Goings and Comings

The last month has been a whirlwind thus far of activity. May started out visiting my husband in Louisiana to help him celebrate his birthday and to get a feel for this new place I will call home very shortly. I actually was impressed with the beauty of the place and was charmed by my few experiences with Southern hospitality. There were other things I noticed, such as the incredible amount of litter, the lack of a variety of produce in the stores, the overabundance of fast food joints located right off post. But overall I think we can definitely make it into a happy home, learning more about the two of each other, and growing as a couple.

I've also spent the last few weeks busily completely the program evaluation I took on for my internship, and I will finalize the findings and suggestions next week. I've also been crazily studying and stressing myself out over my comprehensive exam. Without the strength, patience, and love from my husband these last few weeks would have been much more difficult. I have the exam on Friday morning and will be incredibly glad when it is finished.

Friday afternoon we will leave to drive my car down to Louisiana so he has a vehicle to use during the transition into our housing. It will be a quick four day drive and then I'll spend the rest of the week there--hopefully looking at housing options and maybe, just maybe interviewing for a job (keeping fingers crossed and prayers lifted!). One more paper to write and that class to attend, one last day and meeting for my internship, and then the term and my graduate program will finally be over. The next few weeks then are to be full of good-bye moments with friends, selling back books, reading through stacks of gathered materials and determining what can be recycled, spending as much time as possible with my loved ones, and then packing and loading up all of these possessions I have.

My father, granny, and I will make the final drive/haul back across the nation the day after my hooding ceremony for my Masters of Public Health (woohoo!). It'll be great to enjoy the drive and some final moments with both of them as I transition into this next stage of life with my husband. Then I hopefully will be able to start writing regularly again, letting you all know of our attempts to create a somewhat green existence in the midst of a not-so-green-minded state and potentially finally posting on other issues of concern.

I hope all of you have been doing well! Know that I have been thinking of you fellow bloggers, friends, and family who actually continue to read the slim pickings I've posted of late on this blog! A big hug to all of you!

Tulip Time

I've been wanting to go to the Tulip Farm in Woodburn for about ten years now and this year my brother and I were able to meet down there during the week a couple weeks back. I knew it would be gorgeous, but the pictures don't even do it justice! Tulips are some of my most favorite flowers and the fact that people would plant that many just made me smile!

Hope you are having a wonderful week!

Speak Up and Advocate

First opportunity: I don't think babies should be gulping down a rocket fuel ingredient -- do you? But I just learned from Environmental Working Group that when you mix infant formula that contains perchlorate (a rocket fuel ingredient than can interfere with infant brain development) with water that's also contaminated with perchlorate, you put rocket fuel on baby's menu. We need the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which regulates the nation's water quality, to set a permanent and stringent safe drinking water standard for perchlorate. I just sent an email to newly-appointed EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to make that a reality: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1144/t/1875/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=26980

Why now?
1) New risk for babies
A new report by scientists at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found perchlorate contamination in 15 brands of powdered infant formula.

2) It is in our drinking waterPerchlorate pollution has also been found in the drinking water of 28 states and territories. (Check out Environmental Working Group's tap water quality database to see if yours is one: http://www.ewg.org/tapwater/yourwater/index.php)

3) This is the moment.During her Senate confirmation hearing, EPA head Lisa Jackson promised to act "immediately" to reduce perchlorate contamination in drinking water to protect children and pregnant women. Please join me in calling on EPA Administrator Jackson to make good her pledge. Send her an email today asking to keep perchlorate at safe levels in our drinking water: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1144/t/1875/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=26980

Second opportunity: Compact fluorescent bulbs have huge energy savings, but could be made even better if the Energy Star program would push companies to reduce mercury levels.Join me and urge Energy Star to ask for a better mercury standard for bulbs, and while you are at it check out the 7 companies identified by Environmental Working Group that make the lowest mercury, long-life bulbs. That one can be accessed at: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1144/t/1875/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=26304

This is one that worries me because so many people don't know that CFLs contain mercury and even those that do know don't dispose of them appropriately. Hopefully everyone realizes that mercury is a pretty harmful substance to human health. I just wish CFLs didn't contain it and that they would reduce the levels since they can. Hence I tailored my message to say so...and as always asked that if they do respond that they do so via email and not waste paper and shipping. (Which I did get a response saying that it's voluntary for industry to choose their levels, but why not apply more pressure?)

Both of these I got in my Take Action Newsletter from Environmental Working Group this morning and wanted to pass on to you.

The Anti-Plastic Post

So after sitting inside in front of a computer screen all day, wondering to myself how in the world people can do this every day for five days every week, I was more than excited to spend some of my internship hours this evening at a much more social and educational event. The fabulous world of Facebook had invited me via my membership in my hosting internship organization's page to a special Earth Day/Week presentation by Dr Marcus Eriksen and Anna Cummins, who were two of the individuals behind the Junk Raft. Both are (now engaged!!) oceanic researchers primarily focusing on the increasing problem of plastics in our oceans.

Being the ever resourceful nerd that I am--I took notes on the back of a scrap of paper---in order to share with all of you!

--In order to construct the raft, they used 15,000 plastic bottles which they stuck into two big nets in order for 30 broken plastic masts to rest on top and form the raft. Then they purchased an old airplane from a junkyard for the cabin. They left from Long Beach, CA and arrived via drifting in Hawaii 88 days later (6 weeks later than they thought it would take them).

--In terms of plastics, 50% of plastic products goes into the landfill, 20% is made into goods that actually last and are durable, 5% is recycled, and the other 25% is unknown where it goes

--80% of plastic in the ocean is due to run off/human contamination (think littering, streams dumping it into the ocean, etc); while only 20% is due to the maritime industry

--In the 9 years of testing, these researchers have seen a doubling of the amount of plastic particles found in the oceans. While some plastic materials may break down over time into small pellets, many items stay larger in size. I'm sure we've all seen some of the recently released photos of animals damaged by plastics via our waterways.

--In a trip during a recent summer, Dr. Eriksen was visiting a Pacific Island and found numerous bird carcasses with stomach regions full of plastics (the plastics can't break down or pass obviously, causing the birds to eventually die) For this example they had pictures and he also brought some of the items: tooth brushes, the leg of an action figure, bottle caps, etc.

--While doing water tests in recent years, 35% of the 621 little fish that they gathered in one night had hard plastic pellets in their stomachs. These fish are eaten by larger fish (which then contain the plastics and any other additional plastics they may eat mistakenly). These larger fish are eaten by humans.

---Which leads us back to that issue of bioaccumulation...but first!

--Many of these plastics contain those nasty harmful chemicals of concern I'm always writing about on here (or at least should be!) that are POPS (persistent organic pollutants) which take forever to break down if they ever do and do the afore mentioned bioaccumulation...meaning that the level of POPS increases as each new level/creature ingests them. It takes them so long to break down that they instead accumulate in a person's body---which in turn is known as an individual's body burden. (Humans basically only excrete POPS when females breast feed their babies and via the growing fetus as well.) Which in turn produces children who can have higher loads of toxins than their parents, increasing their chances of negative health effects.

--So back to these fish with plastics in their stomachs. Plastics that contain POPS, which studies have shown that these POPS from plastics are able to over time become part of the chemical load of the fish, which is then eaten by another fish, which is thereby eaten by a human...further increasing the human ingestion/exposure to POPS.

Pretty incredible stuff. Marcus and Anna, if I can call them that, are on an educational tour to present their data and to increase awareness of these issues. However interestingly they are touring via biking from Vancouver, BC to Tiajuana, MX, and are being sponsored by that fabulous ocean-caring organization Surfrider. They are also calling for change. Part of the purpose of this presentation was to educate individuals to recycle more, but to also USE LESS especially of plastics. Plastics are especially prone to one-time usage and often not all plastics are accepted for recycling. So be wise BEFORE you buy and opt for glass (healthier too!) or another alternative before going for that plastic bottle, bag, etc. Although anymore, even cardboard milk jugs and aluminum cans are all lined with plastic coatings----great for those health concerns, no?

Couple other highlights: Portland's mayor Sam Adams arrived and gave a short speech in support of the Ban the Bag Campaign in Portland, and accepted a small token from Marcus and Anna. Another educational component the two are doing is gifting 100 small jars of collected plastic pellets and debris mixed with the Pacific Ocean water it was collected in. Sam Adams accepted with pride. Now let's see if you can make your own dent in the plastics affair!

And here's a link to the artist who sang for us tonight: Micah Wolfe

A Day Away

Sometimes we might be slightly broken:
And sometimes we might be like jelly w/ poisonous tentacles on the inside: Other days, we may put up a hardened exterior:

But sometimes just a little exposure to the sand, sun, and sea....

Can be enough to make us feel whole and renewed again.

Sometimes you just need a little sand between the toes and salt air to clear your head and satisfy your heart and soul.....

Beautiful weather on the Oregon coast. Retreating to a day and evening of solitude, a place of calm and full of satisfying memories. Living on coffee, wine, and the most basic of meals. And always, always, always coming back with a little bit of extra sand in my jeans and in the floor of the car.

Just Some Thoughts...

I've had a lot on my mind lately that I've been thinking about and trying not to think about--some of which pertains to marriage, moving, the red tape regulations of program requirements, compromise in numerous relationships, school needs, etc etc. So today I got off the MAX a stop early and went on an extra walk on my way home in order to give myself to process and to just enjoy my surroundings. Today the sun is out, flowers are still in bloom, and birds are calling to each other. I was able to direct a pet owner to her wandered off dog I had seen two doors down. And then I stopped in a park a couple of blocks away and starting pumping my legs away on the swing. Sometimes there is nothing quite as enjoyable and freeing as being on a swing, the breeze blowing past you, and your toes reaching up toward the trees. It was exactly, exactly what I needed.

One other thing I've been thinking of again and I've meant to write about in the past is how irritated I become when I see power washers or hoses being used on sidewalks, especially when its the city or the public transportation company doing it. I suppose not enough people have realized yet that water shortages are going to be on the rise in coming years. Is it really that difficult for us to pick up a broom to sweep a sidewalk? Is it really that much more time consuming to use a trowel or some other tool to pick the grass out from cracks? Is it really that much more of an issue to use our bodies in our work rather than standing and letting some machine waste precious resources to feed our aesthetic need?

I know I usually try to maintain an even keel here on this blog, but for some reason that topic just really irks me. Thanks for letting me get it out!

Hope you're each having a great week! May you each find moments of childlike giddiness and enthusiasm!