There are many changes you can make in your household to reduce your overall environmental impact by reducing your energy usage, choosing sustainable goods, and cutting down on waste.

It can be difficult to give your lifestyle a total makeover and try to make your whole household and all of your choices environmentally responsible. However, you can start by making small changes or by focusing on one specific part of your life in order to move toward a more eco-friendly lifestyle. One of the best places to start is with your children. Choosing greener options for their belongings and their environment can help to reduce your family’s carbon footprint and encourage a healthier atmosphere for your children. Here’s how you can help you children be “green:”

Use Cloth Diapers

If you have an infant or other small children, choose cloth diapers over disposables. The materials used in disposable diapers are not biodegradable, and the chemicals used in them are harmful for the environment (and your baby!). Choosing cloth diapers can help reduce the number of these diapers that end up in landfills. Cloth diapers can also reduce the incidence of diaper rash and infection in your baby.

Choose Lead-Free Paint

When you are painting your child’s nursery or bedroom, make sure you use lead-free paint. Traditional paints with lead in them are both harmful for the environment and for the health of your child. Lead is a heavy metal that is harmful to the soil and to groundwater. Breathing it in or ingesting it (in water, for example) can cause a number of health problems, including nerve damage and developmental delays in children.

Buy Organic, Sustainable Fabrics

Children go through a lot of clothes in their early years, as they quickly outgrow outfits, shoes, and more. Help reduce your environmental impact by choosing fabrics that contain organic or sustainable materials. Organic cotton and bamboo (a sustainable fabric) are quality choices. Look for these fabrics when purchasing linens, blankets, curtains, and other fabrics that will be in your child’s room.

Skip Plastic

Many children’s toys are made of cheap plastic and other synthetic materials. Pass over toys made of this harmful, non-biodegradable material and choose those made of wood or metal instead. Cut out other plastic items that your children use, as well, including bottles, cups, utensils, and more. Choose glass, metal or wood — all of which are recyclable. Even when items are made of wood, glass, or metal, you should still be mindful to choose items that are not covered in lead-free paint. If you must purchase an item that includes plastic, look for items that are BPA free.

Buy Local, Organic Foods

This is a step you can take to help the whole family. The production and shipping of traditionally grown food uses quite a bit of natural resources and non-biodegradable materials (for packaging). When you buy local, you cut down on the energy required to ship the products.

You also ensure that you are purchasing fresher foods that do not require the use of harmful chemicals to preserve them. Choosing local, organic foods is not only better for the environment, but it is better for your family’s health.

There are many more ways that you can help your children and your family to go green. Starting with these simple steps can help you do a lot to reduce your family’s environmental impact and to improve the health of your family. What other ways do you help your children be “green?” Share your ideas in the comments!

About the author:

Amanda Tradwick is a grant researcher and writer for CollegeGrants.org. She has a
Bachelor’s degrees from the University of Delaware, and has recently finished research on grants for masters degree and scholarships & grants.

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Today I’m here to present the Join the Movement campaign. Provamel together with TREE AID (forestry development charity) launch the Join the Movement campaign to create awareness about how important trees are for the environment and how much impact they have in climate change and the cut of carbon emissions.

Provamel has the goal to plant and protect 5,000 trees in the dry lands of Africa. To join this movement all you have to do is like the Provamel page on Facebook.

TREE AID is reaching out people through the Join Movement campaign and is committed to have at least one million trees planted and protected in West African region of Mali. These trees will be very helpful to reduce the carbon emissions and therefore help the climate change. Mali is a deforested region so these trees will also be helpful to fight poverty and even generate some income to local people.

Let’s participate. Let’s join the Provamel page on Facebook.

This post is sponsored by Provamel.

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Does the idea of having an eco-friendly office appeal to you? It is easier to accomplish than you may think, and this article will point you in the right direction. You will receive some practical tips that will help you to have a more organized office that will also benefit the environment.

Reduce Paper Clutter

The amount of paper that is in your office can be daunting. The piles of paperwork may be reduced, though, in a variety of ways.

* If you can have your name removed from unnecessary mailing lists, you will certainly want to do so.

Image via Wikipedia

*Instead of receiving magazines and brochures in the mail, sign up for electronic versions instead that will be emailed to you.

* You may want to pay your bills online rather than by mail. This will greatly reduce the amount of mail you receive. You will also be helping the planet by taking care of business online.

* You might store some of your documentation in folders on your hard drive. This is another way to cut down on paper clutter because you will not be printing out as many hard copies of documentation. Be sure to backup your PC in some way, such as with an online backup program.

* Remember to have a paper shredder on hand and to use it often. It may well turn out to be one of the most valuable pieces of equipment in your office. The shredded paper can then be reused as packaging.

Use Recycling Bins

*Have bins handy in your office for recycling different items. You might have one bin for paper recyclables and another for those articles that need to be disposed of carefully. This might include batteries, printer cartridges and certain electronic items.

Buy Environmentally Friendly Office Supplies

*Many office supplies are made from recycled materials, such as paper, labels and file folders. Use as many recycled items as you can to help save the environment. When purchasing supplies, check the packaging for a statement that recycled or sustainably sourced materials have been used.

Save on Power

*At the end of the day, make certain that all of your office equipment is off, to avoid wasting electricity.

*You might want to use energy-saving bulbs in your lighting fixtures as well, which can save you money. You can even have solar panels installed in your office to provide an economical and green way to have illumination.

* If you are able to purchase equipment that will do multiple jobs, such as a printer that also faxes, scans and copies, it will make a wise investment and take up less space in your office.

*You may also want to look for computers and other devices that will conserve energy.

*Keep unwanted items that still have life in them from being trashed by donating them to a charity that could make use of them.

If you use smart ideas to convert your office into a greener environment, you will be playing a role in helping the planet. The pointers listed above can get you started on the path to having an eco-friendly office. You may also become more organized as a result of using these tips.

This guest post is a contribution from Jessica Price, who uses her knowledge of logo design to create unique and eye-catching logos. She works from her home office and has put her eco-friendly ideas into practice.

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Going green can become an obsession. It starts with turning off your lights to save a little money on your power bill, and not too long after you’re saving bottles and cans to recycle. Before you know it, you’re wearing a hemp t-shirt while driving out of the Toyota dealer in a new Prius. Unless you’re that last guy I was referring to, then chances are that it wouldn’t hurt to go that extra green mile (no, not the green mile from that Tom Hanks movie). A great aspect of your home that most people normally don’t think to “greenify” is the security of their home itself. Here are 4 ways that you can add a little eco-friendliness to your home security.

1. Use a hemcrete door
Hemcrete is a bio-composite made from hemp, lime, and water, which makes an extremely versatile alternative to concrete and drywall. It does a ridiculously great job of trapping carbon while it’s made, making it not only carbon neutral, but carbon negative. This along with some other factors is what also makes it 7 times stronger than regular concrete. However, there is one downside: growing hemp is still illegal in America due to some sketchy politics in the 1930s, making it slightly more expensive than concrete because of the importation costs.

2. Recycle
Recycling is not only a good idea because of its obvious benefits for the environment. Taking your trash to a recycling facility eliminates the risk of leaving papers with personal information and discarded credit cards out in front of your house as a peace offering to burglars. Every year over 10 million people are victims of identity theft, with the average victim losing $6,000. One of the easiest ways to avoid this is by shredding paper and not leaving them to begin with out in a trash can in front of your home.

3. Trim shrubs
Trimming your shrubs may actually sound like a very un-green-like thing to do, but although it may ostensibly seem like a good idea to leave them blocking your windows (figuring that the burglars won’t be able to tell if your home is unattended), it actually puts you at greater risk. Most people don’t realize that burglars actually look for shrubs and other things blocking windows since they actually provide them cover from your neighbors and other passers-by while they’re ransacking your home.

4. Use a solar powered alarm system
Most people say that a security system cannot be powered purely on solar energy. If their definition of a security system involves surveillance cameras, then they are absolutely correct. However, if crime stats have showed us anything besides the fact that God apparently doesn’t care about New Jersey, it’s that motion detector based alarm systems aren’t only more effective than surveillance camera based systems, but are a fraction of the cost. Solar panels can supply up to 15% of a household’s power needs, making them more than capable of powering a motion detector based system that already operates with a fraction of the energy of one with cameras.

Remember, I’m not saying to prioritize eco-friendliness over safety, but merely offering suggestions to help incorporate your home’s security into your green lifestyle. The sooner we start finding new ways to be sustainable, the sooner we can bring the planet off death row.

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Green parenting is a different sort of parenting, more natural, and definitely far less stressful on parents and kids alike. The approach is more informative, and more “kindergarten” in the sense that the original kindergartens were invented by children as fun learning experiences. That’s terrific for training, and it’s also a lot of fun in choosing everything from toys to things to do.

Green parenting basics- The fun side
Kids are about as organic and natural as people can get, and they don’t need to be told what’s natural. Parents, however, sometimes do. Adults live in the “unnatural world”, where babies are very much in the natural world. Green parenting starts from birth, “tuning” the parent to the baby environment.

As a matter of fact, Green products are a good way of re-adjusting parents to baby’s view of the world.  Organic nappies, safe sustainable toys, you name it, these things sect the scene. But the reality is more spiritual, a connection in terms of natural values. The bonding process is an empathic process, connecting parents and kids on an unspoken level.

A game can begin with a simple toy. Most adults recognize it, but have to refocus themselves to the kid’s perspective. That’s well worth doing. Kids know how to have fun and enjoy themselves on levels adults have usually forgotten.

The irony is that most parents, having been “baby reverse engineered”, have a ball on this level. The mysterious new toys, which involve baby in a Magellan-like crawl across the living room, are adventures. Teddy is a giant. The wooden duck on wheels is a new friend. The strange blue wool creature discovered in the toyshop, to which the toddler is apparently surgically grafted, is taken everywhere.

These are things no amount of mall-materialism could ever hope to buy. Most Green parents also add a kitten or puppy, and can do without TV for a decade or so as a result. It really is a natural lifestyle.

The Green approach- The practical side
The other side of the equation is surprisingly practical. Green parenting has been enforcing a major revolution in everything from online toys to food and clothing. Green products, by definition, are non-toxic. The toys are also safe, made of things that don’t fall apart at the first drop of rain and don’t produce shrapnel when they break. Green kid’s food is also actual food, not that bizarre chemistry lesson on the side of the packet.

The Green kid clothing is also wearable, and actually washable without a degree in nuclear physics. Anyone who’s experienced the fantastic things a kid can do to clothes will appreciate the savings in tears and new clothes that decent cotton and wool clothing can achieve without even trying. Green kid clothing is a different league from the “normal” wash-n-tear stuff.

Green parenting, basically, is an adventure in reality. The kids invite the natural world in, and the rest is as much fun as you can figure out how to have.

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Going green, or staying green, at a time of year when we’ve all been conditioned to turn into hyperconsumers can be difficult. From every TV commercial, store advertisement, and most especially from our children, we are bombarded with pleas to spend money. When entertaining throughout the holidays it can be difficult to resist.

There’s first the pressure – ‘What will (my friends, my family, my work colleagues, or worse…my mother) think of my home?’ Glossy pages advertise photos of smart guests in cocktail dresses with a glass of wine in hand, all in an expertly decorated room right out of a magazine, and we can feel defeated. First there’s the eco-friendly responsibility – why buy more things that will end up in landfills and are made with chemicals no one can pronounce? Let alone the damage they can cause. Then there are the financial responsibilities – money can only stretch over so many things, most especially during the holidays. Instead of panicking, try these eco-friendly and inexpensive ways to make your home jolly and bright this holiday season!

Join your local Freecycle group:

With Freecycle.org, remember it’s just as good to give as it is to receive. Clean out your old holiday boxes. Chances are you’ve got bits and pieces of holiday décor you don’t really want anymore. List it on Freecycle and while you’re there, look for some new things yourself. For example, is someone else tired of their old nutcrackers? Use them as centerpieces on your holiday table. Nutcrackers are festive, brightly painted, and add height to your table.

Now’s a good time of year to declutter generally. So, if you’ve got any items just gathering dust, why not donate them to someone who can make use of them? Decluttering and rearranging your rooms is a great way to free up extra space for guests and give your home a fresh look without spending a dime.

While you’re busy freecycling, keep an eye out for free offers of anything that could come in useful when entertaining a big group of guests. Extra wine glasses, dishes and tablecloths are always good to have on standby.

Give your old furniture an instant makeover:

The second biggest buildup of the holiday season is the meal, the first of course staying up late to watch for Santa and his reindeer. Don’t go crazy trying to buy every piece in the Pottery Barn catalog, focus your budget on what will make the biggest difference and consider buying some fabric dining chair covers. They are easy to launder should any mulled wine be spilled, and they make a sophisticated statement in your dining room.

If your family is making the trek back to your hometown for Christmas, there will inevitably be an aunt or a cousin or two that needs a room to stay in. Futon slip covers can make your tired futon from university days sparkle again and treat your guests to an expertly decorated room.

Reusing the furniture you already have by covering it with a slip cover is a simple and inexpensive way to give your rooms a stylish new image. And it’s a green option too, as it means you can get extra life out of your aging furniture.

Look outside:

Another source of inspiration for seasonal decorating is the natural world. Take a look in your backyard and local surroundings and you may be surprised how many things you can use to create garlands and table centerpieces for free. Look for evergreen foliage such as holly and pine, red berries and pinecones. Just be sure to keep these safely out of reach of young kids though.

The holidays are about much more than simply giving gifts and a jolly red man. Stay green and don’t let the season’s plea for spending overshadow the meaning. Spending time with your loved ones is the gift that keeps on giving!

This guest post has been contributed by Caroline Smith, who enjoys decorating her family home in a green and frugal way. You can find a range of slip covers for seasonal decorating on her website.

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Image by Ludovic Hirlimann via Flickr

We do need cleaner places, what can we do to be environmental friendly?

We are responsible to take care of our environment because we are the ones that are living in it. We are the ones that use the natural resources it does have. It doesn’t matter if we are young, busy or even too old, we do need to help our environment and prepare it for future generations.

Nowadays many groups are founded to promote products or tips that can help us to be eco-friendly. They are asking the consumers to be wise in the usage of the energy and even with the food we eat and the things we buy. We can help on the go-green movement even during our daily activities. It is as simple as putting the trash in the right places, short showers, turn off certain gadgets, etc. If you are a student, encourage your friends and classmates to form a tree planting group in your school or you can conduct community services that can help our environment.

We all love to see children with balloons however if they are placed in the wrong place or left in nature after bursting they can make their way to open water like rivers or lakes. They can be very harmful for fishes, seagulls and other animals.

Nowadays, we are experiencing many natural disasters and the blame goes to the global warming. Soon places like Birkhill Castle green surroundings, icebergs and beautiful mountains full of snow will be a vision of the past.

One of the thinks I teach my children is to protect the environment. They know they can’t throw away the gum or the juice pack on the street or in the nearby wood. They play there but they are taught to preserve what already is and will be their place to live in.

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When I wake up in the morning what I first hear is the sound of the helicopters. This sound continues in and out during the day. No, we are not under fire, but the wood are. All over the country there are hundreds of fires consuming our pine trees, entire hoods, protected parks, eucalyptus and everything green. This is the truth…and …I’m sad.

Everybody knows that trees, hoods, forests, are the lungs of our planet but, it seems some people just don’t care. Green areas are decreasing at a high speed rate because, during Summer, pyromaniacs take action. They take advantage of heat waves and high temperatures to put their sickness into action. When they are caught, they go to jail a few months, sometimes only a few days because most of them are considered “not capable”. These people need treatment but they are released and they do it again.

I’m not saying we grab a badge printer and make an ID badge saying “pyromaniac person” and make the person use it, but they shouldn’t be released without proper psychological evaluation and treatment.

Some people just don’t get it. They are destroying the best we have, the things that give us oxygen, the lungs of the planet. I might sound dramatic but, I’m mad, I’m angry and I wish I could do something to stop the tree killing. We have beautiful green hoods where we can walk with our children and show them how beauty the nature is, how healthy  the air we breath there is but, some people are taking that away from us.

How can I explain my children why this happen? How am I going to explain them that their future is being destroyed?

I have to thank all the firefighters and volunteers that are working non stop on woods on fire. At least two European countries (Italy ans Spain) have sent us two Canadair planes each to help us fight this “war”.

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These last three days where a little noisy. The condo where I live has had pine and eucalyptus trees on the back, right side and in front, on the other side of the road. We are were surrounded by green, we can could smell the eucalyptus on the air, the smell of the pine trees but now everything is gone.

The land owner decided to clean those lands and all trees were cut. He hires some people to cut the trees but they haven’t finished the job yet because today, it was a very rainy day, but they will has soon it stops raining.

My daughter (6 years) had a strange but understandable reaction. Yesterday she told me she had to draw a drawing. A few minutes later she showed me the drawing of a crying tree with a electric saw coming towards it. It quite amazed me how she was able to visualize the scene and put in in a piece of paper. I guess the next time she grabs a flower from a flower pot she will think twice.

I took a before picture when there were trees and I’m waiting for them to finish their job so I can take the after photo. I will post them here then.

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These are the lettuces from my organic garden. I only planted a few lettuces, just for the fun of seeing them growing on my own back yard.

I bought a package of seeds and spread them on the land. When the lettuces started growing I moved them to flower pots. I end up having six lettuces in the flower pot and several spread on the yard, probably the wind or rain moved the seeds.

They are very easy to grow, I just have to water them, no pest control products needed until now. I keep the snails away with a bit of salt outside the flower pot.

I am not sure they will be tasty because I find the leaves a little too hard but I hope when they are in their full size the leaves can be used in a delicious fresh and green salad.

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This is the first strawberry that grew on my organic garden. I don’t use chemicals or fertilizers so the strawberries are not very big. However my main concept is growing organic and that means the use of pesticides and chemical are not allowed. I don’t mind they are small.

I have already eaten the first “layer” of strawberries and now I am waiting for the new one to grow.

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Today, when I was driving my son to school he asked me: Mom, would you like to visit the moon?

I must confess it is not something I think about everyday but when he asked me that question I realized that, yes, I would like to visit the moon. Not to be on the moon but to watch Planet Earth from the moon. The blue planet fascinates me and I love to see its photos taken from space.

Earth Day is tomorrow and I really hope people around the world take a minute to think about our planet. Those who don’t recycle please begin to do so.

Let’s keep our planet blue and green for us, our children and future generations.

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