Stuff We Found Today - 10.26.12

Zombie pumpkins at New York Botanical Garden

Family, Kids & Health Stuff

• Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History - (Seventh Generation Blog) Book about how environmental toxins are affecting breasts and breastmilk...connections to breast cancer.

Food Stuff

• Hershey outlines details of cocoa child labor pledge - (ConfectioneryNews.com)
• Whole Foods Drops Drops Hershey's Scharffen Berger Brand over Child Labor Concerns - (Sustainablog) Interesting... reason why Hershey is finally stepping up (albeit slowly)??
• Mars, Nestle and Mondelez talk cocoa sustainability - (ConfectioneryNew.com) Notice who's not talking among the chocolate giants... Hershey!!!

Home Stuff

• Bamboo Homes in Bali's Gorgeous Green Village - (Inhabitat) Imagine having one of these for your vacation hideaway!
• Cocoon Tree: A Lightweight, Spherical TreeHouse for Sustainable Living - (Inhabitat) Backyard getaway anyone???

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

• 10 Great Looking Non-leather Riding Boots Under $200 - (GirlieGirlArmy) OK...we suckers for cute boots!

Tech & Science Stuff

• British Firm Produces Liquid Fuel From Water and Thin Air - (Inhabitat) For reals??? Will be curious to see how this pans out.
• Electric cars get ready to take over the road, quietly and powerfully - (Sierra Magazine) Buyer's guide to EVs and hybrids.

Nature & Environment Stuff

• High Levels of Plastic and Debris found in Waters off of Antarctica - (Smithsonian.com) Our plastic junk is everywhere!!
• Pictures: Vampire Squid - (National Geographic) These creatures are cool!
• Octopus Steals Food From Researchers, Fends Off Shark - (The Scuttlefish) That's one crazy cephalopod!
• Sperm whale: death by 100 plastic bags - (While Things) Very sad.
• The Cost of Coal - (Sierra Club) Pics and videos of those living with the effects of coal mining.

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

• Army of Ghastly Zombie Pumpkins at the New York Botanical Garden - (Inhabitat) Creep & gruesome, but pretty cool at the same time.

International Stuff

• World's First Algae-Powered Building for Germany - (Inhabitat) Love the cool green color the algae give it.

Other Random Cool Stuff

• 8 DIY Cardboard Costumes That Are Outside the Box - (Inhabitots) These are insanely amazing.
• Chicago Unveils the "Greenest Street in America" with Permeable, Smog-Eating Pavement - (Inhabitat)

Stuff We Found Today - 10.07.12

Waste Free School Lunches



Family, Kids & Health Stuff

• Little Goodall's Eco Halloween Costume Coats - (Inhabitots) Not cheap, but man are these cute...and can be worn all season long.

Food Stuff

• Easy Steps to Waste-Free School Lunches - (The New Dream Blog)
• Fairtrade chocolate & banana brownie recipe via infographic - (Big Fair Bake) Infographic recipe...love it!
• Hershey to source 100% certified cocoa by 2020 - (Global Exchange) What will they do in the meantime??
• Make Homemade Organic Pumpkin Puree - (Inhabitots) Easy recipe.
• Getting Arsenic out of Your (and Your Kids') Diet - (Enviroblog) "...two new reports came from the US Food and Drug Administration and the highly regarded Consumer Reports magazine...focused on the worrisome amounts of arsenic in rice and popular rice-based processed foods."

Home Stuff

• IKEA Announces That It Will Sell Only LED Lighting By 2016 - (Inhabitat) Guess where we'll be getting our light bulbs?

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

• Show The Love - These guys make hand-crafted jewelry with recycled metals and ethically sourced stones...and they're super cool!

Tech & Science Stuff

• California Governor Jerry Brown Signs Bill Legalizing Self-Driving Cars - (Inhabitat) Wow...now you really can text while driving.
• Scientists Use Super-Strong Bacteria to Produce 24K Gold - (Inhabitat) Whoa...that's kinda crazy!

Nature & Environment Stuff

• Seaside activist tracks waves of 'microplastic' washed onto Oregon beaches - (OregonLive.com) Not so good.

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

• Man Builds One World Trade Center Out of Thousands of Toothpicks for His Wife Suzi - (Inhabitat) These toothpick buildings are absolutely amazing.

Website Stuff

• Google Adds Underwater Panoramic Sea Views - (Inhabitat) Google Maps has gone underwater...so cool!

International Stuff

• Haiti Bans Plastic Bags & Disposable Foam Products - (TreeHugger) "...ban is aimed at attempting to address the nation's massive litter problem and protecting the nation's coastline, shore and remaining mangrove forests."

Other Random Cool Stuff

• Lessons from a Waste-Obsessed Traveler - (The New Dream Blog) A perspective we should all take a look at...

October is Fair Trade Month...Easy Ways to Get Involved!

"This October is the 9th annual Fair Trade Month.  Throughout the month, ethically-minded consumers, retailers and brands will unite to celebrate and promote Fair Trade. A variety of education events, in-store sampling programs and online initiatives have been planned to help increase awareness and sales of Fair Trade Certified products, ultimately leading to greater impact for farmers and workers in developing countries."

Visit Fair Trade USA's Fair Trade Month webpage for information about Fair Trade, events, and how you can get involved. They've even put together 10 Easy Ways to Celebrate Fair Trade Month...check it out!

Of course, don't forget Fair Trade chocolates for Halloween this year!

Stuff We Found Today - 09.25.12

Hummingbird Clearwing Moth

Family, Kids & Health Stuff

• Green Halloween-ChicoBag contest for kids is open - (Celebrate Green Blog) Great for kids to show off their creativity.

Home Stuff

• Ikea does the urban greenhouse - (Do The Green Thing) These are perfect for apartments.

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

• Stella McCartney Introduces Biodegradable Soles for Fall/Winter - (Ecouterre) Kinda diggin' the boots!
• Will the Fashion World Embrace Test Tube Leather? - (EcoSalon) Hmmm...interesting or scary?

Tech & Science Stuff

• Electric car app shows you exactly where to stick it - (Do The Green Thing)
• U.S. Postal Service expands electronics recycling program - (Mother Nature Network) Nice...can even get some cash back.

Nature & Environment Stuff

• Scientist Provides Alarming Prediction That All Arctic Ice Will Be Gone in Four Years - (Inhabitat) If this is true, we are in some deep sh**!!!
• The Exotic Beauty of Hummingbird Clearwing Moth - (Environmental Graffiti) Is it a bird or is it a bug? So cool looking!
• Drowning Islands: A Visual Account of the Effects of Climate Change - (EcoSalon)
• NASA Records Earth's "Dawn Chorus" Produced By The Planet's Magnetoshpere - (Inhabitat) What earth sounds like from space...cool.

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

• Free museum admission this weekend - (Mother Nature Network) Sep 29th is Museum Day Live... check this out for participating museums.
• Free national park admission for National Public Lands Day - (Mother Nature Network) This Saturday sep 29th. Hmmm...musuem or park this weekend???

Other Random Cool Stuff

• Roundup of ideas for a Green Halloween - (Celebrate Green Blog) Love these ideas!
• Midttrafik makes mass transit look cool [VIDEO] - (Mother Nature Network) Hahahaha...this is funny.
• Help this green teen help others this Halloween - (Mother Nature Network) "Pennsylvania teen wants to turn local Halloween costume drive into year-round charity." Kids helping kids...love!
• Cardboard bicycle [VIDEO] - (Mother Nature Network) This is so cool!

Stuff We Found Today - 11.06.11

FLOTUS at the White House Autumn Harvest 2011

Food Stuff

• How to roast pumpkin seeds - (Mother Nature Network) In case you still have those seeds from your jack-o-lantern.
• Iron: Dark Chocolate Contains More than Beef? - (Care2) Get our iron from chocolate...we like that idea! OK - not really advocating that, but still...
• Recipe: Kale with Lemon Sauce - (Celebrate Green!) Mmmm...always on the lookout for yummy kale recipes to get more green into dinner.

Home Stuff

• Recycled Skateboard Bench - (EcoSalon) These would be super cool in a hip office...wishful thinking on our part??
• Don't get slimed: Skip the fabric softener - (Enviroblog) "Fabric softeners contain toxic ingredients that are bad for your health and the environment."

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

• Triumph Japan Recycles Old Bras Into Power-Generating Fuel - (Ecouterre) Sounds like a pretty good idea to us.
• Is Synthetic Clothing Causing "Microplastic" Pollution in Our Oceans? - (Ecouterre) Great...another way we're polluting with plastic.
• 6 DIY Pumpkin-Skincare Products You Can Make at Home - (Ecouterre) These are really easy... and good enough to eat right off your skin!
• 18 Vegan Shoe Brands That Are Eco-Friendly and Ethical, to Boot - (Ecouterre)
• 7 Beauty Ingredients To Avoid - (EcoSalon) Read the labels ladies!

Tech & Science Stuff

• Power the economy and grid with local solar [Infographic] - (Grist)
• Northeast States Teaming Up to Build EV Charging Network - (EcoGeek.org)
• Dow Solar Shingles Finally Hitting U.S. Markets - (EcoGeek.org) Can replace regular roof shingles.

Nature & Environment Stuff

• Up to 20 million tons of debris from Japan's tsunami moving toward Hawaii - (Yahoo! News) Yikes!
• The Simpsons Called It; Three Eyed Fish Caught Outside a Nuclear Power Plant - (Gizimodo) No joke...caught in a resevoir in Argentina. Check it out.
• Carbon Emissions Rise By Six Percent In 2010; Largest Rise Ever Recorded Concerns Scientists - (AboutMyPlanet.com) Not good!
• 12 Incredible Long Exposure Waterfall Photos - (Environmental Graffiti) Seriously beautiful pics.
• 6 Bizarre Alien-Looking Life Forms - (Environmental Graffiti) Nature...both beautiful and bizarre.

Website Stuff

• Vegan Cuts - A deal site just for vegans...check it out!

International Stuff

• Ikea to Build Massive 26-Acre Suburb in East London - (Inhabitat) Wow...welcome to IKEAland! Hey, at least it's planned to be eco-friendly.
• Saudi Arabia Begins Operations At First Solar Plant - (AboutMyPlanet.com) Hey...when oil rich nations start going solar...

Political, Social & Economy Stuff

• An Urban Garden Prepares Inmates for Green-Collar Jobs - (NYTimes.com) Like!!
• White House Autumn Harvest 2011 - (Obama Pics Daily) Love seeing FLOTUS in the veggie garden with all the kids!
• Guerilla Gardening at Occupy Wall Street - (350.org) "...a beautiful film from the crew at Seismologik.com on a unique way to connect food, direct action, and a fundamental new way of looking at the world around us..."
• Big News on the Keystone pipeline: Obama Steps Up and takes ownership of decision - (350.org) Question is... what will he decide?

Other Random Cool Stuff

• How many people have ever lived on Earth? - (Mother Nature Network) "As humanity welcomes its 7 billionth member this month, the Population Reference Bureau calculates our net population from 50,000 BC to today." Kind of interesting...
• Olly - An air freshener that works when you get pinged - OK...we know this isn't a "green" post, but thought it was so outrageous that we had to share. For reals people...c'mon!
• Too Many Halloween Treats? 10 good ways to get rid of the haul! - (Celebrate Green)

Stuff We Found Today - 10.23.11

"Macquarium"

Family, Kids & Health Stuff

• Stress and Toxins Can Combine to Increase Illness in Children - (Greenwala) Interesting study... (makes sense to us!)
• Child Slaves Made Your Halloween Candy. Stop Buying It. - (GOOD) Start spreading the news...
• Kids' Brains Absorb Twice as Much Cellphone Radiation as Adult Brains - (Inhabitots)
• 10 Ridiculous "Pinkwashed" Products That May Actually Cause Breast Cancer - (Ecouterre)

Food Stuff

• Infographic: Unexpected Chemicals in Your Food - The Health Risks of Pesticide - (Greenwala) That's why it's best to get organic whenever you can.
• 'No magic bullet' can protect cocoa from climate change - (ConfectioneryNew.com) Will chocolate become a true luxury item??
• Chocolate That Feels As good As It Tastes - (Green Energy TV) Video by Fair Trade USA.
• 12 healthy homemade candy recipes - (Mother Nature Network) Some fun ones to try...and to taste!

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

• Fair Trade Fashion: Ridiculously Inexpensive Jewelry from Morrocco - (EcoStiletto) Gorgeous gold "silk" and silver bead necklace and bracelet.
• The Company That Wants You to Buy Less - (New American Dream) Patagonia would rather you repair or buy used clothing instead of buying new...cool!
• 14 Eco-Friendly Women's Boots to Kick Fall Into Gear - (Ecouterre) Lovin' the Cri de Coeur boots!
• 14 Eco-Friendly Men's Boots For Ushering Fall - (Ecouterre) ...and, the men's selection...

Tech & Science Stuff

• Virgin Atlantic Announces Plans to Fuel Airplanes With Waste Gas - (Inhabitat) "Airline mogul and billionaire Richard Branson just announced that in three years Virgin Atlantic airplanes will be fueled by waste gas from power plants, steel works, and aluminum plants."
• Macquariums: Iconic Candy-colored Apple iMacs Recycled into Aquariums - (Inhabitat) Kinda cool and nostalgic.

Nature & Environment Stuff

• Extraordinary Toroidal Vortices [VIDEO] - (Eco-Tube) This is a pretty cool video... especially of the dolphins and whales making and playing with bubble rings.

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

• Magic Mountain Lodge is a Hill-Like Hobbit Highrise - (Inhabitat) Gotta see the picture. How cool would it be to spend a few nights here?!!
• Tell Disney: Get the Lead Out of Disneyland! - (Center for Environmental Health) "For nine months, Disney has known about dozens of lead-tainted brass and stained glass items at Disneyland, yet the company has failed to act to protect children!"

Website Stuff

• How Many Slaves Work for You? New Online Tool Measures Your Impact - (Ecouterre) Almost scared to try this one out...

International Stuff

• Bosco Verticale in Milan Will Be the World's First Vertical Forest - (Inhabitat) Now if all high rise condos could be like that.

Other Random Cool Stuff

• WTC Complex Aiming for LEED Gold, Will Be The Largest Green Project in NYC - (Inhabitat) Nice!!
• HOW TO: Make Flying Ghosts from an Upcyvled Sheet for Halloween - (Inhabitots) Fun times!

Stuff We Found Today - 10.06.11

Cute eco-friendly trick-or-treat bags

Family, Kids & Health Stuff

• Eco-Friendly Candy Monster Trick or Treat Bags Eat Kids Goodies - (Inhabitots) These are adorable!

Food Stuff

• Dr. Oz, apple juice, and arsenic: chicken may have 10 times more - (NutritionFacts.org) "Every year about two million pounds of arsenic-containing chemicals have been fed to chickens in the United States..."
• Recipe: Sweet Potato Biscuits - (Peta.org) Yummy and super easy recipe...perfect to do with the kids (they'll have fun forming the biscuits with their hands!), and it's even vegan!
• Mars Commits to More Fairtrade While Hershey Loses Ethical Ground - (Change.org News)
• Climate Change Could Make Chocolate A Luxury Item, Report Finds - (Huffington Post) Just great...
• Recipe: Mujaddarah - This Middle Eastern comfort food of spiced rice and lentils sounds delish...gotta try!
• Monsanto's broccoli (and other business ventures) - (Mean Joe Green's Environmental Cartoons) Check out Monsanto's newest veggie...

Home Stuff

• 7 Amazing sun-Powered Homes in the 2011 Solar Decathalon! - (Inhabitat) Oooohhh...some of these are pretty nice!
• Stainless Steel Straws - (Ecobold) LOVE these straws... and this 4-pack comes with a cleaner!
• 24 things you can clean with lemon - (Mother Nature Network) Really like the tip on cleaning microwaves.

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

• 11 Hot Green Designers at the New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2012 - (Ecouterre) Always fun to look at...
• Human Hair Accessories - (Ecouterre) Hmmm...interesting or creepy??
• 14 Eco-Friendly Capes, Cloaks, Ponchos For Cozying Up to Fall - (Ecouterre) Love, love love!
• Uggs Made Using Dog Fur, Yep. - (GirlieGirl Army) BOOOOO!!!!!!

Tech & Science Stuff

• Who Will Spark the Future of U.S. Energy? - (Greenwala) Calling all U.S. billionaires... Check out what a wealthy man in Japan is doing!
• Coffee-Powered Car Breaks World Speed Record for Vehicle Powered by Organic Material - (Inhabitat)
• Could Bamboo Surfboards Inspire Bamboo Cars? - (GOOD) We'd want one of those...the new eco-version of the old surfer "woody" station wagon!

Nature & Environment Stuff

• Plastic found at the ends of the earth - (Surfrider.org) Plastic trash floating around in Antarctica...great!
• Video: Moving Planet - (350.org) For anyone who missed the Moving Planet celebration on Sep 24th, or who just want to relive it... here's a great little video they put together.
• Red Tide Causes Glow-In-The-Dark Blue Waves On San Diego Beaches (VIDEOS) - (Huffington Post) This is crazy looking... check out the videos.
• Mother Lion Makes a Daring Rescue to Save Her Cub Off a Cliff - (Greenwala) Don't mess with mama lion!!

Website Stuff

• Fair Trade Finder app crowd-sources product locations - (Mother Nature Network) "Fair Trade USA has just released an app that allows users to upload the location of fair trade products that they find for sale." Works for smartphones and Facebook.
• 10 Free iPhone Apps To Help You Go Green - (The Good Human) Gotta love an app!

Political, Social & Economy Stuff

• How your 'slow money' can make a difference - (Mother Nature Network) "Let's do with money what the slow food movement did with food. By investing in local businesses, you can turn a profit and change your community for the better."

Other Random Cool Stuff

• Infographic: America's report card - (Mother Nature Network) "Hundreds of U.S. residents in all 50 states grade their state on natural beauty, eco-friendliness, medical care and more."
• Guatemalan Schools Built from Bottles, Not Bricks - (Huffington Post) Pretty cool!

Go green this Halloween by swapping costumes... National Costume Swap Day!

It may not quite be Halloween yet, but National Costume Swap Day is right around the corner! And it’s never too early to start thinking about how to make one of the best holidays of the year more eco-friendly. Check out this cute video from Green Halloween!

On October 8, people across the country will get together for costume swaps in their own cities and towns. Swaps are a great way to go green by exchanging gently used Halloween costumes for new-to-your-kids. You’ll save the money you would’ve spent on new costumes for your kids and help the environment. In fact, swapping half the costumes kids wear at Halloween would reduce annual landfill waste by 6,250 tons—about the weight of 2,500 midsize cars!

If you’ve got friends and neighbors or a school or community group for whom a costume swap would be a good project, we encourage you to host a swap yourself or join with others. It’s easy, fun and a great way to build community around this money-saving and planet-saving idea.

You can learn the simple steps to hosting a swap here.

And be sure to register your swap so everyone can find out about it.

Many neighborhoods and towns have already begun planning their swaps. Find one near you, then spread the word and help make it an eek-o-fabulous success!

National Costume Swap Day is sponsored by Green Halloween, KIWI magazine, and Swap.com.

Ready to get started? Find existing swaps—plus information to help you start your own at CostumeSwapDay.com.

Halloween can be about giving...not just getting

The ladies over at Celebrate Green offer some wonderful ideas and suggestions for showing our kids that Halloween can be about "giving" and not just "getting"...and have fun doing it!

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Trick or treat for good

With one notable exception, Halloween has traditionally been about getting, not giving. That exception began 60 years ago, when a mom in Philadelphia had the idea to turn the getting into something bigger. With nothing more than a desire to see change, Mary Emma Alison spread the word through schools, churches and community groups, encouraging kids to collect pennies that would go toward food, medicine and other needs of poor children around the world through UNICEF (the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund).

Her efforts were noticed by UNICEF, which eventually took over the campaign.

President John F. Kennedy recognized the willingness of children to move beyond self-interest:

"UNICEF has caught the imagination of our people-especially our nation's children whose Halloween collections have become a symbol of concern and an expression of tangible aid."

Children still can collect for UNICEF, but in addition, there are a number of other ways in which they can turn Halloween into a good-for-others event.

For instance, kids can collect eye glasses. Organized by OneSight and Lions Clubs, Sight Night is a non-traditional way to go door-to-door for good. Instead of trick-or-treating for candy, children and community groups collect used prescription glasses as well as sunglasses which are then recycled for usage by global clinics. Click here for more information and download materials for Sight Night.

Do your kids have allergies? The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network's Trick or Treat for Food Allergy is an alternative way for kids of all ages to have fun during Halloween. Instead of trick-or-treating for candy, which may contain ingredients that can cause allergic reactions, kids will trick-or-treat for donations to fund FAAN's food allergy education and research programs. This way, they can dress up as their favorite characters while raising awareness to an important cause. Participating kids can even win cool prizes.

Older children may want to raise awareness of Fair Trade Certified chocolate and help end abusive child labor conditions in the cocoa industry. If so, they can try "reverse" trick-or-treating with Global Exchange. Instead of accepting candy (or in addition), they will hand out Fair Trade chocolate and/or informational cards on why supporting Fair Trade practices in the cocoa industry is a year around must.

And finally, with kids bringing home pounds of candy, most parents won't allow them to eat it all. Instead of tossing the loot, check with the Halloween Buy Back program to see if your local dentists are listed. Participating dentists pay children $1 for each pound they bring in. Kids can keep the money or use it to help defray the cost of sending collected candy to troops overseas.

If dentists in your area are not participating, see whether your local food pantry or Meals-on-Wheels might accept the treats.

This Halloween, why not take the focus off collecting as much candy as possible and offer your child the opportunity to be generous. That idea is anything but scary!

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Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson are mother and daughter and co-authors of Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family, available at www.CelebrateGreen.net.

Last Chance for Reverse Trick-or-Treat and FREE Chocolates!

Coco-Zen is proud to once again donate chocolates to this year's Reverse Trick-Or-Treating campaign. This annual event is headed by Global Exhange, a membership-based international human rights organization dedicated to promoting social, economic and environmental justice around the world.

See the announcement below, and find out how you and your kids can participate this year...and get your FREE Halloween chocolates!

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October 8
Deadline for individuals and groups to request Reverse Trick-or-Treat kits!

ORGANIZATIONS (congregations, schools, youth groups, etc):

• Kits for organizations are $24 per box of 150 minis and cards (maximum 2 boxes per organization).
• When placing your order you must use the coupon code COCOZEN for the discounted wholesale price.
• Last day for organizations to sign up for Reverse Trick-or-Treating is also October 8th.

INDIVIDUALS (families, students, etc):

• Kits for individuals are FREE and include 15-20 Fair Trade chocolate minis and informational cards.
• Last day to order kits is October 8th.

Order your kits TODAY at www.reversetrickortreating.org. We usually run out long before the deadline!

What is Reverse Trick-or-Treating?
Children (+ high school/college students/adults) on their regular trick-or-treating rounds through their neighborhoods, or at an equivalent community event, give chocolate back to adults at each house they visit on Halloween...Fair Trade chocolate attached to an informational card about the problems in the cocoa industry, (such as child slavery, environmental degradation, and poverty) and how Fair Trade provides a solution.

With your help, we will reach nearly a quarter million households in the US and Canada with this important informational message!



To order trick-or-treating chocolate to distribute from your doorstep, including Global Exchange's fabulous Halloween Fair Trade Action Kit, visit:

• https://www.globalexchangestore.org/SearchResults.asp?Cat=263
• http://www.equalexchange.coop
• http://www.sweetearthchocolates.com
• http://www.coco-zen.com

Whether or not you order a Reverse Trick-or-Treating kit, please join the Raise the Bar Campaign and circulate flyers on Halloween calling on Hershey's to stop using cocoa grown with child or forced labor and start using Fair Trade certified cocoa. Flyers available at: http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/fairtrade/cocoa/reversetrickortreating/RTTpublicparticipate.html


October is Fair Trade month!
Learn how you can participate at http://www.fairtrademonth.org/

*Thanks to Reverse Trick-or-Treating 2010 Fair Trade chocolate company donors Equal Exchange, Sweet Earth, and Coco-Zen.

2010 Reverse Trick-or-Treat Kits Now Available

Update from Global Exchange:

Halloween 2010: Participate in the Fourth Annual Reverse Trick-or-Treating!

Reverse Trick-or-Treating gives thousands of schoolchildren (& high school/college students, and adults) the opportunity to treat neighbors with Fair Trade chocolate while educating their communities about how they can help end poverty and the human rights, child labor, and environmental abuse that is pervasive in the cocoa industry.

The Fair Trade chocolate is attached to a card with information unmasking social and environmental problems in the cocoa industry, and how buying Fair Trade certified chocolate provides a solution.

See how much fun you'll have by watching the Reverse Trick-or-Treating video or reading our 2009 media.

Reverse Trick-or-Treating kits are distributed FREE to individuals and at a DISCOUNTED WHOLESALE PRICE to organizations, thanks to the generous donations of Fair Trade chocolate companies Equal Exchange, Sweet Earth, and Coco-Zen. (Participants pay the cost of postage.)

Place your request today…we always run out long before the deadline!

DATES TO REQUEST KITS:

Individuals (one group of Trick-or-Treaters):
Dates to request kits: September 1 - October 8 (unless supplies run out sooner)
Price: FREE + shipping costs (kit includes 15 cards/chocolates)

Organizations (schools, congregations, youth groups, etc organizing multiple groups of Trick-or-Treaters)
Dates to request kits: October 1 -October 8 (unless supplies run out sooner)
Price: $24 per box of 150 cards/chocolates (maximum 2 boxes per organization) + shipping costs.

Organizations: Please note that when you place your order you must use the coupon code 'GLOBALEXCHANGE' for the discounted wholesale price.


Request a kit/more information available at: www.reversetrickortreating.org


This year, make an even bigger difference for cocoa growing communities. Child and forced labor, poverty, and environmental degradation in the cocoa industry will not end unless EACH ONE OF US takes action!

1. Distribute Reverse Trick-or-Treating flyers on Halloween, whether or not you request a kit. Pdf available at www.reversetrickortreating.org.


2. Help challenge Hershey to Raise the Bar! Distribute flyers/petitions as part of the campaign asking Hershey to go Fair Trade and end child and forced labor in the cocoa industry. Pdf available at www.globalexchange.org/cocoa.

3. We are calling on every household to distribute Fair Trade certified chocolate minis to trick-or-treaters who visit your household. To purchase, please visit www.globalexchangestore.org

4. Organize a showing of The Dark Side of Chocolate at your home, school, congregation, etc during Halloween week. This important new documentary reveals that the nightmare of child labor, trafficking, and slavery is continuing in the cocoa fields. Screening toolkit includes petition for viewers to sign asking Hershey to end child labor/slavery and go Fair Trade. More information available at www.globalexchange.org/cocoa.

Reverse Trick-or-Treating is an initiative launched by the human rights organization Global Exchange in cooperation with Fair Trade company Equal Exchange and is a collaborative effort of countless children, youth, and adults supported by institutions including nonprofit organizations, faith-based organizations, Fair Trade companies, and schools.

Stuff We Found Today - 11.05.09

1st Lady Michelle Obama in the White House garden

Family, Kids & Health Stuff

• MomMaps: Kid spots on the go - iPhone app that helps you find kid friendly locations - parks, playgrounds, restaurants, museums, etc.
• Wearable Teething Jewelry - (Ideal Bite) Made from non-toxic materials... Moms of babies, what do you think...cool or just more greenwashed junk???

Food Stuff

• Your Choice of Chocolate Matters - (Treehugger.com)
• California vineyards: Swirl, sip, solar - (Mother Nature Network) "West Coast vineyards harness the energy of the sun in new and inventive ways."
• What to do with leftover Halloween candy - (Mother Nature Network) There's even some fun science experiments...haha!

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

• The Perfect Tee Shirt, Made From a Glass Bottle - (The GirlieGirl Army) Great stuff for guys and gals here.
• Kid's Eco-Boutique - (Ideal Bite) Entertaining Elephants has super cool kid's clothes made from "organic cotton (colored with low-impact dyes) or vintage or locally salvaged fabrics." The shop is in L.A., but you can buy online as well.
• Are Mass-Market Eco-Fashion Lines a Good Idea? - (Ecouterre) Interesting question...
• New! Ecoist Candy-Wrapper Bags Inspired by Jackie Kennedy - (Ecouterre)
• 6 Terrifying Crimes of Eco-Fashion That Will Make You Scream - (Ecouterre) Yup...these are pretty scary. Although the Julia Stiles video is pretty funny.
• Want a Closer, Smoother, Greener Shave? Check Out The New Azor... - (Feelgood Style)

Tech & Science Stuff

• America's Electronic Waste Is Filling Landfills Worldwide - (Causecast)
• Universal Cell Phone Charger Can Save Million Of Tons Of Carbon Emissions - (Causecast) About time!! Do we really need to get a new charger whenever we get a new cell phone??
• Toyota to release solar charger for electric vehicles - (Physorg.com)
• The Governator Introduces Short Haul Fuel Cell Semi-Truck - (Gas 2.0) "Getting truckers on board with the green movement will play an integral part in the widespread acceptance of alternative fuel vehicles."
• Four wheels good; three wheels better? - (Mother Nature Network) "EV trikes are now eligible for lucrative federal loans, so expect a flood of new (and very strange-looking) plug-in cars on the market."

Nature & Environment Stuff

• Oil spill Off Australia Harming Marine Life And Humans Alike - (AboutMyPlanet.com)

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

• Art Paints - (Ideal Bite) List of eco tempera paints...perfect for the kiddies.
• Al Gore And Stephen Colbert Debate Global Warming Solutions - (Ecorazzi) Haha... pretty funny! (video in post)
• Sam Waterson: Stop Killing The World's Oceans - (Ecorazzi) Hey...it's Jack McCoy talking here...
• Eco-Themed "Avatar: Epic Gets A Full Trailer, Will Dazzle Your Eyeballs - (Ecorazzi) Calling all enviro sci-fi enthusiasts out there...this is awesome!

International Stuff

• Indian Engineer Builds Glaciers To Fight Global Warming - (Causecast) 76 yr old civil engineer trying to do something about global warming in his lifetime...cool!
• Windsor Castle Goes Vegan For 24 Hours As They Celebrate Faith And The Environment - (Ecorazzi)

Political, Social & Economy Stuff

• 1st Lady Michelle Obama works the White House Garden - (Obama Pics Daily) Awesome pics...diggin' her purple Converse!
• Special release of the Green Tax Guide, 2009 - (Green Building Elements) Useful resource to navigate all the "green" government incentives available.

Other Random Cool Stuff

• Fun Theory - (YouTube) Getting people to recycle more by making it "fun"...neat idea. Check out this video.
• What's Beck's Beef? Vegetarians, This Time - (TreeHugger.com) OMG...Glen Beck is a paranoid freakazoid!! Do thinking people really listen to this guy??
• The Living Christmas Company - If you live in the Los Angeles area, check these guys out...they rent potted Christmas trees! They'll deliver to you, and then pick up on Dec 31st...awesome!!!

Stuff We Found Today - 10.29.09

Michael has an eco message for us all...

Family, Kids & Health Stuff

• Toxins Make Halloween Face Paints Scary - (U.S. News) "Report finds all product tested contained lead and some had know skin allergens."
• Boys will be ... girls? - (Mother Nature Network) "Everyday chemicals may be feminizing an increasing number of babies."

Food Stuff

• Take Action!: Is There Life on Mars? - (Center for Environmental Health) Tells Mars Candy to stop using sugar made from untested GM sugar beets in their candy...sign the letter - we did!
• Organic Sparkling Wine - (Ideal Bite) Korbel now has a sparkling wine made from 100% organic grapes - California Brut!
• 22 Fish You Mustn't Eat - (EcoWorldly) See the "red fish list" published by Greenpeace. Maybe if the market price of fish reflected the "real" price of the fish, we'd eat accordingly.

Home Stuff

• Planet Green Announces New Green Material Guide - (Twilight Earth) "...a fabulous source for information on wall coverings, flooring, insulation, windows, heating and cooling, bathrooms, kitchens and general green building techniques."

Beauty & Fashion Stuff

• Organic Underwear - (Ideal Bite) "...eco-underwear made from organic cotton and recycled polyester..."

Tech & Science Stuff

• Build your own cheap electric car? These guys did - (Mother Nature Network) "Starting with junkyard finds and bargain buys, people are converting common cars to state-of-the-art electric vehicles." (video in post)

School, College & Student Stuff

• EPA Names Top 20 Green Powered Schools - (Twilight Earth)
• HS students: Get $1K for you eco-idea - (Mother Nature Network) "Got a good idea for saving the planet? Planet Connect may give you $1,000 to make it happen."

Nature & Environment Stuff

• 100 coastsiders spell out 350 on Linda Mar Beach to promote environmental awareness - (SFGate.com) Our little town of Pacifica came out to support 350.org's International Day of Climate Action...Joyce & family are at the top right corner of the "5".
• Concern About Climate Change Waning - (NPR) Interesting radio story/interview. Sad...there are actually people out there that believe "scientists making up statistics for their own job security." WHAT???!!!
• Gorgeous But Deadly: 13 Unassuming Poisonous Plants - (WebEcoist) Who knew such pretty plants could be so deadly?
• Inland Seas Worth Seeing: The 10 Most Amazing Lakes - (WebEcoist) ...and some of them are shrinking...fast!

Arts, Entertainment & Travel Stuff

• Eco-themed Cartoons - (Ideal Bite) Online and TV shows "for ages 4-12 (and up) cover stuff like wildlife and global warming, and are fun to watch."
• World Series gets eco-friendly in game 2 - (Mother Nature Network) "The Natural Resources Defense Council adds some green to Philly red and Yankee blue."
• Without cheap oil, it all will Collapse - (Mother Nature Network) "The new documentary/horror flick Collapse from the director of The Yes Men examines life in a world without cheap oil." Definitely NOT a feel good film!
• Michael Jackson's 'This is It' movie sends an eco-message - (Mother Nature Network) "Over the next two weeks, millions are expected to flock to theaters to see the King of Pop's final concert. Besides catching a terrific film, they'll also get a glimpse of Jackson's eco-activism."

Political, Social & Economy Stuff

• Michelle Obama on cover of Glamour - (Obama Pics Daily) What can we say? We love this lady...and what a great looking staff of White House interns!
• Obama Administration Outlines Newest Economic Sustainability Retrofitting Plan - (Green Energy News) "Initiative Allows Homeowners to Support Cost of Energy Improvements via Property Tax Assessments-"

Other Random Cool Stuff

• Geeks, Gamers, Gory Flick: 114 Cool Pumpkin Art Carvings - (WebEcoist) Some of these are pretty amazing.
• Bill Gates Forced to Support GMO's (cartoon) - (Red, Green and Blue)
• Climate Change Commercials - (Twilight Earth) Check out their top 10 picks.

Last Minute Halloween Treats!

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