Green Options

Actor William Shatner, known by us all as Captain Kirk in the original series of Star Trek, has launched a stinging attack on the green credentials of Hewlett-Packard, after leaving a company-wide voicemail message for staff at the firm’s HQ.

“This is William Shatner. You, HP, promised me a toxic free computer by 2009. Now my friends at Greenpeace tell me I will have to wait until 2011. What’s up with that?” he said.

Palin’s chain of independent clauses may have sounded a little disjointed to the untrained ear, but not to William Shatner.

As a child, I loved stuffed animals.  I had tons and tons of them, many of which had to be bagged and placed in our attic because they outgrew my room.  It was an excessive obsession, I admit, but my attraction to plush continues today in a more restricted way with my children; however, most plush is made from polyester fibers and/or polystyrene.  There’s nothing natural about this plastic made from petroleum by the chemical industry, and certainly this is not a substance I want my children snuggling with at night.

Aurora Naturally Plush offers an eco-friendly alternative to chemically manufactured stuffed animals. Handmade in Indonesia, Aurora Naturally is made from 100% soy bean fiber and stuffed with Kapok, which is a sustainable rain forest crop. Not only are these stuffed animals eco-friendly, they are very soft and nice. I have had extended family members comment on how nice they are without knowing they are eco-friendly.  Furthermore, you can educate your children about the eco-plush’s ingredients by reading The Great Kapok Tree.

My daughter has the Aurora Naturally Koala Bear, and my son has the brown bear.  These stuffed animals quickly became favorites and took their rightful place in my children’s beds. These are the stuffed animals that must travel with us on overnight trips, and I am happy that they replace the petroleum-based plush my children used to adore.  I plan to give my niece an Aurora Naturally Plush toy this holiday season.