Earth Friendly

Just when you think it can’t get worse…it does. Be prepared to experience frustration and disappointment when you read the following article at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/29/AR2008062901977_pf.html. It discusses how the Pentagon has been noncompliant with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It’s interesting how the government is one body but cannot manage to abide by its own laws. But the most irritating fact of the story is that we, the public, are at risk due to the Pentagon’s unwillingness to properly clean up its 25,000 contaminated properties. Some contaminants are cancer causing and nothing is being done to preserve the groundwater at these sites.

Although the EPA is continuing to fight the Pentagon and attempt to make it comply, it’s government vs. government so suing isn’t an option here. Maybe one day our nation will be on the same page, but I’m sure the Pentagon won’t do anything until something really bad happens.

Want to help pass legislation that supports treating animals humanely but don’t have the time to picket at Washington D.C.? Thanks to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), anyone can aid in transforming legislation to be more animal friendly. All you have to do is invite your friends to your house and throw a party with a purpose!

Trained political activists who educate voters and hire lobbyists lead the lobbying arm of the HSUS’s Humane Society Legislative Fund (HSLF). Their goal is to achieve more political victories for animals. 

Their first party was in support of the PETS Act 2005, which establishes a disaster plan that includes pets and service animals. The Senate passed this act in early August 2005, so now when a hurricane strikes there won’t be so many stranded and homeless animals like in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. More recently, they held parties to stop dog fighting and protect seals.

To become a partier with a purpose, visit www.partylaunch.com/partyanimals/ to sign up. All party plans can be managed directly on the website; invitations can be emailed to friends, guests can make donations directly online and party information (date, time, location, etc.) is displayed on your own personalized website. Approximately a week before the party, the HSUS will send a box of literature, DVDs and information on the party’s conference call.

Check out their website to find out the purpose of their next party, so you can party like an animal too!

Photo Credit: Made available by www.nsalamerica.org.

I used to look forward to the meals on plane rides. They are miniature meals that help break up the monotonous flight. Sometimes you even get a tasty snack. One flight provided warm chocolate chip cookies, and I was even able to have seconds. But now I dread those meals on the plane, because I know they will have a ham or turkey sandwich or something else I can’t eat.

On my last trip—I think the first plane ride since I became vegetarian—all I had to munch on was miniature carrots. Obviously, that didn’t fill me up. I couldn’t wait to land in Colorado and eat something more substantial. I had packed protein bars in my bag that went under the plane, but with the strict regulations, I couldn’t have the bars in my carry on. Needless to say, I thought about those bars the rest of the trip.

Every time I’m asked if I would like the meal, I politely tell them, “no thanks, I’m a vegetarian” in hopes that some day options for us will become available.

Photo Credit: Made available by www.gomiamicard.com.

Believe it or not, there are ways to get your protein off the land when camping or hiking. Edible plants (seaweed, wild lettuce and spinach, etc.) and nuts (acorns, chestnuts, walnuts, etc.) are a great way to keep your energy up.

Depending on the area where you will be camping, it’s best to do some research and bring along a guidebook. You definitely want to be able to identify and avoid poisonous plants, berries and nuts.

Dandelions are common edible plants, which you can eat for vitamin C. If you cook their leaves over the fire, you can make a variation on Italian greens. Other minerals can be found in a tree’s sap and inner bark.

If eating off of the land isn’t for you, bring along the classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Also protein bars and nut mixes can be easily packed.

Photo Credit: Made available by www.tsa.gov.

I read about the most horrific act of cruelty toward an animal when I received my renewal membership form from the U.S. Humane Society. Enclosed was a picture of a puppy named Loco and his story.

When Loco’s owners went outside to bring the puppy back indoors, they couldn’t find him. For three to four days the owners were searching and wondering what could have happened to their new dog. Finally, they found him near their home with his eyes gouged out. Although the police have tried to find the perpetrator, they have been unsuccessful. Fortunately, Loco survived and is back to playing like a puppy thanks to his owners, but his eyesight could not be preserved.

I can’t imagine the type of person who would have done something like this. My advice to every pet owner and animal lover is to watch and care for animals as if they were your children. Always monitor them and don’t leave them outside unattended, because you never know the potential dangers your animal might be exposed to. If you witness cruelty, record all the facts that you can and call the police immediately. No living thing deserves to be treated inhumanely.

So I tore off my driver’s side mirror on my car while backing out of my garage…oops. I think everyone has one of these moments when you’re rushing and time pauses just enough for you to witness the damage as it’s happening. It’s also one of the worst feelings, because you dread knowing how much the repair is going to cost you. I have actually postponed the repair, because I have been trying to track down the least expensive route. Then someone told me to check out a junkyard. Since I don’t see places like this on a daily basis, it didn’t even occur to me to check them out. Now I highly recommend it.

At first, I imagined wandering through a mess of metal and wrecked cars, but that’s not at all how it was. Most of the time, all I had to do was log onto their website, type in my car’s information and wait for the results to show. Although you might not always have luck finding a cheap part still in quality condition, it’s worth a shot. Plus, it’s a great way to reuse materials.

Photo Credit: Made available by www.edsel.org.

The majority of the Earth’s water, specifically 99% of it, makes up oceans, ice caps and glaciers, so only 1% is left for humans to use.

Although we have a limited water supply, this does not stop us from wasting water or contaminating it. It’s important to keep the quality of water, because as the above statistic shows, it’s essential to conserve what little we have.  In addition, over 90% of U.S.’s citizens obtain their drinking water from one of 53,000 community water systems in the nation. For over 30 years, the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) has prevented further contamination in its attempt to protect and preserve water quality in the United States.

There are a couple ways in which this act regulates contaminants. First, for each type of contaminant regulated under the act, the Environmental Protection Agency sets a non-enforceable health goal or maximum contaminant level goal (MCLG). Contaminants at these levels pose no known or expected health risk.  Second, a treatment method is established to clean out the contaminants that are above their MCLG.

Without the SDWA, citizens of the United States would be subject to poor water conditions, which would seriously affect our health and cause an increased number of deaths.

Photo Credit: Made available by www.revivenaturally.com.

Although the animals are not in their natural habitat, it’s still interesting to go and visit the animals at the zoo. Today I went to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. I think the most interesting creatures were the sea dragons, big cats and the lemurs.

You never know what neat facts you’ll learn while you’re at the zoo. I guess as you get older, you pay more attention to the signs displayed around the animals. It’s a great opportunity to take children and help instill within them an appreciation for animals. Showing them endangered species as well as the grim future of rainforests may encourage them to take more interest in helping to save these things.

Photo Credit: Made available by www.smh.com.au.

Invasive species are organisms that do not originally come from the area where they are now living. They are often considered a nuisance, because they cause an imbalance in the ecosystem. They also grow at a rapid pace, which makes it difficult to get rid of them. Since the 19^th century, at least 25 invasive fish species like the round goby, zebra mussel, sea lamprey, Eurasian ruffe and alewife have found a new home in the Great Lakes. These fish have caused competition for food and the habitat among native and non-native fish.

The National Invasive Species Act was created in 1990 to prevent and control further acquatic nuisances. Ballast water from boats is often the reason why these species spread, but there is legislation, which requires boaters to discharge their ballast water in an environmentally friendly way.

The most effective way of stopping these organisms from taking over an ecosystem is to prevent them from getting into the waters.

Napkins—who would think to check the napkins? Janet Reeves walks over to observe the napkin dispenser on the wall of Peaberry’s. Unfortunately, recycled napkins are not being used in the café. While others may just walk out the door feeling powerless to evoke a change, Reeves takes the matter up at the front counter. Even though the manager is not available to hear her concern, she takes the opportunity to enlighten the barista. In a friendly, upbeat tone she explains that since recyclable napkins are more cost effective, it is something the manager should consider switching to. In two minutes Reeves was able to present a better alternative that Peaberry’s might now be interested in trying.

Environmental advocate, Janet Reeves is a dedicated individual who utilizes the power of communication to make a difference every day. Whether she is presenting an effective option like recyclable napkins or discussing legislation with committee members, Reeves shows how effortless the task becomes once you get started.

Although Reeves has attended events such as the Climate Control Rally in Washington D.C., there are still ways in which she advocates environmentalism in her local community. The most important issue with environmentalism is “helping individuals realize that each individual counts.” To promote the arctic issue, Reeves uses her polar bear Discover card for purchases, and when cashiers comment on the cute animal, she lets them know that the bears need help. Who would have thought that raising awareness could be that easy?

Growing up in the Mahoning Valley as well as having a father who was a steel mill worker are some experiences that fueled Reeves passion for the environment. Working in the nursing profession, only fueled that fire, she explains, “As I worked in my profession, the number of cancer cases were not going down even though the mills were gone and the amount of respiratory illness was not going down.” Although the steel mills have been closed for almost a quarter of a century, the residual effects of their presence in the Valley still contribute to the area’s high rates of cancer and respiratory disease. Reeves says, “we’ve already harmed ourselves and part of it was because we just didn’t know any better and that’s really not an excuse anymore.”

Reeves suggests that people pick one thing to change (i.e. using fluorescent bulbs) and focus energy on changing that one thing. Then making additional changes and transitions to being green will not be so difficult.The following are some environmentally friendly things that Reeves does in her home: 1. Clean with natural products like vinegar; 2. Unplug anything that does not need to be plugged in or use outlet strips with an energy star, so you can activate an entire room rather than unplug everything; and 3. Transition to a tankless water heater, or if you have a tank, wrap it in a nontoxic insulation blanket to keep in the heat.

Anyone can be an environmental advocate. It simply involves daily communication with others and do no be afraid to approach the people who have power and are in charge. However, if being an advocate is not for you, there are still other ways to help protect the environment — if everyone changes one small thing for their household, those small changes turn into bigger changes that will have a greater impact.