Anybody see that show last night on CNN Headline giving another point of view about so called reasons behind Global warming. KInda took Gore to task. This should piss of Cheryl Crow LOL
All i know is they said on the news that in the Northeast, we just had the coldest winter in 132 years.
I didn't see the show, so I can't comment on it. However, there's no doubt in my mind that we better start changing our ways or we are going to destroy our entire ecosystem in a very short period of time.
I guess I would play Devil's Advocate and ask, if we believe in Gore's alarm, and take all the steps he suggests to reduce fossil fuel usage, conserve water, etc., and then we later find out that it wasn't as bad as he said, what harm have we done? In my mind we would be so much better off if we could live cleaner, and return to the idea that we are stewards of our earth, and each generation should do what it can to preserve it for future generations.
The only ones who are against these steps are those who are profiting from our dependence upon oil and coal. I'm a coal miner's granddaughter, and I know how important financially the mining of coal is to certain areas of our country, but I also know the devastation that is being caused by strip mining, as well as the dirty air created when it is burned. General Electric is advertising that they have found a way to burn coal cleaner - I don't know that it is true, but I sure hope it is. That should be the actions we are taking, for Al Gore or not for Al Gore.
I found this rather interesting.
debate to me. [QUOTE=6t5frlane] Anybody see that show last night on CNN Headline
warming. KInda took Gore to task. This should piss of Cheryl Crow LOL
You know 6tfriane. Even if global warming does not exist, it does not
burning our gas engines and all the bad things we are doing. What is
fill our engines. We need to STOP producing so much garbage. Our bees
are dying, polar bears are dying. How much more evidence do you need?
I'm sorry it is not writtin in the bible. I don't think Jesus thought that his
people could do this much harm in such a short period of time. Use your
friggin common sense. Get out of your escalade and ride your bike.
People like you really piss me off. I need to go to work!Ok, here's my two cents: I recycle, bought those much hyped CFL bulbs, buy organic whenever possible. Don't drive more than I have to, conserve water, run my washing machine on cold etc. The mayor of NYC, Bloomberg, now wants to charge motorists an additional per day if they drive into Manhattan during peak hours, 7am-7pm more or less to deter people from driving in, thus using public transportation (generating yet MORE money for the city)and cut down on toxic emmissions. This is an additional to the bridge toll plus parking $$) Wouldn't it be more environmenally friendly if in conjuction with those steps they'd use the money to have buses that use an environmentally friendly fuel? Also, if the trucks that deliver goods into the city have to pay more $$, then the goods they deliver which we buy are going to be costing us more $$. With all the construction going on in the world these days, all the construction trucks are burning tons and tons of gasoline too. Lorster I agree with you about the need to change our ways, but I do think our discussions should be handled without personally attacking each other. Psst - I think it's what Jesus would want us to do.Yes, you are right, sorry I attacked 6t5. It seems to me thought that people
get more caught up in the spin than the actual problem at hand.Lorster.........WTF. I was pointing out that there was another point of view about Global warming. People like you scare me. Afraid of the possibility of another point of view. I never said there was No warming ( there is .7 C in the last 100 years ).Just that there is different points of view why it is happening. This in not the first time in the Worlds history that earth has warmed up. Stop being so cynical /angry and actually read my post (look up the show )and maybe actually believe that there may be other reasons other then what Mr Gore says. He uses the word " If " all the time. He is speculating as others are. Nobody knows for sure but don't take the " my way or the highway approach " to life. As far as riding a bike I'm glad you still can. This RA has put a stop to that for me. BTW I drive a 4 CYL car
It would also help the huge amount of garbage if the manufacturers would reduce the huge double sometimes triple packaging of products that we do not ingest. I swear I have to wait until my son gets home from school to get into some of these things.
Ick, sorry, can't go there. hi, just reading and found the comments on global warming interesting. My thoughts are... what if America puts billions of dollars into doing everything we can to protect the environment and change the .7 degree warming or whatever it is and other countries like China (the WORST) and Japan and all over the world do not , thats not going to help much. I agree we are all supposed to be good "stewards" of what God has given us so we can all help to clean up our own little space. As for Jesus not knowing this was going to happen, no offense Lorster, but of course he did. He knows the beginning to the end.People, big companies, small businesses, and governments all over our planet have to get involved and do their part for this to work...on another OT subject (lol) Does anyone besides me think that "terriorist" or "radicals" are sabbatouging (sp) our food supply? This is really scary to me..... GenesisThank Goodness President Bush did not agree to the Kyoto treaty. We would have foot 75% of the bill and years later only a handful or less of ALL the countries have fulfilled any of it's expectations. Of course " developing " countries like China were Exempt as were many others. Bush got a lot of heat for this and he is now proven right in my book. That said we must be prudent with our planet. It's the only one we have. Re-Cycle be smart and do your best.
by Virginie Montet
Washington (AFP) Oct 15, 2006
The United States, the only industrialized country with strong
population growth, now has 300 million people whose lifestyle makes a
disproportionately huge mark on the global environment, experts say.
The world's third most populous country behind China and India, the
United States has five percent of the world's population.
But it consumes -- alone -- more than a quarter of the world's natural
resources, more than any other country, according to the National
Report on Population and Environment, put out by the US-based Center
for Environment and Population.
"The nation's relatively high rates of population growth, natural
resource consumption and pollution combine to create the largest
environmental impact, felt both within the nation and around the
world," the report read.
"The US population has the largest ecological footprint in the world," it adds.
The United States emits almost one quarter of carbon dioxide (CO2) and
greenhouse gases -- emissions that are expected to soar 43 percent by
2020.
With more than 237 million vehicles in 2006 (up from 98 million 40
years ago when the population was 200 million) the transport sector
alone accounts for a third of CO2 emissions.
The average US driver spends some 47 hours every year in rush hour
traffic jams compared to 16 hours 20 years ago, according to the CEP.
And the size of typical American homes has ballooned even as the number
of people living in each home has declined from 3.1 per household in
1970 to 2.6 in 2000.
"At the same time, the average size of new single-family homes increased by more than 700 square feet," the report says.
The taste for super-sizing homes has driven up the amount of natural
resources used in home construction as well as the amount of energy
used to heat them in the winter and cool them in the summer.
Overall, taking into account the space given to housing, schools, roads
and commercial areas, each American uses 20 percent more land than in
the mid-1980s.
Americans also use an average of three times more water than the
average planet resident. Pollution has left roughly 40 percent of US
rivers off-limits to fishing and bathing.
Every day, US consumers toss out 2.3 kilos (five pounds) of trash -- an
average of five times more than people in developing countries.
Their food consumption, one third of which is animal origin, tops the
scales at an average 136 kilos of meat per person compared to 72 kilos
for a European and 27 kilos for a resident of a developing country.
With a growing population and a mushrooming demand for resources the
country's infrastructure is vulnerable, said Carlos Restrepo, a
research scientist at the Wagner School's Institute for Civil
Infrastructure Systems (ICIS).
One sign of straining infrastructure is that there have been some 400 blackouts between 1990 and 2004.
Given the interdependence of production and electric distribution
systems, and water supplying and oil or gas supplies, breakdowns are
taking longer to fix, Restrepo said.
"Those levels of energy consumption are probably not sustainable," he said.
Related Links
Our Polluted World and Cleaning It Up
Powering The World in the 21st Century
[QUOTE=genesis]As for Jesus not knowing this was going to happen, no offense Lorster, but of course he did. He knows the beginning to the end. Genesis[/QUOTE]
Uh, I don't think so. If that's the case, then what does free will have to do with anything? That doesn't make sense to me.
I believe what I said to be true Redheadtheresa but should have added that, although He knows all this it saddens and dissapoints Him to see what a mess we can make of what was freely given us to enjoy. Adam and Eve were commanded to "tend" the garden of eden. And look what happened to them! Thats still true for us today, hence "free will". WE reap what we sow even if we're not the ones sowing. It's like "raining on the just and unjust" Genesis
I have to agree with the super sizing homes thing. That is a stickler for me. For the life of me I can not figure out what my sister-in-law needs a 5 bedroom 2.5 bath house for 3 people to live in. Their monthly heating bill is like 3-4 months of one of mine.
Here is my environmental tip of the day. Do your laundry in the evening and with cold water.
Gimpy.... I used those when I still had a reason to use those. I had a hysterectomy so no need to use anything anymore. I am trying to talk my girls into using them but they are still young and are like Mom!!! That is oogie!!!
Genesis. Your theory works for those people that believe that Jesus is the
supreme commander of the universe. I don't. I don't need Jesus to keep
from killing my neighbor. I don't kill my neighbor because I have an inner
voice that keeps me in control. I don't need to pay 10 percent of my
income to my church. I will gladly donate to the good of a less fortunate
human being. I don't need a bible to tell me that I need to take care of
my planet. All I have to do is pick up the paper, or turn on the tv or radio
and see what we have already done and see the actions that are not being
taken to make it better. It all goes back to the the big nations of the
world wanting immediate gratification and not thinking how our actions
will affect us down the road. I do my part as best I can. I recycle
everything I can. I don't buy plastic. I take my mug to work. I hate
strofoam, won't use it, won't buy it, and try not to eat at places that use
it. I prefer to use canvas bags to shop, not always possible. I buy in bulk
when ever I can to save on packaging. I drive a hybrid, I do what I can.
But it really takes all of us to make these changes. A few of us can't do it
for everyone. I find trash offensive and cannot believe anyone would
throw garbage out their car window. I hate pollution of all types. I taught
my children all of these things and they all practice it. We must pass
these things on to future generations. [QUOTE=Gimpy-a-gogo] Environmental Tip for Ladies Only
Here's my environmental tip for the day: (Squeamish guys stop reading
here):
The Diva Cup!
Stop using disposable tampons, and pads, and save money too.
Takes a little getting used to but you'll never go back.
"In 1998, 7 billion tampons and 13 billion sanitary pads and their
packaging
made their way into landfills and sewage systems in the USA alone!"[/
QUOTE]
lol, this reminds me of the program i saw on tv about the plastic tampon
holders washing up on the beaches on the east coast and the people call
them beach whistles. It was/is disgusting. Well here is my environmental tip - I have made it a policy not to lecture on being a vegetarian - but since you asked - being vegetarian or eating less meat is probably the best thing we can do for the planet.
Trust me, I am a foodie and vegetarian food can be delicious.
Bon appetit everyone. [QUOTE=6t5frlane] Thank Goodness President Bush did not agree to the
Kyoto treaty. We would have foot 75% of the bill and years later only a
handful or less of ALL the countries have fulfilled any of it's expectations.
Of course " developing " countries like China were Exempt as were many
others. Bush got a lot of heat for this and he is now proven right in my
book. That said we must be prudent with our planet. It's the only one we
have. Re-Cycle be smart and do your best.
[/QUOTE]
Why was china exempt from this? And wasn't India also exempt? Isn't
China number 2 in greenhouse gas emissions? It is nearing 2008. This
treaty was mentioned during the Clinton administration. Has George
Bush gone any further on this issue since 2001? It does not seem to me
that this is much of an issue since the war started. Cassandra. Americans can't live without their 18 oz ribeyes, lol. I agree
though. I love vegetarian food. Animal protein is reallly hard on the kidneys
too. My husband found 18 cans of black beans when he cleaned the pantry
this morning, lol, guess I got carried away. I still love my meat but am
eating less of it lately. My husband says we are meant to eat meat, that is
why we have the teeth we do. I don't agree. I believe we were gatherers
first. [QUOTE=Cassandra]Well here is my environmental tip - I have made it a policy not to lecture on being a vegetarian - but since you asked - being vegetarian or eating less meat is probably the best thing we can do for the planet.
Trust me, I am a foodie and vegetarian food can be delicious.
Bon appetit everyone.[/QUOTE]
I agree completely. I've studied it quite a bit. The book, "Omnivore's Dilemma" is really good. I became a vegetarian almost a year ago...and just went vegan last week, and I'm already feeling the difference, I feel great! It really does make a huge impact on the environment.
Lorster> Well...since you love the planet and not Jesus, I guess it's a good thing you'll get to stay with it for eternity.
You seem like a very bitter, opinionated, self absorbed, better than thou type of person. It's pretty sad that you attack so many for not thinking or feeling the same as you. What or who, gives you the right to be judge and jury for the entire world?
You put out evil and you'll get evil in return!
[QUOTE=Redheadtheresa][QUOTE=genesis]As for Jesus not knowing this was going to happen, no offense Lorster, but of course he did. He knows the beginning to the end. Genesis[/QUOTE]
Uh, I don't think so. If that's the case, then what does free will have to do with anything? That doesn't make sense to me.
[/QUOTE]
It has everything to do with free will!!! He gives us a choice to do what's right or wrong. He knows what we are going to choose before we do. He made us less than perfect so we would have to come to him for help.
It's not my argument, but what the heck are you talking about? Did you read a different post than I did? I didn't find anything about that bitter or anything and didn't notice any kind of attack. Just because Lorster doesn't feel the same way about Jesus as you do doesn't make her any of those things. Who is being judgmental? I think you may have that reversed.Gee, Blessed, I like that Christian post you wrote to Lorster. I guess it'll be
you and George Bush Jr partying in up in Heaven with Jesus! You're the kind
of person that gives Christianity a bad name. Gimpy-a-gogo39209.3346296296This is not a criticism but I was curious to hear on the radio a few weeks ago that over 70% OF Americans believes in god but around 40% OF Europeans and Australasians do.
Why would this be - just curious.
I personally think everyone should be free to believe in whatever they want as long as it does no harm to others.
[QUOTE=Redheadtheresa]It's not my argument, but what the heck are you talking about? Did you read a different post than I did? I didn't find anything about that bitter or anything and didn't notice any kind of attack. Just because Lorster doesn't feel the same way about Jesus as you do doesn't make her any of those things. Who is being judgmental? I think you may have that reversed.[/QUOTE]
You're right redheadtheresa, it's not your argument. If it was you might understand where I am coming from. My comments have to do with the 75% of Lorster's posts on this site. From what I can tell she loves to dish it out, but has a hard time taking it!
Blessed39209.3386921296I just think that if you want to preach about Christianity (which I am a Christian, by the way), that you might post with a little more Christian attitude, that's all. Just because somebody says things you don't like doesn't mean you have to come back with the same. That doesn't seem like the Christian way to handle it. I'm not judging, just offering suggestion.-- Previous Private Message --
Sent by : Gimpy-a-gogo
Sent : 07 May 2007 at 10:07am
I wouldn't normally PM someone, especially to tell them this, but going by
your posts on this forum, I think you're a really terrible person. If heavens
gonna be filled with people like you, I wouldn't want to spend a day there,
let alone an eternity. Fortunately I don't believe you're headed there.
Well Gimpy...I guess it's a good thing you're not my judge and jury then. You were'nt concerned about heaven before I came along anyway. And what posts would you be speaking of? The one to Lorster and the one to you. I've had over a 100 posts and these are the only negative posts. Like I have told you before, "you take care of your backyard, and I'll take care of mine."
I think Lorster seems to be a good person. She's a nurse so she's spent her
working life helping people. She's eco-conscious and does her part to help
the environment. She posts helpful information on these boards and she
helps people when she can. I don't know Jesus but I guess he might like her!
[QUOTE=Gimpy-a-gogo]I think Lorster seems to be a good person. She's a nurse so she's spent her
working life helping people. She's eco-conscious and does her part to help
the environment. She posts helpful information on these boards and she
helps people when she can. I don't know Jesus but I guess he might like her![/QUOTE]
Just because Lorster's a nurse doesn't mean she's a good person. Do you know how many hateful nurses, school teachers, police officers, etc...are out there. Just because someone is in a public servant field does not make them a good person.
I think that her rant to Genesis was unprevoked and uncalled for. As well as, some of the many other comments she has posted on this site.
I am very sorry you don't know Jesus, he sure knows and loves you very much!!!!
Gimpy, why would you PM such a hurtful thing to Blessed. I guess if anything, all this silly "Forum fighting" takes our minds off of our RA. Well, I apologize if it seemed that way, but I was not trying to gang up on anyone. I was just trying to say that replying to a negative comment with a negative comment doesn't seem like the way to go. And I thought that Lorster was just stating how she felt on the subject, not attacking anyone. [QUOTE=lorster] Genesis. Your theory works for those people that believe that Jesus is the
supreme commander of the universe. I don't. I don't need Jesus to keep
from killing my neighbor. I don't kill my neighbor because I have an inner
voice that keeps me in control. . [/QUOTE]
That was mean. and sort of creepy if you ask me. If you were quoting a commandment, I believe it goes "Love thy neighbor", not "Don't kill your neighbor. I side with Blessed on this one.Well, I'm not "siding" with anyone. I just didn't see anything mean about that, just an opinion not directed at the person. But I've seen mean posts by both.
Can't we all just get along? If someone is tired of forum bickering, maybe they shouldn't "stir the pot".
Seems like a no-brainer to me! Sorry genesis...my last post wasn't directed at you---we were posting at the
same time!Genesis, what a very kind post. That's kind of all I was trying to say, that meanness was unnecessary (not on your part, I didn't think you were being mean.) Thanks for saying that. I understand your point of view, but I also respect the views of some that disagree. No matter what one believes, they shouldn't condemn someone else for believing something different. Kudos to you! [QUOTE=Blessed] <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 255);"><span
style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family:
Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lorster> Well...since you love the planet and
not Jesus, I guess it's a good thing you'll get to stay with it for
eternity.You seem like a very bitter, opinionated, self absorbed, better
than thou type of person. It's pretty sad that you attack so many for not
thinking or feeling the same as you. What or who, gives you the right to
be judge and jury for the entire world?You put out evil and you'll get evil
in return!</span></span></span>
[/QUOTE]
Blessed, you have the right to your opinion. I don't have a problem with
people believing in what they want. But please don't come to my door to
sell me your beliefs. How many times do you find non believers going
from door to door trying to get people to become atheist or agnostic? If
you feel strongly about your beliefs, that is great. But live it, everyday. I
was not attacking genesis, just telling him that not everyone believes in
God. I'm not sure why you think I'm bitter. As far as bitter, I have given
my entire life to helping the sick, and the poor and the unfortunate. I
have worked with the homeless, the developmentally disabled, I took care
of a spinal cord injured man privately for 11 years and helped him
completely renovate his home so that he could live in it after his family
walked out on him. I continue to be involved in my community to make
it a better place for all to be. I work with people every day that come from
all religious backgrounds and I have enjoyed every minute of it. I'm not
sure what part of self absorbed you are talking about. Now opinionated,
you are probably right there. I do have an opinion as does everyone else
on this board the last time I checked. If you don't like my posts, don't
read them.
I also would like to know what you did that would cause Jesus to be so
pissed off at you? Otherwise, why would he have put you in this situation
with your RA? What did you do? Were you evil?
The third thing i would like to say to you is one of the lowest snake like
activities that can go on this board is when a person posts another
persons PM on the open forum for all to read. I'm not sure I'm the evil
one here Blessed. It is not something i would expect from a christian.
Your attack of me was no different than my attack on genesis. Your stay
in your back yard and I'll stay in mine is an attitude that I just do not
comprehend. And this is not the first time you have said this. This
thread was about the environment, not about religion. [QUOTE=Honey] [QUOTE=lorster] Genesis. Your theory works for those
people that believe that Jesus is the
supreme commander of the universe. I don't. I don't need Jesus to keep
from killing my neighbor. I don't kill my neighbor because I have an inner
voice that keeps me in control. . [/QUOTE]
That was mean. and sort of creepy if you ask me. If you were quoting a
commandment, I believe it goes "Love thy neighbor", not "Don't kill your
neighbor. I side with Blessed on this one.[/QUOTE]
Honey, I'm sorry that my post creeped you out. I was not quoting a
commandment. I was trying to explain to genesis that I don't need god to
make me a good person. I have a concience that allows me to do good
and be good and think good of others. I don't need a leader to guide me
through life. I do want to assure you that I don't hear voices in my head
but I'm sure if I did, there would be plenty of people on here that would
be quick to judge.ANOTHER TOPIC LOST.It just needs to be directed back to the environmental issues.
Yes, you're right. I didn't respond to the original topic because I didn't see the show, so I didn't have anything to discuss.
I have opinions about the environment and in my own small way I've been helping to keep the earth green for many years. I don't take a strong stand one way or another. I live a green life because it's what I feel is right. It's a responsible way to live and it makes you a good neighbor and caretaker.
So what part do you play in the environmental issues playing out currently? Do you recycle and I don't just mean plastic, glass, and can. Do you think about the chemicles in the dyes of colored toilet paper and paper towels? Throw away diapers and tampons as mentioned by Lorster? How about paper products? It's all fine and wonderful to discuss but do you really do it? I hope that all of you make at least one environmentally acceptable decision and stick to it. If all of us did just one recycle, no paper products, etc. I believe that it would have a tremendous, positive impact on the earth. How about it? Just do one green thing, every day of the year for the rest of your life. Some of you do more than just one thing but then some of you do absolutely nothing.
LinB39210.3894791667Nice topic!!
Here is something to ponder as it is a side effect of trying to help with the environment.
You know all the modern day movements to using those CFL screw-in fluorescent light bulbs? Well, ummmmm, there is a tiny, teeny...well, ok HUGE, down the road problem with them. See they are full of MERCURY and as these bulbs are thrown out we are bound to begin to see problems with local groudwater & landfill's and heavy metal toxicity in groundwater/soil due to that mercury leeching out.
I too have switched to using these bulbs exclusively...but a few months back I started to think about them and realized about the mercury. It's tremendously toxic and if soil and thus the groundwater does indeed become toxic then pretty much game-over in those areas where it happens.
I really feel instead we are better served to switch to LED lighting as it uses 10% of the power these "low energy" CCFL's do which is 70%-80% less then an incandescent bulb.
LED lights/bulbs are becoming more available and while expensive they draw significantly less power AND last pretty much forever in most applications. But so far I have been having a time finding "softer" color versions as right now most seem to be the "daylight/natural" color/brightness.
Just something I thought I would mention as few environmental advocates, including Gore, ever seem to address the potential real-cost of moving to the CCFL-type bulbs. I really suspect the CCFl's are sort of a case of the cure being worse then the disease. And even though they use more energy the current incandescent bulbs are relatively environmentally neutral if the long term risks are considered.
????BreckLundin39210.4004050926I just bought a book called Green This! by Deirdre Imus. It's all about the cleaning products we use daily and how toxic they are. I'm so interested in this. I've made my own cleaners for a while now, using plain old white vinegar, water and a couple drops of essential oils for fragrance. In the book she has ideas for cleaning our countertops for example, we use say, Fantastick or some bottled chemical filled cleaner, put an apple on the counter and boom, we're eating the chemicals! Drain clogged? Use vinegar and baking soda, it will foam up, let sit for 1/2 hour and rinse w/hot water. Don't spray those air freshners! Use a spray bottle w/distilled water and 10 drops of essential oil (I like lavendar) and spray away. Polishing wood furniture? Don't use Pledge! Use a mix of 1 cup olive oil to 1/2 cup lemon juice. Mix and spray and buff.The worst thing you can buy is chlorine bleach. It's soooo toxic. It also kills the "good" bacteria as well as the "bad" bacteria.
Also, for fabric softener, add 1/2 cup vinegar to the full rinse cycle in your machine. If you want to add some scent to your laundry, try 2-3 drops of essential lavendar (or whatever fragrance you like) on a wash cloth and toss in the dryer w/your clothes.
These ideas are so simple and so easy. I gotta believe that a lot of allergies, sore throats, stuffy noses, headaches etc are caused by some of the cleaners and chemicals we use daily. Anyone have any more "green" ideas?Please don't drink bottled water. For one thing, tap water is
healthier. Cities and townships spend a lot of money purifying tap
water and making it good to drink, and it doesn't require packaging.
Bottled water is often much more toxic due to leeching from the plastic
bottle. Also, a lot of bottled water is just filtered municipal water
anyway. Buy a Britta and filter your own municipal water for a tiny
fraction of the cost! Bottled water exacerbates the problem of
pollution.
From the unintended consequences file (Breitbart.com):
Bottled
water consumption, which has more than doubled globally in the last six
years, is a natural resource that is heavily taxing the world's
ecosystem, according to a new US study.
"Even in areas where tap water is safe to drink, demand for bottled
water is increasing, producing unnecessary garbage and consuming vast
quantities of energy," according to Emily Arnold, author of the study
published by the Earth Policy Institute, a Washington-based
environmental group.
The consequences?
High prices:
"At as much as 2.50 dollars per liter (10 dollars per gallon), bottled water costs more than gasoline," the study says.
and increased demand for oil:
[The
increase in demand] has translated into massive costs in packaging the
water, usually in plastic bottles made of polyethylene terephthalate
(PET) which is derived from crude oil, and then transporting it by
boat, train or on land.
"Making bottles to meet Americans' demand for bottled water requires
more than 1.5 million barrels of oil annually, enough to fuel some
100,000 US cars for a year," according to the study. "Worldwide, some
2.7 million tons of plastic are used to bottle water each year."
and waste disposal:
Once the water is consumed, disposing the plastic bottles poses an environmental risk.
The study, citing the Container Recycling Institute, said that 86
percent of plastic water bottles in the United States end up as garbage
and those buried can take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade.
and water shortages:
The
study warned that the rapid growth in the industry has also ironically
led to water shortages in some areas, including India where bottling of
Dasani water and other drinks by the Coca-Cola company has caused
shortages in more than 50 villages.
We have well water and it doesn't taste very good at all. It has a high copper content, among other minerals. Our solution has been to purchase one of the water pitchers that has a water filter built into it. It is a much better solution for the environment than bottled water, and the water tastes great.
Here's another tip - Turn off the printer for your computer. Many people leave the printer on all the time when their computer is on, but that is unnecessary and wasteful. It's easy enough to turn it on when you want to print something. The same thing applies to scanners.
[QUOTE=Honey] I just bought a book called Green This! by Deirdre Imus.
It's all about the cleaning products we use daily and how toxic they are.
I'm so interested in this. I've made my own cleaners for a while now,
using plain old white vinegar, water and a couple drops of essential oils
for fragrance. In the book she has ideas for cleaning our countertops for
example, we use say, Fantastick or some bottled chemical filled cleaner,
put an apple on the counter and boom, we're eating the chemicals! Drain
clogged? Use vinegar and baking soda, it will foam up, let sit for 1/2
hour and rinse w/hot water. Don't spray those air freshners! Use a spray
bottle w/distilled water and 10 drops of essential oil (I like lavendar) and
spray away. Polishing wood furniture? Don't use Pledge! Use a mix of 1
cup olive oil to 1/2 cup lemon juice. Mix and spray and buff.[/QUOTE]
I have been looking for a book on recipes for home made cleaners. Does
this book have the recipes? I use white vinegar and soda and I will use
murphys oil soap although I'm not sure how bad that is. I also have this
apple cleaner that cost me an arm and a leg but you can drink it and it
smells so good. and it cleans great. The one thing though that I cannot
get past is the chlorine bleach. I love the smell of it. It just makes my
towels and laundry smell so good and clean but I stopped using it two
months ago and went with the hydrogen peroxide for bleach and it does
not do the job as the chlorine bleach but I'm sure that I won't die because
i don't have really white clothes and towels. Thanks for info on this book.
I'm gonna go check it out.Thanks for the info on bottled water. I won't buy a bottle of water unless I
have to but I do recycle all plastic that my community allows me to. is a
pain sometimes, but I fill my polycarbonate jugs and it works good. I
bought bottled propel which I love but gave it up as I had read the statistics.
Now propel has put their flavors in packets which I buy sometimes. I just
have to get to the point now where I like just plain old water. I'm not there
yet. I do have a question about recycling though if anyone can answer it.
Why can we not recycle margarine, cottage cheese and other plastic
containers like this? Or is it just my communtiy that won't take these? In Connecticut we are required by law to recycle any plastics with a #1 or #2 on the bottom. The margarine containers fall into that, however the thinner plastic things like some of the sour cream containers, etc. do not.
I know there are some things that use too much energy, and cost too much to recycle. I don't know if that is the case here, but it might be. The whole cost/benefit issue.
Hillhoney39210.585462963Yeah Lorster, the book has "recipes" for cleaning products. You can also do an internet search for "Organic Cleaning". It's actually much much healthier for us to use these things and cheaper too!I just got back from my Remicade infusion and I'm thrilled to see where we're headed with this topic.
I just went out and bought all new energy saving light bulbs and had no idea about the mercury. Will research this. This falls into the "unintended consequences" category.
Have made my own cleaning supplies and body soaps for years. I use different natural oils depending on the need and use. I usually use lavendar in everything but there are times that it warrants the use of bergamot. I use bergamot in my wash and in the dryer. Other times I use the citrus oils. My soaps have different oils, lavendar, bergamot, calendula, rose, etc. depending on my skin needs. I use lavendar oil mixed with baking soda and do a little sprinkle before I vaccuum. Just a fine sprinkle.
Like Lorster I can't do without bleach. Every once in awhile I have to use it.
Am going to take a look at the book and may order it. Sounds like a lot of us are doing more than just one thing for the earth.
We just bought a pitcher filter because we're in Yuma and the water is typical desert tasting water. I don't want to buy bottled water again.
Let's keep this alive because I think that it's an important issue in all of our lives. And maybe, just maybe, one or more of these changes in our lives might have a positive affect on our chronic illness.
Charcoal filtering of your tap water is essential. A Brita-type pitcher system is cheap and the most effective. These high-priced in-line systems breed disease. I wanna ultra-violet light wand to send up into my air ducts to kill mold. Oh, and OTC charcoal tablets help your own inside (bowel) filtration system, can be sprinkled on open wounds to stop infection, and your pharmacist has charcoal pads for bandages. And don't heat plastic wrap and plastic food containers in your microwave. (CDs are fun in microwaves, but be sure its the last time you plan to use it) And throw out your Teflon while you are at it too. There's more, and I like this thread alot too. Our city just came out and informed the communtiy that the city is going
in the hole every year because of our recycling program. I think this is
because it is not manditory here. You should see the landfills. It is
unbelievable. Many of us are big recyclers, but the majority are not. It is
such an important issue to me. There are some things that we just
cannot recycle but I also try really hard to not purchase anything that may
not break down in the environment as organic matter. But it is almost
impossible not to make some garbage. Our hospital recently went to
using all styrofoam and many employees raised a stink but styrofoam is
so much cheaper than the paper and earth friendly products. Seems
strange to me that an organization whose mission statement is to
improve health in our community, is doing something that is actually
detrimental to the community. They don't see it that way I'm sure. I am
so glad to see the thread going this direction. I would love to hear any
information that people have about any environmental concerns. People
need to remember that this does affect our RA in some way and is worth
discussing. [QUOTE=Honey] The worst thing you can buy is chlorine bleach. It's
soooo toxic. It also kills the "good" bacteria as well as the "bad" bacteria.
Also, for fabric softener, add 1/2 cup vinegar to the full rinse cycle in
your machine. If you want to add some scent to your laundry, try 2-3
drops of essential lavendar (or whatever fragrance you like) on a wash
cloth and toss in the dryer w/your clothes.
These ideas are so simple and so easy. I gotta believe that a lot of
allergies, sore throats, stuffy noses, headaches etc are caused by some of
the cleaners and chemicals we use daily. Anyone have any more "green"
ideas?[/QUOTE]
Honey, several years ago, I was brought a container of home made soft
scrub and it was the best cleanser I have every used. I don't remember
what was all in it but it smelled like peppermint and had soda and borax
in it (I think). It was made by members of the mormon church and I have
been trying to find it to make some more. Is this recipe in that book? I
have not been able to make it to the book store to find the book yet, but I
plan to as soon as I can.We don't have to do everything possible to have a big impact. Like I said earlier if everyone just did one act of recycling each and everyday for the rest of their life the impact would be tremendous.
I know that I can't be totally green but I do what I can and don't strive for more. Just do what you can, doesn't matter what it is. Don't buy plastic, don't use disposable diapers, recycle newspapers but lets make sure that we do it everyday forever.
I make a household soft scrub with soda, water, soap shavings and whatever oil that I have just a little of, usually lavendar.
I need to find something very comparable to bleach. I went to the coop and
bought this bottle of eco friendly houshold "bleach" I paid 5.29 for 48
ounces. I got it home and decided to look at the ingredients and it was
peroxide and water. Man, I could not believe spent that kind of money on
that when I could have made it myself but it does not really work that well. One of our big supermarket chains is changing bags back to the big brown paper grocery bags. I hope the others will follow suit!! The amount of supermarket bags used and discarded must be phenomenal!!
And the paper bags are so useful - my cat used to sleep in one!!
Also great for kids crafts, and a nice heavy paper for wrapping parcels to post. So - multi-use, and then bio-degradable after all that.
This particular chain, called Pak N Save, (I don't know whether it's international or not) offers free cardboard boxes for packing your groceries in (you have to pack your own - but they get a bit heavy) or the plastic carry bags for 10 cents each, or you can bring your own bag. You pack your own regardless of which option you choose.
Human beings being what we are, always in a hurry (and the fact that they almost invariably run of boxes, most people take the plastic bag option - and they are right there at the check-out.
They just announced this week that the plastic bags will be withdrawn immediately nationwide, and customers will still have to pay 10 cents per bag. I think that's pretty fair, and a big step to take.
Yay - I'm just thinking of all the lovely things my grandchildren will be able to make when they're here at Nanny's place!
This is the first chain in NZ to take this step (a step back is a step forwards). Well done Pak N Save
Lorster, my sister uses a bleach-type product made of grapefruit extract. I'll find out what it's called. It's probably by BioKleen. They have a website. /The website is BioKleenhome.com
Another tip: DON"T BY THOSE AIRFRESHENERS! Not the sprays, gels, plug ins, none. Get a squirt bottle (#2's can be recycled after years) and add some distilled water, a few drops of essential oil and spritz away!. A nice Rosemary spray or Lemon in the kitchen. Lavendar in the bedroom, Eucalyptus in the bathroom. Or make a mix. See? It saves money right there. When I moved into my present home, the people we bought it from had wall to wall carpeting everywhere. We immediately got to ripping up the carpets and guess what? All that powder she sprayed and vacuumed up didn't get vacuumed up! It was all over the wood floors under the rugs. Gross. Also, Vitacost is a good website for buying essential oils. Honey39211.1403587963One more quick tip I learned from the book. The natural chemical in Oregano has anti inflammatory compounds in it. If spritzed w/water as an air freshener, you inhale the compounds. Also, she lists some herbs that have antibacterial qualities which you can do the same with to sort of "de-germ" your house. Better than Lysol!? Remember, in ancient times, herbs were medicinal.
By the way, 100% of the profits from her book go to help kids with cancer. Just a thought. I'm really into this stuff.
She has actually "greened" our local hospital - Hackensack University Medical Center. You can look it up. I think it's the only 'green' hospital in the US
check out dienviro.comHoney39211.162337963Hi Kiwi, I love the paper bags too but be careful with them, they're a favorite breeding ground for roaches. YUK!!!.........GenesisI am going out today and getting this book. I'm really into the healthy
cleaners too. I also do not use any of the freshners. I hate those tree
things that people hang in their cars and I think we are going to find that
they cause lung problems down the road. I went on a crusade to get
spray deoderizers removed from our hospital because I don't think people
with lung problems apprreciate a can of lysol being sprayed in their room,
but it happens all the time after someone has gone to the bathroom or
whatever. To tell you the truth, I'd rather smell the bathroom but other
patients complain. Well, as you can imagine, the other nurses threw a fit
and we still use them...I don't but many do. I'm going to now go to our
pulmonologist about it. I tried to google and find a website, that give me
info on how bad it was and at the time, I could find no studies so I really
had no solid evidence that it was bad for people. In order to make a
change, the info I present has to be from a reputable research facility and
I"m not even sure studies have been done on it.Paper bags brings another tip to mind. For those of you who do your yard clean up in the spring and fall and bag your leaves or grass clippings, twigs, etc. for trash pickup, I would like to encourage you to use the large paper bags made for this purpose, instead of plastic trash bags. Putting leaves, which are 100% biodegradeable into a plastic bag, which is 100% non-biodegradeable creates an unnecessary problem in our landfills.
(Certainly the best option is to composte, but many folks just don't have the space or ability to do that.)
Better than paper bags...buy several hemp canvas bags for your groceries. Hemp bags will outlive all of us here, are extremely environmentally friendly and a cheaper better alternative to cotton based products. And interesting side note about hemp is the actual reason marijuana is illegal is due to the cotton industry trying to eliminate their competition. See even the Constitution was printed on hemp paper. Hemp was the whole economy for the US for a very LOOONG time. But it was the new cotton industry (as well as the tobacco folks) who wanted to eliminate the competition and it had nothing to do with a few subvarieties of hemp being used for drugs/medications. I have always found this somewhat interesting. Also hemp apparently ADDS nutrients to the soil and requires no chemicals and little water to grow. Cotton on the other hand it very fussy and not exactly groundwater friendly due to the need to spray chemicals to keep the bugs out.
Also, I used to manage the IT dept for a large analytical lab in the CA central valley. I can tell you that in most places they tap water is suspect at best. While it may be treated as it is sent out, MUCH can happen along the way. This includes contamination with fecal coliform bacteria as well as other organic contaminants. Add to this the fluoride and other so-called "improvements" to make water healthier and there is serious debate if adding these things are good for everyone, or even anyone.
That said, even bottled water is marginal. I use a big 5-gallon bottle that holds two Pur water filters and just keep a good supply of drinking water around. I used to use the smaller pitchers around the house but they can really be a PITA if I am cranky that microsecond. Now we never run out of fresh filtered water.
I noticed something the other day...we bought some really fun looking plastic drinking ware at Walmart. I happened to leave water in a glass for a couple days and drank some as it was handy. The water tasted of plastic. I suspect these plastic drinking vessels are NOT food grade plastic at all. I have since tossed out ALL of the plastic "glasses" we had. Nothing good can come from the chemicals used to make these plastics in those mass polluting sweatshops in China. These solvents & other chemicals are leeching into whatever we drink from them. And my case was only water, most of these toxic plastics are far more soluble in alcohol or more acidic things such as fruit juices. So back to only glassware or stainless steel travel mugs. Unless the container specifically states it is FOOD GRADE plastic I would be wary. I mean who knows how places such as Walmart think...to them we are simply cash machines as are the workers.
BTW, remember that big to-do over lead glazed dinnerware or lead crystal? Well, I was at the lab when that was "the news". We decided to do some testing to see for ourselves...turned out it was HUGELY over-stated. There was a small trace amount that leeched into an acid such as tomato based foods or even wine, but the amount was SMALL. So it is fine to use your heirloom china and crystal now and then. But it is not a bad idea to use newer stuff with newer lead-free glazes or glass.
Just thought I would add a bit to the discussion...just a wonderful topic for sure!! Loved the tips on cleaners...we switched to 7th Generation laundry soap and I like it a lot. I do most of the laundry here and never have had anything not come out clean. I also use their dryer sheets and have been happy with them....BUT, I am going to try the vinegar as a fabric softener idea. I have to admit I am terrible at remembering the rinse cycle, hence the dryer sheets... :) But my better half is amazed that I like to do laundry. She just loves that we never have any dirty clothes or towels. Soon as I can I am washing anything I see...for some reason I find it quite relaxing. I like to iron too...I know it's very weird!! George Washington was a hemp farmer.
This is such a great subject. I hope this thread keeps going. Should we "rename" it though??? Something like: Greening, or Environmentally Sound? I don't know, somebody out there in internet land? any suggestions?I think only the beginner of the thread can change the name of it. How about it, 6t5frlane?
We could start a new one I suppose. "Being Green"
I'm glad somebody mentioned Oregano and Rosemary. I use both of those oils in my blending. Oregano in the bathroom.
I buy my essential oils from Aromaland. They have a website. Before I was retired I turned my hobby - aromatherapy- into a business and did personal blending and perfumery and made soaps, and household cleaning supplies. I needed to have the best grade of oils for my business and I found that Aromaland had just about the best. Now I use less expensive ones for my household supplies but I still use the best grade oils for personal use. I'm a certified aromatherapist but haven't practiced for several years except on myself.
Many moons ago myself and another nurse set up a aromatherapy department at the local hospital. Aromatherapy was available for patients pre and post op and used in pediatrics and oncology. I also worked with the race track vet and chiropractor. We used aromatherapy along with traditional vet med. and massage. A very interesting process. In fact a very interesting time of my life. My life is much more mundane now.
There is so much useful information on this thread. I'm all for starting another thread.
This is far off from the Gore beginning. Time for a new threadI'm not sure it's far off. Gore is concerned about global pollution, and this thread is what can we do about global pollution.
[QUOTE=Hillhoney] Paper bags brings another tip to mind. For those
of you who do your yard clean up in the spring and fall and bag your
leaves or grass clippings, twigs, etc. for trash pickup, I would like to
encourage you to use the large paper bags made for this purpose, instead
of plastic trash bags. Putting leaves, which are 100% biodegradeable into
a plastic bag, which is 100% non-biodegradeable creates an unnecessary
problem in our landfills.
(Certainly the best option is to composte, but many folks just don't
have the space or ability to do that.)
[/QUOTE]
I wonder if there are paper bags you can get for kitchen garbage. I would
think that the plastic garbage bags are as bad as the grocery sacks. But I
also cannot deal with stinky garbage either so I use the plastic ones. Are
there biodegradable kitchen garbage bags?They do make the "Good Sense" plastic bags that are made from recycled plastic and (ha ha) are supposed to break down more easily. I use plastic bags however I do have a kitchen garbage compactor so I can "squish" down my garbage thus I change the bag less frequently. I forgot to point out earlier in the styrofoam portion of the thread
that now you can get plastic take out containers that are compostable
and that deteriorate very quickly in the sun (don't leave your lunch
out----haha!). They're made from corn or potato starch.
These containers are comparable in cost to styrofoam, however, when
fast food franchises such as McDonald's and Burger King were approached
about switching to them they said they coudn't because it would cost to
much to drop their contracts with current container suppliers.
Quite a few chains and stores in Vancouver have switched to using these containers, and I shop at those stores.
A garbage disposal is another good option for much of the food waste, and can actually be good for your septic system, as long as it is in good condition and cleaned regularly.Oh course Al Gore is wrong - all is well. There is a great short story out there somewhere that when the aliens come to study the dead planet Earth centuries from now, when they write their final report conclusion it comes down to:
"We found a beautiful dead planet, filled with wonderful cities, and it obviously at one point was filled with fabulous creatures. What we could not understand however, is why everyone died when it had such a wonderful feeding system through a series of pipes from the oceans into a small bowl in a small room in each living area." Author unknown.
Hey, is this thread dying? We cannot allow that.Okay lorster, here's another one - corn starch is supposedly the only substance that will break down plastics. So I sprinkle about a cup of corn starch into every plastic bag of non-recyclable garbage I have to send to the landfill. I have no idea if this is true, but I try to imagine the corn starch breaking down the oils and helping the Earth reclaim itself. And on the topic of oil and natural gas pipelines corruption ... www.adn.com if you want to know about Alaska/American/Canadian oil and gas wars. That wall we tore down in Berlin needs to go across Canada, not Mexico - JUST KIDDING We hear that in America you have a lot of genetically modified food - is that true. I think in the UK and 'down under' we are trying to avoid it but hear that it is fairly common in your part of the world, especially corn. Does it not bother you or is this propoganda from Monsanto?Ok, does anyone make their own underarm deoderant? I want a recipe to
make my own. I currently use Body Time lavender, tea tree oil spray. It is
12.00 for 2 oz and I think I could make my own cheaper. Anyone have a
recipe?
Cassandra. I know strawberries are. But I'm not sure about others...I
would love to see a list. I live in an area that has a very short growing
season but my daughter and me are putting in a garden at her house this
summer. I'm excited to have fresh veggies all summer even though we
cannot grow many of them.
Justsaynomore. I am trying real hard to not make hardly any garbage. It
is near impossible as some things we cannot recycle here. It would be
nice to come up with a way to make garbage without putting it into those
plastic bags. That is interesting about the corn starch.
Oh, another tip for all of you that don't like to cover everything with
plastic wrap. Martha Stewart has a line of storage dishes out that are all
glass, including the lids. You can bake, microwave and maybe even
freeze. They are nice looking and are very sturdy. Not everyone likes her
but she does offer a product that is enviromentally friendly. They are sold
at Kmart.It's true there's a lot of GMO foods in North America. The pisser is that GM
Corn Monsanto made blows around and contaminates all the pure corn. I
read something like 90% of our corn products are now GMO contaminated.
Plus, it's not the law that GMO food, or irradiated food, must be marked as
such. So that whole thing about how in a free