From Green Right Now Reports

As part of Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, which continues through Oct. 24, the US Environmental Protection Agency is urging families to be aware of the hazards presented by lead and lead-based paint in the home and in childcare facilities.

Lead poisoning is the number one environmental health threat to children in the United States, ages 6 and younger. And families may have lead around the home without knowing it because it can’t be seen, tasted, or smelled. Because it does not break down naturally, lead can remain a problem until it is removed.

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By Barbara Kessler
Green Right Now

Planning a low-impact, money-saving Halloween is so much more rewarding than trying to turn some other holidays green. You don’t have to argue with relatives about whether or not to have a turkey, or disappoint the kids with gifts to humanitarian causes in their names at Christmas. All you really need to do is think creatively, get holistic about your pumpkin, maybe dust off the sewing machine and take it easy at the store.

Here are our best nine ideas to help you get started.

Halloween Chico Bag

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By Clint Williams and Sommer Saadi
Green Right Now

Sustainability and nature appreciation walk hand in hand. But surprisingly, there are still just a few U.S. vacation venues lodged lightly in nature’s embrace. If you want to “go green” you can camp out all over North America, but you can’t necessarily find a hotel that hugs the woods (or the beach) and boasts full green credentials and white linen service.

Here are a handful of green getaways that nestle nature, but don’t necessarily involve nesting with nature. We set the bar fairly low, requiring that these hotels have mattresses, hot food, indoor showers, and a LEED rating of some sort. We begin with Callaway Gardens, a great place to enjoy a respite from urban hustle amid botanical delights.

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From Green Right Now Reports:

The New York Botanical Garden, historically green by nature, is helping New Yorkers cultivate ever greener ways. This summer it is featuring “edible evenings,” a celebration of home-grown food with tips from chefs and help for getting kids involved in gardening.

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By Melissa Segrest
Green Right Now

You’re picky, selecting only the best organic fruits and vegetables, or cruelty-free meats and poultry to prepare healthy, well-balanced meals for your family.

You might not be so thoughtful when it comes to your dog’s dining choices. Does it come straight off the grocery store shelf, plopped from can or bag into Fido’s bowl? OK, maybe we’re being too tough on you. Perhaps you lovingly spring for the extra cost of organic, natural dog food from the pet store or the Web.

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By Laura Elizabeth May
Green Right Now

Grandparents.com has launched a campaign to get grandparents and grandchildren off the couch and outside. The goal of the “Go Play Outside” campaign is to have 1 million hours of play logged by the end of the summer.

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By Melissa Segrest
Green Right Now

Paul Dorn knows that getting Americans to ride a bike to work instead of driving a car is quite the uphill battle. Even on a good day, he says, only a tiny percentage of the nation’s commuters use pedal power to get to their jobs.

He remains undeterred.

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By Laura Elizabeth May
Green Right Now

When getting ready for Mother’s Day, don’t forget about Mother Earth. We have gathered eight ideas that your mother will love and won’t hurt the earth.

A Gift That Blooms

1. Flowers are always right for Mom’s Day. If you are leaning in that direction, consider buying local blooms from a local florist. Picking out flowers that are grown locally cuts down on the amount of gas used to bring you that flower, and you will be supporting your neighborhood economy. If cut flowers aren’t easily found, look for a perennial or shrub in a pot.

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By Barbara Kessler and Harriet Blake
Green Right Now

As Earth Day approaches, one of the most significant things you can do is to help a child celebrate nature and embrace a greener lifestyle. Here are ten ideas for creating a fun and meaningful Earth Day celebration.

1 – Picnic (with local food)

Get outdoors and enjoy a snack with the squirrels and ants. To really get the most out of this, take your favorite kid(s) to the market in preparation and let them search out local healthy foods. Even young kids can participate, choosing the apples, veggies and cheeses they want to include. So introduce them to the farmer’s market or local foods section of your neighborhood grocery. Look for organic and lower your impact by using reusable dinnerware and plates, or biodegradable paper plates.

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By Laura Elizabeth May
Green Right Now

Every little girl dreams about the perfect wedding growing up. Missing from that dream is the large amount of waste caused by that wedding. When it came time for Tara Brown-Selders to walk down the aisle, she could not imagine having an event that produced so much waste. “When I learned how much waste is produced by a single event, I knew I could not have the traditional wedding,” she said.

Her then-boyfriend, Michael Selders, proposed with her great grandmother’s diamond that had also been used by her mother. By reusing the diamond, the couple had a green start to their wedding. GreenKarat also has earth friendly options for engagement rings and wedding rings using recycled metals and fair trade gems.

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By Hosea Sanders
WLS – Chicago

Chicago — Some parents are combining nutrition, convenience and eco-friendliness and they’re bringing it to a school cafeteria near you.

Parents get a guarantee that their kid’s lunch won’t consist of cheese pizza or chicken nuggets and for $5, they’ll also know they’re helping to protect the planet.

Check this out. No parents around and one kid chooses to devour apple chunks before a chocolate brownie with edamame as a close second. It’s every parents dream. He’s one of the students at Wilmot school in Deerfield who gets a green bag lunch.

> Watch Now

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By Barbara Kessler

After an outbreak of bad publicity earlier this year over bisphenol-A (BPA), the plastic additive which dozens of studies identify as a potential carcinogen and endocrine disruptor, the U.S. government promised to take another look. Its conclusion: BPA is safe.

The Federal Drug Administration had previously cleared BPA for use in an array of consumer products, such as clear plastic baby bottles, the resin lining in food cans and many other items. It promised a new review of the science after Canada proposed a ban of BPA in baby bottles and manufacturers of polycarbonate water bottles began voluntarily giving up BPA. All cited concerns over the plastics’ tendency to leach when when warmed and possible harmful effects on humans, particularly children.

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