The Green Parent

I’ll admit it…I hate to clean. I am not one of those lucky folks who finds cleaning to be relaxing or therapeutic. Instead, I think it is a chore. Unfortunately, I am one of those folks who really likes to have a clean house. So it is a chore that I tackle regularly. The good [...]

Brr…Well folks, summer is officially over and the crisp cool air of fall is moving in. Before you know it, winter will be here, and despite the best efforts of global warming, many of us will still have to deal with snow and ice this season. And while the white stuff isn’t falling yet, the [...]

As a Green Parent, I try to minimize my impact on the environment each day, especially at the store. I take the time to buy organic and locally grown foods as well as all-natural personal care products whenever possible. I check ingredient labels and “vote with my wallet” to support companies with an environmental backbone. [...]

There are tons of exciting new green options for folks interested in building or remodeling their home. Even if you aren’t going to DIY your project, take a look at the U.S. Green Building Council’s website. The USGBC has develed an eco-savvy rating system called LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) that serves as [...]

New parents are inundated with new decisions, often on topics that have never before crossed their minds; bottle or breast? paci or thumb? co-sleep or crib? Of these decisions, none is more vexing than diapers. It would seem from the great diaper debate that there is simply no eco-friendly way to diaper a child. Sure, [...]

Eben Bayer grew up around mushrooms, helping his father harvest fungi on their farm in Vermont. But he probably never realized he might be inspired by mushrooms to patent an invention that would take the green building movement by storm. Bayer, and his classmate Gavin McIntyre, graduates of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., recently [...]

As a parent, I knew that I did not want to raise my kids in a world full of toxins. And I wanted my kids to respect the planet and the other species that share it with us. But let’s face it, there are days when it is all I can do to keep my [...]

Water plants first thing in the morning. The cooler temperatures will prevent water from evaporating too quickly and watering at dawn rather than dusk helps prevent the growth of fungus.

Set aside one day this month to repair dripping faucets and leaky toilets. Aside from being annoying, these little drips can add up to big dollars and major waste. Dripping faucets can waste up to 2,000 gallons of water each year in the average home, while leaky toilets can waste as much as 200 gallons [...]

Many parents rely heavily on pre-packaged and disposable goods when packing lunches. Sure, they’re convenient, but what is the cost of this convenience? Much of the trash generated in the American home comes from the packaging on the food we buy. According to Wastefreelunches.org, each school-age child who packs a disposable lunch generates 67 pounds [...]