Archive for Recycling
Philadelphia Eagles cheerleaders wade into Delaware River to raise eco-awareness
Posted by: | CommentsI’ve found that in recent weeks I’ve tended to write about very heavy topics when it comes to enviromental issues. The reality is I should be doing just that as raising awareness for some of the bigger challenges that exist seems to be a never ending quest. Just for tonight I thought I’d focus on something a little less intense and not just as an excuse to show women in bikinis!
The bracelet made from recycled flip-flops as I mentioned.....
The NFL of course holds huge marketing appeal in addition to managing the football league itself and part of the multi-million dollar advertising attack revolves around the official cheerleader squads that are associated with each franchise. The Philadelphia Eagles like all teams (I think?) have their own cheerleaders who are making an environmental statement by building a theme on their new official calendar ‘Saving The Oceans‘. The calendar is released this week and to celebrate that the entire squad will be getting their hands dirty and pulling assorted trash and debris from the banks of the Delaware River in Philadelphia this evening. It’s supposed to be in nearly 100f when the event begins so a muddy river bank in Philadelphia will not be the ideal place to be. Volunteers are encouraged to join and they hope turnout will be high to help promote the launch of the new calendar.
Each member of the team will be wearing T-Shirts emblazoned with “There Is No Planet B” as they take time to pull refuse from the river. The goal is to removed 300lbs of trash that would otherwise follow the river down to the Atlantic Ocean, an honourable effort which is symbolic of the work needed on rivers and streams everywhere. Oceanic pollution is not being curtailed anywhere near as aggressively as changes to air quality, whether its because so much of the impact occurs hundreds of miles offshore or is perceived as harder to measure and resolve is unclear. The cheerleaders are not new to raising eco-awareness as they have had ‘eco-sexy’ photo-shoots for the last few seasons; featuring bikinis and accessories made from a variety or recycled material. In the most recent photo-shoot a cheerleader wears a bracelet made from flip flips that had washed up on a beach. Another bikini being worn has been constructed from recycled nylon fishing nets.
The effort does more than increase awareness this year as 10% of proceeds will be directly donated to the Gulf Restoration Network, who are working frantically to reduce the impact of the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster. The calendar will be launched towards the end of next week and you can secure your copy via their website.
For more information about the Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders Calendar and eco-event click here.
For information about ordering the 2010/11 calendar please click here.
To visit the Gulf Restoration Network site or donate please click here.
Eco-friendly Beauty Tips from Hoda and Kathie
Posted by: | CommentsPart of living a sustainable lifestyle is reusing or repurposing what you already have. On a recent episode of the fourth hour of NBC’s Today Show, hosts Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford shared some home beauty tips. By repurposing everyday household ingredients rather than buying new beauty products you are reducing your carbon footprint because you are not adding packaging and bottles to landfills. The first tip is a solution to a problem that many people will face this summer: the dreaded sunburn.
According to Hoda and Kathie, you can easily relieve the burn by mixing equal parts vinegar and water into a spray bottle and applying to the effected area. You might think that the vinegar would only add to the burn but by diluting it with water it becomes a salve because it has acetic acid and will help relieve the inflammation.
Another year round problem, that rears its head in the summer in particular is product build-up on you hair causing it to lose its luster and shine. By pouring a splash (WAY less than quarter shot) of vodka into your shampoo (shaken not stirred) and using this once a week will help get rid of product build up, dirt and oil. The only risk is using too much vodka or too often as it can over strip your hair. It might be prudent to pour some shampoo into an empty bottle and then add the splash of vodka so that you can still use your favorite product every other day without worry.
Do you have dark circles under you eyes? (who doesn’t). Well, there is no need to buy expensive products to alleviate the problem when the solution is hiding right in your pantry: Potatoes. Potatoes contain a natural skin-bleaching agent that can help lighten those ugly under eye circles. The steps are simple grate the potato, place in a piece cheesecloth and put in a small plate in the fridge where it can drain. Once all the liquid has been drained, gently (and avoiding contact with the eye) use a cotton ball to place some of the liquid on your under eye and let sit for 20 minutes. After that, place the shredded potatoes on the area under your eyes for 20 minutes. If you do this regularly you will see results in about three-four weeks.
Manicures and pedicures are back in all their glory for summer, and the brightest and darkest colours are the ones that will leave a stain on your nails. The simple solution is to get a soft clean toothbrush and brush your nails with whitening toothpaste. Speaking of Mani and Pedis here are two easy ways to get your hands and feet summer ready. Mix ¼ C water with ½ C oatmeal and massage into your hands. Make sure to concentrate on knuckles, cuticles, and wherever else the dry skin builds up in the summer. The oatmeal acts as a light exfoliator for the hands and should be followed-up with a lotion to seal in the moisture. For feet exfoliate them with ½ cup of sea salt mixed with 2 tsp of almond oil. This is a more abrasive exfoliator which will work well to get rid of calluses and then seal with lotion once you are done.
World Cup Vuvuzela debate - couldn’t they be green at least?
Posted by: | CommentsHopefully many of you have noticed that we are more than a week into the month long FIFA World Cup being held in South Africa. It’s the first time the event has been hosted anywhere in Africa which gives the tournament its own unique identity and if you’ve watched even a few minutes you’ve surely noticed South Africa’s World Cup will also be remembered for the noise in the stadiums. Instead of the usual singing and 
chanting associated with football all you hears is a constant buzz - or drone. The noise never relents and has been compared to swarming bees, hornets and angry mosquitoes and dominates the audio transmission from kick off until the referee blows the final whistle. The noise is (at times) 50% or more of the amassed crowds in the stadium blowing their Vuvuzelas and as the game warms up so does the noise.
The hum of the vuvuzela is driving me crazy I must confess, I want to hear singing, chanting and applause, I want to hear the electricity in the stadium spark in volume as a winger goes on a tricky run or the roar of the crowd when the ball hits the back of the net. Instead all we hear is buzzzzzzzzzzz for 90 minutes, now as we’re obviously stuck with the vuvuzela for the duration of the tournament lets look at them. They are a long (about 2.5-3 feet) trumpet type noisemaker and are a proud feature of the football atmosphere in South Africa. Sales of the vuvuzelas are going through the roof as everyone seeks to be part of the atmosphere and entertainment both inside and outside the stadium, the primary manufacturer in China estimates that sales will exceed 1 million pieces before the tournament concludes.
Now I think the vuvuzela as a celebratory instrument as a cultural tradition is excellent and as recently as ten years ago the instruments were hand made from tin. The bad news for the environment and this World Cup craze is all of the Vuvuzelas mass produced are made from plastic. I’d also be fairly confident that many of the plastic horns will be thrown away once the football ends ra
ther than being kept as a memento from the trip to South Africa. It’s another example where affordability takes the pole position over environmental considerations. However I think many of the hundreds of thousands of fans who are spending thousands of dollars to visit South Africa in the first place, would be very likely to consider one of the alternative options available. Though a little more expensive, probably something far more likely to be packed in your suitcase and brought home as a memory of the experience. We have to stop rushing to plastics as the answer for a cheap affordable option when the cost is so high.
A wonderful alternative is available but the age old argument of product promotion steps into play. K.E.L.P makes a beautiful option, Kelp horns are made from dried kelp. The kelp pieces are painted using designs that are suited to the various shapes of the horns and to the customer’s requirements. The horns consist of two distinct sections. The head and the body. The head is the bulbous area often including the dried fronds and the body is the extended length of the horn. The head is the main feature and the body is painted with a matching design. Not only are they environmentally friendly but they are really rather beautiful (pictured to the right).
I don’t really like the vuvuzelas impacting the World Cup but would prefer if they were green. The video below examines the noise further.
Yosemite National Park adds green store and hotel rooms
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Yosemite Falls
Sometimes we go about our daily business in such a routine manner that we forget to take the opportunity to see the beauty of nature that is all a around us. We commute, we work, we shop, we cook, we plan time with family and friends and we manage the endless list of tasks that life presents each of us with. We reward ourselves with a hobby or two and we hopefully we have time left over to support causes that we are passionate about. But do we take time to occasionally escape routines and the cities and towns that most of us live in and escape to somewhere we can just bask in nature? Whether you like the ocean, mountains, lakes, forests or prairie I think it can really recharge you to get away from the routines of work and responsibilities and be somewhere where you can marvel at the beauty of our planet. It also reiterates the importance of environmental issues, taking nature for granted is foolhardy in the extreme. We now see that the by product of the industrial revolution coupled with our continued quest for convenience and consumption has left wastage and pollution while destroying resources that took thousands of years to form in the first place. Writing this in the wake of events surrounding the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico makes me even more frustrated.
It is however gratifying that the last 40 years have showed an increased awareness unlike anything we’ve witnessed before in terms of environmental issues and the endorsement of ideas that can make a difference. These changes have snowballed in recent years with actions being taken by individuals, businesses and governments. The potential for real and lasting change has been realised and the continued efforts of so many at least offer cause for optimism in preserving the environment and our natural resources.
One of the most beautiful places I’ve seen in terms of (relatively) unspoiled nature is Yosemite National Park in California. The famed park covers some 750,000+ acres and while the vast majority of the land is designated as wilderness (over 95%) we still have to be concerned with the popularity of the park itself as some 3.7 million visitors visited in 2009. Its a truly majestic place with vistas that are just breathtaking and a sense of space and wild land that has to be experienced first hand. When I was there I noted that the park management were making a strong effort to preserve what makes it so special as recycling, general cleanliness and a committed diligence to keeping visitors in designated areas was noticed. Thus I was excited to read about some recent upgrades that further signal a commitment to keeping Yosemite green.
Ahwahnee Hotel
Yosemite Village is the key starting point when visiting the park and a new new, eco-friendly store called ‘Habitat’ has opened in the village. The 1,000-square-foot shop is a model design for creative green interior design and retail expertise combined. The entire store is unique, every display fixture is created out of recycled items used in the park. Instead of racks and legs, the shop displays are supported upon tall bales of recycled cardboard; the counter tops and display tables are made of recycled tires topped with recycled glass and reused shelving from the original Ahwahnee hotel kitchen; plus wood from a bar top was used to make the cash register counter. Its an ideal place to purchase eco-friendly products too as items on offer include; glassware from recycled bottles of wine, jewelry constructed from recycled metals or paper, and eco-designed purses that formerly lived as computer keyboards, tires or soda-can pop-tops.
Nearby an ideal place to stay is the Yosemite Lodge at The Falls, which has just opened two brand new guest rooms that feature eco-friendly design ideas. If a success the rooms are a model for conversion at the rest of the resort. Featuring automatically controlled energy-saving cooling/ heating systems, insulation made from 85% recycled newspaper, toilets limited to just over 1 gallon per flush, and 100% organic-cotton sheets produced in a solar-powered factory.The management will be monitoring guest feedback to gauge the potential for making the other rooms incorporate the same changes. Keith Erikson, hotel general manager adds:
“A great deal of research and technology is integrated in these rooms, most of it working quietly just beneath the surface. Our guests won’t notice many of these elements, but when they cross the threshold and drop their bags, their rooms will be welcoming, comfortable, affordable and, we hope, inspiring”
If you ever have the opportunity I can’t recommend Yosemite highly enough, going back to everyday living afterward can be quite difficult after seeing such a lovely place but it can really remind you just why making an effort matters.