“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be
judged by the way its animals are treated.”
—Mahatma Gandhi
by Sarah Lane
Now that school’s out and we’re heading down the front steps of summer, our children will rekindle their complicated relationships with insects and arachnids, frequently picking up and trapping, occasionally screaming at and running away from, and too often stomping and squishing them. But there are many good reasons to model a different way of interacting, helping our kids observe closely, admire and appreciate, and tread lightly when in …

by Sarah Lane
Living in an island community I am somewhat accustomed to the completely unnecessary exhaust-spew from idling cars in line to board the ferry. Even though drivers are told to keep their engines off until the ferry directors signal for them to start, some people simply ignore the rules and keep their engines rumbling ridiculously, chewing up expensive fuel and polluting the air. But this human tendency toward idling is never more annoying as it is when done during school pickup and drop off, when children with their young …

by Sarah Lane
Gush. The other day we at PK Reader received a box of samples from O’Bon, a maker of eco-friendly school and stationery supplies. I am often unimpressed by new green products and see many examples of either (1) green products that aren’t that great or (2) decent products that aren’t that green. But O’Bon is the real deal and has both areas covered. Plus, O’Bon understands good design, and its products have sacrificed nothing in terms of attractiveness, which is exciting to someone who, having been in the …

by Julie Hall and Sarah Lane
Here are activity ideas for five different types of birthday parties for kids.

Ocean Steward Party
Visit the Aquarium. Arrange to take your partygoers to your local aquarium. Have the kids bring along dive log fish stickers (such as those made by Stickerfish.com) and a piece of sturdy paper. Challenge them to find live examples of the fish on the stickers. Invite them to place on the paper each sticker of the fish they see and record other observations. (1.5-2 …

by Sarah Lane
A new study conducted by the Mayo Clinic finds a link between multiple surgeries by the age of four and a higher risk for developing learning disabilities in reading, written language, and mathematics. Recent research indicating that anesthesia given at a young age can kill brain cells prompted Dr. Robert Wilder, an anesthesiologist at the Rochester, Minnesota, hospital to scour the records of more than 5,000 children who had been patients at Mayo or other facilities in Olmsted County, home of Mayo. Approximately 600 of those patients had …

by Sarah Lane
As a former soccer player well acquainted with the hazards of sand-based soccer fields in the rainy Northwest, I can appreciate a soccer club’s frustration and desire to do something to improve playing conditions for its members. I know only too well the taste of a mouthful of muddy water and the sinking feeling of seeing a perfectly timed pass floating in a small pond halfway to its intended destination.
All across the nation, more and more high schools, colleges, and park districts are installing artificial turf …

Wondering how reusable bottles stack up? Here are the findings of independent testing agency ÖKO-Test, in an article by Richard Breum. You can request a copy of the study by faxing 0190-252150100 (Frankfurt, Germany).
ÖKO-TEST (Independent German Consumer Test), 6.0.97
By Richard Breum
Summary:
Only the two bottles made by the manufacturer Sigg, market leader in both Switzerland and Germany, showed no traces of aluminum. . . . the manufacturer Sigg shows that it is possible to avoid residue from synthetic coating. Rolf Kothrade, responsible for aluminum bottles at …