Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
I would like to gratefully acknowledge my agents at William Morris, Brian Dubin, Mel Berger, and Strand Conover, who saw early on how valuable green information is to the health and well-being of our children and, indeed, to all of us as a society. Id also like to say I am the luckiest person in the world to have the love and support of everyone who helped on this project, including my fab sister Dawn Bridges, the gorgeous and witty Krista Smith, the inspirational and enlightened Vanessa Williams, the beautiful super-brain (my best friend) Dr. Lisa Ecklund-Flores, and the smartest voice in my head, my kind and gentle editor, Tracy Bernstein.
But most of all, I want to acknowledge youyou parents and caregivers, friends and relatives, who are the gatekeepers and the guardians at the door to protect our most precious and valuable resources, our wonderful and adored children.
Green Is Good
The point is, ladies and gentlemen, that greenfor lack of a better wordis good. Green is right. Green works.
Green clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit.
Green, in all of its formsgreen for life, for money, for lovehas marked the upward surge of mankind.
Well, OK, I did change a letter in one word from that famous speech by Michael Douglas character in Wall Street. But that was then and this is now, and no one can deny the surge in interest in all things environmental. In a world of unfulfilled promises and empty brands, green is the new goldgreen matters. Green is on the horizon, organically growing, exponentially expanding into every sector of our lives like Jacks magic beanstalk.
But what does that mean for you, and for your baby?
Green is safe, green is clean, and mothers have an especially vested interest in a toxin-free environment. It is our joy and our job to keep our children safe. After accidents, cancer is the biggest killer of American children. New studies link exposure to household toxins from cleaning products and decor such as vinyl flooring and synthetic carpets not only to cancer but to the growing spike in asthma and even learning disabilities like ADD and ADHD.
There is a better way, a greener way. And before you start to feel even the tiniest bit overwhelmed, understand this: You dont need to move to Montana or be a Una-mommer to get the best alternatives for your baby. (Although Montana is very nice, I hear.)
All you need to do to make the kind of changes that will improve your familys personal environment, your home, and your life is to start with baby steps. Before you know it, you will have taken one giant step for mankind. Im going to tell you about easy, fun, makes-sense things you can do for yourself and your baby to ensure a happier world where you can feel terrific about going au naturel.
I am not here to scare you or guilt-trip you. This is a guide to empower you to make informed decisions without completely overhauling your lifestyle or your bank account. At the end of every chapter Ill list changes you can make by their shade of greenfrom evergreen to pea green to spring greenso whether youre a Birkenstock-wearing tree hugger or somewhat reluctant to part with your SUV, you will choose the level thats right for you.
In addition, Ive interviewed the smartest Green Gurus around, a whole passel of world-renowned sages. Throughout the book youll find their cool, easyand inexpensivetips and recipes on how to get down to earth. I want to share what Ive learned to help you with the most important person in the world, your baby.
Thank you so much for including me in this fantastic time in your life. Because of you, its a whole new world out thereyou are literally building your childs tomorrow today. Thanks for helping make it a green one.
Viva el verde!
Lynda
Foreword
Congratulations!
If you are reading this book, it means that you or someone you really care about is pregnant or has recently become a member of one of Mother Earths oldest clubs... PARENTHOOD.
This club has great perks! The wonderful smell of your babys hair, the indescribably delicious feeling of that warm cheek pressing softly on yours, the tender innocence of your child asleep in the crib.
But (and this is an important but) the group you have just joined is very much a dues-paying club. Youll have to give of yourself... big-time: in sleep, stained clothing, missed parties, worry wrinkles, depleted savings, and daily efforts to protect your child from harm.
Recently, protecting our kids from harm required a new type of effortprotecting them from chemicals. Thats because we discovered that somewhere back in the 1950s we made a really bad decision. Back then, chemicals were universally applauded as mankinds salvation. We naively believed that our bodies were so strong and the world was so huge that we could release vastI mean really vastamounts of toxic and untested chemicals into our air, water, and cities... without so much as an Oops.
Well, we were wrong.
Inevitably, this chemical carnival overwhelmed natures ability to forgive. Our folly has battered the planet and resulted in todays many environmental crises, like a huge rip in the ozone layer, ocean sectors devoid of fish, and of course global warming.
Our navet has also hurt people. The negligent release of tons upon tons of asbestos, lead, pesticides, solvents, and hundreds of other rogue chemicals has caused much sickness and pain.
We clearly have our work cut out for us. And this is where the dues part of being a member of the Parenthood Club comes in.
In addition to performing the big job of raising a child, each new wave of parents is called upon to make a larger sacrifice to help its children. Past generations made generous investments in bridges, tunnels, schools, highways, and airports. These are all a gift from them to us.
What gifts will we leave to our children? How will the newest generation of parents step up and make a difference? We cannot ignore or evade our obligations. They will only fall on the shoulders of our children and at a much steeper price.
And thats where Lynda Fassas great book Green Babies makes such a contribution.
Green Babies is chock-full of facts, hope, and a smorgasbord of clever ideas to keep your child healthy and happy and to help inspire you to make a difference in your life and the world.
Lynda is right on the money when she points out that todays parents are wiser and more informed than ever before. And we are blessed with an abundance of products that offer us healthy, green options. All we have to do is... take them home... and put them to use.
Now, its our turn to pay the dues.
I have total faith that if we think clearly and pitch in together, we can give our children the gift of a safer, healthier, truly better world. A world they deserve.
Lets start today!
DR. HARVEY KARP,
author of The Happiest Baby on the Block
and The Happiest Toddler on the Block
Introduction
How My Green Light Turned On
I started my business, Green Babies, right after my first daughter, Layla, was born, more than thirteen years ago. Today, Green Babies offers the largest selection of organic-cotton clothes for babies and kids on the planet. Ive been called a trailblazer and a pioneer in this rapidly exploding industry. But I am really just a mom who had an idea of how I wanted things to be for my baby, and who also needed a job.
