Have We Gone Too Far?
March 14, 2008
Posted by CindyC in : Opinions & Thoughts , 1 comment so far
What got an eighth grader suspended for a day, stripped of his class vice president title and banned from an honors dinner? Was it foul language, truancy or violence? Surprisingly, the true culprit was a little bag of Skittles. I mean the small, colorful candies with a rainbow on the bag and not some street slang for a new drug.
Michael Sheridan, a New Haven eight grader, was facing these stiff penalties because he had purchased a bag of Skittles at school (from a classmate). Skittles and all other candy sales have been banned from New Haven schools as part of a district wide wellness program.
I’m all for nutritious snacks, exercise and a healthy environment for kids. As a parent, I do my share by not bringing cupcakes or candy to school celebrations and settling on healthier muffins or fruit kabobs. I try to position fast food places like McDonald’s as a last resort and not as a treat. But I don’t ban my daughter from eating pizza or birthday cake at parties because I figure a total ban would just make junk food all the more alluring.
Suspension for buying a bag of candy (to reinforce a zero tolerance policy against candy) seems harsh. And obviously others agree as this story has gain national coverage. Lucky for Michael, the Principal and Superintendent have since decided to rescind the original punishment and settle on a verbal reprimand.
I think the school did the right thing by cutting the kid some slack. What do you think?
CindyC at Organicpicks
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Amazing story brightened my day
March 13, 2008
Posted by CindyW in : Opinions & Thoughts , 2 comments
Lying in bed all day yesterday, I was moaning and whimpering. But this amazing story totally cheered me up. Just want to share with everyone - Moko the friendly dolphin saves whales.
Reported by several media outlets, “a dolphin swam up to two distressed whales that appeared headed for death in a beach stranding in New Zealand and guided them to safety, witnesses said Wednesday.”
A bottlenose dolphin, named Moko by locals at Mahia beach on the east coast of the North Island, apparently likes to hang out with swimmers, surfers, and kayakers. On Monday, two whales, a three-metre (10-foot) female and her 1.5 metre male calf, seemed confused by a sandbar just off the beach and could not find their way back to open water. Conservation Department officer Malcolm Smith worked for over an hour and a half to save the two pygmy sperm whales that had repeatedly become stranded. In dire situations like this, whales are often humanely killed to end their suffering.
Along came Moko. Smith said that he could hear the whales and the dolphin making noises, apparently to one another. Moko “approached the whales and led them 200 meters (yards) along the beach and through a channel out to the open sea. Then she did a right-angle turn through quite a narrow channel and escorted them out to sea.”
After all that, Moko returned to the beach and joined in games with local residents.
That made my day!
To read more detail, check out CNN or Reuters
CindyW
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Real Simple makes life complicated
March 12, 2008
Posted by CindyW in : Rants & the Ridiculous , 8 comments
Spending an extended weekend with a friend’s family up in Tahoe this week. It is here that the theory that I am invincible to colds and flus got completely blown apart. Yep, I am sick, whining and grunting.
Lying on the couch, I finally got tired of watching 12 episodes of The Dog Whisperer. The only magazine I could find in their cabin was Real Simple - Life Made Easier. I thought, “oh, very cool. Simplifying lives. Right on.” Then one of the stories/solutions in the first issue I picked up shattered my image - “just ONE look”, intending to teach readers to have a “pulled together” look. Examples included: a tweed dress for $1,100 and a jacket for $1,140. In my aching state, I muttered: “sure life just got that much simpler if you throw money and buy stuff”.
Too many pairs of shoes? No problem. Buy a huge shoe organizer, with a chic style of course. Problem solved. “Best in show” pets get playing toys, traveling products , sleeping accessories, and extras, like a Nautical raincoat. I have a dog and we love her to death. But we don’t seem to need any of these THINGS. Neither do the pets.
After reading two issues, my life all of a sudden seems too simple and not advice-worthy. Otherwise why do I never need any of these “solutions” from Real Simple. Call it what it is, a shopping catalog for people with a whole lot of disposable income. To simplify your life, you must buy more things. And then the magazine offers tips on how to save money, have more time to relax, and be more organized. Phew! Seriously…
I must be very cranky. I will be back with a less grouchy attitude 
CindyW
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CindyW
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Remember to Recycle Your Medication
March 11, 2008
Posted by CindyC in : Green Journal , 2 comments
Back in December, I discovered the importance of recycling unused or expired medications. The conventional “wisdom” of flushing drugs down the toilet only facilitates pollution of our waterways and our drinking water.
This week, the Associated Press published its investigative results on drug contamination in drinking water. The investigation showed a broad range of drugs has been found in the drinking water supply for 41 million Americans. The health and environmental impacts of these drug traces are controversial and still under investigation – though some recent studies have shown sexual changes in male fish. Persistent exposure to drugs, even in minute quantities, is enough to cause concerns for most physicians, scientists and environmentalists.
Of course, the contamination is also a result natural body excretion but improper disposal is easier to avoid. There is currently no national drug take back program. However, the EPA recommends consumers take advantage of local take-back programs offered by pharmacies or hazardous waste collection. If no near-by programs can be found, try using the resources posted on the Green Pharmacy Program, sponsored by Teleosis Institute. The program lists take back locations in California, other states and instructions on how to dispose of not accepted items.
And don’t forget, one of the best ways to avoid unused or expired medication is to buy in small quantities. So forgo those Costco-sized bottles of ibuprofen and buy only what you need!
CindyC at Organicpicks
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PG&E’s Cow Power
March 10, 2008
Posted by CindyC in : Communities , add a comment
A few posts ago, I marveled at the idea of biogas digester for family use (in India). Last week, PG&E announced the launch of a biogas to renewable natural gas project.
Turning manure into power is not a new concept, though previous attempts were smaller in scale or home-made. However, since many states have alternative power mandates, biogas facilities are starting to pop up in states like Vermont, Washington and California. This PG&E and BioEnergy Solutions joint project will be the first that deliveries quality, renewable gas to a utility in California. Cow manure will be collected in a large, three stories tall pit and broken down by natural microbes. The released methane gas is then scrubbed of corrosive materials to meet power plant standards.
The methane captured from manure produced by 5,000 milk cows is expected to produce enough renewable gas for 50,000 PG&E customers a year. The project is also expected to reduce methane emissions (from these 5,000 cows) by 70%.
COWabunga!
(sorry, couldn’t resist)
CindyC at Organicpicks
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New Plan for Eating at Home
March 7, 2008
Posted by CindyC in : Opinions & Thoughts , 1 comment so far
Like CindyW, I am also eyeing my barren vegetable patch, wondering what I’m going to plant for spring and summer. My last crop of broccoli was less than successful and yielded only ONE edible floret. Okay, I did let work get in the way and planted them a bit late but it was disappointing nonetheless.
In any case, as I continue to ponder and dream about my backyard bounty, I am reminded by my daughter’s teachers that March is National Nutrition Month. Although I have the best of intentions, I do find myself skipping a meal or ordering takeout because of work or family commitments. So in honor of Nutrition Month and spring, I am resolved to do better by:
Cooking in batches. Rather than making individual weekday meals, cook several meals on Sunday to reduce the rush and temptation of eating out. It’s not hard to do but does require some advanced planning before heading to the farmers’ market or grocery store.
Doubling the vegetables and halving the meat. I realized that most of our favorite recipes taste just as good even with less meat and more vegetables. The other night, I made turkey meatloaf with more vegetables than turkey and it was still popular. By the way, I found this Power Foods booklet that contains some kid-friendly ideas and quick nutritional information. Just ignore the ones that require canned goods if you rather have fresh produce.
Making home meals a fun event. My daughter loves eating out, not because of the food but because menus, drinks with straws and salad bars are exciting for a five year old. So this weekend, we are going to have make-your-own quesadilla bar and smoothies with silly straws. We might even invite over some friends and make it an evening.
None of these ideas are earth shattering but it’ll help us get back on track.
CindyC at Organicpicks
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Trash talk
March 6, 2008
Posted by CindyW in : Opinions & Thoughts , 4 comments
A while ago, I heard an interview with David Suzuki, a prominent Canadian environmentalist. It totally impressed me when the interviewer commented on how Suzuki’s family generated just one small bag of trash per month. “That is impossible,” I thought to myself. Suzuki suggested that not consuming packaged food eliminated much of the waste. Hmmm, that sounded interesting and plausible.
This week, my garbage pickup truck came and went. And we did not have a bag to contribute!!!
(excuse me for showing my trash can - not very pretty, really)
I know, I am being all immature and self-congratulatory. Surely the folks at Riot for Austerity are laughing at me. But I am so excited about the prospect of having a 13-gallon bag of trash every two weeks. Usually we have one bag a week. But this week is the first time we do not have enough to fill a 13 gallon bag.
David Suzuki was right. The first step to reduce trash is through eating non-packaged food. Whatever we buy from our local farmer’s market leaves virtually no trash – it either gets consumed by us or composted as food for our plants.
A closer look into what is in our trash bag reveals that 75% of it is plastic – cereal bags, bread bags, packaging for frozen shrimp, a couple broken trinkets from past birthday party goody bags, etc. Then there is a soy milk carton (cannot be recycled in my city), a Styrofoam take out box (a friend brought and left here), and kids’ “art work” that was too “decorated” to be recyclable. Short of making my own cereal and my own soy milk, I’d love to hear suggestions on how to reuse or recycle the bags.
Since composting takes away so much from my trash, I wish my city/county would collect “green waste” from every household like San Francisco.
Learning from many of you who have taken up the role of armchair activists, I will write to my city/county to campaign for a “green waste” pick up program. Perhaps I can even warm up my financially analysis skills that have been long forgotten to convince my city/county the economic upside…
Related posts:
My trash and your trash
Another city says no to styrofoam
A year worth of trash
CindyW
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CindyW
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Copyright 2007 Organicpicks
Procrastinator does gardening
March 5, 2008
Posted by CindyW in : Opinions & Thoughts , 8 comments
The patch of dirt in my backyard has been baking in the sun and soaking in the rain for about two years now. And I have been meaning to make an edible garden for a year. After touring neighbor’s gardens and speaking with Common Ground Garden Center, this queen of procrastination finally dug into the dirt this past weekend. I have no idea why it took me so long. Perhaps I have more than average share of inertia or am simply lazy. I digress; it is a large topic for me to meditate on another day.
Just the dirt patch
After 5 hours of laboring (5′ x 16′ trench), we broke ground. Feeling very much like a scientist, my husband “performed” the soil test. The girls helped spread dirt all over each other. And our dog tracked clumps of dirt in the house. All in all, a great start.
Dirt dug up (okay, nothing to show for. It’s a start)
Much like how we raised our first daughter – by the book: What to Expect The First Year – we are planting a garden by a book: How to Grow More Vegetable (by John Jeavons). Stop laughing. I wish I came out of the womb with a green thumb. Alas, this time around, I am excited to see what can survive under my brown (or perhaps black) thumb, corn? Tomatoes? Melons? Bush green beans? Sweet potatoes? I will channel Green Bean’s green thumb and keep blogging on our garden project progress or more likely non-progress.
Lessons learned so far:
- Loosening soil is backbreaking work. Duh!
- Getting husband involved in the projects leads to negotiating on the number of tools required – I: the fewer the better; he: we must have a hula hoe and a dibber. Huh?
- It’s really quite fun to work in the backyard
CindyW
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Recycling Crocs
March 4, 2008
Posted by CindyC in : Opinions & Thoughts , 3 comments
First Nike finds a way to recycle sneakers into playground surfaces (and divert them from landfills), through the Let Me Play campaign. Now Crocs, maker of the trendy but comfortable plastic shoes, is launching the SolesUnited Initiative. The company is collecting worn-out shoes, recycling them and turning them into new shoes destined for the needy in developing countries.
The SolesUnited shoes are made with 20% (not sure why it can’t be more) of recycled materials and are donated to various countries like Malawai, Cambodia and Guatemala. Crocs has distributed over 1 million pairs of SolesUnited shoes and hope to double that amount in 2008. You can either donate your old shoes through participating dealers or mail them directly to the program. Collection center and more information can be found on the SolesUnited website.
I admit I succumbed to my daughter’s pleading for a pair of pink crocs. Pink, plastic, clog-like shoes. Really! Actually, they seem pretty comfortable and at least the old ones can be recycled into new ones.
CindyC at Organicpicks
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Garbage In, Energy Out
March 3, 2008
Posted by CindyC in : Opinions & Thoughts , 1 comment so far
The topic of human and animal waste may not be pleasant meal conversation but I was fascinated when I read about Sintex biogas digester. The digester uses bacteria that breaks down waste (human excrements, cow dung and garbage) and emits methane gas, which is captured and then used as energy.
Source: CNN
This digester is particularly useful in India (where Sintex is based) as it addresses two important regional issues: energy need and sanitation. One cubic meter digester can provide enough gas to cook meals for household of four people and the sludge remains can be used as fertilizer. At $425, the digester is beyond the financial reach of many families but the government has agreed to subsidize a portion of the cost. In addition, open defecation is a major concern in many parts of India and the government hopes large scale biogas plants will be part of the solution.
Sintex is a plastics and textile manufacturer, so the biogas digester is only a small portion of its business, for now. The company does plan to increase investment and hopefully increase the installation base in the next year. I find it very interesting that an old business is creating new solutions to current issues, especially when compared against news of China’s largest plastic bag factory shutting down, due to the recent government ban on ultra-thin plastic bags. Maybe getting rid of the old and welcoming the new isn’t always a bad thing.
CindyC at Organicpicks
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