young Green Philanthropists Friday, June 5th, 2009 What do kids really need these days when it comes to giving and receiving birthday gifts? A few years ago, after being overwhelmed with all the birthday party chaos (plastic party favors, overflow of paper products, receiving of unnecessary gifts; and returning of gifts) together my daughter and I decided to ask family and her friends  to give the money they would normally use to buy a gift and donate it to the local Humane Society.  It was a hit! My daughter went to the Humane Society with a hefty amount. They presented her with an award which she cherishes.     The more we flood our kids with positive messages about charitable giving, the more likely they will take on a philanthropic attitude. We want to encourage children to grow into the kind of adults that will someday make a difference in the world.  Two Canadian moms took this benevolent concept “where children celebrate giving”  and combined it with a bit of green—and Echoage was born.  Echoage allows children the hands-on opportunity to do something for the planet, their peers and even their parents!  This eco-charity gift giving site works in 6 easy steps: 1. Choose an invitation–eco-friendly alternatives to cards and envelopes 2. Choose a cause—a variety of USA and Canadian charities (i.e. Free the Children  and Indigo Love of Reading 3. Email invitations 4. Echoage Tracker–provides you with everything you need to keep your party organized, safe and fun. 5. Echoage Awards–Acknowledgement of a job well done can inspire your child and build confidence to do even more in life. Simply print your child’s award and post it on your front door for all to see. 6. E-mail thank you’s–Say yes to saving trees, money and time by sending a thoughtful ECHOage Thank You notes to all your guests   Echoage teaches children that there is more to birthdays than receiving.  It is important to teach children strategies to be thankful and express it.  Since the childhood years are the most formative, the importance of charitable giving can be a great family tradition.  What and how we teach our children will have a tremendous impact on their future. Make giving a life-long habit that can be made into a fabulous Earth Promise. Tags: birthday party, camp, carbon footprint, change, changes, charitble giving, climate change, donate, earth, earth promise, earthpromise, eco-friendly, energy, energy efficient, environment, environmental, environmental footprint, environmental issues, global warming, green, green changes, green future, green hour, green living, green practice, green practices, green revolution, green tips, nature, organic, party ideas Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

It’s Time To Reconnect With Nature Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009 Now that summer is upon us, we have a bit more leisure time….or at least our kids do.  They still may be on camp schedules, but it is important to include some un-scheduled, outdoor time.  Here are some nature related sites and articles I found worthy of reading:   • Earth Easy’s blog, Clearing a Path to Nature • Green Hour • NPR’s Morning Edition, Saving Kids from ‘Nature Deficit Disorder’ • Children and Nature Network   Here at Earth Promise, we’d love to hear about your summer plans that include and encourage children (and adults) to connect with nature.  What a great promise to make! Tags: camp, carbon footprint, change, changes, climate change, earth, earth promise, earthpromise, eco-friendly, education, energy, energy efficient, environment, environmental, environmental footprint, environmental issues, global warming, green, green changes, green future, green hour, green living, green practice, green practices, green revolution, green tips, nature, nature deficient, NPR, organic, outdoor, summer, summer ideas Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments »

Organic? In This Economy? Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009 If you ask someone why they eat organic, they will most probably engulf you with reasons: tastes better/fresher; better for the environment (no pesticides means healthier soil, water and wildlife); supports small farmers; too much trucking/shipping involved to receive the food; and the top reason: better for your health. Some may argue that the health studies on organic vs. non-organic are inconclusive.  The USDA believes the “health benefits from eating fruits and vegetables outweigh the risks from ingesting the pesticides on them.”  OK, that makes sense, chemical laden apples are better than a bag of chips.  However, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the results are there to prove that the risk of being exposed over many years to some pesticides, can, indeed cause various health issues such as birth defects, nerve damage and cancer, depending on a person’s exposure.  And what about the farmers who actually use these toxic chemicals day in and day out? Another issue to think about relates to the small farmers who grow and sell pesticide-free produce, but simply cannot afford the USDA’s certified organic label.  Whew! This is the struggle we face as consumers when trying to make healthy choices. No doubt, organic foods are more expensive (the prices are dropping though!)  For those who are eco-health conscious and on a budget, it all boils down to making wise choices: understanding the terminology; knowing which fruits and vegetables contain the most amounts of pesticides. If you are fortunate enough to live near a farmer’s market, be sure to ask the vendors/farmers questions.  Ask how they raise their chickens; ask if they use chemical pesticides.  They may not be USDA certified organic, but it might make you feel better knowing it was grown locally and didn’t make a huge environmental footprint. Important information: According to the Environmental Working Group, “When you see “organic” on a food label the food must be produced using growing methods that minimize soil erosion and maintain or enhance the fertility of the soil. Meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products must come from animals given organic feed and no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food may not be produced with conventional pesticides, petroleum-based or sewage-based fertilizers, genetically modified ingredients or irradiation.” HIGHEST CONTAMINATED Fruits and Vegetables: (these are the ones you need to buy organic) Apple Bell peppers Celery Cherries Imported grapes Nectarines Pears Peaches Potato Raspberries Spinach Strawberries Keep in mind that thoroughly washing and peeling some of these will not detoxify the produce.  The chemicals are absorbed through the peel/skins. LEAST CONTAMINATED FOODS: (notice that this list has thicker, inedible skins which protect the fruit/vegetable; you can buy these conventionally) Asparagus Avocado Banana Broccoli Cauliflower Sweet corn Kiwi Mango Onion Papaya Pineapple Sweet peas Getting confused?  Here’s a link to print out and keep in your bag to bring with you to the grocery store.  It’s your little cheat sheet when not sure whether to buy organic or convential produce. There’s more than just organic produce to think about, right?  There are confusing labels on chicken, pork and beef.  Don’t let the “hormone free or no steroids added ” label fool you!  The FDA regulations prohibit any commercial grower from adding hormones or steroids to chicken and pork products.  What you need to look for is antibiotic free.  Despite the concerns, beef is not (yet) mandated to be hormone free.  This is where purchasing organic beef is a must. Harvard nutrition experts conclude “organically raised meat may prevent the spread of diseases such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, better known as mad cow disease.” Lastly, dairy foods.  Organic or conventional?  The price difference can be staggering.  As mentioned above, beef isn’t mandated to be free from hormones. I, personally, purchase the organic brands when it comes to milk.  Publix grocery stores have their own line of natural foods cleverly coined, Greenwise.  Recently, they’ve added All Natural fat-free milk and Organic fat-free milk  to their line of growing products.  I’m anxiously waiting for other dairy products to follow suit!  According to the Greenwise glossary: All-Natural Foods: These foods are minimally processed and contain no artificial colors, flavorings, preservatives or sweeteners Organic foods: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) strictly enforces proper production of these foods by using the (specific) categories Deciding whether or not to buy solely organic comes down to making sensible choices.  Educating yourself is imperative.  The choices become more complex when your budget is tight.  What I’ve learned through endless research, is the more certified organic (or local farmers who use natural pesticides but cannot afford the organic certification) you can buy, the better.  The data is always updating, so stay aware of the food safety changes. The Organic Consumers Association  has a food safety page  where you can learn about important organic food updates and find organic food resources and research. Tags: antibiotic free, carbon footprint, change, changes, climate change, earth, earth promise, earthpromise, eco-friendly, education, energy, energy efficient, environment, environmental, environmental footprint, environmental issues, EWG, global warming, green, green changes, green future, green living, green practice, green practices, green revolution, green tips, Greenwise, locally grown, organic, pesticides, Publix, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, USDA, wise choices Posted in Uncategorized | 6 Comments »

Celebrating Just Got A Little Bit Greener! Monday, June 1st, 2009 My friends and family often tell me I come up with great green ideas for my girls’ birthday parties and annual Thanksgiving feast.   I have either emailed the birthday invitations or printed them on recycled paper; I present plants for the kids to bring home in place of plastic bags filled with even more plastic useless plastic trinkets; the place-cards are hand-made by my girls; I rarely use paper products to dine with; and I even have recycling bins available for the guests to use.  To me, these are just simple, everyday common sense ideas.  Thanks for the pat on the back, everyone, but a real big thank you should go the mother and daughter team who wrote, Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family, published in October 2008. Co-authors, Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson, really have some eco-innovative party ideas.  “Celebrate Green! offers tips, strategies and ideas for creating celebrations with more meaning and less negative impact on people and the Earth. Whether planning a wedding, a Thanksgiving feast, an Easter egg hunt or any of dozens of other celebrations, this book is a font of creative, engaging activities and memory-builders for the entire family. From food, to decor, to gifts for people in every stage of life, you’ll be astonished by the easy, inexpensive and even free ways to make every occasion eco-friendly and fun.” Not only is this mom and daughter green team accomplished authors, but they do speaking and consulting engagements; they are guest bloggers on various sites (KIWI magazine, Green for Good, Best Eco Stuff, to name a few) and have their own user friendly website, Celebrate Green and blog.  Of course, the Celebrate Green site offers detailed information about their book, but Lynn and Corey also present a hefty listing of eco-savvy celebration ideas to choose from.  I happened to click on Family Reunion  to see what unique idea they recommended.  “The number of eco-friendly hotels and resorts is growing, but by far the best option if you wish to leave the smallest footprint for your gala family gathering, is likely to be camping in any U.S. national park, especially if you’re fortunate enough to have one close by the majority of participants.” Lynn and Corey, then,  provide a select list of environmenatly friendly locations for your reunions. The Celebrate Green blog offers snippets of green information from How to grow “living grass” for an Easter basket  to just keeping it’s visitors up to date on what’s going on in their lives.  At Earth Promise, we find the Celebrate Green blog an excellent green and environmentally friendly resource, so we’ve added it to our blogroll! Lynn and Corey show us how easy it can be to make small changes.  Their passion is real. Without being preachy, Lynn and Corey offer truly surprising ways to celebrate a little bit greener.  From the eco-neophyte to hard-core greenie, the Celebrate Green book and site are a true find.  After visiting Celebrate Green, come back to Earth Promise  to create more promises to take better care of the environment. Tags: birthdays, carbon footprint, celebrate green, celebrations, change, changes, climate change, Corey Colwell-Lipson, earth, earth day, earth promise, earthpromise, eco-friendly, energy, energy efficient, entrepreneur, environment, environmental, global warming, green, green changes, green interviews, green living, green practice, green practices, green tips, holidays, Lynn Colwell, paper products, parties Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

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