It was just brought to my attention that I never posted Week 4 stuff. Sorry, I am a slacker having an extended blonde moment!!
The Journey of a Peanut and Jelly Sandwich
Peanut Butter
- 60% of all peanuts used to make peanut butter are grown in Georgia, Florida and Alabama, with 50% of the entire peanut crop being grown in Georgia.
- The largest peanut butter manufacturing plant in the world is Smucker's in Lexington, KY. (approx. 383 miles from Atlanta, GA)
- Once made and jarred in Lexington, KY, the peanut butter then travels to the super market in Lake Mary, FL (approx. 838 miles)
and Jelly
- The largest maker of grape Jelly in the US is Welches. They have manufacturing plants in New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Washington and their corporate head quarters is in Concord, MA. (We will use the Lawton, MI location.)
- Welches uses two types for grapes. Concord Grapes are grown in Concord, MA (approx. 879 miles from Lawton, MI) and Niagara Grapes are grown in and around Niagara Canada. (approx. 411 miles from Lawton, MI)
- Once jarred in Lawton, MI, the jelly then travels to the super market in Lake Mary, FL (approx. 1191 miles)
Sandwich
- Grain is grown in the US in the Great Plains States. (We will use Omaha, NE for measurement purposes) Grain is also imported from China, Greece and Turkey among other countries. (We will use China for measurement purposes)
- Grain grown in the Great Plains and grain grown in China are both shipped to the baker in Orlando. (1428 miles from Omaha, NE and 6257 ocean miles from China to a port in Los Angeles, CA and another 2513 miles from LA to Orlando)
************************************************************************
So in total, the ingredients for our Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich have traveled 13, 900 miles. Not including the gas used for the cargo ship (I couldn't find info on that) and based on the average semi truck getting 6.5 MPG, our PB&J has used 1176 gallons of fuel. That is equivalent to 78.5 tanks of gas in the average American car (average gas tank holds 15 gallons).
Showing posts with label journey for the planet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label journey for the planet. Show all posts
Monday, February 23, 2009
Monday, February 2, 2009
Mercury and CF Lightbulbs
Dear EarthTalk: I've heard that compact fluorescent light bulbs, known for their long life and low energy consumption, contain toxic mercury. Is this true and, if so, what precautions should I take when disposing of them?
—Greg Newswanger, Freedland, MD
Compact fluorescent light bulbs do contain small amounts of mercury vapor, which, when catalyzed by voltage, give off ultraviolet energy, the key building block for generating light. When these bulbs burn out or break, they need to be discarded responsibly so as to avoid unleashing mercury into the environment and food chain.
Mercury—a toxic metal known to cause brain, spinal cord, kidney and liver damage in humans—does not break down easily and, once airborne, often finds its way into groundwater, rivers and the sea, where it can cause a host of contamination issues for wildlife and people alike.
The first thing to do when a compact fluorescent bulb breaks is to open all the windows to disperse any mercury vapor that may have escaped. Then put on gloves, sweep up the fragments, and wipe the area with a disposable paper towel. Using a vacuum is a bad idea, as it will only stir up any lingering airborne mercury. Lastly, the fragments should be sealed into a plastic bag and recycled or disposed of.
The best way to dispose of burned-out or broken compact fluorescent bulbs is to take or mail them (in the sealed plastic bag) to a mercury recycling facility. The website of the Association of Lighting and Mercury Recyclers provides contact information for locating such facilities state by state. If mercury recycling is not an option in your area, the bulb or fragments should be placed in sealed plastic bags and disposed of at your local Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection site.
Ironically, compact fluorescent bulbs are responsible for less mercury contamination than the incandescent bulbs they replaced, even though incandescents don't contain any mercury. The highest source of mercury in America’s air and water results from the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, at utilities that supply electricity. Since a compact fluorescent bulb uses 75 percent less energy than an incandescent bulb, and lasts at least six times longer, it is responsible for far less mercury pollution in the long run. A coal-burning power plant will emit four times more mercury to produce the electricity for an incandescent bulb than for a compact fluorescent.
CONTACTS: Association of Lighting and Mercury Recyclers, www.almr.org; Earth911.org; EPA Household Hazardous Waste Page, www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/hhw.htm; EPA Fact Sheet: Mercury in Compact Fluorescent Lamps, www.nema.org/lamprecycle/epafactsheet-cfl.pdf
GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION? Send it to: EARTHTALK, c/o E/The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; submit your question at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk.html; or e-mail us at: earthtalk@emagazine.com.
Journey for the Planet - Week 3
Getting a Charge out of Saving Electricity
A Bright Idea - Turning out lights when you leave the room is an easy way to save electricity. If you have a problem area like a hallway or closet consider switching out your light fixture for one with a built in motion sensor.
Chill Out in Your Room - Check windows, doors and switch plates to make sure they aren't leaking cool air. Weather striping and plate insulators are available at Home Depot. For windows that let in just a bit too much heat add heavy drapery to block the sun. If you still want the light but not the radiant heat then consider installing a radiant film on your windows. They can block as much as 70% of the sun's radiant heat in the summer time. This is also available at Home Depot.
Look into carbon free ways to generate and save electricity in your home. Consider installing a solar hot water heater or solar panel, use you bike to get to the store, car pool when possible, combine errands to save on gas, etc.
Journal Questions:
1. How could your family and friends work together to car-pool more?
2. How will life be different when we run out of fossil fuels? How would life be different if fossil fuels never existed?
3. Research one kind of alternative energy source.
A Bright Idea - Turning out lights when you leave the room is an easy way to save electricity. If you have a problem area like a hallway or closet consider switching out your light fixture for one with a built in motion sensor.
Chill Out in Your Room - Check windows, doors and switch plates to make sure they aren't leaking cool air. Weather striping and plate insulators are available at Home Depot. For windows that let in just a bit too much heat add heavy drapery to block the sun. If you still want the light but not the radiant heat then consider installing a radiant film on your windows. They can block as much as 70% of the sun's radiant heat in the summer time. This is also available at Home Depot.
Look into carbon free ways to generate and save electricity in your home. Consider installing a solar hot water heater or solar panel, use you bike to get to the store, car pool when possible, combine errands to save on gas, etc.
Journal Questions:
1. How could your family and friends work together to car-pool more?
2. How will life be different when we run out of fossil fuels? How would life be different if fossil fuels never existed?
3. Research one kind of alternative energy source.
Monday, January 19, 2009
For everyone doing Journey....
Start thinking about our community service project that will complete the Journey!! (Sorry, that was a bit cheesy!!)
Maybe we can plan something for Earth Day???
Also don't forget there will be no Journey on the 30th. We will pick back up the following week.
Maybe we can plan something for Earth Day???
Also don't forget there will be no Journey on the 30th. We will pick back up the following week.
Journey for the Planet - Week 2
This week we talked about how we can save and protect it....
Am I Clean Yet? - Focus on taking a 5 minute shower. Set a timer for 4 minutes; when it goes off you know it is time to wrap it up! You can save 9125 gallons of water a year.
Go with the Flow - Is it necessary to flush the toilet every time it is used??? Remember the phrase, "If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down."
Tanks a Lot - If you have an older toilet (high flow) then you can save 4.5 gallons of water every time you flush by replacing it with a newer (low flow) toilet. If you aren't prepared to replace your toilet then you can place a half gallon jug in the tank of the toilet to take up space.
Aquacop - A slow leak can waste 4 to 5 gallons of water a day. Check for leaks from teh toilet tank to the toilet bowl by adding a couple of drops of food coloring to the tank. Come back in 15 minutes later and check the bowl. If the bowl has colored water in it then you have a leak.
Consider adding a rain barrel to your downspout and use the rain water to water your garden and plants. You can also set up a collection system in the kitchen for unused water.
When landscaping, consider using xeriscape and native plants to reduce the amount water and chemical fertilizers they require.
Journal Questions:
1. How would your life change if you did not have indoor plumbing?
2. If people did not have indoor plumbing, would they waste as much water? Why?
Am I Clean Yet? - Focus on taking a 5 minute shower. Set a timer for 4 minutes; when it goes off you know it is time to wrap it up! You can save 9125 gallons of water a year.
Go with the Flow - Is it necessary to flush the toilet every time it is used??? Remember the phrase, "If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down."
Tanks a Lot - If you have an older toilet (high flow) then you can save 4.5 gallons of water every time you flush by replacing it with a newer (low flow) toilet. If you aren't prepared to replace your toilet then you can place a half gallon jug in the tank of the toilet to take up space.
Aquacop - A slow leak can waste 4 to 5 gallons of water a day. Check for leaks from teh toilet tank to the toilet bowl by adding a couple of drops of food coloring to the tank. Come back in 15 minutes later and check the bowl. If the bowl has colored water in it then you have a leak.
Consider adding a rain barrel to your downspout and use the rain water to water your garden and plants. You can also set up a collection system in the kitchen for unused water.
When landscaping, consider using xeriscape and native plants to reduce the amount water and chemical fertilizers they require.
Journal Questions:
1. How would your life change if you did not have indoor plumbing?
2. If people did not have indoor plumbing, would they waste as much water? Why?
Friday, January 16, 2009
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Journey for the Planet - Week 1
This week is all about how to reduce the amount of garbage for which we are each responsible. Twelve points are needed to earn a certificate for this unit.
No Garbage Lunches
How are individually wrapped "lunch box" chips, cookies and crackers hard on the environment? What solutions can you come up with to reduce that impact?
Look around your house and find things that you can use when making lunch in order to pack a "zero waste" or "no garbage" lunch. Remember, your goal is to pack a lunch so you will have nothing to throw away (or recycle) when you are finished.
Bag Bags
What are some of the ways plastic bags are hard on the environment? What solutions are there? Look around your house and find other options to replace plastic bags.
San Francisco Bans Traditional Plastic Bags
Develop a system to using reusable bags. Develop a habit of putting bags back in the car after things are taken out of them. You can't use the bag if you don't have it with you.
Practice saying "We don't need a bag; we've brought our own!". Help the cashier by holding the bags open for him or her. This makes their job a little easier. Be sure to thank the cashier if they are nice or enthusiastic about your reusable bags. Let them know you appreciate their understanding. Consider finding the store manager and let them know how nice it was to have a cashier with a good attitude toward reusable bags.
Remember that not every purchase needs a bag. If you are buying one or two things they can be carried out of the store without a bag!
Wipe Swipe and Gesundheit
The secret to using cloth napkins is having enough on hand. You will never be able to develop a workable system if you don't have enough to work with. This is one of those situations where QUANTITY is better than quality. It is good to have one nice set of cloth napkins for when company is over but for everyday use think "cheap" and "absorbent". Check clearance racks (especially after holidays) for cheap bar towels, dish towels, washcloths and napkins. Simple napkins can be sewn using any absorbent fabric. (This is a great way to learn how to sew. It is nothing but straight lines and if they aren't perfect it doesn't matter.) Flannel also makes great napkins. If you cut it with pinking shears it will not ravel (I do have an occasional thread every 4 or 5 washes.) so there isn't even sewing involved. (Flannel will need to be washed a few times before it is really absorbent.)
Paper towels are equally as easy to part with. An ample supply of washcloths or bar towels (which can often be found on clearance after holidays) will serve nearly every paper towel purpose. "Ample" is the key word here. In our home we have a "clean hand" towel. This towel's only purpose is to dry clean hands. It does not wipe off counters. It does not dry dishes. It ONLY dries hands. This answers those "germy" concerns of paper towel supporters!
One question that is common... "Doesn't all that extra cloth increase the amount of water and energy used? Doesn't it defeat the purpose?" My answer is NO. We use no paper napkins, no paper towels, no disposable cleaning clothes and approximately 1/4 of the toilet paper we previously used. Our laundry has increased by 1/2 a load. All those napkins, towels and rags are very small. Most of the time they are disbursed throughout our regular load of towels. There is a bit more folding involved but since they are very little it is a great way to get little hands (the kids!!!) folding laundry.
Let It Rot
The average family throws away 1.28 pounds of food waste each day. That adds up to 470 pounds per year.
The average American family throws away 14% of all food that comes into the home. Most waste is in the form of produce and is a direct result of poor planning.
When planning your meals for the week try to plan the meals that use fresh produce for the first few days after you go grocery shopping.
Look into composting the rest of your food waste.
Composting 101
This is not for Florida but it has some good basic information.
How to Compost
Another site with basic information for backyard composting.
Our Vital Earth
The worm farm in Sorrento that sells the Can-O-Worms. This is a commercial site but still has some great info about worms and worm composting.
City Farmer
Great info on setting up a worm bin.
Back By Popular Demand
Here is a list of things that can be recycled by county. Volusia County residents are now able to recycle MUCH more than previous years. Orange County was surprisingly limited on the things that could be recycled. Seminole County has restrictions on the types of plastic containers. (They have a great Kids page on their website!) So read up on what can and can't be recycle in your community.
To get an additional Recycling Bin
Call the Volusia County Recycling and Solid Waste Division
West Volusia residents - 386-943-7889
To reduce the amount of junk mail you receive
Send your name and any variations of it as well as the names of your family members to the following address. Ask to have your name removed from mass mailing lists.
Mail Preference Service
Direct Marketing Association
POBox 9008
Farmington, NY 11735-9008
Don't forget to call the customer service numbers on the back of any catalogs you receive and ask to be removed from their PRINT mailing list. You will need to repeat this every time you order from that company in most cases.
Trashy Math
The average person throws away 4.4 pounds of trash each day.
1. How much do you throw away every week?
2. How much does your family throw away every day? every week?
3. How long does it take one person to throw away 100 pounds of trash?
4. How much trash will your family throw away in a year?
5. How much trash have you thrown away in your lifetime?
Journaling Questions
1. Why do you think it is important for people to be environmentally friendly?
2. Pick one way that you are NOT environmentally friendly. What steps can you take to correct the problems? If you don't know, make a list of the problems and we can discuss them!!
Discussion
Remember, if you have any questions or comments for this week, leave them in the comments section!!
No Garbage Lunches
How are individually wrapped "lunch box" chips, cookies and crackers hard on the environment? What solutions can you come up with to reduce that impact?
Look around your house and find things that you can use when making lunch in order to pack a "zero waste" or "no garbage" lunch. Remember, your goal is to pack a lunch so you will have nothing to throw away (or recycle) when you are finished.
Bag Bags
What are some of the ways plastic bags are hard on the environment? What solutions are there? Look around your house and find other options to replace plastic bags.
San Francisco Bans Traditional Plastic Bags
Develop a system to using reusable bags. Develop a habit of putting bags back in the car after things are taken out of them. You can't use the bag if you don't have it with you.
Practice saying "We don't need a bag; we've brought our own!". Help the cashier by holding the bags open for him or her. This makes their job a little easier. Be sure to thank the cashier if they are nice or enthusiastic about your reusable bags. Let them know you appreciate their understanding. Consider finding the store manager and let them know how nice it was to have a cashier with a good attitude toward reusable bags.
Remember that not every purchase needs a bag. If you are buying one or two things they can be carried out of the store without a bag!
Wipe Swipe and Gesundheit
The secret to using cloth napkins is having enough on hand. You will never be able to develop a workable system if you don't have enough to work with. This is one of those situations where QUANTITY is better than quality. It is good to have one nice set of cloth napkins for when company is over but for everyday use think "cheap" and "absorbent". Check clearance racks (especially after holidays) for cheap bar towels, dish towels, washcloths and napkins. Simple napkins can be sewn using any absorbent fabric. (This is a great way to learn how to sew. It is nothing but straight lines and if they aren't perfect it doesn't matter.) Flannel also makes great napkins. If you cut it with pinking shears it will not ravel (I do have an occasional thread every 4 or 5 washes.) so there isn't even sewing involved. (Flannel will need to be washed a few times before it is really absorbent.)
Paper towels are equally as easy to part with. An ample supply of washcloths or bar towels (which can often be found on clearance after holidays) will serve nearly every paper towel purpose. "Ample" is the key word here. In our home we have a "clean hand" towel. This towel's only purpose is to dry clean hands. It does not wipe off counters. It does not dry dishes. It ONLY dries hands. This answers those "germy" concerns of paper towel supporters!
One question that is common... "Doesn't all that extra cloth increase the amount of water and energy used? Doesn't it defeat the purpose?" My answer is NO. We use no paper napkins, no paper towels, no disposable cleaning clothes and approximately 1/4 of the toilet paper we previously used. Our laundry has increased by 1/2 a load. All those napkins, towels and rags are very small. Most of the time they are disbursed throughout our regular load of towels. There is a bit more folding involved but since they are very little it is a great way to get little hands (the kids!!!) folding laundry.
Let It Rot
The average family throws away 1.28 pounds of food waste each day. That adds up to 470 pounds per year.
The average American family throws away 14% of all food that comes into the home. Most waste is in the form of produce and is a direct result of poor planning.
When planning your meals for the week try to plan the meals that use fresh produce for the first few days after you go grocery shopping.
Look into composting the rest of your food waste.
Composting 101
This is not for Florida but it has some good basic information.
How to Compost
Another site with basic information for backyard composting.
Our Vital Earth
The worm farm in Sorrento that sells the Can-O-Worms. This is a commercial site but still has some great info about worms and worm composting.
City Farmer
Great info on setting up a worm bin.
Back By Popular Demand
Here is a list of things that can be recycled by county. Volusia County residents are now able to recycle MUCH more than previous years. Orange County was surprisingly limited on the things that could be recycled. Seminole County has restrictions on the types of plastic containers. (They have a great Kids page on their website!) So read up on what can and can't be recycle in your community.
To get an additional Recycling Bin
Call the Volusia County Recycling and Solid Waste Division
West Volusia residents - 386-943-7889
To reduce the amount of junk mail you receive
Send your name and any variations of it as well as the names of your family members to the following address. Ask to have your name removed from mass mailing lists.
Mail Preference Service
Direct Marketing Association
POBox 9008
Farmington, NY 11735-9008
Don't forget to call the customer service numbers on the back of any catalogs you receive and ask to be removed from their PRINT mailing list. You will need to repeat this every time you order from that company in most cases.
Trashy Math
The average person throws away 4.4 pounds of trash each day.
1. How much do you throw away every week?
2. How much does your family throw away every day? every week?
3. How long does it take one person to throw away 100 pounds of trash?
4. How much trash will your family throw away in a year?
5. How much trash have you thrown away in your lifetime?
Journaling Questions
1. Why do you think it is important for people to be environmentally friendly?
2. Pick one way that you are NOT environmentally friendly. What steps can you take to correct the problems? If you don't know, make a list of the problems and we can discuss them!!
Discussion
Remember, if you have any questions or comments for this week, leave them in the comments section!!
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