Beginning November 1st Target will give a 5¢ discount for every reusable bag customers use to pack their purchases. Over the next three weeks CVS will also roll out a similar program in its stores. Participating CVS customers will receive $1 cash bonus on their CVS card every four times they buy something but don't request plastic bags. Smaller retailers such as Trader Joe's, Hiller's and Whole Foods have been offering financial incentives to re-use bags for some time. With large retailers like Target and CVS following suit the two programs could keep billions of plastic bags out of the environment and nudge other big retailers to take similar steps.

[Photo courtesy of AP Images]

Take a stroll around the Children's Library and you'll find plenty of inspiration for your Halloween costume. To save money, wear everything you already have in your favorite color and be Purplicious, Pinkalicious or Goldilicious. Pull out a toy instrument for your little one and they could be a Jazz Baby. Celebrate recycling by making a robot or a race car out of a box like our bunny friend in Not A Box. Or, team up with some friends, grab a bunch of old boxes and make your own Freight Train.

The Ford plant in Wixom, Michigan will be converted into a renewable energy manufacturing facility. According to earth2tech.com, the 320-acre plant is getting its clean energy makeover through a partnership between Ford Motors and Govenor Jennifer Granholm, and greentech companies Xtreme Power, Clairvoyant Energy and Oerlikon Solar. The solar plant should be up and running by 2011. To find out more about "greentech", check out the green technology resources available from CPL. [Photo courtesy of AP Images].

From heated discussions on coal and population growth to tips on skin care, cargo-ready bikes, green jobs and ecovilages, E, The Environmental Magazine has got it all. The current issue features an article on actress Daryl Hannah and her work in West Virgina and the work of ecologists to save California's giant green turtles (550 Ibs.!). The library carries last year's issues up the current or you can access their online edition.

The wind turbine pictured here is one of 32 harnessing clean electricity on Harvest Wind Farm in Elkton, MI. (I took this photo during a summer trip to the Thumb Area.) Michigan Wind 1, with 46 turbines, is another wind farm located just north of Elkton in Ubly, MI. Major energy companies like DTE and Consumers Energy are tapping into these and other wind farms in Michigan to supply electric power to their customers. Combined, both wind farms generate about 122 megawatts of electricity — enough to power roughly 35,000 homes.

Wind, solar and geothermal are among the most promising methods to generate clean, renewable energy. You can learn more about a clean energy future by reading Hot, Flat and Crowded, by Thomas Friedman, best-selling author and Pulitzer-prize winning columnist from The New York Times.

Looking for more stories about kids working to protect our environment? You might find them in unexpected places. If you are a Fantasy Fiction fan try The Companions Quartet series by Julia Golding. If you like Realistic Fiction, try Night of the Spadefoot Toads by Bill Harley and Operation Redwood by Susannah T. French. If you like adventure, you might find Raining Sardines by Enrique Flores-Galbis exciting and full of suspense. You see, there are lots of possibilities when it comes to "green" reads. Enjoy!

TIECon Midwest 2009 will take place Friday, October 23 at the Ritz-Carlton in Dearborn, MI. The conference is designed for entrepreneurs who "think creatively, innovatively and resourcefully to create their own future regardless of economic conditions and uncertainties."TiECon Midwest 2009 will focus on four vertical educational tracks including: Cleantech, IT, Healthcare and Emerging Concepts.

Looking for convenient ways to save money and increase your productivity? The Simple Dollar recently listed 21 Ways to Reduce Your Spending Without Making Your Life Miserable, including tip #2: "Do some basic energy efficiency around your living quarters". They point to the Department of Energy's "Energy Savers" site, which has many recommendations for making your home more energy-efficient on the cheap. The Simple Dollar also posted 12 Clever Substitutions That Save Money (Nearly) Effortlessly, which speaks to how versatile vinegar truly is.

Canton Public Library just received a grant to work with the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum and Project S.N.A.P.! The goal of the grant project is to engage youth and families at their local libraries in environmental and arts activities. Participating families will receive hands-on environmental leadership training, the opportunity to build support for environmental stewardship in Canton, a chance to make art for a community mural and the opportunity to participate in a community-wide clean-up project. We are one of only five libraries in Southeast Michigan to be awarded this grant collaboration. Stay tuned for more information on how you and your family can get involved.

Peace, Love & Planet, Inc. (PLP) initiated a plastic recycling program to prevent garden plastic from entering Michigan landfills and promote sustainability in our community. You can drop off your garden plastic pots and trays at convenient locations, such as the Plymouth Nursery, for recycling. You can also volunteer an hour or two to help prepare plastic for recycling on Saturday, October 10 from 10am to noon at Christensen's Plant Center, 6282 Gotfredsen Rd., Plymouth Township, MI 48170.

Ever wondered what's in those delicious fast-food hamburgers? Just beef right? Not exactly. Check out the documentary film King Corn to watch two friends as they return to the land of their ancestors, small-town Iowa, to uncover the corn industry and its impact on the American diet. The film also discusses the environmental impact of industrial farming. The film may not answer all of your questions but it will surely get a conversation started.

Handmade Home: Simple Ways to Repurpose Old Materials into New Family Treasures by Amanda Blake Soule
This book includes over thirty projects you can easily make from materials you may have around the house or could easily find in thrift shops or on clearance at retail stores. The projects range from hot pads to tote bags to blankets to hats, and all are easily accomplished by someone with basic sewing skills. The photographs feel like those you'd find in your old family albums and the handmade items have a homey, very doable feel.

Staying in Canton during Labor Day weekend? Enjoy a walk along the Lower Rouge River Recreation Trail. The walk is Monday, September 7^th from 5-7pm and Trail Bingo will be provided by the Canton Leisure Services Staff. Having just recently taken a bike ride on the trail, I can tell you first hand that it is a beautiful piece of Canton that everyone should go out and enjoy.

Did you notice that a lot of new books feature stories about the environment? Even some of our favorite characters are "going green". Check out these titles to see what I mean:

SpongeBob goes green!: an earth-friendly adventure by Molly Reisner; illustrated by Stephen Reed

OK go by Carin Berger

Cam Jansen and the green school mystery by David A. Adler; illustrated by Joy Allen

Just Grace goes green by written and illustrated by Charise Mericle Harper

Enter the earth by Lee Welles; illustrated by Ann Hameister

Scat by Carl Hiaasen

My life in pink & green by Lisa Greenwald

If you, like many of us these days, are on a quest to learn more about the food you consume -- where it comes from, how it is produced, what is in it, and if it is sustainably obtained -- you may want to read Bottomfeeder: How to Eat Ethically in a World of Vanishing Seafood by Taras Grescoe. However, if you really love fish (and I do) be aware that it may change your fish consumption drastically. Shrimp is something I will now eat only on very special occasions.

Although the zebra mussel is better known to the public, over the past decade it has largely been displaced in Lake Michigan by the quagga mussel, according to an article in the online magazine Michigan Today. Each quagga and zebra mussel filters about a quart of water a day—and there are billions of them in Lake Michigan alone. The result is startlingly clear water that delights recreational boaters but disturbs scientists because the water has been stripped of life-supporting algae.

Have you heard of Kory Johnson? Kory was nine years old in 1988 when she started Children for a Safe Environment, an organization that helps to make sure water is safe for us to drink. Want to learn more about kids who made their mark on American history? Check out We Were There Too by Phillip Hoose. In this great history book you'll find true stories, photos and other primary documents to help you envision what it was like to be a young person and stand up for what you believe.

Sewing Green: 25 Projects Made With Repurposed & Organic Materials Plus Tips & Resources for Earth-Friendly Stitching by Betz White, photographs by John Gruen

This slim paperback is packed with projects to wear and use, for grown-ups, children, and your home. The instructions for each project include information on how to reuse and upcycle materials you may already have on hand, and the results are simple and elegant.

Another way to green your life! The Ann Arbor Transportation Authority's A2Express will begin routes to Canton effective August 24, 2009. The Canton Express route will provide commuter service from Canton to Ann Arbor on weekdays. The buses serve two locations in Canton including Independence Park and Cherry Hill Village. Visit the AATA website for information regarding schedules, bus stops, commuter parking, fares, tickets and passes.

Want to teach your kids about living green? Not sure where to start? The Green Parent is a handy guide with helpful tips that show parents and kids how to live environmentally-friendly lives. With this book, you'll learn how to make a waste-free lunch, buy organic foods, give green gifts and much more. There are even hints for buying eco-friendly clothes and helping your pets be earth-friendly, too! Your family will be on the path to living a greener life in no time...you just might become the greenest family on the block!