As Americans we often take for granted a level of consumption that is the highest in the world. If there is any upside to the recent economic crisis, it may be that we now have to be more careful about how much we buy, how many resources we consume. Here is a quiz that will calculate for you the size of your global footprint or the size of your child’s global footprint. Taking the quiz can be fun as well as informative as a family activity.

Often kids are ahead of their parents in their desire to live an ecologically sustainable life. As responsible parents and responsible citizens of the world, we would do well to encourage our children’s love of the planet and understanding of how natural resources are used.  

                                                   photo by Chor Ip

Earthways: Simple Environmental Activities for Young Children, a papeback book by Carol Petrash, has a lot of developmentally-appropriate, imaginative activities in science, nature and art designed to empower young children to feel a joyous kinship with nature. Organized by seasons, this resource book devotes large sections to various nature crafts and natural toys with which young children can celebrate the gifts of the seasons and experience the rhythms and changes of their world. Spark your children’s imagination with over 90 environment-friendly activities. These instantaneous art and nature activities encourage the understanding and appreciation of the earth and other living things. 

                                                                                                                       photo by Shahram Sharif 

Two days until the Olympic opening ceremonies in China. Many US Olympians are expressing their eco ways. Amanda Beard, olympic gold medalist, recently did a nude ad campaign for PETA -”Be comfortable in your own skin. Don’t wear fur”. According to PETA China supplies more than half of the finished fur garments imported for sale in the US. Are people still wearing fur in the US??? (Bubble Pop)

  Beard is also working with Oceana and WildAid in their efforts to bring to light the killing of sharks for their fins (shark fin soup).  Hundreds of thousands of sharks are killed each year just for their fins. More unsettling is that the sharks are taken aboard boats alive, their fins all cut off and then thrown back into the ocean to die either by drowning or bleeding to death. 

Learn more about WildAid and the threatened and endangered species they are working to protect. You can watch celebrity endorsement ads. WildAid on YouTube.

Watch an interview with Amanda Beard about her feelings about the fur industry. (Please be warned that there are graphic images in this video and at this site.)

Questions to Consider for Comments:

What do you think about people wearing fur?

Were you aware of the brutality of the fur industry?

Does slaughtering hundreds of thousands of sharks for their fins bother you?

Do you think that celebrities make an impact on environmental issues?

Ahhh, how long will we make excuses of why we can take that “one” plastic bag? It doesn’t hurt anyone, not really….right? Check out this slide show about plastic bags and the impact it has on our Earth. Personally, I feel most affected when I see wildlife dying because of plastic bags. Are we really going to keep using the ocean as a dumping ground? 

Consider putting reusable bags in your car today. Keep several in your car and the next time you are at a store you will feel great when you use your own bags. 

More reasons not to accept plastic bags from stores.

How many bags do you keep with you for shopping excursions?

What do you do when you forget to bring in your bags?

Do you use your reusable bags for shopping other than the grocery store?

Blessings,

Justyn

Organic Baby Clothes- a great gift for a new life.

A quick Saturday post to introduce you to the site Breathing Earth. They simulate the carbon dioxide emission levels of every country in the world, birth and death rates and do it in real-time. Pretty amazing to watch the numbers grow and to consider the birth and death rates (during the time of your visit). 

Moment of reflection: breathing earth….living earth.

Blessings,

Justyn

Natural Baby Clothes made from 100% certified organic cotton