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Green Living Blog: Saving the earth for our grandchildren

Canadian Living
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Green Living Blog: Saving the earth for our grandchildren

Green Living Blog logo After reading this post, don't forget to enter our contest – you could win a new dishwasher. Plus, do you have your own story to tell? Send it to greenchallenge@canadianliving.com (no more than 300 words, please), and you could win one of 30 daily prizes. Today's winner is Kerry Kaufman of Calgary.
While driving through the Banff Park gates about a decade ago, I was handed a brochure that said something along the lines of, "When your grandchildren ask you what you did to save the earth – what will you tell them?" Now in 2008, with a husband, two children and a dog (non pure bred), that caption resonates with me on a constant basis.What does my family's "footprint" on the environment look like? Is it a sleek stiletto (tiny heel, small ball of foot) or is it like a winter moon boot (large, blobbish and bulky) in shape? I hope to be aiming for more of the former than latter. The most important "thing" I feel I can do to help the earth is to pass on a value system to my children that empowers them to respect, help and restore the earth. We recycle, use green cleaners, have a pesticide-free lawn, pick up cans that have been tossed throughout our community as we walk to school most days, use go mugs and kleen canteens. We just signed on with The Good Life (a WWF initiative) and through them my family switched over to Bullfrog wind energy. We visit natural areas to explore and gain an appreciation for nature's beauty, taking with us our bug books and bird books that identify all that is around us. We are not perfect and can't be. But with all we take from the earth each day, we really do try to give something back to it. A friend just told me that she is "greening" all her household products because of my (nagging) influence. I am completely flattered and proud of her initiative. When my grandchildren ask me what I did to protect the earth I can answer, "As much as I could!"
Thanks to Kerry for sending in her story – and don't forget, if you still haven't entered, there's still time to send your own story to greenchallenge@canadianliving.com. Yves Rocher moisturizerKerry wins a set of products from Yves Rocher worth over $100, including the following: • Inositol Végétal Optimizing Moisturizer Day 1st Lines and its eco-refill • Inositol Végétal Moisture Recovery Night 1st Lines and its eco-refill Today's code word: grandchildren Read more: • 6 ways to foster a love of nature in your childrenCanadian Living guide to greener livingGreen gardening: Eco-friendly lawn and garden ideas

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Green Living Blog: Saving the earth for our grandchildren

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