REMEMBERING YOUR THREE R's

Over the years, people have gotten into a lot of bad habits.  We use things once and then throw them away.  And why not?  There are so many things that are SUPPOSED to be used just once and thrown away.  Every day and in little ways, I try to think of new ways to reduce, reuse and recycle all sorts of objects.

* Every morning, my dad makes a cup of coffee for the ride to work and puts it in a disposable cup.  One cup a day times hundreds of days equals lots of cups.  What a waste!  For just a few dollars out of my piggy bank, I bought dad a brand new stainless steel coffee container.  He never spills coffee in the car anymore and I helped him to greatly reduce his cup waste!

* I cleaned my room this week and found a whole bunch of books that I didn't want anymore.  My friend Nick said, Throw them away!"  But what a waste!  I went to my local library and asked if they were accepting book donations.  They were!  I may be too old for some of those children's books, but plenty of kids at the library would just love to reuse them!

* My mom came home with some clothes from the dry cleaners.  Each shirt and dress was wrapped in a long piece of plastic to protect the clothing.  Off came the plastic bags and into the garbage they went.  But what a waste!  I pulled the bags out of the trash--I knew they could be used again.  My friend Ashley was having her room painted painted this week.  Instead of buying plastic at the store, Ashley used the dry cleaner bags to cover her rug, lamp and carousel horse collection while her parents painted the walls!  What great a great way to recycle one thing into something else!

What are some ways YOU have learned to reduce, reuse and recycle?

OIL SPILL IN THE GULF OF MEXICO

On April 20, an oil-drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico called Deepwater Horizon, exploded in the Gulf of Mexico near Louisiana.  The rig sank and 11 people were killed in the explosion.  The accident is said to be the largest oil spill disaster in the history of the United States.

Like many Americans, I am very sad about this disaster and extremely worried about the damage it will cause.  Normally, I like to post helpful hints about how we can all go green, but sadly, I this is not one of those entries.  But it's still important to be informed.  Some of you may be wondering what are some of the possible results of this oil spill?  Here are some ways an oil spill can affect wildlife:

* Oil coats the bodies of animals with a thick layer.
* Fur or feathers covered in oil become sticky which can lead to hypothermia.
* Birds can drown when covered in oil because they're bodies become too heavy.
* Animals may become easy prey because they are easier to catch.
* Birds and marine mammals will not necessarily avoid an oil spill.
* Some fish are actually attracted to the oil because it looks like floating food.
* More than 400 species of animals are at risk because of this event.
* Stomach ulcers and bleeding can occur in animals that swallow the oil.
* Damage to airways and lungs of animals that breath droplets of oil or gas.
* Since April 30, 19 dead dolphins have been found in the spill area.
* Oil disguises the scent that seal pups and mothers use to recognize each other.
* Beaches affected by an oil spill can disturb turtle breeding areas or contaminate eggs.
* On May 24, a fisheries disaster was declared in 3 states.
* Fisherman have been taken to hospitals because of "nausea, dizziness and chest pains."
* Oil in the water decreases oxygen supply to small fish, which can affect the entire food chain.

This is NOT what our oceans should look like!

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Have you ever heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?  No?  It's in the middle of the ocean, so most of us will never see it, but it's one of the largest man-made environmental disasters in the world.  It is the world's largest landfill and it's getting larger every year!

The ocean is constantly moving.  Ocean currents move the water in different directions depending on wind, temperature and other factors.  The North Pacific Gyre is a  place in the Pacific Ocean between California and Japan where many currents come together to form a giant, clockwise moving area of water.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, also known as the Pacific Trash Vortex, is located here in the North Pacific Gyre.  It is literally a giant, floating patch of garbage twice the size of Texas and made up of millions of pounds of plastic, chemical sludge and other debris.  Greenpeace has said that 10% of all plastic manufactured each year ends up in the ocean!

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch presents hazards to marine life.  Plastic can end up in the stomachs of marine birds, sea turtles and fish.  These toxic plastic pieces can also be eaten by jellyfish, which are then eaten by larger fish.  When the larger fish are eaten by humans, these toxins can enter our bodies!  All life on Earth is connected.  Our abuse of the environment comes back to us full circle.

Be aware of your waste!  Throw garbage in the trash, not on the ground!  Recycle plastic disposable products when you can or avoid buying them altogether!  The next time you see a piece of garbage about to blow into a sewer, a river or a stream, pick it up and throw it away.  How big will the Garbage Patch get before we start to act?