Green Options

You’ve heard about how to introduce your friends and family to Fair Trade, and how to build the movement within your community. Now let’s look at how to bring this important education into your school.

• Fair Trade fundraising. With many different options and rewards, it’s easy to make the switch to selling a sweeter chocolate.
• Raise awareness and funds with a Fair Trade bake sale. Check out the many delicious recipes at

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As my 4-year-old son starts his first year of preschool this month, my concerns for him have entered a whole new realm. School means new friends and new experiences, which are great. But it also means exposure to new habits, preferences and ideas that aren’t always good for him. Some kids might bring in lunches heavy in junk food, which I try not to feed my son. Some might be obsessed with

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People often refer to non-dairy milks, such as soy and rice, as "alternatives to" or "substitutes for" cow’s milk, and the dairy industry scathingly calls them "imitation milks." By definition, the words "alternative" and "substitute" imply that the thing they are being measured against is the superior choice; that is, you choose the "substitute" when you can’t get the real thing, and so on.

However, I don’t like the use of these terms

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Editor's note: Our biweekly post swap with GNMParents continues today with some thoughts from editor Stu Mark on living green the lazy way. Be sure to check out Jennifer Lance's post at GNMParents, also.

I admit it: I'm not overly Green.

I should be, especially as I write a column over at GNMParents, the same place that has a regular column called "A Little Greener." I mean, c'mon, it's like now I

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Editor's note: Yes, if you've got school-aged children, they're probably on summer vacation right now. Still, we thought Lighter Footstep editor Chris Baskind's article on incorporating sustainability into your child's classroom was a good one to get parents thinking about the upcoming school year. This article was originally published on May 8, 2007.

Perhaps the only thing more important than making sustainability important in your own life is making sure it's important

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With more than 6,000 megawatts (MW) of wind energy projected for the Pacific Northwest, many communities anticipate an influx of new jobs. But who’s going to prepare the workers for this high-tech, emerging field?

 The Columbia Gorge Community College on the boundary of Oregon and Washington is offering the first training for wind energy technicians on the West Coast. Its location near the center of the Columbia River Gorge is a focal point for wind development

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