No Child Left Inside...Not in Maryland At Least

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Richard Louv, author of "Last Child in the Woods:  Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder" would be proud....as would the 219+ organizations that make up Maryland's "No Child Left Inside" Coalition...Over the last 5 days, my kids and I have barely been INSIDE!

Okay, so we're exhausted (but not nearly as wiped as Candus Thomson, Outdoor Writer for the Baltimore Sun must be as she's trekking across Maryland in a 7 day period doing 24 Maryland Park Quests through some pretty amazing Maryland State Parks). But we've had some pretty wonder-filled times outside too:

* Hang time dashing the waves at the beach in Ocean City.

*Park Quest #4 & #5 at St. Clement's Island (including boat taxi & Baltimore Sun Outdoor Writer & 24/7 quester Candus Thomson) & Calvert Cliffs (including 3.5 mile hike...which was a killer for the 4 year old...thank heavens for the bay & the opportunity to both dip your toes in AND dig for shark's teeth half way through!


* Beach combing for fossilized sharks' teeth on a private beach of a dear friend in Chesapeake Beach at both dusk and dawn (well, shortly-following-dawn)


*Lighthouse climbing and more fossil digging at the Calvert Maritime Museum (yes, largely indoors, but still very outdoor-oriented...not to mention science-driven)


* Throw in too a day with the cousins and grandparents at Hershey Park in Pennsylvania, and play time outside, in our backyard, in our above-ground pool!

FOR MORE ON THE GREAT OUTDOORS:
1.  Watch the video above from the July 16th, 2008 Today Show, including an interview with Richard Louv about Nature Deficit Disorder.  Memorize why it's important.  Do something about it.  Read the book!  Go outside!  See also http://richardlouv.com/appearances .

2.  Check out Candus Thomson's blog entries and 24/7 Park Quest Tracker by clicking the title above or going to http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/outdoors/bal-park-quest-map,0,6649385.mapmashup .

3. Even if you aren't one of the 750 teams signed up for Maryland's Park Quest, look into it and go on some adventures. http://www.dnr.state.md.us/parkquest/ .  Then sign up next year!

4.  Check out Playborhood (http://playborhood.com) to remind yourself of the power of play, and find a community of pals should you need them.

5.  Go outside.  Backyard.  City park.  Campground.  Pick your transportational method and in the immortal words of Nike:  "Just do it!"

Recycling, Inc. (Or Is That "Ink?")

In this digital era, where planned obsolescence is more the rule than the rarity, there are probably 2 things we all get rid of:  printer ink cartridges and old cell phones.  Well, Green School Project could be called "Recycle, Inc." (or is that "Ink?").  Seeing a need to keep valuable minerals and toxic materials out of landfills for reuse, Green School Project came up with a way to solve that problem, and also serve as a fundraiser (something schools always need)!

Go to http://www.greenschoolproject.com/ and check it out.  The registration process is a simple online form that probably would take 2 minutes or less.  Then, request some prepaid shipping labels, and set up your recycling station & you're ready to go.  A click on the "Acceptable Items" link shows you that there's oodles and gobs of brands of cell phones and ink cartridges out there that they'll take, and it shows you the reimbursement amount.  And we're not just talking a quarter here!!  The range is huge, and it could be a way to bring in some money to your school or nonprofit simply by decluttering your home & office!  Not to mention, it's another way to shrink the landfill! 

It won't be long before you're in business!

For an added bonus of list of recycling lesson plans and activities, go to http://www.greenschoolproject.com/teach/default.aspx

Photo from http://rlv.zcache.com/recycle_your_cell_phone_mobile_telephone_button-p145001061650953321u389_400.jpg

Scary Stuff and Powerful Percentages

Walking along the boardwalk of Ocean City, Maryland, at the tail end of the night, I was disheartened.  I was very glad I wasn't the person who had to clean up the joint. It was a mess of debris:  napkins, fries containers, wrappers, multiple plastic work gloves (?!), and more.  Clearly a busy day had been had, and the remnants were there to show that people had done a good job of trashing the place. 

A short walk down, and you are beyond the carnival atmosphere, and past all the buildings, restaurants, game places, and rides.  It is here you can see the opening to the beach, across the sand.  As nice as the night was, a swift wind, and anything on that boardwalk would go flying!  With the end of night mix, you wonder how much of "this stuff" empties into the Atlantic Ocean's Garbage Patch in the Sargasso Sea?

Of course if I were in charge of waste management in the vacation hot spot of "Ocean City, Maryland," I'd make some changes.  It would be better set up, with recycle bins galore, and civilian-friendly places to recycle.  But I do realize that's easy to say:  "If I were in charge of   blah blah blah  then I'd make sure to blat blat blat."  It's sad, but true:  once you are in charge, you realize the hidden pitfalls that no one sees. 

But, to have no recycle bins (which is the case on Ocean City's boardwalk)...that is NOT the best approach.  Again, I shake my head at the fact there there are places--more and more than I ever imagined--that don't have recycling bins set up and a system in place.  We still have so far to go.

Along those lines, and what brought me to really pondering all of this, is the idea of "Gross National Trash," from Annie Leonard's book The Story of Stuff  and her chapter on "Disposal."  Joel Makower's graphic on page 186 of Annie's book is eye-opening--and down right depressing. It was what was used to make the pie graph above. Of US trash, only 2.5% of the total waste is municipal waste. That's us--that's what's curbside! The largest percentage, 76%, is industrial waste. The 18% of "special waste" (mining, fuel production, and metal processing) is truly just more, yet specialized industrial waste. Lastly, the 3.5% is construction/demolition waste. 

The reason I find this sooo bothersome is that the smallest percentage is already huge! Like I said, it's us!  It's the 4.5 pounds of trash that we each make daily.  It's the one part of this graph/waste problem we can do the most about...yet you hear that the percentage of people in the world who recycle is 35%.  35% is roughly 1 in 3 people.  One-third of 2.5% is 0.875. Less than 1 percent. That bears repeating--less than 1 percent of the Gross National Trash is what we are actively recycling.  "Upstream" is where we need to be looking to make real changes, with industrial and other waste.  However, what will it take to get everyone on board, when we can't even get rid of styrofoam clam-shell containers as doggie bags at restaurants?  When we can't even get municipalities to put recycle bins out there? 

Annie Leonard goes on to say there is hope, in that many industries are taking steps to reduce their waste.  I'm glad she finds hope out there.  I think it crystallizes for me that there's so much out there, and again...any little thing that anyone can do does help.  My only hope is that it's not too little too late for the future of our planet and all of our someday grandkids and great-grandkids.

Graphic created on the "Create a Graph" website (http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/  -- a GREAT place to do graphing with school-age kids) using the "Gross National Trash" data from page 186 of Annie Leonard's book "The Story of Stuff: How Our Obsession with Stuff Is Trashing the Planet, Our Communities, and Our Health--And a Vision For Change."

Plastiki: Yours & OUR Stories

Thank you Plastiki for making us feel like a rock star!  

For 2 weeks, Plastiki--our favorite plastic water bottle boat that's constructed of 12,500 plastic water bottles that's sailing this summer from San Fran to Sydney--has been summoning their friends and followers to send in their stories of what they're doing to eliminate plastics from their life.

Seeing that invitation dangling out there, I sent forth the story of Green Team Gazette, Eagle Cove School, and myself to them.  And I was tickled pink to see we were featured as the 3rd mention in their "Your Stories: Part 1" on their blog.  Thank you David de Rothschild and Plastiki crew for everything you are doing, and thank you all for spreading our message--and many, many other inspiring and exciting messages!! I can't wait to see what other people are doing world-wide to make the planet a little cleaner and a little brighter!! Shows us all there's hope out there!!

To see "Your Stories: Part 1" and see Green Team Gazette and other stories highlighted on the Plastiki's website blog, click the title above, or go to http://www.theplastiki.com/2010/07/3323/.

To see Eagle Cove School's brand new website (different from the one listed in the Plastiki blog), go to http://www.eaglecoveschool.org/.    

Image from Plastiki's Flicker Photo Stream upon their departure from San Francisco.

Story of Stuff

  After 3 days & countless hours, I can finally see the floor of my basement and walk anywhere I want (which wasn't the case a day ago).  All toys are sorted, all bins are tucked, and I'm just plain tuckered out!  2 massive garbage cans are filled with recyclables for next week's recycling pick up, and many, many bags & boxes ready to be carted in the big car to take to Goodwill.  

Through this whole "larger than life" decluttering process, it has all had me thinking A LOT about Annie Leonard's "Story of Stuff."  It's also had me thinking of all the plastic pieces I"m getting rid of, the plastic trash floating in the ocean that the Plastiki sailed by in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, and the oil swirling aimlessly in the Gulf that was so important to drill in order to create these things I'm now getting rid of).  

Fitting too that on my bedside table, my book marker is in the middle of the chapter "Consumption" in Annie Leonard's "Story of Stuff" book.  Just as she'll say, it's the OVERconsumption that does us all in.  And I'm feeling it!

In an effort to organize, I had my 2 cherubs pull all the toys in the house down to the playroom basement where the sort & conquer process could begin.  We're pretty modest with the purchase of our "stuff," but between birthday parties, generous grandparents & other relatives, "Happy Meal" trinkets, and the hand-me-downs of friends and family, we've got a ton of stuff!  You notice it when you have heaps of it collected and dumped in one whole place.  I'm talking "death trap" here!  In part, I did this to show the kids how crazy & out of control all of this "stuff" is--a mini landfill in our own home. 

As much as the kids were in awe of how much they had, I was one one with the "Ah Ha Moment."  I was struck with the "magic of advertising." It's eye-opening for our times when my four year old told me that of course he could offload certain toys to "kids who needed them" (aka: my Goodwill basket), because he "could always go buy another one."  Ei yie yie, I shake my head!  Yes, I immediately downshifted into "Soapbox #323: Money Doesn't Grow On Trees" & we don't just get rid of things to buy more...but he's four; he's seen commercials; and the advertising industry knows what they're doing!  I've got my work cut out for me!  

It's hard to find the magic bullet that moves children away from that feeling of having spending money burning a hole in their pocket.   I know that parents throughout the ages have faced this one...and it's one of the many things out there that makes parenting hard!  And it's not "one stop shopping"...it takes countless messages that shopping and stuff does not equal happiness.  Not to mention a heck of a lot of fortitude to keep heralding that message.  

So, armed with fortitude, organized bins, and "the rules of cleaning the basement" (as written and posted by my daughter), we're feeling a little less claustrophobic around...at least till this time next year.  I'm also keeping "Soapbox #323" dusted off and handy to be frequently used!!

For those of you wanting to take it a step further, especially if you want to see a faith-based extension, go to http://storyofstuff.org/curricula.php for a Christian-based program for teens on all this "stuff."

To learn more about the "Story of Stuff" or see some of Annie Leonard's other videos ("The Story of Bottled Water is a great one!"), click the title above or go to http://storyofstuff.org/

Image from http://milindoe.wordpress.com/2008/03/19/lettin-off-some-steam/

Xeko to the Rescue

I'm not a gamer (well, unless it's Wii Fit).  Just ask my husband and daughter.  However, there's a new game in town....Xeko, and it's moniker is "Gaming for the Good."  It's part Pokemon, part online game, part everything your average 8 year old could be into...PLUS it involves real animals and real solutions.  


Timely, right now there's a GoodQuest to help save sea turtles online from the Gulf Oil Spill.  By playing, you can make it happen.  Yet, sea turtles are only one aspect of Xeko.  There are multiple other games/projects/ ways to be involved through this website, whether it's protecting sharks, tracking polar bears, or planting trees (or more)!


Rated "G" for "good", imaginations soar and are paired with promoting causes that need attention.  There's definitely a "warm fuzzy" associated by hanging out on this website.  Here, knee-deep in summer where kids tend to get bored with the "same-ole/same-ole" of summer, here's something different and something that matters!  Not to mention, in addition to building math, reading, and strategy skills, the card version of it won the Creative Child Magazines Game of the Year Award 2007 and 2008.   It might even give Club Penguin or Webkinz a run for it's money!


Whether you go the card game or the online version, or find yourself somewhere in between, this is a great find for your computer-oriented youngsters!  (Not to mention, Xeko is hefty on the safety measures for your kids--a double plus!!)


To see a video featured on the Today Show that features the summer hot games, including the online game of Xeko.com, check out http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/37615924#37615924%20%20%20%20
or go to http://blog.xeko.com/?p=4280  .


Then make your way over to http://www.xeko.com/ to go get started!

Image from http://www.buygreen.com/ProductImages/XEKO00001_lt.jpg

Summer Reads: American Girls Julie & Lanie

Looking for a little hammock read?  In honor of the 4th of July, why not further celebrate the good ole U.S. of A. by going "American."  Here are two for you, even tho they're for the "tween" set as they're American Girl books.  The main characters, naturally, are are two spunky girls, from two different eras....one of the beauties of the American Girl series.

Your first book takes place during my childhood...the 1970's.  Julie is a young activist in the making!  She happens upon a bird rescue center and finds herself face to face with an eagle, some eaglets, and some insight into detriment called DDT.  Megan McDonald (author of the very popular "Judy Moody" series) does a nice job of depicting both the era and the environmental impact in "Julie and the Eagles." 

The flash forward a good 30 years.  Oh, let's say, to my daughter's age.  The American Girl series does it again with a new protagonist:  Lanie.  A nature girl from the word "go!"  She's out there, exploring, experimenting, and showing girls that it's okay to be a science/nature girl!!  If your girl is like this girl, this is a must read from you!  Introduce yourself to the "Girl of the Year" for 2010 by Jane Kurtz at http://www.americangirl.com/girloftheyear/2010/.

For Curriculum on Nature girl Lanie, go to http://www.americangirl.com/girloftheyear/2010/curriculum.pdf.  There's also more "Lanie books" with her "Lanie's Real Adventures" by Jane Kurtz.  Likewise, Megan McDonald has some other "Julie books" in her collection as well. 

Nothing's better in the summer than grabbing a deck chair or hammock, settling back, sipping some lemonade, and reading a good book or two!  Even better if you have a spunky girl of your own to share books with!

Search, and You Shall Find

Check out this YouTube video to learn about the newest search engine on the block: Ecosia.  Add in, it's an eco-friendly one at that. Ecosia is backed by Yahoo, Bing and the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF).  It functions like any other search engine out there, however some major twists:

1.  80% of it's advertising moola goes to protect the rain forest (with the help of WWF--the current rain forest program is helping Brazil's Juruena National Park, near the Amazon River).

2.  They operate under green electricity, eliminating the CO2 emissions that other engines use.

3.  It's an active way to tackle deforestation, both on the part of Ecosia & you!

If you're going to look "it" up (whatever "it" is)....might be worth clicking the title above or going to http://ecosia.org/ to try out Ecosia!  Most certainly, watch the video!! 

Picture from http://ecosia.org/        Video  Ecosia: The Eco-friendly Search Engine  from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxca_daRFeM

Hidden Gems

It's amazing what li'l hidden gems are out there just waiting for you.

I found myself in Grasonville, Maryland today--just over the Bay Bridge from Annapolis--with several hours on my hand due to a pup getting some minor surgery.  As I was pulling out of the vet center, contemplating what to do with these hours, I'm facing an arrowed sign directing traffic to the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center.  Several signs and curves later, I'm out in the middle of essentially nowhere...and yet, it's somewhere very cool.

Passing through forests, marshes, I found myself on 510 acres of land protected by the Wildfowl Trust of North America, right off the Chesapeake Bay (naturally).  I arrived just before 9 am when the kayak camp was to begin, & I got the rundown at the Visitors' Center from one of the camp leaders.  She sent me off to go explore wherever my heart desired. 

Trail map and bug spray in hand, I was off & trekking on a stunningly mild morning for July 1st!  Along my travels, a wild turkey and I shared the same stretch of woods, and I even got a peek of a fleeting deer.  There was a bounty of bunnies, a bevy of butterflies, and an assembly of dragonflies.  Had I chosen, I could have taken some of the center's binoculars along with me to get a closer look at the osprey, ducklings, or the variety of other birds that this girl doesn't know  by name.  Had I felt really adventurous, I could have set out by canoe or kayak.  With a daily boat rental of $10 per vessel, what a deal!
I must say though, one of my favorite parts of the day was the wild black raspberry or two I found.  Yum!

Another neat feature at the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center was their "green" Education Building. The 4,700 square foot building is is designed with many "green" elements:

• To capture solar energy--the northern and southern sides face the sun by day, the windows are tinted, solar panels are on the roof, and solar tubes are placed throughout the building to bring natural light into the hallways. 
• To conserve water--a storm water filtering system is in place and rain barrels collect roof runoff, both of which helps lessen runoff erosion; low flush toilets and waterless urinals lessen the stress on the septic system
• To use more sustainable materials rather than raw materials (such as hardwood trees)--fiber cement siding; bamboo flooring was installed; the decking was constructed from reclaimed wood, sawdust, and recycled plastic bags; organic marmoleum (made from linseed oil, pine rosins, and jute) was installed as an alternative to vinyl flooring; and counter tops made from recycled glass (from windshields, bottles, & computer screens) and recycled concrete were put in the kitchen and bathrooms; and synthetic drywall & cellulose insulation (from newsprint & cardboard boxes) diminish the effects of mining with new materials
• To control indoor air quality--low "VOC" (volatile organic compound) paint was used; and the facility is heated/cooled with a HVAC-High efficiency unit.

It's a pretty remarkable place, with many more resources available at their website.  If you're in the classroom in the Chesapeake Bay area, it'd be worth pursuing for a field trip.  Or, if you live local, a membership might just be the way to go to plan in some birding, hiking, canoeing or kayaking, or geocaching into your summer.  There's so much going on in this little niche!  To find out more about the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center, or to investigate their resources, click the title above, or go to http://www.bayrestoration.org/.

Picture from http://www.bayrestoration.org/wtnaMission.html

Food For Thought, The Return Trip

June 4th, 2010 just as schools were getting ready to get out, First Lady Michelle Obama called together a battalion of chefs to get them on board her "Let's Move!" campaign to fight for healthier food in schools and to work to lower childhood obesity.  Anyone can notice through a simple walk through Wal-mart or a nearby amusement park that obesity is on the rise, both for young and old.  

Michelle Obama has made "Let's Move!" a very personal project (http://www.letsmove.gov/).  So too has Chef Ann Cooper, who perhaps was at the June 4th White House event.  After reading "Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed Our Children" by Ann Cooper and Lisa M. Holmes, I see Ann Cooper as the American version of the United Kingdom's Jamie Oliver (of ABC TV's "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution").  

Starting her own revolution,  Chef Ann has made it her personal mission to advocate for children and to turn the lunchrooms into "culinary classrooms." On her website (http://www.chefann.com/), you can sign up for her newsletter as well as get ideas how to "up" the bar on your own school cafeteria's healthy-factor. Included in the links and resources, she also has past menus from different schools she's been involved with transforming.  If you're looking for some solid information and a load of healthy lunchtime recipes, this books is one to read

If you are wanting to do a little more than merely reading a book and changing your eating habits, here's your chance to do something. Let's Move! has teamed up with GOOD (a worldwide network of "individuals, businesses, and nonprofits pushing the world forward." as quoted from http://www.good.is/pages/whatIsGood).  Through this teaming, there's a nationwide contest inviting people around the country to design an "infographic" poster to help raise awareness on the issue of childhood obesity.  By creating a visually-informative poster such as this, Let's Move! and GOOD are looking for someone to encapsulate not only the state of over-eating in America, but also what we can do as parents, educators, and tax payers to promote a solution to this epidemic.  

For more information about this infographic contest, which ends July 6th, 2010, go to http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/06/25/create-infographic-about-childhood-obesity-epidemic or http://www.good.is/post/project-create-an-infographic-about-childhood-obesity .  Winners will be announced July 20th, and will be showcased at both http://www.good.is/, www.LetsMove.gov, and the White House blog at http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog

Whether you get to work creating your infographic or not, it's all definitely good "food for thought!"

Photo from First Lady Michelle Obama's June 2010 Facebook photo album with this caption: "First Lady Michelle Obama addresses hundreds of chefs from around the country during a “Let’s Move!” event on the South Lawn of the White House, June 4, 2010. The First Lady called on chefs to get involved by adopting a school and working with teachers, parents, school nutritionists and administrators to help educate kids about food and nutrition." ~Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy

Being Green, Both Home & On Holiday

Cincinnati Zoo...check.   Kings Island...check.  30,000 steps on the pedometer over the last 2 days....check.  Wiped out kids....check!  Good times had by all....check!  All signs of a great vacation!!

I saw this link on Earth Hour's Facebook posting today, and it rings true with what I've been thinking and noticing a lot during this li'l family vacation of ours.  To read the whole article "Britons 'More Ecological at Home'," click the title above or go to AOL's UK news page http://news.aol.co.uk/environment-news/britons-more-ecological-at-home/article/20100627052517179398737 .

The gist of the article is that at least in the UK, as gung ho as people are about recycling in their homes, they slack off on holiday.  I've gotta say:  I see it here, in middle America with myself...and it bums me out!  It isn't for lack of trying, it's for lack of true opportunity!  

As I have previously written this week, the hotel industry (at least where we've been) is great on their breakfast fronts, but lacking in their recycling (and worse yet with their Styrofoam consumption).  There's nothing available in my hotels to even attempt recycling.  At one we stayed at a few days, I posed the question of "If I were to want to recycle, where would I do it or take it."  The clerk didn't know.  I did do a quick glance at www.earth911.org to try to remedy it myself, but even that proved minimally helpful not knowing the area.  So I'm an environmentally slacking activist.  Moment of pride, let me tell you.

At both the Cincinnati Zoo and Kings Island, I was impressed with the green recycle containers throughout with round-cut openings for both bottles and cans, yet there was nothing for the massive amounts of plates (happily paper not Styrofoam), paper boxes, plastic cups, plastic cutlery, and more.  Ironically too, the Zoo had these wonderful sustainable napkins they were publicly touting, but it seemed a little lost with the overflowing trash cans, and multitudes of ketchup packets and such.  The Zoo did have green bins labeled for cell phones to donate in order to protect gorilla habitats.  The Zoo also has a sections on their website about conservation & "going green," detailing how they are harvesting wind with their wind turbine. (See http://www.cincinnatizoo.org/earth/green.html to learn more about their turbines, and go to http://www.cincinnatizoo.org/earth/default.html for tips about "being green.")  So the commitment is there, I was just hoping for more.

It reminds me once again how spoiled I am, living in Anne Arundel County, Maryland because they literally recycle EVERYTHING. They make it easy with one-bin collection, and simple in its inclusion of all paper, plastic, aluminum, and glass products.   More counties, municipalities, communities need to follow suit.  (To learn more about AA County recycling, go to http://www.recyclemoreoften.com/.)  Of course, there's the double edge sword of making it mandatory so more people take part (= governmental involvement = noise by many)...but without an overriding program (or maybe a wave of social activism), will it ever happen? 

So for now, I'm banking on the wave, hoping more people join the bandwagon.  In doing so, it proves that one person CAN and DOES make a difference, which in turn will make it become easier when we're away from home to do what we need to do. 

Images from

http://kingsislandinsider.blogspot.com/2009/02/kings-islands-eiffel-tower-regal.html, http://cincinnati.com/blogs/onevoice/2010/01/27/avondal/, and http://www.recyclemoreoften.com/ .

A Pleathora of Polystyrene

Hotel living....Ahhhh...I've forgotten!  Clearly that means I'm way overdue for a vacation, and it's been far too long since I've basked in the glory of a few nights away!

Hotels these days give you a lot of amenities...the best of which is breakfast in the morning!  Today, I was living that life, getting up early enough to partake in quite a tasty complimentary breakfast of both warm and cold foods.

And yet...the satisfaction was not quite there as I sat at my table with my yummy breakfast before me, with my table littered with plastic wrap from my plastic cutlery, with my styrofoam (or "polystyrene," if you're a purist) plates.  A gaze around the dining area brought these things into focus:  styrofoam plates, bowls, cups, and clam-shell take-away containers.  Plastic cups, "silver"ware (wrapped in plastic wrap), and tubs.  Individual wrapped (in either paper, plastic, or both) peanut butter, cream cheese, sugar (of all varieties), honey, and jams.  

And the pièce de résistance:  plastic wrapped WHOLE apples.  Seriously?!?  We're compromising the Gulf with oil drilling in part to wrap apples???  Unbelievable!!

In all this, there was no surprise that there was nowhere to deposit my banana peel...even I get that composting is a little hard core, especially for someplace like a business or hotel.  But explain to me about the lack of recycling.  That one I don't get.  In today's world, shouldn't that be second nature by now?  Especially for the biggies--cans, plastic bottles, and paper?  But to have nothing available...truthfully, I find that irresponsible.  

Yet, even if there was a recycling bin, the styrofoam (or polystyrene) with the #6 emblazoned on the back in the chasing triangle recycle symbol is a bit of a misnomer--though I'd even almost call it a "bait and switch."  Styrofoam is hard to recycle and most facilities wash their hands of it.  Most people don't realize this because there is a recycling symbol on it.  That symbol is essentially useless except for the few specialty places that take it.  Add in, polystyrene never biodegrades (not that much does anyway in a packed landfill, but I digress).  Those styrofoam pieces will be here forever--in a landfill, or worse yet, whipped away by the wind to a water stream which ultimately takes it to one of the 5 oceanic Garbage Patches to further pollute our oceans and harm our marine wildlife. 

The unfortunate part of this all is that all of the above observations were made after I was already hijacked.  With a full day of traveling ahead, two hungry kids in tow, and the immediate plan of "It's breakfast time," how am I to just walk away mid-process?  Yes, I can plan better for the future, but at this point, I'm stuck (or left dealing with the wrath of hungry munchkins).  The landfill is now bigger thanks to me.  It left me cringing while I ate because I didn't have a better plan.  

For the future, I can envision a stocked bag with reusable kitchenware items (perhaps in part purchased at the Goodwill Superstore around the corner from my house), with some dish soap & towels thrown in to wash up afterwords so that it all can become part of our car travel luggage.  How easy would it be to throw that in the car, take it to our complementary morning breakfast, do a little self-serve on our own wares, and a quickie clean-up afterward?  It certainly would help start my day with a li'l less planetary guilt, and set good examples for my children.  

But wait!  Another image comes to mind.  One of this exact picnic-y bag my folks had in the 1970s when I was a kid and we were on a family vacation.  A little silverware caddy, a tote--all in one.  Here it is, we had what we needed (and need now!) in an age before the disposable "planet-trashing" era.  Irony....once again--a return to the simplicity of the past (along with my old Snoopy lunchbox and thermos) seems to be the answer. 

To find out if there's anywhere near you where they recycle polystyrene-styrofoam-#6 plastic, click the title above or go to http://earth911.com/recycling/plastic/number-6-plastic-polystyrene/

Picture from http://byebyeproblem.com/?p=476

For added irony:  Perhaps you too will find the humor in that I was taking all of this "breakfast styrofoam scenery" in while simultaneously wearing my "Recycle Electronic Waste" t-shirt.  I just shake my head.A Pleathora of Polystyrene

Summer Reads: Operation Redwood

"Activism" has been the GTG theme lately, so I thought I'd follow suit, but in a slightly different way.

It's summer time and the living is easy.. so here's a good pick for anyone looking for a summer read. "Operation Redwood" by S. Terrell French takes you to the great outdoors. The Redwood Forest of California to be exact. This 2010 Green Earth Book Award winner for children's fiction is geared more for the "tween" set of 9-14; however, as a teacher, I'm always reading these kinds of books. Truthfully, I thought it made a thought-provoking read for adults as well.

The plot takes 12-year old Julian Carter-Li from his corporate-minded uncle's office & home to a polar opposite environment: a redwood grove where he meets Robin and her family in California. There Julian gets an education about the beauty and wonder of the redwood forests, and sees the majesty of an area of which is facing a potential future of logging and destruction.

It is here that Julian & Robin plot and plan "Operation Redwood" to try to save the grove of ancient trees.

An online visit to http://www.operationredwood.com/ will bring you to resources galore. You'll find:

• a link to an interactive map of redwood forests; 
• a chance to read a snippet from the book; 
• links on the website (and mentions in the book) to Julia Butterfly Hill, nicknamed Luna, who lived in a redwood for 2 years to protest deforestation; 
• a great biography about Maryland's own S. Terrell French and her experiences growing up in the outdoors, going to Sidwell Friends School, Harvard & Berkley Law School, & the books she has most enjoyed reading. 
• the "Games & Resources" tab with loads of links; 
• a "Teacher Resources" tab that has some great teaching ideas as to how to use this book in the classroom. (One link takes you to http://education.savetheredwoods.org/kit/learn.html where there are even more downloadable lesson plans.) 

Or simply, take time to read and enjoy this book this summer, preferably in a hammock under the shade of one of your own local, leafy green trees.

To see the list of past Green Earth Book Award winning books to put on your summer reading list, go to http://www.newtonmarascofoundation.org/programs/a_ge_pw.cfm .

Image from https://www.amazon.com/dp/0810997207?tag=your02b-20

Activism at Any Age

Clearly, there's no limit to what one person can do...more importantly, there's no age limit either. 

At 82 years old, Jean Hill (longterm resident of Concord, Massachusetts) is a go-getter.   After a conversation with her grandson about the Pacific Garbage Patch, she became a woman on a mission. This conversation led to some activism, and eventually a proposal.  But not just any proposal--one which passed in a town meeting:  a ban on plastic water bottles.  As a result, starting January 1st, 2011 Concord, Massachusetts will become the first locale that has outwardly banned these dastardly decanters! 

Of course the bottled beverage business is operating and countering with their own boycotts, so we shall see what actually happens, come January 1st.  But, it is democracy in action!

Best quotes from the article are from Ms. Hill herself:

1. “We’re trashing our planet, all because of greed.”

2.  “I’m going to work until I drop on this,” she said. “If you believe in something, you have to persist and you have to have a thick skin.” 

Click on the title above or go to http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/23/us/23water.html?src=sch&pagewanted=all to read about Jean Hill and her role in making Concord, MA the first plastic water bottle banned state. You'll find out all about it here in the New York Times article "Where Thoreau Lived, Crusade Over Bottles." Don't forget to watch the "Battle Over the Bottle" video too!

Great article, NY Times! Way to go, Ms. Hill!!

Photo from http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2010/06/23/us/23water2_337-395.html.

In the Immortal Words of Planet Green: "Humans + Ocean Currents = Trash Vortex"

Planet Green To the Rescue!   Well....if only it were that easy!  

And what are they rescuing us from?  They're putting the concept of the Pacific Garbage Patch into clear and easy to understand terms:  the good, the bad, and the ugly of it all.  Unfortunately for the planet, it's heavy on the later two of those 3 adjectives!  

Here's the life jacket of information to rescue you:  http://planetgreen.discovery.com/travel-outdoors/the-pacific-garbage-patch-explained.html

Detailed in this article you'll find out all about The Pacific Garbage Patch (also called the "Trash Vortex," "Toxic Soup," "The Eastern Garbage Patch," and a myriad of other names).  It was the Pacific Garbage Patch that inspired David de Rothschild to build the Plastiki.  Now on it's last leg across the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco to Sydney, Australia, the Plastiki is a boat crafted out of 12,500 plastic bottles, which is nearing both it's 100th day at sea and also it's final destination.  Designed to show the importance of reusing and re-purposing materials, the Plastiki and crew purposely trekked through the center of the Pacific Garbage Patch to draw attention to the fact that we've got a pretty wretched mess of plastic waste swirling about out there. 

So, in the immortal words of Planet Green:  "Humans + Ocean Currents = Trash Vortex." One of the stats from the Planet 100 video near the bottom of the article:  Humans dispose of 185 pounds of plastic a year...most of which isn't recycled.  185 pounds?!  That's just a few pounds shy of the 191 pounds that was the average weight of the American male in 2002 (according to http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/healthcare/a/tallbutfat.htm)!  We are throwing away our own weight (if not more) in plastic....plastic which never completely breaks down nor goes away!  This has become the price of our throw away society. 

Check out Planet Green's eye-opening article: "The Pacific Garbage Patch Explained."  While you're there, see the up-close map of the gyres and currents (pictured above), click on the slideshows (including some rather disgusting ones of items they've found in the innards of sea birds). Also check out the videos about what's going on with this swirling plastic dervish at http://planetgreen.discovery.com/travel-outdoors/the-pacific-garbage-patch-explained.html. (Don't miss Charles Moore's TED talk! or the Planet 100 video near the end)  It all truly falls in the category of "Must See Eco-TV."
 
The next logical step after viewing the videos and reading Planet Green's info--go take the Plastiki Pledge to do your part to eliminate plastics, go to http://myplastiki.com/ to take action. And for goodness sakes, don't just step over that trash on the ground that will ultimately find a storm drain, a stream, a waterway, an ocean, and finally the belly of marine wildlife. Do your part!

Plastiki poster from http://www.theplastiki.com/whatisplastiki/

2 Degrees of BP

If you've been paying any attention, a week ago in my June 14th write up, I was talking about the 1990's Conversation Sensation:  "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon."  In case you forgot, the basic premise is that any 2 people can be connected through 6 (or fewer) links. It truly is amazing the number of connections that are out there!

With me, what started out as a soliloquy on acronyms for BP led to Kevin Bacon, which in turn led to another discovery.  That discovery was (aptly named) http://www.sixdegrees.org/.  Started in 2007 by Kevin Bacon, he took the Six Degrees concept mentioned above and purposely applied it to giving.  According to the website, this charitable organization is

"social networking with a social conscience.  Through this web site, you can support your favorite charities by donating or creating fundraising badges — as well as check out the favorite causes of other people, including celebrities."

Partnering with Network for Good, Hanes, Parade Magazine and the Case Foundation, Sixdegrees.org has been involved with granting hundreds of thousands of dollars
 to a multitude of charities.

But, it doesn't stop there.  It also serves as a place anyone can go to donate money.  You've got 3 options:

1. You can purchase a GOOD CARD ~ If you're tired of giving "things" that can get lost by the wayside, ends up being something that no one wants, or (worse yet) winds up in a landfill, there's always the gift card route.  But, rather than be a certificate to a restaurant or local store, it's the gift of charity.  Any one of 1.2 million charities in fact.  Load it with your amount, and then your friends can go to Network for Good to redeem it at the charity of their choice. 
2. Set up MONTHLY GIVING ~ Again, going with the idea that "small gifts matter" you can arrange a recurring donation through Network for Good's "Giving Cart" (as opposed to the typical online store front's "shopping cart."). It's as easy as 1-2-3:  create your profile, and click "Donate Now," and it'll store your donation history and the frequency & amount with which you'd like to donated.
3. Create a CHARITY BADGE ~ With this, you can raise awareness and moola for the cause of your choice.  Whether you share it on a blog, web page, Facebook, or beyond, you can advertise and inspire others to take part in giving to a greater good.  Add a photo, video, personal story of why this cause is important to you, and set it where you hope others will see it.  Your badge also tracks the donations you've raised.  It's a great way to share your message and take action simultaneously.  Plus, you can track some of your favorite celebrities and see their charity badges and what they are into.

To see a video with Kevin Bacon discussing the beauty of Sixdegrees.org, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kRtZoQCWwg.

You can also catch a CBS segment & interview with Kevin Bacon on The Early Show at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPB8L_sFMaM

To start taking action, go to http://www.sixdegrees.org/.

The Long & The Short of It ~ Happy Summer Solstice

June 21st...Summer Solstice!  
The longest "day" of the year.  
The first day of summer.  

The day when we have the maximum hours of sunlight due to the Earth's placement in it's orbit and the sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer at noon.  In Latin, "solstice" stands for "the sun stands still" which is exactly what it feels like when you are 4 or 8 and have so much time for outdoor fun, even well past what was bedtime during the school year.  In fact, to the average 4 or 8 year old, the scientific details mean little.  What's more important is that it's the first day of summer, and the hours of sunlight ahead make it feel like the best day of the year!!  

Take time today to celebrate solar power and the energy that the sun gives to you today!  Stay up late, hang out outside, and then top it off by catching some lightning bugs when the sun finally decides to set! 

Solar power at its finest!!   Happy 1st day o'summer!

To find out a bit more about Daylight Appreciation Day and some great facts about harnessing solar energy through solar tubes and more, click on the title above, or go to http://nationaldaylightday.com/

Picture from http://www.eumetsat.int/groups/ops/documents/image/img_news_solstice_scheme.gif

Park Quest #3 ~ Gunpowder Falls

All Aboard!!!  Those were the words once heard at the Monkton Railway Station in Monkton, MD (just north of Baltimore).  This once-railroad track is a now-turned hiking trail, and Gunpowder Falls is now one of the stops on the 2010 Park Quest brigade of 24 state parks involved in this year's Park Quest.  

With this being only my 3rd MD Park Quest this summer, we're still relative "newbies."  But this one was especially fun for my kids as we followed the clues to look for hidden boxes (the size of bird nests) that held the treasure du jour:  stampers to indicate on our quest sheet that yes, "X" does indeed mark the spot.

With idyllic temperatures, low humidity, and flat terrain, what could be better?  Maybe doing it all by bike as it is a perfect bike trail, but that would have kept us from finding the minuscule frogs hopping about, and the 2 deer--one of which stopped to intently stare at us.  A healthy organic lunch at the quaint old-timey deli across the street was the perfect touch.  

All aboard, indeed!!

To learn more about Maryland's Park Quest visit http://www.dnr.state.md.us/parkquest/ or click on the title above.

Picture from our day's adventures!

June 15th ~ Happy Global Wind Day

Pull out the date book, here's one we almost missed.  June 15th is Global Wind Day.  European Wind Energy Association began this event last year, and this year marks the 2nd annual appearance on the Eco-Events calendar. 

Most certainly, in the wake of the BP Debacle, we can see the need for sustainable, renewable energy sources...of which oil is clearly not.  [Unless, of course, you want to label petroleum as "a sustainable and lasting problem" ~ I still have images from yesterday's BP research of oil-soaked birds that is breaking my heart!]  Global Wind Day is here to help bring awareness to the power that surrounds us daily. 

At http://www.globalwindday.org/ you will find an interactive on how wind turbines work, links and FAQ's about wind energy, and a link to their videos on their Youtube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/EWEAvideos).  You'll also find a world-wide map of GWDay events occurring today.  Who knows--one might be right nearby!

Along my clicking through the events map, I found a link to Horizon Wind Energy (http://www.horizonwind.com/about/ftkc/linksreferences.aspx).  Among the wealth of information there, a particular perk to educators is their "For Teachers, Kids, & Consumers" section.  Not only will you find information galore, but other great "Links and References" as well as "Curriculum Suggestions" for students of all ages.  In fact, many of the events on the Global Wind Day Map are visits to wind farms, a majority of which have links to their site.  There's lots to check out!

Given all this new info, maybe while you're marking your calendar, you need to schedule in some time to go out and do something to celebrate that relies on wind power:  fly a kite, go sailing, or simply relax and let the wind blow your hair out of your face!

Image from http://www.globalwindday.org/