Feature: Think Green, Simple things your family can do for the planet |
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About this issue
"Turn off the light!" -- Dave Russell
My father was an environmentalist ahead of his time. Plastic buckets
under downspouts collected rainwater for the garden. We recycled in the
1970's, back when you had to smash your tin cans flat and drive them to
a special facility. We wrapped presents in the funny pages, composted
kitchen waste, and woe to the child who left the light on in an empty
room. Dave was looking out for the planet even before global warming
was a twinkle in Al Gore's eye.
With an upbringing like that, you might expect me to be über-green, but
I fall a bit more towards the middle of the spectrum. I don't have a
hybrid, but it's on the list. I know all that extra packaging is bad --
but the food is so convenient! And, far too often, my cloth bags
languish forgotten in the trunk of my car as I hurry through my busy,
logistically challenged days.
Clearly, I could and should do more, as Gore's movie "An Inconvenient
Truth" reminds me. But, for now, I do what I can, and certainly what is
easy. "Think Green"
provides great ideas for hassled parents like me (and you?) who want to
save the earth, if they can do it while balancing the other
complexities of life. And it can be more costly to be earth-wise -- is
it worth the extra green? "The Green Nursery" looks at why some parents are saying "yes" to the added expense of organics.
Whether it's about going green or just getting things done,
procrastination is a trap most of us fall into at times. "Helping your procrastinator" offers tools to help kids break this self-defeating habit, and possibly give frustrated parents a little perspective.
Shulamit Lome Williams' parenting journey involved raising a son and
two fiery, identical-twin daughters -- including ParentMap
publisher Alayne Sulkin. She did this with singular style, all the
while devoting herself to teaching inner-city kids. This extraordinary
woman blazed a trail of love through the world, touching many lives
with her grace, uncompromising honesty, and generous heart. "Bubbie
Shu" died in March after a long illness. We send our prayers and
heartfelt sympathy to Alayne and her family.
-- Kristen Dobson, Managing Editor