Recycling at School

Last time, I talked about different things you could do to help recycle in the kitchen. Hopefully, you guys found those tips useful! This week I'll be giving some tips on how to recycle at school. School is a place where so much can be done to save, but things inevitably end up not getting done. With some luck maybe we can change that. (:

We all know how many worksheets get passed out at school everyday, but have we ever given a thought to whether or not the backside of the paper is being used? More likely than not, the papers are printed one side. If you ever notice something like this, it wouldn't hurt to just casually ask the teacher if he or she has ever considered printing double sided. In any case, you can always use the back side of the paper as scrap paper, so either way you'll be using the entire sheet!

With all the paper being used in a classroom, whenever you get the chance, make sure to throw your papers into the recycling bin. If you see a classmate throwing something recyclable into the trash can, why not ask him or her to try the recycling bin as well?

Take the bus to school! Everyday, millions of teens are either driven or drive to school-just imagine how much pollution there is! By taking the bus, you can ensure that at least one car will be off the road, so why not give it a try?

Instead of bringing a paper bag to school and having to get another one every single day, why not try getting a lunch box instead? Not only will you be saving money on stocking up on paper bags, but you'll be helping the environment as well.

That's all for this week, but hopefully it's enough to get your mind teeming with ideas to save at school as well!

Until next time,
greengirl (:

It’s the holiday season!

Everyone is busy with shopping, finding great deals, choosing just the right gifts, and running around being Santa Clauses. There are so many ways that we can be green while shopping, wrapping, and getting ready for the Christmas season.
Here are some tips on how to have a sane and green shopping experience (Adapted from an article by Dan Shipley from thedailygreen.com):

1. Make a List
Before buying, make a list of the items you might purchase for the people in your life, along with the cost of each item. Then, sleep on it. Modern marketing has made an art of turning the shopping experience into a cognitive morass that confuses your brain into spending too much money on things you don't need. Eliminate the waste by following Santa's example. A list will help you make better decisions and keep to a budget.

2. Check it Twice
Before making a purchase, check the price to get a good deal. But also check out the product and manufacturer. Greenpeace rates the makers of electronics (Nokia and Sony top the list), the Rainforest Action Network has just identified three publishers of children's books to avoid (because their policies support Indonesian deforestation) and HealthyToys.org will help you avoid toxic toys. Using resources like these are important, since marketing claims are often misleading.

3. Shop Online
Online shopping is generally a greener way to shop, essentially because trucks can deliver goods efficiently and it takes a lot less energy to run a warehouse for boxes of goods than a mall. So take a break from leftover turkey and check out the deals online.

4. Donate While You Shop
Donations to major charities were down 11% last year, according to a Chronicle of Philanthropy report documenting the worst decline in 20 years. Many sites channel a portion of the money to your designated charity. In addition, many credit cards encourage the accumulation of points that can be applied to your balance, redeemed for purchases or donated to charity. You could elect to donate the points accrued during the holiday to charity. Both are painless ways to essentially direct corporate profits to charities of your choice.

5. Shop from Your Favorite Charity
Modern non-profits often have marketplaces of their own, and the proceeds of sales benefit the organization's mission. Some examples: WWF, The Nature Conservancy and the Hudson Sloop Clearwater. Before exploring the for-profit options, see if your favorite non-profit has the right item.

6. Use Online Coupons
Several sites make finding coupons for green gifts easy. Check Ecobunga, Pristine Planet and greencouponcodes.com for deals on sustainable, organic and Fair Trade products.

7. Buy Local
When you do leave your desk and hit the streets, look for opportunities to buy from local artists, artisans and businesses. That way the dollars you spend contribute more to the community where you live. Downtown business districts have suffered in the last generation as shoppers got in the habit of shopping at suburban malls, but you can join the movement to revitalize city districts by spending your holiday dollars there. A vibrant downtown helps preserve outlying farms, forests and open spaces by attracting development to urban centers.

8. Buy Certified Gifts
Whether you're buying electronics (Energy Star), clothing (Organic), jewelry (Fair Trade, Conflict Free) or books (Forest Stewardship Council), there's likely a reputable third-party government or non-profit certification program that has already done the hard work of vetting the product. Shop for products made by companies that consistently pay fair wages and manufacture products without burdening the environment.

9. Reduce Waste Before It Happens
The mound of wrapping paper, plastic clam shell packaging, boxes and ribbons filling trash bags on the curb Dec. 26 isn't made on Christmas morning. It's made with each purchase during the shopping season. Choose products made from recycled materials, with minimal recyclable packaging... and be creative when you wrap your gifts. You might just find that you end up with less waste than when you started!

The Christmas season is one of the most waste-creating occasions of the year. Here are some tips on how to reduce the amount of packaging and trash, reuse certain items and materials, and recycle everything else:

· Use fabric and yarn for gift-wrapping. These materials add pizzazz to the present in addition to being eco-friendly, durable, and reusable.

· Use bags and tissue paper for your presents. They are not as eco-friendly as fabric and yarn but are reusable nevertheless.

· Avoid using tons of gift wrap paper and excessive ribbons. Be careful when unwrapping these presents so the wrap, ribbons, and flowers may be reused.

Other tips:
· Don’t leave on your Christmas lights 24/7. Try to set the lights to have automatic timers that will turn them off and on at specific times. This can save so much energy!

· Look for a “green” tree. Artificial trees are actually quite damaging to the environment as they are usually made in China and require great amounts of pollutants to be emitted to be created. However, using fresh Christmas trees perhaps requires annual trips to load them back and forth and can wither easily.

· Choose incredible and unique green gifts under $20! You can easily find items made by independent artisans and made from natural materials without the usual loads of packaging and trash. Making your gifts from objects around the house is awesome as well!

Enjoy your holidays, everyone!

-EY

When I get that feeling, I want Natural Healing: A Spot of Tea

When I get that feeling, I want Natural Healing:
A spot of tea.

You are at work. You are feeling miserable. Stuffy nose, cough, sore throat all the wonderful symptoms of a good cold. The nice elderly women who works with you says, “let me make you a cup of tea. It should help you feel better.” You drink the freshly made tea, and sure enough your throat does feel a bit better. A little fresh air starts to pass through your clogged sinus cavities. You think to yourself, I have got to get some of this tea on my way home.

What is it about tea? Does it really have healing powers? How does drinking a cup of tea help me feel better?

Hot tea has a couple immediate benefits when you drink them. First, the steam helps loosen up the mucus that is preventing you from breathing. Second, the hot liquid has an immediate soothing effect on your sore throat. What makes tea so effective is the herbs used to make it. Most notably, Echinacea.

Echinacea is prescribed to us by mother nature. It is one of natures natural antibiotics. Echinacea stimulates our immune system making our own defenses stronger. It stimulates the cells responsible for identifying and “tagging” the intruding cells. Then, Echinacea stimulates the growth and production of white blood cells or the solider cells. Whether viral or bacterial, the new army of white blood cells can surround and conquer the intruding infection. Unlike antibiotics, echinacea works with our body keeping us strong. Antibiotics do kill the bacteria that cause the infection, but it also tears down our own defenses. Thus, increasing the chances of getting sick again. Furthermore, the anti inflammatory effect of echinacea helps open up swollen, clogged sinuses. Once mucus starts to drain, you begin feel better. The ability to breath lifts your spirit. You know the worst is over, and you are on the road to back to good health.

Herbal tea has been consumed for thousands of years across all cultures. It has stood the test of time. It was good enough for the ancient egyptians. ancient chinese rulers, and North American Indians. Echinacea is used my millions of people around the world to combat cold. Next time you are driving home from work feeling sick, stop at your local drug store. Avoid the temptation of all those over the counter cold medicines. Pick up a box of immune boosting echinacea tea, and start your climb back to health. Naturally!

Eco_Dad

Food for Thought Part II

Last time I talked about how our food supply chain has changed dramatically in the last 50 years or so, and why this should be a matter of concern to us. It’s very ironic that while the large food producing companies are becoming more efficient and profitable, we are becoming sick more often from food-related illnesses. In a study funded by the Pew Charitable Trust, it was found that in 2010, there were 76 million food-related illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths. The money cost to the U.S. was about $152 billion a year, or roughly $1,850 each time someone gets sick from food, I think we need to develop more awareness around these issues and take small but practical steps at the individual level, so that collectively we can start to make a difference. We have to be aware of what the food does to us, what it does to the environment, and whether humane labor and animal practices were followed.
In terms of reading material, you can find works from some leading thinkers on this topic at Amazon.com or your local library. These include:
Michael Pollan:

1. The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals

2. The Omnivore's Dilemma for Kids: The Secrets Behind What You Eat

3. In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto

4. Food Rules: An Eater's Manual
Eric Schlosser:

1. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal

2. Chew On This: Everything You Don't Want to Know About Fast Food
Gary Hirshberg:

1. Stirring It Up: How to Make Money and Save the World

2. Anything But Neutral About Going (Carbon) Neutral
Incidentally, Gary Hirshberg runs Stonyfield farms that makes dairy products that are wholesome in every way (www.stonyfield.com). The company is very successful, showing that you can do well by doing good.
You can also find a number of related videos on this topic. Some of them are:

1. Forks Over Knives

2. Food Matters

3. King Corn: You Are What You Eat

4. Food Beware: The French Organic Revolution

5. Food, Inc.

At home, here are some steps you can take on an everyday level. In the supermarket see if you can buy organic foods (may be a little more pricey), avoid canned and heavily packaged foods, take your own bags to cut down on plastic, check labels, buy foods that are in season locally (a good way to do this is to see if there are any local farmers’ markets in your area), and plan your shopping to reduce the number of driving trips to the supermarket.

-Maya

When I Get that Feeling, I Want NATURAL Healing

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

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 (:

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