Eco-Halloween Costumes to DIY For!

Thursday 30 October 2008

Last minute Halloween-costume blues got you down? Take a look at some inexpensive, eco-friendly costume designs to save your sanity (and a few trees!)

Eco-Halloween Costumes to DIY For

Halloween always seems to bring out the parental paranoia. I suppose it’s no surprise with kids running around after dark, knocking on the doors of people you may or may not know, and essentially taking candy from strangers.

What I don’t hear is any concern about the costumes. And with the mounting evidence of BPA in plastics, and the ever-present danger of off-gassing from things like PVC shower curtains, shouldn’t the same precaution be applied to your kid’s Halloween costumes?

They are often packaged in plastic and when you open them they do not smell good, probably due to the synthetic paint and dyes. Halloween costumes chock full of chemicals sure sound scary to me! (If your child insists on one of these costumes, at least wash it–if you can–or air it out before they wear it.)

So those smelly plasticized costumes might not good for your child’s health, but it’s a given that they are not the best thing for the planet. So here are some Halloween costume ideas that borrow from the reduce, reuse, recycle principle–costumes you can put together from stuff around the house or things you can pick up at a thrift store. No need to even pull out the sewing machine, and you might even save a little green while you’re at it–and who doesn’t like that?

Recycling bin:
Grab some paper, cans, bottles, etc., and attach them to your child’s clothing. This is one costume that’s creative and on message.

The versatility of a white sheet: There’s the old standby ghost, or rewatch “Animal House” and make your kid a toga. If you’re feeling especially crafty, tear the sheet into strips and make a mummy costume. Just make sure you reuse those strips as rags instead of throwing them into the trash.

Ride ‘em, cowboy (or cowgirl): Blue jeans, a checked shirt, boots and hat–I’ll bet your kid has at least one or two of these items. Find some rope and make a lasso. As a bonus, tie a bandanna around your dog’s neck as the perfect trick-or-treating accessory. My 4-year-old nephew did this last year and it was a big hit.

Blast from the past: This one can be really fun, with some bell-bottoms, a tie-dye T-shirt or and a headband for a 60s hippie. (Don’t forget to tell your kid to display the two-fingered peace sign!) Or grab the fringe leather jacket/hand-knitted poncho/paisley psychedelic polyester shirt in the back of the closet–you know you kept them for a reason–for a 70s-themed look. Or pull out those leg warmers and shoulder pads for a not-so-pleasant reminder of the unfashionable 80s. Your kids will probably get a good laugh out of it at least!

Sleepwalker: Dress them up in their pajamas and slippers, mess up their hair and they’re all set.

Make like a tree, and leave: If your backyard is as full of fallen leaves as mine, this one is a snap. Attach the leaves to your kids clothes, hair and shoes. And the bonus is that the costume can go straight into the green waste can.

Ballerina/Princess/Fairy: A leotard, a poofy skirt and some great accessories can turn your little girl into her fantasy.

Box robot: If you’ve got a cardboard box around the house, you’ve got the start of a great costume. Just cut out holes for the arms and head, then let the imagination of you and your child be your guide. Just make sure you use non-toxic glue, markers and paint when doing the decorating.

Please share your ideas in the comments and have a safe and happy Halloween!

Real Halloween Treats, Not Sugary Tricks

Wednesday 29 October 2008

Real Halloween Treats, not Sugary Tricks

Anyone with young children has probably seen first-hand the effects of Halloween candy overload on sensitive systems. Yipes! But we don’t want to be killjoys: trick-or-treating is a magical part of the Halloween experience. So here are some great ideas for alternatives to the candy bars and other sugary horrors that will fill most kids’ trick-or-treat bags this Halloween.

These easy-to-find imaginative treats won’t add to the sugar load, only to the fun!

Food Treats
These make healthier alternatives to the usual glut of sugary stuff:

Small boxes of organic raisins
Bags of trail mix or peanuts in the shell
Envelopes of instant cocoa
Organic mozzarella sticks
All-natural 100 percent juice boxes
Healthy chewing gum (natural flavors and sweeteners, no dyes)
Sun Drops (sort of like dye-free M&Ms)
Small boxes of healthy cookies or crackers

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Let’s face it–most kids want candy at Halloween. This year, why not satisfy their sweet tooth, while making a contribution to the lives of others by distributing fair trade certified chocolates? It’s kind of like combining candy-giving with making a Unicef donation in one shot–something fun for the kids, something good for the world.

Check out the chocolate gold coins and chocolate eggs, made from cocoa grown by farmers in Ghana. Your purchase of these chocolate bars, made of organic cocoa and sugar, and supports small farm families in the Dominican Republic and Paraguay.

Yes, these goodies are pricier than the bulk packaged candies at the supermarket, but you get what you pay for. And in this case the payoff is big: happy kids, fairly paid farmers, and, be honest, you’re going to eat a few yourself!

Find Fair Trade Certified chocolate here:
Divine Chocolate
Global Exchange
Dagoba Chocolate

Read more about Healthy and Fair Trade Certified Chocolate.

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Non-Food Treats
My friends live in a village where they gets upwards of 150 trick-or-treaters. If you get mobbed at Halloween, you could try my method: I cleaned out my piggy bank and doled out the spare change. My little ghoulies and ghosties were thrilled.

Other fun ideas for non-edibles include rubber spiders, stickers, small packets of crayons or markers, pencils with fun-shaped erasers, miniature pumpkins, or small charms. Look in your local dollar store for fun and inexpensive goodies.

Happy Halloween!

Protect Pets On Halloween!

Tuesday 28 October 2008

Halloween brings lots of spooky, scary and sweet fun for our kids, but it can bring dangers for our pets. Chocolate is toxic for animals; trick-or-treating noise can be truly frightening for our furry friends.

For today's Daily Action, read these precautions we have gathered from animal shelters and veterinarians and keep your pets safe for Halloween!




The following is a list of precautions suggested and recommended by numerous animal shelters and veterinarians designed to keep pets safe on Halloween.

NOISES and STRANGE STRANGERS:
Trick or treaters can cause loud and excessive noise and frighten your pet, so try to keep your pets inside in a quiet room where they are insulated from the Halloween rukus. : )

Pets, especially dogs, that are easily excitable or threatened by strangers should be kept from the front door so they cannot bite anyone or run into the street. With many people visiting the home in strange attire, even normally calm pets might overreact.

Keep pets on a shorter-than-normal leash if you plan on walking outside on Halloween. Again, scary and weird looking trick-or-treaters could provoke aggression in even the nicest pet.

KISS OF DEATH
Candy, especially chocolate, is toxic for animals and can cause vomiting, restlessness, heart disturbances, and even death. Ask kids not to share candy with pets.

CANDLES
Be careful with lit pumpkins and candles because pets can knock them over and start a fire. Therefore ensure that all burning objects are out of pet’s reach. Remember that cats can jump high, and birds can fly, so try to confine a pet if it demonstrates an “unhealthy” interest in flames (e.g. it puts its paws in lit pumpkins or tries to play with candles).


Protect Pets on Halloween


PETS IN DISGUISE
Avoid costumes held in place by rubber bands, which can be uncomfortable and, more important, rubber bands mistakenly left on a pet can quickly burrow into the animal’s skin and cause injury. Additionally, rubber bands in the wrong place can choke a bird.

If a pet wears a costume, make sure it is not constricting, causing your pet to trip, or blocking its vision. Do not force a pet to wear a costume if it demonstrates discomfort. All of the above can cause undue stress and possibly cause aggression in even the nicest dog, goldfish, or iguana.

EVIL IN THE NIGHT
Don’t leave pets outside on Halloween. Many animals disappear as pranksters and those with darker intentions tease, abduct, torture, or even kill pets.

Be especially watchful of black cats, who which are frequent targets of cruel activities on Halloween. Try to keep black cats inside for the week of Halloween. Many animal shelters make black cats unavailable for adoption the week before Halloween because of black cat abuse.


Add Your Entry To The Democracy Diaries!

Monday 27 October 2008

Our friends at the Advancement Project have constructed the "Democracy Diaries" in an effort to give voters a chance to be a part of a virtual book that will document the excitement of real people in the 2008 presidential election.

Each entry in the Diary is a unique voice that represents the millions of unique voices that will be voting this November. Every voter has an opinion and now is your chance to publish and share that reason to vote with the world.

For today's Daily Action, add your entry to the Democracy Diaries!

12 Tips to Stretch a Tank of Gas

Sunday 26 October 2008

12 Tips for How to Stretch a Tank of Gas

We can conserve gas with some car maintenance steps. For example, we can get 6 to 20 percent higher mpg with a properly tuned engine. Keeping a mileage record will tell us when our gas mileage is slipping, which is a signal for a tune-up.

Here are 12 more tips for how to stretch a tank of gas.

1. You can easily take care of a few items without going to a service station. One of them is the air filter. A clogged air filter leaves your engine gasping for breath and means you’re probably running with a “rich” mixture, that is, more gas and less air. Many department and auto stores carry air filters, and they are simple to change. A clogged air filter can cost you 1 mpg. Replace your air filter regularly.

2. Dirty oil cuts back engine efficiency, so make sure your oil is changed according to the car manufacturer’s recommended schedule. You can change your own, and buying your own oil is much cheaper. There’s a drain plug under your engine that will come out readily with a wrench. Have a bucket ready to catch the dirty oil, and remember to dispose of it safely.

3. If your fan belt is too tight, your engine is working too hard and wasting gas. The belt should give a little to finger pressure when the engine is not running. if it doesn’t, you can easily adjust the tension with a wrench.

4. Badly worn spark plugs can cost you as much as 2 mpg. This is probably a job for a trained technician.

5. The car has been a way of life for most Americans. There are alternatives. These include mass transit, bike paths, and carpools.

6. Heavier cars are more costly to run. A reduction of 200 pounds in automotive weight typically improves fuel economy by nearly 5 percent.

7. Use the air conditioner in your car as little as possible. It uses a lot of gas. Roll down the windows and get some fresh air!

8. Using cruise control can save gas. If you drive on the open road often, staying at a constant speed will save fuel.

9. If you are taking a trip, start early in the day while traffic is light. Plan to stop for meals at times when traffic is heavy.

10. Don’t let your car idle for a long time to warm it up. Also, don’t let your car idle for more than a minute after it is warmed up—this idling wastes more gas than restarting your car.

11. Do not rev the engine and then quickly shut your car off. This wastes gas. It also pumps raw gasoline into the cylinder walls. This can wash away a film of oil that protects the cylinders and will increase engine wear.

12. Check your tires. Your owner’s manual has important information on your tires, including the correct air pressure that should be in them. Underinflation of your tires can cost you as much as 1 mpg. Radial tires have 50 percent less road resistance, so they give you 3 to 19 percent better mpg.

What's Your Encore Moment?

Saturday 18 October 2008

People in encore careers are changing the way that people think about work in the second half of life, and creating a new kind of work that combines personal passion, social purpose and continued income to make a difference in their communities.

Some people get there because of a sudden calling. For others, it's a gradual shift in their priorities. In both cases, there's a moment of realization that they would like to do something more with their lives.

Have you, a loved one or friend had such an encore moment? For today's Daily Action, share the story with Encore.org and inspire others to find encore careers.

Teen Dating Violence Prevention

Wednesday 15 October 2008

Speaking Up

You Are Invited to A Special Online Preview of
The 2009 Teen Dating Violence Prevention Campaign

Please join Cindy Dyer of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) and Esta Soler of the Family Violence Prevention Fund for an informative web event on teen dating violence.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008
11:00 AM ET

OVW’s upcoming prevention campaign, launching in early 2009, will address teen dating violence. This web conference will review the research shaping the new campaign, including qualitative research on social norms and dating behaviors among teens. It also will include an overview of the elements of the innovative new campaign.

You must REGISTER if you are planning to participate in this web conference, co-hosted by the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault. The number of participants is limited, so be sure to register now! A toll-free telephone number and webinar link will be sent to you via email after you register.

The presentation will be available on www.OVW.usdoj.gov and www.endabuse.org following the web conference.

Save Energy: Unplug!

Tuesday 14 October 2008

We're in the midst of a global crisis that is both financial and environmental. Here's one simple way to save energy, reduce global warming emissions and save money - unplug appliances and chargers when you're not using them.

Think about all of the gadgets you may have, and how many chargers you have for them - cell phones, mp3 players, digital cameras, laptops, you name it. All of these chargers draw energy when plugged in, even if they're not actively charging anything. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, 75% of the energy used to power home electronics is consumed when those appliances are turned off!

For today's Daily Action, pledge to scan your home and unplug seldom-used appliances and chargers when they're not in use.

Stop the Eleventh-Hour Assault on Endangered Species

Monday 13 October 2008


Target: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Sponsored by: Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund

It may be the eleventh hour of the Bush/Cheney Administration, but that's not stopping their efforts to undermine the Endangered Species Act.

The Administration wants to make serious changes to this landmark law that would eliminate some of the most important checks and balances that protect our polar bears, wolverines, whales and other imperiled wildlife. By striking at the very heart of this landmark conservation bill, these changes would severely limit interagency consultations and would prevent expert agencies from considering how greenhouse gas emissions affect endangered wildlife.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is only taking public comments on this proposal until October 15th – but we need to hear from you by Monday night so we can deliver your comments. Please speak out now for polar bears, wolves and the nearly 1,400 species currently protected under the Endangered Species Act!

Help Save the Lives of Malnourished Children

Sunday 12 October 2008

Did you know that there are an estimated 178 million children that are malnourished across the globe? Even more shocking, only 3 percent of those children receive treatment.

Fortunately, you can take action if you're an American Express cardholder. Our friends at the International Medical Corps help feed more than 35,000 children every month, and IMC is a finalist in the American Express Members Project, an online voting contest that awards $2.5 million in funding.

For today's Daily Action, cast your vote for the International Medical Corps and help bring hope to malnourished children. If you're not a cardholder, be sure you share this action with friends and family who are so IMC can get the funding it needs to help malnourished children!

I'm Taking Action!


alternative action Protect American Voter Rights

Learn all the details you need to know to ensure your vote is counted this Election Day! Visit the nonpartisan site of Just Vote '08.

'Happy' Halloween from the FDA

Friday 10 October 2008

Consumers Union

Dear Tara,

If the Wall Street bailout was hard to swallow, the government is preparing a Halloween trick that just may be impossible to stomach.

The Food and Drug Administration is opening the way for grocery stores to sell food made from genetically engineered animals. And the agency is proposing that these products, called “Frankenfoods” by some, be sold to you without your knowledge.

Sign our online petition demanding that food from genetically engineered animals be labeled. We have the right to know what we are eating!

Genetically engineered animals are not a far-off, exotic concept. It’s happening right now. Goats are engineered with spider genes to produce silk in their milk. And pigs carry mouse and bacterial DNA to improve their digestion.

The jury is still out on whether food from these animals is safe for humans or the environment. And the ethics of such changes have yet to be considered.
The FDA says they will conduct a safety review before these foods can be sold for human consumption. But consumers won’t know if they’re buying genetically engineered food, because the agency isn’t going to require a label.

We know what’s in the can of soup we buy because the label tells us. Shouldn’t we know if the meat we buy comes from a pig with another animal’s genes, or whether our milk has insect DNA in it?
Sign our petition and show the FDA that Americans want to know what’s in their food!
We have until Nov. 18 to collect signatures. Please forward this message on to others so they can sign too. Let’s stop this Halloween trick before it starts.

Sincerely,
Jean Halloran
NotInMyFood.org
A project of Consumers Union
101 Truman Ave.
Yonkers, NY 10703

Make Election Day a Federal Holiday!

Monday 6 October 2008

Target: President Bush

Sponsored by: Care2

The health of democracy depends on the participation of all its people - for every voice to be heard and every vote counted. But right now, the United States is failing in that responsibility. In 2006, only 41.3 percent of the total eligible voters turned out to vote.

Studies show that the #1 reason people fail to vote is because of difficulty in getting to the polls. The federal government requires that employers grant employees the ability to vote on Election Day, but that's clearly not enough. If we take democracy seriously, then Election Day needs to be a holiday, so that everyone has the chance to do their civic duty.

Voting is the most fundamental obligation of our democracy, and it's worth dedicating a day to it. Urge the President to protect the American democracy by making Election Day a federal holiday!

Sign the petition!

Make the Election About the Issues, Not Character Attacks!

Friday 3 October 2008

Target: Presidential Campaigns
Sponsored by: Care2

How many houses does John McCain have? Is Barack Obama a celebrity? Is the media coverage of Sarah Palin sexist? Is Joe Biden showing too much emotion when he tears up over how his sons became Steelers fans?

More importantly, why are these the questions dominating the news cycle? The 2008 presidential election should be about the issues, and the over-coverage of the non-political aspects of this presidential race is disheartening.

Instead of focusing on negative attacks on each other, both candidates' campaigns should make a concerted effort to have their views on the issues be what people are talking about. Voters will then be able to decide which candidate's views match their own most closely on the issues that matter to them. Tell the candidates: Stick to the issues!

Demand the Clean Energy Future We Deserve

Sponsor: League of Conservation Voters

Offshore platforms littering the nation's coasts. Oil derricks pumping in the last refuges of Alaska. And even more record profits for Big Oil.

It's a grim future if Big Oil has its way -- but we still have time to stop them and promote the clean energy future we deserve.

In the last weeks before the election and into the next year, legislators will be considering measures that would open up millions of acres to more drilling -- even though Big Oil already has permission to drill on almost 70 million acres -- and even though Bush's own Department of Energy has admitted that more drilling will not lower gas prices!

Drilling along our coastlines and in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge will not solve our country's energy problems or ease our dangerous addiction to oil. We cannot allow Congress to be fooled by the smooth talk of Big Oil -- take action today!

Send an Ecard to Save a Pet

Thursday 2 October 2008

In less than two weeks, over 90,000 people have voted for their favorite local animal shelter or rescue group to win $10,000 in Care2's "America's Favorite Animal Shelter" contest. And each week for five weeks during the contest a random group will win $1,000 - to make sure that every group, no matter how small, has an equal chance of winning a much needed donation to save homeless pets' lives.

Since October is National Adopt A Dog Month, you can promote dog adoption and animal rescue by helping us spread the word about this contest!

For today's Daily Action, send a quick, cute Care2 eCard to tell your friends about our "America's Favorite Animal Shelter" contest and ask them to vote today!


Reducing Exposure to Suspicious Products

Wednesday 1 October 2008

You might think two people addressing the same problem, looking at the same data would draw the same conclusions, but life just isn’t that easy. Special interests often have too much at stake.

Take bisphenol A (BPA) for example. A new study published in the Journal of American Medical Association links Bisphenol A exposure in adults to increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This study found adults with the highest concentration of bisphenol A in their blood were twice as likely as those with the lowest concentration to have diabetes and cardiovascular disease (keeping in mind that over 90 percent of us have bisphenol A in our blood at this very moment according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

This study is one of many that link low level bisphenol A exposure to a host of adverse health effects. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other industry groups point out that the studies are not conclusive, and surprise, surprise MORE RESEARCH IS NEEDED (which is a classic delay tactic). I’m sure there conclusions have nothing to due with the huge profitability and growth of bisphenol A use.

At some point, we all need to make our own decisions about what is safe and what isn’t. To me, there seems to be plenty of evidence against bisphenol A to warrant its removal from my life. The same can be said for several other substances as well like the materials used to make non-stick pans. PFOA, a chemical used in non-stick, has been listed as a likely human carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Industry will never admit they are exposing the population to a hazardous carcinogen, but they are phasing its use out by 2015.

What can we do to minimize our exposure?
1. Get rid of #7 recyclable plastics. This type of plastic usually contains bisphenol A.
2. Check baby bottles to make sure they are bisphenol A-free.
3. If you have #7 plastics, don’t microwave them or wash them in the dishwasher. Heating them up will accelerate the release of bisphenol A.
4. Ditch the non-stick pans. Life will truly be more miserable, but you will be cutting down your exposure to PFOA.
5. Choose certified organic beauty care products including shampoos that are paraben-free (another chemical under some suspicion).
6. Choose furniture wisely. Try to find mattresses and couches that do not use brominated flame retardants (yet another chemical associated with adverse health effects).

We may not be able to totally eliminate our exposure to these chemicals, but with some minor effort and perhaps a little inconvenience, we can definitely reduce our exposure to them.