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globalbriefs


News and resources to inspire concerned citizens to work together in building a healthier, stronger society that benefits all.


Eco-Kudos America Names Top


Smart-Growth Cities


The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Smart Growth Awards recognize innovation in everything from creating small public spaces in densely packed urban cores to investing in compact communities and preserving forests and farmland. It all makes for greater livability.


This past year, the Big Apple took honors for overall excellence. “New York City has achieved a relatively small carbon footprint, given its size, through its commitment to creating compact and walkable neighborhoods,” according to the agency report. The city has also built dedicated bike lanes and carved out public spaces in urban jungles like Times Square.


Portland, Oregon, wins kudos for its realistic growth plan to accommodate an anticipated 600,000 population by 2030, strengthening employment and concentrating commerce, while preserving its neighborhoods and con- nections with nature. In Maine, 20 towns collaborated in a commercial and tourist byway, while preserving the region’s rural character. San Francisco earned praise for transform- ing a previously neglected alleyway into the vibrant South of Market retail area, as did Baltimore for its green rehab of an historic building into a mixed-use space that revitalized the surrounding neighborhood.


Rocking Change Social Tools Revolutionize Young Lives


Older teens interested in com- munity service or social change have long been able to tap into tailor-made resources, including DoSomething.org, the nation’s largest database of teen volunteer opportunities; it sparked more than a million teens to action in 2010. But, how about tweens, who often find it difficult to make themselves heard? The Do Something! Handbook for Young


Activists now empowers younger kids, too, with the tools and know-how to change their world.


natural awakenings February 2011 25


Checkbook Bingo The Rising Cost of Raising


a Child


Because few parents do the math, not many would guess that it costs more than $222,000 to bring up the aver- age child in today’s middle-income American family. That’s the latest price tag, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture figures—even before college starts. Although the lion’s share of parental spending today goes toward housing and food, healthcare costs have dou- bled to 8 percent of the total since 1960. Education, includ- ing childcare and extracurricular activities, is up 2 percent, comprising 17 percent of the total childhood bill. Some economists say the USDA estimate is modest, because it doesn’t take into account competitive spending practices among the upper classes. These can range from high-speed Internet access, unlimited smartphone texting and cultural travel to competitive sports, private schooling and expenditures on orthodontia and brand-name status symbols. All are vying to give kids a leg up to success.


Source: The Christian Science Monitor


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