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.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
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
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
Monday, April 20, 2009
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.....
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.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
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!
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!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Confessions and Positives
Oh how I've thought about writing on the blog the last few weeks. However I've mainly been pondering what to write. It's not that I haven't thought about "green" topics or social justice issues, but I think really I've just been living in a few weeks of self-absorption. Sort of makes me feel like I need confessional to repent all the ways I've been avoiding thinking about the larger picture. Yet in this period of new love, in this period of just trying to get out of school, in this period of getting ready to move and all the changes, I've just been trying to put my head down and get through it all. However isn't that we all do? Isn't that what makes us forget those little moments of random beauty and unusual kindness to strangers? Isn't that what makes us forget the joys that are present in everyday life and putting relationship with others first?
So I think I've been struggling to write (maybe even for months now) because I don't know just how authentically I feel that I am living. I'm still me yes, but I sort of feel inhibited to live how I'd like to be living. And ever so slightly I've gotten sucked back into society, which means I drive more than I'd like to lately, I've been buying new clothes for my move south, I'm looking into purchasing new furniture for my husband and myself, I've been eating out more again with my friends as I prepare to leave them, I've started drinking pop and eating more sugar to give me "energy," I'm less present in my relationships with others, I haven't been cleaning with my baking soda and vinegar, I'm not planting anything for this summer, and I really haven't been doing much home cooking either.
Although if there's one thing I've taken away from reading fellow blogs and the supportive comments of everyone, it's that I shouldn't beat myself up too much. Simplicity is an ever changing process and individuals must meet it where they currently are, so I suppose "where I am" has changed over the last couple of years. I recognize that my head, heart, and other actions are still more into these movements than the majority of the rest of the population, but at times it's just disheartening to not be where I would like to be.
On some positive notes, my internship is plugging along well and it's nice to be contributing something in a way that I know will create positive change. I've really been enjoying the vibrant greens, flowering trees, and scattered flowers of spring! Spring just sort of lets us know that change is happening and the height of summer is on its way! I've been excited to hear the variety of guest speakers in my minority health course talking about the different health and cultural experiences they've had and the way cultural competency has been changing in a positive light over the last twenty years. We finally submitted the article for publishing that we've been working on for my job. Plans are coming together for the June move and I was able to find a farmer's market in a town about an hour away (so at least I know that sustainability is creeping in). I will be flying down to visit my husband and complete some paperwork (including getting health insurance!) the end of this month---it'll be nice to actually see where I will be living also. And I've been trying to soak up as many experiences as possible with my friends and family before I head south, as I know I won't see them much over the next couple of years. So although I'm not exactly where I'd like to be, I guess I just need to realize that at this point I need to be okay with that and just look forward to the next chapter that is coming along.
I hope each of you had a blessed Easter and that you have a great week ahead!
So I think I've been struggling to write (maybe even for months now) because I don't know just how authentically I feel that I am living. I'm still me yes, but I sort of feel inhibited to live how I'd like to be living. And ever so slightly I've gotten sucked back into society, which means I drive more than I'd like to lately, I've been buying new clothes for my move south, I'm looking into purchasing new furniture for my husband and myself, I've been eating out more again with my friends as I prepare to leave them, I've started drinking pop and eating more sugar to give me "energy," I'm less present in my relationships with others, I haven't been cleaning with my baking soda and vinegar, I'm not planting anything for this summer, and I really haven't been doing much home cooking either.
Although if there's one thing I've taken away from reading fellow blogs and the supportive comments of everyone, it's that I shouldn't beat myself up too much. Simplicity is an ever changing process and individuals must meet it where they currently are, so I suppose "where I am" has changed over the last couple of years. I recognize that my head, heart, and other actions are still more into these movements than the majority of the rest of the population, but at times it's just disheartening to not be where I would like to be.
On some positive notes, my internship is plugging along well and it's nice to be contributing something in a way that I know will create positive change. I've really been enjoying the vibrant greens, flowering trees, and scattered flowers of spring! Spring just sort of lets us know that change is happening and the height of summer is on its way! I've been excited to hear the variety of guest speakers in my minority health course talking about the different health and cultural experiences they've had and the way cultural competency has been changing in a positive light over the last twenty years. We finally submitted the article for publishing that we've been working on for my job. Plans are coming together for the June move and I was able to find a farmer's market in a town about an hour away (so at least I know that sustainability is creeping in). I will be flying down to visit my husband and complete some paperwork (including getting health insurance!) the end of this month---it'll be nice to actually see where I will be living also. And I've been trying to soak up as many experiences as possible with my friends and family before I head south, as I know I won't see them much over the next couple of years. So although I'm not exactly where I'd like to be, I guess I just need to realize that at this point I need to be okay with that and just look forward to the next chapter that is coming along.
I hope each of you had a blessed Easter and that you have a great week ahead!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)