green is universal

Father's Day Dilemma?

Dear Mr. Green,

For Mother's Day, I saw you answered a question from a Dad looking to do something green with his wife and family. I'm also a Dad and feeling a little apprehensive about Father's Day this year. I recently started making lifestyle choices that are better for the environment and would like my family to follow my lead. While I enjoy gifts as much as any other red blooded American, I'd like to reduce waste. Is giving them a list of eco-friendly products I'd like just plain wrong?

Best,
Green Dad

Dear Perceptive Parent Pondering Presents,

I'm certain Dad's Day was cooked up by a group of sulking men who were jealous of Mother's Day. (He works hard alongside mom and deserves the same respect, right? OK, so he accidentally left that one red sock in the washing machine making the following load of whites a delightful shade of pink - but cut the man some slack--at least he did the laundry!)

With an attempt for equal attention and recognition on a day meant to celebrate fatherhood and for imparting the "dude" impact on children and households no matter how testosterone-laden the man being honored might or might not be, we take notice.

Although I'm not a parent, I respectfully gave each of my parent gifts for Mother's Day and Father's Day, respectively. And for our family, Mothers Day gift giving was always simple: flowers, chocolate, some costume jewelry and a brunch - and from the kids - a simple craft project whipped up in the mudroom just hours before the actual event. Somehow the sticks glued to rocks, acorns and macaroni and then covered in glitter always thrilled her. My mom, in one way or another, always mustered a tear to drive home her gratitude. And out of sheer blinded pride, our genius would be compensated with a yearlong front-and-center presentation of our "masterpieces" on the refrigerator.

Men - well - they just don't have the same responses. Sure, Dear ol' Dad will love any gift that is given from the heart. But, following your suggestion, why couldn't it also be an eco-learning experience filled with gift-giving alternatives outside of the "expected" patriotic boxer shorts, the bulk package of tube socks, the cartoon inspired necktie, or even the quart-sized bottle of aftershave?

As Bill Cosby once said "Fatherhood is pretending the present you love most is soap-on-a-rope." By steering the traditional Father's Day gift-giving train off of its proverbial tracks and suggesting new and different earth- and father-friendly ideas, I think your suggestion takes the "loco" out of locomotive. Presenting your gene-pool with a list of thoughtful eco-friendly alternatives in honor of your one X and one Y-chromosome contribution is thoughtful beyond words.

Here's a short list of earth-loving presents you might suggest:

1. Plant a tree together - either in your garden if you are lucky enough to have one, or through a re-forestation program. Or better yet, own an acre of the rainforest...your family can buy you your own section of the Amazon through the Rainforest Foundation to ensure that it's protected in perpetuity (www.rainforestfoundation.com)
2. Have the kids promise to wash your car once a month using water from a bucket rather than a hose (buckets use 2-3 gallons, while hoses about 25)
3. Ask for a waterproof timer for the shower and propose a contest to see who can take the shortest one - every minute under 5 minutes saves about 2 gallons of water (that's a savings of 730 gallons or more per family member per year). And if you install a low-flow aerator, it'll save up to another 50%!
4. If you have a dog, how about asking for a supply of biodegradable bags for when you scoop the poop?
5. Ask for a manual reel lawnmower (that gas-powered mower produces as much pollution in an hour as 40 cars!) And leave the grass cuttings on the lawn--they will rot and release nutrients back into the soil.
6. Great techno-gifts may include a flat LCD screen TV which uses 30% less energy than older cathode ray models and gives off less heat (just be certain to recycle or donate your old one), or an MP3 player (preferably one with a solar charger) so that you can download your favorite music and therefore buy fewer CDs, reduce plastic production and decrease landfill buildup, and if you are going high-end and want a new computer, ask for a lap top - they use 90% less energy than desk top models.
7. Spend the day buying nothing - and ask for the gift of "nothing" - imagine the environmental impact that would create
8. Enlist your kids to be in charge of green-tasks around the house - checking that lights are out, appliances are switched off, composting is renewed and turned, wild birds are fed, etc. - and reward them with an eco-friendly treat - you'll be changing their environmental consciousness for the rest of their lives.
9. If you are lucky enough to have living parents or grandparents, gather them with your kids and make a tape recording of how they used to live - have the children ask them about games they played, food they ate, chores they did, how they cleaned, what they wore, etc. Their wisdom could have a tremendous impact on your children's eco-habits. And the recording will be a family heirloom treasure.
10. Ask for the gift of giving - sit down with your kids and make a family decision to donate to an agreed upon environmental charity, and then set up an automatic monthly electronic transfer payment to save on paper. The kids can also be encouraged to give a percentage of their allowance or after-school job earnings so that it is really a "green" family philanthropic endeavor.

Again, kudos to you for attempting to make an eco-loving tradition out of a father-loving one!

about mr. green

From re-gifting, re-cycling, to natural cleaning products for your home, Mr. Green has all of your ecotiquette answers. Our Mr. Green (aka. Michael De Jong), is the author of "CLEAN: The Humble Art of Zen-Cleansing." He lives in Jersey City with his partner (Richard,) dog (Jack,) and three goldfish (Phil, Jill and Gill) all of which benefit from his natural cleaning techniques. De Jong, who cleaned apartments in New York City while working as a fine artist, began researching and inventing many of the recipes in "CLEAN" and is continually experimenting with safe, effective and eco-friendly alternatives. Raised in the mid-West by an immigrant family that valued the environment and re-cycled before it was fashionable, his quest for non-toxic solutions comes naturally to him. He is currently writing a companion series of "CLEAN" books dealing with such topics as the body, first aid, organization, and food, as well as posting a weekly Blog on www.thedailygreen.com. "CLEAN: The Humble Art of Zen-Cleansing" can be purchased at Barnes & Noble stores across the country or on-line at www.barnesandnoble.com or www.amazon.com.

Click here to send him a question and he'll put in the elbow grease to scrub out the answers!