Green Parent Chicago™

Friday Green Gathering: Back to School Edition

Welcome to our collection of the week's best links on green parenting and eco-friendly off the mainstream news that we think are worth highlighting, (with a little green window shopping thrown in here and there.

We've just unveiled our new Green Parent Chicago listings page for green events. If you have word on other choice green events for kids and families, do send them our way.

Party in the park-The African Festival of the Arts begins today in Washington Park and runs all weekend.

ComEd tells schools, forget the candy fund raisers, sell CFL bulbs instead.

Chicago Public Schools (set to begin classes Tuesday September 2) face boycott threats over funding issues and opposition to charter school development. Join in on a Cafe Society discussion about it all taking place at Ron's Barbershop on the city's west side tonight.

Need a laugh? Sorry, we just couldn't resist this one: a mighty humorous take on the first day of school.

And finally, we must say this is riding in style with the kiddos and the groceries, we can dream can't we?

The Mama Behind Green Parent Chicago

Recently I was featured in a series of profiles of green moms who blog on How You Eco, the "eco-friendly destination, social network and marketplace".

I'm honored to be in the company of fellow bloggers Jennifer Lance, lead writer of Eco Child's Play and Renee Limon and Heather Hawkins of the superb Enviromom site out of Portland as well as several other talented mama bloggers.

-Christine

Checking Into the Hospital From Fear of School

The Daily Herald reported Monday on a program at Northwest Community Hospital to aid and treat "school refusal" in children who fear returning to school.

The combined inpatient/outpatient program has treated between 200 to 300 Chicago area kids in the past 5 years.

"About half of the 12 beds in the hospital's adolescent mental health unit are for kids with school refusal behavior and there's sometimes a waiting list to enter the program.

After a physical exam, kids with severe school refusal are admitted to a weeklong inpatient program, followed by a week of full-day treatment where the child sleeps at home. The next week, the child spends half of each day at school and the second half day at treatment, while their parents are also in therapy twice a week. Eventually most kids return to school full time - many with the help of anti-depressants or anti-anxiety medication."

According to Maggie Hahn, the program's clinical coordinator, the chance of relapse is very high.

EPA Ineptitude Continues to Be Revealed, Milwaukee Reporters Investigate

Reporters from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel today published the results of their investigation of chemicals U.S. regulators had promised to screen for health effects 10 years ago but failed to do even now.

The newspaper reviewed more than 250 scientific studies written over the past 20 years; examined thousands of pages of regulatory documents and industry correspondence; and interviewed more than 100 scientists, physicians, and industry and government officials.

The investigation reveals millions of dollars have been spent on the EPA testing program without a single screening being done. Due to this delay and lack of testing, scientists and doctors must rely solely on animal data to study the health effects of chemicals on humans.

Further angering health advocates, the Food and Drug Administration recently pronounced the chemical BPA safe in food containers (such as water bottles and baby bottles) and not a threat to infants or adults despite numerous contrary studies.

In April The Washington Post reported that the FDA has relied on studies funded by the plastics industry over dozens of studies independently published by researchers.

"Despite more than 100 published studies by government scientists and university laboratories that have raised health concerns about a chemical compound that is central to the multibillion-dollar plastics industry, the Food and Drug Administration has deemed it safe largely because of two studies, both funded by an industry trade group."

The lack of EPA testing and conflicting FDA advice on BPA confirm a pattern of government failure eerily evidenced by the EPA's repeated failure to protect the public from flame retardant chemicals throughout the years. 

PBDE's are chemically similar to PCB's, which were banned in the U.S. over 20 years ago, according to Environment California, a state based citizen environmental organization. The group reported that PBDE's are increasingly found in breast milk in U.S. mothers in levels that could cause significant developmental delay in children and infants.

New Weekly Feature: Green Gathering Fridays

Today Green Parent Chicago is excited to debut a new weekly feature, "The Green Gathering":

a collection of the week's best links on green parenting and eco-friendly off the mainstream news that we think are worth highlighting, (with a little green window shopping thrown in here and there.)

It's the weekend, so why not brew yourself a cup and get comfortable!

The Dill Pickle Food Co-op is gaining speed in Logan Square and has a fund raising event in the works this week.

Crunchy Domestic Goddess says take the Birth Survey and record your experience with your doctor, midwife and hospital to create a nationwide resource for birth care. (You must have given birth in the last 3 years.)

Could this possibly be the reusable lunch kit/box to die for? You could fill it with some of these ideas for back to school or not back to school lunches.

Good news, Amtrak is reporting a record number of passengers. But, they need more funding. Just ask Sen. Dick Durbin.

Kim of Relaxed Homeskool talks Wisconsin's Ren Faire, the Bristol one. There's only one week left to see it. (Kim recently made Alltop's list of the top homeschooling blogs. Way to go!)

And finally, the FDA says it will now allow food producers to zap spinach, lettuce with radiation to kill food-poisoning germs, according to a Trib report. Some argue this is failing to address the source of contamination. A step in the right or wrong direction?

Illinois Extends Health Coverage for Young Adults Under Parents Plans

A new state law says young adults can be covered on their parents' insurance plans until age 26, regardless of their whether or not they still live at home or out of state.

The bill signed into law by the Illinois Senate this week and supported by Gov. Blagoevich, would take effect on January 1 of next year.

According to a Tribune report, an estimated 300,000 young men and women could be eligible for the extended health coverage. But, lobbyists for the Illinois Chamber of Commerce and other business proponents have already begun arguing against the new law, saying it would drive up health care costs.

Currently Illinois insurance plans are not required to have a standard age limit on coverage for young adults. Some plans end at age 21 and some extend coverage as long as the child is a full-time college student.

Some opponents argue such coverage would attract unhealthy adults and drive up costs. Others claim the majority of this age group is indeed generally healthy and therefore able to purchase individual coverage affordably elsewhere. 

Of course, neither argument makes much sense when one considers the number of uninsured young adults in the nation which totals in the millions. Young adults aren't just being plain lazy about getting insured. Many simply can't afford it on meager part-time salaries they earn while studying.

 A Reuters report from May focused on the nationwide problem.

"Based on census data, 13.7 million people aged 19 to 29 had no health insurance, either public or private, in 2006, up from 13.3 million in 2005, according to a report by the Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation that researches health policy."

New Location Announced for Flavorfest This Weekend

This weekend's Whole Foods Flavorfest organizers just announced a change of location for the annual Chicago food fest. The event will now take place in Trebes Park at Webster and Racine, instead of Wrightwood Park as previously advertised.

Admission to the festival is $5. Proceeds will benefit the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce.

Hours for the festival are:
Saturday & Sunday, August 23 & 24
11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Saturday
11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Sunday

Children's activities will be held in the Children's Pavilion on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m to 3 p.m.

Swiss Adventurer to Make "Solartaxi" Stop in Chicago On World Tour

Swiss adventurer Louis Palmer and his solar powered car, the "Solartaxi"  will stop at the country’s tallest building Monday, as part of a world tour to bring attention to solutions to climate change.

Palmer will give a presentation from noon to 2 p.m. at the southwest corner near the Sears Tower Skydeck entrance on the vehicle's technology and green features.

The Chicago visit is part of a world tour of the vehicle that began July 3, 2007. Palmer, his vehicle and his team plan to travel 32,000 miles and visit 40 countries on five continents without spending a single penny on gas or releasing a single emission into the air.

The Solartaxi team says the car, which travels at a maximum of about 50 mph is the first of its kind to drive around the world on the energy of the sun alone. The car is electric with a trailer covered in solar cells. Solar energy generated is stored in the battery, allowing the car to drive at night without sunlight.

Monday's visit is hosted by the Consulate General of Switzerland in Chicago and the Chicago-Lucerne Sister Cities Committee.

Rolling On The River Bike for the Environment Saturday

Rolling on the River, a family bike ride to benefit local environmental organizations will be held Saturday August 16 at the Kendall County Fairgrounds.

The event includes a camping option, food, live music and an after-ride party. Money raised from the event will benefit Illinois Environmental Council Education Fund, Illinois Stewardship Alliance and Prairie Rivers Network.

The ride consists of a 15, 25, 45, 62 or 100 mile option. The routes traverse the rolling hills of the Fox River valley, crossing the Fox River multiple times and traveling through scenic countryside and nearby towns.

In addition, roundtable talks on environmental topics, an enviro expo and other family-friendly outdoor activities will be held following the ride. Though online registration for the event has ended, registration will be accepted on the day of the event from 6 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

All level of cyclists are welcome. Children must be 8 years old to ride alone on their own bike.

Why Not Try Meat-free Meals With Kids?

Vegetarian diets are greener. Just reducing your weekly consumption of meat and animal products can make a big difference in your family's environmental impact. Vegetarian meals for kids needn't be time consuming or require special planning.

In fact, many kids favorites like pizza, mac and cheese and quesadillas are already meatless. Meatless breakfasts have been commonplace at family tables for years. Take for example  cereal, oatmeal, scrambled eggs, pancakes, waffles, muffins and bagels.

To start, you could include a meat-free dinner in the list of those that you already enjoy as a family each week.  Or you can try experimenting with making a current favorite dish meatless. You might be pleasantly surprised at the results. You can look for meatless recipes in any basic cookbook. The kitchen bible "The Joy of Cooking" has countless vegetarian recipes. When you're really stuck for ideas, there's nothing wrong with breakfast for dinner. Just add fresh fruit in place of a vegetable. Kids will love the novelty of it.

If you have concerns about adequate nutrition, think of this: without meat your children will have more room in their diets for the fruits, vegetables and those whole grains they probably need more of anyway. For good, sound and comprehensive advice on vegetarian nutrition for kids, pediatrician Dr.Sears' website lists and discusses different types of vegetarian diets (those that include eggs and dairy, those that include fish, and the vegan diet, which avoids using or consuming any animal products) and the nutrition behind them.

Here's some more resources to get you started complete with recipes, impact calculators, nutrition research and more:

Vegan Lunchbox

Kid Friendly recipes and tips

Nutrition information

Vegan family life

Your Eating Green score