What’s even scarier than the scariest of Halloween costumes? How about the labor abuses suffered by women and children in third world countries?

This year, little Hannah Montanas and Harry Potters can have a treat up their sleeves as they get out the word about beneficial Fair Trade sales to the homes they visit on October 31st.

It’s called Reverse Trick-or-Treating and allows participants in the U.S. and Canada not just to receive candy from neighbors but also distribute Fair Trade certified chocolate donated by companies. The participants are …

Tags: children , Chocolage , fair trade , Halloween , labor , Third World , women

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No one growing up during the upbeat, Mattel-directed Sixties figures they’ll be worse off in middle age, forced to scrounge harder for work, buy less, live smaller.

Those Barbie songs my sister and I sang along to in our pink and green room constituted teenage visions of a supercalifragelistic future that we owned, co-starring Dick Van Dyke, four kids, a shiny Lincoln and full-service yacht.

“Here’s a cake, that you and I can make, I’ll share the recipe, if you say yes to me.”

But due to the recession and soaring costs …

Tags: affirmations , aging , birthday , blessings , book clubs , children , conservation , debt , Disney , family , green , jewelry , Life in the Green Lane , luxury , Mary Poppins , menopause , nature , pets , recession , San Francisco

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My mother, the nice Jewish lady seen here at her box at the Hollywood Bowl,  is among the biggest paper and water consumers in the country. It hasn’t been easy getting her to turn over a new leaf. (Or rather, fewer of them.)

She has a varied and colorful history of helping herself to fistfuls of disposable napkins at restaurants, collecting hundreds of brown paper grocery bags from Gelson’s Market and requiring daily soaks or showers. She’s pretty darn clean, my mother.

“I never, ever get …

Tags: children , composting , conserving , Italy , Jewish mothers , Life in the Green Lane , parenting , recycling , renewable energy , seniors , towels

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We go because we love movies. We go for the delightful or frightful experience of being swept into another reality for a couple of hours. We go crazy when bombarded with highly stylized Mercedes and Coke ads before previews and a show.

The big screen in a darkened room has always had a dramatic impact on the captive viewer, more than a television screen and much more than a computer monitor or iPhone. And they know it. They bet on it. They exploit it. They profit from it.

They are corporate advertisers for soft …

Tags: banning commercials , buying , children , commercials , conserving , corporate advertising , HBO , marketing , movies , Showtime , television

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These have to be the cutest kids ever. Not just because they’re, well, adorable children, but look at what they’re wearing! Soft, comfy, organic cotton striped clothes! If these aren’t the happiest little munchkins you’ve ever seen…well…don’t tell that to their moms.

And just what are these tykes wearing? Clothes made by Happy Green Bee, a manufacturer of Fair Trade Certified, organic cotton children’s clothing. I found them at a trade show and got sucked into their happy little hive. Not only was it the …

Tags: child , children , clothing , eco-friendly clothing , fair trade , fairtrade , kids , organic cotton , sustainable kids clothes

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Last year, USA Today ran a series of articles looking at the issue of  Toxic Air and America’s Schools. Working with researchers and scientists, they analyzed the extent of industrial pollution outside 128,000 schools across the nation. They have even created an easy search tool so that you can check out your child’s school for air toxicity.

What USA Today discovered is frightening. School children throughout the United States are breathing in extreme levels of toxic chemicals on a routine basis. And these are chemicals that can cause all …

Tags: air pollution , children , EPA , Toxic Air and America's Schools , toxicity , USA Today

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I never in my life thought I’d have a baby. Seriously. I was always one of those people who spouted about overpopulation and my own independence – motherhood was just not on my list of things to do.

But when I found out I was pregnant, and in a stable relationship and a good place in my life, I was overjoyed. The timing was perfect. And as I approach the final month of my pregnancy, what I’m struck by most is how regular an occurrence this whole pregnancy thing is (after …

Tags: birth , children , eco , health , parenting , pregnancy , vegetarian , women

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You’re a kid again. Now, imagine sitting at your cramped classroom desk, your brain already stuffed full of letters and numbers, and the sunlight and fresh breeze beckoning you from outside. All you can think about is recess, and rightfully so! Although any kid can explain the importance of recess, studies now show that school kids with daily recess breaks show better classroom behavior than kids who go without.

The scientific explanation for this is that the brain needs a break. I’d like to add that humans evolved …

Tags: children , education , environment , health , parenting , sun exposure

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The topic of soy can create a big debate among healthy folks, and the viewpoints can be extreme. Who knew a humble green bean could be so controversial? Some tout soy products as a panacea for health and wellness, while others swear that soy is a sure ticket to infertility and “man boobs”. What are the facts?

Aren’t Asian cultures particularly healthy because of consumption of soy?

Asians don’t actually eat as much soy as we think – only about 10-36 …

Tags: Brazil , children , environment , food , health , nutrition , protein , rainforests , soy , vegetarian

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