Happy Earth Day everyone!
What are you doing to help save your part of the world?
Friday, April 22, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Blog Post 12: Eco Friendly Activities/ Recap
Here’s a list, thanks to http://recipes.kaboose.com/go-green-checklist.html, that gives you simple activities that anyone can do to help the planet. Some of this information I have touched on before within my blog posts but I believe that it’s important to remind you, my readers, of what is important.
Save water by decreasing your shower time -- or rather take a bath, which uses less water than a shower.
Get in the habit of brushing your teeth with the water off, and encourage your children to do so, as well.
Recycle – junk mail, cell phones, paper products, plastic bags, and more.
Switch from paper and plastic bags to reusable bags and totes. Try Envirosax or Dogeared’s neat styles.
Forget the electric or gas dryer, and hang dry your clothing.
Opt for direct deposit, online banking, and paperless statements to reduce your paper usage.
Try your hand at composting (planting scraps from fruits, veggies, and coffee grounds outside), which will help create better soil and less landfill waste.
Don’t purchase disposable water bottles, but rather use recyclable (and refillable) beverage containers that you can fill with filtered water.
Unplug all of your appliances when you leave the house to save energy (and prevent a fire hazard).
If possible, take public transportation or walk.
Don’t use plastic storage containers, and definitely do not heat food within a plastic container in the microwave.
Keep one set of dishes at the office, including: a cup, utensils, bowl, and plate. This will prevent you from reaching for disposable utensils, cups, and plates.
Save stained or ill-fitting clothing to use for dusting and cleaning.
Use rechargeable batteries -- Duracell now has a line of pre-charged rechargeable batteries!
Purchase used items from thrift stores, garage sales, flea markets, and more.
Rent movies and borrow books, instead of purchasing. Netflix and Blockbuster make it easy by delivering the flicks right to your door.
If you are in the market for a new car, purchase a hybrid model.
Select products made of recyclable materials. Nahui Ollin, a handbag designer, has a created line of bags, made from recycled candy wrappers, that are cute and affordable.
Buy groceries in bulk, as it reduces packaging and the number of trips you take to the grocer. Purchase a membership to a wholesale club, such as Costco or BJ’s.
If possible, buy items that use less packaging.
Purchase locally produced food at farmer’s markets and even road-side stands.
Purchase fresh fruits and vegetables, instead of jarred, canned, or frozen.
Purchase organic foods, as they don’t contain pesticides and harmful chemicals, in addition to organic cotton.
Follow the celebrity trend and use cloth diapers, as opposed to disposable diapers, which cause landfill waste.
Select soy or beeswax candles, instead of paraffin candles.
Use healthy and environmentally friendly cosmetics, such as mineral-based cosmetics and natural bath products.
Thanks to everyone who has put up with my ramblings this semester. This will be my final blog post.
Good luck in the decisions that you make,
Allison
Save water by decreasing your shower time -- or rather take a bath, which uses less water than a shower.
Get in the habit of brushing your teeth with the water off, and encourage your children to do so, as well.
Recycle – junk mail, cell phones, paper products, plastic bags, and more.
Switch from paper and plastic bags to reusable bags and totes. Try Envirosax or Dogeared’s neat styles.
Forget the electric or gas dryer, and hang dry your clothing.
Opt for direct deposit, online banking, and paperless statements to reduce your paper usage.
Try your hand at composting (planting scraps from fruits, veggies, and coffee grounds outside), which will help create better soil and less landfill waste.
Don’t purchase disposable water bottles, but rather use recyclable (and refillable) beverage containers that you can fill with filtered water.
Unplug all of your appliances when you leave the house to save energy (and prevent a fire hazard).
If possible, take public transportation or walk.
Don’t use plastic storage containers, and definitely do not heat food within a plastic container in the microwave.
Keep one set of dishes at the office, including: a cup, utensils, bowl, and plate. This will prevent you from reaching for disposable utensils, cups, and plates.
Save stained or ill-fitting clothing to use for dusting and cleaning.
Use rechargeable batteries -- Duracell now has a line of pre-charged rechargeable batteries!
Purchase used items from thrift stores, garage sales, flea markets, and more.
Rent movies and borrow books, instead of purchasing. Netflix and Blockbuster make it easy by delivering the flicks right to your door.
If you are in the market for a new car, purchase a hybrid model.
Select products made of recyclable materials. Nahui Ollin, a handbag designer, has a created line of bags, made from recycled candy wrappers, that are cute and affordable.
Buy groceries in bulk, as it reduces packaging and the number of trips you take to the grocer. Purchase a membership to a wholesale club, such as Costco or BJ’s.
If possible, buy items that use less packaging.
Purchase locally produced food at farmer’s markets and even road-side stands.
Purchase fresh fruits and vegetables, instead of jarred, canned, or frozen.
Purchase organic foods, as they don’t contain pesticides and harmful chemicals, in addition to organic cotton.
Follow the celebrity trend and use cloth diapers, as opposed to disposable diapers, which cause landfill waste.
Select soy or beeswax candles, instead of paraffin candles.
Use healthy and environmentally friendly cosmetics, such as mineral-based cosmetics and natural bath products.
Thanks to everyone who has put up with my ramblings this semester. This will be my final blog post.
Good luck in the decisions that you make,
Allison
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Blog Post 11: "Climate Change"
(sigh) Well, I knew that I’d have to cover this eventually, or not at all. I’m honestly running out of topics to write about so just bare with me when I approach this controversial topic. I am treading very lightly when I write about this topic. Honestly, the thought of even searching for info on this topic is making me feel uneasy.
Just a little side note, if you believe in “global warming” or “climate change” or both or neither, I personally don’t care what you choose to believe with this topic. I’m not going to put my personal beliefs on you either, so don’t worry about that. Also, I am not claiming to know a lot about this subject. I am honestly more comfortable not even discussing it at all, but I needed a blog post. (sigh) Ok, here we go.
All the information within this post can be found at http://epa.gov/climatechange/.
“Climate change is a problem that is affecting people and the environment. Greater energy efficiency and new technologies hold promise for reducing greenhouse gases and solving this global challenge. The EPA's website provides information on climate change for communities, individuals, businesses, states, localities and governments.”
I am going to strictly stick to Health and Environmental effects of “climate change.”
“Throughout the world, the prevalence of some diseases and other threats to human health depend largely on local climate. Extreme temperatures can lead directly to loss of life, while climate-related disturbances in ecological systems, such as changes in the range of infective parasites, can indirectly impact the incidence of serious infectious diseases. In addition, warm temperatures can increase air and water pollution, which in turn harm human health.”
“Extreme weather effects can be destructive to human health and well-being. The extent to which climate change may affect the frequency and severity of these events, such as hurricanes and extreme heat and floods, is being investigated by the U.S. Global Change Research Program. An increase in the frequency of extreme events may result in more event-related deaths, injuries, infectious diseases, and stress-related disorders.”
“All regions of the world show an overall net negative impact of climate change on water resources and freshwater ecosystems. Areas in which runoff is projected to decline are likely to face a reduction in the value of the services provided by water resources. The beneficial impacts of increased annual runoff in other areas are likely to be tempered in some areas by negative effects of increased precipitation variability and seasonal runoff shifts on water supply, water quality and flood risks.”
“Higher water temperatures and changes in the timing, intensity, and duration of precipitation can affect water quality. Higher temperatures reduce dissolved oxygen levels, which can have an effect on aquatic life. Where streamflow and lake levels fall, there will be less dilution of pollutants; however, increased frequency and intensity of rainfall will produce more pollution and sedimentation.”
Just a little side note, if you believe in “global warming” or “climate change” or both or neither, I personally don’t care what you choose to believe with this topic. I’m not going to put my personal beliefs on you either, so don’t worry about that. Also, I am not claiming to know a lot about this subject. I am honestly more comfortable not even discussing it at all, but I needed a blog post. (sigh) Ok, here we go.
All the information within this post can be found at http://epa.gov/climatechange/.
“Climate change is a problem that is affecting people and the environment. Greater energy efficiency and new technologies hold promise for reducing greenhouse gases and solving this global challenge. The EPA's website provides information on climate change for communities, individuals, businesses, states, localities and governments.”
I am going to strictly stick to Health and Environmental effects of “climate change.”
“Throughout the world, the prevalence of some diseases and other threats to human health depend largely on local climate. Extreme temperatures can lead directly to loss of life, while climate-related disturbances in ecological systems, such as changes in the range of infective parasites, can indirectly impact the incidence of serious infectious diseases. In addition, warm temperatures can increase air and water pollution, which in turn harm human health.”
“Extreme weather effects can be destructive to human health and well-being. The extent to which climate change may affect the frequency and severity of these events, such as hurricanes and extreme heat and floods, is being investigated by the U.S. Global Change Research Program. An increase in the frequency of extreme events may result in more event-related deaths, injuries, infectious diseases, and stress-related disorders.”
“All regions of the world show an overall net negative impact of climate change on water resources and freshwater ecosystems. Areas in which runoff is projected to decline are likely to face a reduction in the value of the services provided by water resources. The beneficial impacts of increased annual runoff in other areas are likely to be tempered in some areas by negative effects of increased precipitation variability and seasonal runoff shifts on water supply, water quality and flood risks.”
“Higher water temperatures and changes in the timing, intensity, and duration of precipitation can affect water quality. Higher temperatures reduce dissolved oxygen levels, which can have an effect on aquatic life. Where streamflow and lake levels fall, there will be less dilution of pollutants; however, increased frequency and intensity of rainfall will produce more pollution and sedimentation.”
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Blog Post 10: Technological Advances
As this semester comes to an end I want to thank my followers and readers for wanting to hear what I have to say even though they may be uninteresting or irrelevant to them personally.
According to http://www.mnforsustain.org/pop_overpopulation_consumption_technology_hanauer.htm,
“U.S. population in 1998 was 269 million.”
It is now estimated to be “311,130,000 which is 4.5% of the World’s population,” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population).
“Human numbers skyrocketed during three relatively discrete periods—specifically, at the advent of tool making, agriculture and industrialization—but in each case subsequently stabilized,” (http://www.americanscientist.org/issues/pub/population-growth-technology-and-tricky-graphs). However, births are now exceeding deaths and the planet is struggling to provide resources to keep up with the demand.
Scientific advances have now made it possible to sustain and save lives.
Back before technology, nature had it’s own way of keeping areas from being overpopulated. For example, people that had allergies that would cause them to go into anaphylactic shock would not have survived because of the lack of medical and technological advances. Or if someone was infected with a poison or a disease they most likely passed on except for the extremely lucky ones. Not to forget that the food supply wasn’t able to support many populations and therefore they went hungry.
Natural disasters, acts of terrorism, or any other major event where there is a great loss of human lives are the biggest sources that add to the death tolls. All other causes of death combined still cannot even come close to all the babies that are being born daily. “There are approximately 490,000 babies born every day worldwide.” “It is estimated that approximately 250,000 to 300,000 people die each day,” (http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_babies_are_born_every_day_in_the_world).
I know that this has nothing to do with the information that I posted in this post or earlier throughout my blog but this quote “Take these broken wings and learn to fly again, learn to live so free.” by Mr. Mister is how I’ve been feeling recently and I just wanted to share with all of you lovely people.
Take care of yourselves,
Allison
According to http://www.mnforsustain.org/pop_overpopulation_consumption_technology_hanauer.htm,
“U.S. population in 1998 was 269 million.”
It is now estimated to be “311,130,000 which is 4.5% of the World’s population,” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population).
“Human numbers skyrocketed during three relatively discrete periods—specifically, at the advent of tool making, agriculture and industrialization—but in each case subsequently stabilized,” (http://www.americanscientist.org/issues/pub/population-growth-technology-and-tricky-graphs). However, births are now exceeding deaths and the planet is struggling to provide resources to keep up with the demand.
Scientific advances have now made it possible to sustain and save lives.
Back before technology, nature had it’s own way of keeping areas from being overpopulated. For example, people that had allergies that would cause them to go into anaphylactic shock would not have survived because of the lack of medical and technological advances. Or if someone was infected with a poison or a disease they most likely passed on except for the extremely lucky ones. Not to forget that the food supply wasn’t able to support many populations and therefore they went hungry.
Natural disasters, acts of terrorism, or any other major event where there is a great loss of human lives are the biggest sources that add to the death tolls. All other causes of death combined still cannot even come close to all the babies that are being born daily. “There are approximately 490,000 babies born every day worldwide.” “It is estimated that approximately 250,000 to 300,000 people die each day,” (http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_babies_are_born_every_day_in_the_world).
I know that this has nothing to do with the information that I posted in this post or earlier throughout my blog but this quote “Take these broken wings and learn to fly again, learn to live so free.” by Mr. Mister is how I’ve been feeling recently and I just wanted to share with all of you lovely people.
Take care of yourselves,
Allison
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