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Showing posts from April, 2018

Handkerchiefs – bring back the popularity of this sustainable, reusable product.

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Handkerchiefs are made of sustainable and recycled materials and are reusable making them good for the environment especially when compared to the disposable paper facial tissue. Ever wonder why people stopped using handkerchiefs. Perhaps it was the invention of the disposable handkerchief otherwise known as facial tissue. Kleenex (the original facial tissue) was original invented in 1924 by Kimberly-Clark Corporation as a product to remove cold cream that was used to remove makeup. [1] After receiving letters from customers stating they use the Kleenex as a disposable handkerchief for blowing noses, Kimberly-Clark Corporation in 1930 began advertising the Kleenex as a disposable handkerchief. [2] Since then, sales have skyrocketed for facial tissue. In 2017, 216.94 million Americans used one or more boxes of facial tissue with 9.56 million using more than eight boxes. [3] Hygiene is a valid concern about using handkerchiefs. While it may be true that disposable f...

Earth Day 2018 - Be the Change

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The beginning of the modern environmental movement began with on April 22, 1970 – the first Earth Day. Since then, the Earth Day Network has worked to take the environmental movement worldwide through education and activism. April 22, 2018 is Earth Day and this year the focus is on ending plastic pollution. The Earth Day Network has details on how you can take action through community involvement or individual actions to end plastic pollution. The Earth Day Network has an action toolkit on how to participate in Earth Day activities for individuals , organizations , and educators . TAKE ACTION EVERYDAY to reduce plastic pollution! 1. Stop buying bottled water – carry a reusable bottle - Concerned about the quality of local tap water? Buy a bottle with a built-in filter 2. Stop using disposable plastics (i.e. shopping bags, plastic cutlery, straws, coffee cups) Use reusable shopping bags Use wood or metal flatware Use metal straws Carry a reusable coffee ...

Watershed Health

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We are connected to the watershed in which we live. What’s a watershed you ask? A watershed is the land that drains into the same body of water. Our actions affect not only the quality of water nearby, it also affects all connected waterways. For this reason, it is important to be aware of what chemicals we use on our homes, lawns, and driveways. Frontline produced an informative video about how polluted rainwater has damaged the water quality in Puget Sound of Seattle. Frontline’s “ Poisoned Waters ” (April 21, 2009) explores Seattle’s Puget Sound and the marine life biodiversity that is currently under attack from PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) an endocrine disruptor which is a cancer causing toxin. The accumulation of PCBs is also occurring in other parts of the country, particularly in the Great Lakes, where PCBs amongst other toxins, is larger than can be accounted for by local sources. Band in the 1970s, PCB causing problems today leads to the quandary of locating the sour...