Green Parent Chicago™

EarthTalk™: The Health Effects of Living Near A Gas Station

Dear EarthTalk: I am looking at possibly buying a house that is very close to a gasoline station. Is it safe to live so close to a gas station? What concerns should I have? I have toddler and infant babies.              -- Ranjeeta, Houston, TX

Despite all the modern health and safety guidelines they must follow, gas stations can still pose significant hazards to neighbors, especially children. Some of the perils include ground-level ozone caused in part by gasoline fumes, groundwater hazards from petroleum products leaking into the ground, and exposure hazards from other chemicals that might be used at the station if it’s also a repair shop.

Ozone pollution is caused by a mixture of volatile organic compounds, some of which are found in gasoline vapors, and others, like carbon monoxide, that come from car exhaust. Most gas pumps today must have government-regulated vapor-recovery boots on their nozzles, which limit the release of gas vapors while you’re refueling your car. A similar system is used by the station when a tanker arrives to refill the underground tanks. But if those boots aren’t working properly, the nearly odorless hydrocarbon fumes, which contain harmful chemicals like benzene, can be released into the air.

Higher ozone levels can lead to respiratory problems and asthma, while benzene is a known cancer-causing chemical, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The quest to reduce ozone levels has led the state of California to implement a more stringent vapor-recovery law, effective April 1, 2009, which requires that all gasoline pumps have a new, more effective vapor-recovery nozzle.

Underground gasoline storage tanks can also be a problem. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that there are some 660,000 of them from coast-to-coast. Many a lawsuit has been filed against oil firms in communities across the country by people whose soil and groundwater were fouled by a gas station’s leaking underground storage tank. In the past, most tanks were made of uncoated steel, which will rust over time. Also, pipes leading to the tanks can be accidentally ruptured.

Earth Hour Chicago Tonight! 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.

 

http://www.earthhour.org/home/

The Great Sunflower Project Is Back

After a successful first run with over 30,000 participants in the U.S. and Canada, The Great Sunflower Project returns for spring 2009. Lead by researchers from San Francisco State University, the project is an excellent way for children and adults to work together to help the environment.

Sunflower seeds are currently in the process of being shipped to 2009 participants who will plant the flowers in their own gardens and monitor the activity of bee behavior. These efforts will assist researchers from SFSU in learning more about bees' relationship to pollination and the insect's currently declining numbers.

Here are the simple steps to join the The Great Sunflower Project:

1. Sign up for free, request seeds or plant your own sunflower seeds (this year's seed is the annual Lemon Queen sunflowers: Helianthus annuus.

2. Describe your garden.

3. Time how long it takes 5 bees to visit your sunflower plant.

4. Enter your data online or send in your form.

All ages are welcome to participate in the Great Sunflower Project. As soon as you create an account, you'll be added to the list of people scheduled to receive sunflower seeds. One batch of seeds has already been sent out this week. More seed batches are scheduled to be be sent in April and May.

The seeds are annual Lemon Queen sunflowers (Helianthus annuus). These sunflowers can be grown in a pot on a deck or patio or in a garden. Of course participants may obtain their own seeds and then send in the data. But, if doing so, project organizers ask that you use annual sunflower "Lemon Queen" (Helianthus annuus), which ensures that all participants will be comparing the same flowers.

Calling All DIY Crafters! Stock Up, Save and Reuse Creatively

We at Green Parent Chicago are big proponents of the DIY philosophy and love the self reliant ethic that underscores the work of indie crafters. From the artistry and inventiveness to the innovative ways  Chicago's local crafters make use of recycled goods, we can't say enough about them. If you're a crafty mama or papa yourself or have crafty kids, you may want to check out next weekend's "Do It Your Own D*mn Self Show."

Organized by Chicago Craft Mafia and featuring over 40 local vendors, the event,to be held at the Pulaski Park Fieldhouse, will run from noon to 4 p.m. and feature local crafters selling their stash of unwanted craft supplies at affordable prices. Admission is free.

Though there won't be any finished items for sale, a wide range of craft supplies will be available, such as beads, yarn, fabric, craft books, crafting tools, and much more. According to the event's organizers, the inaugural show is inspired by local artisans who throughout the years, have changed their focus.

Those who started out making jewelry are now making purses and soaps and others who started out painting are now making plush toys. Those crafters have supplies sitting abandoned in drawers or in a closet.

"This is the era of reduce, reuse, recycle, repair," said Brandy Agerbeck of Loosetooth.com. "We thought this show would keep craft supplies from getting trashed while making them available to people who are interested in starting new projects but who would rather not buy new supplies and plunk down lots of cash. This show will help both sides of the crafting market."

Celebrate Spring at the Nature Museum

The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum will host "Spring Into Action", a celebration of the season March 28 with hands on demonstrations and activities for kids and families.

From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. children can learn how to compost, watch cooking demonstrations, take part in nature observations and interactions with frogs and butterflies, try a nature sketching activity, listen to a nature story and create their own nature books. Parents can also learn about green cleaning and volunteer opportunities available at the museum.

Pre-registration is required for the "Adopt A Butterfly" events to will be held at 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. There children can adopt and release their very own longwing in the Judy Istock Butterfly Haven and receive a certificate marking the event. The cost for "Adopt A Butterfly" is $15/member, $20/non-member.

Cost for the composting activity is $8 per mini bin. All other activities are free with general admission to the museum.

 

Sign Up And Join Us For Earth Hour 2009

Currently, 1,189 cities and towns across 80 countries around the world will participate in the 2009 Earth Hour Saturday March 28 to support greater action on climate change and energy efficiency.

Organized by the World Wildlife Fund, the first Earth Hour began in Sydney, Australia in 2007, when 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off their lights for one hour. In 2008, the message had grown into a global sustainability movement, with 50 million people switching off their lights. That year, landmarks around the world from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco to Rome’s Colosseum to the Sydney Opera House and the Coca Cola billboard in Times Square went dark.

This year, Earth Hour organizers announced a goal of 1 billion people switching off their lights as part of a global vote toward a more sustainable earth. In 2008, the Chicago region alone reported an electricity savings of 7 percent: the carbon emissions equivalent of taking 1 million cars off the road for one hour or planting 158 acres of trees.

Check out these suggestions for fun ideas to spend the hour from the Earth Hour Kids website:

When You Have to Choose: What's Best Bought Organic?

These days families are making tough choices everywhere they shop. Choosing organic produce over conventional produce can sometimes be costlier, especially at local supermarkets. Knowing your options for which fruits and vegetables to buy organic is important when you're faced with a choice.

Fortunately, the researchers at Environmental Working Group, a national public health advocacy organization, have just announced their 2009 ranking of the most pesticide laden produce. Luckily, common vegetables such as onion and sweet corn rank low on the list for contamination. However,  favorite fruits like peaches and apples rank 1st and 2nd respectively on the rank of most exposed. These are part of the "Dirty Dozen" group of fruits and vegetables consumers should avoid buying conventionally grown.

Here's the EWG handy pocket reference guide you can download and print out to carry with you when you shop: http://www.foodnews.org/walletguide.php

Also on the site, you'll find information on how the EWG research was conducted and the compelling reasons why children especially must be protected from pesticides.

Earth Talk: The Cost of Powering Your Plug-In Hybrid/Electric Car

Dear EarthTalk: If you have an electric or plug-in hybrid car, you’re paying for electricity rather than gasoline all or most of the time. How does that cost compare to a gas-powered car’s cost-per-mile? And since the electricity may be generated from some other polluting source, does it really work out to be better for the environment?  -- Kevin DeMarco, Milford, Connecticut

When you compare battery to gasoline power, electricity wins hands down. A 2007 study by the non-profit Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) calculated that powering a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) would cost the equivalent of roughly 75 cents per gallon of gasoline—a price not seen at the pump for 30 years.

The calculation was made using an average cost of electricity of 8.5 cents per kilowatt hour and the estimated distance the car would travel on one charge, versus a car that gets 25 miles per gallon and is powered by $3 per gallon gasoline. Change any of those variables and the relative costs change. For example, substituting a car that gets 50 miles per gallon doubles the comparative electrical cost (though it still works out much cheaper than gasoline). On the other hand, in some areas where wind or hydropower is wasted at night—just when the PHEV would be charging—the utility might drop the kilowatt hour cost to two to three cents, making the charge much less costly.

Hello Readers, New Friends, as Promised Here's That Playdough Recipe

We had a fantastic time Thursday at the Chicago Flower and Garden Show meeting all the friendly grandparents, moms, dads, couples, kids and teens who popped in with us at the Kids Activity Garden. The Green Mama, Manda Aufochs Gillespie, joined us for the day to share in the fun and help spread the green word.

Best of all, we were quite surprised and fortunate to share the beautiful space with a great big sandbox and playground installation by Lurvey's Landscape Supply of Des Plaines that the kids adored.

It turns out our homemade playdough was incredibly popular, and, thanks to a little last minute ingenuity, our giant checkers set was a hit with young and old. Lucky for my husband and I, our two children played the time away with ease.

Now, for everyone who asked us about the incredibly easy homemade playdough recipe, we didn't forget. Click this link, courtesy of Montgomery schools in Maryland:

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/PEP/playdo.htm

(This makes a big batch, ideal for sharing among a handful of kids, so be sure to use a big pot!)

-Christine

Zoo Lecture Series Highlights Kids & Nature Connection

Brookfield Zoo will host a new spring lecture series for adults devoted to the topic of children and the outdoors beginning March 18.

The series will explore how adults may guide children to more outdoor experiences and foster respect for the environment in the process. Richard Louv, author of the highly acclaimed book, "Last Child in the Woods" will headline the series. 

Dates and times for the lectures:

Last Child in the Woods:
Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder
Richard Louv
Wednesday, March 18

Ecological Identity in Childhood
Dr. Ruth Wilson
Tuesday, April 14

Growing Child-Friendly Nature Spaces
Dr. Robin Moore and Dr. Nilda Cosco
Wednesday, May 20

The price for each lecture is $13 for zoo members and $16 for non-members. Attendees can save $6 when you sign up for all three lectures. Each lecture will begin at 7:30 p.m.