Tis’ the season. No, it’s not the holiday season to which I am referring. It’s the season of chills and coughs, fever and fatigue, headaches and body aches. Some time soon, our kids will develop a runny nose that seems to run until about mid February. That’s right. Cold and flu season is upon us.
When faced with a nasty cold or flu virus, many of us reach for our favorite bottle of over the counter or prescription medicine, particularly if it’s your child who is sick. As a parent, it is heart breaking to see your kid suffer through a dreadful virus. Parents will do anything just to help them feel better. However, many people do not realize the lasting effects modern medicine has on the environment.
The extraction of raw materials, the production and packaging, transportation, and sale of these medicines all leave their impact on the environment. Even more alarming, is what happens when the medicines are discarded. Whether thrown out or excreted by the body in waste, these medicines enter our water supply.
Water treatment plants remove most conventional pollutants, but do not remove man made pollutants, like medicine. Steroids, hormones, pain killers, and antibiotics are just a few of the medicines now being found in rivers, lakes, and streams. Not only is this contaminating the water we drink every day, but we use these bodies of water for recreational purposes every day for swimming, boating, rafting or fishing. Our water supply is our most precious resource and we have to preserve and protect it.
What options do we have when we get sick???
There are hundreds of natural ways to combat sickness. Homeopathic medicine, vitamins, herbs, and even certain foods can help assist our immune system in combating the nasty infections. These methods have been used for centuries, and they have a much smaller environmental impact than modern medicine. Some people may even find that natural means of healing is more effective at lessoning the severity and duration of our sickness. I will begin posting a series of articles on the most popular and most effective means of natural healing. Check back often to learn more about what you can do to feel better while protecting the environment this cold and flu season.
Eco_Dad
Monday, November 14, 2011
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Recycling in the Kitchen
Hey readers, so for the next couple of weeks I've decided to a series of articles that cover different areas of your house and backyard that will list out the many things you can do to recycle in those particular areas. This idea was inspired by a video project we're doing in the environmental club at my school, so thank you environmental club! (: This week, we'll be covering the kitchen. The kitchen is a place that is just teeming with activity, resulting in many, many instances, where we could be making greener choices.
Paper towels, we all use them for anything that comes by us. Whether it's wiping the table clean, the counter top, or just drying your hands, our handy friend, the paper towel, is always there to save us. Instead, why not try using a towel? Just hang the towel by the sink in your kitchen, and every time you have to dry your hands just use that. Replace paper towels for wiping off surfaces with sponges. You can always squeeze out the dirty water from the sponge, so it'll never become too unclean to use, and it is a perfect replacement for your paper towel.
We all wash dishes, but the trick is in how you wash them. When you wash your dirty plates and utensils, do you leave the water running while you scrub at them and put them in the dishwasher, or do you turn the water off? If you turn the water off, than good for you! However, if you don't then we've got a little talking to do. (: While you're washing the dishes, rinse them with water, then use a sponge or a similar thing to scrub the residual food off, give it one last rinse at the end and then make sure to turn off the faucet once more while you put the dish into the dishwasher. This way, when you don't really need the water, the faucet will be off and you won't be wasting any of it.
Filter contaminants such as lead and chloroform, along with the taste of chlorine, from your tap water with a water-filtering pitcher or a faucet-mounted system. You'll also save money over buying bottled water, and reduce the energy used and pollution created in producing, shipping, and disposing of all those plastic containers.
Don't' feel guilty about running your dishwasher, you should use it. The dishwasher actually uses less water than doing dishes by hand. Just make sure to run it only when it is completely full, otherwise you'll have to do lighter loads at more frequent intervals. Also, when the dishwasher is being run, try to run it at its lowest setting-choose light instead of heavy and air dry rather than heat.
Throwing food into the trash can wastes a valuable resource. Turn your coffee grounds, banana peels, and eggshells into a rich soil conditioner for houseplants, lawn, and garden by composting them. Keep a small bucket near your prep area to collect waste and then just add the contents to a backyard compost bin.
Rather than storing leftovers in plastic, try old fashioned glass, ceramic, or stainless-steel containers. While many types of plastic can be recycled, they're all made from petroleum, a nonrenewable resource. So cook a recipe of a favorite dish and pack it in your Pyrex or glass covered dishes.
Until next time,
greengirl (:
Paper towels, we all use them for anything that comes by us. Whether it's wiping the table clean, the counter top, or just drying your hands, our handy friend, the paper towel, is always there to save us. Instead, why not try using a towel? Just hang the towel by the sink in your kitchen, and every time you have to dry your hands just use that. Replace paper towels for wiping off surfaces with sponges. You can always squeeze out the dirty water from the sponge, so it'll never become too unclean to use, and it is a perfect replacement for your paper towel.
We all wash dishes, but the trick is in how you wash them. When you wash your dirty plates and utensils, do you leave the water running while you scrub at them and put them in the dishwasher, or do you turn the water off? If you turn the water off, than good for you! However, if you don't then we've got a little talking to do. (: While you're washing the dishes, rinse them with water, then use a sponge or a similar thing to scrub the residual food off, give it one last rinse at the end and then make sure to turn off the faucet once more while you put the dish into the dishwasher. This way, when you don't really need the water, the faucet will be off and you won't be wasting any of it.
Filter contaminants such as lead and chloroform, along with the taste of chlorine, from your tap water with a water-filtering pitcher or a faucet-mounted system. You'll also save money over buying bottled water, and reduce the energy used and pollution created in producing, shipping, and disposing of all those plastic containers.
Don't' feel guilty about running your dishwasher, you should use it. The dishwasher actually uses less water than doing dishes by hand. Just make sure to run it only when it is completely full, otherwise you'll have to do lighter loads at more frequent intervals. Also, when the dishwasher is being run, try to run it at its lowest setting-choose light instead of heavy and air dry rather than heat.
Throwing food into the trash can wastes a valuable resource. Turn your coffee grounds, banana peels, and eggshells into a rich soil conditioner for houseplants, lawn, and garden by composting them. Keep a small bucket near your prep area to collect waste and then just add the contents to a backyard compost bin.
Rather than storing leftovers in plastic, try old fashioned glass, ceramic, or stainless-steel containers. While many types of plastic can be recycled, they're all made from petroleum, a nonrenewable resource. So cook a recipe of a favorite dish and pack it in your Pyrex or glass covered dishes.
Until next time,
greengirl (:
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Food for Thought
Are we losing control over the food we eat? Over the last 50 to 60 years, farming in the U.S. has undergone a dramatic change. Farmers who used to cultivate their own lands have been almost completely replaced by corporate farming. Huge areas have been bought by a few large companies and they have used economies of scale and aggressive techniques like chemical pesticides and genetically modified crops to boost their profits. Produce is also being moved across vast distances from farm to supermarket, so that customers get all kinds of produce all year round. This convenience is coming at the cost of a high carbon footprint created by the transportation of these items. So is there no place for the small local farmer who has a direct relationship with his land, and who uses natural methods to grow fresh produce for his local customers?
Fortunately there seems to be a growing movement among small farmers and consumers who are willing to follow older and healthier ways of growing and consuming food products. The debate for most consumers is whether to pay more for food that is healthier for us and the environment. For farmers, it is the choice between pure profits and concern for quality of their produce.
-Maya
Fortunately there seems to be a growing movement among small farmers and consumers who are willing to follow older and healthier ways of growing and consuming food products. The debate for most consumers is whether to pay more for food that is healthier for us and the environment. For farmers, it is the choice between pure profits and concern for quality of their produce.
-Maya
Thursday, October 27, 2011
My Recycle List
Yesterday, my parents unexpectedly gifted me with an iPhone. Of course, every minute since then I've been on my phone browsing the app store, downloading anything that I have found interesting. Well while I was browsing, I came across an app that I thought would be extremely useful for all of my fellow earth lovers. The app is called 'My Recycle List,' and it lets you find nearby locations that accept certain recyclable items. The app 'lets you organize items by adding them to your Recycle List.' Using your Recycle List, you can then find the nearest location that will recycle whatever it is you are trying to. Here's a list of some of it's features, in case you would like to learn more about this handy tool:
* Find nearby recycling locations using GPS or ZIP
* Search for multiple materials at once
* Organize and Save your list for future use: Its like a grocery list for recyclers
* Share your recycle list with others via e-mail
* In-app interactive maps and web browser
* Covers the entire United States and some of Canada. International locations coming late 2010.
* Call recycling locations directly or add them to your contacts
* Works directly with our flagship site 1-800-Recycling.com to search over 120,000 locations.
* We've put the most commonly recycled materials together into 9 groups: Electronics, Plastic, Metal, Paper, Glass, Household, Hazardous, Automobile and Yard Waste
Hopefully as you're reading this, you're finding this app as useful as I am, and I hope you download it! In case it has managed to spark your curiosity, here's a link to the page so you can find out more about it yourself, and maybe even get it.
Link to the App: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/my-recycle-list/id375842467?mt=8
* Find nearby recycling locations using GPS or ZIP
* Search for multiple materials at once
* Organize and Save your list for future use: Its like a grocery list for recyclers
* Share your recycle list with others via e-mail
* In-app interactive maps and web browser
* Covers the entire United States and some of Canada. International locations coming late 2010.
* Call recycling locations directly or add them to your contacts
* Works directly with our flagship site 1-800-Recycling.com to search over 120,000 locations.
* We've put the most commonly recycled materials together into 9 groups: Electronics, Plastic, Metal, Paper, Glass, Household, Hazardous, Automobile and Yard Waste
Hopefully as you're reading this, you're finding this app as useful as I am, and I hope you download it! In case it has managed to spark your curiosity, here's a link to the page so you can find out more about it yourself, and maybe even get it.
Link to the App: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/my-recycle-list/id375842467?mt=8
Monday, October 17, 2011
Helping Out
Earth Day may be on April 22nd,but we should never stop helping the environment! Here are 5 simple steps we can take to start us off:
1. Change a Light Bulb: Compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) use 65 % less energy then regular ones and they do not cost that much more. If everyone did this it could change the world!
2. Donate used goods: Don't throw away that pair of jeans donate it to Goodwill! Magazines you have read can be donated to local places with waiting rooms. Remember that saying? One person's garbage is another's treasure!
3. Water...don't waste it: When you are brushing your teeth, turn the water off, and make sure to fix those leaky faucets!
4. Use your own bag: Paper or Plastic... how about canvas? They cost under $5 and can be found in many stylish designs.
5. Walk, Bike, Carpool, Ride the Bus, Take the Light Rail: "Driving a typical car produces 95,000 pounds of global warming pollution," says Kathleen Rogers, president of Earth Day Network. Try carpooling! Like Lucy Hao said, It's much more environment-friendly and you'll get to spend time with your friends while you're at it.
So there you have it! 5 simple ways to start out helping the environment, do you have any ideas of your own? Share some that you came up with below!
More later, greengirl (:
1. Change a Light Bulb: Compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) use 65 % less energy then regular ones and they do not cost that much more. If everyone did this it could change the world!
2. Donate used goods: Don't throw away that pair of jeans donate it to Goodwill! Magazines you have read can be donated to local places with waiting rooms. Remember that saying? One person's garbage is another's treasure!
3. Water...don't waste it: When you are brushing your teeth, turn the water off, and make sure to fix those leaky faucets!
4. Use your own bag: Paper or Plastic... how about canvas? They cost under $5 and can be found in many stylish designs.
5. Walk, Bike, Carpool, Ride the Bus, Take the Light Rail: "Driving a typical car produces 95,000 pounds of global warming pollution," says Kathleen Rogers, president of Earth Day Network. Try carpooling! Like Lucy Hao said, It's much more environment-friendly and you'll get to spend time with your friends while you're at it.
So there you have it! 5 simple ways to start out helping the environment, do you have any ideas of your own? Share some that you came up with below!
More later, greengirl (:
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Saving in School
Wow! It's been a long time. School's started, and it's always busy busy busy! Yet, no matter how busy you are, always keep the environment in mind! Here are some really easy, quick ways to save at school:
1. Wake up in the morning not feeling like P. Diddy? I know. But it doesn't give you an excuse to leave the water running! Close the faucets when your brushing your teeth or putting on make up.
2. Decided what you're going to eat BEFORE opening the fridge. Not only will this save energy, but also time. You might even stick to your diet better.
3. Hop in the car.... with a friend. Carpool, ride the bus, walk, bike-whatever, just DON'T drive your gas-guzzling monster down to school with only you inside.
4. Recycle, recycle, recycle. I can't say it enough: RECYCLE. With all the papers and paper products you get at school, chucking them in the trash would be such a waste. Napkins, paper trays, tissues, paper towels, sometimes even worksheets- all that can go in the blue bin.
5. Be aware! If you see trash, pick it up. It'll only take you like 4 seconds, and you'll be setting an example for other people. Little things like these can really have a ripple effect.
So there you go! 5 simple, fast, yet effective ways to keep your green-living up. What are some other ways to save at school? Have y'all been busy?
Good Luck!
<3Lucy
1. Wake up in the morning not feeling like P. Diddy? I know. But it doesn't give you an excuse to leave the water running! Close the faucets when your brushing your teeth or putting on make up.
2. Decided what you're going to eat BEFORE opening the fridge. Not only will this save energy, but also time. You might even stick to your diet better.
3. Hop in the car.... with a friend. Carpool, ride the bus, walk, bike-whatever, just DON'T drive your gas-guzzling monster down to school with only you inside.
4. Recycle, recycle, recycle. I can't say it enough: RECYCLE. With all the papers and paper products you get at school, chucking them in the trash would be such a waste. Napkins, paper trays, tissues, paper towels, sometimes even worksheets- all that can go in the blue bin.
5. Be aware! If you see trash, pick it up. It'll only take you like 4 seconds, and you'll be setting an example for other people. Little things like these can really have a ripple effect.
So there you go! 5 simple, fast, yet effective ways to keep your green-living up. What are some other ways to save at school? Have y'all been busy?
Good Luck!
<3Lucy
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Recycling Do's and Don'ts
Recycling Do's and Don'ts
A couple of weeks ago, I joined the environmental club at my school and there have been meetings held every other week since then. Last week, in our meeting, someone brought up a very good issue, that's become especially big ever since school started. People have been 'recycling' more, but they do not seem to be doing it correctly. At least once everyday, I've come across someone throwing a used tissue or wax paper from some art project inside the recycling bin. Though these people may be throwing these things in with a good intention, in reality, their actions are not correct. So, I've compiled a list of things that do and don't go into the recycling bins.
Recycling Don'ts
- dirty plastic bags/wrap/items
- electronics/batteries
- dirty pizza boxes
- wax paper/waxy cardboard -
- anything soiled
- paper forks, spoons, plates etc.
- bottle caps
- hot cups
- sticky notes
Recycling Do's
-any clean paper (nothing with any food or such stains) ie. newspapers, magazines,junk mail etc.
- - cardboard that isn't too waxy & needs to be flattened
- cans/glass
- any clean plastic labeled with a 1-7 (except Styrofoam)
- aluminum cans
Now with these tips, hopefully there won't be any misconceptions about what goes in the recycling bin, and what doesn't. Have fun recycling!
More later, greengirl (:
A couple of weeks ago, I joined the environmental club at my school and there have been meetings held every other week since then. Last week, in our meeting, someone brought up a very good issue, that's become especially big ever since school started. People have been 'recycling' more, but they do not seem to be doing it correctly. At least once everyday, I've come across someone throwing a used tissue or wax paper from some art project inside the recycling bin. Though these people may be throwing these things in with a good intention, in reality, their actions are not correct. So, I've compiled a list of things that do and don't go into the recycling bins.
Recycling Don'ts
- dirty plastic bags/wrap/items
- electronics/batteries
- dirty pizza boxes
- wax paper/waxy cardboard -
- anything soiled
- paper forks, spoons, plates etc.
- bottle caps
- hot cups
- sticky notes
Recycling Do's
-any clean paper (nothing with any food or such stains) ie. newspapers, magazines,junk mail etc.
- - cardboard that isn't too waxy & needs to be flattened
- cans/glass
- any clean plastic labeled with a 1-7 (except Styrofoam)
- aluminum cans
Now with these tips, hopefully there won't be any misconceptions about what goes in the recycling bin, and what doesn't. Have fun recycling!
More later, greengirl (:
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