Thanks.
Posts
Does Castor Oil Really Work to Re-Grow Hair?
9 years ago
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Another Way
Another Way
Many people who have seen The Story of Stuff have asked what they can do to address the problems identified in the film.
Each of us can promote sustainability and justice at multiple levels: as an individual, as a teacher or parent, a community member, a national citizen, and as a global citizen. As Annie says in the film, “the good thing about such an all pervasive problem is that there are so many points of intervention.” That means that there are lots and lots of places to plug in, to get involved, and to make a difference. There is no single simple thing to do, because the set of problems we’re addressing just isn’t simple. But everyone can make a difference, but the bigger your action the bigger the difference you’ll make. Here are some ideas:
10 Little and Big Things You Can Do
1. Power down! A great deal of the resources we use and the waste we create is in the energy we consume. Look for opportunities in your life to significantly reduce energy use: drive less, fly less, turn off lights, buy local seasonal food (food takes energy to grow, package, store and transport), wear a sweater instead of turning up the heat, use a clothesline instead of a dryer, vacation closer to home, buy used or borrow things before buying new, recycle. All these things save energy and save you money. And, if you can switch to alternative energy by supporting a company that sells green energy to the grid or by installing solar panels on your home, bravo!
2. Waste less. Per capita waste production in the U.S. just keeps growing. There are hundreds of opportunities each day to nurture a Zero Waste culture in your home, school, workplace, church, community. This takes developing new habits which soon become second nature. Use both sides of the paper, carry your own mugs and shopping bags, get printer cartridges refilled instead of replaced, compost food scraps, avoid bottled water and other over packaged products, upgrade computers rather than buying new ones, repair and mend rather than replace….the list is endless! The more we visibly engage in re-use over wasting, the more we cultivate a new cultural norm, or actually, reclaim an old one!
3. Talk to everyone about these issues. At school, your neighbors, in line at the supermarket, on the bus…A student once asked Cesar Chavez how he organized. He said, “First, I talk to one person. Then I talk to another person.” “No,” said the student, “how do you organize?” Chavez answered, “First I talk to one person. Then I talk to another person.” You get the point. Talking about these issues raises awareness, builds community and can inspire others to action.
4. Make Your Voice Heard. Write letters to the editor and submit articles to local press. In the last two years, and especially with Al Gore winning the Nobel Peace Prize, the media has been forced to write about Climate Change. As individuals, we can influence the media to better represent other important issues as well. Letters to the editor are a great way to help newspaper readers make connections they might not make without your help. Also local papers are often willing to print book and film reviews, interviews and articles by community members. Let’s get the issues we care about in the news.
5. DeTox your body, DeTox your home, and DeTox the Economy. Many of today’s consumer products – from children’s pajamas to lipstick – contain toxic chemical additives that simply aren’t necessary. Research online (for example, http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/) before you buy to be sure you’re not inadvertently introducing toxics into your home and body. Then tell your friends about toxics in consumer products. Together, ask the businesses why they’re using toxic chemicals without any warning labels. And ask your elected officials why they are permitting this practice. The European Union has adopted strong policies that require toxics to be removed from many products. So, while our electronic gadgets and cosmetics have toxics in them, people in Europe can buy the same things toxics-free. Let’s demand the same thing here. Getting the toxics out of production at the source is the best way to ensure they don’t get into any home and body.
6. Unplug (the TV and internet) and Plug In (the community). The average person in the U.S. watches T.V. over 4 hours a day. Four hours per day filled with messages about stuff we should buy. That is four hours a day that could be spent with family, friends and in our community. On-line activism is a good start, but spending time in face-to-face civic or community activities strengthens the community and many studies show that a stronger community is a source of social and logistical support, greater security and happiness. A strong community is also critical to having a strong, active democracy.
7. Park your car and walk…and when necessary MARCH! Car-centric land use policies and life styles lead to more greenhouse gas emissions, fossil fuel extraction, conversion of agricultural and wildlands to roads and parking lots. Driving less and walking more is good for the climate, the planet, your health, and your wallet. But sometimes we don’t have an option to leave the car home because of inadequate bike lanes or public transportation options. Then, we may need to march, to join with others to demand sustainable transportation options. Throughout U.S. history, peaceful non-violent marches have played a powerful role in raising awareness about issues, mobilizing people, and sending messages to decision makers.
8. Change your lightbulbs…and then, change your paradigm. Changing lightbulbs is quick and easy. Energy efficient lightbulbs use 75% less energy and last 10 times longer than conventional ones. That's a no-brainer. But changing lightbulbs is just tinkering at the margins of a fundamentally flawed system unless we also change our paradigm. A paradigm is a collection of assumptions, concepts, beliefs, and values that together make up a community’s way of viewing reality. Our current paradigm dictates that more stuff is better, that infinite economic growth is desirable and possible, and that pollution is the price of progress. To really turn things around, we need to nurture a different paradigm based on the values of sustainability, justice, health, and community.
9. Recycle your trash…and, recycle your elected officials. Recycling saves energy and reduces both waste and the pressure to harvest and mine new stuff. Unfortunately, many cities still don’t have adequate recycling systems in place. In that case you can usually find some recycling options in the phone book to start recycling while you’re pressuring your local government to support recycling city-wide. Also, many products – for example, most electronics - are designed not to be recycled or contain toxics so recycling is hazardous. In these cases, we need to lobby government to prohibit toxics in consumer products and to enact Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws, as is happening in Europe. EPR is a policy which holds producers responsible for the entire lifecycle of their products, so that electronics company who use toxics in their products, have to take them back. That is a great incentive for them to get the toxics out!
10. Buy Green, Buy Fair, Buy Local, Buy Used, and most importantly, Buy Less. Shopping is not the solution to the environmental problems we currently face because the real changes we need just aren’t for sale in even the greenest shop. But, when we do shop, we should ensure our dollars support businesses that protect the environment and worker rights. Look beyond vague claims on packages like “all natural” to find hard facts. Is it organic? Is it free of super-toxic PVC plastic? When you can, buy local products from local stores, which keeps more of our hard earned money in the community. Buying used items keeps them out of the trash and avoids the upstream waste created during extraction and production. But, buying less may be the best option of all. Less pollution. Less Waste. Less time working to pay for the stuff. Sometimes, less really is more.
Many people who have seen The Story of Stuff have asked what they can do to address the problems identified in the film.
Each of us can promote sustainability and justice at multiple levels: as an individual, as a teacher or parent, a community member, a national citizen, and as a global citizen. As Annie says in the film, “the good thing about such an all pervasive problem is that there are so many points of intervention.” That means that there are lots and lots of places to plug in, to get involved, and to make a difference. There is no single simple thing to do, because the set of problems we’re addressing just isn’t simple. But everyone can make a difference, but the bigger your action the bigger the difference you’ll make. Here are some ideas:
10 Little and Big Things You Can Do
1. Power down! A great deal of the resources we use and the waste we create is in the energy we consume. Look for opportunities in your life to significantly reduce energy use: drive less, fly less, turn off lights, buy local seasonal food (food takes energy to grow, package, store and transport), wear a sweater instead of turning up the heat, use a clothesline instead of a dryer, vacation closer to home, buy used or borrow things before buying new, recycle. All these things save energy and save you money. And, if you can switch to alternative energy by supporting a company that sells green energy to the grid or by installing solar panels on your home, bravo!
2. Waste less. Per capita waste production in the U.S. just keeps growing. There are hundreds of opportunities each day to nurture a Zero Waste culture in your home, school, workplace, church, community. This takes developing new habits which soon become second nature. Use both sides of the paper, carry your own mugs and shopping bags, get printer cartridges refilled instead of replaced, compost food scraps, avoid bottled water and other over packaged products, upgrade computers rather than buying new ones, repair and mend rather than replace….the list is endless! The more we visibly engage in re-use over wasting, the more we cultivate a new cultural norm, or actually, reclaim an old one!
3. Talk to everyone about these issues. At school, your neighbors, in line at the supermarket, on the bus…A student once asked Cesar Chavez how he organized. He said, “First, I talk to one person. Then I talk to another person.” “No,” said the student, “how do you organize?” Chavez answered, “First I talk to one person. Then I talk to another person.” You get the point. Talking about these issues raises awareness, builds community and can inspire others to action.
4. Make Your Voice Heard. Write letters to the editor and submit articles to local press. In the last two years, and especially with Al Gore winning the Nobel Peace Prize, the media has been forced to write about Climate Change. As individuals, we can influence the media to better represent other important issues as well. Letters to the editor are a great way to help newspaper readers make connections they might not make without your help. Also local papers are often willing to print book and film reviews, interviews and articles by community members. Let’s get the issues we care about in the news.
5. DeTox your body, DeTox your home, and DeTox the Economy. Many of today’s consumer products – from children’s pajamas to lipstick – contain toxic chemical additives that simply aren’t necessary. Research online (for example, http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/) before you buy to be sure you’re not inadvertently introducing toxics into your home and body. Then tell your friends about toxics in consumer products. Together, ask the businesses why they’re using toxic chemicals without any warning labels. And ask your elected officials why they are permitting this practice. The European Union has adopted strong policies that require toxics to be removed from many products. So, while our electronic gadgets and cosmetics have toxics in them, people in Europe can buy the same things toxics-free. Let’s demand the same thing here. Getting the toxics out of production at the source is the best way to ensure they don’t get into any home and body.
6. Unplug (the TV and internet) and Plug In (the community). The average person in the U.S. watches T.V. over 4 hours a day. Four hours per day filled with messages about stuff we should buy. That is four hours a day that could be spent with family, friends and in our community. On-line activism is a good start, but spending time in face-to-face civic or community activities strengthens the community and many studies show that a stronger community is a source of social and logistical support, greater security and happiness. A strong community is also critical to having a strong, active democracy.
7. Park your car and walk…and when necessary MARCH! Car-centric land use policies and life styles lead to more greenhouse gas emissions, fossil fuel extraction, conversion of agricultural and wildlands to roads and parking lots. Driving less and walking more is good for the climate, the planet, your health, and your wallet. But sometimes we don’t have an option to leave the car home because of inadequate bike lanes or public transportation options. Then, we may need to march, to join with others to demand sustainable transportation options. Throughout U.S. history, peaceful non-violent marches have played a powerful role in raising awareness about issues, mobilizing people, and sending messages to decision makers.
8. Change your lightbulbs…and then, change your paradigm. Changing lightbulbs is quick and easy. Energy efficient lightbulbs use 75% less energy and last 10 times longer than conventional ones. That's a no-brainer. But changing lightbulbs is just tinkering at the margins of a fundamentally flawed system unless we also change our paradigm. A paradigm is a collection of assumptions, concepts, beliefs, and values that together make up a community’s way of viewing reality. Our current paradigm dictates that more stuff is better, that infinite economic growth is desirable and possible, and that pollution is the price of progress. To really turn things around, we need to nurture a different paradigm based on the values of sustainability, justice, health, and community.
9. Recycle your trash…and, recycle your elected officials. Recycling saves energy and reduces both waste and the pressure to harvest and mine new stuff. Unfortunately, many cities still don’t have adequate recycling systems in place. In that case you can usually find some recycling options in the phone book to start recycling while you’re pressuring your local government to support recycling city-wide. Also, many products – for example, most electronics - are designed not to be recycled or contain toxics so recycling is hazardous. In these cases, we need to lobby government to prohibit toxics in consumer products and to enact Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws, as is happening in Europe. EPR is a policy which holds producers responsible for the entire lifecycle of their products, so that electronics company who use toxics in their products, have to take them back. That is a great incentive for them to get the toxics out!
10. Buy Green, Buy Fair, Buy Local, Buy Used, and most importantly, Buy Less. Shopping is not the solution to the environmental problems we currently face because the real changes we need just aren’t for sale in even the greenest shop. But, when we do shop, we should ensure our dollars support businesses that protect the environment and worker rights. Look beyond vague claims on packages like “all natural” to find hard facts. Is it organic? Is it free of super-toxic PVC plastic? When you can, buy local products from local stores, which keeps more of our hard earned money in the community. Buying used items keeps them out of the trash and avoids the upstream waste created during extraction and production. But, buying less may be the best option of all. Less pollution. Less Waste. Less time working to pay for the stuff. Sometimes, less really is more.
Friday, May 22, 2009
2009 Ogden Marathon Fun & Fitness Expo
Thanks to all who came out and supported the 2009 Ogden Marathon Fun & Fitness Expo. Green The World along with Local's Have More Fun Shared a booth. Local's are a company out of Park City, Utah and have a line of eco-friendly t-shirts promoting all Utah local activities while giving 1% back. The weather was in the 80's and it was a perfect day to bring the family out and help celebrate the Marathon. Live music, give-aways, food, local and national vendors, all helped celebrate this wonderful event. Thanks to all my customers who came out and helped Green The World and Ogden.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Ten products you should ban from your home forever!
You would never cross the street without looking both ways, walk alone down a dark alley alone at 3am, or tell your child to accept rides from strangers. So why let hazardous, toxic, and even carcinogenic chemicals into your home everyday? Below is a list of ten products you should ban from your home - forever -
1. Non-Stick Cookware. The coating that makes Teflon pans non-stick is polytetrafluoroethylene, or PTFE for short. When PTFE heats up, it releases toxic gasses that have been linked to cancer, organ failure, reproductive damage, and other harmful health effects.
2. Plastic bottles. by now you've heard of danger of BPA in those ubiquitous neon water bottles. BPA mimics the effects of hormones that harm your endocrine system. Single use plastic bottles are even worse for leaching chemicals, especially when you add the heat of the sun.
3. Conventional Cleaning Supplies. These routinely make the top ten lists of worst household offenders. They contain toxic chemicals that negatively effect every system in the body. All purpose cleaners often contain ammonia, a strong irritant that can cause liver and kidney damage. Bleach is a powerful oxidizer, which can burn the skin and eyes.
4. Chemical Insecticides and Herbicides. Since the purpose of thee products is to kill pests, you can bet that many of them have ingredients in them that are also harmful to humans. For example, the active ingredient in Round-Up - is known to cause kidney damage and reproductive harm in mice.
5. Antibacterial Products. The widespread use of antibacterials has been shown to contribute to new strains of antibiotic-resistant-"super bugs". The Center for Disease Control says that antibacterials may also interfere with immune system development in children.
6. Chemical Fertilizers. These are notorious for causing damage to our water supply and are a known major contributor to algal blooms. Whenever it rains or a lawn is watered, the runoff goes straight into storm-drains and untreated water is dumped into rivers, streams, and the ocean causing an imbalance in our water ecosystems.
7. More Bulb for your Buck. A Compact Fluorescent (CFL) bulb uses just a fraction of the energy regular light bulb uses. When your current bulbs burn out, swap them with CFLs.
8. Air Fresheners. Just like cleaning supplies, these are incredibly toxic and can aggravate respiratory problems like asthma.
9. Flame Retardants. The flame retardant used in mattresses, in known to accumulate in blood, breast milk and fatty tissues. The chemical is linked to liver, thyroid, and neuro-development toxicity.
10. PLASTIC SHOPPING BAGS. Remember: Like diamonds, plastics are forever. Ever heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? It's a giant mass of plastic twice the size of Texas that's floating 1000 miles off the coast of California.
1. Non-Stick Cookware. The coating that makes Teflon pans non-stick is polytetrafluoroethylene, or PTFE for short. When PTFE heats up, it releases toxic gasses that have been linked to cancer, organ failure, reproductive damage, and other harmful health effects.
2. Plastic bottles. by now you've heard of danger of BPA in those ubiquitous neon water bottles. BPA mimics the effects of hormones that harm your endocrine system. Single use plastic bottles are even worse for leaching chemicals, especially when you add the heat of the sun.
3. Conventional Cleaning Supplies. These routinely make the top ten lists of worst household offenders. They contain toxic chemicals that negatively effect every system in the body. All purpose cleaners often contain ammonia, a strong irritant that can cause liver and kidney damage. Bleach is a powerful oxidizer, which can burn the skin and eyes.
4. Chemical Insecticides and Herbicides. Since the purpose of thee products is to kill pests, you can bet that many of them have ingredients in them that are also harmful to humans. For example, the active ingredient in Round-Up - is known to cause kidney damage and reproductive harm in mice.
5. Antibacterial Products. The widespread use of antibacterials has been shown to contribute to new strains of antibiotic-resistant-"super bugs". The Center for Disease Control says that antibacterials may also interfere with immune system development in children.
6. Chemical Fertilizers. These are notorious for causing damage to our water supply and are a known major contributor to algal blooms. Whenever it rains or a lawn is watered, the runoff goes straight into storm-drains and untreated water is dumped into rivers, streams, and the ocean causing an imbalance in our water ecosystems.
7. More Bulb for your Buck. A Compact Fluorescent (CFL) bulb uses just a fraction of the energy regular light bulb uses. When your current bulbs burn out, swap them with CFLs.
8. Air Fresheners. Just like cleaning supplies, these are incredibly toxic and can aggravate respiratory problems like asthma.
9. Flame Retardants. The flame retardant used in mattresses, in known to accumulate in blood, breast milk and fatty tissues. The chemical is linked to liver, thyroid, and neuro-development toxicity.
10. PLASTIC SHOPPING BAGS. Remember: Like diamonds, plastics are forever. Ever heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? It's a giant mass of plastic twice the size of Texas that's floating 1000 miles off the coast of California.
Monday, May 11, 2009
2009 Ogden Marathon Fun & Fitness Expo
2009 Ogden Marathon Fun & Fitness Expo
Friday May 15th @ 10am to 8 pm
Union Station on Historical 25th Street.
Please bring the whole family to this fun event. There will be live music, give-aways, food, activities for the whole family and much more.
Green The World will have a booth so please stop by and say hi.
The Marathon starts Saturday at 7am and will finish up at the 25th Street Park.
Please come out and help celebrate and support Ogden! :)
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
KSL Studio 5
Hi all, check out the attached Video. Green The World was featured on Earth Day on KSL Studio 5 as one of 3 Green Utah Companies. Bubble and Bee Organics is also featured and you can find there products at my store. Let me know what you think. Thanks
http://studio5.ksl.com/?nid=71&sid=6231113
http://studio5.ksl.com/?nid=71&sid=6231113
River Clean Up & Simple Shoe Sale
Thanks to all who supported Green The World and helped with the Ogden River Clean Up. It was cold and wet with everything from rain, sleet, hail, and sun but we had the biggest crowd yet. Special thanks to my customers, Katey, Jill, Hazen, Bryton, Randy, from Simple Shoe, Sarah, Tab, and Fawne and her family, you guys were wonderful. The Ogden River looks great and please take your family along the 9 mile open trails to appreciate all it has to offer.
Special thanks to those customers who later joined me at my store for the Simple Shoe Sale. Simple rep, Randy Worster, was on hand with the full Spring and Fall Shoe line. Congratulations to Sarah Shupe, Lim Marie, SueAnn Thomas, Trevior Runions, Kyle Rasmussen, and Charlene Sorensen who all won a FREE pair of shoes.
Both events were a huge success and helped celebrate Earth Day.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
