PBS highlights photographer Chris Jordon's documentation of the effects of plastic on the Midway Atoll near the Great Pacific Garbage Island.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/environment/an-ocean-of-plastic/2686/
And here is a link to the Midway project website for more information:
http://www.midwayjourney.com/
14 August 2010
Documentaries Worth Watching
Here, in no particular order, is a list of documentaries I think are worth watching. Some of them are available online for free while others can be viewed via Netflix. A Delicate Balance can be seen online for $5 US.
1. Food Fight - http://www.foodfightthedoc.com/foodfight.html
2. Dirt - http://dirtthemovie.org/pages/all-about-dirt
3. A Delicate Balance - http://www.adelicatebalance.com.au/
4. Fresh - http://www.freshthemovie.com/
5. Killer at Large - http://killeratlarge.com/main.html
6. King Corn - http://www.kingcorn.net/
7. The Garden - http://www.thegardenmovie.com/
8. The Power of Community - http://www.powerofcommunity.org/cm/index.php
9. The Real Dirt on Farmer John - http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/realdirt/film.html
10. The Future of Food - http://www.thefutureoffood.com/
11. Food Stamped - http://www.foodstamped.com/
12. Garlic Is As Good As Ten Mothers - http://www.lesblank.com/more/garlic.html
13. The Price of Sugar - http://www.thepriceofsugar.com/
14. All In This Tea - http://www.allinthistea.com/index.html
15. Fast Food Nation - http://www.foxsearchlight.com/fastfoodnation/
16. Processed People - http://www.processedpeople.com/
17. Food Matters - http://www.foodmatters.tv/
18. Gasland - http://gaslandthemovie.com/
19. Notes on Milk - http://www.pbs.org/pov/notesonmilk/index.php
20. Good Fortune - http://www.pbs.org/pov/goodfortune/
21. The Clone Farm - http://www.vbs.tv/newsroom/clone-farm
22. TOXIC: Garbage Island - http://www.vbs.tv/watch/toxic/toxic-garbage-island-full-length
23. Thirst - http://www.pbs.org/pov/thirst/
24. TOXIC: Imperial Valley - http://www.vbs.tv/watch/toxic/toxic-imperial-valley-1-of-2
25. TOXIC: Gulf - http://www.vbs.tv/watch/toxic/toxic-gulf-full-length
26. Super Size Me - http://www.hulu.com/watch/63283/super-size-me
Happy Green Living!!!
24 April 2010
Recycling in the Garden
While prepping my seeds to germinate, I took a look at my recycle bin and found several containers I could use as sprouting pots instead of buying some at the store. Some of the items I found useful were egg cartons (especially paper ones because the whole thing can go directly in the ground), plastic rice cracker trays, yogurt and sour cream cups (with holes poked in the bottom for drainage), and tomato containers.
It has been fun watching the honeydew, cucumber, acorn and spaghetti squash sprout in the makeshift containers. Still waiting for the jalapenos, tomatoes, peppers, basil, chives, and my favorite...cilantro.
If you don't have the time or space for a garden in your yard, a great way to reduce excessive packaging and benefit your body with fresh produce is to check out your local farmers market (don't forget to bring your own bag), or better yet, join a local CSA.
Happy planting!!!
It has been fun watching the honeydew, cucumber, acorn and spaghetti squash sprout in the makeshift containers. Still waiting for the jalapenos, tomatoes, peppers, basil, chives, and my favorite...cilantro.
If you don't have the time or space for a garden in your yard, a great way to reduce excessive packaging and benefit your body with fresh produce is to check out your local farmers market (don't forget to bring your own bag), or better yet, join a local CSA.
Happy planting!!!
23 February 2010
Mammalian Excreta, BPA, and Other Gross (Sometimes Toxic) Things to Consider Avoiding
In this day and age, with our stores filled with pretty packages it is easy to get caught up in the convenience of purchasing readily available items without thinking about what actually goes into them.
Do you buy diced tomatoes instead of dicing your own? Canned peaches? How about chicken noodle soup? Frozen pizza? Spaghetti sauce?
Did you know those cans are lined with BPA? Do you know the regulations that exist allowing an acceptable amount of fly eggs, rat hairs, mammalian excreta, mold and more to make its way into those pretty prepackaged items lining the shelves? Sure sometimes not knowing is easier, but when it comes to the food you eat, you can never be too careful...the food you consume is what keeps you alive and helps to determine how much time you will enjoy on this Earth.
Run on over to the FDA's site and check out the USDA's Defect Levels Handbook for a glimpse of what they call "levels of natural or unavoidable defects in foods that present no health hazard for humans." They may not be hazardous, but they definitely are gross!
Take a good look at your local store. The fresh produce is usually on one side, while the frozen produce line the other side....and everything in between is mostly pretty packages of junk. Try sticking to the outer sections and you will provide your body with the kind of nutrients it was meant to refuel with and avoid the junk that will gunk it up.
Check out this New York Times Op-Ed piece The Maggots in Your Mushrooms for more on what is in the food you eat...my favorite part of this article: "In case you’re curious: you’re probably ingesting one to two pounds of flies, maggots and mites each year without knowing it, a quantity of insects that clearly does not cut the mustard, even as insects may well be in the mustard. "
Do you buy diced tomatoes instead of dicing your own? Canned peaches? How about chicken noodle soup? Frozen pizza? Spaghetti sauce?
Did you know those cans are lined with BPA? Do you know the regulations that exist allowing an acceptable amount of fly eggs, rat hairs, mammalian excreta, mold and more to make its way into those pretty prepackaged items lining the shelves? Sure sometimes not knowing is easier, but when it comes to the food you eat, you can never be too careful...the food you consume is what keeps you alive and helps to determine how much time you will enjoy on this Earth.
Run on over to the FDA's site and check out the USDA's Defect Levels Handbook for a glimpse of what they call "levels of natural or unavoidable defects in foods that present no health hazard for humans." They may not be hazardous, but they definitely are gross!
Take a good look at your local store. The fresh produce is usually on one side, while the frozen produce line the other side....and everything in between is mostly pretty packages of junk. Try sticking to the outer sections and you will provide your body with the kind of nutrients it was meant to refuel with and avoid the junk that will gunk it up.
Check out this New York Times Op-Ed piece The Maggots in Your Mushrooms for more on what is in the food you eat...my favorite part of this article: "In case you’re curious: you’re probably ingesting one to two pounds of flies, maggots and mites each year without knowing it, a quantity of insects that clearly does not cut the mustard, even as insects may well be in the mustard. "
11 November 2009
Homemade Potpourri
If you are a potpourri fan, but would like a less toxic and more environmentally friendly way to enjoy the lovely scent without shelling out tons cash and disposing of excess packaging...make some of your own.
Fill a little pot halfway with water, add essential oils of your choice, a mixture of spices, and/or get creative with dried flowers or citrus peels, then turn the stove on to low heat and let it simmer. For gifting and making it look a bit prettier, make a sachet with a piece of cheesecloth, add the ingredients and tie it off with some string. Just be sure to check the pot often as the water evaporates to avoid a fire or burning the pot. Add more water as necessary.
One of my favorite potpourri recipes for this time of year is: a few dashes of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and a splash of vanilla. I especially like warming up a pot of this before entertaining guests and to help clear out the awful smell of something burning in the oven. Cinnamon, whole cloves and vanilla sticks work well too.
For those of you, especially pregnant women, who tend to feel a bit stuffy, a few drops of eucalyptus and peppermint oil can work wonders. Bring the water and oil to a boil, remove from heat, drape a towel over your head, hover over the pot and inhale the steam. It is an affordable and natural treatment that can be very beneficial.
Play around with scents you enjoy or do an online search for "homemade potpourri" or "homemade potpourri sachet" to find many more ideas/recipes.
Happy Green Living!!!
Fill a little pot halfway with water, add essential oils of your choice, a mixture of spices, and/or get creative with dried flowers or citrus peels, then turn the stove on to low heat and let it simmer. For gifting and making it look a bit prettier, make a sachet with a piece of cheesecloth, add the ingredients and tie it off with some string. Just be sure to check the pot often as the water evaporates to avoid a fire or burning the pot. Add more water as necessary.
One of my favorite potpourri recipes for this time of year is: a few dashes of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and a splash of vanilla. I especially like warming up a pot of this before entertaining guests and to help clear out the awful smell of something burning in the oven. Cinnamon, whole cloves and vanilla sticks work well too.
For those of you, especially pregnant women, who tend to feel a bit stuffy, a few drops of eucalyptus and peppermint oil can work wonders. Bring the water and oil to a boil, remove from heat, drape a towel over your head, hover over the pot and inhale the steam. It is an affordable and natural treatment that can be very beneficial.
Play around with scents you enjoy or do an online search for "homemade potpourri" or "homemade potpourri sachet" to find many more ideas/recipes.
Happy Green Living!!!
06 November 2009
Soda Maker
What a great way to enjoy bubbly beverages for a lot less and while sparing the environment so many cans and bottles!
Check out the Soda Stream at home soda maker.
Check out the Soda Stream at home soda maker.
Cleaning Products in Schools
What products does your child's school use to clean?
What kind of soap is in the dispensers?
Are our kids breathing safe air?
Could the air in their schools be contributing to asthma attacks, cancer and other medical maladies caused/agitated by environmental contaminants?
While most of us don't know the answers to these questions, it is important that we find out. School age children spend such a significant amount of time inside school buildings that it is necessary to think about the air quality. The impact of cleaning supply contaminants may not be immediate, but can show up years later. Taking the initiative to do something now can help save the health and quality of life for our children.
Please take a look at one of the Environmental Working Group's latest reports on cleaning supplies (the green/black box on the right has test results, faqs, and ways to help schools including a sample letter for parents).
Happy Green Living!
What kind of soap is in the dispensers?
Are our kids breathing safe air?
Could the air in their schools be contributing to asthma attacks, cancer and other medical maladies caused/agitated by environmental contaminants?
While most of us don't know the answers to these questions, it is important that we find out. School age children spend such a significant amount of time inside school buildings that it is necessary to think about the air quality. The impact of cleaning supply contaminants may not be immediate, but can show up years later. Taking the initiative to do something now can help save the health and quality of life for our children.
Please take a look at one of the Environmental Working Group's latest reports on cleaning supplies (the green/black box on the right has test results, faqs, and ways to help schools including a sample letter for parents).
Happy Green Living!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)