New Climate Change Standards for Schools (it's about time!)

There's been little guidance for teachers about how to teach students about climate change. And since we've moved a great deal from this being "controversial" to global warming simple being based on sound science, educators need to consider how to teach this topic in a way that will inspire and educate  students and not scare them.

Thankfully, Mark McCaffrey of the National Center for Science Education, has been thinking about this too. He is quoted on the developing standards for climate change in this recent story on NPR.

"Only 1 in 5 [students] feel like they've got a good handle on climate change from what they've learned in school," he says, adding that surveys show two-thirds of students say they're not learning much at all about it. "So the state of climate change education in the U.S. is abysmal."

It's no wonder the delivery of climate change as a concept has been spotty at best. Teachers are under constant scrutiny about this issue by parents and the media.  The article highlights how climate change is often presented by teachers. Because of the political ramifications for teaching about climate change fully, as you would, say about the rock cycle or the water cycle, teachers can often present the topic as a controversy, in a way that views both as equally supported and scientifically viable equals, where they are far from it. The story points out that it is easy for students to become confused.

Teachers need some guidance and support about how best to teach these concepts, from scientists and educational experts.  New standards in this regard will undoubtedly be helpful. I know from personal experience that this is tricky business with students that grow up with in very religious or right wing media drenched households. Educators want to respect the backgrounds of their students, but also to present the most accurate, scientifically correct information for their classes.

Essential to teaching about climate change and other difficult environmental topics is to empower students by showing clear ways they can make a difference. Let's face it-- this generation has to learn about climate change because they are the ones who will see a dramatic shift beyond what we have seen in the last 20 years.  They'll be our next leaders asking us why we waited so long to take serious action.

So, as teachers, we have a lot of work to do. I look forward to seeing these new standards for teaching climate change and hope they can make a difference on this issue and support teachers in their quest to best inform students about science and the environment.

What do you think? Are you kids learning about climate change in school? Do you think they should?

Watch an 8 year old girl tell Dr. Oz: Organics aren't snobby, but safer and healthier!

When Dr. Oz wrote about how organic foods were no healthier then conventional foods, I was stunned, like many healthy food advocates, environmentalists, and organic farmers. Here was a famous health advocate, someone who expouses the merits of eating whole foods, telling Americans to eat BPA laden canned foods?

He said: "Organic food is great, it's just not very democratic. As a food lover, I enjoy truffle oil, European cheeses and heirloom tomatoes as much as the next person. But as a doctor, I know that patients don't always have the time, energy or budget to shop for artisanal ingredients and whip them into a meal."

Of course he skipped over the mountains of research linking exposure to pesticides from food to numerous health problems and diseases, and the health problems of farm workers exposed to these toxic chemicals.  He also stigmatized all of the families working hard to buy healthy, local, and organic food as snobby foodies.

6 Tips for Prolonged Latent Labor (when patience is running thin!)

My second baby was 9 days overdue.  This may not seem like a long time in the scheme of a pregnancy, but if you have ever been pregnant, you know that at the end, doing just about anything is a serious challenge. Sleeping. Eating. Bending over. Standing. Being awake. Nine days in this state is an eternity.

And everyone, everyone is all-- "when's that baby gonna come!" and  "feel anything yet?" to "you look like you are going to pop!" which is simply just loads of fun. 

So, for all those mamas out there experiencing prolonged latent labor, and all of their families (especially partners!) and friends, here is a helpful list for you.

1. Do not call and see if she has had the baby yet. She hasn't. She doesn't really want to answer the phone and be a disappointment because she hasn't produced a living thing yet.  She will call you.  You may need your partner to answer all the phone calls, or leave a message that simply says, "Not yet!"

2. Do not under any circumstances call it false labor. There is nothing about it that feels "false." Calling it false may demand that you are kicked in the teeth by a overdue pregnant woman. Nothing good can come of this. If you must discuss on again, off again labor, which is real, painful, LABOR, call it latent labor. 

3. Please do not tell women pregnant with their second child how fast this one will be. Oh, I held on to that like a lucky charm. When I was overdue I felt betrayed by the sisterhood!  It wasn't fast!  It wasn't easy!  How could that be?  Going in to birth with that mindset is a set up.  Each birth is its unique story and journey, and it doesn't matter how many times you have done it before, each one is different.

4.  Find support. This was a lifeline for me, at 3am, when I was up all night with labor leading no where. To find other women who had been through this meant the world to me.  I found my support on Mothertalkers. They came to me online and shared their stories. It mattered. I wasn't alone. And I would be okay. 

Moms Not Lovin It! (McDonalds, stop marketing unhealthy food to our kids)

Moms are tired of fighting corporate fast food marketing at the grocery store, on TV, in movies, online, on the radio, and even in our schools.  For Mother's Day, let's call on McDonald's to stop the aggressive marketing to children!  

The White House , four federal agencies (FTC, FDA, CDC, and the USDA) and the American Academy of Pediatrics have all recommended that McDonald’s and its competitors stop promoting junk food to children, finding that marketing to children under 8 is “inherently deceptive” and “wholly exploitative.”

Nevertheless, McDonald’s continues with its deceptive marketing campaigns designed specifically to appeal to young children, while convincing parents that their food is healthy.  

McDonald’s uses television, cross-promotions with kids’ shows and movies, celebrities and role models, radio, the Internet, video games and even schools, to completely envelope the environment children grow up in with their marketing.  McDonald’s also runs more playgrounds and gives away more toys than any other private entity in the world.  They use Ronald McDonald, a friendly cartoon character, to entice children to buy their products.  Sound familiar?

Glade: Stop Keeping Toxic Secrets (you've upset Emma and parents everywhere!)

SC Johnson, makers of Glade air fresheners, say they’re committed to transparency: “We know you value transparency, and we’re committed to sharing what’s inside our products.” 

Except when it comes to fragrance ingredients.

Women’s Voices for the Earth’s product testing shows allergens and hormone disruptors like synthetic musks hiding out in Glade air fresheners. But you won’t find these chemicals on the label, because the makers of Glade keep fragrance ingredients a secret from consumers. What else is Glade hiding?

We have a right to know what’s in the products we bring into our homes. And we have the power to convince Glade to put an end to this secrecy. They’ve said it themselves: “As a family company, listening and responding to consumers is [our] top priority.”

Hmmm. Let's review what's in Glade air fresheners that has baby Emma (and us) all upset:

Toxic Chemicals Found in Glade
(These are just a few of the hundreds of fragrance chemicals that may be part of a Glade fragrance)

Synthetic musks. Test results in WVE’s 2011 Dirty Secrets report found one of these toxic chemicals hiding out in Glade. 

Musks are:  

• persistent (they don’t break down in the environment); bioaccumulative (they build up in our bodies) 
• potential hormone disruptors 
• may break down the body’s defenses against other toxic exposures 
• showing up in our blood and breast milk 

Allergens. Test results in WVE’s 2011 Dirty Secrets report also found several allergens in Glade products. Tens of millions of people are sensitized to these chemicals, which cause reactions that range from red bumps, itchiness and wheezing to severe breathing problems.

SC Johnson’s Fragrance Palette SC Johnson, makers of Glade, has published a master list of nearly 1,500 ingredients they use in their fragrances. However, these ingredients aren’t product-specific, which means that SCJ fragranced products may include any of those chemicals. This massive list is all but useless to the consumer.

Some chemicals of concern in the fragrance palette:

• Synthetic musks: Galaxolide and Tonalide. 
• All 26 of the allergens currently disclosed on SCJ product labels in the European Union (EU). SCJ doesn’t disclose these allergens on product labels in the US because they’re not required to by law. 
• Several additional allergens, which have been deemed of concern in the EU. 
• Several chemicals of concern identified by an EU panel as having no publicly available human safety data. 
• Terpenes, which can react with ground level ozone in the air to form cancer-causing formaldehyde. 
• Petroleum – the same compound in gasoline 

So, you can see the problem. That's why we need YOU! Let's put parental pressure on Glade to do the right thing and list (and eliminate) the harmful toxic chemicals used their air fresheners (and all products).

What can you do? Quick and easy steps:

Action 1--LIKE/SHAREthis image to help us make the images go viral on social media to spread the word to as many people as possible.

Action 2--TAKEACTION: Post image to Glade’s Facebook page and tell them you have a right to know what you’re spraying in your home.

Join Team ENERGY STAR in the EPIC Fight to Protect the Climate!

Last year, I was part of Team ENERGY STAR, a  an exciting initiative developed to engage and educate American youth and their families about saving energy in the home. Team ENERGY STAR empowers kids to help protect the climate through easy-to-implement, money-saving actions and provides them an outlet for sharing their passion for preserving our environment.

This year ENERGY STAR partners PTO Today and LG Electronics have brought in the heroic characters from the new movie EPIC, to help kids learn about the importance of saving energy while having fun at the same time.

How can you and your kids get involved? Easy!

Kids can join Team ENERGY STAR by visiting energystar.gov/team where they will get easy-to-download educational and interactive materials, such as a comprehensive Action Kit with the ENERGY STAR Home Check-Up, an EPIC-themed activity booklet, and a Professor Bomba’s Binoculars kit to help kids see the world in a whole new way. Kids are also encouraged to come back and share their stories about protecting the environment by saving energy to inspire others. Participants even have a chance to win cool prizes from PTO Today courtesy of Fox and LG Electronics USA. Stories will be showcased on ENERGY STAR’s social media pages and the top stories will be featured on LG’s electronic billboard in New York’s Times Square. How cool is that?

Why Save Energy?

About 70 percent of the electricity we use comes from power plants burning fossil fuels. Burning fossil fuels causes greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change - a real and urgent challenge affecting people and the environment worldwide. Using energy-efficient products and practices reduces the amount of carbon pollution added to the atmosphere and can lessen the effects of climate change.

What does saving energy have to do with our health?

Plenty! As I have written about before here and at Moms Clean Air Force, the Earth’s climate is changing in ways that can have serious consequences for public health. Climate change will likely increase the number of people suffering from illness and injury due to more pollution, extreme heat, floods, storms, droughts and fires as well as allergies and infectious disease. The elderly, the very young, the disabled, and the poor alone are especially vulnerable, as are people with heart disease or asthma. Climate change is also expected to cause more severe allergy symptoms because a warmer climate promotes the growth of molds, weeds, grasses and trees that cause allergic reactions.

What’s the impact of ENERGY STAR?

Over the past 20 years, Americans with help from ENERGY STAR have saved over $230 billion on utility bills, preventing more than 1.8 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.  That is amazing!  Let's grow these numbers even larger. Just think of the impact.

How can parents get involved?

·   Take action to reduce your energy use at home

· Help your family and friends save energy

· Encourage your family and friends to take the ENERGY STAR Pledge

· Inspire others by sharing your story

That's it! Please visit energystar.gov/team a visit to learn more about saving energy, ENERGY STAR appliances, to find a fun and engaging activity book for kids about saving energy, and to be entered for great prizes!

Top 10 Green Scams of 2013

(Here is a guest post from our friends at The Green Life Online. I am particularly disturbed by Kashi and Apple. What surprised you?) 

On Earth Day, it can seem like every company, product, and marketer is suddenly touting their eco-friendliness and green cred. It’s mostly hogwash – well,greenwash, to be specific. And it’s hard to tell the truly green from the green scams.

To help out, The Green Life Online released the annual “Don’t Be Fooled” report. The report lists the top 10 cases of green scams from the past year. 

“Lots of companies are eager to jump on the Earth Day bandwagon,” said Jeff Gang, coordinator of The Green Life Online. “But consumers are skeptical. We want to see substantive changes in environmental practices, not just greenwash ad campaigns.”

The Green Life Online is calling for marketers to stop making misleading claims, and urges consumers to vote on the top scams, and report new greenwash scams through their online tool.

“It’s not just dishonest to greenwash your products,” says Gang. “It undermines products and companies that truly care about the planet. And it has to stop.”

“Earth Day is over. But our task is year-round: together, we can change our lives for the greener. Especially if green scams stop getting in the way,” he said.

Here, in alphabetical order, are the top green scams of the past year:

1. Amazon: Despite FTC action ordering them to stop, Amazon continued selling rayon sheets labeled as “100% bamboo.”

2. Apple advertises the new Retina Macbook Pro laptop as “the world’s greenest,” but experts say it’s the “least repairable, least recyclable” computer in a decade.

3. Audubon International: certifier of golf courses under dubious standards, using the well-known name and bird logo, despite no affiliation with the Audubon Society

5 Meaningful Mother's Day Gifts That Give Back

I have mad love for all the mamas out there! So many amazing women holding the world together with love, care, strength, compassion, spirit, and kindness. You need AT LEAST one day where you are doted on (many days, in my opinion). In that spirit, I give you a virtual hug and encourage you to let your loved ones know (ahem, husband or partner) how you would like to spend the day and what you might like as a present.  And some need less subtlety, such as forwarding this post with which number you would like!

Here are many ways to give back in the spirit of motherhood, and other gift ideas. For you, for your mom, and for grandma too. Please add yours in the comments!

1. Show mother love to an abandoned or abused farm animal.  You can ask to sponsor an individual animal at Farm Sanctuary and learn all about what sweet creature you are helping. 

2. Consider giving a woman in need a safe birth, maternal health care, or a clean water gift. Motherhood is a sisterhood, and many mamas don't have access to the basic care that will keep they and their babies safe and healthy. You can ask your partner to give you an IRC Rescue gift to ensure the sisterhood continues.  

3. What does your mom want?  Photos of the grand kids, of course!  You can create a personalized mother's day card with pictures of your little sweeties and have Tiny Prints send them directly to your recipient.  No hassle.  Just memories. Love that.  

4.  Honor your mom by giving to those who have no mom. Here is an amazing project that improves orphanages to raise children in a loving, stable, and organized home. This is a real chance to make a huge difference in the lives of children who have no mother.

5.  Ask for items to detox your home from our friends at MightyNest. Get plastic out of your kitchen, lunch gear, or grab a new plastic-free water bottle or coffee mug. You deserve it!  You can find sweet and healthy gifts for anyone at this site and you know it is safe, green and toxin free.