(NAPSA)—From food and fuel to shelter and shade, trees play a crucial role in both human and the planet’s survival. Consumers are surrounded by everyday products made from trees—from pencils, books, movie t ick ets, so ap an d p e r fu m e t o even clothing and toothpaste. Trees also help reduce air pollution and conserve energy by shading our homes in the summer and acting as windbreakers in the winter. But what’s being done to ensure that these shady friends are protected? Doubletree Hotels, along with The National Arbor Day Foundation, is helping kids to “think trees.” As part of Doubletree’s Teaching Kids to CARE initiative, thousands of elementary school students in the U.S. and Canada are learning about the roles trees play in our everyday lives and the many benefits they bring. All told, kids are planting more than 10,000 seedling trees across the U.S. and Canada this spring. For those parents and mentors wanting to encourage their kids to “think trees,” here are a few tips: • Plant a Tree—Take kids to a nursery and allow them to help pick out a young tree that is native to the climate/region. Plant the tree in a special location, assigning a responsibility (digging, planting, watering) to each To promote Arbor Day and conservation, kids are planting more than 10,000 seedling trees across the U.S. and Canada. person. Document the activity with photos, so kids can remember how small the tree was when they planted it! • Pick it Up!—Encourage children to care for trees and the environment by picking up their own litter in parks and using the environmental 3Rs to “reduce,” “reuse” and “recycle” everyday items at home. • Create a “Family Tree”— Just as moms, dads, grandparents and cousins make up a family tree, trees are the foundation of our global family. Work with your children to bring trees into the home by creating a “family tree” of your own. Start by tracing the hands of all family members on green paper, then cut out the shapes and hang them in clusters on a wall in your home. Don’t forget to design a trunk for your tree! Coal Means Cheap, Clean, Reliable Electricity Sources 50.4% Of U.S. Energy 6.4% 19.3% 19% 2.5% 2.3% Nu Coa cle l a Ga r P H s Re etro ydro ne leu wa m ble s (NAPSA)—There are now more than 300 million people in the United States—but it’s not just the population that’s growing. The U.S. economy has grown consistently over the past five years and the gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to continue to grow steadily. A growing population and economy may be good for the country, but with that growth comes an increased demand for electricity. U.S. homes and businesses already have a hungry appetite for electricity, and as demand grows, electricity generation must keep pace or the country will face an energy shortfall. Energy-efficiency programs can help reduce demand, but these programs cannot solve the problem alone. To meet the growing demand, America must build new power plants. Good As Coal? There are a number of new coal plants throughout the country, some of which are replacing older, dirtier and more costly plants. Yet there is a growing debate about whether these new coal plants can deliver the most cost-effective, clean and reliable electricity for the country’s growing electricity needs. In that regard, Americans for Balanced Energy Choices (ABEC) points out that more than half (50.4 percent) of the United States’ electricity is produced from coal, compared to about 19.3 from nuclear, 19 from gas and 6.4 from hydro. Plus, average electricity bills in the United States are much lower than in other countries. Adding additional coal to the country’s energy mix can help ensure reliable, affordable power— and still ensure that we continue the progress on promoting im- America’s coal supply is expected to provide plenty of cheap, clean electricity to meet the country’s growing needs. proved air quality and protecting the environment. Here’s why: • Coal is affordable, averaging one-third the cost of petroleum and natural gas, and the price of coal is stable. • Coal is abundant. We have a 250-year supply (at current use) right here in the United States. • Electricity from coal is cleaner than ever and getting cleaner with constantly advancing technologies. In fact, coal-based power plants built today are an average of 80 percent cleaner than existing ones. And over the next 15 years, emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gases will drop to almost zero. While the United States will continue to rely on a mix of fuels—including renewables—to power the growing demand for electricity, clean, affordable, domestic coal can play an important role in our energy future. To learn more, visit the Web sites www.BalancedEnergy.org and www.LearnAboutCoal.org. Keep your tree evergreen by inviting friends and neighbors to trace their hands, too. • Take a (Nature) Walk— Walk with your child in a neighborhood park or on a nature trail, asking him or her to point out which trees have the biggest trunks, the longest branches and the most colorful leaves. See how many varieties of trees you can identify on your own. If you get “stumped,” consult your local library to learn more about the different tree species. • Make a “Ring of Life”— When looking at a cross section of a tree trunk, you can tell how old the tree is by counting the rings. Help kids understand that trees “grow up” just like they do by creating “growing rings.” Draw a series of rings, each slightly larger than the last, on a large piece of paper. Attach photographs of your kids in each ring by age (e.g., photo at 1 year old in the center ring) to create their very own growing “ring of life.” Remember, a small effort by adults to connect kids with nature and trees today can contribute to a healthier, greener tomorrow. To learn more about the everyday importance of trees and making a difference in your own neighborhood, visit the Teaching Kids to CARE Web site at www.doubletree.com/teachingkids tocare or www.doubletree.com/ thinktrees. (NAPSA)—For women of childbearing age, taking a multivitamin with folic acid every day reduces the risk of having a baby with Spina Bifida by up to 70 percent. To learn more, visit the Spina Bifida Association at www.sbaa.org or call (800) 6213141. *** Even if someone is gluten sensitive, a family can sit down and enjoy a meal together. Gluten-free products such as Jones All Natural Golden Brown precooked sausage links and patties can help. For gluten-free recipes, visit www.jonesdairyfarm.com. *** Cell-nique is a whole food—a blend of 31 exotic vegetables, fruits and herbs—designed to help reduce the acid in the body and promote overall good health. To learn more, visit www.cellnique.com. What Moms Really Want (NAPSA)—If your mom has a hard time saying what she wants for Mother’s Day, having her take the quiz at www.shop.com/momquiz may lead to some great ideas that make her day truly special. According to the Mother’s Day quiz, 37 percent of the respondents said that they picture the perfect What does mom want? She might want a “me” day during which she is pampered, or she might be happy with breakfast in bed. “me” day sitting on a beach in a new solar shade chair listening to their iPods, while a handsome silent manservant pours chardonnay. Twenty percent envision a spa day with that same handsome silent manservant massaging their feet. One-third liked the idea of their kid’s ceramic handprint holding a pair of diamond earrings, while another third wished the handprint was wrapped in a pair of tickets to St. Barts. Twenty-eight percent want a gourmet breakfast at home (something other than frozen waffles) and a cleaned-up kitchen, while almost half said they’d like a family brunch at a favorite restaurant, followed by a night at the movies with their sweetie. *** You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance. —Franklin P. Jones *** *** Genius is nothing but a great aptitude for patience. —George-Louis de Buffon *** *** Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience. —Ralph Waldo Emerson *** *** Patience is the companion of wisdom. —St. Augustine *** *** How poor are they that have not patience! What wound did ever heal but by degrees? —William Shakespeare *** *** God made time, but man made haste. —Irish Proverb *** 7 Making The Call For Safe Digging Projects (NAPSA)—Whether you’re planting shrubs or adding a new swimming pool, it’s important to know that being aware of the location of your yard’s underground utility lines can help keep you safe. Now a new national Call Before You Dig phone number can help. Homeowners and professional excavators can call the number—811—to have underground utility lines quickly marked for free. To use the service, just call 811 a few days before beginning a digging project. Then an area One Call center will notify crews that will mark the approximate location of underground utilities. The number was launched by the Common Ground Alliance (CGA). According to the group’s research, homeowners often make risky assumptions about whether or not they should get their utility lines marked, but every digging job requires a call, even small projects such as planting trees and shrubs. “Knowing the approximate location of where underground lines are buried before each digging project helps protect you from injury, expense and penalties,” said CGA president Bob Kipp. “Damages to underground utility lines can disrupt service to an entire neighborhood, harm diggers and potentially result in fines and repair costs.” Know What’s Below—Homeowners can call 811 to have underground utility lines clearly marked before a digging project is started. In a recent national survey, roughly half of American homeowners said they have completed or are planning a major digging project at home, yet only a third have called or planned to call ahead to get their underground utility lines marked. This failure to call before digging results in nearly 700,000 underground utility damages each year—causing injuries, damage to the environment or utility outages. That’s more than one unintentional hit each minute. “Make no mistake, smart digging means calling 811 before each job,” continued Kipp. “Know what’s below—always call before you dig.” For more information, visit www.call811.com.