Green Gems
Mother's Day, weddings, birthdays... so many occasions for flowers and candy. Can you truly be green on these occasions?
- Enter "organic flowers delivered" into your favorite web browser and send organic flowers grown in the United States. Most commercial flowers are grown in South America where pesticides (including some that are banned in the U.S.) are commonly used and worker protection is questionable. There are efforts to improve conditions, but you should be sure you're buying certified organic flowers, wherever they come from.
- Organic and Fair Trade chocolates are becoming easier to find in local health food and grocery stores and online. Because of extensive child labor problems in cocoa-growing countries, buying fair trade products encourages sustainable production and communities.
If you feel a bit overwhelmed about where to begin to make green changes, the National Geographic winter 2009 issue of The Green Guide has it all plotted out, including a schedule of changes for this day, this week, this month, and this year. Get started by finding it online at http://www.thegreenguide.com/home-garden/energy-saving/one-green-year
