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Saturday, July 12, 2008

Care 2

I've been meaning to post about this for a while but have just been so swamped I haven't gotten around to it.  I've still got two weeks of pics in the camera I need to upload!  


A few months back, Care2, a really cool social activist organization asked me if I'd like to submit pieces for them in the form of a blog.  Never the kind to realize that I already had too much on my plate, I of course agreed.  You can check out the pieces I've written so far here but I'd also urge you to check out and sign up for their action alerts.  They send you info on bills that are coming up and pressing issues and let you know how to have your voice heard on the subject.

Dave

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NPR Day To Day

NPR's Day to Day came to the house a few weeks back to do a follow up from the first interview they did in January.  It aired on Thursday and is a really nice piece along with video on the website as well.  Highlights are definitely hearing the missus on national radio saying she's still glad she married me (I'm sure I'll be paying for that for a while) and hearing the dog drinking copious amounts of water in the background of the video.


Enjoy.

Dave

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Day 193 - Saturday 7/12/08

Today's Haul:

  • 1 can coconut milk - recycle
  • 1 can tuna - recycle
  • 1 plastic pasta bag - recycle
  • 1 bottle margarita mix - recycle
  • 1 cardboard potato pancake box - recycle
  • 1 thin sheet from potato pancake box - worms
  • 2 doorknob flyers - worms
  • 2 styrofoam plates - recycle
  • 3 paper towels - worms

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Day 192 - Friday 7/11/08

Today's Haul:

  • 1 set of paper film sides - worms
  • 1 staple from film sides - garbage
  • 2 papaer studio passes - worms
  • 1 sticker visitor badge with backing - garbage
  • 10 cut fingernails - worms
  • 2 sugar packets - worms
  • 1 piece scratch paper - worms
  • 1 piece camera tape - garbage
  • 2 pieces chewed gum in wrappers - garbage
  • 1 tea bag - worms
  • 2 staples from tea bag - garbage
  • 1 paper tea bag cover - worms
  • 1 call sheet - worms

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Thursday, July 10, 2008

The Paper Problem - A Must Read For Everyone

Mrs. G over in merry old England sent a link to this unbelievable article from the The Independent about Mandy Haggith who put together a pile of a years worth of paper (1/4 ton per person) for her local townspeople to see. It's really great because as a result, they have started recycling/ reducing and re-using like crazy. Just goes to show that with knowledge, things change.


The article is a must read though more for the description she gives of deforestation seen first hand as a result of our thirst for paper products. In researching a book she wrote entitled Paper Trails she traveled the planet and saw first hand the devastation brought about by paper companies. I'm putting it on my reading list for sure.

Below are some practical tips and facts to help save paper.

Dave

How to save the trees

* Do not pick up paper napkins in cafés.

* Ask yourself: Do I need to print this? If so, use both sides of the paper.

* Sign up to the Mail Preference Service: www.mpsonline.org.uk

* Make sure any paper you buy (toilet rolls through to writing paper) comes from recycled sources.

* Re-use paper bags or compost receipts and torn-up bank statements

* Cut down on and share magazines, return unwanted catalogues to the sender.

* Re-use envelopes and make your own cards.

* Read small print carefully and never tick the "more information" box.

* Ask your boss to buy recycled paper for your workplace.

Pulp facts

* Deforestation caused by paper production is thought to be a bigger cause of global warming than transport.

* Each person in the UK gets through 250kg of paper a year. The worst offenders are the Finns at 333kg. The average Somalian uses 20g.

* Much of the UK's paper is barely used and a large proportion ends up in landfill. Just 42 percent is recycled – but as there are so few recycling mills in the country, most of this ends up being sent abroad.

* It is a myth that most paper comes from sustainable sources. Seventy percent of it comes from natural forests.

* The UK produces virtually none of its own pulp and imports 80 percent of its pulp.

* Around 75 percent of the paper for magazines is production wastage and is never read.

* Advertisers know that 99.7 percent of recipients of junk mail throw it away unread. They think it's worth it for the 0.3 percent who might.

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Day 191 - Thursday 7/10/08

Today's Haul:

  • 1 napkin - worms
  • 1 paper doily - worms
  • 2 plastic straws - recycle
  • 2 paper straw covers - worms
  • 1 bandaid wrapper and sticky covers - garbage
  • 14.8 ozs paper/receipts/bills etc. - worms/recycle
  • 1 cardboard insert from bulb box - recycle
  • 1 bubble wrap from bulb box - repurpose



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Day 190 - Wednesday 7/9/08

Today's Haul:

  • 1 burned out flood bulb - e-waste
  • 1 cardboard soap pads box - recycle
  • 1 steel wool brush - garbage
  • 1 glass spaghetti sauce jar w/top - recycle
  • 1 piece of string - worms
  • 1 plastic yogurt top - recycle

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Day 189 - Tuesday 7/8/08

Today's Haul:

  • 1 gum packet - recycle
  • 1 silver foil gum packet w/chewed gum - garbage
  • 3 sticker backings - garbage
  • 1 plastic butter spread tub PP5 - recycle
  • 1 paper burger wrapping - worms

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Great (Non) Gift Giving Idea

I have been a HUGE fan of Peter Gabriel for quite some time and he has always impressed me with his world views and campaigns towards social consciousness. A friend sent me this from his website today and I thought it was worth sharing.

We're happy to report that Peter and Meabh are proud parents of a second son.

Luc was born on Saturday 5th July, a bouncing 7lbs 2 oz. Big brother Isaac reports that mother, father and baby brother are all doing well, and requests that any congratulatory flowers people may contemplate sending be left to grow in the ground for all to enjoy.


What a great way to welcome a child into the world by asking people not to consume and leave nature as it is. Very cool. As a friend of mine who read this joked "I'm going to go out right now and not send gifts to a lot of people".

Granted, my guess is that PG doesn't need much but for those of us who don't, what a great idea.

When my wife and I got married a few years back, we actually asked guests to donate to a few selected charities in lieu of gifts, or one of their own if they preferred. Those that truly wanted to give something special did, but most donated in our honor and raised a lot of money for some good causes. It was easier on them (not too much back and forth about a gift) and we enjoyed knowing that our occasion helped others.

Way to go PG.

Dave







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Tuesday, July 8, 2008

A Whiff of Naples

Earlier in the year I posted about the garbage problems in Naples Italy. Well, it hasn't let up, and now, the city of Hamburg, Germany will be taking all of the garbage that has been collecting in the streets of the city for the past several months. For 11 weeks, a 56 car train will carry 700 tons of garbage a day 44 hours away to it's final resting place.


It's pretty insane isn't it?  Yet it's not a singular problem, or at least may not be in the near future.  Here in the US we are lucky enough to have lots of space to dig holes and fill them with trash.  But in Europe, the problem is growing so rapidly, that the EU is saying that by 2020 all members must cut their refuse to 35% of what it was in 1995.  Shocking but obviously necessary.  

While many countries are going to have some big problems changing their ways, Hamburg is way ahead.  As this article in the Times explains, on the streets of the city, pedestrians are required to separate their trash into four different bins depending on the nature of the refuse. What needs to be disposed of as opposed to recycled ends up in highly efficient incinerators which generate electricity and trap noxious fumes from entering the environment. Hardly the kind of thing you want going on next to your house, but then again, you don't want to live next to a landfill either.

The first step to any solution is recognizing you have a problem.  Perhaps this is the beginning of the beginning.

Dave

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Monday, July 7, 2008

Day 188 - Monday 7/7/08

Today's Haul:

  • 1 plastic clam shell packaging pack - recycle
  • 1 plastic pen - garbage
  • 1 plastic pasta bag - recycle
  • 1 set of sides from filming - worms/recycle
  • staple from film sides - garbag

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Sunday, July 6, 2008

Week 26 Pics






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What's in the Basement- July

Garbage:

  • 1 broken zip tie
  • 1 ice cream container w/top
  • 1 piece chewed gum in wrapper
  • 1 candy bar wrapper
  • 1 glossy mailer
  • 1 frozen oj container
  • 1 frozen oj container pull tab
  • 3 plasticoated luggage sticker tags
  • 2 tin pudding tub tops
  • 2 staples
  • 1 chips bag
  • 1 central part of frozen juice container
  • 1 plasticaoted cardboard emergen c box
  • 1 piece camera tape
  • 1 plastic pen
  • 1 staple from film sides
  • 1 sticker visitor badge w/backing
  • 1 piece camera tape
  • 2 pieces chewed gum in wrappers
  • 2 staples from tea bags
  • 1 staple from film sides
  • 1 popcorn bag
  • 1 piece camera tape
  • 1 plastic backing to sticker
  • 1 staple from sexual harrasment paperwork
  • 1 chocolate pudding mix packet
  • 1 emergen-c packet
  • 1 foil gum wrapper w/chewed gum
  • 1 large plasticoated dog food bag
  • 1 bandaid wrapper with two covers
  • 2 pieces chewed gum in wrappers
  • 1 silver foil gum packet w/chewed gum
  • 3 sticker backings
  • 1 steel wool brush
  • 1 bandaid wrapper and sticky covers
  • 4 lollipop sticks and wrappers
  • 1 bag from rice pilaf mix
  • 1 sticker from fishmonger
  • 1 mettalic bag from vanilla wafer box
  • 2 lollipop sticks w/wrappers
  • 1.2 lbs of plaster from wall
  • small amount of dried grout
  • 1 plastic bag with stickers on it
  • 1 matallicy coffee grind bag
  • 1 chips bag
  • 2 sugar packets
  • 1 plasticoated drinking cup
  • 2 plasticaoted ketchup tub tops
  • 1 popcorn bag
  • 1 chips bag
  • 4 plasticaoted luggage tags
  • 1 piece chewing gum in wrapper
  • 1 piece scotch tape
  • 1 movie popcorn bucket
  • 1 piece camera tape


Recycling:
  • 1 plastic tortilla bag
  • 1 laundry detergent bottle HDPE 2
  • 1 beer bottle w/top
  • 1 cardboard 6 pack holder
  • 1 cardbaord tofurkey pack
  • 1 plastic tofurkey packaging
  • 1 glass spagghetti jar w/top
  • 16 ozs paper from mail
  • 2 frozen oj container end pieces
  • 1 cardboard room key
  • 1 plastic cookie package
  • 1 plastic cookie bag
  • 1 toilet paper roll
  • 2 plastic food containers PS1
  • 1 plastic vitamin water w/top
  • 1 cardboard to go container
  • 1 plastic carrots bag
  • 1 drinking straw
  • 1 beer bottle w/top
  • 1 ginger ale bottle w/top
  • 1 plastic drinking cup top PS6
  • 2 plastic ketchup tubs
  • 1 nine volt battery packaging (plastic and cardboard)
  • 1 plastic cup  with top PS6
  • 1 box vanilla wafers
  • 1 beer bottle w/top
  • 1 plastic toothbrush package
  • 1 cardboard toothbrush package
  • 1 plastic drinking cup PS6
  • 2 plastic pudding tubs
  • 1 plastic tofu tub
  • 1 cereal box
  • 1 cereal box bag
  • 1 plastic packaging bag
  • 1 cardboard bag top
  • 3 cardboard boxes from biobags
  • shipping packaging from bio bags
  • 1 local newspaper
  • 1 beer bottle w/cap
  • 2 paper studio passes
  • 1 plastic burrito bag
  • 1 cardboard pizza box
  • 1 cardboard soap pads brush
  • 1 plastic tofu tub pp5
  • 1 local coupon flyer
  • 1 cardboard box from pudding mix
  • 2 metal ends from frozen juice conatiner
  • 1 ring from top of milk jug
  • 1 plastic soy toilet scrub bottle
  • 1 plastic whipped topping container PP5
  • 1 plastic ring from butter spread
  • 1 glass spaghetti sauce jar w/top
  • 1 plastic yogurt top
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • 1 can tuna 
  • 1 plastic pasta bag
  • 1 bottle margarita mix
  • 1 cardboard potato pancake box
  • 2 styrofoam plates
  • 2 plastic straws
  • 1 cardboard insert from bulb box
  • 1 gum packet
  • 1 plastic butter spread tub PP5
  • 4 paper movie tickets
  • 1 plastic drinking cup PS 6
  • 1 plastic clam shell package
  • 1 plastic pasta bag
  • 1 set of paper film sides
  • 2 plastic frozen fish trays PS 6
  • 1 cardboard cookie box
  • 1 plastic candy wrapper
  • 1 plastic tofu wrapper
  • 1 plastic chips bag
  • 1 cardboard gum packet
  • 1 plastic cheese package
  • 1 cardboard brownie mix box
  • 1 plastic brownie mix bag
  • 1 plastic edamame bag
  • 1 tuna fish can
  • 1 cardboard ice tea box
  • 1 plastic ice tea bag
  • 1 broken plastic ring from light?
  • 1 plastic "honey bear" PETE 1
  • 1 cardboard pizza bottom
  • 1 plastic nuts bag
  • 1 plastic laundry detergent bottle HDPE 2
  • 1 cardboard cereal box
  • 1 plastic bag from cereal box
  • 1 beer bottle w/top
  • 1 box rice pilaf mix
  • 2 paper studio passes



E-Waste/Hazardous Waste:
  • 1 aa battery
  • 1 floodlight bulb
  • 1 floodlight bulb
  • 1 aa battery
  • 1 lightbulb
Disposed of Due To Health Reasons:
  • 2 pieces plastic wrap from frozen fish
Unaccounted for:
  • 2 pieces of paper tape

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Day 187 - Sunday 7/6/08

Today's Haul:

  • 1 plastic tortilla bag - recycle
  • 1 plastic cheese package - recycle
  • 1 cardboard brownie mix box - recycle
  • 1 plastic brownie mix bag- recycle
  • 1 plastic bag edamame - recycle
  • 1 can tuna fish - recycle
  • 1 broken zip tie - garbage

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Day 186 - Saturday 7/5/08

Today's Haul:

  • 1 cardboard box ice tea mix - recycle
  • 1 plastic bag ice tea mix - recycle
  • 1 paper instruction booklet from tea mix - worms
  • 1 broken plastic ring from light - recycle?
  • 1 plastic "honey bear" w/top PETE 1 - recycle
  • 1 cardboard pizza bottom - recycle

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Day 185 - Friday 7/4/08

Today's Haul:

  • 4 paper movie tickets - recycle
  • 1 popcorn bag - garbage
  • 1 piece camera tape - garbage
  • 1 plastic drinking cup PS6 - recycle
  • 2 paper napkins - worms
  • 2 plastic frozen fish trays PS 6 - recycle
  • 2 pieces plastic wrap from fish - disposed of due to health reasons
  • 1 cardboard cookie box - recycle
  • 1 plastic backing to sticker - garbage
  • 1 tea bag - worms
  • 1 tea bag packet - worms

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Day 184 - Thursday 7/3/08

Today's Haul:

  • 1 aa battery - e-waste
  • 1 plastic candy wrapper - recycle
  • 1 plastic tofu wrapper - recycle
  • 1 plastic chips bag - recycle
  • 2 paper towels - worms
  • 1 paper place mat - worms
  • 1 foil gum packet w chewed gum- garbage
  • 1 cardboard gum packet - recycle


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Day 183 - Wednesday 7/2/08

Today's Haul:

  • 1 large plasticoated dog food bag - garbage
  • 1 plastic nuts bag - recycle
  • 1 bandaid wrapper and band aid covers - garbage
  • 2 pieces chewed gum in wrappers - garbage

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Day 182 - Tuesday 7/1/08

Today's Haul:

  • 1 plastic laundry detergent bottle HDPE 2 - recycle
  • 1 cardboard cereal box - recycle
  • 1 plastic bag from cereal box - recycle
  • 1 paper bag - worms
  • 1 tea bag - worms
  • 1 tea bag paper cover - worms
  • 1 beer bottle w/top - recycle

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