Here we go into the last full weekend of summer. The Autumnal Equinox falls next Sunday, 23 September, so there's one more week to get in last-minute summer activities.

If you're looking for some seasonal fix-up ideas, we've updated our article showcase at the top of the home page. You'll find links to articles ranging from greening your child's classroom to starting an indoor herb garden. Keep an eye on the Daily Footstep for more over the coming weeks.

Some weekend reading for your consideration, beginning with a reminder. Click through to the full article and some fine destinations for eco-browsing!

Of course not. Life is busy and getting busier all the time. And let's face it: when it comes to squeezing in grocery shopping, getting the laundry done, and dreaming up ideas to green the planet, we all know which to-do item is going to get pushed to the bottom of your list.

Which is why if you feel like the Green Lone Ranger, you may be going about things the wrong way. Going green as a family -- especially if you have kids -- should be a group activity. One way to get the ball rolling is by forming a family green committee.

So grab a big bowl of organic popcorn; a couple of post-consumer, recycled notepads; and call the gang together. Hit the rest of the article for some ideas on turning your family into a self-starting green machine.

It should: it's chemically engineered to do so. Think that delicious smell is fresh butter? Think again. Many conventional microwave popcorns use diacetyl, an additive, to simulate real butter. And that's a problem.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency has long suspected diacetyl vapor's connection to a medical syndrome known as Popcorn Lung. It's a serious lung disease which, until recently, has only been known to effect popcorn factory workers. But now doctors believe it is also turning up at the consumer level, after a Colorado man was diagnosed with symptoms of popcorn lung.

Industry officials are looking to replace diacetyl in commercial popcorn. But you needn't wait to eliminate this pollutant from your home. Read on to learn an easy way to make microwave popcorn at home!

Take an early morning walk by the shore. You're guaranteed to see something interesting: a coconut from some far away beach. Shells. Maybe even the proverbial message in a bottle.

More likely, though, you'll see trash -- lots of it. Our oceans have become the Earth's biggest dumping ground. Take the North Pacific Gyre, a vast whirlpool of mostly plastic trash spinning endlessly in the currents. This plastic is mistaken for food by marine animals, with fatal results. Fish and dolphins become entrapped in cast-off nets and fishing lines. It's a slow-motion environmental disaster.

But you can help. Grab a bag and let's head to the shore. Read the rest of the article to learn more.