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7 ways to teach your kids how to be GREEN Children are never too young to treat the Earth with care. Try these to help them leam. BY NATALIE ERMANN RUSSELL FEW THINGS ARE more exhilarat ing to a child than nature (think mud pies and fireflies), and you can lead by example. Giving your children or ganic foods, toys and clothes is one way to go green. But there’s a lot more to raising green kids. Read on for surprising tips and ideas: 11 jA \ n si MI Lorax by Dr. Seuss, which is about saving the trees,” says Jen Boulden, co-founder of eco-lifestyle site Idealßite .com. Two more good ones: Our Tree Named Steve by Alan Zweibel and The Giv ing Tree by Shel Silverstein. This well-loved Dr. Seuss classic tome is all about saving trees, which can teach kids about the environment. Good for you: Reading with your children is great for bonding, especially when there are lessons learned. 14 USA WEEKEND • Oct 5-7,2007 Smart AJPfTEfVMAGES a Bring your kids to the farmers market. Good for the environment Kids who appreciate what the Earth can provide will take better care of it. Good for you: Free knowledge. “Farmers markets are places to learn. They’re the new public squares,” says Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, who often takes his 15- year-old son to them. “I want him to know farmers and under stand that carrots are a root and not a glossy orange bullet that comes in a bag. And I want to teach him not to waste food, because he sees where it comes from and how much work goes into producing it.” ◄ Read your children books with Earth friendly topics. Good for the envi ronment Early les sons teach kids to act conscien tiously as adults. | “There’s ahvays the classic The A Stock up on green school supplies. Good for the environment: According to the Environmental Protection Agency, recycled paper produces 74% less pollution and uses 64% less energy and 50% less water. Other smart items: recycled or reusable pencils, pens and notebooks. Good for you: Save money with refillable pencils and pens. Try the Woody Pen, for example, which is made of non-toxic wood on the outside ideal for pen chewers. The Com Pen is biodegradable. Use flushable diapers. Good for the environment Each year, 3.5 million tons of dispos able diapers are put in landfills. The EPA found cloth diapers to be less expensive (even considering all the washings), but they aren’t a convenient option for most parents. The new solution? gDiapers’ flushable diapers, which are safely reabsorbed into the ecosystem (gdiapers.com). Good for you: No buildup of stinky disposable diapers in the trash can. And no loads and loads of wash from cloth diapers. P&JSPUI np ; Hb Gooraamf wooi>r 2 i t l / !Vt& */ v, ► Don't M brown-bag it. d| Good for the en- Sr vironment: Pack a * reusable insulated * bag with lunches in stead of a paper bag that will get thrown away (more trash!). Good for you: “Insu- lated bags can be rolled up and tucked away,” Boulden says. And because they’re insulated, they’ll keep that yogurt chilled. m - rnwm film, you’re getting all your photos printed,” she adds. “With digital, you get only the ones you want.” Plus, you can share albums with friends and family through sites such as KodakGallery.com and Snapfish.com. Make gardening a family activity. Good for the environment Eating locally (i.e., from your backyard) means no gas is required to ship those blue ribbon tomatoes (or squash, beans or lettuce). Good for you: “Kids with exposure to gardening pro grams do better on science tests, do better socially and develop a sense of responsibility,” says Charlie Nardozzi, senior horticulturist with the National Gardening As sociation. “And they develop better eating habits.” E 3 Lunch bug I Trade your throw-away bags for an insulated one. ◄ Take pictures of the kids with a digital camera. Good for the environ ment: “We recom mend going digital,” Boulden says. “Mak ing a photo from a digital image uses fewer chemicals than making a photo from film.” Using fewer chemicals is better for the Earth. Good for you: “With