Blog: Green Forests, Cool Planet

I just found a wonderful new book, The Mom’s Guide to Growing Your Family Green, by Terra Wellington. It is chock full of great information, resources and simple life style changes that can help us all to live greener lives.

You can learn a recipe for a homemade non-toxic bug spray for the garden; where to buy washable and reusable air filters for your car; how to stop your junk mail; and what all of those different recycling symbols and numbers on the bottom of your plastic containers mean. Wellington also tells you why and where to purchase pretty much anything you need for your home: carpets and paints that are no- or low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) products, energy-efficient appliances for your kitchen, low-flow toilets and water-efficient showerheads, etc.

In one of my favorite sections of the book, Wellington shares an inspiring step-by-step guide for any mom wanting to help bring about change in her child’s school. The “Green School Action Blueprint” includes questions to ask, solutions to advocate, and sage advice on how to most effectively be a force for change.

The Mom’s Guide to Growing Your Family Green was written as a resource for “busy moms,” but really, it’s a great how-to guide for anyone. Check it out!

~Margie

Cheers to the City and County of San Francisco for becoming the first city in the U.S. to support a national Do Not Mail Registry! On March 31st, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a resolution (by a 9-2 majority) urging both the California State Legislature and the U.S. Congress to establish a Do Not Mail Registry, which if created would allow citizens to “opt-out” of receiving unwanted junk mail (like the national Do Not Call registry. Although the resolution is non-binding (meaning there are no laws connected to it), it is nevertheless a strong statement by the Board of Supervisors and a big victory for citizens (and trees everywhere!). Special congrats to our friends at ForestEthics who inspired this local action in our favorite uber-Green city.

Both New York and Florida have bills under discussion in the legislature that would establish state-wide registries. If you happen to live in Florida or New York, please contact your state representatives to show your support. The sponsor of the bill in New York is Senator Carl Kruger. And in Florida, the sponsors are Senator Dave Aronberg and Representative Mary Brandenburg.

We’re proud of San Francisco and hopeful that the New York and Florida bills will pass, but establishing a national Do Not Mail Registry is a long-term project. Meanwhile, we each need to stop the deluge of junk mail into our home mailboxes. 41pounds.org can do it for you, or do it yourself with the Stop Junk Mail Kit.

~Margie