Turning Halloween Green

Halloween isn’t one of the holidays that comes to mind when I think “wasteful” — anything that involves the wearing of costumes and eating of delicious candy is not a waste to me. But it could be a lot more green. Authors and mother-daughter team Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson have written a book about greening your holidays called “Celebrate Green” and went on NPR show “Tell me More” to talk about ideas for a green Halloween.
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School Puts Down Bike Ban, Parent Ignore It

A school district in upstate New York has laid down the law over kids riding their bikes to school. But one family has decided to ignore it.

The Marinos told their local paper they ride regularly for exercise and recreation - and as far as they’re concerned, it’s up to them how their son gets to school. So they’re riding anyway. Continue reading »

Teen Running for Governor of Wisconsin

The teenage son of two truck drivers who spends two-week stints at home by himself is about to show the world he can truly hang with the big boys. He’s thrown his hat in the ring for governor of Wisconsin.

Jared Christiansen is only seventeen, not yet even able to VOTE, but he’s hoping to take the seat soon to be vacated by retiring Gov. Doyle. Continue reading »

Parents Mad Kids Told “Radical, Leftist” Facts About Plastic Usage, Autism

Imagine your kids walked into school tomorrow and watched a video on not using plastic bags at the grocery store or plastic bottles for their water. Would you A. Agree or B. Throw a hissy and call the media because the school was trying to brainwash your kids with “radical, leftist” propaganda?

If you guessed B., you apparently would fit right in with the folks at a Utah elementary school who are up in arms over their kids being shown the “I Pledge” video, in which celebs pledge to clean up the environment, find cures for Alzheimer’s and autism and other absurd notions. Continue reading »

Swim With the Whales and Don’t Get Wet

What kid wouldn’t want to get eye-to-eye with a whale? How about eye-to-blow-hole?

Thanks to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, any kid in America (or anywhere else for that matter) can. And don’t worry, Mom and Dad, they’ll walk out of the whole deal completely dry. Continue reading »

Is Breastmilk Causing Autism?

I have been waiting for this kind of news to come out: a study at the University of California, San Francisco has purported a possible link between the PCBs and PBDEs showing up in breastmilk and the development of autism.

Scary? Here’s where it gets even scarier: Continue reading »

Zoo’s New Exhibit: Trouble in Paradise

In order to keep families pouring in the doors, most zoos are happy-go-lucky places where the animals frolic and play.

If that’s what you’re looking for, don’t take your kids to the Vienna zoo. That way you can keep pretending the world is one big happy place, where life for the animals is just the bees knees. Continue reading »

Fireproofing Baby Stuff Could Be a Thing of the Past

They’re loaded with nasty chemicals, and yet fire retardants are still being applied to thousands of baby products. But maybe not for long.

A new bill has been introduced in California to do away with the state’s demand that manufacturers load cribs, strollers, changing tables and more with fireproofing.

And in this case, as California goes, the rest of the country really will go! Continue reading »

BPA Found in Glass-Jarred Baby Food

So much for glass being the way to go to avoid BPA. Canadian researchers have found the toxic nasty every parent is hellbound to avoid is lurking inside the glass jarred baby food we all thought was safe. Continue reading »

Dream It/Do It: Eco-Friendly Baby Gear

Today on Babble:

“Dream It/Do It: Eco-Friendly Baby Gear”

By Tracy Chait.

Cheap and indulgent ways for new parents to go green.

Read it here.