This Thursday night, Mindful Metropolis magazine is hosting a reception and screening of the documentary Peaceful Kingdom: The Journey Home. Not familiar with Mindful Metropolis? They used to be Conscious Choice until the owners decided to shut it down at which point the employees took it over. Now it is a new and improved version of its earlier self AND they are hosting some amazing events that foster community around the issues they promote and report on.
Here is a synopsis of the movie. Find out more on their website.
Peaceful Kingdom Screening and Reception
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Green Mama News - Studies Question Sunscreen Safety
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Summer is here in the northern hemisphere! Chicago had its first string of hot days - the lakefront path is crowded, kids are playing in the water and the air smells of sunscreen and bbq's. With the sun shining down and the urge to take off all but my bottom layers, comes the inevitable question - Should I put on sunscreen today or not?
I've been asked by many parents in the past few weeks "where The Green Mama stands on sunscreen." I wish I had a quick answer, but I don't. What we can provide is some background on the issues, as well as some encouragement to choose what is best for yourself and your family based on your skin and what we know of sun exposure.
The Green Mama Eats: Find Fresh Veggies in the Heart of Chicago
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Topping The Green Mama's list of ways that families can go greener, eat healthy and save money is joining a CSA. CSAs, Community Supported Agriculture, are farms where consumers buy a share of the farm's yield for the season. Typically you pay at the beginning of the growing season for a weekly box of fresh produce delivered to the city. At $15 to $30 for enough produce to feed your family for a week, CSA's are a great bargain.
Get Your Green On at the Chicago Green Festival
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I love when the Chicago Green Festival comes to town. I've gone every year (this will be the 4th) and always have a ton of fun. I get introduced to new green companies and reconnect with existing ones; eat yummy healthy food, listen to incredible speakers (one of which is our very own Cecelia Ungari), and see and touch green products that otherwise are only available on the internet. Last year I got a carabiner clip for my Kleen Kanteen - because I carried that dang bottle around all day without a place to put it!
What also makes the green festival so much fun for me is that I run into so many friends and green community acquaintances. It's a big green party. And speaking of parties, the Green Carpet Gala is this weekend, too. It's the official Green Fest kick-off party Friday night at 5:30pm at the Marmon Grand. Free local and organic food, readers' choice awards, and a live performance from Funkadesi. I'll be there so come say hello!
What also makes the green festival so much fun for me is that I run into so many friends and green community acquaintances. It's a big green party. And speaking of parties, the Green Carpet Gala is this weekend, too. It's the official Green Fest kick-off party Friday night at 5:30pm at the Marmon Grand. Free local and organic food, readers' choice awards, and a live performance from Funkadesi. I'll be there so come say hello!
LOUI SAVES THE EARTH! Chicago Author Pens Eco-Themed Children's Book
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A local author and green business owner is releasing her first children's book this weekend and the message is an important one. The book is Loui Saves the Earth and the author, and illustrator, is Alexandra Gnoske.
Loui Saves the Earth is about a young boy that has had enough of people littering the planet with trash. He takes a stand and cleans up the trash, putting everything in its proper place - divided among recycling, composting, reusing, and waste.
Alexandra (Alex) is not just a writer. She also owns Recycle Me, an organic cotton clothing company that prints positive environmental statement shirts in an environmentally responsible manner. True to her green mission, her clothing is all manufactured in the United States and Loui Saves the Earth is printed in Tennessee. (Local manufacturing is important; however, I do wish the book had been printed by a green printer using recycled paper and vegetable inks. Check out what The Green Mama has to say about green printing.)
Loui Saves the Earth is about a young boy that has had enough of people littering the planet with trash. He takes a stand and cleans up the trash, putting everything in its proper place - divided among recycling, composting, reusing, and waste.
Alexandra (Alex) is not just a writer. She also owns Recycle Me, an organic cotton clothing company that prints positive environmental statement shirts in an environmentally responsible manner. True to her green mission, her clothing is all manufactured in the United States and Loui Saves the Earth is printed in Tennessee. (Local manufacturing is important; however, I do wish the book had been printed by a green printer using recycled paper and vegetable inks. Check out what The Green Mama has to say about green printing.)
Supporting Slave Labor? 5 Tips To Fair Trade Your Home
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The call to "Fair Trade your home" has been gaining attention recently. Recent awareness campaigns have shed light on the abundance of inhumane work conditions many around the world deal with, that we in the developed world exploit. Often it seems like overcoming such a complicated issue is impossible for just one person or family to do, but I found out it's not such a big undertaking after all. Buying Fair Trade is a win-win proposition!
5 TIPS TO "FAIR TRADE YOUR HOME"
Some of the best ways to get rid of sweatshop items in your home and to go Fair Trade are:
Squashing Green-Washing
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Recently a
lot of friends have been asking me "Is this cleaning product,
lotion/soap/cosmetic/kid toy really green?" Far from being a sustainable litmus
test, I cannot help but tilt my head, analyze and give my
opinion. I'm not looking into a green crystal ball to help me see
through green-hype or green-washing. I'm using some basic guidelines to help me
determine if something is truly green and if I want to buy/support/share it.
This Earth Day Support the Safe Chemicals Act
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On April 15th, Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) announced legislation to overhaul the "Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976." The new bill, called the "Safe Chemicals Act," would require safety testing of all industrial chemicals, which is something the TSCA fell short on.
Currently, around 82,000 chemicals are in use in the US. Only 200 of those have been tested for safety and only 5 have been banned! Under the TSCA, the EPA can only test a chemical for safety after there is evidence of it being dangerous. This not only lacks common sense but has tragically contributed to many early deaths and illnesses. If the Safe Chemicals Act gets passed, the burden of proof that a chemical is safe falls on the manufacturer, where it should be. All uses will have to be identified and determined safe for the chemical to enter the market or continue to be used.
Currently, around 82,000 chemicals are in use in the US. Only 200 of those have been tested for safety and only 5 have been banned! Under the TSCA, the EPA can only test a chemical for safety after there is evidence of it being dangerous. This not only lacks common sense but has tragically contributed to many early deaths and illnesses. If the Safe Chemicals Act gets passed, the burden of proof that a chemical is safe falls on the manufacturer, where it should be. All uses will have to be identified and determined safe for the chemical to enter the market or continue to be used.
Earth Day Events: Green Pregnancy 101
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Earth Day always feels a bit like an environmentalist's New Year celebration to me. It is a chance to reflect on the year's past green successes and look ahead to new year of opportunity and positive change.
In the spring, I feel full of renewed excitement and connection to the living world, almost pregnant with eco-passion. It is a time for families to come outside, to play in the sun and soil. At The Green Mama we work with to grow greener families, helping them to incorporate fun and easy green practices into their homes and lives. We teach classes, consult with individuals and small businesses, and work to support communities of engaged parents who are interested in the health of their families and the health of the planet.
To Flush or Not To Flush?
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With spring in Chicago I've come to expect some big rainstorms, the kind that can dump inches of water in just a few hours, flooding the streets and parks. I live by Lake Michigan and count myself lucky to witness daily this majestic, vast body of water. With all its abundance it seems like we don't need to worry about water scarcity. But water shortages are a looming reality here, and fresh water shortages and persistent droughts exist throughout the world. Can flushing my toilet make a difference in these global issues?
