EcoHearth: Come Home to the Earth

With the new school year soon upon us, there’s no escaping the sales, the shopping and the seemingly endless list of “needed” supplies.

It’s a good time to ask some fundamental questions, such as: Is all this consumption critical to my child’s success? Can we create a more sustainable (and sane) approach to preparing for the academic year? Just what do we want to be teaching our kids, anyway? Let’s go back to the environmental ABCs for some guidance: Read on…

Teaching kids to appreciate the environment is important to their happiness and to humanity’s survival. And it all starts with parents modeling responsible stewardship of the Earth by making a practice of conserving energy, using eco-friendly products and maintaining a connection to nature. Fortunately for adults looking to provide a green example for their children, there are more than a few online resources available to help. Read on…

The folks at GrowNYC, formerly Council on the Environment of New York City (CENYC), have implemented a new school program to train students in initiating renewable forms of energy in their homes. One of the most popular items in their program is the pizza-box solar oven. As I recently found out firsthand, it’s an enjoyable and educational DIY project that you can do with your kids. Read on…

It seems just yesterday that we gave Mom her eco-friendly Mother’s Day gift and now, without a moment to catch our breath, Father’s Day (June 20) is almost upon us. If Mother’s Day has left you fatigued from gift hunting, or if you are one of those many who find it inexplicably difficult to shop for Dad, we’ve made it easy with environmentally friendly Father’s Day gift suggestions in the following categories: DIY, tools and gadgets, fashion, land and, of course, beer. The hardest part is deciding on whether to get him that one requisite gift, or two or three... Read on…

Mother’s Day is soon approaching and so is the search for this year’s gift. Will it be the obligatory flowers or will you go with something more creative and offbeat? Either way, we hope you make it green. To help, we’ve narrowed down the list to a few eco-friendly suggestions in the categories of bath, beauty, fashion and chocolate. There’s even a cool and comical flower alternative for the steadfast flower-loving mom. These are all gifts that will please both your mother and Mother Earth. Read on…