Tuesday 21 March 2017

Exercise Clothes, Yoga Pants may be #1 Cause of Sea Pollution

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According to scientists and researchers from the Gulf Coast, comfy clothes are a major culprit when it comes to the plastic that's being found in oceans and perhaps even getting into seafood. A 2-year long study has begun to examine microscopic plastics in the Texas and Florida Keys waters.

The initiative, headed by Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium will also look into the fact that an alarming amount of microfibers — even tinier than microbeads — were found trickling down faucets and drains.
Yoga bottoms, fleece-lined coats, sweat-resistant athletic gear and other clothing produced from synthetic material sheds microscopic plastic fibers — also known as "microfibers" — when laundered. Wastewater systems flush the microfibers into natural waterways, eventually reaching the sea. Marine animals can even ingest these harmful microfibers.

Scientists at first expected to mainly find microbeads — those infamous tiny plastic balls that United States banned from all cosmetic products 2 years ago due to the hazardous affect on the environment and wildlife.

What we need is an improvement in washing machine technology and also in waste water treatment plants so that we can perhaps begin to filter out these fibres. 

Thursday 16 March 2017

Here is Your Daily Reminder to Just Hang in There!

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A real-life motivation poster appeared on Friday, when a commuter noticed a raccoon hanging onto the back of a garbage truck as both vehicles were moving along the streets of Arlington, Virginia. The commuter was naturally taken aback by the sight of a raccoon hanging onto the garbage truck for dear life.


After spotting the animal in the Rosslyn neighborhood, a reporter from Politico let the garbage truck driver know what was going on. Three police officers eventually made their way to the scene with catch poles, only to discover that the raccoon was now inside the truck container. Once the raccoon was safely captured, it was returned to a nearby park. Animal Disposal Services later reported that the animal had been safely removed from the situation and that it was now safely back in its natural surroundings.

Imperfect Vegetables Need Love Too!

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Are you a picky eater? How do you feel about the way your food “looks”? Many of us have foods that we like and dislike. However, an alarming number of people base their prejudices with food on not just how the food tastes, but on how the food looks. When it comes to fruits and veggies in particular, some have the following train of thought - “If it looks weird, or even gross, then it’s probably going to make me sick in some form or fashion.”


This is a terrible way to think about food, particularly items like fruits and vegetables. It amounts to a great deal of waste. This is waste that damages our planet, hurts your wallet, and destroys food that is largely no different from anything that “looks” fine.


More specifically, it is waste that we can do something about.


An Easy Way To Prevent Food Waste?
 
For a while now, overseas markets throughout the North America and Europe have been selling fruits and veggies at a discounted price, and the only qualification is that the fruit has to be “ugly.” New Zealand has also recently started a similar initiative.


Created by Countdown Supermarket, The Odd Bunch has been created as a means of selling produce with minor imperfections at a discounted price. The idea is to give a new lease on life to fruits and vegetables that are otherwise fine, beyond a few minor visual problems, while also offering consumers the chance to get fantastic produce at a discounted price.


The endeavor is working from humble beginnings, at least for now. Half-damaged stone fruit and carrots will be made available at the start, and you can expect more fruits and veggies to make their way to shelves through this initiative over the coming months.


Remember while shopping that just because something looks a little beat-up, it doesn’t mean that it is actually bad. Soft tomatoes can make for a great sauce. Floury apples can be used in a variety of different recipes. You can even cut the bruised bits away from pieces of stone fruit. 

Saturday 11 March 2017

Tips to Stop Wasting Food

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Most of us don’t set out to waste food. We do our best, but there are still times when we have to justify throwing something out. This could be some bread that we didn’t get around to finishing, some yogurt, fruit, or even some neglected leftovers. We’re of course not thrilled to be throwing these things away. Most of us understand the various short-term and long-term consequences of wasting food, to both ourselves, and to the world at large.

Concerns About Wasting Food 

Food waste can create methane gases in landfills, which is one of the major contributors to climate change. For these reasons alone, not to mention the fact that wasted resources could have been used to theoretically feed more people, are all things to keep in mind. It compels us to face the reality that if anything is going to change for the better in terms of wasting food, then all of us will need to reevaluate our behavior.

Unfortunately, making changes in this arena can prove to be easier said than done. To be fair, people have a lot of questions about food in terms of saving, preserving it, and expiration dates. There are also naturally concerns related to cleanliness and health. After all, no one wants to get sick from eating something that’s gone bad.

The good news is that there are several things you can do in order to lessen food wastage. These are things you can do that will not put your health at risk and better yet, they’re super simple!

How To Stop Wasting Food
  • Keep a diary: For one week, keep a diary of all the food that you throw out. If possible, figure out how much you throw out in a given day, how much money you’re wasting each day, and why you threw the items out in the first place. At the end of the week, you should have a clear idea of your behavior. At this point, you can likely spot and make a number of simple changes on your own.
  • Make a list: Before you go shopping, make sure you have a list that is as specific as possible. This can prevent you from buying stuff you don’t need or buying too much of something.
  • Storage: Make sure you are storing things correctly, including fruit like apples and oranges.
  • Ask around: There are groups on Facebook and elsewhere that are dedicated to helping people reduce the amount of food they waste. Don’t be afraid to explore these resources for yourself.
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