Gardens not only teach kids where their food comes from, but how to eat healthy. Whole Foods is now accepting donations for garden grants. Photo courtesy Whole Kids Foundation.

While ringing up your goods at Whole Foods Market, you can now conveniently donate $1 or $5  to Whole Kids Foundation, which offers grants for gardens in schools.

The newly launched Whole Kids Foundation is offering $2,000 grants apiece to schools or groups that want to launch or expand garden projects from now through Dec. 31. A total of 1,000 grants are available.

The Foundation was launched in order to increase children's access to healthy foods.

Last year, for instance, Whole Foods partnered with F3 (the Food, Family, Farming Foundation) for its salad bar project, in which it helped install 57 salad bars in schools across the U.S., including Halau Ku Mana and Waikiki School (Oahu), Kanuikapono Public Charter School and Kapaa High School (Kauai) and Haleakala Waldorf School, Hana School and Kihei Charter School (Maui).

Public, private and charter schools as well as community gardening groups can submit applications at www.wholekidsfoundation.org.

On a national level, the Environmental Working Group in Washington DC is also rallying for new government guidelines for marketing unhealthy foods to children to combat childhood obesity. EWG is asking for your help in telling the CEOs of 13 major food manufacturers (including General Mills, Kellogg's, Kraft and McDonald's) to market healthier food to kids instead of junk food.

The EWG suggested food companies voluntary adopt two principles: to make a meaningful contribution to a healthful diet by containing a significant amount of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products or extra lean meat. Also, to have only "minimal quantities of nutrients that could have a negative impact on health and weight," such as sodium, saturated fat, trans fat and added sugars.

It's interesting when you look at the list of ingredients under foods packaged specifically for kids – you really have to be careful — sometimes sugar and high fructose corn syrup are second on the list, especially in boxed cereals and even in biscuits geared towards toddlers.

Cliff Etheredge Roscoe, a wind farmer in Texas, appears in "Carbon Nation" screening this evening. Photo by Peter Byck.

Punahou School and Kanu Hawaii co-host a free, public screening of the 2010 documentary film, "Carbon Nation," exploring creative solutions to climate change at 6:30 this evening at the Luke Lecture Hall in the Wo International Center on campus.

The documentary movie is an entertaining primer about why it's smart to be a part of the new, low-carbon economy, while delving into climate change solutions. The film premiered at the Environmental Film Festival in Washington, DC in March last year.

The screening is part of Punahou's film-and-discussion series, "Food for Thought," in conjunction with the Student Global Leadership Institute.

The screening will be followed by a panel discussion on clean energy, including Lt. Gov. Brian Schatz; Bill Waring, president and owner of Sustainable Strategies LLC; and Emily McCarren, Punahou Academy Summer School Director.

Free campus parking is available at Punahou, 1601 Punahou St. (Enter the main gate at Punahou St. and Wilder Ave.). The movie screens from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.. Call 944-5871 for more information.

Also, if haven't seen "Bag It" yet, which is a film about plastic bags and their impact on oceans and our health, there will be a free screening 7 p.m. on Friday (July 29) at the Mid-Pacific Institute's  Bakken Auditorium, 2445 Kaala St. The screening is sponsored by the Waimea Ocean Film Festival. Folks who arrive early will get free reusable bags from Whole Foods Maret.

Cold water from the depths of the ocean could help cool buildings in downtown Honolulu.

Honolulu could very well be at the forefront of technology if it gets a long-talked-about seawater air-conditioning system serving downtown commercial and residential properties to become a reality. Honolulu would be just the right place to put it.

Honolulu Seawater Air Conditioning LLC cleared a major hurdle today when it was granted a Conservation District Use Permit from the state to build and operate the offshore portion of its 25,000-ton seawater air conditioning district cooling system.

In one word: Cool.

Ever sit in an un-air-conditioned building, gazing out the window and wishing you could jump into the ocean to cool off? I guess that's the very idea, pumping water from the depths of the ocean (more than 1,700 feet below sea level) into a cooling system to cool off your home or building.

Apparently, it's been done in Sweden. The chilled water is delivered to the building at 44 degrees Fahrenheit 24/7. You can read more about the technology here.

It's an example of how innovation and creativity can help us get off of imported fossil fuels dependency.

Hawaii is the nation's largest per capita consumer of electricity , according to Anders Rydaker, chief operating officer of Honolulu Seawater Air Conditioning. The company estimates the technology could save downtown Honolulu tenants millions of dollars and eliminate the need for 178,000 barrels of oil per year.

So many offices in Honolulu are unfortunately designed to be closed-up, air-conditioned boxes (including our office at Restaurant Row). The reality is that offices are going to turn on the air-conditioning year-round, which uses a big chunk of electricity. It would be great to use an alternative source of energy.

The project is scheduled to begin construction this year, and to begin providing chilled water services to customers in 2013. Visit www.honoluluswac.com.

Legacy Hardwoods works to restore Hawaii's koa trees. Photo courtesy Walczuk Productions.

The other day, I spotted a Hagadone van outside of our office, so I ran up to the driver and asked if I could give him the stack of magazines I've been saving to recycle. He happily obliged — and I've got another stack piling up already to recycle the next round.

If you've picked up a magazine, brochure,  campaign poster or post card on Oahu, it was probably printed by Hagadone Printing Co. of Honolulu, which was founded in 1995, and is today one of the most environmentally progressive printing companies in the industry.

What you may not know is that Hagadone is also playing a role in keeping koa trees alive through the Hawaiian Legacy Hardwood reforestation project. Hagadone's clients can purchase carbon-offset credits through its partner, natureOffice USA, for specific print jobs.

KTA Super Stores on the Big Island, for instance, pays for carbon offsets for its Super Saver Coupon Book (which, by the way, is printed on paper made with 20 percent recycled paper and envrionmentally friendly inks). Those carbon offsets go towards a reforestation project at Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge.

The amount usually isn't a huge additional cost, according to Hagadone – it's less than 2 cents for an order of 250 business cards. Typically, the cost is within 0.5 to 1.5 percent of the total order. Hagadone just signed a deal last month to become natureOffice's exclusive partner in Hawaii.

By the way, if you've got magazines or brochures you want to recycle, you can drop them off  at Hagadone's recycling center (274 Puuhale Rd.) from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays or 8 a.m. to noon on second Saturdays. You can also go to any Lex Brodie's during regular business hours on Oahu. Click here for a list of magazine recycling locations.

Hagadone Printing Co., which publishes practically every magazine and brochure on the island, offers a carbon offsetting program. Photo courtesy Hagadone.