To be a ‘green- parent’, you don’t have to be living ‘off the grid’ or have a ‘green roof’ or be re-using your shower water to water your lawn, there are loads of ways in which we can live sustainably. From the food you eat and feed your children, to the light with which you read your children’s stories to, being an environmentally conscious parent is all about day to day things you do to make the world a greener place.
class="sizeLess20">Once you become familiar to what exactly global warming is and then make choices that will attribute to preventing it while teaching your children to do the same, should be a goal that we parents are all are attempting to achieve. The problem is that so many people are not familiar with what exactly global warming is. Let me shed some light; according to the book “The Live Earth Global Warming Survival Handbook”, by Dave de Rothschild, this is how global warming works: “Energy from the Sun, in the form of light and heat, warms the Earth. Heat rises, and some of it heads back into space. Most of it, though, is trapped by molecules in the atmosphere- molecules of “greenhouse gases,” named because their effect is just like that of a greenhouse. Water vapor is a primary greenhouse gas, in addition to carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) , methane , and nitrous oxide. All are natural, indeed, without the greenhouse effect; the Earth would be cold and uninhabitable. The problem is, that we have greatly increased the amount of CO 2, methane, and nitrous oxide in the atmosphere, mostly by bringing things, like forests and fossil fuels. Before the Industrial Revolution, there were 280 parts per million (ppm) of CO 2 in the atmosphere. Today, CO 2 is about 380 ppm. Factor in all the other man-made emissions, and the result is equivalent to 430 ppm of CO 2 .” He goes on to talk about how over the last thirty years the earth temperature has actually raisen 1 ° F, which doesn’t sound like much, but when you compare it the fact that what caused the Ice Age shift was 2 to 4 ° F, yikes, that is scary. He says by 2020 it is possible for our Earth to warm another degree if we keep doing what we’ve been doing…. neglecting the Earth. And unfortunately for us and our blissfully ignorant children, the greenhouse emissions are getting so bad and accelerating so fast, that if we continue as we are, rates could double by 2050, and unless all countries adopt some carbon saving ideas as well, it could happen as soon as 2035. It is scary to think what will happen if our greenhouse gases rise 4 ° F, and what our children’s futures will look like. Water shortages, famine, extinction of many animals, to name just a few…and what about our melting ice caps and the raising of the sea levels…it is all so scary, we must do something to stop it, or at least slow it!
Here are several ways in which you can take Global Warming into your own hands, and help to slow it:
1) Just as you carefully as you chose a book to read your children at night, do the same when selecting a bulb to shed light on that story time. As I am sure you have heard before, but I am going to say it again…CHANGE YOUR LIGHTBULBS, to a compact fluorescent (CFL) energy saving light bulb. I asked my mother the other day if she had switched out her light bulbs yet, and she said no, because her and her husband had too many regular light bulbs and they didn’t want them going to waste. I wanted to scream…Nooooo! This is not the answer that will help save our planet. Recycle those old light bulbs and put in the energy savings ones. As Rothschild says, “If every household in the UK used just one energy saving light bulb, it would be enough to shut down a power station.” Also, one CFL’s mercury content is a quarter less (2.4 mg) than the 10 mg a coal burning power plant pumps into the atmosphere to power up just one incandescent bulb! And even thought the upfront cost of a CFL is higher, their reduced energy use paired with their long life equals long term energy and cost savings. It is an easy change that makes a huge difference, change bulbs = save money and the environment! Now if think that these new energy saving bulbs will make you look like a ghost in your bathroom, then you will happy to know that technology has brought fourth quite a few options of nice hues to choose from. There are so many bulbs on the market today and even some that give off the same exact light that bulb you have been using for years (called ‘warm white compact fluorescents). Remember to always recycle your CFL’s because they contain mercury that could leech into our soil and waterways!
2) Just say NO… to plastic that is. Don’t buy bottled water, buy a home filter; don’t take plastic bags from the store, bring your own bag; don’t buy products that are enveloped in a bunch of plastic, buy bulk and bring your own containers. It can be hard to avoid plastic, but the least we can do is try to avoid it, right? As parents, it is extremely important to avoid plastic toys, plastic sippy cups and even yoga mats that contain PVC, a plastic, as it contains harmful chemicals and toxins that could be very dangerous if they come in contact with our children. Additionally, plastic toys are derived from petroleum, which takes a huge toll on the environment, that makes them a bad choice from the start.
3) Pull the plugs…out of the walls! Every time your television is turned off, but it still has a little glowing light illuminated, that means it is still sucking up energy. Pull out the plugs on all your electronics and appliances. Just because they are turned off doesn’t mean they are really off. Micro-waves, cell phone chargers, laptops, pull them all out of the wall, and you could save up to 10% or more on the energy related emissions coming from your home.
4) Use Recycled Paper, envelopes, note cards. Make sure that your printer is stocked with 100% recycled paper, and you could save five pounds of carbon dioxide per ream.
5) Just turn it off. Water is wasted every day by thousands of people that just don’t think to turn the knob. When brushing, showering, washing dishes, turn the water off when you don’t really need it. Shaving your legs? Turn it off. And take a short shower. If Jennifer Anniston can take a three-minute shower, every time, then so can you! “Every two minutes in the shower uses as much water as a person in Africa uses for everything in their life for the whole day- drinking, bathing, cooking, and cleaning, everything!” -Jennifer Anniston, “The Green Book” 2
6) Stop eating meat. And I am not just saying this because I am a vegetarian; it is because livestock adds more greenhouse gases to our atmosphere than transportation! Yes, the cows farts are ruining our planet…. gross! Livestock creates 18% of our total emissions, from “Enteric fermentation” a.k.a flatulence a.k.a methane, and the manure creates and releases nitrous oxide. So if the animal cruelty doesn’t change your mind, maybe global warming will!3
7) Run your dishwasher full, and your clothes washer on cold rinse cycles every time you run a load. You could save up to 100 lbs of carbon dioxide and approximately $40 on your energy bill, and 20 gallons of water per dish per load just by running full loads in your dishwasher. And by running your clothes washer on cold you could save 90 percent over what is used when running it with hot water. And if you really want to show you care air dry your clothes and you could save 700 lbs of CO 2 in six months, or double that if you are in a snow free zone.4
8) Buy a programmable thermostat. If you just set your thermostat two degrees lower in the wintertime, you can save four percent on your bills and reduce the total emissions that your home creates (which is on average 22,000 pounds per year, more than twice that of cars).5
9) Ride, Bike, Walk, or take Public Transportation. Going to work or taking the kids to school will honestly be a more enjoyable experience if you include the outdoors. It is better for your health and it is so much better for our poor deteriorating environment. One bus can carry as many people as fifty cars, and subways, and trains double and triple that number. The people of Denmark are noted to be the happiest people in the whole world, maybe it is because 33% of their commuters travel by bicycle.9 And I know what you might be saying as parents…how can I incorporate bike riding with kids? Well from first had experience having two young boys myself; you can walk or bike with your children to school, to the library or park, and to run errands. To make it easier to walk or bike with young children, you can purchase a jogging stroller or a trailer that attaches to your bike. Encouraging older children to walk or bike will promote healthy habits that they can enjoy throughout their lives. In the first two years of my son Gianni’s life, I put more miles on my baby jogger then on my car, and you can do the same, you just have to put your heart into it. Oh, and by the way I was in the best shape of my life then, more so then when I was a varsity runner for the University! So moms (and dads), get a baby jogger and get moving!
10) Talk to your kids about Global Warming. Here is a how: 1) Be calm. 2) Don’t make your kids obsessed over Global Warming by telling them the earth is going to crumble into the ground, just show them that you care about the environment because you want it to stay nice and pretty the way that it is today. 3) Be careful of what information comes in to your home regarding Global Warming. You don’t want your kids to be scared; you just want them to be educated. So when the news comes on, make sure you explain it and don’t just let their little minds wonder. 4) Get your kids fit, and it is a known fact that kids get the best exercise playing hard. So go outside and play tag, go to the beach and “jump waves” as my son calls it, play hid and go seek at the park (and hide where they have to climb or run to find you), go for a jog and have your kids ride their bikes with you. It is easy to keep your kids fit if you’re involved. If you get your kids minds wrapped around how wonderful the outdoors are and mother nature, then they will understand why you want to keep her around!
11) Take a test, an energy consumption test. If you just take a couple of minutes to fill out a Personal Emissions Calculator (there are many online, like the one at conservation.org) and then you can utilize some of the tips from above or set some goals for offsetting in the near future. After a few months of really making it a point to be greener, then you can log back on and fill out the calculator again to see how you are doing. Seeing it in front of your eyes will really help you change your current behavior and habits.
I recently read an article about the Artic sea ice melt, where the dire situation our Artic sea is in was described; and it sent a chill through my body. Over a million square miles shrank in the Artic Circle this past summer, which shattered all previous records. This is affecting the Artic wildlife, pushing them towards extinction; Marine mammals, and attributing to Global Warming. The article stated, “The Artic melt is expected to amplify the Earth’s warming, as there is less sea ice to reflect sunlight back into space and more Dark Ocean to absorb solar energy. Warmer water flowing from the Pacific Ocean through the Bering Strait into the Artic Ocean and fresher water flowing into the North Atlantic from the Arctic also will change ocean temperatures and currents.” 6 The Endangered Species Act has stated “the stunning thing is that there’s less sea ice in the Artic now than most climate models project for 2050.” This should really be an eye opener for anyone out there that still doesn’t “believe” in global warming!! It is definitely happening, and this is just one, out of the hundreds of articles out there written about instances that prove that there is a global warming going on!
References:
- “The Live Earth Global Warming Survival Handbook”, by Dave de Rothschild
- “The Green Book”, by Elizabeth Rogers and Thomas M. Kostigen
- http://www.goveg.com/
- http://www.usgbc.org/
- http://www.activetransportation.org/
- “Sea ice melt sets chilling record”, by Jane Ka, The San Francisco chronicle
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Here is a list at what we have been doing over the last few days, to help you SAHM's like me figure out something to do with your kids (when you can't rack your brain anymore) and keep them happy and you happy too!
