The Bed Bug Epidemic
Bed bugs have been a hot topic recently. They are no longer only in our beds or hotels, but now being found in the workplace, movie theaters and even in schools. With their resurgence, people are taking desperate measures by beginning to use dangerous chemicals to get rid of them as they did many years ago. There are other safer and more natural solutions that can help us fight against these pesky little bugs.
Photo by {link:http://www.flickr.com/photos/bahkubean/1223665489/}Mandy Jouan{/link}.
Prevention
Though bed bugs do not carry disease and only cause skin irritation, they are still a pest that you don’t want in your home. Once bed bugs infiltrate your home, fighting against them can be extremely difficult. By taking a few measures, you can avoid getting them in the first place.
Cleanliness
By making sure that you bedding materials are cleaned on a regular basis can help prevent these creatures from making your bed their home. If you leave sheets on your bed for weeks without cleaning, it can be a breeding ground for these creatures.
Second Hand Items
I have mentioned several times about buying items from consignment shops to save a little money and get more use out of a perfectly good item. When buying items, especially furniture, do a quick inspection on the items to make sure they are free of bed bugs. If there are signs of an infestation, you may want to avoid the item or make sure it is free of bed bugs before bringing it into your home.
Keep Items Off of Bed
Whenever you go anywhere, avoid just throwing your clothes on the bed. If you clothes have bed bugs on them, it will make it easy for them to make their way onto your bed. Hang clothes that you plan to wear again and just avoid getting them in contact with your bed.
Traveling
Make sure to be extremely careful when traveling that you don’t bring them back into your home. Keep all of your items off of the floor and properly inspecting your bed before sleeping. If you do think that you may been in contact, throw all of your clothes right into the washer and inspect all items you bring back into your home. Also, try doing a quick Google search before picking a hotel to see if the hotel has a recurring problem of bed bugs.
Foam Bedding
One way that some have thrown out there is to get natural latex bedding. They say that latex and other foam beddings are too dense for bed bugs to live, making it resistant to these bugs. Though bed bugs can still survive, it’s not as habitable as traditional mattresses.
Natural Pest Control
No matter how much we try, beg bugs still make their way into our homes. The normal reaction is to call the local pest control guy and have them exterminated with chemicals. The problem with fighting them in this manner is that bed bugs have built an immunity to many of the chemicals we are using to get rid of them. And on top of that, do you really want to expose your family to dangerous chemicals?
The most popular method mentioned that can help eliminate bed bugs is to use extreme temperatures. Bed bugs cannot survive in extreme cold or hot conditions. A common way mentioned is to use a high pressure steam cleaner to clean the infected areas. The best way is to contact local pest control experts and find out if they provide chemical-free solutions similar to companies like ThermaPureHeat.
The Missing Piece of the Conservation Puzzle
In a recent interview, U.S. Ecologist Gary Nabhan offered that “In other environmental issues we tell people to stop something, reduce their impact, reduce their damage”. Nabhan is a ethnobotanist/gardener whose promotion of biodiversity has caught the attention of many over the years. He is known for his work in biodiversity as an ethnobotanist. Since Coming Home to Eat was published in 2001, the local food movement has ignited, causing a worldwide green epidemic.
There has been an increase in the number of organizations and businesses, in recent years, that have contributed to the promotion of sustainability through conservation. The Earth Day Network has been playing a large part in bringing conservationist and green enthusiasts together, sharing ideas and discussing new ways to support the planet. Other large organizations and non-profits like Doug Band and the CGI (Clinton Global Initiative) have been working on successful emission reduction projects in the San Francisco Bay area. While climate control has continued to worsen, collaborative and individual acts are vital for any successful green campaign. As human beings, we’re constantly told to reduce our carbon footprint, consume less unhealthy foods, and spend less time in the shower! But let’s take a minute to step back and look at this from a different perspective; one that Gary Nabhan strongly suggests.
The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization confirms that only about a quarter of crop diversity is left and that a dozen species now gives 90% of the animal protein eaten globally. In accordance, just 4 crop species supply half of plant based calories in the human diet.
Nabhan states that eating foods that are home-grown will have a larger impact on sustainability for our planet as a whole. What can also be known as, “eat what you conserve,” is a well-established theory in that by eating the fruits and vegetables, we are attempting to conserve/save as well as promote the granular dissemination of various plant species.
Marco Contiero, agriculturist, suggests that “biodiversity is an essential characteristic of any sustainable agricultural system, especially in the context of climate change.”[1] According to Conterio’s theory, this would suggest that as individuals we tend our own crops/plants, and should make sure to purchase localized farm products at supermarkets and groceries. In the end, this condenses export/import reliance, thus reducing our carbon footprint.
Nabhan and Contiero’s theories both relay greatly on an action oriented approach at conservation and sustainability. With an abundance of green movements following Earth Day 2010, organizations and individuals have taken a stronger following to expert opinions like the ones demonstrated by both of these highly influential agriculturalists. Be sure to visit your local farmers markets and apple orchards as fall approaches. Also, as eco-conscious individuals, don’t hesitate to stop the next time you drive by a yard stand with fresh crops. Promoting biodiversity and localized farming is a crucial piece of the conservation puzzle.
How to Use Newspaper to Prevent Weeds
If you’re up to your elbows in autumn planting time, then you’re probably looking for an inexpensive and environmentally friendly way to prevent weeds from taking over your garden. And you’re in luck. That newspaper that you read and then deposit in a recycling bin every day? The key to free weed prevention.
Photo by {link:http://www.flickr.com/photos/35110249@N05/3274093725/}Martien Uiterweerd{/link}.
Recently, Anne Rave of The New York Times reported on her somewhat unconventional use of newspaper in her garden.
Simply spread newspaper four sheets thick across the ground that you plan to plant. Wet it. Cut a hole large enough to accommodate the roots of the plant that you are planting and spread a layer of soil or compost over the paper once you are finished.
Of course, no anti-weed method is foolproof. But Rave has a solution: “When weeds do grow — as they inevitably will, blowing in on the wind, or sprouting from less-than-perfect compost — [Lee Reich, a soil scientist in upstate New York,] suggests spritzing them, while they are still sprouts, with a homemade solution: a gallon of vinegar mixed with 2 tablespoons canola oil (other oils will gum up) and 1 tablespoon liquid Ivory dish detergent.”
Take a Hike!
The first day of autumn – last Wednesday, September 22, 2010 – slipped by me unnoticed, because, well, it quite simply didn’t start to feel like fall until today. Now that the air is getting crisper, I’ve started taking blankets out of the closet each night. I’ve started thinking about wearing shoes that require socks. And I’ve been thinking that I can’t wait to go on my first autumn hike of the year to see the trees before, during, and after the leaves change.
If you’re thinking of taking a hike while you travel this fall, be sure to check out Trails.com’s trail finder. Simply enter the zip code of the area you are planning to visit, and hopefully you’ll find that there’s a hiking trail or two that you can check out during your trip. Or, if you live in or near a major metropolitan area, then visit LocalHikes.com for suggestions of where to hike near your city.
As with any physical pursuit, exercise caution before you exercise. Bring enough food and water, follow your trail map, and stay safe!
Green Patriot Posters
This weekend, I had the opportunity to check out the fourth installation of the National Design Triennial at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum (a Smithsonian Institution) in New York City.
The exhibition, called Why Design Now? (on exhibit through January 9, 2011), features contemporary concepts or objects designed to alleviate a particular social or environmental concern. Items on display include a compact public bike rack, plans for a hotel powered by water (and appropriately called a H2Otel), solar panels shaped to blend into a barrel-tile roof, and many other successful and prototypical design objects.
Some of the items seemed a bit too outlandish to ever be successful in a mass market while others seemed, well, too expensive. But one item on display, a Green Patriot Poster, caught my eye both for its creativity and its price – It’s free.
The Cooper-Hewitt website explains that part of what makes Green Patriot Posters so innovative is that the “project invites any designer or concerned citizen to upload posters to its Web site.”
Green Patriot Posters, produced by Canary Project 2010, presents “Posters for Energy Independence and the Fight Against Climate Change.” Designed to evoke the feel of WWII-era government propaganda, Green Patriot Posters are educational and clever. And, best of all, they’re free to download. My favorite is the “EnvironMEANT TO Do List” (“Do it. Don’t just meant to do it.”). But so many of the posters are fun and would be perfect for classroom use (or, at the very least, as computer desktop wallpaper).
GM Salmon Nears FDA Approval
Purchasing salmon is already a difficult task with little regulations and the constant wild or farm salmon. The FDA may make this task much more difficult as they are currently deciding on whether to approve Genetically Modified Salmon.
Photo by {link:http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevygee/2665454889/}kevygee{/link}.
AquaBounty is pursing obtaining approval from the FDA so that it can genetically modify the eggs of salmon. This would allow farmed salmon to grown in half of the time they currently are being raised. This would allow the production of salmon to rise in order to meet a growing demand for fish and in particular salmon. If Aqua Bounty is able to receive approval by the end of this year, we could start to see GM salmon in stores within 3 years.
So how are consumers reacting to. Even Mitchell from the Food and Water Watch of Europe stated it nicely:
Consumers are … jammed up the White House telephone lines last week protesting any approval. Quite understandably the salmon industry is not happy either, as people will simply avoid all salmon rather than risk getting this stuff. Only those who stand to gain financially think this is a good idea.
Then why is the FDA allowing AquaBounty to proceed with this?
So the FDA is allowing salmon to be genetically modified just to have a cheaper salmon the market. What about the unknown consequences or the possible ecological damage that could be caused from this decision?
Genetically modified food is just not the way to go and we continue to see the public in outrage against it. No matter how much lab data is provided to say it is safe, we just don’t know the health consequences. There could also be an increase in environmental impact we currently are seeing with farmed salmon. The biggest impact is that wild salmon could go extinct because it would be too tough to face these special breed of salmon.
The only reason I can think of that the FDA is going to proceed with this is to help these big salmon producers make larger profits. They try to make the argument that it will make salmon cheaper for us. What most people don’t realize is that farmed salmon are just not as healthy as wild salmon. Also, would you really risk your health and the environment just to get salmon at a fraction of the cost?
What can we do?
We need to pressure the FDA so that they will not let this proceed. First you contact the FDA directly to let them know you thoughts either through their main page or through facebook. There are also several petitions available on the web that you can sign:
- Fresh The Movie’s: Stop GM Salmon Petition
- Alliance for Natural Health
Let’s continue to spread the word and hopefully we can stop GM salmon from happening.
Prevent Paper Waste in School
Paper has always been an essential part of our classrooms. Whether it be taking notes, handouts, assignments or tests, they all use paper. But have you ever thought that there is sometimes unnecessary paper waste in our classrooms no matter the level?
Photo by {link:http://www.flickr.com/photos/elizabethhudyphotography/4048477802/}Elizabeth Hudy{/link}.
The Problem
Paper usage is inevitable in all levels of schools. Teachers have to give assignments and tests. Waste happens though when teachers give packets or handouts that used one time or not at all. This is not a problem just seen in K-12 schools, but just as much so if not more at the university level .
I saw this problem all the time when I was an undergrad and I continue to see this as I am finishing up my graduate program. Teachers distribute the lecture slides that they are displaying during class, sometimes as long as 20-30 pages. Many students don’t use them or simply throw them out. In either situation, there is an unnecessary waste of paper.
Teachers are not the only problem. I often see students bring these same packets to class as well.
Scary Statistics
Did you know that nearly 100 million of paper and paperboard products were used in 2005 alone? On top of that, 34% of all of the waste we dispose of each year is paper. Regardless of whether the paper is recycled, those are staggering numbers that we need to take into consideration.
What to do?
It always angers me when I see this waste because there is no reason every student needs to have those slides when they are displayed in the front of the classroom. The answer is pretty simple, urge your professors or teachers to stop printing out the unnecessary packets of paper. I have done this on several occasions and my professors have been happen to comply. You could also ask your professor to post the lecture slides on their website if they are not already doing so. If you are a student printing these materials, consider bring a laptop to class or simply use a standard notepad in class.
Don’t forgot that you should always to recycle any papers that you no longer need from any class. It’s easy to just throw papers from a class out immediately upon exiting, even if it isn’t into a recycling bin. If there isn’t a recycling bin available, just take it home and recycle it yourself.
Have you encountered any paper waste in classes you have took?
