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Making crayons last

Jenn Savedge , Forecast Earth Correspondent — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:00:00 PDT

When I think about Big Oil, rising gas prices, and global warming, I rarely think about my children's art supplies. But the fact of the matter is that many of those supplies, particularly their ubiquitous crayons, are made from petroleum. Therefore, their production contributes to the myriad of environmental problems we are facing today. How do I avoid being part of the problem without denying my children the opportunity to enjoy their favorite activity?

When I'm in the market for new crayons, I look for products made without petroleum such as the soy-based Crayon Rocks or Stockmar Beeswax Crayons made from (you guessed it) beeswax. The only problem with these crayons is that they're a bit on the pricey side. I'll happily buy these eco-friendly options when necessary, but I prefer to stretch the supplies we have as much as possible to limit the expense.

Like it or not, my kids come home with handfuls of those petroleum-based crayons from restaurants, birthday parties, and visits with the grandparents. Rather than waste them, we make sure we get our mileage out of them by using every last nub. Every now and again we go through the crayon stash and pull out any crayons that are too small for coloring and we melt them together to make new colors, new shapes, and most importantly, new crayons. Here's how:

Take a muffin tin and line it with aluminum muffin cups. Fill each cup half way with crayons (you can sort by colors or mix and match to make new colors). Place in oven on low heat (about 250 degrees Farhenheit) for about 10 minutes. Be sure to watch crayons carefully as oven times vary! Take muffin tray out of oven and allow crayons to cool for 30 minutes. Remove the aluminum liners and save for and reuse next time or toss in the recycling bin. Viola! New crayons.

One note of warning: Your new crayons will be the shape and size of a small muffin. This is great for small hands but not so great for itty-bitty hands that might mistake a crayon for an actual muffin. As a general rule of thumb, don't try this with children younger than three or those that still like to taste their art supplies!

Jenn Savedge's blog posts are provided by LifeWire, a part of The New York Times Company.

How green is your college?

Trystan L. Bass — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 16:28:47 PDT

As the class of 2012 heads off to university this fall and new high-school seniors start the admissions process, some may wonder if their college of choice fits with their own environmental ideals.

Recently, the Princeton Review added a green rating to its annual ranking of the best colleges. This score measures how "environmentally friendly, responsible, and committed the institutions are."

The schools that scored 99 (out of 100) are:

Arizona State University, Tempe
Bates College
Binghamton University
College of the Atlantic
Emory University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Harvard University
University of New Hampshire
University of Oregon
University of Washington
Yale University

The complete list is in the 2009 editions of three Princeton Review college books.

But what really makes for a "green college"? Different organizations have their own criteria, so if the environment is an important factor in where you'll be spending the next four+ years (and a boatload of money), compare lists and do more research.

For two years, the independent Sustainable Endowments Institute has published a Green Report Card. The full report is available as a PDF online, and it evaluates 200 public and private universities.

The Green Report Card looks at more than just green buildings and recycling. It asks how the schools are using their substantial endowments to support sustainable efforts and fight climate change.

Overall college sustainability leaders on the report card include:

Carleton College
Dartmouth College
Harvard University
Middlebury College
University of Washington
University of Virginia

Check out the complete report card for more high-ranking green schools.

And then there are more subjective lists, like the Daily Green's top 10 colleges, Grist's 15 greenest colleges, the Sierra Club's 10 cool schools, and Campus Corner's greenest college towns.

You'll see some overlap in all these rankings. For example, everybody loves Harvard's green campus initiatives, and how can the tiny College of the Atlantic go wrong with a 100% focus on human ecology and sustainability?

But lesser-known schools and not-obviously green schools are looking to reduce their carbon footprint too. Over 550 university presidents have signed on to the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, which pledges to eliminate campus greenhouse gas emissions. Signatories include Boise State University, Eckerd College, Indiana State University, Temple University, and University of North Texas.

Seems like every school has its own take on what's earth-friendly, and the efforts are often run by the students. You might find co-eds timing their showers in a "sustainability" dorm like Oberlin's Student Experiment in Ecological Design house. Or you can do it in the dark with students at Williams College -- they turned out lights for the whole month of April as an Earth Day experiment.

No matter what the campus is doing, you can make the college years more eco-friendly on your own. Work in some of these environmentally friendly tips like putting CFLs in your dorm lights and using your printer wisely. The Green Student U site has more ideas, plus you can post your own suggestions.

The big green school bus

Forecast Earth Correspondent Jenn Savedge — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 10:53:59 PDT

My daughter, Emily, had orientation at her new school today. And even though she won't be riding the bus (we live two blocks from the school and will walk), one of the things that all of the children had to practice was how to line up and wait for the school bus. This got me thinking about an article that I read a few years ago about bus idling.

According to a Yale University study, children who ride a school bus are exposed to up to 15 times more particulate pollution than average. The study found that the increased exposure was caused by the practice of bus idling or allowing the buses to line up and idle in front of the schools while waiting to pick up students.

Idling buses fill up with harmful fumes and particulate pollution that stay with the kids throughout their ride. What's worse, the buses waste gas, contribute to air pollution, and release the carbon dioxide emissions that are responsible for global warming.

That's bad news for all of us, especially the 24 million American children who ride a school bus each day. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has developed the Clean School Bus USA program to inform schools about the problem and help them develop a policy to ban bus idling.

But at Emily's school, no such policy yet exists. I asked the principal and her teachers about it today and was met with a puzzled yet curious response. They had never thought of it before but were interested in hearing more.

So I directed them to the EPA's official Clean School Bus USA website for more information. And you can bet I'll follow up at the next PTA meeting.

Jenn Savedge's blog posts are provided by LifeWire, a part of The New York Times Company.

Bad science in public school classrooms

Lisa Moore — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 09:33:09 PDT

Just when we're finally having the kind of national conversation we need about global warming, those who are ignoring scientific evidence are making a last-gasp effort to divert our attention: They're sneaking myths and deceptions into America's science classrooms.

In Louisiana's recent "Science Education Act," they joined forces with advocates of teaching creationism under the guise of promoting "critical thinking" on select scientific topics, including climate change. Signed into law by Governor Bobby Jindal, the law actually provides cover for teachers who want to promote perspectives not founded in science.

Ironically, last year Congress asked the National Academies to recommend steps the U.S. could take to "successfully compete, prosper, and be secure in the global community of the 21st century". Number one on the list was "vastly improving K-12 science and mathematics education."

Laws like the one in Louisiana do exactly the opposite. They hurt, not help, our future competitiveness -- not to mention, hinder our ability to understand and respond to a warming world.

To track these bills like these and learn more about defending science education, visit the National Center for Science Education.

This post is by Lisa Moore, Ph.D., a scientist in the Climate and Air program at Environmental Defense Fund.

EcoGeek’s guide to going back to school with style

Jaymi Heimbuch — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:21:08 PDT

Itâs getting to that time of year when schools are starting back up and everyone is heading out to stock up on necessities. EcoGeek has a few items that can go on your green tech shopping list...

Itâs important to have the right computer equipment on your desk from day one. Thankfully, there are a lot of green options to choose from, especially since Dell came out with its new green PC. You can choose a color that suits your style, or go classy with the bamboo cover. That would, after all, match a new bamboo-covered external hard drive for a back-up database, which youâll want since computers are notorious for crashing in the middle of term papers.

If you want something cute, rather than sleek, you can hold off and wait for the tiny 10.5 oz PC CherryPal to come out. Compliment either selection with a green-running monitor like the zero-watt monitor from Fujitsu Siemens.

If youâre not a PC person and prefer your Mac Book, you can go green by charging it via solar power with an Apple Juicz or a Powergorilla.

Should you need a green router, you can pick up a new router from D-Link that saves significantly on energy use. And to finish off your set-up, grab Googleâs mouse made of recycled materials, and wow your classmates with the worldâs first green USB drive.

Now on to classroom items. If youâre hunting for school uniforms, you can head over to HippyShopper for organic attire. GreenEyedFrog has the skinny on earth-friendly pens, pencils, and cases -- not all that geeky, but basic necessities nonetheless. Also, youâll need a stapler for all those papers youâre handing in, but you can lighten your load by going with a staple-less stapler and save the earth on resources that go into staple-making.

Carrying textbooks is a drag, so when you can, load them up on an e-reader. You can go stylish with the Sony Reader, or go for easy downloading with the Kindle. Weâre still waiting on the Papyrus, so no PMing your teacher or asking classmates for hints yet. Sigh.

To make sure you wake up for class on time, try out a water-powered clock. Pack everything up in your solar backpack so you can charge your gadgets on the run, and youâre good to go.

Have fun, learn lots!

Greening your school supplies

Forecast Earth Correspondent Jenn Savedge — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:10:54 PDT

"You have got to be kidding me!" So said my eldest daughter Emily when she heard the devastating news that the new school year begins in just two short weeks.

Clearly, she's not terribly excited to see summer come to an end. Her comment came as I was reading a memo about the new school supplies she would need at the start of the year.

While reading the list, my mind immediately kicked into gear, calculating not only the financial but the environmental costs of each of the items: notebooks, folders, binders, art supplies, as well as a backpack, a pencil case, and even some paper supplies to stock the classroom.

Each item on the list consumes energy and resources to produce and ship and creates mountains of waste in packaging. I embarked on a mission to find a greener version of every item.

Phase one of the operation involved a quick recon around the house. After rummaging in the office, in the closets, and under the bed, I found a backpack, two notebooks, a pencil case, and a ridiculous assortment of writing implements and craft supplies. That took care of more than half of the stuff on her list and I didn't spend a cent, create any waste, or consume any energy (except my own). On to phase two.

To pick up the remainder of the supplies, I checked out the stores and websites that I know such as Staples, the Green Office, and Sustainable Group that carry eco-friendly school gear like notebooks made from recycled paper and nontoxic art supplies.

There's no question that green school supplies cost a bit more than comparable items at the store, but with all of the money I saved on the items I didn't have to purchase, I still came in well under budget.

In the end, the mission was a success. Emily now has every item she needs to start the school year, at a minimal cost to both my wallet and the planet.

We're ready for school to begin. Well, I guess I can't say the same for Emily...

Jenn Savedge's blog posts are provided by LifeWire, a part of The New York Times Company.

Building green schools

Noah Buhayar — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 09:56:46 PDT

There's a lot each of us can do to make sure our schools have less impact on the planet, from rethinking how we get to and from campus to setting up recycling and compost programs to putting something different in our kids' lunchboxes.

But what about the facilities themselves? What can we do to make them healthier, better places to learn?

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) notes that one in five Americans goes to school every day. Yet more than 25 percent of the buildings these people study in are aging and considered dangerous to occupant health.

Fortunately, a small, but growing, number of schools are realizing that they don't have to build new schools the way they've built them in the past.

With the help of standards from USGBC, both public and private schools are pioneering new ways of designing facilities that bring more daylight into the classrooms, use less energy, conserve water, minimize or eliminate volatile organic compounds, and make use of sustainably sourced materials.

Even though these buildings cost on average about 2 percent more, according to research (PDF) compiled in 2006, they recoup those costs quickly through reduced operating costs.

One public high school that RMI's Built Environment Team worked on in Fort Collins, Colorado, saves about $100,000 per year on energy and water in its new facility. That's enough to hire two new teachers, buy 200 new computers, or 5,000 textbooks.

The benefits don't stop there. USGBC notes that green schools:

Provide a healthy learning and teaching environment.
Improve teacher retention and reduce absenteeism.
Offer hands-on learning opportunities.

The kids seem to be catching on, too. Check out this video of students at Sidwell Friends, the nation's largest Quaker school, talking about their new green building:

Inspired yet? Head on over to the USGBC's Build Green Schools site to figure out how you can make these kinds of schools a reality in your district and nationwide.

Noah Buhayar is a fellow at Rocky Mountain Institute.

The kid's treasure chest

Forecast Earth Correspondent Jenn Savedge — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 14:00:00 PDT

Like most kids, my girls love a good craft. Give them an empty box, a glue stick, and some markers, and before long they will have a rocket ship, a cooking stove, or a dollhouse.

All this crafting is great for their creativity, but a little rough on the environment in the amount of resources they go through on a daily basis. That's why I have "the treasure chest."

The treasure chest is a large bin that I keep in the pantry for "reusables" -- items that can be reused as craft materials rather than tossed in the trash can. The typical contents of our treasure chest include paper towel tubes, fabric swatches, plastic containers, cereal boxes, old newspapers, egg cartons, and bottle caps. It's purpose is twofold: keep stuff out of the landfill and feed my girls' insatiable need for craft supplies.

A few recent masterpieces to come from the treasure chest include a robot that Emily made by covering an empty toilet paper tube with tin foil, attaching pipe cleaner arms, and decorating the body with various bits of bling; and a dragon that the girls made together using an old juice carton for the body, egg carton cups as scales, and recycled paper for the face, wings, and tail.

So if your kids like crafts, you can save the planet (and your wallet!) by starting them a treasure chest of their very own.

And check out these sites for some cool ideas on turning everyday trash into treasure: AllFreeCrafts.com, About.com, and KinderArt.com.

Jenn Savedge's blog posts are provided by LifeWire, a part of The New York Times Company.

Having an Eco Baby

Huddler's Green Home Community — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 18:48:00 PDT

Huddlerâs tight-knit community of eco-minded consumers share their knowledge about sustainable products and services ranging from electric cars to organic toothpaste. Click here to participate.

Having a baby is tough (aside from the obvious difficulty of the process itself), but we're constantly assaulted with a need for more baby stuff.

Here are some tips to maintain your shade of green while keeping your baby happy and healthy. Anyone have other ideas? Add 'em below:

A Green Nursery

Before baby is even born, you can get baby in the green vibe. When designing the nursery keep in mind earth friendly and baby friendly.

The wall paint or wall finishes: If you use conventional paints, VOCs (volatile organic compounds) will leach toxic fumes over the years; fumes you can't smell. So go low VOC or better yet, nontoxic.

Don't forget the floors! Your baby is going to be crawling all over the place sooner than you know it. Check out these eco-friendly options: Cork, bamboo, and this concept by the company Flor where the carpet comes in 19"x19"-sized "tiles" that you pop into place. You can mix and match, and when a tile gets too dirty to clean, you just replace that one piece, not the whole floor. Under the Nile even carries play mats made from organic cotton.

Your baby should have somewhere warm and cozy to sleep. Cribs and baby bedding can be found in shades of green. Check out Ecobaby Bedding, Crib Organic Mattresses, Solid Pacific Coast Maple Crib, Puddle Pads, Nature's Crib, Eco-Furniture.com, Eco Tots, or Vivavi.

Your Baby's Bottom

Avoid disposable diapers. Go with cloth or biodegradable diapers. It's true -- there are hot debates over the benefits of cloth diapers versus disposables (cloth diapers do require water, energy, and chemicals to clean). However, one study produced by the Women's Environmental Network said indicated that washing cloth diapers at home has only 53% of the ecological footprint of disposables. But if you don't want to wash those dirty diapers at home, consider a diaper service (check out DiaperNet to locate diaper services in your area or National Association of Diaper Services if you want more information).

If you do need disposable diapers, consider nontoxic and relatively eco-friendly alternatives. See an explanation and examples at NaturalPath.com.

Since babies grow so fast, if you have any family or friends who have already had little ones, second-hand baby clothes are a great way to go. Also, try organic cotton, hemp, or otherwise sustainable clothes that are free of dyes and will treat your baby's baby soft skin right (try Kate Quinn Organics, Sckoon, All Natural Baby, or Under the Nile).

Healthy Inside and Out

Breastfeed your baby. If you need bottled food, start with pumping your own breast milk. Medela breast pump tubes, shields, and jars are BPA- and phthalate-free. If that's not an option, try organic products like Nature's One. For the mommies, avoid disposable breast pads. Organic and locally produced nipple creams are also a good choice.

If you use formula, make sure it's powdered. The metal lining of formula packaging can leach toxic bisphenol A, and liquid formula tends to have a higher concentration. Choose formula packaged with as little metal as possible. The best options are Nestle, Enfamil, and Similac powdered formulas (BPA in top and bottom of can), followed by Earth's Best and Bright Beginnings powdered (BPA in entire can). The next "best" choice is concentrated liquid formulas, and all ready-to-eat liquid formulas in metal cans should be avoided. Powdered formula is also a better bet because that formula needs water added, which further dilutes any BPA when compared to liquid formulas. Liquid formulas have 8 to 20 times higher potential BPA leaching than the most common powdered formulas because of the smaller can sizes and since it is not diluted with water.

When you give water to a baby under six months old, make sure it is fluoride free. A reverse osmosis filter can be used to remove fluoride, and if your water is not fluoridated, you may want to use a carbon filter. If you choose bottled water make sure it's fluoride-free -- many "nursery" waters contain fluoride, even though it's bad for young babies!

When your baby starts eating solid food, keep some waste out of the landfill by avoiding food in jars and making your own baby food. If you need to buy food off the shelves, try organics (check out Earth's Best, Homemade Baby, and Plum Organics).

During your baby's bath time, choose natural, organic, fragrance-free soaps. Buy organic cotton or hemp towels for drying off. For lotions, also go natural, organic, and phthalate-free or try using olive oil. The Environmental Working Group's database on safe baby products is another great resource.

Baby Toys and Accessories

There are now baby swings and bouncers made with organic cotton linings. Oh, if only when our daughter was a baby they had these. I felt so guilty buing the polyester kind. So now without further ado ... check out this Organic Cotton line found at Babies R Us stores.

Since most of your baby's toys will eventually end up in his or her mouth, go for natural options like wood or organic cotton. Try Under the Nile, Organic Gift Shop, the Baby Gift Station, Magic Cabin, Apparel of the Earth, Bright October, and Our Green House (and if you're in Europe, try So Organic). For other tips on toys, check out the wiki on Eco and Kid Friendly Toys.

If you use bottles or sippy cups to feed your baby, make sure that they do not contain bisphenol A (BPA). BPA has been shown to leach from several popular brands of plastic baby bottles when the bottles are heated. BPA is thought to cause birth defects and developmental problems. Avoid clear, hard plastic bottles marked with a 7 or "PC." You can shop for BPA-free plastic and glass baby bottles here. The glass bottles pictured to the right have a safety sleeve to prevent breakage and help babies grip on. With bottles, use silicone nipples -- latex rubber nipples can contain impurities linked to cancer and may cause allergic reactions. Throw away any nipple that is discolored, thinning, tacky, or ripped. Do not use plastic liners; they may leach chemicals into formula, especially if heated. Bottles should be heated by using a pan of hot water. Microwaving bottles can cause them to heat unevenly and leach chemicals from the plastic into the formula.

If you use pacifiers, they should also be silicone rather than latex (see above). Throw away any pacifier that is discolored, thinning, tacky, or ripped.

Bottles, nipples, pacifiers, breast shields, pump tubing, and containers should be sterilized before first use. After that, wash with hot, soapy water or use the top shelf of the dishwasher. Avoid sterilizing in the microwave or frequent use of boiling water since both will speed the breakdown of the plastic.

Greening your school

Trystan L. Bass — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 18:01:31 PDT

You probably recycle at home. You may even have a compost pile. Perhaps you take a mug to the office instead of getting your daily caffeine in a throwaway paper cup.

But what about taking these simple, eco-friendly steps in your child's school? Do you know if your kid's classroom recycles all those papers and worksheets? What about cafeteria waste?

The Go Green Initiative gives parents, educators, and community members a framework to help schools put easy environmental measures into place.

This program focuses on recycling, composting, paper consumption, the environmental impact of activities, and educating everyone about environmentally responsible behavior. Schools in all 50 U.S. states, plus in Africa, Asia, Canada, Europe, and Mexico have successfully participated in the Go Green Initiative.

The program is free to join, and anyone can introduce it into their school. Check out the frequently asked questions for background info., and then download the planning guide (PDF). The group offers plenty of resources to help you along the way to greening your school.

A mother named Jill Buck started the Go Green Initiative at her kitchen table in 2002, and the results have been impressive. In just one year, Go Green schools kept nearly 3 million pounds of paper, 10,906 printer cartridges, and 21,000 pounds of food waste out of landfills. In 2006, Go Green schools reduced their greenhouse gas emissions by 1,389 metric tons.

Once kids are recycling, composting, and reducing waste at school and at home, this builds lifelong habits. We can raise a generation who is committed to a clean, healthy environment from the start.