Recycling...an easy way to help to keep the Earth in better shape for the kids/grandkids/kids in general. Of course, we know it's not the only environmental care measure that needs to be worked on if we want to leave the planet in decent shape for the future generations, but it definitely plays a huge role! Check out the info below:
(Examples of energy and resource savings due to aluminum, steel, paper, glass and plastic will be posted soon.)
| related link
In 1996, if someone had made the statement that Americans would buy 8.3 million gallons of bottled water in 2006, we would have said they were 'off their rocker'. But guess what...Americans did buy 8.3 million gallons of bottled water in 2006. (BMC, 2007)
Read on for more eye-opening info:
*About 25-40% of bottled water is actually bottled tap water - sometimes with additional treatment, sometimes not (NRDC, 1999).
*More than 50% of Americans drink bottled water; a third drink it regularly (Howard, 2003).
*Bottled water costs between 240-10,000 times more than tap water (CRI, 2007).
*In 2005, 96% of bottled water sold in the U.S. was packaged in PET containers, the majority in single-serving sizes of one liter or less (CRI, 2007).
*Producing PET bottles uses more than 17 million barrels of oil and produces over 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide each year (Pl, n.d.).
*For each gallon of water that goes into a PET bottle, two gallons of water are used to make the plastic bottles and in the purification process (Weaver, 2007; UCS, 2007).
*462 million gallons of oil are needed each year to transport water bottles from the factory to the point of sale (SLC, 2007).
*Only about 10% of plastic water bottles are recycled (UCS, 2007).
Just thinking of all the oil and water - two natural resources that are 'in jeopardy' so to speak - used in the whole process, the pollution caused by the manufacture and transporting of said bottles plus the fact that only about 10% of the bottles are being recycled, should make us give serious thought to reducing our bottled water intake, right? Right!!
Now, go enjoy a refreshing drink of water... from your tap !
| related link
Hey kids...check out the sites listed below. They are organizations that were started by kids! It's great!
Kids For A Clean Environment www.kidsface.org Kids F.A.C.E. is the world's largest youth organization - much more than the first six memebers who gathered at Percy Priest Elementary in Nashville, TN in 1989
Kids For Saving Earth www.kidsforsavingearth.org Clinton Hill started a club for kids dedicated to peaceful Earth-saving actions. Clint died of cancer at the age of 11. After his passing his mother & father established Kids For Saving Earth as a nonprofit organization withthousands of kids doing good Earthworks.
Pump 'em up! www.pumpemup.org is a fuel conservation project started in 2001 by Savannah Walters when she was 9 years old. With the help of volunteers & friends, awareness of the project has spread. Students throughout the U.S. have joined Savannah's efforts to inform drivers that properly inflated tires conserve fuel. Savannah helps interested students get free tire gauges to hand out.
Ryan's Well Foundation www.ryanswell.org Ryan Hreljac was six when he learned that without access to clean water people become ill & sometimes even die. He raised $70 towards building a well in Africa. He reached his goal in four months but he kept working & organizing. His foundation has raised over $1,000,000 to this point (Ryan is a teenager now) & due to the efforts of Ryan & the foundation, 308 wells have been built in 13 countries in Africa and South America, changing the lives of thousands of people. Very cool!!
| related link
Burn Less... Breathe Better!
Did You Know that burning garbage in burn barrels is far more hazardous than previously thought? The composition of garbage has dramatically changed in the last generation; far more plastics are in it than 50 years ago. Because of this fact, more harmful chemicals are being released into the atmosphere.
But that's not the whole problem... Low-temperature fires — such as those in burn barrels — release a variety of toxic substances including heavy metals, particulates, and dioxin. Since burn barrels do not completely incinerate the material, the ash and smoke can settle more quickly on nearby lands. This residue that settles onto the ground contains harmful chemicals such as Dioxin that can be taken up by plants and produce. Toxic substances in the ash can also leach in to the soil or water table.
We encourage you to look into other ways to dispose of your garbage. Especially since much of the material frequently burned in a burn barrel is Recyclable! For more information please contact your local Solid Waste Office. Click the "Related Link" below to view an informational brochure.
| related link
Definition of what a household hazardous product is:
*Household hazardous products are products that present a health or environmental threat when used, stored or thrown away improperly.
Products are considered hazardous if they are:
> Flammable
> Toxic
> Corrosive
> Reactive
How do we know what is hazardous?
The best way to learn what is hazardous is to read the product label. The labels contain signal words , which tell how hazardous the product is. (Signal words words represent the hazard of a product, not its proper disposal. See the hazardous waste section on this site for proper disposal info)
Signal words and what they mean:
> Poison: highly toxic
> Danger: extremely hazardous
> Warning: moderately hazardous
> Caution: mildly/moderately hazardous
> No signal word: The product is probably not hazardous. However ,
the product may be to old - if produced before 1987 -
to have a signal word even if it is hazardous.
Below are examples of hazardous products that many of us have in our homes/garages:
*drain cleaner *oven cleaner *toilet bowl cleaner *bleach
*nail polish & polish remover *cleaners with bleach *latex paint
*oil-based paint *paint thinner *paint stripper *solvents
*varnish *wood preservatives *pesticides *weed killers
*rodent bait *bug spray *lighter fluid *motor oil
*automotive fluids *driveway sealer *aerosol products
*fluorescent light bulbs *rechargeable batteries & button batteries
*pool chemicals *ammonia *windshield washer fluid *concrete cleaner
*roofing tar *turpentine *kerosene *moth balls *rubbing alcohol
*putty, grout, caulk
The DIRT on Commercial Cleaners
All of the products that have been listed so far contain one, or more, ingredient that may pose health and/or environmental problems if used, stored or disposed of improperly but let's address hazards posed by some common household cleaners. (Note: The chart has limitations; not all commercial products in a given category contain all the ingredients listed. Read the labels on products to find out what the ingredients are.)
Product ----- Commercial Oven Cleaners
May Contain -- Ether-type solvents, petroleum distillates,
methylene chloride, butyl cellusolve, lye
Toxicity ----- All ingredients except the lye are neurotoxic &
central nervous system depressants. Methylene chloride
is a liver & kidney poison. Lye is a corrosive poison.
Ether-type solvents can contain impurities including the
carcinogen benzene, & can cause respiratory distress.
Disposal ----- Household Hazardous Waste Facility
Product ------ Commercial Toilet Bowl Cleaners
May Contain --- Complex phosphates, o-or-p dichlorobenzene,
chlorinated phenols, kerosene, salicylates,
germicides, fungicides, 1,3 - Diochloro - 5,
sodium acid oxalate, sodium acid sulfate
Toxicity ----- Some of those ingredients are highly toxic.
Some are highly corrosive. Fungicides can cause
kidney & liver damage. One of the ingredients is
a liver & kidney poison as well as a powerful
central nervous system depressant. Germicides
can be toxic.
Disposal ---- Household Hazardous Waste Facility
Product ---- Bleach
May Contain --- Sodium hypochlorite, borax
Toxicity ----- Reactive, irritant. Releases toxic gases when
combined with ammonia or acid.
Disposal ----- Household Hazardous Waste Facility
Product --- Commercial All Purpose Cleaners - Abrasive & liquid
May Contain -- Complex phosphates, chlorinated phosphates, dry bleach,
kerosene, morpholine, petroleum-based surfactants,
sodium bromide, glycol ether, Stoddard solvent,
EDTA, naphtha
Toxicity --- Chlorinated materials can form organo-chlorine compounds,
which in turn are stored in fat cells & can enter
mothers milk. Morpholine is very toxic and a liver and a
kidney poison. Some ingredients are neurotoxins & central
nervous system depressants. Glycol ether is also a
kidney and liver poison.
Disposal --- Household Hazardous Waste Facility
Product --- Commercial Spot/Stain Remover
May Contain -- P-hydroxybenzoic acid, oxalic acid, naphtha, benzene,
perchloroethylene or trichloroethylene, sodium hypochlorite,
hydrofluoric acid, aromatic petroleum solvents,
aliphatic hydrocarbons, chlorinated hydrocarbons, other
petroleum hydrocarbons
Toxicity --- Many of the ingredients are carcinogenic, suspected of being
carcinogenic, neurotoxic, central nervous system
depressants, stored in fatty tissue, a cause of respiratory
distress, liver and kidney poisons, toxic and corrosive
and can cause death.
Disposal --- Household Hazardous Waste Facility
Check back at this site soon for more info, e.g. general actions you can take to minimize the risk of 'polluting' yourself and/or the environment when a hazardous product is used, safer storage of products you do use, environmental problems caused by improper disposal of unwanted/unusable hazardous waste items, less-toxic/non-toxic suggestions for cleaning chores, etc.| related link
Next
Categories