by Sarah Lane
During these two weeks of the Climate Conference in Copenhagen, I think it is time to reach across the great divide between those who believe in climate change and those who don’t and link arms. So whether or not you think climate change is happening, whether you believe it is human made or caused by an angry God, little elves, or bad luck, whether you work for a coal plant or a bicycle messenger service, shed your need to be right and join in the broad movement to …

What follows are resources to help you provide a healthier (toxin-free), zero-waste lunch for your child. If you’re just beginning this process, don’t get discouraged. Even by changing a few things you do, you are taking worthwhile steps. As Voltaire says, don’t allow the perfect to be the enemy of the good!

Specifically, you want to avoid the following:

1. Toxins
For the health of your family

Lead. Lead affects the brain and behavior and is especially dangerous to young children still in early developmental stages. Read about lead in children’s …

by Sarah Townsend
I’m scheduled to pick grape leaves tomorrow for a meal that will celebrate locally grown wine and produce. I have been instructed to pick the leaves that are both large enough to stuff and not tough. I know to feel the veins and note the curvature of the leaves. I also know not to strip all the leaves from any one branch which may cause it to wither—a reminder that no one individual can carry the weight of community. These leaves will be rolled into dolmas for our …

by Julie Hall, author of A Hot Planet Needs Cool Kids
Big grass lawns are dead. And if yours isn’t, you’re probably wasting water. Whether your priority is getting your kids outside, reducing CO2, eating healthier, saving money, supporting wildlife, conserving water, bird watching, or all of the above, turning your yard into an edible Eden is ecologically savvy and a fun and meaningful experience for kids. Sure, you can leave some grassy open space, but do you really need that much? A good rule of thumb is to have no …

by Julie Hall and Sarah Lane
With the launch of ProgressiveKid Reader, we are taking the next logical step in the progression of ProgressiveKid. Five years ago, at a time when people were still catching on to recycling, we opened PK as a way to connect people with a more mindful way of life. We offered Earth-friendly alternatives to conventional products, information for socially aware living, and affirming messages for a happier and healthier generation of kids. We alerted parents about lead in children’s lunchboxes before it hit the mass media. …

by Julie Hall
Whenever we walk through the “pet” food aisle at the market my daughter coos at the adorable kitten and puppy faces on the labels. Like most things in our world these days what you see is not what you get—or, in this gruesome instance, it is what you get. Yeah, some pet food makers add euthanized cats and dogs to their animal food products. First reported by the San Francisco Chronicle and confirmed by the American Veterinary Medical Association, many pets euthanized with the poison sodium pentobarbital are …

by Julie Hall
We all need to find ways to make our lives greener, for our own health, the ecological health of our world, and energy conservation. Your kitchen is one of the most important and effective places to go green or greener, as the case may be. Here is a sure-fire twelve-step-program toward a greener kitchen lifestyle:
12 Steps to a Greener Kitchen

Don’t eat your pot. Use nonreactive (inert) or moderately reactive cookware, such as Enamel, Earthenware, stainless steel, or cast iron. Avoid Teflon and aluminum. The jury is still out …

by Julie Hall
These days even the moderately well-informed among us are aware of the compelling reasons to buy organic produce: avoiding pesticides and encouraging a more sustainable food system. However, even diehard organic supporters may at times find that good, local, and/or affordable organic produce options are not available. In these situations it helps to be aware of which conventionally farmed fruits and vegetables are most and least contaminated with pesticides. As spring approaches and nature works its wonders, it’s a good idea to reacquaint yourself with the produce top …

by Julie Hall
For most of us chocolate is a happy part of childhood. It’s hands-down the best treat in the Halloween bag—so popular, in fact, that kids have to keep an eye on their chocolate-pilfering parents at this time of year. So, it’s especially ironic that this beloved sweet treat is a living nightmare for the children who are caught in the chocolate slave trade.
Chocolate comes from the beans contained in the large pods of the cocoa plant, which is actually a small evergreen tree that grows in tropical regions. …

by Julie Hall
Until recently Americans were eating out a lot. Estimates vary, but some statistics indicate that people, both singles and families, were eating out 4-5 times a week, not including take out restaurant meals. This trend is dropping as we look for ways to save dough by making the dough at home.
In addition to being less expensive, eating home-cooked food is healthier. According to a 2006 study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, restaurant food is more caloric and less nutritious than food prepared at home. And, perhaps not …