Besides the Greenhouse, there’s another big house that’s going to have lots of kids in it soon. It’s the White House!

Last Tuesday millions of people got together and voted for Barack Obama. And yes there is a lot of talk about him being the first African American President. All the cheering I heard in the streets on Tuesday night, tells me that it’s a big deal for a lot of people! And from what I can see in the Media Center, it’s a big deal to a lot of people around the world.

A Bridge to Bring People Together

Ever since Barack Obama was a young boy, he dreamed of bringing people together to collectively work towards bettering the planet. From the beaches of Hawaii to the streets of Chicago, from the jungles of Indonesia to the plains of Kenya, Barack held onto this dream. Even as a boy, he knew he wasn’t quite like anybody else, but through his journeys he found the ability to listen to the voices of challenge and become what he was meant to be: a bridge to bring people together.

Inspiring A Nation To Go Green

Obama inspired an entire nation in his victory speech by saying “Yes We Can“  as he described the spirit of the American people. According to him if we stand together as a diverse group of fellow citizens, we can overcome the challenges that face our planet. Barack has said that lowering greenhouse gases through clean energy and conservation is a big part of his plan. We’ll wait and see, I think he might be calling us soon for advice!

Barack has even pledged to create 5 million green jobs. We’re going to need people that can set up all of those solar panels. Now that’s pretty cool stuff for a hot planet.

Click here for Barack Obama’s complete victory speech. It makes for a truly inspiring read!

—- Cypher

Phantoms and Vampires Lurk When You’re Not Looking

Does you home have phantoms and vampires?

Our friends at GreenHalloween.org told us that “Phantom Loads,” and “Energy Vampires” lurk because appliances and electronics drain energy just because they are plugged in. So when you’re not looking, these unnecessary nuisances release carbon into the environment. Now that’s got to be scary!

So when you’re not using them, make sure you unplug your toasters, IPODs and gizmo chargers. And ask your neighborhood hardware store about “smart” power strips that don’t feed unwanted energy suckers.

Save energy now…nobody wants Phantoms and Vampires after Halloween!

For more cool ideas about how to have a green Halloween, check out www.greenhalloween.org.

Go green this Halloween by creating a scary Green Monster Mask from recycled materials. Not only is it easy and fun, it’s a great way to use those bits and scraps of leftover stuff that you never know what to do with. Besides, it’ll make for some very cool art that you might just want to display well beyond the scary season!

What You Need

• A cardboard box, large enough to fit over your head but snug enough that it won’t move around too much.
• Paint
• Recycled decorations: cotton balls, used tissue wrap from old presents, leftover scraps of wrapping paper, used aluminum foil, used bubble wrap, fallen leaves etc.
• Glue
• Scissors

What To Do

Create a green base

• Paint the outside of the box your favorite shade of green.

Create Monster Features

• Paint on a scary face
• Glue an assortment of materials to the top and the sides of the cardboard box
• Use painted bubble wrap or fallen leaves for hair
• Twist aluminum foil into a pair of horns
• Cut tissue wrap into thin strips and use them for whiskers
• Cut odd sized teeth out of old scraps of wrapping paper
• Stick cotton balls together to create fuzzy ears

Mark the Eyes

• Place the mask on your head and have someone help you mark out the eyes; cut out the eye holes so you can see
• Become the Monster
• Wear the mask and become the monster
• If necessary, glue two pieces of string to the lower edges of the mask and tie these together under your chin to secure a tight fit

Tip: If you want to make a body to go with the mask, then follow the same instructions but with a large cardboard box in which you can cut out holes for the head and arms.

Hey Chicos! You like the GG design I made? It was okay…but I know I can do better, and maybe you can too.

So here’s my challenge to you: design a cool poster that can help your local grocery store chain promote reusable bags! Or post the poster below. Then talk to the store manager and see if you can give them a hand (here’s some cool facts to tell them, too! Click here).

Check out this video of how Kids For a Cooler Planet in New Hampshire helped sell 20,000 reusable bags in their town! We’re taking it global, I tell you.

Hey, you can also talk to the store managers and see if they’ll let you design a cool “use-again” station for boxes.

Kids for a Cooler Planet store poster image (Click to Download 1MB Poster)

Bag the Bag! We took care of the Hufflebot Bags, but there are still a lot of bags out there.

The best way to spread an action is to show an action. Always use reusable bags! Always re-use the ones you’ve already got. Then share the word with your friends, your parents, and even your Uncle Hank.

Then once you and your family are using them, you can spread the word even more!

Listen, Mate, there’s more than one way to get rid of needless waste.

Talk to your city council! Give them the straight facts or get creative!

Check out what one recent student bag monster did in Santa Monica. What he uncovers, he does undercover:

Hey. So look, there are a lot of bags out there already. Millions, even trillions of them. In trash heaps. And I know it will take people a while to get around to using reusable bags. Did you know the average family uses 1,000 plastic bags in a year? So sometimes I like to make a plastic bag ball! Our friends at ECOBAGS gave us this idea and I like it:

Get your friends together and scour the neighborhood. Ask your parents and their friends for their used plastic bags. They can be used plastic grocery bags or even those clear plastic bags from the store where you put your vegetables and fruit. Then you wind up each bag into a little rope, and tie it to another by making a little knot at the end. The goal is to get a thousand bag ball! Then tape on a list of facts on plastic bag waste, and show your friends how many bags the average family in America uses in one year. Ask your principal if you can put the bag on display in your school, or ask your local grocery store manager if you can put it in their store with a poster promoting reusable bags!There’s nothing better than making stuff with trash. Sometimes I have a ‘bag ball soccer’ game! Then send us a picture, and we’ll post it!