On Going Green with Kids

Here's something you probably don't know and wouldn't have guessed about me: I grew up in an off-the-grid A-frame in southwest Colorado. If I had grown up in Sante Fe or northern California I'd be pretty cool...but in southwest Colorado in the 80s it made me a big dork. Some nights I was lucky to have enough electricity to finish my homework much less enough solar to watch Alf or curl my hair. The only heat source was a wood burning stove. We even had a solar shower in the back yard to maximize our energy use...and you know...to defeat the stereotype of a dirty hippie... which is what most people stereotype an environmentalist to look like. Needless to say, environmentalism wasn't just a passing fad but a lifestyle. It's so ingrained it's almost like religion...I just don't question it, I just believe. And now it's back into style with everyone discussing ways to save energy and help save the planet. Everyone's doing it...or are they? I'm gonna say most people are all talk. For example, an SUV with a Kerry/Edwards sticker from 3 years ago. It kills me. But I'm not going to discuss the politics involved, you can get your politics from Denny, Saccone, or Bobby...I'm just bringing up the issue of personal responsibility. Soren's doctor recently said that he is the only baby she's seen in cloth diapers. The only one. We all know that diapers take 500 years to break down in the landfill not to mention they are full of feces. Just think about how gross that is and now you know why we choose cloth. Then there's all the packaging marketed toward parents with children. Serving sized peaches, string cheese, little tiny baby food jars, juice boxes, and on and on. It equals trash, trash, and more trash. There is only one other family on my street that I see put their recycle bags out. It costs $1 a month for curbside recycling and most people don't do it. And this trend of putting a battery in every single toy in the toybox has got to be the number one overlooked faux pas on all the go green with kids lists. How long does it take for a disposable battery to break down in the landfill? My last toy shopping trip intentially skipped all toys battery operated. It doesn't take much to make a difference. I'll admit that due to the very fabric of our society, I do plenty to increase my carbon footprint. I use one disposable diaper a day; I drive a car; I eat food; I use some chemically based products like hairspray that breaks down the ozone. But I try to make better choices and actually follow through on changing lightbulbs, recycling my tuna cans, taking Navy showers and using grey water on my lawn. Our company kicked off a new program called Cox Conserves in an effort to make a difference in the environment. Here is a great list they've complied of 99 Things You Can Do To Save The Planet. Babycenter.com has compiled this list of kid specific ways to green up your home. If your family has tried some innovative way to save the planet lately...please let me know. I'd like to be a good example to my kids and whittle our footprint down to a four tiny thumbprints.