A Carnival of Nature

I am honored to be the host for the February edition of the APLS carnival. The topic for the month will be NATURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT.

I think I must be the Last Parent in the World to read Richard Louv's excellent book, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder. Louv's work is complex, thoughtful, and beautifully written. The author argues that a deep connection with nature leads to a calmer mind, a fitter body, and a more socially mature relationship with the world. Yet we are raising an entire generation with "denatured childhoods"--that is, childhoods where entertainment is more about electronic screens than it is about free play in the wild. Louv asked us to consider how these disconnected youngsters can ever become the good stewards of the land that we need in this era of environmental crisis.

I would love to see what connections you see between experiences in nature and your own efforts to live more sustainably.

What is "nature" in the first place? How is our experience of the natural world different in a place of awesome majesty (like the Grand Canyon), a place of more basic but still unstructured land like a local forest, and a more constructed outdoor space like a garden or park? What if we're just reading about an area we may never have seen, like a rainforest or a desert savanna?

What makes nature so powerful or meaningful? How has your experience with the natural world shaped your own environmentalism? Is love of the natural world an essential motivation for sustainability? Have you found ways to share a connection to nature with your loved ones, young and old?

To participate in February's carnival, please submit your posts to aplscarnival (at) gmail (dot) com by February 13. The carnival will be published at the Green Phone Booth on February 20.

January Carnival Is Up

Come see what mind games we APLS like to play.

(Belated) January Carnival

Happy New Year from snowy Vancouver!

There's always one bad APL in the barrel, and this month it's me. I am being a terrible host and forgot to post the topic for the next carnival. Many apologies. Ruchi has suggested that we move the carnival to January 22nd, to allow everyone more time to write their posts; if you could email me (aplscarnival@gmail.com) a link to your post by the 19th, I'd really appreciate it.

So! The topic!

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MIND GAMES

As an APL who is at a much earlier stage of going green than most of our other contributors, I am shamelessly using this edition of the carnival to pick your brains! I've already learned a LOT from you guys, but I need a little extra help to get me up the next section of the learning curve.

See, I need some better mental tricks to help me make the right decisions. I know I shouldn't be eating red meat, I know I should be buying local, organic food... but it ain't easy being green, and sometimes, when I'm staring at a restaurant menu and craving a steak, or when I'd really rather go to the local supermarket than cycle a very hilly 5 km to the farmer's market, I need a little help.

What mental tricks do you use on yourself to help you make the right choices, even when they make life a little harder? Or, conversely, does your mind play games that trick you into making the wrong decisions?

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Can't wait to read all your posts!

Come on down!!

Join us at Going Green Mama for this months' APLS carnival posts.

Thanks to everyone who took time out of their busy holiday season to write. I enjoyed reading everyone's perspectives!

Robbie

Calling all APLS! A plastic problem needs to be addressed

APLS unite! Here's our "bonus" carnival opportunity for December -- and one that could make a small difference.

One of the largest half-marathons in the country is professing to "go green" with a recyling effort while adding 39,000 plastic disposable timing chips to our landfills. After years of using reusable timing chips, the 500 Festival Mini Marathon is proud to go to disposable chips. (Read my entire post here.) I think it's a crock, and I hope you agree.

Here's what I'm asking:

• Read my entire post about the timing chips.
• Post your opinions on the subject.
• Blog about it.
• E-mail the Mini Marathon at raceinfo@500festival.com.

While I realize contracts may have been made for this year, I'm hoping to prevent this waste for future races.

Thanks for your help!

Robbie @ Going Green Mama

December APLS Carnival Announced!

Hello from the Heartland (not-so-sunny Indiana)! It's Robbie from Going Green Mama here to share this month's APLS Carnival topic.

Why do we think green? What’s our motivation?For many of us, the answer is simple: To maintain this world for future generations.

It’s a lesson told to us generations ago, but did we listen as well as we should have?

“Children are our greatest natural resource,” President Herbert Hoover (and Lisa Simpson) once said.

President Theodore Roosevelt told Congress more than 100 years ago:

….there must be the look ahead, there must be a realization of the fact that to
waste, to destroy, our natural resources, to skin and exhaust the land instead
of using it so as to increase its usefulness, will result in undermining in the
days of our children the very prosperity which we ought by right to hand down to
them amplified and developed.

What inspires you to help the next generation? How do you help preserve our greatest resource? What have tomorrow’s leaders – yes, those cute tikes or tenacious teenagers – taught you about what’s meaningful in this world? I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject.

To participate in December’s APLS Carnival, please submit your posts to aplscarnival (at) gmail (dot) com by December 10. The carnival will be published at Going Green Mama on December 15.

As always, thanks for participating!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!

November APLS Carnival

The carnival on Buying Local is live at Green Phone Booth. Check it out.

Many thanks to Burbanmom for hosting in November!