Random Thoughts

Black Friday

2011-12-01T11:28:00.001-08:00

Capitalism at it's finest!

It is only November

2011-12-01T11:10:00.001-08:00

Remember Me

2011-11-22T12:43:00.001-08:00

Remember me when,
Flowers bloom,
Early in the spring.
Remember me on sunny days,
In the fun that summer brings.

Remember me in the fall,
As you walk through leaves of gold.
In the winter time, remember me,
In the stories that are told.

But most of all... Remember,
Each day, right from the start,
I will be forever near,
For I live within your heart.

Letting Go

2011-11-22T12:38:00.001-08:00

The angels gathered near your side,
So very close to you,
For they knew the trials in your life,
That you were going through.

I thought about so many things,
As I held tightly to your hand,
Oh how I wished that you were strong,
And happy once again.

But your eyes were looking homeward,
To that place beyond the sky,
Where Jesus held his outstretched arms,
It was time to say goodbye.

I struggled with my selfish thoughts,
For I wanted you to stay,
So we could walk and talk again,
Like we did... Just yesterday.

But Jesus knew the answer,
And I knew he loved you so,
So I gave to you life's greatest gift,
The gift of letting go.

Self Assessment Test

2011-11-10T17:20:00.001-08:00

Rate yourself on essential performance attributes.

Each of us is equipped with a number of talents and abilities. However, it's not what you have under the hood that counts, but rather what you do with what you have that is important and that determines your level of self-fulfillment. Are you using your unique talents to the best of your abilities? When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Are you living your life so that when you die, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying? To help in that journey of self-discovery, take the following quiz and find out where you stand. Then determine which of your assets to emphasize and which of your liabilities you need to improve.
-----------------

Setting priorities.
Do you know what and who are the priorities in your life? Have you developed a personal mission statement, complete with written goals and objectives that you use to guide your daily decision-making process?
1. Have no idea what you're talking about.
2. Have thought about writing a personal mission statement.
3. Have written one but seldom do I refer to it.
4. Can produce a written mission statement that guides my daily decisions.

Time management.
Organization is not checking off some trivial "to-do" list but rather creating time to achieve those elements of your life - professional, family, social, health, intellectual and emotional - that bring the greatest return. Are you organized to get done those things that are important or do you end up each day, each week, each month wondering where the time has gone and promising yourself that you're serious about doing it, whatever "it" is?
1. Don't even make a grocery list.
2. Check off a to-do list but it just contains my daily chores.
3. Do a pretty good job of making room for those elements in my life, but I've gotta run now or I'll be late for the gym.
4. The balance in my life would make a tightrope walker jealous.

Hard work.
The best players are outworking -- and outthinking -- their competition. Never rest and never tire from pursuing your objectives. One of the best coaches of all time, Vince Lombardi, said, "The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender." Do you give it your all?
1. I'm waving the white flag right now.
2. I know the value of breaking a sweat but would rather watch somebody else do it.
3. I break a sweat, but don't always have to shower.
4. I could play for Vince.

Self-improvement.
Do you constantly look for ways to improve yourself in all of the major aspects of your life - professional, physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual?
1. I'm as good as it gets baby.
2. I'm always running out of time to self-improve.
3. I do some things to improve myself, but it's not a top priority. It's nice to have not a must-have.
4. It's part of my daily routine.

Passion.
Do you really enjoy all aspects of your life? Do you have the dream job, the dream body, the dream mind, and so on and so on? For as Jack Nicklaus, whose name is synonymous with golfing, said, "It's difficult to excel at something you don't truly enjoy."
1. I golf, always did and always will.
2. Jack's right. I want to get excited about my life, but I'm not right now.
3. It feels good, so I'm doing it. But the earth hasn't moved yet.
4. Just had a hole-in-one!

Happiness.
In a related vein, you don't seek happiness - you create it. Happiness lies for those who cry those who hurt, those who have searched, and those who have tried, for only they can appreciate the importance of people who have touched their lives. Happiness is wanting what you have, not having what you want. Where do you stand on happiness scale?
1. Still looking for happiness in all the wrong places.
2. Got the plans but haven't started building.
3. Building the house of my dreams.
4. Living in the house of my dreams.

Attitude.
It's not the load that breaks you down; it's the way you carry it. One day, a donkey fell into an old abandoned well. An old farmer, passing by, said, "The old well is abandoned and the donkey isn't worth trying to save," so he started to shovel dirt into the well to bury the donkey alive. After the first shovel full of dirt came down on the donkey, the beast of burden realized something: every time dirt landed on his back, he could shake it off and step up. The farmer kept shoveling and the donkey kept shaking it off and stepping up. This went on for some time, with the donkey shaking it off and stepping up, shaking it off and stepping up. And it wasn't long before he stepped out of the well exhausted but triumphant. No matter how difficult the situation, no matter how bad things get, no matter how much dirt gets dumped on you, how well do you shake it off and step up?
1. I'm covered up with all of life's troubles.
2. I've got to get moving.
3. I'm stepping on up.
4. I'm out my hole and charging ahead.

Dream.
Most of the events in life had their origins in a dream. Somebody dreaming of a bigger, better or brighter future. "If you can dream it, you can do it," said Walt Disney, who made a future out of bringing dreams to life. Do you, like Walt, dream of a brighter tomorrow?
1. I woke up screaming from a nightmare.
2. I can't remember my dreams.
3. I dream, but only in black and white.
4. I dream in living color.

Empathy.
People don't care how much you know until they know h/w much you care. Can you put yourself in other people's shoes? Do you try and understand how they are feeling?
1. I wouldn't be caught in anybody else's shoes.
2. I looked but their shoes don't match my outfit.
3. I tried, but got blisters on my feet so I took them off.
4. I put a pebble in them and walked another mile.
Communication.
Are you good at connecting with other people? Do you listen twice as much as you speak? Do you fully engage others with the idea of finding out what's really on their mind?
1. What did you say?
2. I spend more time talking than listening.
3. I'm learning the art of communication.
4. I seek first to understand, then to be understood.

Flexibility.
The strongest tree of the forest is not the one that is protected from the storm and hidden from the sun. It's the one that stands in the open where it is compelled to struggle for its existence against the winds and rains and the scorching sun. Despite our own personal struggles, are you strong enough to bend?
1. I'm sawdust.
2. I'm an acorn.
3. I've survived some severe weather.
4. I'm strong enough to bend and can weather any storm.

Affability.
All things being equal, people like to do business with people they like. All things being unequal, people still like to do business with people they like. Are you easy to get along with? Do people enjoy your company?
1. Hey pal. I don't have time for all this psycho mumbo jumbo.
2. I was wondering why I always was a day late and a dollar short.
3. Guess I could do a little better business.
4. I'm fighting off the customers. Take a number please.

Creativity.
Are you able to think outside of the box? To look at issues and problems from a fresh and unique perspective?
1. Is there life after the box?
2. I'm a prairie dog. I pop up and look around once in a while, but the box is cozy.
3. I get out from time to time but I always keep the box in sight.
4. I've been out of the box for so long that I couldn't tell you what it looked like.

Persistence.
A first-time novelist sends out his manuscript and gets 121 rejections. Sending it out one more time, Robert M. Pirsig gets his first "yes", and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance goes on to sell more than three million copies. How much stick-to-itiveness do you have?
1. When the going gets tough, I don't.
2. I look for the path of least resistance.
3. I stick with it pretty well but I've got several things I haven't quite finished, if you'll excuse me.
4. Like a fly on flypaper, baby.

Pro-activity.
Do you shape things before they shape you? Do you take initiative, or do you merely react to the situation? Writer and educator, Leo Buscaglia, said it best, "To hope is to risk pain. To try is to risk failure. But risk must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing. The person who risks nothing does nothing, has nothing, and is nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow but he simply cannot learn, feel, change, grow, live or love. Chained by addictions, he's a slave.
He has forfeited his greatest trait, and that is his individual freedom. Only the person who risks is free." How good are you at taking a risk? If you don't take a chance, you'll never stand a chance.
1. I'm sitting this one out.
2. I'm scared to take a risk.
3. I like to work with a safety net.
4. Who needs a safety net?

Optimism.
"No pessimists," Helen Keller said, "ever discovered the secrets of the stars or sailed to uncharted lands or opened a new heaven to the human spirit." Why? Because they see the possible in the impossible - just like the two boys escorted out to a stable only to find a stall full of horse manure. They started digging feverishly, saying that with all of this crap in here, there's got to be a pony somewhere!
1. I don't even want to go to the barn because it smells so bad.
2. Sure is a lot of manure in this stall.
3. I'm looking for a pony.
4. I'm riding that pony.

Faith.
The African impala can jump to a height of more than 10 feet and cover a distance of more than 30 feet. Yet these magnificent creatures can be kept in an enclosure in any zoo with a three-foot wall. The animals will not jump if they cannot see where their feet will fall. Faith is the ability to trust what we cannot see, and with faith we are freed from the flimsy enclosures of life that only fear allows to entrap us. Do you give faith a chance to take root in your life? Can you let go of the flimsy enclosures that bind us?
1. Life's a zoo. My jumping days are over.
2. I'd like to leave but they treat me pretty well here.
3. I'm straddling the fence.
4. I left the zoo a long time ago.

Will to make a difference.
There's a beautiful story of a man walking along the beach after an especially high tide had washed a number of starfish up on shore. Up ahead, he notices a small boy; picking up a starfish and throwing it back in the ocean. Incredulous, the old man catches up to the boy and says, "Son, I applaud your kindness, but your task is impossible. There are literally thousands of starfish on this beach. You can't possibly make a difference." The boy looks at the old man, bends over, picks up a starfish and says, "To this one, I just did." And proceeds to throw it back in the ocean. Like that boy, do you feel called to make a difference? Against sometimes impossible obstacles?
1. Starfish are dumb, spineless organisms. That's why they washed up on the beach.
2. That's a great story.
3. I toss a few back in when I have the time.
4. I am that boy.

Focus.
When an archer misses the mark, he turns and looks for the fault within himself. Failure to hit the bulls-eye is never the fault of the target. To improve your aim – improve yourself. Do you have the ability to tune out all of the daily distractions and concentrate on achieving your objectives?
1. I never liked archery.
2. The target moved.
3. I keep missing the target.
4. Bulls-eye!

Action.
Every morning in Africa a gazelle wakes up. It knows that it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to . It doesn't matter whether you're a lion or a gazelle, when the sun comes up; you had better be running. When you wake up, do you hit the ground running? Dreams intentions, plans and objectives all sound good, but do you actually walk your talk?
1. I don't even talk about it.
2. I talk a good game but when push comes to shove, I keep talking.
3. I take action most of the time, but I want to do more - acting not talking.
4. I act, therefore I am.

Discipline.
Develop and stick to an intense routine. Remember that if you're not disciplined, someone, somewhere is and when the two of you meet, given roughly equal ability -- and sometimes given unequal ability -- they will win. As Lao-tzu put it, "Mastery of others is strength; mastery of yourself is true power." Be powerful.
1. I'm the 90-pound weakling pictured in those health magazines
2. I read those health magazines.
3. I'm working out.
4. Arnold better watch out.

Scoring:
Give yourself one point for each time you checked the first answer.
Two points for the second answer.
Three points for the third.
Four points for the final answer.

Add 'em up!
21-42 points = You've got your work cut out for you.
42-63 points = You're on the right track.
63+ points = Keep up the good work! Now go back and target each category where you rated yourself a "2" or less and develop an action plan to improve those areas.

Reason, Season, Lifetime.

2011-11-10T13:56:00.001-08:00

People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. When you figure out which it is, you know exactly what to do.

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed outwardly or inwardly. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrong doing on your part or an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up or out and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done, and it is now time to move on.

When people come into your life for a SEASON, it is because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They may bring you an experience or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy, but...only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons; those things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person/people (anyway); and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

Verhage Cider Mill and Doughnuts

2011-10-15T14:47:00.001-07:00

Another tradition my family Shares every fall, going to Verhage cider mill. The fresh made cider is some of the best I've ever had and the homemade warm doughnuts are delicious! Our favorite is the cherry doughnuts.

VerHage Fruit Farm and Cider Mill is home to the longest Zip Line in South West Michigan, the Zip Line is over 50 feet tall and 850 feet long! You and your family can zip individually from the highest point on the farm all the way back to the parking lot! As people witness the daring thrill seekers from the parking lot it quickly gains popularity throughout the day and it doesn't take long before you have to wait in a very long line to get your zip on on Saturday or Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.,

U-Pick
Family apple picking is a true tradition in Michigan. Families can come and pick apples 7-days a week from 10a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Visit the country store to pick up a bag for you and your family to begin your apple picking experience! U-Pick season is usually open from 3rd weekend in September to the 3rd Week in October.

Ticket Booth
Zip Line Ticket $5.00
Pony Ride Ticket $5.00
Hay Ride Ticket $3.00
Andy the Apple Train $2.00
Jumpin Pumpkin $2.00
Lost Mine $2.00

Hay Rides
Enjoy a 25 minute ride through Apple Orchards and winding forest trail. This wagon ride gives a whole new meaning to color tour and they run every 30 minutes on Saturday and Sunday begining at 10:00 a.m. until 6:30 p.m.

Pony Rides & Pumpkin Jumpin'
Pony rides are every Saturday and Sunday from
9:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m.
Pumpkin Jumpin' is a great big ballooned up air jump for toddlers of a certain height and weight to let loose and have some great big jumpin' fun! Only two kids are permitted in the pumpkin for everyone's safety, but the big pumpkin Jump is great pumpkin fun for all the little ones.

Andy the Apple Train
Kids of a certain height and weight can board Andy the Apple Train for a fun filled ride Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Andy the Apple Train has the full run of the the farm's drive and your kids board and ride in full sight of you. Some parents even walk beside Andy for kids that are still a little scared to ride all by themselves.

The Lost Mine
The Lost Mine is a fun attraction for the kids to enjoy on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Your kids can dig for gold and jewels.

Grandpa Vern's Animal Barn
FREE to everyone, these animals are well taken care of and are on display for you to enjoy.

Halloween World
located in Kelly's Country Store, It is for DISPLAY ONLY! The little miniature world is fully animated and a must see for everyone.

Orchard Rock
Orchard Rock is where many returning guests enjoy taking their annual group pictures! It's a great photo opportunity for the whole family!

Address: 8619 W M L Ave., Kalamazoo, MI 49065.
Phone: 269-375-0153.
Directions: In Kalamazoo, go W on Stadium Dr. to 6th St. (turn right). Go to the end of 6th and turn left on "ML", go over railroad tracks, 1/2 mile on left to 8619 West "ML" Ave.
Open: for approximately 8 weeks, September 5-Nov. 5, 10 am to 6 pm.

Rides & Activities run only on WEEKENDS!
Check out Video of Zip Line on Facebook!

They have: u-pick apples, already picked apples, homemade cider (non-pasteurized) you can watch them operate the press, homemade donuts (12 varieties) you can watch them make the doughnuts and buy them still warm!, homemade caramel apples (5 varieties),
Country Store - homemade jams, hayrides, pumpkin jump, animal barn, school tours and picnic area.

http://www.verhagesfruitfarmandcidermill.com/

Gene, Gene The Pumpkin Man!

2011-10-15T14:45:00.001-07:00

I grew up singing a song about Gene the Pumpkin Man, as did many kids from southwest Michigan, on my family's yearly pilgrimage to the farm of folklore and I'm grateful to be able to share and pass this beloved tradition from my childhood on to my young son and family;
"Gene, Gene the Pumpkin Man,
Has the best pumpkins in the land.
They're all spread out far as you can see,
And I get to pick one just for me!"

It's fall in Michigan...and that means pumpkins! And no one has more pumpkins than Gene the Pumpkin Man! If you haven't visited this location, you need to. It's a unique, experience and one of the funnest fall attractions in Southwest Michigan. Gene the Pumpkin Man is known for his overzealous devotion to all that is orange, including his Cadillac car, many of the contents in his home, and his orange barn with the giant “Gene the Pumpkin Man” sign, which is visible from M-43, the highway the farm borders.
The farm is open to the public mid-September through November and visitors can pick their own pumpkins. Thousands of customers visit the farm buying about 200 tons of pumpkins a year to celebrate fall and to carve jack-o-lanterns to celebrate Halloween on October 31.

Gene the pumpkin man is a Kalamazoo institution! Gene Rhodes is one of the nicest, most kind, interesting, personable, and generous characters you'll meet in your lifetime.
He loves meeting the people who come to his farm and he'll spend as much time talking and getting to know you and your family as you are willing to spend.

As far as prices go, This year we got five pumpkins a dozen gourds a container of honey all for twenty-five dollars! That's what we paid for two medium pumpkins at Bengstons last year in Chicago...

Great farm, great man, great experiences...

Gene and his farm are also the subject of a children's book; available from Amazon.

Located about five and a half miles west of US131 Kalamazoo, MI on M43 (Main Street)

Open 10 am – 8 pm from mid-September through November 1.

Phone: (269) 668-2952
Address: 22637 M 43 Highway
West Kalamazoo, MI 49009
Email: genethepumpkinman@juno.com

For more info, check out these links;

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gene-The-Pumpkin-Man/164423493576423

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1432714163/ref=redir_mdp_mobile

http://www.growingproduce.com/americanvegetablegrower/?storyid=812

http://vegetablegrowersnews.com/index.php/magazine/article/Pumpkin-Man-Transformation-Didnt-Happen-Overnight

What's the Cost?

2011-07-19T13:53:00.001-07:00

Have you seen this one?

Salary of the US President…$400,000. Salary of retired US Presidents…$180,000. Salary of House/Senate…$174,000. Salary of Speaker of House…$223,500….Salary of Majority/Minority Leaders. $193,400. Average US Salary…$33,000 to $77,000. HELLO! I think we found where the cuts should be made! If you agree repost

Now I agree that it would be nice to see our government officials show some ethical fortitude by also reducing their own hefty salaries before cutting social security and other public programs. However, even they all were cut in half, the salaries of these few hundred employees wouldn't even scratch our trillion dollar deficit.
How about instead we really do the right thing and bring our troops home and stop trying to be the world police. How many trillions does that cost us every year, not to mention the cost of lives and suffering!

Total Cost of Wars Since 2001
$1,224,948,034,678
Cost of War in Iraq
$801,726,259,034
Cost of War in Afghanistan
$423,221,775,644
Repost THAT!

Green Living Part I

2008-04-02T15:57:00.001-07:00

Leave it how you found it.
Whenever you go camping or visit a protected wildlife area you are asked to do just that, leave it the way you found it. “Take only pictures and leave only footprints.” For those unfamiliar with this edict, it is in reference to disturbing the wildlife environment as little as possible. Don’t leave any garbage around, don’t kill or destroy animals or vegetation, don’t contaminate or pollute lakes; streams; or ground water, etc.

I try to apply the same principals to my daily life wherever possible. In the grand scheme of things, after all, we are only here for a very brief period in terms of the age of Earth itself. So we are really just on a big camping trip, so to speak, while we are here and all of Earth truly is a wildlife area. So why shouldn’t the same respect apply? Further, we are here on Earth for such a short period of time, how can we truly claim ownership to any part of this planet? (Study Emerson’s essay on Nature.) It belongs, in actuality, to the future generations. In that mode of thinking, we should treat it as if it doesn’t belong to us. The way we would treat someone else’s property on loan to us. We should use it as gently as possible and return it in the same condition we received it. Let’s take a look at the major issues involved in doing this.

How to live lightly.
What are the areas of focus? Through which actions can the most change be effected? We want to do a couple of things here. First we want to identify those areas where the most changes can be made. That is, the bang for your buck situations. Those situations where the biggest difference can be made for your efforts. Second, we want to identify those areas in which you can make the changes and keep those changes and make them habit. In other words it’s a question of logistics. What changes can you make now and what changes are you willing to make in the near future with some planning and preparation?

This is largely an individual process. Different people can make more changes than others in certain areas. However, as a society there are certain areas in which we can all improve. So let’s identify some of those. The two biggest areas that North Americans can improve in are energy consumption and waste production. Other areas include natural resource consumption, air pollution, water pollution, and wildlife and land preservation.

Solutions for an Earth friendly lifestyle.
Let’s begin with energy consumption. The reason I suggest this is three fold. One, it’s one of the most prolific areas of waste. Meaning almost everyone can make vast improvements in this area immediately. Two, it offers a large amount of possible change for your efforts. Three, it offers you personal gain through money saved for the absence of the extra energy expenditure.

There are a number of ways to reduce energy consumption. Three of the big ones are electricity, natural gas, and gasoline. Natural gas and gasoline (made from crude oil) also fit into the Natural Resources category but I will discuss them here because they are two of the largest energy consumption categories. Now it’s time to talk numbers.

An overwhelming majority of consumers, 92 percent, agree that business, government, and consumers have an equal responsibility to reduce energy use. -- Alliance to Save Energy, 2003 Consumer Market Research.
According to estimates from the Energy Information Administration, in just two decades U.S. energy consumption will increase by almost 40 percent, an amount equivalent to the energy used today in California, Texas, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Illinois
--Alliance to Save Energy.

Natural Gas and Electricity Use/Cost Reduction
The average household spends about $1,800 each year on energy bills. By choosing Energy Star-qualified products, consumers can cut this by 30 percent, saving about $540 each year
--Energy Star.

American households typically spend more than $200 annually on air conditioning. Households in some regions of the South can easily spend twice that much
-- Alliance to Save Energy.

Replacing old model air conditioners with Energy Star units can cut cooling bills by 20 percent or more
--ENERGY STAR®.

“Sleep” features that power down home office equipment and other electronic devices that are turned on but not in use can save households up to $70 annually
--Alliance to Save Energy Power Smart Booklet.

Between 80 and 85 percent of the energy used to wash clothes comes from heating the water. Using warm or cool water instead of hot will save money and energy and get clothes just as clean
--U.S. Department of Energy.

In 2005, the average household spent $1,861 on home energy bills. You can save 10-50% on your home energy bills by making some energy smart improvements to your home. The key to achieving these savings is a whole-house energy-efficiency plan which requires viewing your home as one system with individual parts. Each part affects the other parts. For example, if you install ENERGY STAR® windows and good insulation, when it's time to replace your heating or cooling system, you may be able to get a smaller one, because the windows and walls will retain the heated and cooled air inside better than a home without efficient windows and good insulation. And since heating and cooling make up the majority of your bill, you'll save the most money on your energy bill by reducing your heating and cooling needs. Thinking of your house as a whole system ensures that the dollars you invest in energy efficiency are wisely spent.

Energy-efficiency improvements not only make your home more comfortable, they can also yield long-term financial rewards. Reduced energy bills more than make up for the higher price of energy-efficient appliances and improvements. In addition, your home may have a higher resale value. The first step to taking a whole-house energy-efficiency approach is to find out which parts of your house need the most help. A home energy survey can help suggest the most effective ways for you to reduce your energy costs. You can conduct a simple home energy audit yourself. When making energy home improvements, you may be eligible for a tax credit. President Bush signed the Energy Policy Act in August of 2005, which offers consumer tax credits for energy efficient home improvements and energy efficient vehicles. The Act includes a home tax credit with an overall cap of $500 to reimburse homeowners for specific home improvements. More info: http://www.ase.org/content/article/detail/2384
With energy costs skyrocketing, these tax incentives will help homeowners and builders make improvements to new and existing homes and buildings, which account for more than 40% of all energy used in the US.

Do-It-Yourself Home Energy Audits
You can easily conduct a home energy audit yourself. With a simple but diligent walk-through, you can spot many problems in any type of house. Since heating and cooling make up the single largest portion of your home energy bill, reducing your heating and cooling needs should be your top priority for reducing energy bills. For more information, visit:http://hes.lbl.gov

Insulation
If your home is as little as 5 to 10 years old, you likely have one of the 46 million under-insulated homes in the US, according to the Harvard University School of Public Health.

Adding more insulation is easy. Plus, insulation is one of the lowest cost options for improving the energy efficiency of your home. It pays off fast and keeps paying off with better comfort and energy savings for as long as you own your home.

Inadequate insulation and air leakage are the leading causes of energy waste in most homes. Insulation stops this waste by stopping the transfer of heat. In the winter, it helps keep the heat inside, and in the summer, it helps keep the heat outside. This reduces the number of times your heating or cooling systems need to cycle on, saving energy and saving you money. For more information, visit these websites: http://www.simplyinsulate.com/ http://www.ornl.gov/sci/roofs+walls/insulation/ins_01.html
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=home_sealing.hm_improvement_sealing

Air Sealing
Warm air leaking into your home during the summer and out of your home during the winter can waste a lot of energy and increase your energy bill. One of the quickest ways to reduce the waste is to caulk and seal all seams, cracks, and openings to the outside of your home. These can be hard to find and you may need the help of a professional. You probably know (and may be able to feel) if air is sneaking into your home around your windows and doors. (For more info on windows and doors, visit these websites: http://www.efficientwindows.org/ http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=windows_doors.pr_windows)
But lots of air infiltrates through openings in the ceilings, walls, and floors. The biggest holes are most often found in the attic and the basement. Caulk, spray foam, and weather stripping are the most common materials used for sealing up these holes. These materials are very affordable and can be purchased at your local Home Depot or other stores, and for the price, have a big payback. You can save 10% or more on your energy bill by reducing the air leaks in your home. For more information, visit these websites:
http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/info/documents/pdfs/26448.pdf
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=home_sealing.hm_improvement_sealing

Ventilation
When creating an energy-efficient, airtight home through air sealing techniques, it's very important to consider ventilation. Unless properly ventilated, an airtight home can seal in indoor air pollutants. Ventilation also helps control moisture, another important consideration for a healthy, energy-efficient home.

Moisture Control
Properly controlling moisture in your home will improve the effectiveness of your air sealing and insulation efforts, and vice versa. Thus, moisture control contributes to a home's overall energy efficiency.

Landscaping
Landscaping is a natural and beautiful way to keep your home cool in summer and reduce your energy bills. In addition to adding aesthetic value and environmental quality to your home, a well-placed tree, shrub, or vine can deliver effective shade, act as a windbreak, and reduce overall energy bills.

Carefully positioned trees can save up to 25% of a typical household's energy used for heating and cooling. Computer models from DOE predict that just three trees, properly placed around the house, can save an average household between $100 and $250 in heating and cooling energy costs annually.

Studies conducted by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found summer daytime air temperatures to be 3° to 6°F cooler in tree-shaded neighborhoods than in treeless areas. The energy-conserving landscape strategies you should use for your home depend on the type of climate in which you live. For more information, visti this sites: http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/landscaping.html

Heating and Cooling Your Home
Heating and cooling account for the biggest portion of your total energy bill, almost fifty percent. So when it’s time to replace your system, get the most efficient equipment possible or one that at least has the ENERGY STAR® label. If you’ve insulated your home, installed new windows, or made other energy improvements, you may be able to select a smaller sized heating or cooling unit, and smaller units use less energy, and cost less to operate. For more information, visit this site:
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=heat_cool.pr_hvac

Here’s a list of further steps you can take to reduce natural gas and cooling energy use/cost:
• Find out if your utility company offers free energy audits, where they inspect your home for energy effectiveness and recommend inexpensive ways to cut energy costs, such as insulating hot water heaters, weather-stripping, etc. Just insulating your hot water heater could save you $25 a year. Potential Money Savings: $50/yr.
• Set thermostats between 65 and 70 degrees during the winter, and at 60 degrees when away from home or sleeping. Consider adding an extra blanket for warmth while sleeping. In the summer use fans to create a “wind chill” effect, allowing you to use your air conditioner less, while still feeling comfortable. Set thermostats to between 75 and 78, and 85 when away from home. Each extra degree in winter can increase heating costs by 3%. In summer, each degree can raise cooling costs by 6%. Potential Money Savings: $325 to $500/yr. More info: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=thermostats.pr_thermostats
• Warm air rises, so use registers to direct warm air-flow across the floor. In the summer direct cold air vents toward, or across, the ceiling alowing it to settle toward the floor.
• On sunny days, open draperies and blinds to let the sun’s warmth in. Close them at night to insulate against cold air outside. In the summer you can reverse this idea; open the windows at night to let in the cool air and close them and the draperies during the day to keep the sun’s heat out.
• Don't heat areas of your house you don't use regularly, such as guest rooms. Close vents and doors in unused rooms and close dampers on unused fireplaces.
• Minimize your use of ventilation fans such as bathroom fans and kitchen hood fans in winter. A bathroom fan can suck all the heated air out of the average house in little more than an hour. Over the course of the winter, ventilation fans can increase your heating costs by a surprising amount.
• Lower the temperature on your hot water heater to between 110 and 120 degrees. It's not necessary to have it any hotter and it wastes energy. A family of four, each showering for five minutes a day, uses 700 gallons of water each week. Potential Money Savings: $20-40/yr.
• It's tempting to stand under a hot shower on a cold morning for as long as possible, but cutting your shower time in half can save up to 33% on your hot water heating costs.
• If radiators are located near cold outside walls, place a sheet of aluminum foil, or other reflective metal, between the radiator and the wall to reflect heat back into the room.
• Use your microwave instead of your oven whenever possible and save up to 50% in energy costs for cooking.
• Shopping for lower-priced gas may reduce your natural gas bill. To find out if your state participates in customer choice programs, visit the Energy Information Adminstration at www.eia.doe.gov.

Lighting Your Home
Don’t forget to turn off lights when you aren’t using them! Energy for lighting accounts for about 10% of your electric bill. Examine the wattage size of the light bulbs in your house. You may have 100-watt (or larger) bulbs where 60 or 75 watts would do. You should also consider compact fluorescent lamps for areas where lights are on for hours at a time. Your electric utility may offer rebates or other incentives for purchasing energy-efficient lamps.

Of all the energy it takes to light up one old-fashioned (incandescent) light bulb, 95% is lost as heat, while only 5% of the energy creates light. In the summer, this not only wastes energy and money, it also creates heat inside your home, causing you to use more air conditioning, and increasing your energy bill even more. The good news is that it’s easy to fix. New compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL) use much less energy to create up to four times more light.

CFLs cost more up front, but they last for about 7 years and save you money throughout those years. The EPA ENERGY STAR® program estimates that by changing the five most-used lights in your home, you’ll save more than $60 every year in energy costs.

Appliances
Use of appliances such as your refrigerator, dishwasher, stove, clothes washer, and dryer comprise about 18% of a typical home’s total energy bill. Appliances have two costs that you should consider when purchasing:

1. The initial purchase price
2. The cost of running the appliance for the next 8-20 years

When it’s time to replace an old appliance, make sure it has earned the ENERGY STAR® label. Only appliances and products that meet strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy earn the ENERGY STAR®. It means that these products are significantly more efficient than the average product. If the price for an ENERGY STAR® product is higher, remember that you’ll be making that incrementally higher cost back for the higher efficiency product each month in lower energy bills. Your utility bill usually shows what you are charged for the kilowatt-hours you use. The average residential rate is 8.3 cents per kWh. A typical U.S. household consumes about 10,000 kWh per year, costing an average of $830 annually.

How Much Electricity Do Appliances Use?
Many idle electronics; TVs, VCRs, DVD and CD players, cordless phones, microwaves, etc.; use energy even when switched off to keep display clocks lit and memory chips and remote controls working. Nationally, these energy “vampires” use 5 percent of our domestic energy and cost consumers more than $3 billion annually
--Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and quoted in Alliance’s Power smart booklet.
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This chart shows how much energy a typical appliance uses per year and its corresponding cost based on national averages. For example, a refrigerator uses almost five times the electricity the average television uses.

Here’s a list of further steps you can take to reduce electrical energy use/cost:
• Install the new type of fluorescent bulbs in lights you leave on for long periods. They provide four times as much light and last ten times longer than incandescent bulbs. Potential Money Savings: $10-$50/yr.
• Cut back on the use of your clothes dryer. Not only is it a big energy drain, it can also suck heated air out of your house very quickly in winter. Hang clothes on a clothes rack to dry and use the dryer for towels and other heavy items. Potential Money Savings: $25-50/yr.

I would be negligent if I didn’t at least mention water conservation while discussing home energy concerns. Here are a few pointers for reducing water use/cost:
• Always do full loads of laundry. A typical full load uses about 21 gallons of water. A small load uses 14 gallons. Several small loads use considerably more water than one or two large loads. Over the course of a year, this adds up. Potential Money Savings: $25-$125/yr.
• Run your dishwasher only when you have a full load. Let the dishes air-dry instead of using the heat cycle. An average dishwasher costs $60 to $100 per year to run. Potential Money Savings: $35-55/yr.
• Fix running toilets or leaking faucets promptly. A continuously running toilet can use more than 8,000 gallons of water a year. Potential Money Savings: $25-125/yr.
• Install flow restricting shower heads. A family of four can save 8,000 to 12,000 gallons of water a year. You not only save on the cost of the water, but also the cost of heating it. Potential Money Savings: $100-$300/yr.
• Add fabric softener to your laundry at the appropriate point in the cycle instead of adding it at the end and running another rinse cycle, which can use up to 10 extra gallons of water. Figure out how much time it takes your washer to reach the rinse cycle, and set a timer so you can add softener at the right time, or simply use a fabric softener ball. Potential Savings: $25-100/yr.
• Use warm or cold water for washing clothes, and always rinse in cold water. Potential Savings: $50/yr.

That pretty well covers electricity and natural gas, as well as water. In Part two of this series, I’ll discuss gasoline.

Green Living Part II

2008-04-02T15:56:00.001-07:00

Gasoline Energy Use/Cost Reduction
This fall, President Bush called on Americans to conserve gasoline by driving less and issued a directive for all federal agencies to cut their own energy use and to encourage employees to use public transportation. "We can all pitch in," the President said. "People just need to recognize that the storms have caused disruption," he added, and that if Americans are able to avoid going "on a trip that's not essential, that would be helpful."

Conserving Gas
The benefits of conserving gasoline are well known, and include money-savings, a cleaner environment, and a reduction of foreign oil use and the economic and political problems that come with it. Buying a more fuel-efficient car is the best way to save gas, but there are ways to reduce your gas consumption with the car you already own.

With gas prices so high, the media is awash with lists of gas-saving tips. Well how's this for a tip? If you listen up, you can see hybrid-type savings without having to buy a new car. By changing your driving habits you may be able to improve fuel economy up to 37 percent right away (depending on how you drive). Combine several tips and perform routine maintenance and you will save real dollars, not just pennies.

I found information from someone who actually put these tips to the test. All they did was take several of the most common tips out there and put them to the test over a remote 55-mile route in the high desert of California. Some of them worked like a charm. Some of them didn't work at all. Here you’ll get the breakdown. These tests were done under real-world conditions — not in a government lab somewhere. The results can be matched by anyone — even you.

The great part about what was found is that improving your car's mileage is just a matter of changing your habits. Stack a few of these ideas together and I'll bet that you'll see a substantial savings at the pump— without the need for a new car. Besides, getting more mileage out of your tank makes sense not only for your pocket; it also puts less strain on the Earth’s natural oil reserves.

Test #1 Aggressive Driving vs. Moderate Driving
Result: Major savings potential
The Cold Hard Facts: Up to 37 percent savings, average savings of 31 percent
Recommendation: Stop driving like a maniac.
This is gonna hurt. Tests showed that the most significant way to save gas is you. And we're talking massive fuel economy gains. Think you need a hybrid? Chances are you've got hybrid-style mileage in your gas pedal foot. Don't mash the gas when you start up. Take the long view of the road and brake easy. This tip alone can save you unbelievable amounts of gas. If you slowed your 0-to-60-mph acceleration time down from your current 10 seconds to a more normal city pace of 15 seconds, you'll feel the savings immediately.

Test #2 Lower Speeds Saves Gas
Result: Substantial savings on a long trip
Cold Hard Facts: Up to 14 percent savings, average savings of 12 percent
Recommendation: Drive the speed limit.
Remember a thing called the speed limit? On most highways it is either 65 or 70 mph. How fast are the cars and trucks around you going? From 75 mph to 90 mph. These people are wasting a lot of gas for the chance to get there a little earlier. While each vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different speed (or range of speeds), gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. As a rule of thumb, you can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.21 per gallon for gas. Factor in safety concerns and a speeding ticket once or twice a year and going fast is a costly proposition.

Test #3 Use Cruise Control
Result: Surprisingly effective way to save gas
Cold Hard Facts: Up to 14-percent savings, average savings of 7 percent
Recommendation: If you've got it, use it.
Using cruise control is a bit of gas-saving advice frequently seen on tips lists. I have always agreed with this tip in theory but I haven't seen any test results until now. First, it smoothes out the driver's accelerator input preventing "surging." Second, it makes the driver take the long view of the road rather than reacting to every change in the traffic around them. However, using cruise control can improve your gas mileage by helping you maintain a steady speed, but only if you are driving on mostly flat roads. If you are driving in hilly terrain, using cruise control typically causes your vehicle to speed up faster (to maintain the preset speed) than it would if you were operating the accelerator yourself. Before you push that cruise control button, think about the terrain ahead.

Test #4 A/C On, Windows Up vs. A/C Off, Windows Down
Result: Nice in theory; not true in practice
Cold Hard Facts: No measurable difference (unless you open the sunroof, too!)
Recommendation: Make yourself comfortable.
While the A/C compressor does pull power from the engine wasting some gas, the effect appears to be fairly minimal in modern cars. Putting the windows down tends to increase drag on most cars, canceling out any measurable gain from turning the A/C off. But this one depends on the model and speed you're driving. When the sunroof in an SUV is opened, the mileage will decrease even with the A/C off. Still it doesn’t seem worth the argument because you won't save a lot of gas either way. So just do what's comfortable. However, you may want to opt for open windows at speeds under 40 miles per hour and AC over 40. Check your owner's manual for specific information about your own vehicle's fuel efficiency when operating the AC to help you decide. Also most AC systems have an economy setting. Do you really need it on Max?

Test #5 Check Your Tire Pressure
Result: Important for safety and to reduce tire wear
Cold Hard Facts: No measurable effect on the vehicles tested
Recommendation: Check your tire pressure often but don't expect a big savings.
No matter how many times drivers hear about the importance of tire pressure, most of them don't do anything about it. They probably don't like squatting beside their car in a busy gas station with fumes swirling around them. But is it important? The answer is yes for a number of reasons. Properly inflated tires are less likely to fail at high speeds. They wear more evenly and, yes, they deliver better gas mileage. How much? In this test there was a modest difference in two of the cars. It might have been more dramatic with different tires on different cars. Experts swear by it; the test couldn't really document it. Has tire technology, like the design in other areas of the car, improved beyond the point of this being a factor any longer? Each set of tires is different and every vehicle is different. You should do your own tests to see what inflation setting gives you the best fuel economy for your vehicle/tire combination. For safety and tire longevity, keep a tire gauge on hand and check the pressure often. Extremely low pressures will decrease economy, and safety.

Test #6 Avoid Excessive Idling
Result: More important than assumed
Cold Hard Facts: Not idling saves an average of 19 percent
Recommendation: Stopping longer than a minute? Shut 'er down.
If you turn off a light bulb as you leave the room you'll save electricity. If you turn off your car you will save gas. Obviously. But related questions are more difficult to answer. If you're stopping for only a minute, is it better to shut off the engine or keep it idling? Should I shut off the engine in traffic? How much gas will this save? What rule of thumb do I use when trying to save gas this way? Don't let your car sit and idle longer than 60 seconds. Start it only when everything is packed in, the kids are strapped in, and you're ready to go. Idling gets 0 miles per gallon. The engine warms up faster when driving than it does when idling, and idling wastes about a quart of gas every 15 minutes. Cars with larger engines typically waste more gas at idle than do cars with smaller engines.

Conclusions
The good news is that you can drastically improve your gas mileage. The caveat is that you have to change your driving habits. If you are willing to change, you'll find many related benefits. No speeding tickets, greater safety, reduced stress and lower repair bills for tires and brake pads. In the long run this will save you money.

Here’s a list of further steps you can take to reduce gasoline energy use/cost:
• Pick your lane and stick with it. Traffic studies have shown that changing lanes doesn't result in a significantly reduced travel time. So why not choose your lane and put it in cruise control? This avoids constant surging as you speed into the open lane. It will lower your fuel consumption and your blood pressure.
• Don't tailgate. It leads to unnecessary braking and acceleration. Wasteful driving habits can double your fuel consumption. Develop gas-saving habits, such as: (1) always accelerate gently; (2) watch traffic ahead of you so you can anticipate slow-downs and avoid stops; (3) coast up to traffic jams by lifting your foot off the gas pedal instead of approaching at full speed and slamming on the brakes. It takes 20% more gas to accelerate to normal speed from a full stop than it does from four or five miles per hour; (4) don't drive too fast or too slow. It takes 20% to 30% more gas to drive at 70 mph than 50 mph; (5) maintain a steady speed on the highway. Avoid getting stuck behind slow cars where you have to slow down to their pace and then speed up to pass. These tips can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent around town. Potential Money Savings: $390/yr.
• Don't drive a gas guzzler. Do you really need that SUV? Six cylinders instead of four? How about that big pickup truck? Smaller more efficient vehicles will save money and conserve fuel.
• Lighten up. Opt for a light colored exterior and interior and cloth seats, as this will keep you feeling cooler and allow you to use the air conditioning less frequently.
• Maintain. If your vehicle is properly maintained it will run more efficiently and use less gas. Regular maintenance will also extend the life of the vehicle. A poorly tuned car can use more than 25% more gas.
• Use the Recommended Grade of Motor Oil. You can improve your gas mileage by 1-2 percent by using the manufacturer's recommended grade of motor oil. For example, using 10W-30 motor oil in an engine designed to use 5W-30 can lower your gas mileage by 1-2 percent. Using 5W-30 in an engine designed for 5W-20 can lower your gas mileage by 1-1.5 percent. Also, look for motor oil that says "Energy Conserving" on the API performance symbol to be sure it contains friction-reducing additives.
• Added weight lowers fuel economy. Don't over-pack your trunk! Remove excess weight and avoid keeping unnecessary items in your vehicle, especially heavy ones. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your MPG by up to 2%. The reduction is based on the percentage of extra weight relative to the vehicle's weight and affects smaller vehicles more than larger ones.
• Take the roof rack off - If you’re not using your roof rack then remove it. They affect the aerodynamic efficiency of your vehicle and create drag, reducing fuel economy by as much as 5%*.
• Use overdrive. When you use overdrive gearing, if equiped, your car's engine speed goes down. This saves gas and reduces engine wear. Overdrive is the D with the circle around it on the gear selector.
• Try not to make single-purpose trips. Save fuel by combining errands into one trip and avoid backtracking whenever possible. Potential Money Savings: $25-100/yr.
• Don’t Get Lost. It's always a good idea to have a map of the area where you're traveling--getting lost is not good for fuel economy. If you are not familiar with the area, ask your innkeeper, hotel desk manager or other "local" to advise you on the best routes. The shortest distance may not always be the best choice.
• Drive on off-peak hours. Sitting in traffic isn't much fun for you or your car. You could try adjusting your schedule to avoid the traffic jams. You will save time and quite a lot of fuel. If you can't change your work schedule, arrive early and spend the time in the gym, reading a book or doing extra work. Wouldn't you rather be doing something for yourself than burning gas sitting in traffic?
• Fill up in the morning. Cooler gasoline is more compact, so you'll get more drops of the precious fluid for your dollars.
• Don't "top off the tank." When pumping gas. Some of the gas may end up overflowing when it expands in the sun or if you park on a hill. Potential Money Savings: $20-53/yr.
• Pump your own gas. Self serve gas is usually 5% to 10% cheaper than full service. Also, make sure that the gas cap is securely tightened. Gas can evaporate easily. Potential Money Savings: $65-130/yr.
• If you own more than one vehicle, drive the one that gets better gas mileage!
• When renting, ask for a model that gets better fuel economy.
• Car pool to work. By sharing the driving with just one other person, you could save an average of $20/month or $200/year in gasoline alone, if your commute is 20 miles round-trip each day. Sharing the driving with two others increases your savings even more. Savings vary depending on the length of your commute. In addition to savings on gasoline, you'll save maintenance costs and wear and tear on your car. Also there are some very cool things about carpooling besides just the gas savings. You can use the carpool lanes and say you're stuck in a boring meeting at work, simply glance at your watch and say, "Sorry, I'm carpooling." Everyone knows you're doing a good thing for the environment so they will nod understandingly and excuse you. Potential Money Savings: $400-700/yr.
• Another benefit to car pooling is that it reduces the annual mileage on your car. Since this reduces the risk of accident, your insurance company charges you less for your coverage. Potential Money Savings: $25-50/yr.
• Consider leaving the car at home! Take a bus, train or ferry to your travel destination. Consider public transportation. The American Public Transportation Association web site lists local public transit information that is listed by parish and city: http://www.apta.com/links/state_local/la.cfm
• Don't drive. How can "don't drive" be a driving tip? Well, I won't argue the point. But I will say that most people could stand to walk or ride a bike a lot more than they are doing now. So look for local errands that can easily be done under your own steam. A short walk might be faster because you don't have to spend time finding a parking space. Plus you’ll actually be getting ‘gasp’ some exercise! Walk or bicycle. Get your daily exercise and save money.
• Look for telecommuting opportunities. Does your employer insist on lots of "face time"? With rising gas prices and congested freeways, working from home one day a week might be an option that your employer will consider. Tell them that the time you save commuting you will use to increase your productivity.
• Learn more about Demand-Side Strategies. Those strategies designed and implemented by organizations with a role to play in mitigating traffic congestion, including state/regional/local governments, employers, special event managers, etc. Organizations frequently tailor packages of both general strategies and targeted strategies to facilitate the most appropriate blend of efficient traveler choices. Read more: http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/mitig_traf_cong/.

Motorists who conserve gasoline will save money, help the environment, extend the life of their vehicle and further the national goal of energy independence. So think conservation: everyone benefits.

Try an environmental rental
Try out alternative-fueled vehicles on your vacation. If you do need to rent a car when you're away from home, perhaps you can get one that creates less pollution. EV Rental Cars was formed in 1998 to provide environmentally friendly, alternative-fueled vehicles (AFVs) to car rental customers, and is affiliated with Budget Rent-a-Car. They claim to be "the first and only environmental vehicle rental company in the U.S.," offering travelers a low-emission option to protect air quality.
Currently, the company offers natural gas, electric, hybrid-electric and clean air gasoline-powered AFVs in major markets in California, as well as Washington, D.C. See their web site for more locations.

The rental fleet includes many of the newest models from major manufacturers, including Honda, Toyota, General Motors and Nissan. Size, range, and refueling requirements vary significantly. Check out their Web site for vehicle details, fueling locations, and cost and reservation information.

Alternative-fueled vehicles minimize air pollution, are less noisy, and are very fuel-efficient. This Honda Insight, a gas-electric hybrid, gets up to 70 highway miles per gallon of gasoline! AFVs include new models, as well as existing vehicles that are converted to use a new fuel source like natural gas or batteries.

Consider buying a fuel efficient vehicle
Deciding which vehicle to buy may be the most important fuel economy decision you make. The difference between a car that gets 20 MPG (miles per gallon) and one that gets 30 MPG amounts to $1,500 over 5 years, assuming gas costs $1.50 per gallon and you drive 15,000 miles a year. For more information about fuel-efficient vehicles, visit the Department of Energy website: http://www.fueleconomy.gov

Learn more about energy-efficiency tax credits for fuel-efficient vehicles… Beginning 2005, a $2,000 federal tax deduction is available for purchasers of hybrid-electric cars. Beginning January 1, 2006, the new Energy Policy Act of 2005 provides a federal tax credit of up to $3,400 for a hybrid-electric car purchase. Hybrid Tax Credits:
http://www.edmunds.com/news/regularnews/articles/109018/article.html

Learn more about federal programs that promote the use of alternative fuels. Incentives and regulations are available on the U.S. Department of Energy Alternative Fuels Data center web site: http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/progs/fed_summary.cgi?afdc/US

The U.S. Dept of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

That about does it for Gasoline use and Energy Conservation altogether. In part three of this series I’ll discuss Waste Reduction.

Green Living Part III

2008-04-02T15:54:00.000-07:00

State of The Union Address -- January 31, 2006 (excerpt)“Keeping America competitive requires affordable energy. And here we have a serious problem: America is addicted to oil, which is often imported from unstable parts of the world. The best way to break this addiction is through technology. Since 2001, we have spent nearly $10 billion to develop cleaner, cheaper, and more reliable alternative energy sources -- and we are on the threshold of incredible advances.

So tonight, I announce the Advanced Energy Initiative -- a 22-percent increase in clean-energy research -- at the Department of Energy, to push for breakthroughs in two vital areas. To change how we power our homes and offices, we will invest more in zero-emission coal-fired plants, revolutionary solar and wind technologies, and clean, safe nuclear energy. (Applause.)

We must also change how we power our automobiles. We will increase our research in better batteries for hybrid and electric cars, and in pollution-free cars that run on hydrogen. We'll also fund additional research in cutting-edge methods of producing ethanol, not just from corn, but from wood chips and stalks, or switch grass. Our goal is to make this new kind of ethanol practical and competitive within six years. (Applause.)

Breakthroughs on this and other new technologies will help us reach another great goal: to replace more than 75 percent of our oil imports from the Middle East by 2025. (Applause.) By applying the talent and technology of America, this country can dramatically improve our environment, move beyond a petroleum-based economy, and make our dependence on Middle Eastern oil a thing of the past. (Applause.)” - President George W. Bush

I think that, along with the previous installments of this series, sufficiently caps off energy waste and reduction, lets move on to the next and final topic in this series...

Waste Prevention
When you avoid making garbage in the first place, you don't have to worry about disposing of waste or recycling it later. Changing your habits is the key, think about ways you can reduce your waste when you shop, work and play. There's a ton of ways for you to reduce waste, save yourself some time and money, and be good to the Earth at the same time. Everyone in the U.S throws away enough aluminum every three months to rebuild our entire commercial air fleet. Think about that for a minute. That’s incredible and ridiculous. There’s no need and no excuse for it. With a small amount of fore thought and planning you can spend an extra thirty seconds out of your day to ensure recyclable materials don’t continue finding their way into our landfills.

Overview
During the past 35 years, the amount of waste each person creates has almost doubled from 2.7 to 4.4 pounds per day. The most effective way to stop this trend is by preventing waste in the first place.
Waste prevention, also known as "source reduction," is the practice of designing, manufacturing, purchasing, or using materials (such as products and packaging) in ways that reduce the amount or toxicity of trash created. Reusing items is another way to stop waste at the source because it delays or avoids that item's entry in the waste collection and disposal system.

In 1998, Americans generated 220 million tons of garbage. This is about 4 million tons more than what was generated in 1997 and about 4.5 pounds of waste per person per day. Managing this large waste stream burdens our environment and our economy. While recycling the materials in the waste stream is a better option than disposal, preventing the waste in the first place is the best option.

Reducing your household waste by 5% and recycling the rest is equivalent to taking 230 cars off the road in one year. In addition to recycling at home and at work, individuals and businesses must also “close the loop” by purchasing products made from recycled materials, to create consumer demand and markets for recyclables.
Source reduction, including reuse, can help reduce waste disposal and handling costs, because it avoids the costs of recycling, municipal composting, landfilling, and combustion. Source reduction also conserves resources and reduces pollution, including greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.

Waste prevention methods help create less waste in the first place, before recycling. If organizations take a good look at their recycling collection data, they are likely to see ways to reduce waste first through waste prevention, thereby decreasing purchasing costs and the amount of material that must be managed for recycling. For more information, visit these waste prevention publications and related links.

Waste minimization strategiesCommunities - The U.S. EPA estimates that over 4,000 communities have "pay-as-you-throw" programs. Residents pay for each bin or bag of trash they set out for disposal rather than a flat fee. When households reduce the amount of trash, they pay less.
Businesses - Practicing source reduction helps industries decrease raw material use and cut manufacturing costs. Offices can shrink their waste stream, too. Get waste reduction strategies for large and small businesses.
Consumers - Buying in bulk, reusing products, buying products with less packaging and refillable products all help to reduce consumer costs and the amount of waste going to disposal. Get a laundry list of tips from the National Recycling Coalition.

Reuse strategiesReusing products or packaging delays or avoids their entry into the waste stream. How can you practice reuse? Donate, repair, refill, reuse, rent, rebuild, or resell. Think of new uses for used items.
If you can't reuse a product, there are usually others in the community that can. According to the Reuse Development Organization, there are more than 6,000 reuse centers in the U.S. Find one near you.

Many communities have also established resource exchange programs. Unwanted items from a business or other generator are matched with those that are seeking these materials to reuse or recycle into a new product. Schools are often the beneficiaries of these cast offs. Get a list of waste exchanges by state.
Reuse of products and packaging prolongs the useful life of these materials, thus delaying final disposal or recycling. Reuse is the repair, refurbishing, washing, or just simple recovery of worn or used products, appliances, furniture, and building materials for reuse. Sample goals in this area include:
· Reusing corrugated moving boxes.
· Reusing office furniture and supplies, such as interoffice envelopes and file folders.
· Using durable towels, tablecloths, napkins, dishes, cups, and glasses.
· Using incoming packaging materials for outgoing shipments.

National Recycling Coalition source reduction strategies
1. Reduce product use.
2. Rent or lease products or equipment.
3. Purchase rebuilt, remanufactured or refurbished products.
4. Purchase more durable products.
5. Purchase products containing non-hazardous materials.
6. Purchase products that are reusable, refillable, or returnable.
7. Purchase products in bulk.
8. Purchase products with less packaging or reuse packaging.
9. Share or reuse resources.

Businesses can often modify their current practices to reduce the amounts of waste generated by changing the design, manufacture, purchase, or use of materials or products. Sample goals in this area include:
· Reducing office paper waste by implementing a formal policy to duplex all draft reports, and by making training manuals and personnel information available electronically.
· Improving product design to use less materials.
· Redesigning packaging to eliminate excess material while maintaining strength.
· Working with customers to design and implement a packaging return program.
· Switching to reusable transport containers.
· Purchasing products in bulk.
Organizations can donate products or materials to charities or nonprofits, or exchange materials through a commercial materials exchange. Sample goals in this area include:
· Donating unwanted supplies to local schools or nonprofit organizations.
· Donating cafeteria food scraps for use as animal feed.
· Advertising surplus and reusable items through a commercial materials exchange.
· Donating excess building materials to local low-income housing developers.
Source Reduction and Reuse Facts
· More than 55 million tons of MSW (Municipal Solid Waste) were source reduced in the United States in 2000, the latest year for which these figures are available.
· Containers and packaging represented approximately 28 percent of the materials source reduced in 2000, in addition to non-durable goods (e.g., newspapers, clothing) at 17 percent, durable goods (e.g., appliances, furniture, tires) at 10 percent, and other MSW (e.g., yard trimmings, food scraps) at 45 percent.
· There are more than 6,000 reuse centers around the country, ranging from specialized programs for building materials or unneeded materials in schools to local programs such as Goodwill and the Salvation Army, according to the Reuse Development Organization.
· Between 2 and 5 percent of the waste stream is potentially reusable according to studies in Berkeley, California, and Leverett, Massachusetts.
· Since 1977, the weight of 2-liter plastic soft drink bottles has been reduced from 68 grams each to 51 grams. That means that 250 million pounds of plastic per year has been kept out of the waste stream.
Source Reduction and Reuse Benefits
· Waste prevention and recycling saves energy. Making products from recycled material typically requires less energy than products made from virgin material. Less energy means fewer fossil fuels are burned and less carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) is emitted.
· Keeping wastes out of the incinerator and landfill reduce emissions from those sources.
· Waste prevention and recycling of paper products leaves more trees standing in the forests. Forests absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in wood.
· Saves natural resources. Waste is not just created when consumers throw items away. Throughout the life cycle of a product, from extraction of raw materials to transportation to processing and manufacturing facilities to manufacture and use, waste is generated. Reusing items or making them with less material decreases waste dramatically. Ultimately, less materials will need to be recycled or sent to landfills or waste combustion facilities.
· Reduces toxicity of waste. Selecting non-hazardous or less hazardous items is another important component of source reduction. Using less hazardous alternatives for certain items (e.g., cleaning products and pesticides), sharing products that contain hazardous chemicals instead of throwing out leftovers, reading label directions carefully, and using the smallest amount necessary are ways to reduce waste toxicity.
· Reduces costs. The benefits of preventing waste go beyond reducing reliance on other forms of waste disposal. Preventing waste also can mean economic savings for communities, businesses, schools, and individual consumers.
Climate Change and WasteRising levels of greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are causing changes in our climate. The manufacture, distribution, and use of products, as well as management of the resulting waste, all result in greenhouse gas emissions. Waste prevention and recycling can help mitigate climate change.

Related Links
Waste Prevention Programs
· Pay-As-You-Throw
· National Recycling Coalition
· WasteWise
· Climate Change and Waste
· Environmentally Preferable Purchasing
· Great Lakes Pollution Prevention
· Hospital Waste Prevention & Mercury Reduction Efforts
· Native Landscaping
· Pay-As-You-Throw systems
· Product Stewardship
· Reuse

Publications
· EPA has developed a list of publications related to source reduction and reuse.
Organizations
· INFORM 120 Wall Street New York, NY 1005-4001 Phone: 212 361-2400Fax: 212 361-2412
· Environmental Defense 257 Park Avenue South New York, NY 10010 Phone: 212 505-2100 Fax: 212 505-2375
· Reuse Development Organization Indianapolis, IN 46244 Phone: 317 631-5395 Fax: 317 631-5396
· Use Less Stuff

Electronics
With the current pace of technological advancement, electronic equipment becomes outdated quickly. Electronics can be reused, upgraded, and remanufactured. Extending the life of electronic products can also reduce disposal costs and provide potential tax write-offs.

Some examples of electronic product waste reduction activities include:
· Donating reusable electronic equipment (e.g., to schools or other nonprofit organizations).
· Buying remanufactured equipment instead of new equipment.
· Contracting with suppliers to lease electronics.
· Recycling equipment that cannot be reused.

Electronic product manufacturers might also consider other options, such as:
Redesigning an electronic product so that it can be more easily upgraded or remanufactured.
Establishing a take-back program for electronic products from customers, and remanufacture or upgrade these products for resale.

Waste Reduction In The Home
Households are creating and throwing away more waste than ever. From junk mail to excess paint to food scraps, this garbage takes time and money to deal with. Fortunately, there's a lot you can do to reduce your waste at home. Besides, nobody likes taking out the trash...

Why Waste Reduction Is Important
All the products you buy, or at least their packaging or containers, will eventually require disposal. Packaging now accounts for 64 million tons by weight or 33% of all our garbage. The average person discards about 4 1/2 pounds of trash each day. If each person reduced waste by only 1 pound each week, the amount of reduction statewide would total 312,000 tons a year.

The family who reduces waste in the home helps protect the environment. Waste reduction is as important as recycling in saving natural resources, energy, and disposal space and costs, and in reducing pollution risks. Careful buying and disposal habits can also stretch the family budget.

Waste reduction refers to:
1. Reducing the amount of waste produced. An example is using china and silverware instead of using disposable paper plates and plastic flatware.
2. Reducing toxic substances in waste. An example is using a nontoxic oven cleaner instead of one that contains hazardous ingredients.

Getting Starting
The best way to discover where you can reduce waste is to actually sort through your trash. What does each family member throw away? What materials take up the most space? Is anything reusable or repairable? Can you reduce the amount of disposable products you use? Can you substitute products and packaging made of reusable, recyclable, or non-hazardous materials? If you are throwing away unusable leftover products, can you give them to someone else, or buy these things in smaller sizes?

Reduce excess paper at home
A good portion of what you throw in the garbage each day is paper. Much of the paper generated in our homes comes in the mail. The average American household receives more than 500 pieces of advertising mail each year. We’ll look at in depth strategies on this topic in a separate section.

Reduce packaging waste
Packaging makes up 30 percent of total municipal solid waste and 33 percent of household daily waste. You can reduce the amount of packaging you throw in the garbage by purchasing items that have less packaging.
Examples: Reduce the amount of packaging by purchasing concentrates and diluting them with water in reusable containers. Avoid single-serving products in favor of larger servings or buying in bulk. Take your own reusable cloth bag so you don't need "paper or plastic."
Benefits: Over-packaged products often cost more than less-packaged products. This means that you can save money when buying products with less packaging.

Eliminate Mercury From Your Home
Mercury evaporates easily and travels great distances through the atmosphere. It is a nerve toxin which ends up in our lakes and rivers, where it accumulates in fish and other creatures. Humans may be at risk if they regularly eat mercury-contaminated fish. Mercury is especially dangerous when ingested by children, pregnant women, and women planning to have children in the future.

The best way to keep mercury out of the home and the environment is to avoid mercury-containing products in the first place. If you have such products, when it comes time to throw them away, be responsible: Make sure they are taken to a household hazardous waste facility for recycling.

Example: Mercury is found in many common household items such as fever and cooking thermometers, tilt switches in many thermostats, steam irons with 15-minute automatic shut-off, neon lamps, older batteries, fluorescent lamps, switches that stop washing machines when the top is open, "silent" wall switches, mercury vapor, high pressure sodium and metal halide lamps.
When buying these types of products, look for non-mercury alternatives, like digital fever thermometers and alcohol-based cooking thermometers. Replacing your home thermostat? Consider a digital or electronic one that contains no mercury.

Benefits: It is against the law to throw mercury-containing products away in the garbage. Proper management of mercury-containing products means keeping the mercury intact and bringing it to your local household hazardous waste site. Efforts like these to remove mercury from our garbage has meant lower mercury emission levels from waste disposal.

Find out more· Health Care Without Harm has many resources on preventing mercury pollution in the home, including Mercury Thermometers and Your Family's Health (280Kb), explaining risks of mercury thermometers and safer alternatives.

Prevent Food Waste And Compost Organics
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), 27 percent of the nation's total food supply, 97 billion pounds, went to waste in 1995. Food is wasted in many ways, such as preparing too much, letting fresh food go bad and buying too much.

Examples: Planning meals and creating a list of what you need before you go to the grocery store will help you buy exactly what you need. Composting leftover fruit and vegetable food waste with your yard waste helps create high-nutrient compost. Donate excess canned goods to a food shelf.
Benefits: Making better use of the food you buy will save you money and reduce how much food you throw away. Composting the remaining food waste will provide you with a great additive for your garden.

Use The Least Hazardous Cleaning Products
Reading labels gives you information on how to use a cleaning product correctly and how dangerous a product might be. You could also consider using a substitute for cleaning projects around the house. More on this topic later.

Buy The Right Amount Of Paint For The Job
In 1998, almost 4 million pounds of excess paint were collected at Minnesota's household hazardous waste sites. A large volume of this paint was still usable. If stored correctly, paint stays in good condition for a long time. If it mixes smoothly, it can still be used. More on this topic later.

Reduce The Need For Pesticides In Your Home
If you're looking for a way to decrease your use of chemicals in your home, take a look at how you handle unwanted pests. The best method to control pests inside the home is to clean up crumbs and spills quickly. Instead of reaching for a can of toxic spray, grab a broom! More on this topic later.
Find New Life For Old Furnishings, Appliances And Clothes
Instead of discarding your unwanted furniture, appliances, tools or clothes, try selling or donating them to groups and organizations that accept used goods. When deciding to purchase an item, consider buying used. Those items are less expensive than new ones and are often just as good.

Example: Donate or resell items to thrift stores or other organizations in need. You could receive a tax deduction or cash for them. Buy and sell secondhand items at fairs, bazaars, swap meets and garage sales. Organize a garage sale in your neighborhood to encourage your neighbors to get involved in reducing waste.
Benefits: You can save money as well as reduce waste by purchasing furniture, appliances and clothes used.
Find out more. Read How to recycle your gently used cast-offs for more ideas for cleaning out the clutter from your life.

More Waste Reduction Tips· Buy only what you need. Avoid impulse buying. Not only will you end up with something you can`t use and have to throw away, but it will also be very expensive. One way to avoid this is to make a shopping list of what you need, then stick to that list.
· Put paper towels out of easy reach so they will be used only when needed. Set up a countertop or wall holder for sponges, rags and cloth towels.
· Buy beverages in returnable or recyclable containers. Most beverages are packaged in recyclable materials, which include glass, plastic milk and water jugs (HPDE), plastic soda bottles (PET), and aluminum.
· Buy concentrated products to reduce packaging. Examples are laundry detergent, fabric softener and window cleaner.
· Avoid buying packaged foods with disposable, non-reheatable microwave dishes. If you must buy them, the dishes can be re-used as picnic plates, plant saucers or pet dishes.
· If your favorite brands have excessive packaging or are not as durable as they should be, contact the manufacturers and express your concern about reducing waste and conserving natural resources.
· Carry a canvas or net tote bag when you shop. It's not only a safe, convenient way to carry purchases, it eliminates the need for the merchants' disposable paper or plastic bags.
· Too much junk mail? Contact the Mail Preference Service, Direct Marketing Association.
· If you receive mail from a marketer who does not subscribe to the Mail Preference Service, write directly to the company to remove your name. Enclose an address label from previously sent mail; the coding on the label will help the company locate your name on their list.
· Letters and other correspondence that are printed on one side only can be cut along the folds and re-used to make shopping lists.
· Cancel subscriptions to magazines or newspapers you don't actually read, especially if you could read them at the local library. Give old issues to friends, co-workers, nursing homes, laundromats or libraries.
· Buy products that are durable, well-made and repairable. Check warranties, repair services, and availability of parts and accessories. Read consumer magazines (your library probably carries copies) to learn which products are more durable and have longer warranties.
· Use carpools or public transit to extend the wear of cars and tires and reduce car maintenance wastes such as used oil.
· Reduce toxic waste by purchasing paints, pesticides and other hazardous materials only in the quantities needed, or by sharing leftovers.
· Use plug-in appliances instead of those that operate on batteries. Disposable batteries are discarded after one use. Rechargeable batteries are the largest source of cadmium in the municipal waste stream.
· Americans throw away about 2.5 billion disposable razors every year. Use an electric shaver or a quality razor with replaceable blades.
· Bar soap generates less packaging waste and is less expensive than liquid soap in plastic bottles with pump dispensers.
· Take proper care of shoes and clothing and repair them to extend use.
· Don't discard usable clothing or household items. Hold a yard sale or donate the items to charitable organizations. Worn clothing and other textiles can be used as rags or for craft projects.
List all the things you can recycle through your city's curbside program or your local recycling center. Then list the things in your trash that are non-recyclable. Next time you go shopping, look for recyclable substitutes.

Reduce The Hail of Unwanted Mail
For many, direct mail catalogs, flyers, credit card offers, and advertising mail is an interesting addition to the mail pile. But many consider much of it "junk mail, unwanted and unwelcome.
If you are interested in "slowing the flow" of unwanted mail, here are some simple steps to greatly reduce the pile.

Advertising mail by the numbers
Is unwanted mail a problem in the United States?
Let's do the math.
Shipped: 5.56 million tons
Recycled: 1.23 million tons (22%)
Garbage: 4.33 million tons
Nearly 32 pounds of paper and plastic are going into the garbage for every woman, man and child in America?! That's a pretty sizeable "junked mail" problem!

Mail Preference Service
Households can significantly reduce their advertising mail by registering with the Direct Marketing Association's free Mail Preference Service. It's easy to do, and you'll be reaching some of the biggest direct marketers in the country with a single letter.
· Download, print and mail this form. MPS form (PDF - 120Kb)
· Or, send a postcard with your name and address to: Mail Preference Service PO Box 643 Carmel NY 10512-0643 Last confirmed April 2003
The DMA also has services for unwanted phone and email solicitations.Learn more about them on their Web site: www.dmaconsumers.org/consumerassistance.html

About the Mail Preference Service
The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) is a trade association of businesses who advertise their products and services directly to consumers by mail, telephone, magazine, Internet, radio, or television.
DMA doesn't do mailings, but its members do.

Q: What does their Mail Preference Service (MPS) do?A: The Direct Marketing Association will add your name and address to a "delete" file.
Direct Marketing Association members agree not to use your name in marketing products and services, or trade or sell your name to other marketers.
This registration can be renewed every five years.
Q: I like getting certain catalogs. Will I still be able to get them?A: Yes. Mailers want to keep their customers. Ask your preferred mailers to include you on a list for "in-house" use only, a list not sold or shared with others.
Q: Will the Mail Preference Service stop all advertising mail?A: No. The MPS is a national service, but not all mailers use it. You may continue to receive mail from local merchants, associations, charities, political candidates, and generic "occupant/resident" mail.
Q: Can I register my business with the Mail Preference Service?A: No. MPS is for household mail only. Businesses must contact mailers directly to be removed from mail lists.
Learn more: Call the DMA at 212-768-7277 or go to www.dmaconsumers.org/index.html.

Credit offers
Pre-approved credit card offers piling up? The nation's major consumer credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian, Innovis and Trans Union, established a toll-free number to get off lists for pre-approved credit card solicitations. The recording will ask for your social security number, full name, address and telephone number.1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688) The service allows you to opt out for two years or permanently. No matter what you pick, you can "opt back in" at any time by calling this same number. A leaning tower of visa, nearly 3 billion credit card solicitations are sent to consumers every year! Disposal tip; make sure to rip up the application form before you discard it. This helps prevent "identity theft" and protects your credit and your privacy.

Contact individual mailers
Not all companies use these national systems to purge their mailing lists. If you are still getting "junk" from persistent mailers, you can contact the company directly and ask to be placed in their "do-not-mail file." Look at the mail piece to see if there's a number to call, or write them a note, send them an E-mail, or use their Web site. Here are a few thoughts on what to say and do.
Sample language: "Please remove my name from your marketing database. In addition, please do not pass along my name to others through mail list sales or trades. Thank-you for your cooperation."
· Be polite. Most mailers will make an effort to comply with your request, they get to improve their database and ultimately reduce their costs. Even if you are frustrated, you're probably just taking it out on a phone operator or staff person. If you don't get results, you can consider stronger language, or contacting company management.
· Be prepared. Have the mailing label or catalog handy. Give them the exact match for your name and address. They might appreciate customer ID numbers or other internal identifiers.
· Be patient. It may take some time to get your name and address out of their mailing cycle.
· Be persistent. Keep trying. Drive home the message that your privacy is an important part of customer service. You do have the right to be left alone.
Mail list brokers
These firms provide national lists for non-financial data.
· Experian 1-800-228-4571 x4633: Wait through a long message about other options before leaving your name, address and phone number for opting out of Experian's compiled databases.
· Polk Company 1-800-464-7655: Ask for the "Polk Opt-out Line"
National mailers
These national advertisers compile and maintain large databases of customers nationwide, often for mailing coupons or local, weekly circulars. These materials are generally printed well in advance of mailing, so expect a delay of 6-8 weeks for this opt-out to take effect.
· Mailbox Values, ShopWi$e (ADVO, Inc.)
· Phone: 952-929-1441 Minnesotans can use an automated phone system (option 3) to leave their full mailing address (don't forget the apartment number), city and zip code.
· Mail: Include your mailing label or coupon envelope, marked "Delete".ADVO, Inc., One Univac Lane, Windsor, CT 06095
· Val-Pak (Cox Target Media)
· E-mail: Send an e-mail to mailto:"valerie@valpak.com" with REMOVE FROM MAILING in the subject line. Include your address, city, state, and zip/postal code exactly as it appears on the Val-Pak blue envelope or mailing label.
· Phone: 1-800-661-0959 At the prompt, enter your zip code to connect to the Minnesota sales office. Press "0" to leave a voicemail asking to remove your name from their mailing list; include your full address (don't forget your apartment number), city and zip code.
· Mail: Include your mailing label or coupon envelope, marked "Delete".Address Information, Val-Pak Direct Marketing Systems, 8605 Largo Lakes Drive, Largo, FL 33773
Local services and utilities
Ask your local utilities and service providers, phone, gas, electric, water, cable, newspaper, banking and insurance, about their privacy policies. Find out more about what information they will and will not share about you. Most companies will restrict what they share about their customers, but typically they will only do so if specifically told to.

Reduce Trash When you Shop
You probably don't go to the store saying, "I think I'll buy some garbage today." But depending on which products you choose, that is at least partly what you're doing. By purchasing stuff that's over-packaged, disposable or of poor quality, your cash can soon end up as trash.

Watch What You Buy
Waste reduction starts at the shopping center. When you go shopping follow these guidelines:
· Buy durable products instead of those that are disposable or cheaply made.
· Repair/restore used items before replacing them.
· Buy items you can re-use. Re-using margarine tubs to freeze foods or pack lunches, for instance, reduces the need for foil or plastic wrap.
· Buy items you can recycle locally through curbside collection or recycling centers.
Avoid excess packaging when choosing product brands. Buy products in bulk. Buy just the amount you need: larger sizes reduce the amount of packaging, but smaller sizes reduce leftover waste.

Purchase products that are returnable, reusable or refillable
Purchase reusable and refillable containers to use in your home instead of disposable items. Think about ways to reuse items in your home. Look for ways to reduce the amount of trash you throw in the garbage by making good purchasing decisions and looking for ways to reduce.

Example: Avoid buying single-use items like paper or plastic plates, cups and disposable silverware. You will spend more money buying these types of items and throwing them away than you would if you used reusable tableware.
Benefits: Reusable items eliminate or reduce the number of disposable items thrown away and the costs of disposing of them.

Grocery shoppers use nearly 40 billion bags each year. Most are only used once and recycled or thrown away.

"Paper NOR plastic"Waste reduction is in the bag
Looking for an easy way to change the way you shop? Reduce the waste you create when you bring home your purchases.
· First things first, do you even need a bag? Tell the clerk that you'll carry out your handful of items, why bag that magazine or pack of gum?! Toss them into your backpack or purse.
· A sturdy cloth bag is a nice investment. You can throw it over your shoulder for hands-free carrying, and it won't rip if you catch it on the doorknob or the car door. Cram it full of groceries!
· If you have to use paper or plastic, pick one that you'll use again. Many grocery stores offer a 5- or 10-cent rebate when you "bring back the sack"; it's good for the environment and your pocketbook!
Purchase products with the least amount of packaging
Why shop 'til you drop? Buy only what you need and buy products in bulk containers and concentrates with less packaging. Shop in the bulk aisle at the grocery store for things that you seem to be buying often and have long shelf-lives such as detergents, dog food, pasta, cereal, cleaners and paper products. Buying in bulk will decrease waste and the total cost. Be alert, some "bulk packages" are just individually wrapped items that are packaged yet again and sold as a bulk item. You will be getting a lot more packaging than you were counting on.

Example: Next time you go to the store, make a list of what you need. Then look for opportunities to buy in bulk or buy products that have less packaging. Look at a product and think about how much of what you are paying for will end up in the trash.
Benefits: Not only are you saving money, but you won't have to go to the store as often. When you shop smart by buying things in bulk or in concentrate you can reduce the amount of packaging headed to the trash.

Why buy if you can get it for free?!
Freecycle is a service for those who want to get or give free reusable goods for the home, garage and garden. It is part of an effort to reduce the amount of reusable goods being thrown away.
The free service allows users to search for available goods or post an item as "wanted." If you make a match, you'll have to make your own arrangements to pick the free items up. Freecycle doesn't store or transport any items.

Waste Reduction Tip: Extend the life of your rechargeable devices
Rechargeable appliances are very convenient, and they seem to be popping up everywhere. The battery pack is an expensive and important piece of a rechargeable device. Follow these tips to maximize the useful life of your rechargeable batteries.

Things you should do:· Read and follow the charging instructions provided with your product. Each charger utilizes a specific strategy to charge the battery.
· Charge your new battery overnight (14–16 hours) before using it. This is called "initializing" and will enable you to obtain maximum battery capacity.
· Let a discharged battery cool to room temperature before recharging. A warm battery will signal a thermal cut-off switch to stop the charging process prematurely, and the battery will not get a full charge.
Things not to do:
· Don't recharge batteries when they are close to fully charged already. A discharged battery can be detected by a sharp drop in speed or power, or by a reduction in the number of power indicators.
· Don't return a fully charged battery to the charger for an "extra boost." This can overcharge the cells and significantly shorten their life-span.
· Don't use the charger as a stand. Only use the charger if your rechargeable appliance, phone, power tool or electric razor needs to be fully recharged. Continuous charging will shorten battery life.
When your rechargeable nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries no longer hold a charge, you should collect them for recycling. Do not put them in with your trash. The EPA-certified symbol tells you that the battery can be recycled, and can be taken to a free drop-off center.

No-Waste Holiday
Time to share with family and friends often becomes lots of time shopping, parties and gatherings, food preparation, and stress. Are you feeling "holidazed"? Do you find yourself wondering how the season passes by so quickly? This year, instead of the hustle and bustle of the mall, maybe it's time for a new tradition, a no-waste holiday season.

On an average day, a typical American creates roughly six pounds of waste. But from Thanksgiving to New Years Day, household waste increases by more than 25%. Added food waste, shopping bags, packaging, wrapping paper, bows and ribbons, it all adds up to an additional 1 million tons a week to the nation's garbage piles.

And it's not just trash. The average American spends $800 on gifts over the holiday season. Think about your time and energy spent driving all around town looking at so much stuff. It's no wonder that so many people get stressed out during the holidays! A recent poll showed that people want to have more personal fulfillment and a less-stressful holiday season. Sometimes the most treasured gifts we can give are our time, love and energy.

In the spirit of giving, here are some holiday gift ideas that create less waste and more memories.

Volunteer and Donate
Giving your time and/or money to worthy causes not only helps your community but gives you a sense of contribution and involvement that is hard to quantify.

Volunteering
Start a new tradition; pick one night a month that your family will donate time at a local shelter handing out food. It is important for children to help others. Studies show that people who help others are healthier and happier.

Children who volunteer enhance their self-esteem as they learn new skills and make new friends. They see themselves as kind people capable of making a difference, and they learn to live a more hopeful life. Volunteer activities help build character and teach social responsibility, greater empathy and compassion. Teach that who you are is more important that what you have.

"Volunteer Coupons": Gift-giving ideas for children
Download coupons/gift certificates that you can print out and fill in with your own great ideas.PDF (233Kb) orJPEG image (80Kb)
Children want to give their family gifts, too, but limited budgets often make purchases difficult. Let them know that what you really want does not have to come from a store, their time is even more valuable. Maybe helping shovel snow this winter, or vacuuming the house is really the present you are looking for.
Coupon ideas
· Walking the dog after school each day for a period of time.
· Cooking some meals, or offering to help shop and clean up.
· Watching younger brother or sister.
· Commit to extra chores: Housecleaning, shoveling, lawn mowing.
· Make a book of family recipes.
· Putting together a scrap book or family tree.
· Hugs and kisses.

Charitable donations
The holidays are a great time to make donations to local charities and non-profit organizations. You can donate warm clothes, food and/or money. Most charities have their own "wish list": they can tell you what they need the most.
If you are giving a monetary donation, you could make the donation in the name of someone else, a kind of double-gift. Many people feel good knowing that they are helping out someone during the holidays.
Give an Experience
Here's an idea for giving without all of the wrapping: Give an experience. A gift certificate might be just the thing for someone who would like to begin a new hobby or polish the skills they have already learned.

A lot of people would like to try new things, but won't spend the money on themselves. Do you have a brother that has been dying to learn how to play the guitar but has just never signed up for the lessons? A father that loves to play golf but may need a few more lessons?
Gift certificate ideas
· Candlelit dinner
· Music lessons
· Language lessons
· Lessons in baking or a hobbycraft
· Sports instruction: How about a golf lesson?
· A trip to the nearest state park
· Passes to a museum or special exhibit
· Tickets to a play
· Give a membership to an aquarium, atrium, solarium, etc.

Practical gifts
An experience can also be something that you do for someone. Perhaps you can whip up a gourmet meal or teach someone the secrets behind your special talents. It can be very thoughtful when you see a need and take the time to see that it's filled. Giving a gift certificate for bike repair to someone who bikes a lot encourages a non-polluting way to travel. Or, how about giving gift certificates for balancing and rotating your car tires or for oil changes to keep a car as efficient as possible? You could also offer to repair or do work for someone who can't do it himself or herself.

"Eco-friendly" Gifts
If you are looking for something to wrap up for the holidays, there are products that go easy on our planet. Products with little or no packaging, products made from natural ingredients, and products that are made with little or no pollution are all examples of eco-friendly products.
· State park stickers
· Hunting and fishing licenses
· Bus passes
· How about recycled products?
· Compost bins
· Hand-knit items
· Plants
· Seeds and pots for a window-box herb garden
· Fruit baskets
· Bird feeder and seeds
· Reusable cloth shopping bags

Invest in your family
Toys break, clothes are outgrown, and cash is often squandered away. Instead of trinkets today, perhaps you want to help a child plan for the future? There are lots of investment options for those wanting to contribute to a college savings fund. Each plan has its advantages and disadvantages and you need to decide which option makes sense for your family and financial situation.
· U.S. Savings Bonds are long-time favorites for gift-giving. You can give a gift today that will be worth more in the future. Plus, this risk-free investment is a way to invest in the nation. Learn more about your options at http://www.savingsbonds.gov/.
· Contribute to or start an Education IRA. Find out more about Education IRAs from an investment broker or financial planner.

Links you'll like
Tips and inspiration abound on the World Wide Web!
· The Center for a New American Dream offers up ideas to Simplify the Holidays, with suggestions for planning a holiday season that's less focused on "stuff."
· The Use Less Stuff Report (ULS) offers up 42 Ways to Trim Your Holiday Wasteline , an interesting checklist of waste reduction tips for the holidays. Check out Have A Low Impact Y2Kristmas, with more tips about reducing waste during the holidays, and some good advice on how the average person can make the biggest impact on the environment.
· The California Integrated Waste Management Board encourages you to Deck the Halls with Less Waste!
· In King County, Washington, Waste-Free Holidays focus on giving the "gift of experience" instead of "stuff." While these are Seattle-area attractions, there are a lot of ideas that you can find locally.
· The Environmental Defense Fund offers advice to help shoppers use their "greenbacks" to make their world a "greener place."
· Co-op America has put up their WoodWise Holiday Tips, with ideas about how you can slow down in the "race to waste" around the holidays.
· The Media Foundation invites consumers to curtail their desires to consume through its annual Buy Nothing Day. Held on the day after Thanksgiving, the unofficial kick-off of “the holiday season,” and one of the busiest shopping days of the year, this international event is a challenge "to think about the "shop-till-you-drop" imperative and its effects on the rest of the world."

Reducing Waste When Traveling
Travelers can generate a lot of waste and pollution, even with the best intentions. But it isn't hard to make a few changes that can help us avoid a lot of trash and otherwise green up our time away from home.

Tips for reducing waste while traveling
The U.S. Travel Data Center estimates that 43 million U.S. travelers are "ecologically concerned." There are several ways that travelers can reduce waste while traveling. Here are just a few ideas to get started.
· Businesses are responsive to their guests, customers and clients who voice concerns, so speak up. If you have compliments or comments regarding their company's environmental performance, write a note or speak directly to the general manager of the hotel, the operator of a resort or campground, the captain of the airplane, or the manager of your tour company.
· Book your guestrooms, campsites or meeting rooms in places that are clearly interested in protecting our environment, and let management know that's why you've chosen their establishment. Encourage the places you visit to reduce waste and to implement water- and energy-saving measures.
· Use reusable bags, storage containers and towels. Rent equipment, avoid disposables, and pack waste-free picnics by bringing reusables and recyclables home with you. Buy fruits and vegetables without packaging.
· Purchase electronic tickets for air travel whenever possible.
· Going on a fishing trip? Use non-lead sinkers. This will protect wildlife from lead poisoning.
· Gas boats on land instead of in the water to reduce pollution in lakes and rivers.
· Upgrade to the most efficient boat motor. A 4-stroke engine is quieter, 40 times cleaner, and 2 to 4 times more fuel-efficient than a 2-stroke engine. (Focus 10,000: Minnesota's Lakeside Magazine, July 1999)
· Keep campfire ash far from lakeshores to protect water quality.
Travel tidbit: Popular parks For outdoor recreation, state and national parks are a natural choice.
· Americans will make an estimated 291 million visits to National Parks in 2000 — nearly one visit for every U.S. citizen. Learn more about the National Park system by visiting http://www.nps.gov/.

Feed yourself (not the trash)
Food and packaging waste accounts for as much as half of what is thrown away in a day, especially when you are far from home. Yet there are some easy ways for you to reduce how much food and packaging you throw away.
· Reduce fast food waste and excess packaging in carryout food. "No thanks, I don't need a bag," may draw a curious look, but sometimes you have to speak up for what you don't want.
· Carry your own reusable mug to avoid disposable cups. Most gas stations or convenience stores will let you refill your own cup, and sometimes there's a small discount!
· Pack a cooler of food bought in bulk or deli-style (which are often "least-packaged" options) such as meats, cheeses and cookies.
· Bring along reusable plates and silverware. Use lightweight plastic plates instead of paper plates, because they can be washed and used several times over.
· Avoid room service to reduce the use of disposable items.
· Ask for smaller portions when ordering food where portions are bigger than you can eat.
· Did you grab too many packages of ketchup or mustard? They won't spoil, so save them for next time you have a meal on the go. Same goes for napkins and other conveniences.
· Make sure to promptly refrigerate leftovers you bring home so they don't end up as waste.
· If the nearest trash bin is filled, don't toss your waste beside the can, that's just like littering. Hold onto it until you can dispose of it properly.
Hotel tips
Many hotels have implemented waste reduction practices into their operations. Here are a few things that travelers can do to help hotels reduce the amount of waste they generate.
· Let the hotel know that it's not necessary to change your sheets and towels every day.
· Reduce water use by taking shorter baths or showers.
· When you leave your hotel room, turn off the air conditioner, heat, lights, television, and close the drapes.
· Participate in hotel recycling programs by placing recyclables in appropriate bins.
· Be sure to turn off exercise equipment, sauna, whirlpool, or tennis court lights when you're through.
· Leave the little bottles of bathroom amenities in the room if unopened. Share any complimentary newspapers with others. Leave it in the lobby for reuse or see that it's recycled.
· If available, use the hotel's electronic check-out program on the TV. You can view your bill, approve it, and help reduce paperwork.
The Ecotourism Society offers travel ideas for destinations, tour groups, and many resources to help you make informed travel choices.
· Take only the brochures or maps that you need.
· Take photographs, but avoid disposable cameras that are expensive and wasteful. The Use Less Stuff Report recommends buying rolls of film with 36 shots rather than 12 or 24. You have less packaging waste, and you'll save about 40 percent by the time you get your film processed.
· Do not take "souvenirs" from natural areas, historical areas or hotels.
· Leave only footprints. Take out everything that you brought with you so others can enjoy the area in the same way that you did.
· Protect endangered species and avoid purchasing products such as tortoise shell, ivory, animal skins or feathers. The U.S. Customs Service offers a list of items that cannot be imported or brought into the country.
· When it comes to trash, you can "take it with you." Set an example and pick up at least one piece of litter every day, especially at places with lots of tourists.

Going fishing? Get the lead out! (of your tackle box)
Non-lead sinkers and jigs are effective and protect water birds.
Anglers rely on sinkers and jigs to help them go after "the big ones." Fishing tackle made from lead is heavy, but toxic, and is directly responsible for poisoning wildlife like loons and eagles.
But there are non-toxic alternatives. A growing number of fishing weights are made from bismuth, steel, ceramic and tungsten.
In many areas, non-lead tackle isn't just a good idea,it's the law. Bans and restrictions on lead are in effect in Maine, New Hampshire, and Canadian national wildlife refuges.
Buy environmentally friendly sinkers and jigs at the tackle shop, and encourage stores to stock non-lead alternatives. Plus, spread the word, tell other anglers about the problem, and get them to make a switch!

Reducing Toxics Inside Your House
Chemicals are part of our lives. We treat illnesses, paint our houses, and even clothe ourselves with products that have been developed through chemical research. However, there are reasons to be cautious about our exposure to some chemicals.

Why reduce toxics?
From the foods we eat to how we maintain our yards and clean our homes, we can be exposed to chemicals in many ways. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), only a fraction of the more than 75,000 registered chemicals have gone through complete testing for human health concerns. Some chemicals have immediate toxic effects. Others are toxic to our bodies only after repeated, long-term exposure.

Children are especially susceptible to the negative effects of chemicals, warns the EPA's Office of Children's Health Protection. Pound for pound, children breathe more air, drink more water, and eat more food, and when they play, they crawl and put things in their mouths. As a result, children have an increased chance of exposure to potential pollutants, and because children's bodies are still developing, they may process these pollutants differently from adults. Nursing mothers and women who are pregnant or plan to become pregnant should also take precautions.

A good principle to follow is always to look for ways to reduce or eliminate the use of toxic chemicals as we go about our daily lives, to keep our homes safe for our children, our pets, and us.

What you can do
Simple changes in our everyday routines can reduce our long-term exposures to low levels of potentially harmful substances, changes in how we choose the products we buy, or the ways we clean our houses and take care of the yard. These changes will not only make our homes safer, they may also save us money.
Consider these helpful ideas for reducing toxic exposures in your home.
Until recently, indoor air pollution has been largely ignored as a source of exposure to toxicity. But studies have shown that levels of harmful chemicals in indoor air may exceed the standards set by the EPA to protect us from harmful chemicals. You can avoid such levels in your home by buying and using products that are free of toxic chemicals whenever possible.
Choosing the products you buy
Whenever possible, buy products that are free of toxic chemicals. Alternatives are available. The market for non-toxic household products is growing in response to customer demand.
· Ingredient lists don't always tell you everything that is in a product but they can offer clues to the toxicity. When purchasing products, take a minute to carefully read the label. Look for products that appear to disclose all their ingredients. The words caution, warning and danger indicate that the product's ingredients are harmful. Choose the least hazardous product to do the job.
· Before you use a product, carefully read the directions and follow the instructions. Be sure to use the correct amount of a product. Remember, you won't get twice the results by using twice as much.
· Select products (cleaners, shampoos, etc.) made from plant-based materials, such as oils made from citrus, seed, vegetable or pine. By doing so, you are selecting products that are biodegradable and generally less toxic. These products also provide the additional benefit of being made from renewable resources. Ask for plant-based products at your local grocery or retail store.
· Choose pump spray containers instead of aerosols. Pressurized aerosol products often produce a finer mist that is more easily inhaled. Aerosols also put unnecessary volatile organic chemicals into your indoor air when you use them.
· Ask for unbleached paper products or products bleached with hydrogen peroxide or oxygen, which produce less pollution during papermaking.
For yourself: Bath, beauty and hygiene products
· Avoid using antibacterial soaps. Antibacterial agents, while not directly harmful to you, contribute to the growing problem we face when bacteria mutate to strains that are more drug-resistant. Remember, however, that hand washing with any soap is still vital to maintaining good health.
· Purchase a mercury-free fever thermometer. Many effective alternatives are on the shelves at your local pharmacy. Broken mercury fever thermometers can be a source of toxic mercury levels in your home and discarded products containing mercury contribute to higher levels in the environment. Consult your county house-hold hazardous waste program manager to learn where to take your old thermometer. (For information, see www.swmcb.org)
· Use eye drops, contact lens solutions, and nasal sprays and drops that are free of thimerosal or other mercury-containing preservatives.
· Look for unscented and natural dyes in products to avoid potential allergic reactions.
· Recipes for personal products using natural ingredients, baking soda, lemon juice, etc. can be found online: www.care2.com/channels/solutions/self/114.
Keeping your house clean

By cleaning with products like these, you can save money and avoid exposure to toxic chemicals.
Remove your shoes when you enter your house. Your shoes can track in harmful amounts of pesticides, lead, cadmium and other chemicals. Keeping a floor mat at your doors for people to wipe their feet on when they enter will also help.

Vacuum carpets and floors regularly. Children playing on your carpet may actually be more exposed to pesticides lodged in the carpet than from the outside, because pesticides break down less readily indoors than outdoors in the sunlight. Use a fine particulate filter, such as a HEPA filter, in your vacuum cleaner, if possible. Otherwise, the dust vacuumed up is redistributed into the air where it can be inhaled.
Single-ingredient, common household materials such as baking soda, vinegar, or plant-based soaps and detergents can often do the job on your carpet or other surfaces. Soap and water has been shown to keep surfaces as free of bacteria as antibacterial soaps do. If your carpet needs professional cleaning, enlist a carpet service that uses less-toxic cleaners that are low in VOCs and irritants.
· Baking soda works well to clean sinks, tubs and toilets, and it freshens drains as well.
· Vegetable oil with a little lemon juice works wonders on wood furniture.
· Simmer a mixture of cloves and cinnamon or use vinegar and water as a safe and environmentally friendly air freshener. Consider how you can eliminate odor problems rather than just covering them up.
· Use vinegar and water in a pump spray bottle for cleaning mirrors and shining chrome. Vinegar or soap and water with drying rags or a squeegee also work well for cleaning windows.
· Use reusable unbleached cotton towels, rags, and non-scratch scrubbing sponges for all-purpose cleaning instead of bleached disposable paper products.
· Use dishwasher detergents that are free of chlorine bleach and lowest in phosphates.
· Use bathroom cleaners that are free of aerosol propellants and antibacterial agents.
What you eat
· Choose organic fruits and vegetables for your family whenever possible. They have been shown to have less pesticide residue.
· Rinse all fruits and vegetables thoroughly to remove fertilizer residues.
· Don't microwave foods in plastic containers. Chemicals from the plastic container can become absorbed by food during microwaving. Cover with waxed paper or paper towel instead of plastic wrap to keep food from spattering.
Controlling pests
In order to survive, pests need food, water and living space. Remove all food sources through good sanitation and storage habits (i.e., screw-cap jars, zip-lock bags, garbage pails with tight-fitting lids). Block pest entrances to your kitchen by caulking holes, using door sweeps on the bottom of doors, and keeping window screens in good repair. Avoid placing chemical pesticides around your kitchen to kill indoor insect and rodent pests.
· Avoid using no-pest strips. They contain pesticides that are released to the air in your home.
· When storing winter clothing, use cedar blocks or bags of cedar chips hung with your clothes. Avoid mothballs that contain p-dichloro benzene or naphthalene, which are very toxic and also contribute to respiratory problems.
· Consult your veterinarian for non-toxic pest control products for use on pet pests such as fleas and ticks.
· Use non-toxic head lice treatments, including combing, enzyme-based treatments and mayonnaise or oil. See http://www.headlice.org/ for more information.
Doing the laundry

Try simple ingredients like Borax, non-chlorine bleach and washing soda.
· Instead of more complicated detergents, try using a combination of washing soda and borax in your machine. These are usually as effective as more complex formulas and are also usually cheaper.
· When possible, hang clothes to dry outside to avoid using the dryer, which uses energy and depletes resources. In winter, fluff the clothes in the dryer, and then hang to dry indoors. You get the added benefit of increased humidity.
· Avoid bleach when possible. If whitening is needed, use non-chlorine bleach, which are oxygen-based and often highly effective.
· Buy clothes that don't need drycleaning or use an alternative called "wet cleaning." Clothes that have been drycleaned emit perchlorethylene, a chemical that can cause cancer. The wet cleaning process uses water so there are no harmful gases emitted from the cleaned clothing. MnTAP maintains a list of cleaners that use the wet cleaning process: http://mntap.umn.edu/drycl/consumer.htm.
Clotheslines: A healthy hangup
Don't rely on dryer sheets for freshening your laundry. Clotheslines are a great way to keep clothes, sheets and towels smelling clean. Fabrics will last longer if they're not tumbled around, after all, isn't dryer lint made up entirely of material from your clothes?

Building and remodeling
· When building or remodeling your home, ask for building materials and supplies that have the least amount of formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds. VOCs have been shown to cause cancer or developmental problems. Toxic fumes can come from unexpected sources like new carpet and cabinets.
· Choose no- and low-VOC paints and varnishes when finishing walls, floors and furniture. Make sure you have proper ventilation.
· Ask for carpeting that meets standards for indoor air quality established by the Carpet and Rug Institute. Once a carpet is installed, thoroughly air out the house for at least 48 hours.
· For decks and playground equipment, use reclaimed cedar or redwood, which is naturally resistant to fungus and insects. Or use recycled plastic lumber. Ask about these products at your home improvement store.
Avoid using "green-treated" lumber, which is treated with the toxic compound copper chromium arsenate (CCA). In particular, don't use it for eating surfaces on picnic tables or children's play equipment. Clean up all scrap treated wood and sawdust and dispose of it properly, it should go to a lined landfill or licensed waste incinerator. Treated wood should not be burned at home for bonfires or stoves/fireplaces.

Reducing toxics in the yard
· Mowing your grass to a height of about 3½ inches is the most important thing you can do to improve the health of your lawn. By keeping grass length longer, the roots grow deeper and can reach more water during dry periods. Longer grass also creates shade, making it harder for weeds to get established.
· If you use a lawn service, consider a service provider that uses less-toxic alternatives.
· Test the soil to see what your soil needs. Apply only as much fertilizer as is needed. Soil test kits can be purchased at a lawn and garden store.

Dig into the root of the problem. Hand- and foot-powered weeding tools.
· If your grass grows in heavy clay soil, aeration can be very beneficial. Aeration decreases compaction and allows air and water to get to the roots.
· Weeds such as dandelions can be removed easily by digging them up with a fishtail weeder when the soil is damp.
· Top dressing your lawn with a compost-soil mix will reduce your lawn's water needs and make it more resistant to drought and disease. You will need to fertilize less often, and when you do, you can use less fertilizer.
· Consider replacing parts of your yard with native perennials that lower maintenance and lessen the need for water and chemicals.
· Ask at your garden store for less-toxic alternatives to chemical pesticides to control pests.

How To Grow A Healthy, No-Waste Lawn and Garden
Caring for all the green and growing things in your yard can have a big effect on how much waste your household creates. From grass clippings and leaves to pesticides and water, the eco-impact of your lawn and garden can be significant.

And when it comes to lawn and garden wastes, "waste" goes beyond what you throw away.
Careless use of fertilizers with high phosphorus and nitrogen content creates nutrient-rich runoff, polluting nearby watersheds, lakes, streams, wetlands, and rivers.
Pesticides, which include insecticides, herbicides and fungicides, are used to control weeds, insects and other pests. These chemicals are toxic to some degree and can pose a threat to people and pets if overused or carelessly applied. They can also kill beneficial earthworms and organisms, disrupting the ecological balance of your lawn.
Cut down on yard waste, healthy lawns and gardens can be maintained in ways that produce less waste, and you can easily manage what's left by composting at home. A healthy lawn and garden can naturally resist weeds and pests. You don't need a lot of chemicals to keep your yard looking green. Learn to read the signs and find out what's really wrong with your plants. Solve your lawn and garden's problems by applying some brainpower before you use pesticides and herbicides.

Double-duty landscaping
When you consider all of the work you put into landscaping your yard, it just makes sense to put that landscaping to work for you. Your garden and landscaping can provide habitat and food for birds and butterflies. The types and location of trees in your yard can reduce heating and cooling costs.
Healthy plants create less waste, need fewer chemicals and require less watering. Learn about the condition of your soil, and consider factors like sunlight and moisture. Native plants will reduce the need for extra watering, fertilizers and pesticides.

Get to know your garden site. For example, how long is it exposed to sunlight? What is the soil type? Does the soil hold moisture well? What will you keep and what will you take out? How will your plants influence wild native plants, or be influenced by nearby weedy exotics? Answering these questions will help you better plan your garden and landscaping to fit your needs and budget.

Garden to encourage wildlife
Native plants often require less water, fertilizer and pesticides. Select plants that can provide habitat, food, water and shelter to birds and other wildlife.
Your backyard flower garden can become a lively butterfly, moth, and hummingbird garden if you choose the right flowers. Here's just one design idea.
Native woodland wildflower garden for butterfly, bee, moth and hummingbird use. For sunny to partially shaded sites.

Landscape to decrease energy use
Proper selection and placement of your trees can help reduce your use of energy year-round.
· East & West: You can add energy savings to your home by planting trees for summer shade on the west and east windows. In the winter when the leaves fall, the branches will let sunlight through.
· Northwest: You can also use trees to create wind breaks and increase tree canopy.
· South: Avoid planting trees on the south side of your house. During the winter months, you'll get more sunlight and free heat.
Find out even more
· Backyard Conservation (U.S. Department of Agriculture)This campaign shows you how conservation practices that conserve and improve natural resources can be adapted for use on the land around your home. Ten conservation practices have been scaled down for homeowners and city residents to use in their yards. Tip sheets offer "how-to" steps and helpful hints.
· Butterfly Gardening (U of M - Extension)Butterfly gardens help restore habitat to urban areas. They can be as simple as providing the appropriate variety of host plants for larval growth and adult feeding. Plants used in butterfly gardening include native plants as well as different annuals and perennials. Learn more about butterflies and their needs.
· Green Landscaping with Native Plants (U.S. EPA)Landscaping with native wildflowers and grasses has a positive effect on the environment. This site contains extensive information on natural landscaping — the benefits, how to get started, plant descriptions, and case studies.
· Natural Landscaping Source Book (U.S. EPA, Region 5)Local officials are in a position to advocate natural landscaping and bring its benefits to their communities. The source book explains the basic principles and benefits of natural landscaping; demonstrates the feasibility of using natural landscaping successfully; explains how local officials can provide leadership to encourage the use of natural landscaping; offers tools and techniques; and offers referrals to other sources of information and expertise.
· Sustainable Urban Landscape Information Series (U of M - Extension)A landscape developed with sustainable practices will conserve resources, help reduce chemical use, require less labor, and be less expensive to create and maintain. SULIS provides sustainable landscape information to the public and to the horticulture/landscape industry, from planning to maintenance.
Timely tip: A checklist for safely storing household chemicals
Household chemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers can become wastes if they're not stored carefully. Follow these easy tips to keep products usable for future projects.
· Always store chemicals out of reach of children and pets.
· Never store chemicals near sources of heat, sparks or flames.
· Store chemicals in a dry place.
· Keep chemicals from freezing. However, DO NOT store gasoline or other fuels in your house, they're a fire hazard.
· Store chemicals in their original containers with labels intact.
· If a container is leaking, place the whole container into a larger one and call your county for disposal advice.
IPM: Doing your best against pests
Integrated pest management (IPM) is an ecosystem-based strategy that focuses on long-term prevention of pests and pest damage through a combination of techniques such as biological control, habitat manipulation, modification of cultural practices, and use of resistant varieties. Pesticides are used only after monitoring indicates they are needed according to established guidelines, and treatments are made with the goal of removing only the target organism. Pest control materials are selected and applied in a manner that minimizes risks to human health, beneficial and nontarget organisms, and the environment.

Links to help you think· Garden Gate magazine has an excellent introduction to IPM in the article "Integrated Pest Management is the cornerstone of smart gardening" (June 1997). Their five-step process makes it easier for the homeowner to get started.
· Check out the Landscape IPM Diagnostic Site by the Center for Urban Ecology and Sustainability (CUES). This Web site at the University of Minnesota offers guidance on controlling pests that affect common trees and plants. It also offers links to IPM resources.
· Serious students can access Radcliffe's IPM World Textbook, a free online publication from the U of M's Department of Entomology. The site is dedicated to up-to-date research and information on IPM, and is affiliated with the National IPM Network.
Greener landscaping: Alternatives to treated lumber
Many homeowners use treated wood for landscaping or home construction. Treated lumber contains chemical preservatives (pesticides) that inhibit fungal decay and extend the life of the wood. Some of the chemicals used in treating wood are toxic. Here are some tips for reducing the pollution from treated lumber.
· Protect drinking water. Federal guidelines tell consumers not to use any type of treated wood where the wood would come into direct or indirect contact with drinking water supplies. (Incidental contact, such as with docks or bridges, is considered acceptable.)
· Find alternatives. There are other rot- and insect-resistent materials that can replace treated lumber.
· Metal and plastic dock materials, both recycled and new.
· Untreated cedar for the portions of decks and playground equipment that people frequently touch or use.
· Stone, brick, or landscape blocks for gardening and landscaping.
· Steel pilings filled with concrete in place of creosote-treated pilings for underground construction.
· Wood treated with less-toxic preservatives, such as ACQ, copper azole and ammoniacal copper citrate.
· Dispose of treated lumber safely. Homeowners may dispose of any treated wood waste in lined mixed-municipal solid waste landfills or permitted waste incinerators. Contact your county solid waste office for local information. Never burn treated wood in stoves, fireplaces or recreational or cooking fires; open burning of treated wood is prohibited by state law. Such low-temperature burning of treated wood releases toxic chemicals into the air and concentrates them in the ash.
· Preserve existing wood structures with coatings to protect wood, such as stains, paints and water-sealants (which are not true wood preservatives), which can be applied after wood is already in place. Apply these coatings with care to avoid spills and leaks.
Yard Wastes In The Municipal Waste Stream
Grass, leaves, and other wastes from lawns and backyard gardens account for an estimated 18% of the annual municipal waste stream. The percentage and composition of yard wastes varies widely from season to season. During the summer, grass can comprise up to 50% of municipal waste. Leaf waste can account for as much as 60-80% in the fall.

Disposal Problems
This massive, seasonal volume of yard wastes can put a strain on municipal garbage collection systems. Collection can require extra equipment that is not needed year-round and can increase personnel expenses.

Yard waste is a strain on disposal facilities. The large volume uses up valuable landfill space. The high moisture content of yard waste retards burning, which reduces the efficiency of waste-to-energy plants. Large incinerators built to handle peak seasonal rates of yard waste, may be oversized and less efficient at burning wastes the rest of the year. Burning yard wastes also puts a strain on pollution control systems. Burning yard wastes at home causes air pollution from carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide, is a fire hazard, and is a nuisance to neighbors.

A "Recyclable" Material
Yard wastes are recyclable. Landfilling or burning them consumes a resource that is necessary to sustain life. Nature breaks down plant wastes through decay. The decomposed materials form a rich, dark soil called humus. Humus returns nutrients to the soil, improves soil texture, and promotes new plant growth.

Compost
Yard waste is composed of materials that, if left in their natural state, would form humus. Composting is an accelerated version of the natural decay process. Left to decay naturally, leaf waste can take approximately two years to form humus, depending upon climate conditions. With human intervention, making compost can take longer than one year or as little as 14 days.

In cultivated lawns and gardens, where this material is removed as waste, nutrients and conditioners must be mixed into the soil to promote healthy plant growth. Compost is made of the same materials and has the same properties as humus. When used as a mulch, it can modify soil temperatures, reduce erosion, control weeds and improve moisture retention.

Separation Of Leaf Waste In Mandated Communities
Leaf waste must be separated from other residential wastes in municipalities required to recycle under Act 101 of 1988, the "Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling and Waste Reduction Act." Commercial, municipal and institutional establishments located within these municipalities also must separate leaf waste and store it until collection. Effective September 26, 1990, no waste disposal facility may accept shipments comprised primarily of leaf waste unless a separate facility has been provided for composting.

Backyard Composting
You can make a ton of compost at home in an area only 4' square. If you don't have a backyard, you can make smaller amounts of compost in plastic garbage bags. Backyard composting not only reduces the expense of buying fertilizers for gardens, landscaping and potted plants, it reduces municipal collection and disposal costs. Since many foods can be composted, including coffee grounds and eggshells, home composting can reduce food wastes as well as yard wastes. If you are interested in backyard composting, contact DEP for more information.

Grass Clippings
Bagging your clippings is not necessary to maintain your lawn. Leaving grass clippings on the lawn after mowing ensures that nutrients will be returned to the soil. Grass clippings are 20-30% protein, and usually contain about 4% nitrogen, 2% potassium and 0.5% phosphorus as well as all the necessary trace elements plants need.

When leaving clippings on the lawn, adjust your lawn mower to remove no more than one third (1/3) of the grass leaf surface at any one mowing. Any mower can be used, but one that mulches as it cuts is best. Use a slow-release fertilizer, water when necessary, and mow the grass at the proper height. Your county agricultural agent (check your local telephone directory) can provide general information on proper mowing heights, fertilizing and watering.

Compostable Materials
Most yard wastes can be composted, including leaves, grass clippings, plant stalks, vines, weeds, twigs and branches. Compostable food wastes include fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells and nutshells. Other compostable materials are hair clippings, feathers, straw, livestock manure, bonemeal and bloodmeal.

Materials should NOT be composted if they promote disease, cause odors, attract pests, or create other nuisances. These include meat, fish, poultry, dairy products, foods containing animal fats, human/pet feces, weeds with developed seed heads, and plants infected with or highly susceptible to disease, such as roses and peonies.

Materials that should be composted only in limited amounts include wood ashes (a source of lime), sawdust (requires extra nitrogen), plants treated with herbicides or pesticides (the chemicals need time for thorough decomposition), and black and white newsprint (composts slowly, so it should comprise no more than 10% by weight of the total pile).

Composting Requirements
Shredded Organic Wastes. Shredding, chopping or even bruising organic materials hastens decay. One way to shred leaves is to mow the lawn before raking, collecting the shredded leaves in the mower bag. It takes at least 34 cubic feet of shredded material to form a compost pile.
Good Location. The compost pile should be located in a warm area and protected from overexposure to wind and too much direct sunlight. While heat and air facilitate composting, overexposure dries the materials. The location should not offend neighbors.
Nitrogen. Nitrogen accelerates composting. Good sources include fresh grass clippings, manure, bloodmeal and nitrogenous fertilizer. Lime should be used sparingly if at all. It enhances decomposition, but too much causes nitrogen loss, and it usually isn`t necessary unless the pile contains large amounts of pine and spruce needles or fruit wastes.
Air. The compost pile and its enclosure should be well ventilated. Some decay will occur without oxygen, but the process is slow and causes odors.
Water. Materials in the compost pile should be kept as moist as a squeezed sponge. Too little or too much water retards decomposition. Over watering causes odors and loss of nutrients.

Building An Enclosure
Enclosing the compost pile saves space and prevents litter. The enclosure should be collapsible or provide an entry large enough to permit the pile to be turned. It should measure at least 4'X4'X4' (a pile under 3 cubic feet generally does not decompose properly), but no taller than 6' (too much weight causes compaction and loss of oxygen). The enclosure can be built of wood, pallets, hay bales, cinder blocks, stakes and chicken wire, or snow fencing. Prefabricated compost bins are also available.

Building The Pile
Aside from the basic requirements for decomposition and preventing odors and other nuisances, there is no set method for building a compost pile. One technique may be faster than another, but a variety of methods work well. Piles can be built in layers to ensure the proper proportion of carbon (e.g., leaves, woody materials) to nitrogen (grass, fertilizer), but the layers should be thoroughly intermixed after the pile is built.

Maintenance
Turning and mixing the pile with a pitchfork or shovel, or shifting it into another bin, provides the oxygen necessary for decomposition and compensates for excess moisture. A pile that is not mixed may take 34 times longer to decompose. Recommendations for mixing the pile vary from every 3 days to every 6 weeks. More frequent turning results in faster composting. Odors indicate that the pile is too damp or lacks oxygen, and that more frequent turning is necessary.

Occasional watering may be necessary to keep the pile damp, especially in dry weather. Covering the pile with black plastic reduces the need for watering; it also prevents rainwater from leaching out the nutrients.

A pile that is decomposing properly should generate temperatures of 140°-160°F at its center. The heat kills most weed seeds, insect eggs and diseases. The pile should be turned when the center begins to cool. Turning the pile maintains the temperature and ensures that all material is exposed to the center heat. When the compost is finished, the pile will no longer heat up.
Small amounts of fresh materials may be added but should be buried inside the pile to avoid pests and speed composting. It is better to add fresh materials to a new pile.

Finished Compost
Finished compost is dark brown, crumbly, and has an earthy odor. Depending upon seasonal temperatures, a well-built, well-tended pile generally yields finished compost in 2 weeks to 4 months. An unattended pile made with unshredded material may take longer than a year to decompose.

Instructions For Fast Composting
shredded leaves (about 2/3 by volume)
fresh grass clippings (about 1/3 by volume, or slightly more for faster decomposition)
kitchen scraps (grind in blender)
Begin the pile with a 4" layer of leaves. Add a 2" layer of grass clippings. Repeat the layers until the pile is about 4' high, then add the kitchen scraps.

Chop vertically through the pile with the tines of a pitchfork to thoroughly bruise and mix the materials. Add just enough water to moisten the pile, then cover it with a black plastic garbage bag. Using the same chopping technique, turn the pile on the second day after the pile is built, again on the fourth day, then every three days until the compost is finished. Except in dry weather, no further watering should be necessary.

The compost should be finished in about two weeks.

Alternate Composting Methods
Compost can be made in a garbage can, barrel or drum that has a secure lid. Drill holes in the sides and bottom of the container to allow for air circulation and water drainage, and place it upright on blocks. Fill 3/4 of the container with organic wastes, add a little nitrogenous fertilizer (about 1/4 cup for a 55gallon barrel), and moisten the materials. Every few days shake the container or turn it on its side and roll it to mix the compost. The lid should be removed after turning to allow air penetration. This method yields finished compost in about 24 months.

Another method is to use a 30 or 40gallon plastic garbage bag. Fill the bag with organic materials, nitrogen and lime (one cup per bag helps counteract acidity caused by anaerobic composting). Shake well to mix materials. Add about 1 quart of water and close the bag tightly. Bags can be stored outdoors in the summer and in a heated basement or garage during the winter. No turning or additional water is necessary. The compost should be finished in about 6 -12 months.

You can have a healthy green lawn by leaving grass clippings where they fall. It's simple. Grass clippings left on the lawn decompose and act as a natural organic fertilizer. This lets you reduce the amount of commercial fertilizer you need to apply. Your lawn will remain healthy and green because each time you mow, you will be returning valuable nutrients to the soil.

Mowing Techniques & Tips· Any mower can recycle grass clippings. Just remove the grass catcher. Ask your lawn mower dealer if you need a special safety plug or adapter kit to convert your mower into a "recycling" mower. Installing a mulching blade also is helpful.
· Never cut off more than 1/3 of the grass blade in one mowing. Keep grass mowed to 2" in early spring, gradually raise the height to 3-4" by summer, then gradually reduce to 2" by late fall.
· Mow when the grass is dry.
· Keep your mower blade sharp. Dull mowers tear the grass blade, injure the plant and cause a brownish cast to the turf.
· If the grass gets too high, mow over the clippings a second time to further shred and scatter them.
· To prevent excess growth between mowings, raise the mower height, mow, then gradually lower it over a span of several mowings. This will help prevent shock to the plants.
· When it's time to replace your mower, consider a mulching, recycling or nonpolluting reel mower. All of them do a good job of shredding and scattering grass clippings.
What About Thatch?
Thatch, a matted layer of dead roots and stems, usually is caused by too much water and fertilizer. Clippings don't produce thatch because they are 80 percent water and decompose quickly. A thatch layer of more than 1/2" should be removed.

Uses For Clippings· COMPOST. Fresh clippings should compose no more than 1/3 of the compost pile. They are an excellent source of nitrogen. Mix thoroughly with "brown" materials such as leaves or straw and turn the pile regularly to aerate it and prevent odors.
· MULCH. Pile about 1" of dried clippings on the soil to reduce weeds and moderate soil temperature. Mulching also controls erosion, run-off and evaporation. If using herbicides, wait at least two mowings after treating the lawn to use the clippings.
· SOIL ADDITIVE. Mixing fresh grass clippings into the garden improves soil texture, promotes moisture retention and adds nutrients and organic matter. About once a month, turn a 2" layer of grass into the soil to a depth of 6".
Plant Some Roots
Landscaping, growing a garden, and planting new trees do all kinds of things to help the environment. They also make us feel better and encourage less littering.

Why are trees important? Trees pump out oxygen, remove pollution from the air, provide shelter to wildlife, slow storm water runoff, prevent soil erosion, provide shade to keep cities cool, and reduce noise. All that, and they look great too!
· Learn more about trees and find the next Arbor Day in your state. It’s a day in spring observed by planting trees.
· There are about 150,000 community urban gardens in the U.S. Check the list and see how many are in your City. In addition to providing flowers and food, community gardens bring folks together and restore vacant properties.
Make It Happen1. Spruce up parks, playgrounds, and other areas that have fallen into disrepair. Then plant some trees.
2. Invite someone from the parks department or nature center to talk to your class about the best types of trees for your region and how to take care of them.
3. Visit the American Community Gardening Association and find out how to create, or participate, in a community garden.
4. The National Arbor Day Foundation recognizes hundreds of towns and cities as a “Tree City USA.” Find out if your City qualifies and how you can help.

Shade trees help conserve energy, saving up to 50% of air conditioning costs. In winter, windbreak trees can reduce heating bills as much as 30%.

Maintain Your Vehicle
Your vehicle can be a large source of pollution, both through tailpipe emissions and through maintenance. Proper care of your vehicle includes regular servicing and being responsible for the resulting wastes, especially used oil and oil filters.

Example: Follow the manufacturer's recommendations for maintenance: change your oil regularly, keep the tires inflated correctly, and have your vehicle serviced regularly. Always make sure you properly dispose of your used oil and filters. You're not just protecting the environment, you're protecting your investment.

Benefits: Proper maintenance of your car will ensure that it will last longer, save you money and reduce the need to buy a new one. Finding other ways to get to where you need to go lowers emissions given off to the environment. Properly managing waste oil and oil filters keeps these contaminants out of landfills and energy recovery facilities (garbage incinerators) and helps protect our natural resources.

Timely tip: Use a funnel to prevent spills
Engine coolant, motor oil and windshield washer fluid are critical to your automobile's performance, but are difficult to pour. Even small spills onto your driveway or the street can be bad for the environment. These spills wash into the storm sewers, which typically dump directly into lakes, streams or rivers. Keep spills to a minimum by using a funnel for pouring fluids into your car.

Since 1991, over 40 million gallons of used oil have been collected for recycling. Each year, through routine changes of engine oil, Americans dump 350 million gallons of used oil into the nation's waterways, the equivalent of 16 Exxon Valdez oil spills. Used motor oil and oil filters must not be thrown in the trash, poured onto the ground, or put into the water. Find out where they can be recycled. Look for a list at your local retailer, or contact your county household hazardous waste program.

Creating Less Trash at School
There are lots of ways that we can reduce waste at school. By thinking ahead and being creative, you can reduce your impact on the environment and save money at the same time.

Pack a no-waste lunch
A "no-waste lunch" is a meal that does not end up in the trash. You can buy food items in bulk then put them in reusable containers to carry to school.

Example: Use a reusable lunch box or bag and fill it with your lunch in reusable containers. You could also include a cloth napkin, don't forget to bring it home so you can wash it and use it again. Another idea is to ask your school cafeteria to use items such as reusable trays, napkins and silverware.
Benefits: You create less waste by using washable containers to pack your lunch. Packing your food in reusables is typically less expensive than buying food that comes in disposable containers.

Take only as much food as you will eat
More than 20 percent of the food we buy gets thrown away. One way to figure out how much food you waste is to measure and track all the food you throw away from your lunch over a fixed period of time. Then you could brainstorm ways to reduce how much food you are throwing in the garbage.

Example: If you are bringing lunch from home, you can use an icepack so that it stays fresh until it is eaten. If you buy from the school cafeteria, only take a small portion of food; if you're still hungry, go back for seconds!
Benefits: About 48 million tons of food are thrown away in the United States each year. By taking only what you can eat or sharing your extras with a friend, you are taking steps to waste less and save money.

Carry a few reusables
At the beginning of each school year, it seems like we need to buy lots of supplies. When you go to the store, look for durable, long-lasting supplies and reuse them.

Example: Refillable pens and pencils, a durable backpack and a lunchbox are all great examples of products that can be used over and over again.
Benefits: Items that can be used more than once will reduce waste. If you take care of them, they will last a long time, and maybe you won't have to buy new ones the next year!

Use less paper
Even though we recycle much of the paper we use, it is still a significant part of what we throw in the trash. Think about all of the paper you've thrown away that only had writing on one side. Those pieces of paper could have been used a second time, potentially cutting your paper use in half. Also, by buying paper and notebooks that contain recycled paper, you complete the recycling loop and create less waste.

Example: Make room in your classroom or at home to put paper that has only been used on one side. Use that paper for notes, or feed the blank side into your printer for draft documents. You can also make scratch pads out of that single-sided paper by binding one side. Can you "go paperless?" Ask your teacher if you can hand in assignments on a computer disk or via e-mail instead.
Benefits: Because paper and packaging make up such a large part of our garbage, by using less paper you can reduce up to 40 percent of the trash that is thrown away.

Organize A School-Wide Rummage Sale
Rummage sales are a great way to pass along items that you no longer want to someone who might need them. Instead of throwing your unwanted items away, they will be put to good use.

Example: Plan a class or school-wide rummage sale with your teacher. Collect donations for the sale. Sell used items such as clothes, furniture and sporting goods at an end-of-the-year sale.
Benefits: Buying used items is not only cheaper, but someone else's trash might be your treasure!

Used Chic
Buying things "used" is inexpensive and prevents waste. Don't let current fashion fads dictate what you buy, set your own style!

Helping "U" reduce wasteShopping the University of Minnesota's perpetual garage sale
www1.umn.edu/recycle/reuse.htmlReuse Center, 3009 Como Ave SE612-626-9152 or recycle@umn.eduPublic Hours: 8am-5:30pm Thursdays.Payment by check only.

On the University of Minnesota's Twin Cities campus, the recycling program knew that there was a lot of "gold" in the trash bins of the "maroon and gold." With the help of a grant from the Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance, they established a program for the recovery of materials for reuse.

The Reuse Program lists items available for reuse on their Web site, using it as a "virtual warehouse" with pictures and descriptions of their constantly-shifting stock. They list furniture, office equipment, office supplies, and even computer equipment.
Some of the items are available only to university departments, while others are available at low or no cost to students and the general public. When this kind of energy is dedicated top reducing waste, "the Ski-U-Mah's the limit."

Get informed and become more aware
Your local lending library is one of best-known examples of a successful reuse program. Talk to your teacher about starting or joining an environmental group at school or look for ways to increase your awareness of natural surroundings and environmental issues.

Example: Set up a school waste reduction campaign with your environmental club. You could turn visits to nature areas and parks into service learning class projects.
Benefits: Being informed about environmental issues will give you the knowledge to help yourself and others become environmentally friendly. Connecting your activities with nature helps to increase appreciation and gives extra motivation to take actions to preserve and protect it.

Become a Paperless Office
Despite your forest of filing cabinets, are you able to find that report you need for your meeting in 5 minutes? Take steps to reduce your consumption of paper and increase efficiency at work to save time, money, and resources.

The 3 E’s: Economical, Environmental, Efficient
Are you a paper pusher? The typical workplace is hooked on paper, with some shocking statistics.
· The average office worker uses 10,000 sheets of copy paper each year.
· The United States alone, which has less than 5% of the world's population, consumes 30% of the world's paper.
· Over 40% of wood pulp goes toward the production of paper.
· Printing and writing paper equals about one-half of U.S. paper production.
Economical: Saving paper saves money
You're probably thinking, "What's the big deal, my office doesn't spend much on paper." But what most people don't realize is that the cost of buying paper is just the tip of the paper iceberg. For each sheet of paper used, a company incurs not only purchasing costs, but also storage, copying, printing, postage, disposal, and recycling,and it adds up. A recent study estimates that associated paper costs could be as much as 31 times the purchasing costs (not including labor). So, that ream of paper that you paid $5 for really could cost up to $155!
· Citigroup, a large financial services company, determined that if each employee used double-sided copying to conserve just one sheet of paper each week, the firm would save $700,000 each year.
· Bank of America cut its paper consumption by 25% in two years by increasing the use of on-line forms and reports, e-mail, double-sided copying, and lighter-weight paper.
Environmental: Saving paper use reduces our impact
Creating paper from trees requires a lot of natural resources. Paper is an office necessity and is needed to complete essential tasks, but there are ways that we can help by reducing the amount of paper that we consume. Even with recycling efforts, paper makes up over 25% of most states garbage, we're throwing away a lot of resources!

Efficient: Saving paper increases efficiency
Paperwork! It brings to mind filling out unnecessarily complicated forms. Electronic forms can now make that job easier and more efficient. Businesses that have converted to electronic forms and filing systems have found that it takes less time to both find and process information. This doesn't mean that electronic forms should replace all paper. In some instances, paper will be the best tool, but most businesses find that reducing their paper use increases their efficiency. Whenever we have fewer sheets of paper in our homes and offices, we spend less time looking for those that are misplaced or lost.

Tips for reducing office paper waste
Use both sides. When you use the front and back of a piece of paper, you can cut your paper use and costs in half.
· Set computer defaults to print double-sided.
· Make double-sided copies when possible.
· Use one-sided paper in your fax machine or as scratch paper.
Think before you print or copy
· Sometimes it is necessary for documents to be printed. Try to print responsibly.
· Preview documents before printing. Using the print preview allows you to proofread your document for errors before you print. Always use the spell/grammar tool to help avoid errors that can cause documents to be reprinted.
· Print only the pages you need. If only a few pages of the document are needed, print only those pages instead of the whole report. Most software programs provide this option under the print function.
· Promote a "think before you copy" attitude. Consider sharing some documents with co-workers. Print only the number of copies needed for the meeting, don't make extras.
Go electronic
· Route memos and newsletters that employees should see, but do not need to keep. That way newsletters and other documents can be shared.
· Use revision features in word processing software. You can edit draft documents on screen instead of printing out drafts and making hand-written comments.
· Send information electronically. Use e-mails instead of fax or letters when possible. It's faster.
· Print more words on each page (e.g., smaller font, narrower margins). Change the default on your computer to reduce the margins a little or to use an efficient font like Times New Roman.
· Create an electronic filing system for quick, easy retrieval.
Keep forms and lists up-to-date
· Reduce unwanted mail. Much of the marketing mail that your office receives is discarded immediately, and you foot the bill for recycling or disposal, not to mention the time it takes to sort and deliver mail. Cut down on the amount of unwanted mail by keeping your employees' names off of mail lists to begin with.
· Eliminate unnecessary forms. Figure out if all forms are still used, sometimes documents become obsolete and are no longer needed. If forms are still needed consider making forms electronic.
Close the loop on recycling
· Recycle all of your office paper. If your office doesn't recycle yet, start a recycling office paper program. It can save your organization money and reduce your waste.
· Buy recycled content paper, and paper that is made without chlorine.
Be nice to your copier...
and your copier will be nice to you. Keep copiers and printers in good repair and make it policy to only buy copiers and printers that make reliable double-sided copies. Let your copier maintenance person know when a copier is performing poorly (toner is low, jams frequently, etc.). Regular copier maintenance is important, especially if the toner is low. Many times copiers are used until all the toner is gone and that wears down machines. A copier that works well is less likely to jam and this helps save paper!

Compound savings
Think about that 10-page, single-sided report you're dropping in the mail. You need an extra stamp, don't you? Take that same report and send it double-sided. Now you've cut your paper cost in half, and you don't need to pay the extra postage.

The Paper Reduction Toolkit
Factsheet and posters
Fact sheet: Office Paper Reduction
Poster: Discover your paper's other side: Make use of your copier's ability to duplex
Poster: Stop the hail of junk mail: Reduce unsolicited mail to your business
Poster: Default to Duplex: Set your computer default to 2-sided printing
Flash/Shockwave files
Animated files to use in your office. Not too big to email, but easy to link to on reduce.org, too. Two styles: "Green Screen" is more corporate, while the "Animation" set is a little more fun.
Require Macromedia Flash Player.To play file: Click the icon.To save file: Right-click and choose 'Save Link/Target As' to save to your computer or network.
GreenScreen
Animation

Growth in paper use

Cost of paper

Duplex printing: Set your computer default to duplex print

Think before you print

Double-sided copying

Test before copying big jobs

Don't print emails: Save electronically

Don't print web sites unnecessarily

Page formatting and font selection

Reduce business junk mail

The Benefits Of Recycling
Recycling Saves Natural Resources
Our finite reserves of natural resources are being depleted rapidly, particularly with the increasing use of disposable products and packaging. This rate of use and disposal takes a particularly heavy toll on irreplaceable natural resources from our forests and mines.

Reprocessing used materials to make new products and packaging reduces the consumption of natural resources. Recycling often produces better products than those made of virgin materials; for instance, the tin in "tin" cans is more refined (thus more valuable) after being processed for recycling.

You Can Make A Difference
Environmental problems have become so complex that many individuals feel they can have no effect on them. Problems like global warming, hazardous waste, loss of rain forests, endangered species, acid rain, the ozone layer, the municipal waste crisis can feel out of our control. At the very least, these problems require group and corporate action or government intervention.

But there are some things the individual can control. Our waste reduction and recycling activities can make a difference. Recycling makes a difference. It's the right thing to do.

Recycling Saves Energy
Energy savings are a very important environmental benefit of recycling, because using energy requires the consumption of scarce fossil fuels and involves emissions of numerous air and water pollutants. The steps in supplying recycled materials to industry (including collection, processing and transportation) typically use less energy than the steps in supplying virgin materials to industry (including extraction, refining, transportation and processing).

Additional energy savings associated with recycling accrue in the manufacturing process itself, since the materials have already undergone processing.
Recycling paper cuts energy usage in half. Every pound of steel recycled saves 5,450 BTUs of energy, enough to light a 60-watt bulb for over 26 hours. Recycling a ton of glass saves the equivalent of nine gallons of fuel oil. Recycling used aluminum cans requires only about five percent of the energy needed to produce aluminum from bauxite. Recycling just one can saves enough electricity to light a 100-watt bulb for 3½ hours.

Recycling Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions
By reducing the amount of energy used by industry, recycling also reduces greenhouse gas emissions and helps prevent global climate change. This is because much of the energy used in industrial processes and in transportation involves burning fossil fuels like gasoline, diesel and coal, the most important sources of carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions into the environment. Additional benefits are derived from reduced emissions from incinerators and landfills and by slowing the harvest of trees, which are carbon sinks. In 2003, recycling reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 2 million metric tons of carbon equivalent.

Recycling Reduces Emissions of Air and Water Pollutants
In addition to greenhouse gases, recycling can reduce a range of pollutants from entering the air and water. By decreasing the need to extract and process new raw materials from the earth, recycling can eliminate the pollution associated with the initial stages of a product's development: material extraction, refining and processing. These activities pollute the air, land, and water with toxic materials, such as ammonia, carbon monoxide, methane, and sulfur dioxides. Further reductions are achieved as a result of energy saving, thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants. In addition to the greenhouse gas reductions mentioned previously, additional reductions of air emissions due to recycling total 285,430 million tons. Reduced water emissions total over 8,000 tons

Recycling Provides Economic Benefits
By converting waste into valuable products, recycling creates jobs, contributes feedstock to manufacturing, and adds significant value to the entire U.S. economy.

Recycling manufacturing involves the actual conversion of recyclables into products. The primary recycling manufacturers in order of magnitude are steel mills, plastic converters, paper and paperboard mills, and nonferrous metal manufacturers. Recycling manufacturing employs over 64,000 people with a payroll of almost $2.5 billion and annual sales of over $15.5 billion.

Reuse and remanufacturing focuses on the refurbishing and repair of products to be reused in their original form. The largest activities are retail sales of used merchandise and reuse of used motor vehicle parts. The amount of value that can be added via this process is limited because of competition from new products. Nevertheless, reuse and manufacturing contributes over 7,000 jobs, a payroll of $115 million and sales of over a half billion dollars.

Downstream Economic Benefits
In addition to the direct benefits, support businesses that provide goods and services to the recycling and reuse establishments also contribute to the Commonwealth's economy. These supporting activities include recycling and reuse equipment manufacturers, consulting/ engineering services, brokers, and transporters. These contribute an additional 13,297 jobs and $1.8 billion in receipts.
Resource ExchangeBusinesses, schools, and cities are finding treasures in trash. Everyone wins when cities help match waste with need through a resource exchange . Get your city on board.
Clean BusinessStep up business efforts to maximize recovery and minimize solid waste. Set a standard of environmental excellence for the work place.
CompostingNationally, nearly 57% of yard trimmings are recycled. A growing recovery practice, composting turns leaves, grass, and brush into an organic soil conditioner.
Recycling Process
Collecting and processing secondary materials, manufacturing recycled-content products, and then purchasing recycled products creates a circle or loop that ensures the overall success and value of recycling.

Step 1. Collection and Processing Collecting recyclables varies from community to community, but there are four primary methods: curbside, drop-off centers, buy-back centers, and deposit/refund programs.
Regardless of the method used to collect the recyclables, the next leg of their journey is usually the same. Recyclables are sent to a materials recovery facility to be sorted and prepared into marketable commodities for manufacturing. Recyclables are bought and sold just like any other commodity, and prices for the materials change and fluctuate with the market.

Step 2. Manufacturing Once cleaned and separated, the recyclables are ready to undergo the second part of the recycling loop. More and more of today's products are being manufactured with total or partial recycled content. Common household items that contain recycled materials include newspapers and paper towels; aluminum, plastic, and glass soft drink containers; steel cans; and plastic laundry detergent bottles. Recycled materials also are used in innovative applications such as recovered glass in roadway asphalt (glassphalt) or recovered plastic in carpeting, park benches, and pedestrian bridges.

Step 3. Purchasing Recycled ProductsPurchasing recycled products completes the recycling loop. By "buying recycled," governments, as well as businesses and individual consumers, each play an important role in making the recycling process a success. As consumers demand more environmentally sound products, manufacturers will continue to meet that demand by producing high-quality recycled products. Click here to learn more about recycling terminology and to find tips on identifying recycled products.

Opportunities
For recycling to work, everyone has to participate in each phase of the loop. From government and industry, to organizations, small businesses, and people at home, every American can make recycling a part of their daily routine. Below are some ways in which businesses, local governments, and citizens can get involved:
Businesses
· Visit the Web site for EPA's WasteWise program.
· Get involved with your local or state recycling organization. For a list of state organizations, visit the National Recycling Coalition's Web site.
· Buy recycled-content products. Visit the Web site for EPA's Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines for lists of manufacturers of recycled-content products.
Local Governments
· Improve the efficiency of your collection program. An EPA resource entitled Getting More for Less: Improving Collection Efficiency [Adobe PDF, 880 KB, about PDF] (EPA530-R-99-038) explains several important strategies for improving efficiency as well as case studies of communities that have reaped the benefits of improved solid waste collection.
· Practice full cost accounting (FCA). Visit the FCA Web site for more information on using FCA to assist with identifying and assessing the costs of solid waste management.
· Identify opportunities to increase recycling rates. Visit Pennsylvania's Web site for examples of local government projects in Pennsylvania to help meet or exceed the state's 35 percent recycling goal. Also, view EPA's guidance on measuring the success of your state or local recycling program.

Citizens
· Recycle at home. Find out if there is a recycling program in your community. If so, participate in the program by separating and putting out your recyclables for curbside pickup or taking them to your local drop-off or buy-back center.
· Shop smarter. Use products in containers that can be recycled in your community and items that can be repaired or reused. Also, support recycling markets by buying and using products made from recycled materials.
The Recycling LoopAmerican communities recycled and composted nearly 30% of municipal solid waste in 2001, diverting 68 million tons to recovery. Recycling begins when individuals collect and set aside materials to be recovered through curbside, drop-off, school, office building, and other collection programs. Haulers pick up recyclables and transport them to a processing facility where they are separated to create the highest value raw materials. These are sold to manufacturers for making new products. The cycle begins again when consumers purchase products and packaging with recycled content.
PaperPaper recovered for recycling has increased almost 100% since 1987. In 2002, Americans recycled 47.6 million tons, a little over 48% of all paper consumed in the U.S.
· Newspapers - 71% of all newspapers are recovered for recycling. Over a third goes back into making more newsprint. The remainders is used to make paperboard, tissue, and insulation, or exported.
· Boxes - 74% of boxes, or corrugated containers, are recycled. About 64% are recycled into new boxes. Another 17% are used for paperboard packaging, like cookie and cracker boxes.
· Office Paper - Nearly 46% of office papers are recovered for recycling. These become raw material for paperboard, tissue, and printing and writing papers.
Recovered paper accounts for nearly 38% of fiber used to make new paper products. While paper fibers cannot be recycled forever, paper is made from a renewable resource, trees.
After achieving nearly 50% recovery, the paper industry has set a new, higher paper recovery goal of 55% by 2012. The industry expects an increased demand for recycled paper both overseas and in the U.S. More on paper recycling.
View Chart ("U.S. Paper Recovery.pdf")
AluminumRecovery of aluminum for recycling has dropped from a high of 68% in 1992 to just over 53% in 2002. While aluminum recovery has fluctuated, it has a long history of recycling primarily because recycled aluminum provides significant energy savings compared to the use of virgin raw materials (mainly the ore bauxite).
Although aluminum is a nonrenewable resource, it can be recycled indefinitely. Recycled cans are melted into ingots weighing up to 60,000 pounds-enough aluminum to make 1.6 million new cans. It takes 60 days for a can to journey from the recycling bin through the recycling process and back on store shelves.

Recycling aluminum saves 95% of the energy needed to produce new aluminum from raw materials. Energy saved from recycling one ton of aluminum is equal to the amount of electricity the average home uses over 10 years. The value of aluminum also typically covers the cost for its collection and reprocessing. Recyclers paid nearly $1 billion for aluminum beverage cans in 2002.
Besides cans, other aluminum products that can be recycled include foil wrap, food cans, pie plates, frozen food trays, lawn chair tubing, storm door and window frames, residential siding, and auto parts. Get more facts.
View Chart ("Aluminum Can Recycling.xls")
SteelThe steel industry recycled nearly 68% of steel scrap from recycled cans, automobiles, appliances, construction material, and other steel products in 2001. Some communities even recycle empty aerosol cans.
Recovered steel is remelted and used to produce new steel products. A minimum of 25% recycled steel goes in to packaging, car bodies, appliances, and steel framing. Products such as railroad ties and bridge spans use virtually 100% recycled steel.
· Cans - 58% of steel cans were recycled in 2001. More than 200 million Americans have access to steel can recycling through curbside, drop-off, and buy-back programs.
· Appliances - In 2001, 85% of steel from appliances were recycled at nearly 12,000 appliance recycling locations in the U.S.
· Automobiles - More than 14.5 million cars were recycled in 2001, a little more than the number of new cars produced.
· Construction - It is estimated that half of all steel used to reinforce buildings and 95% of structural beams and plates are recycled.
Learn more from the Steel Recycling Institute .
View Chart (Steel Can Recycling.xls)
PlasticsPlastic products account for 11.1% of all municipal solid waste generated in the U.S. In 2001, 5.5% of it was recovered. About 10% of plastic containers and packaging were recovered, mostly soft drink, milk, and water bottles.
Two of the most widely used forms of plastic, PET (Polyethylene termpephthalate) and HDPE (high density polyethylene), are also the most recycled. PET bottles (soda, water) and HDPE bottles (milk, laundry detergent) are commonly collected in community recycling programs.In 1999, 23.8% of HDPE and 22.8% of PET bottles were recycled. Most of the PET bottles (56%) are used in the manufacture of fiber for carpet and clothing. And, 29% of HDPE bottles go back into making new bottles.
In 2001, more than 452 million pounds of polystyrene were recycled back into foam egg cartons, lunch trays, transport packaging, and audio and videocassette cases. Polystyrene foodservice packaging (like clamshells) is not generally recycled because it is not economically sustainable.Polystyrene, HDPE, PET and other varieties of plastic all have different properties, so they must be separated to be used as a raw material for new products. The differences between varieties of plastic may not be readily apparent when comparing containers visually.
To help consumers assess the type of plastic, the society of the Plastics Industry developed a uniform coding system which identifies the type of resin used in plastic packaging (like bottles, packages, etc.). These "plastic codes" now appear on most forms of plastic packaging. Learn more about plastic recycling .

GlassGlass that has been collected for recycling is called cullet. Glass container manufacturers recycle cullet, combined with soda ash, limestone and sand, to create "new" glass. In 2001, glass made up 5.5% of the municipal solid waste stream by weight, and of that, about 22% of glass containers were recycled.
Using recycled glass to make new glass packaging reduces consumption of raw materials, extends the life of plant equipment, such as furnaces, and saves energy.
It is best to sort glass by color (clear, green, and amber), as mixed glass has little or no value to container manufacturers. Materials to keep out of the glass recycling mix includes ceramic cups and plates, clay pots, drinking glasses, light bulbs, and mirror and window glass. These items are not recyclable and contaminate a batch of cullet.

Scrap TiresAbout 281 million scrap tires were generated in 2001, around one tire for every American. There are at least another 300 million scrap tires in stockpiles in the U.S. according to the U.S. EPA . Tires represent 1.8% of solid waste generated.

Finding a market for scrap tires has been a persistent problem. In 1990 markets existed for only 17% of scrap tires. Today, there are markets for almost 78% or 218 million tons. The rest are stockpiled or landfilled. Many states restrict them from landfills, which has encouraged the development of new uses for scrap tires. To date, 30 states collect disposal fees on tires to help fund scrap tire management and market development.

According to the Rubber Manufacturers Association , in 2001, 33 million scrap tires were recycled and used in rubberized asphalt, 40 million were used as an alternative to rock in civil engineering projects, and 115 million for fuel in cement kilns and pulp and paper mills. The rest were exported or stamped into new products.

To keep your tires out of the waste stream, consider retreading them.
View Chart ("Tire Recovery 2-16-04.xls")

Cell PhonesCell phone use has grown from 340,000 in 1985 to 128 million in 2001, according to a study by the environmental research group, INFORM..
Most phones are used an average of 18 months before being replaced. The study estimates that by 2005 about 130 million cell phones, weighing approximately 65,000 tons, will be discarded annually in the U.S. Before being disposed of, many will be stashed in homes and offices, creating a stockpile of roughly 500 million wireless phones.

A typical wireless phone consists of 40% metals, 40% plastics, and 20% ceramics and other trace materials. Much of this is recoverable, including the batteries. Wireless phones also contain a number of toxic materials, such as lead and brominated flame retardants, which are released into the environment when they are disposed of in a landfill or incinerator.
In the past few years, wireless phone manufacturers and other groups have begun to establish reuse and recycling options for cell phone recovery:
· The Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association is helping establish cell phone recycling.
· AT&T Wireless accepts cell phones and accessories, regardless of the manufacturer, at any AT&T Wireless retail store for recycling.
· CollectiveGood reuses donated cell phones in the developing world (usually Latin America or the Caribbean).
· Charitable Recycling reuses and recovers cell phones.
Computers and Other ElectronicsThe U.S. EPA estimates that more than 3.2 million tons of electronics are landfilled each year. Computers are typically discarded about every 3 to 5 years. By 2005, nearly 250 million computers are expected to become obsolete.

In 2001, 11% of personal computers were recycled, including recovery of steel, glass, plastic, and precious metals. According to E-Scrap News, more than 1,000 U.S. communities now provide some kind of electronics recycling (periodic events, drop-off, or door-to-door collection). Communities may charge a collection fee.

About 50 new e-scrap processing firms were established in the U.S. in 2003. According to the International Association of Electronics Recyclers e-scrap reclaimers employ 7,000 in processing 40 million electronics products annually.
· Get " Ten Tips for Donating your Computer.”
· Get information on the U.S. EPA's Plug in to E-cycling campaign .
· For consumer information on electronics recycling and reuse opportunities, visit the Consumer Education Initiative .
· Dell and Best Buy have also established electronics collection programs.
The Cost of RecyclingWaste management, including recycling, has costs. In general, recycling costs include:
· Collection and transportation - costs to collect and transport recyclables from households, schools, businesses, and institutions represent the bulk of recycling costs. These are generally paid by taxes, fees, or subscription charges. To offset these costs, communities may not collect items they can't easily market, reduce the number of collection days, employ different or fewer collection vehicles, or change the method of collection.
· Separation and recovery - Once recyclables get to the materials processing facility (called a "MRF"), they must be separated to remove contaminants, sorted, and baled. Processing recyclables is costly and critical to ensure a high-quality, marketable end products. Many recyclables are sorted by hand as they go along a conveyor belt. But some products can be processed using magnetic separators, screens and eddy current separation.
· Contamination - The market value of recyclables is significantly reduced when they are "contaminated" by food, hazardous materials, dirt, broken glass, and other unrecyclables. Materials may also be contaminated if they are mixed with other types of recyclables. Removing contaminants also raises processing costs. This is why there are local guidelines for what materials are collected and how they are "set out".
Recycling Collection TrendsCurbside means that recyclable materials are regularly collected from each home at or near "the curb". What materials are collected, and how they are contained and "set out" is determined by each city or county program. In 2001, about half of the U.S. population was served by over 9,700 curbside collection programs, an increase of about 5% since 2000.

Single-stream is the latest collection trend. It means recyclables are set out for collection commingled in one container rather than separating recyclables in two or more containers.
Some industries, such as paper manufacturers, have concerns that this type of collection increases the likelihood that recyclables will be "contaminated" with food, dirt, hazardous materials, broken glass, and other nonrecyclables. Glass manufacturers are also concerned about contamination and glass breakage. A few communities that use single-stream collect glass separately from the commingled recyclables.

Communities may choose this option because it is simpler for residents, which may increase participation and the amount of recyclables collected. This collection method, however, usually increases contamination. Communities are still determining whether it is cost effective. Learn more.

Drop-off or "convenience centers" are locations in a community where recyclables are accepted for collection. Residents are responsible to take materials to these facilities. Communities that have curbside collection may also have drop-off for certain types of recyclables. Learn more about the value of drop-off recycling.

One-time events or recycling drives are annual or periodic collection events for recyclables such as electronics, paint, household hazardous waste, and phone books. Find out more about how these work.

Buy-back programs are those where residents receive cash or vouchers that can be redeemed at retail stores in exchange for specific recyclables. For example, manufacturers may want old appliances, toner cartridges, or other items for which they will pay a specified amount. In some cases, such as the Chicago Public Housing Buy-Back Recycling Program, residents collect many types of recyclables and are paid market value for these materials.

Refundable deposit programs , sometimes called "bottle bills", are in place in 11 states (CA, CT, DE, HI, IA, ME, MA, MI, NY, OR, VT). Materials like plastic, glass, and aluminum are collected for recycling through a refundable deposit program. Essentially consumers pay a deposit on designated beverage containers at the time of purchase (typically 5 or 10 cents). The deposit is refunded when containers are returned to an appropriate outlet, such as a retailer or a buy-back center.

Recycling and ContaminationFor recycled materials to compete with products made from natural resources like petroleum or trees, they must measure up in terms of quality, performance, and economics. This is much more difficult when recycled materials are contaminated with even small amounts of residue. While most recyclables are processed to remove contaminants, large amounts still make their way to the manufacturer creating costs along the way.

In some manufacturing processes, such as paper recycling, even small amounts of contamination (adhesives, broken glass, dirt, etc.) may ruin an entire run, cause machinery to breakdown or to wear out. Contamination is also a concern in glass recycling. While processing equipment at a materials recycling facility (or "MRF") can remove some contaminants from glass, ceramics (clay coffee-mugs, plates, dishes, etc.), which are not easily removed, can ruin a batch of cullet.

Contamination is the reason many communities are strict about what materials are accepted in a recycling program and how these materials are to be prepared for collection. Increased contamination lowers the value of recyclables, increasing costs and decreasing revenues for communities.

Buying RecycledBuying recycled is often referred to as "closing the loop". When consumers purchase products or packaging made from recycled materials they help to encourage a market for those products. Local, state, and federal governments may promote buying recycled products through purchasing programs and "green" guidelines.

Products and packaging that contain recycled materials often indicate this on the label or display the recycling symbol . Many everyday products, however, do not carry the symbol, but still contain recycled content. The U.S. EPA estimates there are 4,500 recycled-content products available. These include items like cereal boxes, paper towels, carpeting, aluminum cans, newspaper, glass containers, detergent bottles, and motor oil. Learn more about identifying recycled-content products.

Guide to Cigarette Litter Prevention
Cigarette litter is a serious challenge for communities across the U.S. Individuals who would never litter beverage cans or paper packaging typically do not consider tossing cigarette butts on the ground littering.

Dropping partially-smoked cigarettes, cigarette butts, matches, lighters, and packaging to the ground, however, is littering. Lack of awareness, lack of ash receptacles, and the increase of smoking outdoors all contribute to the growing amount of cigarette litter.

Keep America Beautiful, the nation's largest nonprofit community improvement organization, has developed the "Guide to Cigarette Litter Prevention," to combat this problem. In the "Guide," Keep America Beautiful shares knowledge, solutions and tools that government, businesses or individuals can put to use to reduce cigarette litter in their communities.

Cigarette litter is an emerging litter problem in America.Research shows that individuals who would never consider littering an aluminum can, a piece of paper or other items may be littering cigarette butts. They may be surprised to be called litterers. But dropping partially-smoked cigarettes, cigarette butts, matches, lighters and packaging to the ground is littering. These items become litter when not disposed of properly. Cigarette litter is an emerging litter problem in communities around the country. Lack of awareness, lack of ash receptacles, and the increase of outdoor smoking add to the visible impact of cigarette litter.
Cigarette litter is an environmental problem for any community. The cigarette filter is cellulose acetate, a man-made fiber spun to look like cotton thread. These fibers break down very slowly, sometimes taking years. Cellulose acetate may degrade in time, but it is not biodegradable. One research report states that 18 percent of all litter dropped to the ground is washed into streams, rivers, lakes and the ocean by stormwater runoff. Cigarette butts are little and lightweight —they are easily carried with this runoff into our waterways. As the wind and rain carry it along, it catches in flower gardens, grass and open spaces. That’s when children, our pets, and wildlife find it. The fibers in a cigarette filter and the remaining tobacco contain several residual alkaloids, including nicotine, posing a health problem for wildlife when ingested. Did you know that birds may use it for nesting and even think it's food?

Cigarette litter represents over 20 percent of the litter collected in many community cleanup initiatives.
The Ocean Conservancy's annual International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) addresses the most littered items by publishing a "Top 10 List." Cigarette litter was at the top of the list after the 2003 cleanup, outstripping the next item on the list by three to one.

The data shown here comes from the ICC 2003 report.
Other than aesthetic and environmental challenges posed by cigarette litter in our communities, cleaning up cigarette litter is an increasing challenge. The size of cigarette litter makes cigarette litter cleanups very difficult to quantify as part of the actual cost of regular maintenance.
The cost of litter removal and, more specifically, cigarette litter removal in communities, parks and public spaces, and local roadways, in each state is not easily calculated. Most communities report the cost of maintenance as a single number and the cost of litter removal is not identified.

In many cases, individual business owners assume responsibility for cigarette litter cleanup adjacent to entrances and on their business property. Keep America Beautiful works with community volunteers to clean up litter and illegal dumping, and to make sustainable improvements neighborhood by neighborhood.Research shows that smokers will litter cigarette butts, lighters, matches and packaging material if an ash receptacle is not readily available. Keep America Beautiful identified problems with combination ash/trash receptacles. Ash/trash receptacles may be easily cross-contaminated with paper and other trash. This discourages a smoker from using the receptacle for their cigarette. Trash or ash/trash receptacles are used to snub-out burning cigarettes and then the cigarettes become litter when they're dropped around the base of a trash receptacle.

Research also shows that cigarette litter occurs at Transition Points. Transition Points are those places where a person must discontinue smoking before proceeding. A bus stop, a store entrance, building loading docks, walkways leading to government buildings and similar places are the Transition Points in a neighborhood. Are you a smoker? Please use ashtrays, pocket ashtrays and ash receptacles when you are outside. Before you begin to smoke outside, look for the receptacle you'll use when you finish smoking. Do NOT throw butts in stormdrains. While you may think it keeps them from causing a fire, there is a problem if cigarette litter enters our waterways! Always carry a pocket ashtray when you are away from traditional ashtrays and outdoor ash receptacles. If you use your car's ashtray for coins and keys, please use a portable ashtray that fits in your car’s cupholder and do NOT throw butts out car windows. This creates litter on the streets; recent wildfires in our country have been directly attributed to littered cigarette butts.Do you own or manage a business with a “no smoking” policy? Please provide employees and visitors with ash receptacles at all entry points to your business. These Transition Points are the places smokers need to discard their cigarettes before entering your business. Once installed, these ash receptacles need to be monitored and maintained regularly. Smokers will become accustomed to using these receptacles and you may need to add more to control the cigarette litter.

Are you a resident who is interested in addressing this problem? Identify other stakeholders who care about your neighborhood and your community. These individuals should represent businesses, local government and neighborhood organizations. They will become members of your Cigarette Litter Prevention Team. At the beginning of 2005, our Web site will have information about the Cigarette Litter Prevention Program. It will be a valuable program your team can use to improve your community.

U.S. Top Ten Litter Items
DEBRIS ITEMS
TOTAL NUMBER
PERCENT OF TOTAL
1. Cigarette butts
1,286,116
34.51%
2. Bags/food wrappers
443,259
11.89%
3. Caps, lids
306,428
8.22%
4. Beverage bottles (glass)
205,772
5.52%
5. Beverage cans
202,983
5.45%
6. Cups, plates, forks, knives, spoons
196,018
5.26%
7. Beverage bottles (plastic)2 liters or less
189,591
5.09%
8. Straws, stirrers
151,660
4.07%
9. Fast-food containers
73,477
1.97%
10. Cigar tips
57,792
1.55%

TOP TEN TOTALS
3,055,304
81.98%

Top Ten Tips for Preventing Litter
Set an example by not littering. Carry a litter bag in your car or put litter in your pocket until you find a container.
Pick up one piece of litter every day.
Teach others the proper way to dispose of their trash. Show them the difference between a clean area and an atea spoiled by litter, and stress why it’s important to put trash in proper containers.
Make sure that your trash cans have lids that can be securely attached. If you have curbside trash service, don’t put out open containers or boxes filled with trash.
Ask your neighbors to join you in cleaning up one public area where litter has accumulated. Ask your local Department of Public Works to become involved by collecting the bags of litter, or by waiving the disposal fee at the landfill or solid waste facility.
Tie papers in a bundle before placing them in a curbside recycling bin. Loose papers can be blown out by the wind as can other recyclables.
If you or a member of your family is involved in a civic group, scouting, or recreational sports program, encourage that group to become involved in a cleanup. In some communities, groups can earn cash by separating recyclable products from litter and redeeming them. Or have the group “adopt” a spot and maintain it on a regular basis.
Find out how you can plant and maintain flowers along a curb or sidewalk. People litter less where areas have been beautified.
Ask business owners to check their dumpsters evey day to make sure tops and side doors are closed. If the business has a loading dock, ask them to keep it clean, and to put out a receptacle for employees to use.
If you own a construction or hauling business, make sure your trucks are covered when transporting material to and from sites. Use snow fencing around construction or demolition sites to prevent debris from being blown into other areas. Put trash containers on every floor for construction workers.

The most successful way to prevent littering in your community is to have an ongoing, organized program that involves local government, business, civic groups, the media, schools, and private citizens.

Following are the some tips for preventing litter:

· Sometimes changing attitudes means changing the way things have always been done. Use local ordinances to get a community back on track.
· If the ordinances are all there, maybe there’s just no enforcement initiatives in place. Everyone needs to be involved—from citizens to the courts.
· Start by getting the facts. Measure the impact of litter in the community using Keep America Beautiful’s one-of-a-kind measurement tools .
· Citizens can create long-lasting change. Empower neighborhood groups and other volunteers to take pride and ownership in their neighborhoods, parks, and roadways. It all starts with a cleanup.
· Keep it on the front page. Use public awareness campaigns to educate and get out the message—again and again.
· Solid waste can be litter too. Keep solid waste where it belongs: reduce, reuse, and recycle.
· It’s not done until it’s green. Beautify and create green spaces to energize the spirit, foster respect for nature, and bring the community together.

Five-Step Attitude Change Process
1. Get the FactsResearch the littering problem (or other community improvement issue) in your community, and gather information from the Litter Index and the Litter/Solid Waste Survey. Interview field professionals and leadership. Assemble all pertinent data in writing.
2. Involve the PeopleIdentify the people who have the most influence over this particular issue. Let them know what you would like to do. Find how it can match their own interests, and capitalize on their interest in developing the program. Let them involve people they know or with whom they work. The volunteer network will spread. Delegation is the key.
3. Plan SystematicallyOnce the leadership and other key individuals are in agreement, develop a plan of action. Utilizing effective management techniques, the group commits to this plan of action with the aid of Keep America Beautiful programs and resource guides.

Focus on ResultsYour goal will be to achieve measurable results in litter reduction. All activities and projects should be planned programs designed to target and change negative attitudes and practices.

Landfilling
After source reduction, recycling, and composting, a large portion of municipal solid waste must still be placed in landfills. In 2001 55.7% of municipal solid waste was landfilled or about 3.10 pounds per person per day. This is down from 56.4% in 2000.

A landfill is where garbage is deposited and then buried. Properly managed landfills are an environmentally safe means of disposal, and are closely monitored for their environmental impact by the U.S. EPA as well as state and local authorities.

Over the past ten years, the number of landfills has decreased from about 8,000 in 1988 to 1,858 in 2001. Many landfills closed because they could not meet federal environmental standards. The size of the average landfill, however, has increased. Current landfill capacity is stable, although some communities may face shortages.

Landfill StandardsMunicipal solid waste landfills are regulated under Subtitle D of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act passed by Congress in 1976. In 1991, the U.S. EPA published a supplemental set of
Landfill Rules which now serve as the basis for state regulatory and permitting requirement. New landfills may also collect potentially harmful landfill gas emissions, such as methane, and convert them into energy.

Because today's landfills need to operate with unquestioned safety and efficiency, it often can take five or more years from the time a site is selected until design, permit application, and public hearings are completed and the facility is built.

How a Landfill OperatesA typical landfill is divided into a series of sections called "cells." Solid waste is placed on what is called a "working face," which is a portion of a landfill cell that is currently available to accept this material. Only limited sites in a landfill are exposed at any given time to minimize exposure of the landfill's contents to environmental elements like wind and rain. Because a landfill is filled so systematically, landfill operators may be able to pinpoint where a specific load of garbage was deposited days, weeks, or even months afterward.

At the conclusion of each day's activity in a cell, a layer of earth (sometimes ash or compost), called "daily cover” is spread across the compacted waste to minimize odor, prevent windblown litter, and deter insect and vermin. The daily cover may also consist of a layer of foam or sheets of synthetic materials. The landfill operator moves from work face to work face, and from cell to cell as the landfill gradually reaches its capacity over periods of many years, even decades.
Click here for a large image
Environmental SafeguardsRain, snow, and liquids created by the compaction and decomposition of solid waste, which can seep through a landfill cell, is called "leachate." Leachate is a potential pollutant of surface waters (lakes, rivers, streams, or oceans) or groundwater, which is the source of most drinking water.

A protective liner is used to prevent filtration of liquid from the landfill. Liners may be made of compacted clay or impermeable materials such as plastic. When clay is used, the layer may be as much as ten feet thick. This site preparation is done so that any liquid entering the landfill can be controlled and treated externally, or retained inside the landfill, rather than being permitted to pass through.

Beyond protective liners, modern landfills include multiple safeguards to contain leachate and other waste and waste byproducts and isolate them from surrounding water and soil. To prevent leachate contamination, a network of drains is installed at the bottom of the landfill to collect the liquid that has percolated through the solid waste. Leachate is then pumped to waste water recovery points for treatment.

Groundwater monitoring wells are also installed around the perimeter of the landfill to ensure that surrounding groundwater is not contaminated with leachate. Should a liner system fail by breaking or deteriorating, leak detectors installed under the liners signal the presence of leachate, allowing corrective action to prevent any movement of leachate from the landfill toward nearby ground or surface waters.

Landfills and Gas EmissionsGases emanating from the landfill are also closely monitored and controlled. As the organic portion of waste (e.g. food and yard wastes) decomposes, large amounts of methane gas and carbon dioxide are produced. Under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and the Clean Air Act, landfill operators are required to monitor gas both on the surface and around the boundaries of landfills.
As cells to the landfill are sealed off, venting systems are installed to prevent methane from diffusing under ground, and to collect any gas released and burn it off. In many cases, energy is recovered from the combustion of the gases to be used on site or sold to local homes or businesses.

Closing a LandfillWhen a landfill has reached its capacity, it is required to close consistent with U.S. EPA "final cap" environmental requirements. A final layer of clay and dirt "cap" the landfill. It is then re-landscaped according to closure plans drawn up in accordance with the community. This process is planned many years in advance.

To be granted a license to operate, a landfill operator must have a complete plan for the site's eventual closure. The operator is also required to set aside the financial resources which will be necessary for all closure, post-closure, and corrective activity which may be needed over the lifetime of the landfill.
Once a landfill is capped, operators are obligated to monitor the site for gas and leachate for up to 30 years after the closure date. They are often involved in the ongoing efforts to reclaim the land for other uses. Landfills can end up as open space for communities to use as parks, or other recreational facilities. Building any permanent structure on landfills is less common because, as solid waste decomposes in the landfill, the entire landscape can settle.

Waste-to-Energy
Click to see larger image

Waste-to-energy (WTE) is when municipal solid waste is burned in a controlled environment to create steam or electricity. Through this process the volume of solid waste is reduced by about 90%. In 2003, there were 98 WTE plants operating in 29 states. WTE was used to manage 33.6 million tons, or 14.7%, of trash in the U.S in 2001.

Energy is sold to electric generating utilities which distribute it to local homes and businesses. WTE plants in the U.S. generate enough electricity to power nearly 2.3 million homes. Energy created in a WTE facility has about the same environmental impact as energy produced from natural gas, and less impact than from oil or coal plants.

Before combustion, recyclables can be removed. Each year nearly 800,000 tons of ferrous metals and more than 900,000 tons of glass, metal, plastics, batteries, ash, and yard waste are separated out for recycling.

Primary WTE Technology Options
Mass Burn
Modular Incinerators
Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF)
Ash Management
Waste-to-energy generation produces two types of ash:
· Bottom Ash includes both large and moderate-sized unburned and unburnable matter which remains after the municipal solid waste has passed through the furnace, or combustion chamber. This ash comprises 75-90% of all ash produced through WTE, depending on the technology employed.
· Fly Ash is a powdery material suspended in the gas stream which is collected in the pollution control equipment. It tends to have higher concentrations of metals and organic materials.
Bottom ash and fly ash are usually combined when collected to facilitate storage, handling, and transportation. A benefit of combining them is that it binds metal particles to other materials, reducing the potential that these metals will leach into ground water once they are disposed.

By law, all ash is tested in accordance with U.S. EPA rules before leaving the WTE facility to ensure it is safe for disposal or beneficial reuse. According to Integrated Waste Services Association , ash from WTE facilities can be used safely and beneficially. WTE ash is sometimes used as daily and final cover for landfills. It can also provide a substitute for the aggregate in road base materials, and be used in building construction and as part of artificial offshore reefs.

Primary WTE Technology Options
Mass Burn
Mass burn is combusting municipal solid waste without any pre-processing or separation. The resulting steam is employed for industrial uses or for generating electricity. Mass burn facilities are sized according to the daily amount of solid waste they expect to receive. Most mass burn plants can remove non-combustible steel and iron for recycling before combustion using magnetic separation processes. Other non-ferrous metals can be recovered from the leftover ash.

Modular Incinerators
Modular incinerators are small mass burn plants, with a capacity of 15 to 100 tons per day. The boilers for modular incinerators are built in a factory and shipped to the WTE site, rather than being built on the WTE site itself. The advantage of a modular WTE incinerator is flexibility. For example, if more capacity is needed, modular WTE units can be added. These facilities are used primarily by small communities and industrial sites. Costs limit the use of this technology because the return on investment in terms of energy produced over time is much lower than in mass burn plants.

Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF)
RDF plants process solid waste before it is burned. A typical plant will remove non-combustible items, such as glass, metals and other recyclable materials. The remaining solid waste is then shredded into smaller pieces for burning. RDF plants require significantly more sorting and handling than mass burn, but can recover recyclables and remove potentially environmentally harmful materials prior to combustion. RDF can be burned in power boilers at factories or even at large housing complexes.
Sometimes RDF materials are "densified" (compacted at high pressure) to make fuel pellets. The "pellet fuel" may also include various sludges, by-products of municipal or industrial sewage treatment plants. A major advantage of pellet fuel as an RDF is that it can be burned along with other kinds of fuel in existing power boilers. This means RDF pellet fuels can compete with traditional fuels, such as coal, on the open market.

Creating Green Spaces
Urban ForestsPublic green spaces bring the community together, beautify the surroundings, and naturally clean the environment. Check out these programs to encourage and establish community green spaces.

Community GardensThe American Community Gardening Association estimates there are about 150,000 community gardens in the U.S. Gardens can reclaim property, serve as a neighborhood gathering place, and plant seeds of hope.

Parks And Green SpacesParks and other city green spaces translate into tangible economic and social benefits. They increase property values, make a city more livable, and improve citizen satisfaction. How does your city rate?

Building Challenge
Sustainable, or "green," building is gaining momentum as more professionals recognize a tremendous opportunity to prevent waste, recover materials, and conserve resources. Sustainable building projects incorporate energy, water, and material efficiencies into design, construction, operation, and demolition. The WasteWise Building Challenge focuses on reducing, reusing, and recycling construction and demolition (C&D) debris. Whether you are renovating office space or building a new production plant, consider the savings associated with resource-efficient construction. For additional information about the Challenge program, visit the WasteWise Challenge page.

Since the Building Challenge inception in 2002, 23 WasteWise partners pledged to reduce, reuse, and recycle C&D debris. At the 2003 Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony, WasteWise recognized Genzyme Corporation, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, and Seattle University for their efforts towards the Building Challenge.

Reducing Construction and Demolition (C&D) Debris
Reducing, reusing, and recycling C&D debris can cut overall project expenses by avoiding disposal and purchasing costs, generating revenue from the sale of materials, and creating opportunities for tax breaks through material donations. Other benefits include conserving landfill space, avoiding the environmental effects of manufacturing new building products, and enhancing your organization's public image.

Similarly, purchasing recycled building products can help improve markets for recyclables, enhance your public image, and help federal agencies and their contractors meet the Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines mandates.

How can my company reduce, reuse, and recycle C&D debris?
Incorporate environmental specifications into your building contracts and guidelines.
Develop standard operating procedures for C&D reuse and recycling at your construction site.
Rehabilitate an existing structure in place of planned demolition.
Use deconstruction techniques rather than demolition if a building must be torn down.
Employ efficient framing to reduce the amount of lumber used without sacrificing structural integrity.
Invest in durable products to ensure that materials last as long as possible.
Return unused construction material to vendors.
Consider the end-of-life management, or recyclability, of building products at the start of a project.
Salvage C&D waste for sale and reuse.
Purchase recycled-content building materials including insulation, carpet, cement, paint, floor tiles, shower and restroom dividers, laminated paperboard, and structural fiberboard.
What resources do you have to help my company reduce C&D debris?
Visit the Building Challenge resources page for useful Web sites, publications, articles, and trade associations. In addition, check out the WasteWise Update: Building for the Future.[PDF, 2.2 MB]
How do I join the Building Challenge?
Contact the WasteWise Helpline at (800) EPA-WISE (372-9473) to participate in the Building Challenge.

Easy Ways To Reduce Gas Consumption and Save Money On Gas

2008-03-22T10:41:00.000-07:00

Gasoline Energy Use/Cost Reduction
In the fall of 2006, President Bush called on Americans to conserve gasoline by driving less and issued a directive for all federal agencies to cut their own energy use and to encourage employees to use public transportation. "We can all pitch in," the President said. "People just need to recognize that the storms have caused disruption," he added, and that if Americans are able to avoid going "on a trip that's not essential, that would be helpful." Those words ring true now more than ever before!

Conserving Gas
The benefits of conserving gasoline are well known, and include money-savings, a cleaner environment, and a reduction of foreign oil use and the economic and political problems that come with it. Buying a more fuel-efficient car is the best way to save gas, but there are ways to reduce your gas consumption with the car you already own.

With gas prices so high, the media is awash with lists of gas-saving tips. Well how's this for a tip? If you listen up, you can see hybrid-type savings without having to buy a new car. By changing your driving habits you may be able to improve fuel economy up to 37 percent right away (depending on how you drive). Combine several tips and perform routine maintenance and you will save real dollars, not just pennies.

I found information from someone who actually put these tips to the test. All they did was take several of the most common tips out there and put them to the test over a remote 55-mile route in the high desert of California. Some of them worked like a charm. Some of them didn't work at all. Here you’ll get the breakdown. These tests were done under real-world conditions — not in a government lab somewhere. The results can be matched by anyone — even you.

The great part about what was found is that improving your car's mileage is just a matter of changing your habits. Stack a few of these ideas together and I'll bet that you'll see a substantial savings at the pump— without the need for a new car. Besides, getting more mileage out of your tank makes sense not only for your pocket; it also puts less strain on the Earth’s natural oil reserves.

Test #1 Aggressive Driving vs. Moderate Driving
Result: Major savings potential
The Cold Hard Facts: Up to 37 percent savings, average savings of 31 percent
Recommendation: Stop driving like a maniac.
This is gonna hurt. Tests showed that the most significant way to save gas is you. And we're talking massive fuel economy gains. Think you need a hybrid? Chances are you've got hybrid-style mileage in your gas pedal foot. Don't mash the gas when you start up. Take the long view of the road and brake easy. This tip alone can save you unbelievable amounts of gas. If you slowed your 0-to-60-mph acceleration time down from your current 10 seconds to a more normal city pace of 15 seconds, you'll feel the savings immediately.

Test #2 Lower Speeds Saves Gas
Result: Substantial savings on a long trip
Cold Hard Facts: Up to 14 percent savings, average savings of 12 percent
Recommendation: Drive the speed limit.
Remember a thing called the speed limit? On most highways it is either 65 or 70 mph. How fast are the cars and trucks around you going? From 75 mph to 90 mph. These people are wasting a lot of gas for the chance to get there a little earlier. While each vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different speed (or range of speeds), gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. As a rule of thumb, you can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.21 per gallon for gas. Factor in safety concerns and a speeding ticket once or twice a year and going fast is a costly proposition.

Test #3 Use Cruise Control
Result: Surprisingly effective way to save gas
Cold Hard Facts: Up to 14-percent savings, average savings of 7 percent
Recommendation: If you've got it, use it.
Using cruise control is a bit of gas-saving advice frequently seen on tips lists. I have always agreed with this tip in theory but I haven't seen any test results until now. First, it smoothes out the driver's accelerator input preventing "surging." Second, it makes the driver take the long view of the road rather than reacting to every change in the traffic around them. However, using cruise control can improve your gas mileage by helping you maintain a steady speed, but only if you are driving on mostly flat roads. If you are driving in hilly terrain, using cruise control typically causes your vehicle to speed up faster (to maintain the preset speed) than it would if you were operating the accelerator yourself. Before you push that cruise control button, think about the terrain ahead.

Test #4 A/C On, Windows Up vs. A/C Off, Windows Down
Result: Nice in theory; not true in practice
Cold Hard Facts: No measurable difference (unless you open the sunroof, too!)
Recommendation: Make yourself comfortable.
While the A/C compressor does pull power from the engine wasting some gas, the effect appears to be fairly minimal in modern cars. Putting the windows down tends to increase drag on most cars, canceling out any measurable gain from turning the A/C off. But this one depends on the model and speed you're driving. When the sunroof in an SUV is opened, the mileage will decrease even with the A/C off. Still it doesn’t seem worth the argument because you won't save a lot of gas either way. So just do what's comfortable. However, you may want to opt for open windows at speeds under 40 miles per hour and AC over 40. Check your owner's manual for specific information about your own vehicle's fuel efficiency when operating the AC to help you decide. Also most AC systems have an economy setting. Do you really need it on Max?

Test #5 Check Your Tire Pressure
Result: Important for safety and to reduce tire wear
Cold Hard Facts: No measurable effect on the vehicles tested
Recommendation: Check your tire pressure often but don't expect a big savings.
No matter how many times drivers hear about the importance of tire pressure, most of them don't do anything about it. They probably don't like squatting beside their car in a busy gas station with fumes swirling around them. But is it important? The answer is yes for a number of reasons. Properly inflated tires are less likely to fail at high speeds. They wear more evenly and, yes, they deliver better gas mileage. How much? In this test there was a modest difference in two of the cars. It might have been more dramatic with different tires on different cars. Experts swear by it; the test couldn't really document it. Has tire technology, like the design in other areas of the car, improved beyond the point of this being a factor any longer? Each set of tires is different and every vehicle is different. You should do your own tests to see what inflation setting gives you the best fuel economy for your vehicle/tire combination. For safety and tire longevity, keep a tire gauge on hand and check the pressure often. Extremely low pressures will decrease economy, and safety.

Test #6 Avoid Excessive Idling
Result: More important than assumed
Cold Hard Facts: Not idling saves an average of 19 percent
Recommendation: Stopping longer than a minute? Shut 'er down.
If you turn off a light bulb as you leave the room you'll save electricity. If you turn off your car you will save gas. Obviously. But related questions are more difficult to answer. If you're stopping for only a minute, is it better to shut off the engine or keep it idling? Should I shut off the engine in traffic? How much gas will this save? What rule of thumb do I use when trying to save gas this way? Don't let your car sit and idle longer than 60 seconds. Start it only when everything is packed in, the kids are strapped in, and you're ready to go. Idling gets 0 miles per gallon. The engine warms up faster when driving than it does when idling, and idling wastes about a quart of gas every 15 minutes. Cars with larger engines typically waste more gas at idle than do cars with smaller engines.

Conclusions
The good news is that you can drastically improve your gas mileage. The caveat is that you have to change your driving habits. If you are willing to change, you'll find many related benefits. No speeding tickets, greater safety, reduced stress and lower repair bills for tires and brake pads. In the long run this will save you money.

Here’s a list of further steps you can take to reduce gasoline energy use/cost:
• Pick your lane and stick with it. Traffic studies have shown that changing lanes doesn't result in a significantly reduced travel time. So why not choose your lane and put it in cruise control? This avoids constant surging as you speed into the open lane. It will lower your fuel consumption and your blood pressure.
• Don't tailgate. It leads to unnecessary braking and acceleration. Wasteful driving habits can double your fuel consumption. Develop gas-saving habits, such as: (1) always accelerate gently; (2) watch traffic ahead of you so you can anticipate slow-downs and avoid stops; (3) coast up to traffic jams by lifting your foot off the gas pedal instead of approaching at full speed and slamming on the brakes. It takes 20% more gas to accelerate to normal speed from a full stop than it does from four or five miles per hour; (4) don't drive too fast or too slow. It takes 20% to 30% more gas to drive at 70 mph than 50 mph; (5) maintain a steady speed on the highway. Avoid getting stuck behind slow cars where you have to slow down to their pace and then speed up to pass. These tips can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent around town. Potential Money Savings: $390/yr.
• Don't drive a gas guzzler. Do you really need that SUV? Six cylinders instead of four? How about that big pickup truck? Smaller more efficient vehicles will save money and conserve fuel.
• Lighten up. Opt for a light colored exterior and interior and cloth seats, as this will keep you feeling cooler and allow you to use the air conditioning less frequently.
• Maintain. If your vehicle is properly maintained it will run more efficiently and use less gas. Regular maintenance will also extend the life of the vehicle. A poorly tuned car can use more than 25% more gas.
• Use the Recommended Grade of Motor Oil. You can improve your gas mileage by 1-2 percent by using the manufacturer's recommended grade of motor oil. For example, using 10W-30 motor oil in an engine designed to use 5W-30 can lower your gas mileage by 1-2 percent. Using 5W-30 in an engine designed for 5W-20 can lower your gas mileage by 1-1.5 percent. Also, look for motor oil that says "Energy Conserving" on the API performance symbol to be sure it contains friction-reducing additives.
• Added weight lowers fuel economy. Don't over-pack your trunk! Remove excess weight and avoid keeping unnecessary items in your vehicle, especially heavy ones. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your MPG by up to 2%. The reduction is based on the percentage of extra weight relative to the vehicle's weight and affects smaller vehicles more than larger ones.
• Take the roof rack off - If you’re not using your roof rack then remove it. They affect the aerodynamic efficiency of your vehicle and create drag, reducing fuel economy by as much as 5%*.
• Use overdrive. When you use overdrive gearing, if equiped, your car's engine speed goes down. This saves gas and reduces engine wear. Overdrive is the D with the circle around it on the gear selector.
• Try not to make single-purpose trips. Save fuel by combining errands into one trip and avoid backtracking whenever possible. Potential Money Savings: $25-100/yr.
• Don’t Get Lost. It's always a good idea to have a map of the area where you're traveling--getting lost is not good for fuel economy. If you are not familiar with the area, ask your innkeeper, hotel desk manager or other "local" to advise you on the best routes. The shortest distance may not always be the best choice.
• Drive on off-peak hours. Sitting in traffic isn't much fun for you or your car. You could try adjusting your schedule to avoid the traffic jams. You will save time and quite a lot of fuel. If you can't change your work schedule, arrive early and spend the time in the gym, reading a book or doing extra work. Wouldn't you rather be doing something for yourself than burning gas sitting in traffic?
• Fill up in the morning. Cooler gasoline is more compact, so you'll get more drops of the precious fluid for your dollars.
• Don't "top off the tank." When pumping gas. Some of the gas may end up overflowing when it expands in the sun or if you park on a hill. Potential Money Savings: $20-53/yr.
• Pump your own gas. Self serve gas is usually 5% to 10% cheaper than full service. Also, make sure that the gas cap is securely tightened. Gas can evaporate easily. Potential Money Savings: $65-130/yr.
• If you own more than one vehicle, drive the one that gets better gas mileage!
• When renting, ask for a model that gets better fuel economy.
• Car pool to work. By sharing the driving with just one other person, you could save an average of $20/month or $200/year in gasoline alone, if your commute is 20 miles round-trip each day. Sharing the driving with two others increases your savings even more. Savings vary depending on the length of your commute. In addition to savings on gasoline, you'll save maintenance costs and wear and tear on your car. Also there are some very cool things about carpooling besides just the gas savings. You can use the carpool lanes and say you're stuck in a boring meeting at work, simply glance at your watch and say, "Sorry, I'm carpooling." Everyone knows you're doing a good thing for the environment so they will nod understandingly and excuse you. Potential Money Savings: $400-700/yr.
• Another benefit to car pooling is that it reduces the annual mileage on your car. Since this reduces the risk of accident, your insurance company charges you less for your coverage. Potential Money Savings: $25-50/yr.
• Consider leaving the car at home! Take a bus, train or ferry to your travel destination. Consider public transportation. The American Public Transportation Association web site lists local public transit information that is listed by parish and city: http://www.apta.com/links/state_local/la.cfm
• Don't drive. How can "don't drive" be a driving tip? Well, I won't argue the point. But I will say that most people could stand to walk or ride a bike a lot more than they are doing now. So look for local errands that can easily be done under your own steam. A short walk might be faster because you don't have to spend time finding a parking space. Plus you’ll actually be getting ‘gasp’ some exercise! Walk or bicycle. Get your daily exercise and save money.
• Look for telecommuting opportunities. Does your employer insist on lots of "face time"? With rising gas prices and congested freeways, working from home one day a week might be an option that your employer will consider. Tell them that the time you save commuting you will use to increase your productivity.
• Learn more about Demand-Side Strategies. Those strategies designed and implemented by organizations with a role to play in mitigating traffic congestion, including state/regional/local governments, employers, special event managers, etc. Organizations frequently tailor packages of both general strategies and targeted strategies to facilitate the most appropriate blend of efficient traveler choices. Read more: http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/mitig_traf_cong/.

Motorists who conserve gasoline will save money, help the environment, extend the life of their vehicle and further the national goal of energy independence. So think conservation: everyone benefits.

Try an environmental rental
Try out alternative-fueled vehicles on your vacation. If you do need to rent a car when you're away from home, perhaps you can get one that creates less pollution. EV Rental Cars was formed in 1998 to provide environmentally friendly, alternative-fueled vehicles (AFVs) to car rental customers, and is affiliated with Budget Rent-a-Car. They claim to be "the first and only environmental vehicle rental company in the U.S.," offering travelers a low-emission option to protect air quality.
Currently, the company offers natural gas, electric, hybrid-electric and clean air gasoline-powered AFVs in major markets in California, as well as Washington, D.C. See their web site for more locations.

The rental fleet includes many of the newest models from major manufacturers, including Honda, Toyota, General Motors and Nissan. Size, range, and refueling requirements vary significantly. Check out their Web site for vehicle details, fueling locations, and cost and reservation information.

Alternative-fueled vehicles minimize air pollution, are less noisy, and are very fuel-efficient. This Honda Insight, a gas-electric hybrid, gets up to 70 highway miles per gallon of gasoline! AFVs include new models, as well as existing vehicles that are converted to use a new fuel source like natural gas or batteries.

Consider buying a fuel efficient vehicle
Deciding which vehicle to buy may be the most important fuel economy decision you make. The difference between a car that gets 20 MPG (miles per gallon) and one that gets 30 MPG amounts to $1,500 over 5 years, assuming gas costs $1.50 per gallon and you drive 15,000 miles a year. For more information about fuel-efficient vehicles, visit the Department of Energy website: http://www.fueleconomy.gov

Learn more about energy-efficiency tax credits for fuel-efficient vehicles… Beginning 2005, a $2,000 federal tax deduction is available for purchasers of hybrid-electric cars. Beginning January 1, 2006, the new Energy Policy Act of 2005 provides a federal tax credit of up to $3,400 for a hybrid-electric car purchase. Hybrid Tax Credits:
http://www.edmunds.com/news/regularnews/articles/109018/article.html

Learn more about federal programs that promote the use of alternative fuels. Incentives and regulations are available on the U.S. Department of Energy Alternative Fuels Data center web site: http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/progs/fed_summary.cgi?afdc/US

The U.S. Dept of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

To learn more about how you can reduce consumption and waste, and save money doing it visit my other blog articles here:
Low Impact Living Part I
Low Impact Living Part II
Low Impact Living Part III
Or to read more about Culture and Society Visit:
Society
Definition By Career
Liar Liar- A Reflection on the Modern Woman
Modern Society and Culture
Moral Precepts for a Modern World
A Consumer Society
Misery Loves Company
A Sedentary Lifestyle
Blame and Responsibility in American Culture
Today I Will Make A Difference
And Finally...
The Basics of Healthy Living

Wikipedia's sticky wicket

2007-03-10T19:29:00.000-08:00

As posted on Yahoo! News

The Monitor's View
Fri Mar 9, 3:00 AM ET

Students in history classes at Middlebury College this spring may have to change the way they do research for papers or tests. Although they can consult the online encyclopedia Wikipedia for background, they are not allowed to cite it as a source.

Professors who drafted the new policy at the Vermont college praise the free website as a "wonderful innovation." They note the more than 1.6 million entries, the up-to-date bibliographies, and the links to relevant, often more reliable sites. But they caution that its open-editing system, which allows anyone to write or edit entries anonymously, carries a risk of error.

Just this month a dark cloud fell over Wikipedia's credibility after it was revealed that a trusted contributor who claimed to be a tenured professor of religion was actually a 24-year-old college dropout. He was also one of the appointed "arbiters" who settled disputes between contributors.

For the many "wiki"-type sites – ones that compile knowledge with volunteers – such an ethical misstep would be a test of their ability for internal correction. But it also reinforces educators' warnings to students to be "informationally literate" in how to use the six-year-old Wikipedia and to rely more on the thousands of more-scholarly databases online.

Wikipedia not only challenges the concept of what an encyclopedia is; it also raises an intriguing question: What qualifies as intellectual authority in an age of information overload, when society relies increasingly on the Internet?

Some critics are troubled by what they regard as a tendency on the Web to value anonymous, collective thought over individual intellect. Some claim Wikipedia devalues traditional scholarship. Supporters counter that the online encyclopedia's constant and easy revision of articles only strengthens their credibility. Fans also praise Wikipedia for "democratizing" knowledge, pitting pedigreed academics against amateur scholars.

Globalization and technology are creating other sociocultural changes that challenge old notions of expertise. When people can now more easily, say, sell a house, write a will, or file a complex tax return, they defer less to authorities, among them lawyers, clergy, teachers, and other professionals.

The Internet's ability to empower individuals with an illusion of infinite knowledge challenges even notions of reality. Like Pontius Pilate's question – What is truth? – supporters of Wikipedia are asking "Whose truth?"

Is information on the site absolute fact or simply a matter of group consensus? Is any information accurate only by agreement of those with extensive credentials using peer review, or do the masses have a voice?

If other schools follow Middlebury's lead, the collective effect could encourage Wikipedia to raise its standards. Scholars, too, might benefit from using "wiki" practices, such as open access and wider input.

Middlebury's policy serves as a reminder about the need to carefully sift any information on the Internet. Over time, users will force sites like Wikipedia to build up the same trust and reputations now granted to established institutions such as universities or old-style encyclopedias. Truth, like truthfulness, must be demonstrated.

Hmmm

2006-09-06T12:34:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe it has been six months since I've had anything substantial to say. Not that any thing I've said has any particular substance. Everything is, after all, relative. I speak in relation, only, to my own social observation and commentary contained herein. Lots of fluff and filler for the last six months, I suppose I can attribute that to my concentration on information intake and the petty problems which complement everyday life.

Today I Will Make A Difference

2006-09-06T12:29:00.000-07:00

“Today I will make a difference. I will begin by controlling my thoughts. A person is the product of his thoughts. I want to be happy and hopeful. Therefore, I will have thoughts that are happy and hopeful. I refuse to be victimized by my circumstances. I will not let petty inconveniences such as stoplights, long lines, and traffic jams be my masters. I will avoid negativism and gossip. Optimism will be my companion, and victory will be my hallmark.

Today I will make a difference. I will spend time with those I love. My spouse, my children, my family. A man can own the world but be poor for the lack of love. A man can own nothing and yet be wealthy in relationships. Today I will spend at least five minutes with the significant people in my world. Five quality minutes of talking or hugging or thanking or listening. Five undiluted minutes with my mate, children, and friends.

Today I will make a difference. I will be greateful for the twenty-four hours that are before me. Time is a precious commodity. I refuse to allow what little time I have to be contaminated by self-pity, anxiety, or bordom. I will face this day with the joy of a child and the courage of a giant. I will drink each minute as though it is my last. When tomorrow comes, today will be gone forever. While it is here, I will use it for loving and for giving.

Today I will make a difference…”

-Author Unknown

May 25, 1787 CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION BEGINS

2006-05-27T10:25:00.000-07:00

Four years after the United States won its independence from England, 55 state delegates, including George Washington, James Madison, and Benjamin Franklin, convene in Philadelphia to compose a new U.S. constitution.The Articles of Confederation, ratified several months before the British surrender at Yorktown in 1781, provided for a loose confederation of U.S. states, which were sovereign in most of their affairs. On paper, Congress--the central authority--had the power to govern foreign affairs, conduct war, and regulate currency, but in practice these powers were sharply limited because Congress was given no authority to enforce its requests to the states for money or troops. By 1786, it was apparent that the Union would soon break up if the Articles of Confederation were not amended or replaced. Five states met in Annapolis, Maryland, to discuss the issue, and all the states were invited to send delegates to a new constitutional convention to be held in Philadelphia.

On May 25, 1787, delegates representing every state except Rhode Island convened at Philadelphia's Pennsylvania State House for the Constitutional Convention. The building, which is now known as Independence Hall, had earlier seen the drafting of the Declaration of Independence and the signing of the Articles of Confederation. The assembly immediately discarded the idea of amending the Articles of Confederation and set about drawing up a new scheme of government. Revolutionary War hero George Washington, a delegate from Virginia, was elected convention president.During three months of debate, the delegates devised a brilliant federal system characterized by an intricate system of checks and balances. The convention was divided over the issue of state representation in Congress, as more populated states sought proportional legislation, and smaller states wanted equal representation. The problem was resolved by the Connecticut Compromise, which proposed a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the lower house (House of Representatives) and equal representation of the states in the upper house (Senate).

On September 17, 1787, the Constitution of the United States of America was signed by 38 of the 41 delegates present at the conclusion of the convention. As dictated by Article VII, the document would not become binding until it was ratified by nine of the 13 states.Beginning on December 7, five states--Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut--ratified it in quick succession. However, other states, especially Massachusetts, opposed the document, as it failed to reserve undelegated powers to the states and lacked constitutional protection of basic political rights, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. In February 1788, a compromise was reached under which Massachusetts and other states would agree to ratify the document with the assurance that amendments would be immediately proposed. The Constitution was thus narrowly ratified in Massachusetts, followed by Maryland and South Carolina. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the document, and it was subsequently agreed that government under the U.S. Constitution would begin on March 4, 1789.

On September 25, 1789, the first Congress of the United States adopted 12 amendments to the U.S. Constitution--the Bill of Rights--and sent them to the states for ratification. Ten of these amendments were ratified in 1791. In November 1789, North Carolina became the 12th state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. Rhode Island, which opposed federal control of currency and was critical of compromise on the issue of slavery, resisted ratifying the Constitution until the U.S. government threatened to sever commercial relations with the state. On May 29, 1790, Rhode Island voted by two votes to ratify the document, and the last of the original 13 colonies joined the United States. Today the U.S. Constitution is the oldest written constitution in operation in the world.

Blame and Responsibility in American Culture - Rewrite1

2006-05-15T17:31:00.000-07:00

As a society, we all seem to want to blame someone else for the position we are in rather than take responsibility for our own actions and decisions; everyone is whining and crying about everyone else. The younger generations of Americans seem to want to place blame for the failures in our life anywhere but with our selves. This mentality of not wanting to accept responsibility for a given situation is so prevalent in our society that it seems to be engrained into our psyche on some deep level. We are so conditioned with this that it seems nearly impossible to view things any other way. Our society is in great need of a basic paradigm shift where this principal of responsibility is concerned.

Blame is simply a manifestation of ignorance.
Some of us place the blame with our parents, we say that somehow they imposed some abnormal emotional state, or that they somehow failed to provide us the faculties we need to be successful and productive members of society. Many also blame the government for our position, believing they should do more to help us in our circumstances; that the government somehow is to blame for our lack of ability to fit in society. Each group is similar in that we each look outward for blame when we should be looking inward for responsibility.

To accept responsibility for yourself and your actions is to reach true independence and self-reliance.
It is simply a matter of immaturity and dependence. Dependence is the idea of you, you take care of me; you come through for me; you did not come through; I blame you for the results. Independence is the idea of I, I can do it; I am responsible; I am self-reliant; I can choose. True independence of character empowers us to act, rather than be acted upon. It frees us from circumstances and other people. Dependent people, you see, need others to get what they want, independent people, however, can get what they want through their own effort.

We live presently through our previous actions.
Every single situation we are ever involved with is a direct result of a decision we have made. This is the dictum by which we should all live our life. No matter what the circumstance or how unlucky things seem, we can always trace this very moment directly back to some decision we have made at some point in our life, past or present. Every choice we make has a cause, even if we decide not to choose we still have made a choice.

Reactive vs. proactive.
For each individual situation, there is a typical emotion and a typical action that accompanies it. Though not always logical, it is the conditioned response taught to us through some combination of factors. Our responses may be typical, but they are not mandatory. We can always choose our actions, or reactions.

There are, basically, three theories of determinism widely accepted to explain the nature of man:
Genetic determinism says our grandparents made us this way. It is in our DNA, it just goes through the generations, and we inherited it. For example, we might say that is why we have such a temper; our grandparents had short tempers and it is in our DNA. Furthermore, we might say that we are Irish and that is the nature of Irish people.
Psychic determinism says our parents made us this way. Our upbringing, our childhood experience essentially laid out our personal tendencies and our character structure. Our parents brought us up this way. It is the way we were taught to be as a child and therefore engrained into our psyche. For example, we may feel terribly guilty when we make a mistake because we remember, subconsciously, the emotional scripting when we were very vulnerable, tender, and dependent. We remember the emotional punishment, the rejection, the comparison with somebody else when we did not perform as expected. This, also, is the basis of Freudian psychology, which postulates that whatever happens to us as children shapes our character and personality and basically governs our whole life. The limits and parameters of our life are set, and, basically, we can’t do much about it.
Environmental determinism says our boss is making us this way, or our spouse, or that bratty teenager, or our economic situation, or national policies. Someone or something in our environment is responsible for our situation. It is the outside world acting upon us and influencing our character now as adults.

Each of these is based on Pavlov’s stimulus/response theory. The basic idea is that we are conditioned to respond in a particular way to a given stimulus. This is called reactivity. I contend, however, that while we cannot always choose our emotions, we can choose our attitude and we can choose our actions. We do not have to be reactive. If something angers us, we can choose not to lash out in revenge. If something saddens us, we can choose not to act mournful or sorrowful. If something elates us, we can choose not to celebrate in the face of others. We can always choose our action and we are, therefore, always responsible for our actions.

As human beings we have free will, the ability to act based on our self-awareness, free of all other influence. Self-awareness is the ability to think about the thoughts we are having and includes imagination, the ability to create scenarios in our mind beyond our present reality; and conscience, a deep inner awareness of right and wrong, the principals that govern our behavior, and a sense of the degree to which our thoughts and actions are in harmony with them. Free will, and therefore self-awareness, gives us the ability to choose our thoughts independently of outside influence. That means that between stimulus and response we have the freedom to choose. In any particular situation, we can choose not to respond in the way we have been conditioned. This is called proactivity. Now I know that recently proactive has been the buzz word for the self help gurus but it means more than taking initiative, it means that as human beings we are responsible for our own lives and that we can subordinate feelings to values.

Choose your attitude; it may be your only choice.
Our choices always precede those of the people around us. While it is true that most situations and circumstances rely, at least partly, on outside influences, factors outside of our control, we are always in control of ourselves. We are in control of how we react to those factors, we are in control of the decisions we make, and based on those decisions, we are in control of how we act. At times, it may seem as though someone else’s actions are the cause of our misfortune or circumstance. However, if we look more closely at the situation, we find that prior to their actions, a choice that we made or an action we chose brought us directly to the position we are in; so you see that while someone else’s actions may be a factor in our situation, our actions brought us to theirs.

I am my own person and I control everything that I do.
Everyone needs to understand that our behavior is a product of our decisions, not our conditions. Look at the word responsibility- “response-ability” –the ability to choose your response. Proactive people recognize that responsibility, we do not blame circumstances, conditions, or conditioning for our behavior; our behavior is a product of our own conscious choice, based on values, rather than a product of our conditions. Proactive people accept responsibility for the decisions we make and the actions we take. Humans are proactive by nature, so if our lives are a function of conditioning and conditions, it is because we have, by conscious decision or by default, chosen to empower those things to control us.

We should be asking our self which of these best describes us, reactive or proactive; which one would we like to be?
Reactive people are often affected by their physical and social environment, good weather and good treatment makes them feel well while bad weather and bad treatment makes them feel defensive or protective and affects their attitude and performance. Reactive people are driven by feelings, by circumstance, by conditions, and by their environment. Proactive people, on the other hand, are driven by values. Proactive people are still influenced by external stimuli, whether physical, social, or psychological; but our response to the stimuli is a value-based choice of response. Once we accept responsibility for our self, we have the choice to be either.

I am where I am today because of the choices I made yesterday.
If we all just realized that the lives we live are the sum of the choices we have made, we could effectively shape our lives by making choices congruent with our individual set of values. However, instead, we would rather point fingers and place blame than to take responsibility for our actions, our decisions, and our own lives.

Anything Nice

2006-05-11T15:24:00.000-07:00

Lawn Care

2006-05-11T15:19:00.000-07:00

Watering-
1” per week over two to three applications
Water between 4-6am for best efficiency and lawn health

Mowing-
Cut lawn 2/3 the length of the blade of grass. Too short can lead to sunburn/death or fungus/death.
If you don’t have/use a mulching mower you must bag or rake the lawn. Unmulched grass cuttings will smother the lawn.

Fall Care-
Core aerate the lawn. This relieves compaction and allows moisture and nutrients into the soil.
Also you can spread compost over the lawn.

Spring Care-
Thatch your lawn. Doing this in the spring ensures you are not taking out any new growth.
This is the time to perform a soil test to check the PH of your lawn. Knowing the acidity allows you to adjust with the use of lime as necessary.
This is also the time to fertilize and re-seed as necessary. Note that if you are seeding and fertilizing simultaneously, make sure you use a fertilizer rated for new seed.

Composting-
When composting grass clippings, mix them with leaves or other material because grass by itself takes a very long time to compost.
Your compost bin should allow air from all sides.
Many cities have compost bin projects where you can purchase a bin at a discount.

Happy Earth Day!

2006-04-22T13:14:00.000-07:00

April 21, 753 B.C. ROME FOUNDED

2006-04-21T11:47:00.000-07:00

According to tradition, on April 21, 753 B.C., Romulus and his twin brother, Remus, found Rome on the site where they were suckled by a she-wolf as orphaned infants. Actually, the Romulus and Remus myth originated sometime in the fourth century B.C., and the exact date of Rome's founding was set by the Roman scholar Marcus Terentius Varro in the first century B.C.

According to the legend, Romulus and Remus were the sons of Rhea Silvia, the daughter of King Numitor of Alba Longa. Alba Longa was a mythical city located in the Alban Hills southeast of what would become Rome. Before the birth of the twins, Numitor was deposed by his younger brother Amulius, who forced Rhea to become a vestal virgin so that she would not give birth to rival claimants to his title. However, Rhea was impregnated by the war god Mars and gave birth to Romulus and Remus. Amulius ordered the infants drowned in the Tiber, but they survived and washed ashore at the foot of the Palatine hill, where they were suckled by a she-wolf until they were found by the shepherd Faustulus.

Reared by Faustulus and his wife, the twins later became leaders of a band of young shepherd warriors. After learning their true identity, they attacked Alba Longa, killed the wicked Amulius, and restored their grandfather to the throne. The twins then decided to found a town on the site where they had been saved as infants. They soon became involved in a petty quarrel, however, and Remus was slain by his brother. Romulus then became ruler of the settlement, which was named "Rome" after him.

To populate his town, Romulus offered asylum to fugitives and exiles. Rome lacked women, however, so Romulus invited the neighboring Sabines to a festival and abducted their women. A war then ensued, but the Sabine women intervened to prevent the Sabine men from seizing Rome. A peace treaty was drawn up, and the communities merged under the joint rule of Romulus and the Sabine king, Titus Tatius. Tatius' early death, perhaps perpetrated by Romulus, left the Roman as the sole king again. After a long and successful rule, Romulus died under obscure circumstances. Many Romans believed he was changed into a god and worshipped him as the deity Quirinus. After Romulus, there were six more kings of Rome, the last three believed to be Etruscans. Around 509 B.C., the Roman republic was established.

Another Roman foundation legend, which has its origins in ancient Greece, tells of how the mythical Trojan Aeneas founded Lavinium and started a dynasty that would lead to the birth of Romulus and Remus several centuries later. In the Iliad, an epic Greek poem probably composed by Homer in the eighth century B.C., Aeneas was the only major Trojan hero to survive the Greek destruction of Troy. A passage told of how and he and his descendants would rule the Trojans, but since there was no record of any such dynasty in Troy, Greek scholars proposed that Aeneas and his followers relocated.

In the fifth century B.C., a few Greek historians speculated that Aeneas settled at Rome, which was then still a small city-state. In the fourth century B.C., Rome began to expand within the Italian peninsula, and Romans, coming into greater contact with the Greeks, embraced the suggestion that Aeneas had a role in the foundation of their great city. In the first century B.C., the Roman poet Virgil developed the Aeneas myth in his epic poem the Aeneid, which told of Aeneas' journey to Rome. Augustus, the first Roman emperor and emperor during Virgil's time, and Julius Caesar, his great-uncle and predecessor as Roman ruler, were said to be descended from Aeneas.

April 8, 563 B.C. GAUTAMA BUDDHA IS BORN

2006-04-10T13:27:00.000-07:00

On this day, Buddhists celebrate the commemoration of the birth of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, thought to have lived in India from 563 B.C. to 483 B.C. Actually, the Buddhist tradition that celebrates his birthday on April 8 originally placed his birth in the 11th century B.C., and it was not until the modern era that scholars determined that he was more likely born in the sixth century B.C., and possibly in May rather than April.

According to the Tripitaka, which is recognized by scholars as the earliest existing record of the Buddha's life and discourses, Gautama Buddha was born as Prince Siddhartha, the son of the king of the Sakya people. The kingdom of the Sakyas was situated on the borders of present-day Nepal and India. Siddhartha's family was of the Gautama clan. His mother, Queen Mahamaya, gave birth to him in the park of Lumbini, in what is now southern Nepal. A pillar placed there in commemoration of the event by an Indian emperor in the third century B.C. still stands.

At his birth, it was predicted that the prince would either become a great world monarch or a Buddha-- a supremely enlightened teacher. The Brahmans told his father, King Suddhodana, that Siddhartha would become a ruler if he were kept isolated from the outside world. The king took pains to shelter his son from misery and anything else that might influence him toward the religious life. Siddhartha was brought up in great luxury, and he married and fathered a son. At age 29, he decided to see more of the world and began excursions off the palace grounds in his chariot. In successive trips, he saw an old man, a sick man, and a corpse, and since he had been protected from the miseries of aging, sickness, and death, his charioteer had to explain what they were. Finally, Siddhartha saw a monk, and, impressed with the man's peaceful demeanor, he decided to go into the world to discover how the man could be so serene in the midst of such suffering.

Siddhartha secretly left the palace and became a wandering ascetic. He traveled south, where the centers of learning were, and studied meditation under the teachers Alara Kalama and Udraka Ramaputra. He soon mastered their systems, reaching high states of mystical realization, but was unsatisfied and went out again in search of nirvana, the highest level of enlightenment. For nearly six years, he undertook fasting and other austerities, but these techniques proved ineffectual and he abandoned them. After regaining his strength, he seated himself under a pipal tree at what is now Bodh Gaya in west-central India and promised not to rise until he had attained the supreme enlightenment. After fighting off Mara, an evil spirit who tempted him with worldly comforts and desires, Siddhartha reached enlightenment, becoming a Buddha at the age of 35.The Gautama Buddha then traveled to the deer park near Benares, India, where he gave his first sermon and outlined the basic doctrines of Buddhism.

According to Buddhism, there are "four noble truths":(1) existence is suffering; 2) this suffering is caused by human craving; (3) there is a cessation of the suffering, which is nirvana; and (4) nirvana can be achieved, in this or future lives, though the "eightfold path" of right views, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right
concentration.

For the rest of his life, the Buddha taught and gathered disciples
to his sangha, or community of monks. He died at age 80, telling his monks to continue working for their spiritual liberation by following his teachings. Buddhism eventually spread from India to Central and Southeast Asia, China, Korea, Japan, and, in the 20th century, to the West. Today, there are an estimated 350 million people in 100 nations who adhere to Buddhist beliefs and practices.

The Basics of Healthy Living

2006-03-27T08:32:00.000-08:00

“Remember, I am offering you the truth, nothing more.”

Monitor and Control
Health care in the U.S. soon will not be reliable when you need it most. So what can you do to not need it? The answer is Monitor and Control! Nearly every physical condition can be controlled, alleviated, reversed, or prevented through eating habits and exercise alone. According to functional medicine practitioners, you can control 80% of all disease by regulating your adrenaline, cortisol and insulin, which means in daily life you must lower your stress levels and manage your blood sugar.

Insulin, which comes from your pancreas, is the hormone you have greatest control over and is the master hormone to control if you want all your other hormones to stay balanced. You control insulin by regulating what you eat. If you feel you have lost control of your body shape, ask yourself this question: "Have I ever eaten anything by accident?" Next time you look at yourself in the mirror, remember that your body fat is telling you something. It is giving you a sneak preview of the health of your hormonal system.

The vast majority of modern day illness is caused or intensified by inactivity, insufficient nutrient intake, chronic acidosis, dehydration, sleep deprivation, drug abuse, etc. Through an integrative process of health care assessment and discussion, I have found that virtually every symptom of illness, such as infection, fatigue or obesity, can be traced back to its source. Treating chronic symptoms with drugs will not remedy the problem. To kill a weed, you’ve got to pull it out by the roots.

The principles of physics teach us that every effect has a cause, so the challenge lies in the search for the cause, as human life is frequently complexified by emotional disarray, mental aberration, philosophical debate, religious prejudice, confusion and fear. This is where Einstein’s theory of quantum physics comes in, as the variables that drive our behavior or hinder our pursuit for excellence are seldom tangible in essence. Searching for causes on all levels takes time, patience, money and compassion. But once the process is complete the results are seldom less than outstanding.

It’s important to rationalize health in the context of how we "feel" and clearly, the emotions associated with the need for change are instrumental to human motivation. But to rely entirely on our own subjective experience is unwise. To complete the picture, we can greatly benefit from information derived from an outside, objective view. To see ourselves "as we are," so to speak.

Most people take better care of their vehicles than they do their own body. When was the last time you had a physical or check up? This year? Last year? The year before? When was the last time you had your car in for work? If you follow your oil change recommendations you have your vehicle checked out about four times a year. But you only check your own personal health, once a year, once every two years, or more? Does that make sense? Most every insurance policy covers at least one yearly physical. In fact they encourage you to do so. They want any potential conditions caught early and rectified to avoid costly treatments. This should also be your goal. Monitor and Control. I know it’s scary to go for a checkup. What if they find something? However, you shouldn’t be afraid of what they’ll find, you should be afraid of not finding it in time. Of the 2.2 million people that die each year in the US, cardiovascular diseases account for the most victims, more than 48% of all deaths! Moral of the story: get a physical/checkup once a year, every year.

Changing The Rules
What kind of body do you really want?
Think about it for a second. Ask yourself, “What kind of body do I really want?”
Women often say something like, “Oh, I just want a nice, toned body. Not too big, but firm.” Toned and firm? Okay, sounds good to me. Men usually say something like, “I want to be big, muscular, and lean.” Well, I’m with ya. That’s a noble goal.

You know what you want to look like. You can picture it in your mind. You know exactly what kind of body you want. Now brace yourself and ask yourself honestly, “Why don’t I already have the body I want?” “Why don’t I look the way I want to look, right now?” “What’s holding me back?” Well, let’s consider the possibilities . . .

Is it a lack of motivation?
Maybe. In my experience, however, people who actively seek out solutions to their problems have motivation enough. You don’t need to move mountains to get in the best shape of your life; you just need to get started, and everyone can do that. If you can start, you can finish, as long as you do the right things! You see, once you’ve started to change your body, you don’t need motivational slogans and pep talks. What you need are results! Results are the true motivation. When you’re doing something that works, you just look in the mirror and say, “Damn, I look good, this stuff really works.” It’s positive reinforcement of what you’ve been doing, and you keep doing it. So the problem isn’t inspiration. It’s something else.

Poor exercise habits?
Sometimes, especially if you’re completely sedentary. If your daily activity involves nothing more than moving from one piece of furniture to another, you’re simply not going to get that body. Looking good naked requires exercise and probably more than you’re told is necessary.
30 minutes three times a week? I don’t think so. I know lots of people who are already exercising with highly skilled trainers and coaches, and even then, the results don’t come easy. So what else could it be? What is it really?

Bad genetics?
Look, this is a definite NO. A complete cop-out. You know what bad genetics are? Being born without legs. A propensity to gain fat around your midsection is NOT bad genetics. Sure, each of us has certain genetic limitations; for instance, you may not be equipped to play quarterback for the Patriots, play center for the Celtics or win the Boston Marathon. In other words, you may not have the genetic makeup to reach the upper limits of human performance. But you can always lose fat or gain muscle. In years of working out with people of all stripes, from office managers to elite athletes, I’ve yet to see a single case where they couldn’t make significant body composition change, and that’s what you really want, isn’t it? So if you’ve been using the old “bad genetics” routine, stop shaking your fist at the heavens, and look a little closer at the real problem.

So what is the real problem?
Ask yourself again: “Why don’t I have the body I want?” What’s really holding you back. Look, it’s not your lack of inspirational posters. It’s not the set/rep scheme you use in the gym, and it’s definitely not your genetics. Make no mistake about it, your limiting factor nearly always resides in the 160+ hours per week that you spend outside of gym. And what do you think is the most important factor in those 160+ hours? What, in that time, has the greatest impact on your body composition, health and performance?

Answer: Nutrition. Whether you want to gain muscle, lose fat, or just live healthy, the limiting factor is almost always nutrition.

Poor nutrition is what holds you back.
And good nutrition is what will move you forward. Good nutrition is what will feed muscle and shed fat. It’s what will improve nearly every health marker you can measure. It’s what will drastically improve recovery and mood, so you can work harder, longer. Good nutrition is what will get you the body you never thought you could have. Change your nutrition, and you’ll change your body entirely. Change your nutrition, and you’ll quite literally change your life.

Just look at people who have made major changes to their body. And I mean major changes, the type of changes that make people take notice when you enter the room. The common denominator is that they all completely changed their nutrition.“Well, great,” you say, “I understand the importance of nutrition to my body, and I do want to change. The question is how!”

But I think my nutrition is already pretty good – do I still need this?
Well, first of all, how do you know your nutrition plan is good? Because you “try to eat healthy?” Because you think your diet is low-carb, or high-carb, or low-fat or high-fat, or low-protein or high-protein or high in fiber? Because it looks good on paper? Or because it meets some other criteria for "pretty good nutrition"? Let me lay this out in the clearest, most concise way I know how . . .
If you don’t already have the body you want, then your nutrition plan is not good enough.

Listen, the only one way to determine whether your nutrition plan is any good is to look at your results. That’s the plain truth. I don’t care if your plan meets so-and-so’s guidelines, or is “low-carb” or contains enough vitamin C or whatever the latest B.S. indicator of good nutrition is in the popular press. There is only one rule: what works is good; what doesn’t is not. That’s the only rule to live by.

My approach is entirely outcome-based. It’s about getting results and nothing else. So if you want to know whether it’s right for you, then just ask yourself this question:
"Do I have the body I really, truly want?" Answer it honestly. Don’t worry, no one is listening.

If the answer is yes, then great. But if you answered no, “in all honesty, I don’t yet have the body I really want,” then I can say without the slightest hesitation that this plan is exactly what you need. Optimizing your nutrition plan is the true secret to transforming your body.

Simple Strategies Remarkable Results
People think that radical changes to their exercise and nutrition habits are extremely difficult to make. And you know what? They’re right. Radical changes ARE extremely difficult to make. But who said you need radical changes to get great results? Here’s the reality: the changes that get remarkable results are SIMPLE. The hard part is figuring out what they are. We need to establish a system of specific, simple steps that will allow the results we want.

Most diets and nutrition plans fail to get the results they claim. It’s that simple. They survive only as novelty items, as fads or gimmicks that help them stand out on an overcrowded bookshelf. If you want to succeed, you have to learn how to filter out the nonsense. You have to avoid the pitfalls that lead to failure, and focus your energy only on what works! Well, the reality is that some plans do work. Some do get the results. And guess what? The successful plans are surprisingly similar, as different as they claim to be. The key, then, is not to worry about what’s different between the successful plans, but rather to discover what is the same. Those similarities are the key to your success.

What are the rules of good nutrition? What types of things must you absolutely do to succeed. What types of things must you avoid? Seriously, take a moment and think about it. What rules do you think you’ll need to follow if you want to eat in a healthy way. A way that will improve the way your body looks and the way it feels? Pause for a moment and come up with that list in your mind right now.

Now that you’ve considered these rules, I want you to take a second and think about your list. Specifically, think about where you learned these rules. Certainly your rules have been influenced by how you were raised, no? Certainly they’ve been influenced by your experiences dining with friends and relatives. Comfort foods, right? Of course, no set of nutrition rules is immune to media influences. You can’t help but be bombarded by those Got Milk ads! Your rules have probably also been influenced by what you’ve heard others say. Heck, every 3rd episode of Dr. Phil is about food and dieting. And, no doubt, your nutrition rules have probably been influenced by your own past attempts at changing your body, whether you’ve been successful or not. I could sit here all day and list potential nutritional influences. But I’ll stop here since there are probably hundreds of ‘em and to enumerate them all would be gratuitous.

At this junction, I’d like to go ahead and make my point. And the point is this: very few of your “Good Nutrition Rules” have been influenced by those who know anything about good nutrition, let alone about long-term success or about what it really means to eat in a healthy way! And worse yet, most of those rules have been hammered home without you even knowing it! It’s time to change the rules.

Now I’ll admit it. Changing the rules, just like changing your habits, is difficult. Not only does it take a desire to change, “want to,” but it takes a strategy for change, “how to.” The “want to” is all your own. But the “how to” is what I’m here for. I’ve committed myself to helping people do just this, to change their rules and change their habits.

In changing these rules and habits, everything changes; the way you’ll eat, the way you’ll sleep, they way you’ll look, the way you’ll feel when you wake up in the morning, and the way you’ll perform in day-to-day activities.

I’m going to teach you a system; a system based on three criterion. What are the criterion for? Well, they represent a three step way of evaluating a strategy for its usefulness.
Step 1 – Simplicity Are the rules easy to follow?
Step 2 – Science Are the rules based on sound scientific principles?
Step 3 – Success Have the rules produced success in the past?
Using this criterion, the systems developed will always produce a positive result.

Think again about your nutritional rules, rules that you might be quite attached to. Which criterion did you use when determining your rules? Are your rules based on Simplicity, Science, and Success? Have your rules produced the desired effect? A lean, healthy body that you’re able to maintain; a body that you’re happy with when looking in the mirror? If not, perhaps they could use a re-evaluation.

Now that we agree that your nutrition habits are ineffectual, lets identify some of those possible habits and discuss why they are poor behaviors to embellish.

Nutrient Displacement
Now, this applies to you even if you are not obese… Yet. You may very well be young, thin, and a real hottie. But in ten or twenty years, you will be obese if you continue to regularly dine on rich chocolate brownies and frappaccinos for lunch, bagels and coffee for breakfast (American’s breakfast of choice), soda throughout the day, and leftover casserole for dinner.

Of course, obesity isn’t imminent in all cases. Most young, intelligent, and reasonably disciplined people will probably be able to restrain their eating habits enough to stave off full-blown obesity. But the fact is, simply moderating ones portions isn't enough to achieve optimal body composition and health.

The "All-Treat" Diet
There's a big difference between a healthy diet to which treats are occasionally added and an all-treat diet. In the former, less healthy foods are consumed rarely and in addition to healthy foods. In the latter, less healthy or unhealthy foods are consumed often and instead of healthy foods. This is called food displacement and must be avoided if optimal body composition and health are your goals.

Sure, I indulge in a slice of sugar-laden junk food occasionally. But looking only at the junk food that we eat presents a woefully incomplete part of the picture. The presence of bad food in our diets is much less important than the absence of good food.

To elaborate: I eat a small amount of junk food in addition to my antioxidant rich, protein filled, nutrient dense meals, of which I eat seven such meals a day. And that is one of seven such days a week!

You see, the bagel, the brownie and latte, the soda, etc. are consumed instead of good healthy choices. So, in essence, their empty calories displaced the good, nutrient dense food that could've otherwise been eaten. Don’t consume nothing but empty calories, calories more likely to be stored as fat than burned, calories that actually degrade health or do nothing to improve it, calories that'll make you hungry and food-obsessed all day, and calories that'll make you tired just an hour or two after consumption.

Convenience and Calories
Know anyone like this? Chances are you know lots of individuals like this! In the US alone, there are about 129.6 million overweight individuals and probably many more well on their way.

These stats beg the question; how did otherwise intelligent people get to be so bad, exchanging good nutrition for empty calories? While an explanation is probably multifactorial, there are a few simple answers that pop into my mind.

First, I think that North Americans strive daily for nutritional convenience. Sure, when the typical person goes out for a nice dinner at a restaurant, he or she usually gets a decent meal. But, unlike many Europeans, North Americans select everyday meals for speed and convenience.

A nice egg and spinach omelet with oats and pineapple on the side takes some time to prepare and eat. On the contrary, a bagel and coffee can be carried into the car and eaten on the way to work. So in our quest for speed and convenience, we get very little in the way of good nutrition. That’s why we’re overfed and undernourished, and that's how people can eat so much yet still have nutrient deficiencies.

Secondly, I think we’ve gotten too calorie conscious. Most people who make poor food selections aren’t stupid. They know if they want to be thin, they can only eat a certain amount of calories per day. If they eat more, they either feel monumentally guilty or, much less often, they head to the gym for marathon cardio sessions designed to exercise those extra calories off.

In trying to walk that thin tight rope of energy balance, they realize if they eat good, healthy food (i.e. marinated chicken breast with a spinach salad and a piece of fruit), they’ll be eating a bunch of calories which simply don’t taste as good as the brownies they’re craving. In this sense, the healthy food will displace the tasty junk they often crave.

So in an attempt to get the tasty brownie calories, they choose instead to displace the good chicken and spinach calories, kicking them out of the diet. In their minds, "a calorie is a calorie" and therefore if they simply eat a brownie instead of the chicken, they’ll stay just as thin. Thin, in our society, is synonymous with healthy. Little do they realize they’re setting themselves up for losses in lean body mass, an ever slowing metabolic rate, micronutrient deficiencies, and all sorts of nutrition related health problems including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and syndrome-x. It’s hard to stay lean when the metabolism is dwindling as a result of insufficient protein intake and a low thermic effect of feeding. The metabolic rate takes another plunge because of deficiencies in essential fatty acids, not to mention decreasing muscle mass.

It’s also pretty difficult to stay lean if you’ve got diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and/or syndrome-x. To support this notion, all we need to realize is that in the last twenty years the incidence of obesity has doubled, yet our average daily energy intake hasn’t increased much at all!

North Americans aren’t getting so darned fat and/or unhealthy simply because of overeating. Often they replace good foods with the super-sized sugars, the trans fats, and the other nasty fast food ingredients. The good foods have the power to negate the effects of these nasty, health-degrading junk foods, but because people become too concerned with energy balance, they simply displace the good stuff.

In fact, if people simply ate a high protein, antioxidant and micronutrient rich diet supplemented with junk food, they’d end up leaner and healthier than those who got the same amount of calories (and often even fewer calories) from empty, displacing foods.

Frankenfood
Obesity is epidemic, diabetes is on the rise, and heart disease is our number one killer. Even those who exercise fairly regularly can find themselves struggling with body fat and related health issues. Yet, bizarrely, rather than choosing wholesome foods, we’re often taught portion-control as we live and eat in a world of processed, pre-packaged abominations.

Where does this leave a health conscious person like you? Without good dietary judgment, it could leave you a frustrated, metabolic and hormonal train wreck struggling to get off that body fat in a world polluted by "frankenfoods." Sound familiar? This is most commonly the situation.

Sometimes I wonder what my grandfather would say if he walked into a modern grocery store. Probably something like: "Where’s the FOOD?" He’d see aisle after aisle of brightly colored cans, boxes and bags of tasty, processed, confectionary delights. But he’d be thinking: "Don’t these people eat actual food? Where are the lean cuts of meat, the fruits and the vegetables? That’s what we used to eat."
They’re along the side or in the rear of the store, Grandpa. They’re stuck over there because they’re boring and nobody eats actual food anymore.

Perhaps saddest of all is that those of us who want to stay lean without being hungry all the time are offered "health foods" that are just as false and freaky as the junk foods. Let’s take a look at foods that you may have in your own cupboard. Foods that leave your body wondering how the heck it’s going to deal with them…

Low-fat Peanut Butter
Brilliant. Let’s take the healthy, mostly monounsaturated fat out and mix-in some corn syrup solids. Whether this appeases the leaders of the "fat witch hunt" or not, it just creates a nice fat-plus-sugar combo that we just don’t need. And although Consumer Reports has stated that there is actually little trans-fat in most peanut butters, I still pass on the creamy run-of-the-mill stuff. I like the taste of real mashed-up peanuts in their own oil. It’s bizarre, if you think about it, that we have to pay significantly more for "natural peanut butter." In the name of George Washington Carver! That’s the REAL stuff! In fact, it’s sometimes only offered in stores with a specialty foods section. Ugh.

Margarine
Here’s another smart move, eh? Industry’s efforts to find an alternative to butter (which admittedly isn’t something that should be over-indulged-in) brought our society to margarine. Trans fatty acids replaced the saturated ones and voila, vascular disease is more common than ever.

When I use margarine, it’s an olive oil-based, trans fat-free type. Or, on occasion, I even use actual butter. Or how about just getting used to life without it? Learn to suck it up, you pampered child of the kindly West! You’re just smearing fat on your carbs by remaining dependent on buttered toast and margarine-fried pancakes. Not good for a dieter. These foods aren’t really that different from donuts; would you eat those regularly?

Listen, margarine, at least in its original form, was basically a mistake. Even if it is a modern-day staple. On holidays, I still find myself smiling at how far society has drifted into our fancy new hydrogenated world when my mom announces "I’m serving this with REAL butter!"

Fat-free hotdogs and bologna
Exactly what is this stuff, anyway? More demonization of fat, as if our ancestors didn’t evolve on the stuff, has resulted in these freaky little processed thingamabobs. They’re typically just as riddled with nitrites as the fatty versions. And nitrites are (arguably) potently carcinogenic.

Admittedly, however, not everyone agrees on the carcinogenic potential of n-nitroso compounds. One study found significant relationships between hotdog consumption and brain cancer in kids, especially those rugrats who didn’t get a multivitamin. Not good. I don’t even want to think about how many hotdogs and bologna sandwiches I ate as a kid. Although an upcoming summer picnic can admittedly leave me buying a pack of low-fat dogs for indulgence ("real" hotdogs and bologna are similarly abominable), this stuff just has no place in usual eating habits.

Fat free ice cream
Hey, I know! Let’s take all the fat out of something that was never meant to be eaten regularly so we can indulge in a little sugar rush/ insulin nightmare every night! Forget the fact that it’s supposed to be a rare treat. Gobbling the stuff as an after dinner desert is even better! At this time our glucose tolerance is so bad, we might as well insert an intravenous drip of Karo syrup. But hey, it’s fat free, right?

Of course, we can take the advice of certain nutrition authorities and self-enforce rigorous portion control, frustrating ourselves on a nightly basis with a mere quarter cup! Why do this to yourself? Time once more to suck it up and lose the crutch.

Historically, Frankenfoods have been myopic mistakes that folks use as a crutch (unwittingly to their own detriment) rather than learning REAL, biologically correct dietary choices. It has yet to dawn on us that our efforts to make something "healthy" that was never meant to be anything but a rare treat backfires more often than not. By trying to fool Mother Nature, we have perennially created abominations that catch up with us in the long run. Why frustrate yourself continually when learning not to crave these foods, which admittedly takes months for most of us, is so much more logical? Then, if you want the REAL stuff on a special occasion, go eat a big bowl without guilt.

Diet Soda
Although perhaps less offensive, this useless Frankenfood is one of the most common. It rots your teeth with its acids, adds in a little extra sodium and caffeine and offers nothing by way of actual nutrients—aside from the fluid itself.

Still (and sadly) it’s a big improvement over the even more tooth-rotting, occasionally sodium and caffeine providing, nutrition-less AND sugary soda pops. Did you know that pop is being called "liquid candy" by researchers? Did you know that Pepsi has a pH of just 2.4? Yikes! Whose teeth wouldn’t demineralize? I personally don’t want to swish around in my mouth and then actually swallow something that would eat a hole through my living room carpet.

Here’s a tip: go drink some freaking water. If you need some flavoring to help increase consumption, find some spring water with a twist of lime or perhaps small amounts of sucralose flavoring.

If you’re a diet pop junkie, try replacing just one diet soft drink daily with water containing a twist of lemon or lime; barely-sweetened green tea is a great choice too. And regarding your teeth, mineral waters are a research-supported "safe alternative to more erosive acidic beverages", not to mention they actually give your body a fluid it recognizes. By sweetening drinks yourself, you can titrate the sweetness downward each month. Over time you’ll actually lose your taste for ultra-sweet Frankenfoods.

Regular Hamburger
I’ve certainly admitted before that I love beef in a big bloody way. But as a society we’ve taken cattle off their natural diet (grass) and served them up copious quantities of corn. Can you imagine a free-ranging cow up on its hindquarters nibbling the tip of a stalk of corn? Me either. It’s like the furniture commercial says: "that’s just not natural!"

It’s true that the term "corn-fed beef" does sound appetizing to a carnivore like me but "grass-fed beef" is far superior. The fatty acid composition is much better suited for human physiology. Although I am grateful that agriculture successfully maintains much of the world population, I am also grateful that I live in a culture that provides a biologically correct alternative.

Bread
That’s right, bread. Don’t let its prevalence fool you. White bread is perhaps more disturbing than the rest of the Frankenfoods put together. Just because you grew up on the stuff doesn’t mean it’s okay. There is actually literature describing Americans’ preference for white bread over healthier types. There’s also literature relating this spongy Frankenfood to obesity. Here’s a scary quote:
"The mean annual change in waist circumference was more than 3 times as great for subjects in the white-bread cluster as for those in the healthy cluster.”

It's been stripped of most of the grain’s benefits and artificially fortified a bit in an effort to resuscitate it. It's so insulinogenic that it’s actually used in glucose tolerance tests (e.g. in labs to spike blood sugar/ insulin as rapidly as possible). This kind of food doesn’t exactly lend itself to fullness and satisfaction. In fact, did you know that 76% of foods offer more satiety than white bread? This stuff needs to be saved only for post-workout periods, if ever consumed.

And the "wheat" bread you see is usually just white bread dyed brown. It’s like a fat guy with a tan. He’s still a fat guy. Unless it specifically says "whole wheat" in the ingredients list, it’s not. The fiber content and other nutrients are just like white bread. Besides, if you’ve been feeling good about consuming the usual brown stuff instead of white, ask yourself what the white stuff is made of… wheat, duh!

Canned Vegetables
Since so few people eat vegetables at all, it would be remiss to chastise everyone for consuming some canned green beans or corn. Vegetables are a great way to increase fiber intake, reduce calorie load, take-in beneficial phytochemicals, and even lose body fat over time. But if you’re trying to eat more veggies for health reasons, why bother with sodium-loaded, unattractive canned types? Most fresh or frozen vegetables aren’t typically expensive and they're WAY more attractive than those grayish, canned "green" beans you’ve been choking down.

My guess is that you’ve had a hard time complying with recommendations to eat more vegetables; do you think those daily canned, gray, salty "Franken-beans" are helping? Have you ever thought: Oh yeah! Give me a second helping! Conversely, a purposeful attempt to buy a different bag (or three) of fresh or frozen veggies each week can go a long way toward complying with your nutrition plan and reverse your downward spiral into that hormonal-metabolic-physique trainwreck we mentioned earlier. You’ve just got to take a moment and think about preparing them in a quick, visually-appealing way.

Summary Table
• Frankenfood/ Better Choice

• Low-fat PB/ Natural PB, mixed nuts

• Hydrogenated corn oil margarine/ Olive oil margarine, straight olive oil or nothing

• Fat free processed meats/ Fresh chicken breast - perhaps bought un-brined; salmon; 93% lean burger or grass-fed beef; round steak

• Fat free ice cream/ Low-fat or no-added-sugar ice cream, as a treat only

• Diet pop/ Water, tea

• White or "wheat" bread/ 100% whole-wheat (or 100% whole-grain) bread or better still: baked potatoes with skin, oatmeal, oat bran hot cereal, wheat bran cereals (hot or All-Bran type) or other unrefined sources of carbohydrate (vegetables)

• Processed, canned vegetables/ One to three 16-oz. bags of frozen veggies weekly to be entirely consumed within seven days
Listen, eating real food doesn’t have to be excruciating. Blandness and unattractive presentation of wholesome foods is a real (and huge) factor that drives people away. Unfortunately, the ever-convenient, ever-tasty, ever-colorfully-packaged Frankenfoods are beckoning. They aren’t just fun-foods, they masquerade as "healthy choices" that are little more than a crutch for the weak minded. Some people "cave" to the temptation but some resist with a little effort at the grocery store and the stovetop. You have to ask yourself flatly and DAILY: what is my choice?

I often mention that physique success is 90% nutrition and recovery, at least temporally. That is, even with a lengthy two-hour training session (which admittedly is a critical 8-9% of one’s day), one is still left with 22 hours each day outside of the gym. That’s over 90% my friends. Do you want to put in thought and effort only 10% of the time? What kind of health and progress do you expect to achieve living on Frankenfoods, even if you do train well?

Maybe this little tirade was a wake-up call; maybe we all just need to be reminded of some basic, obvious stuff at times. But for those struggling to rid themselves of body fat and improve health, these adjustments away from Frankenfoods would be a measurable help. Don’t make your diet a horror story.

This is the short list, just to open your eyes. Later I’ll go over some specific food choices, what you should be eating everyday and more of what you should avoid. Remember that if you don’t buy it you only have to resist the temptation once. Avoid these foods one time, while in the grocery store, and you are home free. Lets talk about that.

The First Stop on the Road to Health
Welcome, my friends, to grocery shopping for health. Grocery shopping?!? That's right; this section is all about grocery shopping. And I'm not kidding either! So what's up with that? I'll tell you what's up with that, you don't know how to shop.

Okay, maybe some of you do. But I'd wager that most of you don't have a clue as to how to navigate the perilous aisles of the grocery store. And I'm willing to bet that at least half of the men out there aren't comfortable at the grocery store either.

I maintain that learning how to navigate the grocery store is critical to your progress if you're trying to lose fat or improve your health. When I say that your trip to the grocery store is the first, and probably the most important stop on your road to success, I mean it.

Interval Shopping
In North America we shop less frequently than our European counterparts. While we shop every 1-2 weeks, they may shop every 1-2 days. Why the difference? One reason is that these norms have become habit, for sure. But the other is that Europeans typically buy items that are closer to their natural state, items that have short shelf lives. Conversely, we North Americans buy a lot of packaged stuff loaded full of preservatives that takes a little (or a lot) longer to expire. So we need to shop with less frequency. Of course, this is to our detriment.

I suggest that you shop once per week or even more frequently, based on your schedule (but never less than once per week). With all the fruits, veggies, and meats you're buying, once per week usually is just about right to ensure nothing goes bad. Getting in a set pattern of shopping ensures that there are fewer occasions to run out of food. Amazingly, when some start with this program, they forget to shop and even claim that they forget to eat! Obviously, if the fridge is stocked, it's less likely that you'll forget. And if it’s stocked full of the right stuff, it’s less likely you’ll eat the wrong foods.

The Psychology of Shopping
You will always visit the grocery store prepared. You will visit the store with a pre-planned list that'll cover you until the next planned shopping excursion. Below is an example of a one week shopping list. You can use this as a template to start with. Eventually, once you customize your intake, you'll need to make your own lists based on the number of calories you should be eating as well as which foods you're going to incorporate into your plan.

GROCERY LIST
5 large bags fresh spinach
2 large bags fresh carrots
1 pineapple, either fresh or precut
7 apples
7 plums (or oranges, pears, etc.)
4 bananas
7 potatoes/yams
1 bag of quinoa (ancient grains)
1 lemon
1 clove garlic
4 large red bell peppers
1 onion
1 lb walnuts
1 container non-stick cooking spray 1 box high fiber cereal
1 jar of pesto
1 box green tea
1 container apple cider vinegar
1 bottle flax oil
1 bottle extra virgin olive oil
5 lbs extra lean beef
3 packages of chicken or turkey sausage
5 containers egg whites
1 dozen omega 3 eggs
1/2 lb sliced cheese
2 large containers plain yogurt
1 bottle salmon oil/fish oil capsules

High Intensity Shopping
Once you've got a grocery list goin' on you'll be able to breeze in and out of the grocery store in a mere 15-20min; you'll know exactly what you need and exactly where it's located.

Sure, from time to time, you can feel free to browse the aisles for new healthy offerings and interesting food variety. But most of the time, you're not going to want to waste time walking up and down the aisles being tempted by the newest BBQ sauce or frozen entrée. Make your shopping a high intensity affair and you're in and out of the store in a flash.

Disease Aisles
If you knew someone had the clap, would you mess around with them? Probably not? Heck, you probably would just steer clear of them for fear of catching somethin' through simple proximity.

Well why not treat the grocery store the same way. Since many of the aisles contain foods that'll surely "infect" you with diseases like diabetes, heart disease, etc. why not just steer clear of them? To this end, I encourage you to avoid all the aisles that contain foods not conducive to your goals.

Much of the best food is found around the perimeter of the grocery store. Around the perimeter you'll find the produce section (fruits, vegetables, potatoes, nuts, etc), the meat section (chicken, lean beef, fish, etc), the bakery section (choose the fresh whole grain breads and not the desserts, please), and the dairy aisle (cottage cheese, plain yogurt, eggs, etc). Sure, the middle aisles might have to be visited from time to time for things like legumes, oats, etc. But be on guard, it's the aisles in the middle (snacks, juices, etc) that can get you into trouble with their pretty packaging and "magically delicious" flavors. Stay away from the bright, shiny objects.

Why So Many Rules?
Ok, I know what you're thinking. Does shopping really matter that much? Why so many rules? Well, if you're looking in the mirror and aren't liking what you see, the chances are that you've got your own set of rules (whether you know it or not) and these rules are just perfect for creating a sorry physique. The rules I put forth are perfect for creating a perfect physique. So which would you like to follow again?

When you're trying to re-pattern your life, there's little room for "winging it." Although training to lose fat is fun, eating to lose fat is fun, and watching other people's faces as they appreciate your new body is fun, exchanging old, ineffectual habits for new habits isn't always fun; in fact, it can be downright difficult. However, like all good investments, the larger the amount of capital you're willing to put into the investment, the larger the reward.

Reading The Food Label
Under regulations from the Food and Drug Administration of the Department of Health and Human Services and the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the food label offers more complete, useful and accurate nutrition information than ever before.

With today's food labels, consumers get:
• nutrition information about almost every food in the grocery store
• distinctive, easy-to-read formats that enable consumers to more quickly find the information they need to make healthful food choices
• information on the amount per serving of saturated fat, cholesterol, dietary fiber, and other nutrients of major health concern
• nutrient reference values, expressed as % Daily Values, that help consumers see how a food fits into an overall daily diet
• uniform definitions for terms that describe a food's nutrient content--such as "light," "low-fat," and "high-fiber"--to ensure that such terms mean the same for any product on which they appear
• Claims about the relationship between a nutrient or food and a disease or health-related condition, such as calcium and osteoporosis, and fat and cancer. These are helpful for people who are concerned about eating foods that may help keep them healthier longer.
• standardized serving sizes that make nutritional comparisons of similar products easier
• Declaration of total percentage of juice in juice drinks. This enables consumers to know exactly how much juice is in a product.

NLEA
These and other changes are part of final rules published in the Federal Register in 1992 and 1993. FDA's rules implement the provisions of the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990 (NLEA), which, among other things, requires nutrition labeling for most foods (except meat and poultry) and authorizes the use of nutrient content claims and appropriate FDA-approved health claims.

Nutrition Information Panel
Under the label's "Nutrition Facts" panel, manufacturers are required to provide information on certain nutrients. The mandatory (underlined) and voluntary components and the order in which they must appear are:
• total calories
• calories from fat
• calories from saturated fat
• total fat
• saturated fat
• polyunsaturated fat
• monounsaturated fat
• cholesterol
• sodium
• potassium
• total carbohydrate
• dietary fiber
• soluble fiber • insoluble fiber
• sugars
• sugar alcohol (for example, the sugar substitutes xylitol, mannitol and sorbitol)
• other carbohydrate (the difference between total carbohydrate and the sum of dietary fiber, sugars, and sugar alcohol if declared)
• protein
• vitamin A
• percent of vitamin A present as beta-carotene
• vitamin C
• calcium
• iron
• other essential vitamins and minerals

If a claim is made about any of the optional components, or if a food is fortified or enriched with any of them, nutrition information for these components becomes mandatory.

These mandatory and voluntary components are the only ones allowed on the Nutrition Facts panel. The listing of single amino acids, maltodextrin, calories from polyunsaturated fat, and calories from carbohydrates, for example, may not appear as part of the Nutrition Facts on the label.
The required nutrients were selected because they address today's health concerns. The order in which they must appear reflects the priority of current dietary recommendations.

Understanding Serving Sizes
To understand more about food labels and serving sizes, look to the sample food label above. At the top of the label under Nutrition Facts, you'll see the serving size and the number of servings in the package. The rest of the nutrition information in the label is based on one serving. In this example, one-half cup is designated as one serving, and the package contains four servings.

That means that if you eat the whole box of macaroni and cheese, you’re eating four servings, not one, so you’ll have to multiply the number of calories, fat grams and other nutrients by four to get accurate nutrition information.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Reading a Food Label
Until you become accustomed to reading food labels, it's easy to become confused. Avoid these common mistakes when reading labels:
• A label may say that the food is reduced fat or reduced sodium. That means that the amount of fat or sodium has been reduced by 25% from the original product. It doesn't mean, however, that the food is low in fat or sodium. For example, if a can of soup originally had 1,000 milligrams of sodium, the reduced sodium product would still be a high-sodium food.
• Don't confuse the % DV for fat with the percentage of calories from fat. If the % DV is 15% that doesn't mean that 15% of the calories comes from fat. Rather, it means that you're using up 15% of all the fat you need for a day with one serving (based on a meal plan of 2,000 calories per day).
• Don't make the mistake of assuming that the amount of sugar on a label means that the sugar has been added. For example, milk naturally has sugar, which is called lactose. But that doesn't mean you should stop drinking milk because milk is full of other important nutrients including calcium. What you can do is look at the list of ingredients. If you see the words high-fructose corn syrup or sugar high on the list of ingredients, it probably means refined sugar has been added to the product.
A common mistake people make, especially with packages dispensed from vending machines, is to assume that a small item contains one serving just because the package is small. If you eat a bag of pretzels from a vending machine, for example, you may find that it contains 2.5 servings. So you need to multiply the numbers by 2.5 to figure out how many calories and the amount of sodium and other nutrients you are eating.

Nutrient Content Claims
The regulations also spell out what terms may be used to describe the level of a nutrient in a food and how they can be used. These are the core terms:
• Free. This term means that a product contains no amount of, or only trivial or "physiologically inconsequential" amounts of, one or more of these components: fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, sugars, and calories. For example, "calorie-free" means fewer than 5 calories per serving, and "sugar-free" and "fat-free" both mean less than 0.5 g per serving. Synonyms for "free" include "without," "no" and "zero." A synonym for fat-free milk is "skim.”
• Low. This term can be used on foods that can be eaten frequently without exceeding dietary guidelines for one or more of these components: fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, and calories. Thus, descriptors are defined as follows:
o low-fat: 3 g or less per serving
o low-saturated fat: 1 g or less per serving
o low-sodium: 140 mg or less per serving
o very low sodium: 35 mg or less per serving
o low-cholesterol: 20 mg or less and 2 g or less of saturated fat per serving
o low-calorie: 40 calories or less per serving.
Synonyms for low include "little," "few," "low source of," and "contains a small amount of."
• Lean and extra lean. These terms can be used to describe the fat content of meat, poultry, seafood, and game meats.
o lean: less than 10 g fat, 4.5 g or less saturated fat, and less than 95 mg cholesterol per serving and per 100 g.
o extra lean: less than 5 g fat, less than 2 g saturated fat, and less than 95 mg cholesterol per serving and per 100 g.
• High. This term can be used if the food contains 20 percent or more of the Daily Value for a particular nutrient in a serving.
• Good source. This term means that one serving of a food contains 10 to 19 percent of the Daily Value for a particular nutrient.
• Reduced. This term means that a nutritionally altered product contains at least 25 percent less of a nutrient or of calories than the regular product. However, a reduced claim can't be made on a product if its reference food already meets the requirement for a "low" claim.
• Less. This term means that a food, whether altered or not, contains 25 percent less of a nutrient or of calories than the reference food. For example, pretzels that have 25 percent less fat than potato chips could carry a "less" claim. "Fewer" is an acceptable synonym.
• Light. This descriptor can mean two things:
o First, that a nutritionally altered product contains one-third fewer calories or half the fat of the reference food. If the food derives 50 percent or more of its calories from fat, the reduction must be 50 percent of the fat.
o Second, that the sodium content of a low-calorie, low-fat food has been reduced by 50 percent. In addition, "light in sodium" may be used on food in which the sodium content has been reduced by at least 50 percent.
The term "light" still can be used to describe such properties as texture and color, as long as the label explains the intent--for example, "light brown sugar" and "light and fluffy."
• More. This term means that a serving of food, whether altered or not, contains a nutrient that is at least 10 percent of the Daily Value more than the reference food. The 10 percent of Daily Value also applies to "fortified," "enriched" and "added" "extra and plus" claims, but in those cases, the food must be altered.
Alternative spelling of these descriptive terms and their synonyms is allowed--for example, "hi" and "lo"--as long as the alternatives are not misleading.

Healthy. A "healthy" food must be low in fat and saturated fat and contain limited amounts of cholesterol and sodium. In addition, if it' s a single-item food, it must provide at least 10 percent of one or more of vitamins A or C, iron, calcium, protein, or fiber. Exempt from this "10-percent" rule are certain raw, canned and frozen fruits and vegetables and certain cereal-grain products. These foods can be labeled "healthy," if they do not contain ingredients that change the nutritional profile, and, in the case of enriched grain products, conform to standards of identity, which call for certain required ingredients. If it's a meal-type product, such as frozen entrees and multi-course frozen dinners, it must provide 10 percent of two or three of these vitamins or minerals or of protein or fiber, in addition to meeting the other criteria. The sodium content cannot exceed 360 mg per serving for individual foods and 480 mg per serving for meal-type products.

Other Definitions
The regulations also address other claims. Among them:
• Percent fat free: A product bearing this claim must be a low-fat or a fat-free product. In addition, the claim must accurately reflect the amount of fat present in 100 g of the food. Thus, if a food contains 2.5 g fat per 50 g, the claim must be "95 percent fat free."
• Implied: These types of claims are prohibited when they wrongfully imply that a food contains or does not contain a meaningful level of a nutrient. For example, a product claiming to be made with an ingredient known to be a source of fiber (such as "made with oat bran") is not allowed unless the product contains enough of that ingredient (for example, oat bran) to meet the definition for "good source" of fiber. As another example, a claim that a product contains "no tropical oils" is allowed--but only on foods that are "low" in saturated fat because consumers have come to equate tropical oils with high saturated fat.
'Fresh'
Although not mandated by NLEA, FDA has issued a regulation for the term "fresh." The agency took this step because of concern over the term's possible misuse on some food labels.

The regulation defines the term "fresh" when it is used to suggest that a food is raw or unprocessed. In this context, "fresh" can be used only on a food that is raw, has never been frozen or heated, and contains no preservatives. (Irradiation at low levels is allowed.) "Fresh frozen," "frozen fresh," and "freshly frozen" can be used for foods that are quickly frozen while still fresh. Blanching (brief scalding before freezing to prevent nutrient breakdown) is allowed.
Other uses of the term "fresh," such as in "fresh milk" or "freshly baked bread," are not affected.

Health Claims
Claims for 10 relationships between a nutrient or a food and the risk of a disease or health-related condition are now allowed. They can be made in several ways: through third-party references (such as the National Cancer Institute), statements, symbols (such as a heart), and vignettes or descriptions. Whatever the case, the claim must meet the requirements for authorized health claims--for example, they cannot state the degree of risk reduction and can only use "may" or "might" in discussing the nutrient or food-disease relationship. And they must state that other factors play a role in that disease.
The claims also must be phrased so that consumers can understand the relationship between the nutrient and the disease and the nutrient's importance in relationship to a daily diet.
An example of an appropriate claim is: "While many factors affect heart disease, diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of this disease."

The allowed nutrient-disease relationship claims and rules for their use are:
• Calcium and osteoporosis: To carry this claim, a food must contain 20 percent or more of the Daily Value for calcium (200 mg) per serving, have a calcium content that equals or exceeds the food's content of phosphorus, and contain a form of calcium that can be readily absorbed and used by the body. The claim must name the target group most in need of adequate calcium intakes (that is, teens and young adult white and Asian women) and state the need for exercise and a healthy diet. A product that contains 40 percent or more of the Daily Value for calcium must state on the label that a total dietary intake greater than 200 percent of the Daily Value for calcium (that is, 2,000 mg or more) has no further known benefit.
• Fat and cancer: To carry this claim, a food must meet the nutrient content claim requirements for "low-fat" or, if fish and game meats, for "extra lean."
• Saturated fat and cholesterol and coronary heart disease (CHD): This claim may be used if the food meets the definitions for the nutrient content claim "low saturated fat," "low-cholesterol," and "low-fat," or, if fish and game meats, for "extra lean." It may mention the link between reduced risk of CHD and lower saturated fat and cholesterol intakes to lower blood cholesterol levels.
• Fiber-containing grain products, fruits and vegetables and cancer: To carry this claim, a food must be or must contain a grain product, fruit or vegetable and meet the nutrient content claim requirements for "low-fat," and, without fortification, be a "good source" of dietary fiber.
• Fruits, vegetables and grain products that contain fiber and risk of CHD: To carry this claim, a food must be or must contain fruits, vegetables and grain products. It also must meet the nutrient content claim requirements for "low saturated fat," "low-cholesterol," and "low-fat" and contain, without fortification, at least 0.6 g soluble fiber per serving.
• Sodium and hypertension (high blood pressure): To carry this claim, a food must meet the nutrient content claim requirements for "low-sodium."
• Fruits and vegetables and cancer: This claim may be made for fruits and vegetables that meet the nutrient content claim requirements for "low-fat" and that, without fortification, for "good source" of at least one of the following: dietary fiber or vitamins A or C. This claim relates diets low in fat and rich in fruits and vegetables (and thus vitamins A and C and dietary fiber) to reduced cancer risk. FDA authorized this claim in place of an antioxidant vitamin and cancer claim.
• Dietary sugar alcohols and dental caries (cavities): This claim applies to food products, such as candy or gum, containing the sugar alcohols xylitol, sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol, isomalt, lactitol, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, hydrogenated glucose syrups, or a combination of any of these. If the food also contains a fermentalbe carbohydrate, such as sugar, the food cannot lower the pH of plaque in the mouth below 5.7. Besides the food ingredient's relationship to dental caries, the claim also must state that frequent between-meal consumption of foods high in sugars and starches promotes tooth decay. A shortened claim is allowed on food packages with less than 15 square inches of labeling surface area.
• Soluble fiber from certain foods, such as whole oats and psyllium seed husk, and heart disease: This claim must state that the fiber also needs to be part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, and the food must provide sufficient soluble fiber. The amount of soluble fiber in a serving of the food must be listed on the Nutrition Facts panel.

Ingredient Labeling
Ingredient declaration is required on all foods that have more than one ingredient.
Because people may be allergic to certain additives and to help them better avoid them, the ingredient list must include, when appropriate:
• FDA-certified color additives, such as FD&C Blue No. 1, by name
• sources of protein hydrolysates, which are used in many foods as flavors and flavor enhancers
• declaration of caseinate as a milk derivative in the ingredient list of foods that claim to be non-dairy, such as coffee whiteners.

As required by NLEA, beverages that claim to contain juice must declare the total percentage of juice on the information panel. In addition, FDA's regulation establishes criteria for naming juice beverages. For example, when the label of a multi-juice beverage states one or more--but not all--of the juices present, and the predominantly named juice is present in minor amounts, the product' s name must state that the beverage is flavored with that juice or declare the amount of the juice in a 5 percent range--for example, "raspberry-flavored juice blend" or "juice blend, 2 to 7 percent raspberry juice."

To learn more about health and nutrition, visit my Health and Nutrition Blog .

Blame and Responsibility in American Culture

2006-03-22T14:09:00.000-08:00

Everyone seems to want to blame someone else for the position they’re in rather than take responsibility for their own actions and decisions. Everyone’s whining and crying, these days, about everyone else. Everyone wants to blame their parents for their own failures in life. They say that somehow their parents imposed some abnormal emotional state, or that they somehow failed to provide them the faculties they need to be a successful and productive member of society. Many also blame the government for their position. They believe the government should do more to help them in their circumstances. That the government somehow is to blame for their lack of ability to fit in our society. These people look outward for blame when they should be looking inward for responsibility.

This mentality of not wanting to except responsibility for a given situation is so prevalent in our society that it seems to be engrained into our psyche on some deep level. We are so conditioned with this that it seems nearly impossible to “see” things any other way. Our society is in great need of a basic paradigm shift where this principal of responsibility is concerned. It seems to me to be a matter of maturity and dependence. Dependence is the idea of you, you take care of me; you come through for me; you didn’t come through; I blame you for the results. Independence is the idea of I, I can do it; I am responsible; I am self-reliant; I can choose. True independence of character empowers us to act rather than be acted upon. It frees us from circumstances and other people. Dependent people need others to get what they want. Independent people can get what they want through their own effort. Even recognizing this fact, I myself have to make a concerted, conscious effort to keep myself from falling to the trappings of the blame game. Every single situation you ever have any involvement with is a direct result of a decision you’ve made. This is the dictum by which I try to live my life. No matter what the circumstance or how “un-lucky” things seem to be, I can always trace this very moment directly back to some decision I’ve made at some point in my life, past or present. We live presently through our previous actions. Every choice you make has a cause, even if you decide not to choose you still have made a choice. That choice, too, will have a cause.

“Choose your attitude, it may be your only choice.” For each individual situation there is a typical emotion and a typical action which accompanies it. Though not always logical, it is the conditioned response taught to us through some combination of factors. This response is typical, but not mandatory. There are basically three theories of determinism widely accepted to explain the nature of man. Genetic determinism basically says your grandparents made you this way. It’s in your DNA, it just goes through the generations and you inherited it. Psychic determinism basically says your parents made you this way. Your upbringing, your childhood experience essentially laid out your personal tendencies and your character. It’s the way your parents brought you up. Environmental determinism basically says your boss is making you this way, or your spouse, or that bratty teenager, or your economic situation, or national policies. Someone or something in your environment is responsible for your situation. Each of these is based on the stimulus/response theory. The basic idea is that we are conditioned to respond in a particular way to a particular stimulus. This is reactivity, or the reactive model. While you can’t always choose your emotions, you can choose your attitude and you can choose your actions. If something angers you, you can choose not to lash out in reaction. If something saddens you, you can choose not to act in revenge. If something elates you, you can choose not to celebrate in the face of others. You can always choose your action and you are, therefore, always responsible for your actions. As human beings we have free will, the ability to act based on our self awareness, free of all other influence. We also have self awareness, the ability to think about the thoughts we are having; imagination, the ability to create scenarios in our mind beyond our present reality; and conscience, a deep inner awareness of right and wrong, the principals that govern our behavior, and a sense of the degree to which our thoughts and actions are in harmony with them. This gives us the ability to choose our thoughts independently of outside influence. That means that between stimulus and response we have the freedom to choose. In any particular situation we can choose not to respond in the way we’ve been conditioned. This is proactivity, or the proactive model.

While it’s true that most situations and circumstances rely, at least partly, on outside influences, factors outside of our control, we are always in control of ourselves. We are in control of how we react to those factors, we’re in control of the decisions we make, and we’re in control of how we act based on those decisions. It may, at times, seem as though someone else’s actions are the cause of our misfortune or circumstance. However, if you look more closely at the situation you find that prior to their actions, a choice that you made or an action you chose brought you directly to the position you’re in. So you see that while someone else’s actions may be a factor in your situation, your actions brought you to theirs. You’re choices always precede those of the people around you. You are your own person and you control everything that you do. Your behavior is a product of your decisions, not your conditions. Just look at the word responsibility- “response-ability” –the ability to choose your response. Proactive people recognize that responsibility. They do not blame circumstances, conditions, or conditioning for their behavior. Their behavior is a product of their own conscious choice, based on values, rather than a product of their conditions. Reactive people are often affected by their physical and social environment, good weather and good treatment makes them feel good while bad weather or bad treatment makes them feel defensive or protective and affects their attitude and performance. Reactive people are driven by feelings, by circumstance, by conditions, by their environment. Proactive people are driven by values. Proactive people are still influenced by external stimuli, whether physical, social, or psychological. But their response to the stimuli is a value-based choice or response.

I ask you now, which one are you? Reactive or proactive? Which one would you like to be? Once you admit it to yourself, you have the choice to be either. Repeat after me, “I am what I am today because of the choices I made yesterday.” If people just realized that the lives we live are the sum of the choices we’ve made, they could effectively shape their lives by making choices congruent with their particular set of values. But instead they want to place blame rather than take responsibility for themselves and their lives.

A Sedentary Lifestyle

2006-03-22T14:08:00.000-08:00

North Americans are leading a life of luxury with everything automated. From the dawn of the industrial revolution the goal of our society seems to have been to make the lives of average Americans as easy and comfortable as possible. Beginning with the invention of the light bulb and shortly followed by electric wiring in households the daily life of Americans have become less and less difficult and more and more encumbered by gadgets and machines with each passing decade.

With increased mechanization and the advent of “utilities” people were doing less manual labor and began entering the workforce of factories and management. Household servants left the households for the more independent role of factory workers. In order to replace those servants contraptions were developed to perform their duties. Iron wood burning stoves replaced the open hearth fireplace. This meant that meals could be prepared much differently than they had been up until this point. Rather than porridge and stews, created in one pot, now separate courses and dishes could be prepared. Coal soon replaced the wood burned by those ovens, which in turn required an income in order to purchase on a weekly basis. Self sufficiency was going to the wayside. Soon following the wiring of households with electricity came refrigeration. This meant food could be kept much longer, and this again changed the way in which food was prepared. Smoked meats and pickled vegetables were no longer a necessity. Also, shopping was required less frequently. Soon refrigeration came to the homes air as well and air conditioning became popular. Following in quick succession was the mechanical and then electrical washing machine, air suction carpet cleaners (vacuums), electric sewing machines, electric toasters, electric mixers, and of course the gas range stove/oven. From there, of course, the electric gadgets and appliances multiplied tenfold.

The changes these appliances created in the household would shape our society as we know it today. They solidified the roles of men and women in our society for one. Men became the so-called “breadwinners” going to work and earning an income to pay for the appliances and the utilities to run them. Women stayed home and managed the household and its appliances. She was free to do chores as she saw fit. Blue Monday was no longer. People used to change clothes on Sunday, therefore Monday was for washing clothes, and it took all day. Clothes then were hand made and very heavy when dry let alone wet. Tuesday, then, was for mending and ironing them. Making and then mending the clothes for an entire family was a huge uptaking. That is until the invention of the electric sewing machine. The electric sewing machine made the manufacture of clothing a viable industry and the mending of those clothes less of a chore. This trend would continue in nearly every area of the house and business place for the next 100 years.

These days we have every convenience and amenity imaginable. Manual labor is nearly unheard of. Only farmers and those in construction know anything of physical labor and even those trades are heavily mechanized these days. Less work is required now to accomplish the same result than ever before in history. Americans are doing less and less as the years pass. “Work” is no longer physical, walking has become riding, and chores simply no longer exist as gadgets, appliances, and utilities have replaced them all. Every single day there are advertisements for products to make our lives yet easier in some way. Gadgets to be used in place of actually doing something. At the same time, all day long television is filled with commercials for exercise equipment and weight loss systems, supplements, and pills. A possible connection? I’ll leave that to you to decide.

Further, we don’t even prepare our own meals anymore. We buy prepared and pre-packed food which we then re-heat. There’s a whole food industry geared toward ease and convenience, marketing their products to the public at large. Food now is highly processed and highly chemical laden in order to preserve shelf life and therefore profitability with no question or concern toward the possible health concerns or repercussions. More than this, we often don’t even bother with food at home, we simply “eat out” stopping for food at one of the many, many fast food restaurants. The food products here are an abomination and I contend they are not fit for human consumption. Fast food is not grown but engineered. But I digress.

My point is if we don’t wake up and change our habits the repercussions will be vast and, certainly, beyond the scope of this post. The single largest of these, however, is the physical detriments this lifestyle promotes. The inactivity and total lack of any physical activity at all, besides walking from building to car, coupled with the atrocious diet of the modern western culture is resulting in serious vitamin and mineral deficiencies, metabolic disease and disorders, and medical conditions resulting in decreased quality of life as well as decreased overall life span. It’s thought that the current generation is the first which will not outlive their parents. Again, I leave it to you to decide if this is some sort of weird coincidence.

True Words of Wisdom

2006-03-20T16:24:00.000-08:00

“One man’s justice is another’s injustice; one man’s beauty, another’s ugliness; one man’s wisdom, another’s folly; as one beholds the same objects from a higher point. One man thinks justice consists in paying debts, and has no measure in his abhorrence of another who is very remiss in this duty, and makes the creditor wait tediously. But that second man has his own way of looking at things; asks himself which debt must I pay first, the debt to the rich, or the debt to the poor? The debt of money or the debt of thought to mankind, of genius to nature? For you, O broker! There is no other principal but arithmetic. For me, commerce is of trivial import; love, faith, truth of character, the aspiration of man, these are sacred; nor can I detach one duty, like you from all other duties, and concentrate my forces mechanically on the payment of moneys. Let me live onward; you shall find that, though slower, the progress of my character will liquidate all these debts without injustice to higher claims. If a man should dedicate himself to the payment of notes, would not this be injustice? Does he owe no debt but money? And are all claims on him to be postponed to a landlord’s or a banker’s?” – Emerson

“The only reprehensible materiality is the materialism of getting lost in your material so you can’t find out yourself what it is all about.” – Frost

“The one inalienable right is to go to destruction in our own way. What’s worth living for is worth dying for. What’s worth succeeding in is worth failing in.” – Frost

“To acquire knowledge, one must study; but to acquire wisdom, one must observe.” – Marilyn Vos Savant

“Ultimately all you will have left at the end of the day are your name and your reputation. Invest in them wisely and you and others will simultaneously reap the rewards.” – Leonard A. Schelesinger

“The only thing wrong with capitalism is capitalists. (They are too greedy)” – Herbert Hoover

“We sell the thrones of angels for a short and turbulent pleasure.” – Emerson

Marketing and Advertising in Corporate America

2006-03-20T15:05:00.000-08:00

Americans have a problem with placing, read displacing, blame and taking responsibility for their actions, behavior, and especially bad habits. Contemporary marketing has observed this and zeroed in on it. Big business marketing serves to perpetuate these habits of shifting responsibility by reinforcing them. To sell you their product of convenience they tell you it’s ok to be lazy, it doesn’t matter that their highly packaged / highly disposable product is filling up landfills and adding to the problems of our already stressed society. They say it’s not your fault, you can’t control the situation, it’s someone else’s doing. You aren’t’ the one to blame for your attitude, your habits, or your lifestyle anyway, you should just buy their products to make your life easier. You should buy and use them despite the fact that they serve to continue or even further your poor habits and sedentary lifestyle.

These companies take no responsibility for the condition or quality of life their products produce, create, or support. They take no responsibility for encouraging negative and possibly detrimental morals, behaviors, and other aspects of our society. It’s a bottom line game, profit at all cost, ALL cost. They have no interest what-so-ever in what happens once their product has been sold. Companies universally claim they have no responsibility for what their products do to you or you do with their products once you have purchased them. They claim to have no accountability for the products they produce and sell to us no matter the circumstance, loss, expense, damage, injury, impairment, or condition the product causes. Further, they have no liability for the process which they use to manufacture these products. Whichever process is the cheapest. In order, of course, to keep profits as high as possible. The cheapest materials, cheapest labor, cheapest process, but highest retail possible. This approach to profit at all cost is entirely void of any ethic, moral, principal, or civic duty.

Rest assured; they will use any and all techniques possible to get you to buy their products. It’s simply a study in psychology. Left to your logic and good sense, you wouldn’t buy nearly any of their products. They have to appeal to the deeper emotions of the human condition and they start from a very early age. It’s said that brand loyalty can begin as early as the age of two years old. They certainly try to start marketing to us at these early ages. Cereal, candy, toys, soda, fast food, the list goes on and on. Morning cartoon commercials, happy meals with toys, fast food restaurants with playgrounds, fun and cute mascots, sugary cereals on the bottom shelf at the supermarket (kids’ eye level), toys in the cereal box and games on them, and so on and on and on. And for all of these products, we each have a favorite. Irrational as it is we find some emotional connection with one brand or another of a certain product and only, or usually, buy that brand. Most of the American population would be hard pressed to recognize any but a very few of the leaders of our cities, states, and country but even small children widely recognize and can name the trademarks of product brands. These “love marks” are easy to pick out, here are just a few examples:

Companies like these play to your emotions. They say; ”It’s impossible to do or accomplish what you should/need to, so why even try? Buy our product, it will make your life more easy and convenient.” They also play off of your guilt and your “should” feelings. For example, to be healthy you “should” eat enough vegetables and you “should” get enough fiber. One ad tells you that to get enough fiber you’d have to eat vegetables “all day long” and who could do that, right? Why not just take these chewable pills, it’s much easier and more convenient. They establish an emotional connection with you, the audience, by appealing to your apprehensions concerning your guilt and these “should” feelings. Making you feel validated in your doubts, and ultimately failure, in meeting the expectations of those ideals.

The negative repercussions of social issues such as; energy consumption, waste production, health issues due in part to sedentary lifestyles, misplaced morals, ethics, and principals, corporate conglomerates monopolizing whole business markets, and an ever increasing gap between social and financial classes are ignored and exploited by marketing strategies. The strategies of the very conglomerates who are a very large part of the problem.

The next time you’re watching TV, pay attention to the commercials and be mindful of the emotional manipulations these companies are trying to use against us. They are trying to use our own feelings against us. How gullible do they think we are? Most commercials are an appalling insult to our intelligence. How ignorant do they think we are? They don’t think we can see through their charade? What do they expect to happen? Are we supposed to say; “Oh look at all those beautiful girls. I’m going to drink that type of beer so I can have a bunch of beautiful girls too.” Well, I guess that’s must be just what we do because that’s about the only ploy the beer brands use and it seems to be successful, according to the drunk driving statistics. But I digress.

The point here is that I pose that it’s time for reform in the marketing and advertising industry. Ad agencies need to be accountable for the propaganda they create. Now, while this will help some it’s truly only treating the symptom. We need to get to the root cause of this problem, and that is held deep in the heart of Corporate America. To do that we have to show an example of the moral fiber and character on which this country was built. We need to stand up as a people and tell these big business conglomerates that we will no longer abide their indifference and lack of moral obligation. We have to show them that they are responsible for the products they produce and peddle. Both before and after they are sold. Some, I suppose, would say boycotts are in order and perhaps that would be effective. I warn, however, that if one were to abstain from all that touches evil or wrong doings, he soon would be naked and starving. You must choose your battles. Be cognizant in your daily routine and find the single largest injustice which touches your life. Then act rightly to impart your ideals, morals, and ethics to that single cause. If every American chose one single cause and made a genuine effort to begin building an inroad into the solution of that cause, we soon would see some level of reform at the root of those causes- big business. I leave you, then, with this challenge. As I,so, challenge myself.

I Reject Your Reality

2006-03-15T14:33:00.000-08:00

As I come to recognize more aspects of our society, I’m more compelled to reject it. I love this country, I am an extreme patriot. I have flown the flag, literally, everyday of my life since I was 12, either inside or outside. I host a patriotic website and I love what this country stands for. Or at least what it stood for. I hope the past tense in not necessary here. I hope we still stand for the freedoms, morals, and ethics that we have always upheld. That remains to be seen, however, in this “pop culture” society in which we live.

As I see it, two separate things are happening here. One, the American people are becoming more and more superficial and materialistic. Both of which opens the door for big business marketing and political propaganda to sway and steer public opinion and lifestyle. That direction of steerage seems to be to become further superficial and materialistic at all cost. The second thing is that the government is somewhat out of control. The government seems no longer to be representative of the people. Our American government system seems to have forsaken the very freedoms, morals, and ethics for witch it stands. I am, however, reluctant to say that this is the result of the government not listening to the people. Quite the contrary, the problem is the people aren’t saying anything. Nothing at all. We don’t vote, we don’t demonstrate, and we don’t write to our local senators. Hell most people don’t even know who their state representatives are, let alone how to reach them.

This lack of interest and action results in two possible things happening. One, the minority rules. By the majorities lack of voting and action the minority’s voice is heard and taken for the majority. And two, the government is left to it’s own devices and unchecked. We are all human, politicians included (although some would argue otherwise), and as humans power is corrupting. Left unchecked, that corruption will run awry and allow influence from improper sources. Such as, say, corporate conglomerates, oil execs, and the rest of the power elites. Where should the blame fall? Whose fault is it? Look in the mirror my fellow Americans. It’s you, it’s your fault, it’s your neighbor’s fault, it’s my fault, and it’s the fault of the American public at large. It’s your inaction and lack of interest in the state of things as they are today, the state of the union. So what’s the union? We are, you and I, our brothers and sisters, neighbors and friends. We have become so disconnected from our own governmental system that we hardly remember who we are and what our position and responsibility is.

Now I’ll be the first to admit that throughout my life my distaste and disdain for politics has kept me fairly removed from the process. I rarely vote and I rarely know anything about the issues or platforms up for debate and voting. Regardless of the reason behind it, I think this is fairly representative of the general population.

As I awoke from my relative slumber and looked around at the state of the American society I’ve been living in, I must say I was disappointed. I don’t agree with the direction of American culture, and I don’t agree with the direction of American government such that I can not abide the actions of either. What then am I to do as a conscientious American citizen? Civil disobedience? Passive resistance? I don’t have this answer; I don’t know the most effective method to affect change. As I’ve said I’m new to this whole activist thing. I’m simply researching and learning as I go. I do know, however, that anything you do to make your voice and your opinions heard is a step in the right direction. Some might say; “what is my opinion worth?” “Who am I to say what’s right?” You’re an American damn it! Your opinion counts! Make it heard! If the opinion of the people, the average Joe and Jane Shmoe, don’t count for anything, then the system has failed and perhaps America no longer stands for the ideals it once did.

I sincerely hope this isn’t the case and I refuse to accept the notion that it is. I will go to my grave as a devout free American upholding the ideals of the American way. I will go to my grave fighting for the freedom, morals, ethics, and principals laid out by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. I will live my life the best way I know how and in accordance with these same ideals.

I AM AN AMERICAN and I… Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Misery Loves Company

2006-03-15T14:32:00.000-08:00

Misery truly does love company. Our society thrives on other peoples misery. Have you had a chance to watch day time television lately? It’s distended with other peoples miseries. Starting with the daytime soaps whose only basis for existing is to portray human tragedy and misery, “he slept with her, she cheated on him,” “she is having who’s baby?!” So on and so forth. Then you have the so-called courtroom shows. Shows such as; “The People’s Court,” “Divorce Court,” “Texas Justice,” “Judge Judy,” “Judge Joe Brown,” “Judge Alex,” "Judge Mills Lane," and “Judge Hatchet.” Here we have supposedly true tales of “this one did that one wrong” and all the emotion and heartache which goes along with it. We get to see our peers and neighbors air their dirty laundry and show their stupidity and ignorance thereby making us feel better about ourselves and our pitiful lives. Finally we get to the daytime talkshow. Here we find shows like “Montel Williams,” “Dr. Phil,” “Maury Povich,” “Oprah,” “Donahue,” and the king of daytime drama “Jerry Springer.“ With these shows we get to hear people talk about their past heartaches and drama, usually involving their significant others and their infidelities. We, as a society, can not get enough of these shows. We love seeing other peoples pain, we love watching it unfold before us. Primetime TV doesn’t do much better with dramas such as The OC, Laguna Beach, 90210, Malibu, Law & Order, NYPD Blue, and so forth. Further we have the hugely popular “reality” shows; Cops, The Real World, The Apprentice, American Idol, and so on. With these shows we get to see the drama and situations develop in front of us from week to week. We just can’t get enough of this human drama. Take racing as another example, do you think Nascar became the largest motor sport in the world because people like watching cars drive in circles? Absolutely not! It all comes down to the fact that we want to see wrecks. Physical wrecks or emotional wrecks, we just want to watch people crash and burn. Severe and scorching. Like it or not it’s who we are and it’s so pervasive in our culture it’s not likely to change anytime soon.

The Education of Patrick

2006-03-15T14:26:00.000-08:00

Self Education at it’s Best
Recently a friend gave me a book to read called Introducing Philosophy. Philosophy is a subject I've been interested in but have never learned. It was by far the best book anyone has ever given me to read. You see I've been wanting for some time to further my education in many areas. However, the lack of funds and the difficulties of scheduling have forced me to put it off for now. But this book, it has driven my thirst for knowledge even further and somewhere lost in the text I had the epiphany that I don't need to wait till I can take classes. I've decided to set up my own class structure for my self-education. The Internet (and library) truly is (are) a wonderful thing(s)! So I've chosen the subjects in which I wish to expound and I'm setting up a five day a week schedule in which I set aside two to four hours a day for study and each area of study will have a designated day. This, of course, is the theory. I have to adopt a mindset, which will enable me to make it practical. I believe I have to think of it as "going to class" just the same as I would if I were going to class at a school or college. I also think I need to have an action of recourse, or discipline, for missing class, an incentive if you will for not missing classes, such as depriving myself of some sort of privilege. Although, I can't think of an effective one at the moment. Possibly no TV, although that's not really much of a punishment to me as I really don't care if I see any TV or not. I'll have to work on it.

This plan of action is not intended to replace my plan of taking classes when I can. It is simply to suplement them intill that time.

Following are the subjects and schedule I've come up with thus far. A certain amount of "tweaking" will be necessary I'm sure.

Subjects:
 Philosophy
 Psychology
 Sociology
 Politics
 English
 History
 Literature
 Foreign Language
 Mathematics
 Science
 Physics
 Chemistry
 Biology
 Music
 Art
 Religion
 Mythology
 Health
 Business

Philosophy:
Meta-philosophy
Bio-philosophy
Philosophy of Science
Analytic Philosophy
Continental Philosophy
Ethical Philosophy
Political Philosophy
Celestine Prophecy
Epistemology
Ontology
School of Carvaka
Nyaya School of Hindu
Nicomachean Ethics
Hylomorphic Theory
Metaphysics
Phenomenology
Epistemology

Western
Critical Theory
The Enlightenment
Ethics
Logic
Paradox of motion
Paradigm
Existentialism
Empiricism
Marxism
Modernism
Postmodernism
Romanticism
Stoics
Transcendentalism
Structuralism
Post-structuralsim
Sophists
Semiotics
Relativism
Pragmatism
Materialsim
Monism
Materialsim
Logocentrism
Positivism
Functionalism
Fallibilism
Epicureanism
Dogmatism
Communism
Capitalsim
Buddhism
Behaviorism
Atomism

Ancient
Medieval
Modern
Contemporary

Socretes
Plato
Aristotle
Aquinas
Bacon
Descartes
Spinoza
Leibniz
Locke
Hume
Kant
Foucault
Hegel
Kierkegaard
Nietzsche
Marquis de Sade
Marx
Frege
Husserl
Walter Benjamin
Wittgenstein
Rousseau
Sartre
Russel
Derrida
Fodor
Kripke
Kuhn
Nagel
Rawls
Voltair
The Republic- Plato
A Theory of Justice – John Rawls
Walden – Thoreau
The Varieties of Religious Experience – James
The Prince – Machiavelli
The Myth of Sisyphus – Camus
The postmodern Condition – Lyotard
Meditations – Descartes
Philosophical Investigations – Wittgenstein
Ethics – Spinoza
Discourse on Method – Descartes
Critique of Pure Reason – Kant
Confessions – St. Augustine
The Concept of Mind – Ryle
Civil Disobediance – Thoreau
Being and Nothingness – Sartre
Being and Time – Heidegger
Against Method – Feyerabend
The Unity of Philosophic Experience – Etienne Gilson
What is it like to be a bat – Nagel
Quantum Mechanics – Bohr
Uncertainty Principle – Heisenberg

Eastern
Kapila yoynavalkya
Buddha
Gotavna
Nagarjuna
Confucius
Lao Tzu
P.R. Sarkar
Zhuong Zi
Mencius
Xun Zi
Zhu Xi
Han Fei Tzu
Yang Ming
Dharmakirti
Sankara
Ramanuja
Guru
Vivekananda
Aurobindo
Rodhakrishnan

Psychology:
Freud
The Freud Wars
Jung
Lacan
Malanie Klein
Psychiatry
Psychoanalysis
Psychotherapy
Evolutionary Psychology
“The Principals of Psychology” – James

Sociology:
Baudrillard
Politics:
American Politics
Fascism
Nazism
Communism
Socialism
Capitalism
The holocaust
Lenin and the Russian Revolution
Machiavelli
Political Philosophy
Trotsky and Marxism
Environmental Politics

English:
Grammar
Spelling

History:
American History
European History
World History
Ancient History- Greece/Rome

Literature:
Nathaniel Hawthorn
Walt Whitman
Thomas Jefferson
Edgar Allen Poe
Mark Twain
Benjamin Franklin
Abraham Lincoln
William Faulkner
Frost
James Joyce
Anais Nin
Origin of the Species
Audis Huxley
T.S. Eliot
Franz Kafka
Samuel Butler
Henry David Thoreau
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Foreign Language:
Spanish
Portuguese
Italian
French
German
Russian

Economics:
Keynesian Economics

Mathematics:
General Math
Algebra
Geometry
Trigonometry
Calculus

Science:
Fractal Geometry
Quantum Theory
Chaos
Consciousness
Darwin
Evolution
Einstein
Relativity
Time
Stephen Hawking
The Universe

Physics:
Newton and Classic Physics
Quantum Physics

Chemistry:

Biology:
Physiology
Kinesiology

Music:
Music theory
Fretboard Logic
Tablature
Rhythm/Chords/Progressions
Cross/Sweep Picking
Arpegios
Harmonics
Tapping
Song memorization
Improvising

Art:
Architecture
Drafting
Photography

Religion:
Natural Theology

Western
Christianity
Catholic

Eastern
Buddha

Mid-Eastern
Islam

Mythology:
Native American
Greek
Roman
Asian

Health:
Nutrition
Exercise

Business:
Marketing
Advertising
Finance

Schedule:
2 Hours per subject, per day. Semesters are four months each.
Semester 1-
Monday
Philosophy
Psychology

Tuesday
English
Literature

Wednesday
Mathematics
Science

Thursday
Music
Art

Friday
Health
Business

Semester 2-
Monday
Sociology
Politics

Tuesday
History
Foreign Language

Wednesday
Physics
Chemistry

Thursday
Religion
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March 15, 44 B.C. THE IDES OF MARCH

2006-03-15T14:24:00.000-08:00

Julius Caesar is stabbed

"Beware the Ides of March," the soothsayer urges Julius Caesar in Shakespeare's Tragedy of Julius Caesar (act I, scene ii). Despite the forewarning, Caesar is stabbed in the back by his friend Marcus Brutus. Caesar falls and utters his famous last words, "Et tu, Brute?" (And you, Brutus?)

Shakespeare's source for the play was Thomas North's Lives of the Nobel Grecians and Romans, which detailed the murder of Caesar in 44 B.C. Caesar's friends and associates feared his growing power and his recent self-comparison to Alexander the Great and felt he must die for the good of Rome. North's work translated a French version of Plutarch, which itself had been translated from Latin. Shakespeare's version was written about 1599 and performed at the newly built Globe Theater.

Gaius Julius Caesar, dictator of Rome, is stabbed to death in the Roman Senate
house by 60 conspirators led by Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius
Longinus.Caesar, born into the Julii, an ancient but not particularly
distinguished Roman aristocratic family, began his political career in 78 B.C.
as a prosecutor for the anti-patrician Popular Party. He won influence in the
party for his reformist ideas and oratorical skills, and aided Roman imperial
efforts by raising a private army to combat the king of Pontus in 74 B.C. He was
an ally of Pompey, the recognized head of the Popular Party, and essentially
took over this position after Pompey left Rome in 67 B.C. to become commander of
Roman forces in the east.In 63 B.C., Caesar was elected pontifex maximus, or
"high priest," allegedly by heavy bribes. Two years later, he was made governor
of Farther Spain and in 64 B.C. returned to Rome, ambitious for the office of
consul. The consulship, essentially the highest office in the Roman Republic,
was shared by two politicians on an annual basis. Consuls commanded the army,
presided over the Senate and executed its decrees, and represented the state in
foreign affairs. Caesar formed a political alliance--the so-called First
Triumvirate--with Pompey and Marcus Licinius Crassus, the wealthiest man in
Rome, and in 59 B.C. was elected consul. Although generally opposed by the
majority of the Roman Senate, Caesar's land reforms won him popularity with many
Romans.In 58 B.C., Caesar was given four Roman legions in Cisalpine Gaul and
Illyricum, and during the next decade demonstrated brilliant military talents as
he expanded the Roman Empire and his reputation. Among other achievements,
Caesar conquered all of Gaul, made the first Roman inroads into Britain, and won
devoted supporters in his legions. However, his successes also aroused Pompey's
jealousy, leading to the collapse of their political alliance in 53 B.C.The
Roman Senate supported Pompey and asked Caesar to give up his army, which he
refused to do. In January 49 B.C., Caesar led his legions across the Rubicon
River from Cisalpine Gaul to Italy, thus declaring war against Pompey and his
forces. Caesar made early gains in the subsequent civil war, defeating Pompey's
army in Italy and Spain, but was later forced into retreat in Greece. In August
48 B.C., with Pompey in pursuit, Caesar paused near Pharsalus, setting up camp
at a strategic location. When Pompey's senatorial forces fell upon Caesar's
smaller army, they were entirely routed, and Pompey fled to Egypt, where he was
assassinated by an officer of the Egyptian king.Caesar was subsequently
appointed Roman consul and dictator, but before settling in Rome he traveled
around the empire for several years and consolidated his rule. In 45 B.C., he
returned to Rome and was made dictator for life. As sole Roman ruler, Caesar
launched ambitious programs of reform within the empire. The most lasting of
these was his establishment of the Julian calendar, which, with the exception of
a slight modification and adjustment in the 16th century, remains in use today.
He also planned new imperial expansions in central Europe and to the east. In
the midst of these vast designs, he was assassinated on March 15, 44 B.C., by a
group of conspirators who believed that his death would lead to the restoration
of the Roman Republic. However, the result of the "Ides of March" was to plunge
Rome into a fresh round of civil wars, out of which Octavian, Caesar's
grand-nephew, would emerge as Augustus, the first Roman emperor, destroying the
republic forever.

The Men Who Signed the Declaration of Independence

2006-03-06T14:11:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wondered what happened to the fifty-six men who signed the Declaration of Independence?

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died.

Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.

Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army, another had two sons captured.

Nine of the fifty-six fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.

They signed, and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. What sort of men were they?

Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated. But they signed the Declaration of Independence full knowing that the penalty would be death were they captured.

Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.

Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their thirteen children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a broken heart. Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates.

These are the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution. These were not wild eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were soft-spoken men: men of means and education. They had security, yet they valued liberty more. Unwavering, they pledged: "For the support of this declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of the divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."

They gave us, you and me, a free and independent America. History books never told us much of what took place in the Revolutionary War. We didn't just fight the British. We were British subjects at that time, and we fought our own government. Many of us often take these liberties for granted. Should we?

While enjoying our 4th of July holiday, pause and silently thank these patriots.

It isn't that much to ask for the price they paid.

The Ultimate Movie List (Revised)

2006-03-06T14:00:00.000-08:00

Action
1. Usual Suspects
2. Swordfish
3. Heat
4. Ronin
5. The Saint
6. The Big Hit
7. The Jackyl
8. Triple X
9. A Man Apart
10. Knock Around Guys
11. Made
12. Pulp Fiction
13. Bourne Identity
14. Bourne Supremacy
15. Heist
16. The Italian Job
17. Reservoir Dogs
18. Way of the Gun
19. Fight Club
20. The Transporter
21. The Recruit
22. Basic
23. Snatch
24. Oceans Eleven (2003)
25. Oceans Twelve
26. The Professional
27. Wasabi
28. The Score
29. Assassins
30. The Specialist
31. Hunted
32. US Marshalls
33. Bad Boys
34. Bad Boys 2
35. Sniper
36. Sniper 2
37. A Bronx Tale
38. The Godfather Collection
39. Scarface
40. Donnie Brasco
41. Serpico
42. Casino
43. 3000 miles to Vegas
44. Blade (Trilogy)
45. Highlander (Trilogy)
46. Tombstone
47. Wyat Earp
48. Young Guns
49. Young Guns II
50. ThunderHeart
51. The Terminator (Trilogy)
52. Jackie Brown
53. Enemy at the Gates
54. Thin Red Line
55. Conair
56. Matrix (Trilogy)
57. G.I. Jane
58. Suicide Kings

Humor
59. Orgasmo
60. Basketeball
61. Roadtrip
62. Van Wilder
63. Wayne's World
64. Happy Gilmore
65. Billy Maddison
66. Big Daddy
67. Anger Management
68. The Wedding singer
69. Black Sheep
70. The Jerky Boys
71. This is Spinal Tap
72. Quest for the Holy Grail
73. Canadian Bacon
74. Friday (Trilogy)
75. Austin powers (Trilogy)
76. Office Space
77. Good Morning Vietnam
78. Throw Mama From The Train
79. Bruce Almighty

Classics
80. Stand by Me
81. Top Gun
82. Blues Brothers
83. Blues Brothers 2000
84. American Graffiti
85. Two Lane Blacktop
86. Star Wars (1-6)
87. Slap Shot
88. Goonies
89. Indiana Jones (Trilogy)
90. Clockwork Orange
91. E.T.
92. The Kirate Kid (Trilogy)

Other
93. Rain Maker
94. Hope Floats
95. Days of Thunder
96. Fallen
97. American Graffiti
98. Two Lane Blacktop
99. City of Angels
100. Addicted to Love
101. Crossroads
102. Hulk
103. I am Sam
104. Swingers
105. Dusk Till Dawn
106. Jerry Maguire
107. Stealing Harvard
108. Outside Providence
109. Good Will Hunting
110. The Life of David Gale
111. The Devils Own
112. Devil’s Advocate
113. Meet Joe Black
114. The Spy game
115. Rounders
116. American History X
117. Silence of the Lambs
118. Hannibal
119. Red Dragon
120. Pearl Harbor
121. Wind Talkers
122. Enemy at the Gates
123. Thin Red Line
124. The Big Labowski
125. King Pin
126. O'Brother Where Art Thou
127. Leaving Las Vegas
128. The Ref
129. Shaw Shank Redemption
130. Ghost and the Darkness
131. Lord of the Rings (Trilogy)
132. The Ring
133. A River Runs Through It
134. Tin Men
135. Hoosiers
136. Robin Hood
137. Over The Top
138. Apollo 13
139. Sixth Sence
140. Cube (Trilogy)
141. The Green Mile
143. Scent of a Woman
144. Seven
145. Stand By Me
146. Top Gun
147. No Retreat, No Surrender
148. Iron Eagle
149. Explorers
150. E.T.

The Bridge- Are you a Fudgie or a Troll?

2006-03-06T13:44:00.000-08:00

Mackinac Bridge
(Pronounced – Mackinaw)

Connecting Michigan’s Lower and Upper Peninsulas, the Mackinac Bridge carries Interstate 75 traffic.
Total length including approaches- 5 miles
Length of main span- 8,614ft (It is currently the third longest suspension bridge in the world )
Total length of wire in main cables- 42,000 miles
Height of towers above water- 552 feet
Maximum depth of towers below water- 210 feet

To accommodate temperature changes, high winds and changes of weight on the Mackinac Bridge,. The deck can move right or left as much as 35 feet at the center span. Normal movement is much less, and not obvious to vehicles crossing the bridge. 31 expansion joints allow movement at the length os segments change with the temperature.

Ground was broken to build the Mackinac Bridge on May 7, 1954 and the bridge opened to the public (and the ferries were shut down) on November 1, 1957.

At the north end of the Bridge is Bridge View Park and the nearby Father Marquette Memorial. The Memorial is open only briefly during the summer.

At the south end is Fort Michilimackinac State Historic Park. The park entrance is actually underneath the Bridge. Each Memorial Day Weekend, the residents of Mackinaw City reenact the history of the 18th Century British French and Native American community. The Fort is open from early May until early October.

On Labor Day morning, two of the lanes are closed to traffic and 50-80,000 people, led by the Governor of Michigan, walk over the bridge. Normally bicycles are not allowed to ride across but the Big Mac Shoreline tour held in June and September includes a trip over the bridge.

Live Bridge Cam
Satellite Pictures
Mackinac 2001
Mackinac Island