I am at the sixth annual Greening Our Children Event in Greenwich, CT. This event is honoring two of my favorite eco-heroes, Dr. Phil Landrigan and Jessica Alba. Dr Phil Landrigan is from the Children’s Environmental Health Center and has worked tirelessly to remove lead from gasoline after his studies showing the correlation between the lowering of children’s IQs and their level of lead exposure. He researches harmful chemicals and their effect on the health of our children, as well as educates the public about the inherit risks of exposure. Jessica Alba is receiving the Mt Sinai Champion For Children Award because of her dedication to the prevention of childhood chronic disease as it relates to exposure to harmful toxicants.  (more…)

Originally published in Atlanta Intown April 2013

Everyone knows I’m passionate about the environment. One of the main reasons for that is that I spent a great deal of time in my childhood outside.

Being outdoors, actually seeing how each and every part of our natural systems work, is so vital to understanding and appreciating Mother Nature. And those times outside with my family are some of the best memories I have now. (more…)

This Thursday Georgia State University is holding “Ray Day”. In partnership with the Ray C. Anderson Foundation, Georgia State University is promoting sustainability on campus and inspiring students, faculty and staff to push for more integration into the campus culture. (more…)

One of my personal heroes, Jane Goodall, was in town recently to meet with children and civil rights leaders to help spread the word about her work and also form new partnerships for her children’s program.

Goodall, through her foundation, runs a program called Roots and Shoots. It supports and encourages children to get involved in community service, allowing the children to choose causes and work together to find ways to solve problems.

The meeting in Atlanta was an opportunity to meet with kids from Ron Clark Academy and meet leaders in the Civil Rights community. (more…)

Recently, I took Laura Elizabeth to the New York opening night of Eve Ensler’s Emotional Creature for her 15th birthday. Based on her best-selling book, Emotional Creature is a play based on the real life experiences of teen girls from around the world. My brilliant mother-in-law, Pat Mitchell, is the producer.

It was an INCREDIBLE, UNFORGETTABLE, LIFE ALTERING evening for me and Laura Elizabeth. As a busy mother, it is not always easy to find quality time with my daughter spent on such meaningful endeavors. This was an amazing opportunity to share with Laura Elizabeth, because like the majority of youth today, she can become distracted from what is really important. Emotional Creature was definitely an AHA! moment for her. (more…)

Last year the Department of Education announced the start of the Green Ribbon Schools Award Program. This federal program recognizes schools on a national level that earn high achievement in three pillars :

Pillar I: Reduce environmental impact and costs.

Pillar II: Improve the health and wellness of students and staff.

Pillar III: Provide effective environmental and sustainability education, incorporating STEM, civic skills and green career pathways.

In support of this program, the Turner Foundation pledged $10,000 in prize money to the school or schools in Georgia awarded the National Green Ribbon from the U.S. Department of Education! (more…)

When parents think about summertime in Atlanta, we like to picture relaxed evenings at the ball field and neighborhood swimming pool. However, summertime also signals ozone season, when intense sunlight and heat converts a mixture of tailpipe and power plant emissions and other chemicals into unhealthy smog. (more…)

Tell your friends and vote for Captain Planet Foundation at 100carsforgood.com on TUESDAY, MAY 15.

The Captain Planet Foundation has been selected as a finalist in Toyota’s 100 Cars for Good program! Toyota’s 100 Cars for Good program will be awarding 100 vehicles to 100 nonprofits over the course of 100 days based on votes from the public. A total of 500 nonprofits were selected from more than 4,000 applications nationwide. We are hoping to win a new Toyota Prius V to help Captain Planet spread the word about environmental education to youth at schools, community organizations and eco-events.

What will environmental super hero do with a Toyota Prius V ? (more…)

We had a record turnout this year for the 10th Annual Earth Day Kids Fest. Each year the Captain Planet Foundation partners with the Chattahoochee Nature Center to put on this amazing event that teaches kids to celebrate, love and play within our natural world. Children are introduced to important environmental concerns, like the dangers of plastic bags and preservation of fragile ecosystems, but arguably, one of the most important goals of EDKF is to get these kids outside, playing in the sunshine and forming a bond with nature. This year we had 1,655 in attendance! (more…)

BPA ( Bisphenol-A) is a chemical used in countless numbers of our everyday items, from baby bottles to tin cans. BPA has shown to be toxic to humans, especially small children and expectant mothers. For years the FDA has been considering banning BPA in food packaging and has recently voted against the ban. Check out Phil Landrigans CBS clip below for more information on the decision. (more…)