What You Do Counts

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/environment/preserve-our-planet-env/greenhouse-what-counts-env.html

Green Holiday Gifts

http://green.yahoo.com/holiday2007

the Polar Bears

Emagazine

emagazine.com is the online home of e/the environmental magazine. There are some very intersting articles, ways to get involved, programs, you can ask questions, see issues of the magazine, and more.

Outdoor Gear Goes Green

I put up a picture awhile ago of a pair of shoes made from recycled tire parts. I came across these shoes and wanted to put them up also as a sort-of comparison. The black one is made out of natural latex and hemp, and the beige colored one uses coconut husk fiber.

The 11th Hour

Leonardo DiCaprio has produced and narrated The 11th Hour- Turn Mankind's Darkest Hour Into Its Finest. This is there official site from Warner Independent Pictures. You have to join and enter the site, but when you go to the site you get a trailer of it. The graphics are amazing and the people talking care. http://wip.warnerbros.com/11thhour/

Group Project

I created an event on Facebook for our group project. You can find me on there and I can send the rest of you the invitation if I havn't already. As soon as the class sees it and it looks okay, I will put it out there in the Towson network and invite more people from there.

Europe's most eco-friendly cars is the Smart Car. In early 2008 it will debut in America. It's a two seater car that is about three feet smaller than the Mini Cooper! It has better than 40 mpg fuel economy and is listed from $11,590 to $16,590.

Here is a video proving that bigger isn't always better. It is titled "Smart Car vs. Hummer" - http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylt=AqG7pIwEs6vKZ_JzUmQH5tqdV8cX/SIG=11hhcgmk8/**http%3A//www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv=NkjZtfgqC2w

Here is a video test drive where you can see the interior - http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylt=ArGK7Pa_Ih0iExa8T52g0kGdV8cX/SIG=147ntl30l/**http%3A//www.myfoxaustin.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail%3FcontentId=4736872%26version=5%26locale=EN-US%26layoutCode=VSTY%26pageId=3.2.1

After Action Review

I did my best to take Project #2 in a new direction. I wanted to use a topic that I felt strongly about and that I wanted to improve on and know more about so that I could pass that info on to my peers. I think for my sustains I did well on creating multiple forms to get information out and I thought it was more useful going to the MVA because it's a huge, main part of driving. I want to continue to using new strategies for the upcomming social issue project. It did not work so well staying further in the MVA's parking lot. I ran into more bus riders who park there than I did people going there. I also think I could have improved on the quality of writing. It would have looked more professional if I would have guccoed all the words instead of handwriting part of it. My project could have been more successful if I made a specific blog specifically for this project. I could have included that website so people would visit it to gain more knowledge. It would have also been more successful if I had gone with another person who could have documented my steps more thoroughly.

Soda Club

check out this video!
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/ver/248.0/popup/index.php?cl=3390319
This is a video of "life changing technology." It's an at home soda machine that you don't have to plug in. You just put tap water in it and it makes you fizzy water (like club soda). Then you can buy syrups that you can add to make coke, ginger ale, or any flavor soda. You end up saving a lot of money instead of buying sodas (you only have to buy the machine, the syrup, and a CO2 cartridge). You don't have to buy or transport the cans or bottles from the grocery store or worry about recycling or throwing away!

Road Rage

Thanks to everyone for your help and ideas at my critique. I loved your ideas and where I am going with my project now. I plan on making about a 20-30 candy cars using the series of tips on the car tags, bumber stickers with the saying sweet ride, and tips with a piece of candy to hang on cars. I will be documenting and photographing my progress for you all to see! Thanks again.

Environment Videos

http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=68244&videoChannel=74
This website is called Reuters. It has all different kinds of videos and a whole section dealing with the environment. Their pretty cool videos. Just click on the link and at the bottom of the page is a whole list of different environmental videos. enjoy

Project #2

For my second project my topic is the social issue of road rage. I have a few different leads and ideas, but would love some feedback! I have done a ton of research on the topic which includes facts, statistics, websites, tips, definitions, etc. I would like to make/do something including tips of things to do so you dont become aggressive because there are a lot or road raggers out there. I feel strongly about this issue and would like to warn people about the dangers of road rage. I had a friend who was killed because he cut someone off by accident. For cutting someone off he lost his life and I feel that people will continue to drive aggressively until something happens to them to make them stop. Often times it is something scary or dangerous that happens to make people change their ways and sometimes it is too late (those are all my thoughts about my topic). My ideas so far are:
1. Making a candy car with facts/tips/info. attatched. You take a fun size candy bar or pack of gum (body of the car) and attatch round peppermints to the sides (tires) and a small/fun sized candy bar (the ones that are like 1''x1/2''-the small ones) to the back (trunk). Here is an example: http://www.amazingmoms.com/images/candy-car-20.jpg
2. Make some kinda of statement or sign with a slogan or saying on it -made by hot gluing small toy cars together to form the words.
3. Make a bumpersticker or window sticker with a saying or facts on it.
4. I was thinking facts or tips could also go on things that are with you in the car that you see when you're driving (such as coffee mugs, air fresheners, CD holders, mirrors that magnify, or rear-view mirror decorators- something that hangs down from your rear-view mirror).
5. Making some kind of video (except I dont have a video camera).
I'm open for suggestions or advice on which one might work better to get my point across! Thanks

BUG List

A few things that I have on my bug list thus far are...
1. I work at a resturant on weekends and we go through a ton or to-go styrofoam containers. I occasionally clean up after tables and most people dont even take their box. Some forget it behind and the food and container go in the trash can, and some just fill it up with thieir dirty napkins and trash because they've sat for so long talking that their food digests and they decided to finish the little bit they were going to take home.
2. I always get stuck behind huge, slow trucks on my drive to school on the backroads. Every mile they spit out dirty, soot pollution in the air out of the pipe that sticks out of the roof of the truck. Most of the time it's the dark, thick, heavy crap that fades into the air and drifts back as you drive through it so you can get a nice wiff of it too. If you're making cars that run on batteries instead of gas, I'm sure someone can come up with a way to run a truck without the nasty smoke comming out of a pipe.
3. I'm sure everyone's been to a big game, concert or event. I went to the Ravens game a couple weeks ago, and when we were tailgating, there are no trash cans anywhere. On the walk to the stadium, people were finishing their drinks and leaving them on the street in various places. There were bottle everywhere! I know there are people who go around and clean up after the game, but you know they dont get everything. People throw things that the sweepers/cleaners miss and I'm sure they dont get everything at all the places people tailgate at (which is alllll over). If I'm paying a good amount of money to get in the stadium, plus $7.o0 for a beer, and like $10 for a small bite to eat.... they can afford to put more trash cans out on the streets and parking lots where people tailgate! Maybe even some recycling bins which will save them time.
...Just a few, there will be more soon!

Social Design

Social Design is the shaping of products and services, and is the creation of social reality; the design of the social world. We can design more ecological products by carefully selecting the materials we use. After Project 1 I think we will all select useful/helpful materials to help us and our cause. We have responsibility over our choices that we make during our design process. Social design thinking plays a large part in starting or taking action in social design. We need to think of our 'design' and use that in creating. Our ideas should have an outcome focusing on societies needs, not wants. "Understanding and using social design processes can contribute to the improvement of livelihood."

BlueQ

I've never heard of BlueQ before this class and I'm still not sure if I'm looking at the right site. But whatever it was that I found sells everything and I want to take a whole night just to browse and shop off of the website. They have all kinds of things for sale and they are made out of the "best quality" for you (the buyer). I only wish they told you more about the company and what they use and stand for and believe.

Human Rights

I was watching a show on television today and a commercial came on that caught my attention. It was a ton of youth of all different backgrounds and nationalities saying what they were. It was an add for Human Rights. It gave the website: www.youthforhumanrights.org and I looked it up. The website explains what human rights are and what the corporation is. They work on educating people about human rights so they become valuable advocates for tolerance and peace. You can also watch the ads on this website, which are really good! The link to go directly to the ads is: http://www.youthforhumanrights.org/watchads/index.html The featured ad- Human Right #2 "Don't Discriminate" is cute and funny! (But their all good)

Muck Saving the Planet

I was browsing throught the Baltimore Sun paper on Tuesday and came across an article stating that muck (wetlands) can help save the planet. A Maryland scientist is measuring how much carbon dioxide is trapped in the soil of wetlands (testing the Chesapeake Bay) and is hoping to prove that salt marshes are better than planting trees for removing global warming gases from the atmosphere. If he is right, companies will invest in building more wetlands. Planting marsh grasses will also help birds and fish (there are many benefits).
This article is located on the front page of The Sun and is continued on page 7A in Tuesday, Oct. 9th's edition.

Podcast

I absolutely loved in the Alex Steffen- Ideas Worth Spreading Podcast. He informs you and makes you aware of things and adds a little bit of humor. I loved when he talked about how our society was built and how it's the most prosperous and dynamic the world has ever created. Having these characteristics we also have some "major" flaws. The picture of the footprint on the land representing our societys ecological footprint shows that there is a certain amount of impact on the planet. Alex Steffen tells us that we leave a tremendous amount of "stuff" and waste behind us (so true) in unsustainable levels. He really puts it in perspective for us when he says we are using up about FIVE planets! And if everyone lived the way we do it would take 5-10 planets to make it! I agree that our planet is being used in unfair ways and North America should be ashamed for being so high up on the chart he shows us....

Cycling is gaining ground in NYC

New York is known for its high traffic with cabs, subway tracks, trucks and commuters. The city is promoting cycling for a "cleaner environment and healthier populace." There is limited street space which is challenging. So the city is installing 400-500 bike racks a year and they plan for more than 400 miles of bike lanes and paths to be finished by 2009. I found an article on this at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071007/ap_on_re_us/urban_biking;_ylt=AihTtWBJRbHWLSYd..GB6jCs0NUE
This would probably be an interesting article for whoever did project one trying to convince more people to bike rather than drive.

Top 10 Greenest Cities

Well Maryland did not make the list of the top 10 greenest cities. The cities that did were acknowledged for putting their residents first and are obsessed with clean air and water, renewable energy, reliable city buses, trams, streetcars and subways, a growing number or parks and greenbelts, farmer's markets and, very important, opportunities for community involvement. The list (in no particular order) is: Portland, Oregon; Austin, Texas; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Boulder, Colorado; Burlington, Vermont; Madison, Wisconsin; New York, New York; San Francisco, California; Santa Monica, California; and Chicago, Illinois.
I was shocked to see New York and San Francisco on the top 10 list. The list was published this past May of 2007.

EVO Mission 1

EVO's and our mission is big. We want to harness the power of millions of tiny decisions that happen every day by average people just like you and me -- what products we buy, what we do with our waste, how we get to work, how we energize our homes.

A Guilt-Free Bag Lunch

I was looking through The Sun paper today and came across an article called "A Guilt-Free Bag Lunch." In this article, it suggests other things to use instead of baggies, plastic utensils, etc. "Lunch time can be a wasteful time." 1. Get a To-Go Ware Utensil Set. It comes with a fork, spoon, knife and chopsticks stored in a cloth napkin. The utensils are made of bamboo which is a much more renewable resource then plastic. 2. Wrap-N-Mat. Wrap your sandwiches securely in a reusable cloth-backed, food-grade PEVA plastic (again and again) to keep plastic bags out of the trash. 3. Zyliss Water Bottle. This is a wide-mouth water bottle made of polycarbonate plastic (which has fewer of the potentially troublesome chemicals found in many bottles).
These are all good ideas that we should consider when packing our next lunch!

Impact

I just did my first load of laundry since Tuesday's class when we watched the Wear episode of Big Ideas for a Small Planet. I have ALWAYS used the hot or warm water option on the washing machine...except for today. I took the video's suggestion to wash your clothes in cold water to save energy and greenhouse gas.

Cool Recycled Products

These are shoes made from coffee sacks, surplus jackets and jeans that are all 99% recycled. The soles are made from recycled car tires!

These are newspaper coasters made completely out of recycled paper!

Maryland Recycles

1-800-GOT-JUNK? located in Baltimore removes and accepts all non-hazardous, non-liquid waste, debris, or household junk.
Best Buy's recycling program allows you to drop-off old and unwanted electronics during special collection weekends.
Biomedical Waste Services in Baltimore picks up items such as batteries, electronics, dental mercury, fluorescent lamps, motor oil, anti-freeze, paper, mercury thermometers (no radioactive waste is accepted).
CDM E-Cycling located in Baltimore recycles refurbished electronics such as computers, wire, phones, televisions, scanners, printers, monitors, etc..
Learn Shop, Inc. in Maryland donates used items such as school/art supplies, computers, tools, sports equipment, automobiles to underprivileged children.
Office Depot collects and recycles cell phones and rechargeable batteries.
Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake, Inc. located in Baltimore accepts used computers, clothing, wooden furniture, and small appliances.

*These are just a few local Maryland recyclers. If you have any materials that you want to give away or get rid of (when moving, cleaning, etc.) then you should consider contacting a local company that can reuse and recycle your products. For a list of more local listing you can always visit: mdrecycles.org

Mastering the Elements

I was reading through August 2007's issue of American Style and came across an article called "Mastering the Elements." It shows house as art on a high desert plain. A couple has built their home in New Mexico almost entirely by themselves out of natural materials. Rainwater is stored from the roof beneath a fountain and is used for gardening. Construction was low cost with mud-brick walls and recycled windows. I was amazed reading this article and how the home was constructed. The walls actually look like the houses in the Flinstones!
Here is the link to a portion of the article online. There is more info in the actual magazine.
http://americanstyle.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=154FE50916A844A3BBF46BD27DF204DC&nm=Recent+Articles&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=31443F9CF5024199ADF13DE7EC39AF11
For the American Style website with more great information you can go to:
http://www.americanstyle.com/ME2/Default.asp

Hello!!!! Blogosphere

HI all! This is my first blog ever and I am extremely excited to be finally blogging and learning new things!