Photo Copyright 2010 by Carrie Branovan for Organic Valley
Sandra Steingraber is one of our favorite moms, biologists, and authors and we continue to find inspiration both in her life story and in the wealth of information she shares on raising children in a healthier environment. So we thought what better way to keep the holiday spirit going this week than to offer a Sandra Steingraber book giveaway!
This week we’ll treat two lucky readers to a free copy of Steingraber’s Raising Elijah: Protecting Children in an Age of Environmental Crisis. This book is one that moved us (to laughter and tears) here at Stonyfield and one that will provide great food for thought as you prepare to make some important New Year’s resolutions.
All you have to do to enter is read on and answer our question in the comment section below.
Sandra Steingraber, Ph.D is…
An ecologist, author, mother, and cancer survivor. She is also an internationally recognized authority on the environment links to cancer and human health. Her highly acclaimed book, Living Downstream: An Ecologist’s Personal Investigation of Cancer and the Environment presents cancer as a human rights issue and was the first to bring together data on toxic releases with data from U.S. cancer registries. In 2010 it was adapted for film by The People’s Picture Company of Toronto.
Steingraber’s Raising Elijah is…
A lyrical, witty, moving memoir that confronts the crisis our children face—an environment more threatening to their health than any generation in history—with precise science. Each lively chapter of this unique book focuses on one of the universals of childhood–milk, laundry, pizza, homework, the “Big Talk”–and explores the hidden, social political, and historical forces behind it. Throughout, Steingraber demonstrates how closely the intimate world of parenting connects to the public world of policy-making and how the ongoing environmental crisis is, fundamentally, a crisis of family life.
Steingraber says…
“I thought it would be fun for readers to follow an ecologist, who once chronicled interspecies relationships in rainforest habitats, as she explores the habitat of her own household with two children—from the timing of labor contractions to the arrival of puberty, from the origin of food preferences to the environmental influences on brain development.
Field biology turns out to be good preparation for motherhood. Every day is different. Variables are multiple, hypotheses dashed, experiments non-replicable. You have to pay attention all the time. You’re awake in the middle of the night. And then, just when you think you might have the whole mystery figured out, everything changes. It’s humbling.
Along the way, I reveal that the private, isolating world of parenting is profoundly connected to the public world of policymaking. In this way, Raising Elijah is both a memoir of a scientist mom and an exploration of the environmental threats to childhood.”
Steingraber also says the most important thing that parents can do after reading Raising Elijah is to…
“Flip immediately to the “Further Resources” section in the back, which contains an annotated list of groups that are already engaged in smart, creative solutions, from green chemistry and green architecture to efforts to redesign the National School Lunch Program and reform our nation’s famously useless toxic chemicals screening program. Just scanning through this list gives me hope because all these organizations are led by other parents, who are already hard at work. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel.”
Read all of Steingraber’s wonderful interview with the Science and Environmental Health Network here. And also her great blog titled “The Organic Manifesto of a Biologist Mother” on Organic Valley’s site here.
Tell us…
What are your New Year’s resolutions for your family?
Answer in our comments section below between 12/27/11 & 8 p.m. EST December 30, 2011 and we’ll randomly select two lucky winners to receive a copy of Raising Elijah in the New Year.
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I have a history of cancer in my family. We are always looking for more information about what we should be eating. I am looking forward to reading the book. Our resolution is to eat more organic and less processed foods.
New resolution: Read Steingraber’s new book! As a fellow ecologist and mother, I *loved* her earlier book, Having Faith, which was very influential to me during my first pregnancy.
To be more present with our baby and in our lives by using our smart phones less. Most calls, texts, and emails can wait!
I want to reduce the amount of stress in my life. I am 12 years cancer free, and I feel that I have lost the bloom of enjoying and appreciating life that I gained from the battle. I want to recapture that bloom!
There are certain foods that I do not compromise on such as milk, carrots, celery, and eggs. What I resolve to do for myself is to incorporate more walking into my life. I have already started this but need to keep it as part of my routine.
We will continue to educate ourselves and our families about avoiding chemicals in our diets and households while also being conscious about my little one’s food allergies.
We have just inherited my father-in-law’s farm. He retired from farming many years ago so the land has had a good rest. He made me very proud several years ago by saying no to fracking on his land (turning down a significant amount of lease money).
The taxes on the land are a little over our head but we would like to keep it since it has been family owned for nearly 150 years. We have also refused to allow fracking. To offset those taxes, we hope to start a small farming operation. Our goal is to raise only enough to keep the farm sustainable. It is important to us to keep toxins off the property so we hope to avoid pesticides, herbicides, growth hormones, or antibiotics in the feed.
We resolve to replace our front lawn with edible landscaping– blueberry bushes, overbearing strawberries, spare guys plants, etc– an organic kitchen garden. The loss of an old oak tree by the street opened up a shady lawn to sun. Where’s there’s Sun, why not a neighborhood demonstration organic kitchen garden? And no more mowing the lawn too–a win-win-win! ( except for our our friend the Oak).
Our resolution is to get back to healthier eating! We were doing really well for quite a while, but now that we have been so busy with school, sports, etc. we haven’t been doing very well. We don’t eat fast food, but we are making things that are quick and skimping on vegetables and fresh fruit. At least we have been continuing to have our organic yogurt and milk! Once I finish getting our upright freezer cleaned out, I will also be ordering some nice organic meat to put in it, and I hope to get a new refrigerator by the summertime so that our existing refrigerator can be the “extra” so that we can get lots of greens each week without running out of room.
Our family will look for more ways to be involved in our community.
Our New Year’s resolution is to be environmentally friendly people.
Eat less, walk more!
Our family resolution is to spend more family time together. Homework and nightly routines will have to be adjusted so we can spend more time just being a family!
Our resolution is to increase exercising!!
This books sounds like a great read. I’m always interested in things from the biology and sociology angles!
Our resolutions are to take the next step to being healthier, basically bump up our efforts. Also we are saving up to buy land to farm, so we need to save more in the new year
I am now 10 years cancer-free and I’d like our family to eat as healthy as possible and to remove stress from our lives. I’d really enjoy reading this book. Happy Holidays!
To encourage and support my family in adopting a plant based diet. Thank you Stoneyfield for your soy yogurt!
Last year I ran a half marathon (first ever) with a friend who’s daughter was diagnosed with leukemia. On Dec. 9th my oldest, dearest friend was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 34. She has three children under the age of 5 and she has inspired me with her determination to battle this disease. This year I would like to keep running for her. My goal is to definitly run a half-marathon in her name but I have my eyes set on a full 26.2 miles. Last year my 6 yo daughter ran with me on shorter runs becuase she wanted to help her friend. She has already expressed interest in running again this year and helping children who are diagnosed with illnesses that can harm their life.
To cut back on the sweets! I’ve had a major sweet tooth the past year due to pregnancy cravings!
My New Year’s resolutions for my family is to find the time and ways to exercise together and to reduce stress in our lives.
to eat healthy and exercise more
I would like to make healthier food choices for myself and my family. I just find it amazing at how many different websites that are out there with more kid friendly recipes that are vegetarian or vegan. I just want to take care of my guys cause I want us all to have happier/healthier lives together.
My family is just starting… on New Years, I will be 11 weeks pregnant with our first little one. So, my resolution this year is to do all that I can to make myself a healthy environment for my baby to grow during this pregnancy. This means many changes in what I eat, breathe, think, do, etc.. but it will be so worth it, and reading this book seems like it would be a great part of my resolution!!
I need to lower my cholesterol – so healthier food choices for all of us and not buying so much junk food – if it’s not here – we can’t eat it!