Eco-Friendly Pesticides

Two weeks ago the City of Dallas issued a state of emergency and began aerial spraying to combat the West Nile Virus.  This decision landed Dallas on a good number of headlines across the US and also raised debate amongst many concerned citizens and green activists.  It was a tough decision for Dallas to make because aerial spraying for mosquitoes has the possibility of saving lives by controlling the spread of the virus, but at the same time is harmful to humans and our environment.

This brings us to the topic of pesticides.  There are benefits to using pesticides, mainly minimizing the number of insects and their effects; however, pesticides are hazardous to our health and the health of our environment.

Pesticides affect our environment and us by contaminating our air, water, soil and plants, and wildlife.  Pesticide suspended in the air will drift with the wind and can easily contaminate other areas and increase tropospheric ozone levels.  These increased ozone levels can often be seen by the human eye as smog and affects our lungs and respiratory system.  In addition, biodiversity in the soil is affected by pesticide contamination and decreases the yield of crops and water retention.  Plants that grown in contaminated soil will retain the chemicals which can kill honey bees who act as pollinators.  It all becomes a vicious cycle within our ecosystem.

This does not mean we cannot use pesticides.  It just means we need to be more aware of the way we use pesticides and where it could end up.  There are also some non-toxic ways for us to control pests that are also better for our environment and our health.

Food-grade Diatomaceous Earth (Insect Dust): This chalky powder is a registered insecticide that can be used inside or outside the house to reduce and kill small insects.  It’s a safe product that can be sprinkled anywhere from your vegetable patch to your pets fur. 

Cucumber & Mint Leaves: cucumber peels or mint leaves can be placed at insect entry points to deter or repel bugs.  It will not kill them though.

Water + Soap Flakes: The combination of soap flakes (can be from a bar of ivory soap) and water will kill a bug on impact.  Soap breaks down the waxy exoskeleton of insects, which will cause them to drown.

Sand Barriers and Nematodes:  An effective way to prevent termite invasions.  Sand barriers prevent termites from entering and nematodes are microscopic worms that can be pumped into infested areas to kill termites with no affect on our environment.
 
EcoSMART: Organic Pesticide that is composed of organic plant oils and suitable for indoor or outdoor use.
 
BEER:  placing beer in a shallow plate will attract slugs and drown them.

For more information on the effects of pesticides, eco friendly pesticides, and how to make your own eco-friendly pesticides please visit:

-         http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_impact_of_pesticides

-         http://greenlivingideas.com/2012/08/13/non-toxic-pest-control-for-the-eco-home/

-         http://www.ecosmart.com/products/

-         http://www.ehow.com/how_2199808_own-ecofriendly-pesticides.html

 

Changing the pesticides you use may seem like something small and insignificant, but keep in mind that it’ll have a positive effect in the long run.  So spread the word and keep thinking green!

KrisC

Green Olympics

Greetings, Fellow EcoNinjas!

Yesterday marked the closing ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games in London.  And while NBC sure did keep us all up to date with the latest in medal winners and statistical data, I found some facts that are sure to satisfy our environmentally friendly minds.

1: The Velodrome – This impressive structure houses the fastest cycling structure in the world. With its ‘Pringles’ chip appearance, and cedar wood walls, the Velodrome is the most eco-friendly building in Olympic park.

 

2: ArcelorMittal Orbit – Dubbed the ‘Eyeful Tower’ by English tabloids, the ArcelorMittal Orbit was designed to give game-goers a panoramic view of the city of London. 63% of the tower was constructed from recycled steel.

3: The Olympic Torch – Crafted form aerospace-grade aluminum, the Olympic torch weighs only 800 grams – the lightest torch in Olympic history.

 

 

4: Energy Center – The Olympic Park Energy Center is unique in that ground-level windows allow tourists to see inside the power plant. The Energy Center uses combined cooling, heat, and power to reduce carbon emissions. The Center uses any excess heat to power the air conditioning systems.

 

5: The Olympic Stadium – Constructed from lightweight steel and PVC pipes, the Olympic stadium has a rainwater collection system that provides water for flushing toilets and irrigation.

                                                                                                                                  

Be Green by Eating Green

Have you ever thought about being green by eating green?  You can easily do so by joining a Community Supported Agriculture Program (CSA)! 
So what exactly is a community supported agriculture program (CSA), you ask?

A CSA is an alternative, locally based socio-economic model of agriculture and food distribution that brings together local farmers and consumers.  Basically, a nearby farm offers their harvest to local consumers through a subscription that varies according to the duration and quantity wanted.  Once you are subscribed, you will be getting boxes of the freshest seasonal produce available!

 
CSA programs benefit our environment in so many ways from reduction in environmental waste to promoting healthier soil and land.  CSA farmers participate in eco-friendly farming by cutting out any use of pesticides on their crops, which helps to limit pollution throughout our environment.  In addition, carbon dioxide emissions are reduced by the minimal transportation needed by these farmers to get their produce from their farms to local consumers.  Their sustainable practices enhance the overall quality of our environment while also reducing their carbon footprint.

Healthy soil means a healthier you.  CSA programs benefit you because these farmers are pesticide, artificial fertilizers, and toxin free.  You have the opportunity to consume some of the freshest produce available and for a reasonable price.  Most of the time you’ll realize that you get higher quality and more produce for your money from these CSA bins than when would had you purchased your produce from a grocery store.  CSA programs also give you the freedom of choice.  You get to choose which farm you prefer to receive your produce from, which farmer you believe promotes the best sustainability methods, and whether or not the program aligns with your budget.  Depending on the farm, you’ll receive an array of produce and have the opportunity to experience fruits and vegetables according to seasons.  Sometimes you may see produce you’ve never seen or heard of, but it allows you and your family to experience something new.  And who knows, it could turn out to be your new favorite fruit or vegetable!

A farmer benefits from a CSA program as this gives him or her a secure income year round, allowing them to continually improve their farming methods and environmental practices.  They have a fair means of product sales as they sell their produce straight to consumers with no middleman required.  This also gives them the chance to be more involved in the community, meeting new people, consumers, and other farmers.

If you’re interested in participating in a CSA, these are some great places to start:

-          http://www.ecovian.com/s?perpage=10&distance=60&searchwithin=40&searchtext=&spatial=Plano%2C+TX

-          http://www.localharvest.org/search.jsp?map=1&lat=33.05765&lon=-96.73746&scale=8&ty=6&nm=&zip=75023

These sites allow you to search for CSA programs near you as well as what their practices may be.  They each have their individual websites where you can learn more about them and email/call them for more information about their programs and prices.  Each farm has their own growing seasons, pick up/drop off schedules, and agriculture practices. 

Don’t forget that you have the ability to visit these farms to see where it all begins and how it gets from farm to table.  It’s a wonderful experience for families to share with their children and a great way to get out of the house during these long summer days.

So by joining a CSA, not only are you going green and helping to make Plano greener, but you’re also saving money, improving your health and wellness, and most importantly, improving your quality of life and those around you.

Keep thinking green,

KrisC

Spread the Word

This past week, I was off from school on our spring break and I got to spend it in Hawaii. Now obviously, going to Hawaii was an amazing experience by itself, but I also learned a lot from the people of the island. My family and I went to the island of Maui, which is a windy place year round. I know of many places that are windy because of their proximity to the ocean, but never have I seen so many wind turbines placed on every area that had a high elevation. Not only that, but because of the high amount of sun that Maui receives, they have solar energy panels everywhere. I saw them on the streetlights, the houses, the stores - almost every time I turned my head, my eyes would be greeted by yet another solar panel (well I may be exaggerating just a little bit).

Upon arriving at the island, my sister and I cruised through the radio stations. Instead of hearing the normal pop music with the occasional commercial mixed in, we heard older songs and different commercials. This fact in itself may not be astounding, but what really struck me was that during every commercial break, the radio show hosts mentioned an eco-friendly tip that they encouraged their listeners to follow as well. When I heard this, I really got thinking: If the people in Hawaii can do it, then so can we!

So my challenge for all of you this week is this - share two tips with friends and family this week, and see if you can get them to follow it too! We may not be able to get our radio show hosts to do this yet, but we can share tips with the people we know and keep the challenge going! Your challenge can be face-to-face or even on social networking sites. What better way to go green than with a “green grass” roots campaign?

Until next time,
greengirl (:

Natural Beauty

Hello fellow EcoNinjas!

I think that every teenage girl wants to experiment with new trends in makeup, but what they don't realize is that many cosmetics contain ingredients that are harmful to their skin, AND THE ENVIRONMENT!!! I put together a list of foods that could double as make up products because of the amazing effects that they have on your skin... The best part? All of these foods can be found right here, in our wonderful city of Plano!

1- Yogurt- Yogurt is rich in supply of Vitamin A and Vitamin D, making it the ideal food to help you sharpen your eyesight (buh-bye contacts!) and have your daily dose of Calcium. (yogurt can also double as a GREAT facial mask!)

2- Strawberries- Spring is right around a corner, and so is strawberry season! These juicy red fruits are chocked full with many nutrients (phenols, anthocyanins, and ellagitannins) that have been proven to protect cell structures in the body and prevent oxygen damage to the skin. Strawberries are also a healthier option for those of us who like to whiten our teeth- they act like a buffer to take away stains of coffee, tea, and sodas!

3- Salmon- This delicious fish contains many fatty acids that work to keep skin feeling and looking fresh, hydrated, and healthy. Check out grocery stores in Plano to choose from an extensive variety of salmon!

4- Almonds- Vitamin E, magnesium, monounsaturated fat, and protein all in one bite... could we ask for anything more convenient?

EcoNinja

A Trip To The MRF

On Wednesday, February 29, I was able to tour the Plano Material Recovery Facility (MRF) located at 4200 East 14th Street in Plano. The MRF is run by Republic Services/Allied Waste, and has a contract with a number of cities throughout Collin County to collect, sort, bundle, and redistribute recycled waste products ranging from paper (including corrugated) and plastics to metals and glass to a variety of industrial customers. The MRF processes over 130 tons of recycled material daily, but has the capacity when running at all three shifts to sort and bundle over 300 tons.

It's a remarkable facility in it's entire operation. Republic Services and Allied Waste recycling trucks drop off products daily at the facility, where huge front loaders scoop up the material and drop it into a hopper which takes it up through the first of many conveyer systems on the first start of the sorting process. The first sorting step involves corrugated paperboard and cardboard, typically the heaviest among the recycled materials. The remaining material then continues to go through the conveyor line as lighter and material with less mass continues to be sorted out. All of the material is eventually bailed and deposited on trucks which weigh the recycled products for the eventual industrial consumer.

One challege that the MRF continues to have to contend with are thin-film plastic shopping bags, the type one finds at discount and grocery stores. Those products, along with Styrofoam, are true waste for the landfill and should never be added to the recycling bin. Not only does this contaminate a recycled load that ultimately ends up being re-diverted to the landfill since the equipment isn't designed to sort out the thinnest film plastics that make up the bags, but the bags themselves get caught in the conveyor systems forcing them to be shut down 2 - 3 times daily in order to have the bags cleared from the rollers. A line shut down costs Republic Services $35/minute; in addition to that, there is limited space to store the unsorted recycled material and the bales of product that are shipped out, so shutting down the sorting line has an almost immediate impact on the amount of material that starts to pile up in queue.

Industrial buyers of the recycled material are global; much of the product is immediately shipped off for eventual use in China. Once the largest product recycled by volume, newsprint has been greatly reduced with glass at nearly the same volume of material being recycled as paper products, followed by plastics and metals.

Hats off to Kim Soto of the City of Plano for arranging the tour and to Tommy Kirk, the MRF manager, for taking us through the facility and explaining the process steps. Every ton that gets sent through there is one less ton that ends up in our muncipal landfills.

The Sustainability Steward

Monthly Goals

Hi everyone, it's me again and I hope you all had an amazing Valentine's Day! First off, I'd like to thank Deb Bliss for taking the time to come to the Environmental Club meeting at my school yesterday. We all loved having you there, and all the tips have given us a lot to think about, so thank you very much! Now moving on to this week's topic, we're going to be talking about being green generally around the house. There is one for each month, so hopefully, you can try to keep a goal set for each one.

January
Laundry tips: In homes, washing machines are the second largest consumer of water- toilets are first. So run full loads as often as possible you do fewer loads. For electricity, 90% of a washer's use can be to heat the water, so use cold water for a majority of your laundry. Thinking of upgrading? High efficiency models can use 40-50% less water and 50-65% less electricity.

February
Protect the water supply: Clean water is often taken for granted-just turn on the faucet and out comes drinkable water. However, water supplies can easily become contaminated from air and ground pollutants. One gallon of motor oil can potentially contaminate 1 million gallons of drinking water, according to the EPA. Take motor oil to a recycling center. Reduce the use of fertilizers, pesticides, and household chemicals that can end up in the water supply through runoff.

March
A greener clean: Many household chemicals contain harmful chemicals. Look for products that have no ammonia, chlorine, petrochemicals, sodium lauryl or laureth sulfate, and that are dye and fragrance free.Never mix products or reuse bottles, as many chemicals can react with each other. Buy products in bulk packaging and in packages made of post-consumer recycled plastic.

April
Sustainable wood: Sustainability refers to the balance between resource consumption and replenishment time. Because of fast growth rates, some trees and grasses, such as bamboo, can and maples, are more sustainable than other slower growing trees, such as oaks and redwoods. Look for products that are responsibly harvested.

May
Mosquito control: From irritating bites to disease, mosquito can make a day outside miserable. Help control them around your house by removing areas where standing water can accumulate. Buckets, tires, rain gutters, planters, and toys are common breeding grounds. Change the water in birdbaths and fountains and empty rain barrels at least once a week. Use insect repellent when outside and make sure windows and doors are tightly closed.

June
Maintain yard equipment: Lawn mowers, blowers, grass trimmers and chain saws are large sources of pollution. Avoid spilling gas or allowing oil to leak onto the ground. Keep equipment maintained by changing the oil and air filters on a regular basis. Use manual tools where possible , such as manual hedge clippers and rakes instead if gas powered trimmers and blowers.

July
A Green picnic: When throwing your summer picnic, think green. Send invitations by email or call your guests personally. Have everyone bring something they grew or bought from a local source. Decorate with items from your yard, such as summer flowers in a pretty glass. And, don't forget to have everyone bring their own container for leftovers.

August
Backyard burning: Backyard burning is common, however it can be dangerous to your health and bad for the environment. Emissions from burning are not filtered so ash and gases are released directly into the atmosphere. Toxic chemicals can be released and can settle on crops and water sources. When considering burning, determine if it can be disposed of in a better manner and contact your local government about burn times and restrictions in your area.

September
Prescriptions medications: Most medicines should not be flushed down the toilet since they can contaminate the water system. Dispose of unused medications properly. First, take the medicine out of its packaging and mix with something unpleasant, such as used kitty litter. Then place in a sealable container and put it in with your regular garbage. A growing number of areas now have take-back programs. If you are unsure of how to dispose of an medication, contact your pharmacist.

October
Fall leaves: Collecting fall leaves has become a burden to many local landfills. Mulching the leaves in your yard may be a good option instead of raking and bagging. Mowing over the leaves breaks them down so they can be reclaimed by the ground. Large piles can be mulched up and used in glower beds. Dry leaves are a good 'brown' source for your compost pile. Be careful and do not mow over a pile higher than the mower as this can start a fire.

November
Driving tips for better gas mileage: You cannot control rising gas prices, but you can decrease your fuel consumption by driving smart. The Department of Energy states that aggressive driving can decrease your gas mileage by up to 33% on the highway and 5% around town. Accelerating steadily and observing the speed limit are two of the best ways to maximize fuel efficiency. Removing excess weight, reducing idling times, and using cruise control and overdrive gears are other good ways to increase fuel economy.

December
Update your home: Updating your house now will save you money in the long run while helping the environment. Begin with smaller projects, such as adding weather stripping to doors and windows, changing to water-saving shower heads and adding extra insulation. Adding new windows and updating heating systems are larger projects but can make a huge difference. Check with your leader and tax preparer as there are many home improvement loans and rebates now available for 'green' upgrade.

Information from: Better Homes and Gardens Calendar-Greengirl (:

Mass Transit

In yesterday's Dallas Business Journal, a report was release that the metroplex is ranked 148th among US metropolitan areas in usage of mass transit. With 2.9 million workers in the area, just over 1.5% actually commute using public transportation, whether it by through DART or the Ft. Worth Transportation Authority. The city of Arlington, with a population of 380,000, has the distinction of being the largest city in the nation without any public transportation system within it's boundaries. Details of the article can be found below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2012/02/13/dfw-ranks-148th-for-workers-using.html?ana=fbk

As we continue to grow as a region, we need to take steps now to correct this. Try carpooling if mass transportation isn't feasible. But, more importantly, consider taking a bus. If, you're like me, and have never used a DART bus within the city of Plano, try it out and see how it works for you. You may be pleasantly surprised!

The Sustainability Steward

When I Get That Feelin, I want NATURAL Healin:

You know the feeling. Pain and pressure right below your eyes, the inability to breathe the slightest bit of air through your nose, and of course the resulting chapped lips from days of “mouth breathing”. Yes, possibly the worst symptom of those pesky pesky viruses. Congestion. Yuck! When you are unable to clear those blocked passages, you will have to inevitably endure another infection. The sinus infection. For years now, I have dealt with sinusitis about 2-6 times per year.

Every time I got a cold, it would turn into a sinus infection. Apparently, my sinuses don’t drain very well. I am happy to say that this year is the first year I have managed to stay free from that obnoxious infection. Even though cold and flu-like viruses swept through my house several times since September, I have managed to avoid getting a sinus infection. How?? I discovered Xylitol.

Some of you may already be using xylitol as an all natural sugar substitute. Xylitol can do more than just sweeten your tea. Many dentists agree that xylitol can help in cavity prevention. According to the California Dental Association, xylitol inhibits the growth of the bacteria that cause tooth decay and over time will decrease the acids that attack the surface of the tooth. In the same way, xylitol helps prevent sinusitis by preventing the bacteria in your nasal passages from growing and making a home in your sinuses. Recent studies have shown that kids chewing xylitol flavored gum had a 40% reduction in middle ear infections. Using a xylitol based nasal spray regularly can decrease the amount of bad bacteria and can stimulate your bodies natural defenses. Sugar alcohols, like xylitol, have demonstrated the ability to prevent bacteria from attaching to your cells decreasing your chances of infection. Unlike sorbitol and other sugar alcohols that feed bacteria and fungi, xylitol prevents the growth of bacteria and can slow the growth of candida albicans.(yeast)

New studies are revealing all sorts of possible benefits of Xylitol. Improving bone density, increasing white blood cell activity, and hormone imbalances are potential benefits of xylitol being discovered. Xylitol is available in many different forms at health and grocery stores. You can find tooth paste, mouth wash, nasal sprays, supplements, chewing gum, breath mints, sodas, and even baked goods. All sweetened with xylitol.

So, go ahead, grab that brownie and enjoy it, guilt free.

-EcoDad