Bags, Bags, and more Bags

What's the hype with the plastic bags?

In the past few years you may have noticed, unless you don't go grocery shopping, that supermarkets are now:

a) Offering re-usable bags. Re-usable bags comes in all shapes, sizes, and colors and most likely will cost you a few pennies. Also, these bags tend to be made of more durable material to slow down wear and tear.

b) Not offering bags. Some retailers are taking it to the extreme and not offering bags at all for free. If you want a bag you must pay 20cents (10p). Usually the bags are not conveniently located either.

c) Major marketing of 'reduced use of bags'.

d) Bags offered for free and cheaper quality. The plastic seems less strong and more transparent. Also, I've noticed that they some place put holes on the bottom of the bags (to discourage people using it as garbage bags...?)

What does this all mean?! Why garbage bags?

Reduce Plastic to Reduce Landfills

- Less material means less waste and fewer emissions.
- Plastic bags are a serious threat to our environment and natural resources - not only do they spoil our parks and beaches - but they can also take up to 1000 years to break down.
- Plastic bags are responsible for blocking drains and harming our wildlife - both marine and land-based animals.
- A country like Australia and Canada use over 10 million plastic bags a day! Imagine more densely populated places (USA, UK)

If you think like me, right now you will be wondering about the growing amount of plastics in our landfills that are not plastic bags. That is another blog entry but for now let's focus one thing at a time.

What to do to help reduce waste of plastic bags?

Recycle your plastic bags. Keep your bags handy for each time you go grocery shopping. I keep a few bags at work, at home, and in my car. Each time I go grocery shopping I re-use my plastic bags.

Do not use paper bags! Plastic grocery bags are an extremely resource-efficient disposable bag choice. Plastic grocery bags require 70% less energy to manufacture than paper bags, and produce half the amount of greenhouse gas emissions in the process.

Choose biodegradable bags. There are a ton of biodegradable options out in the market now. I read somewhere that they add tapioca to the ingredients.

Purchase sturdy reusable bags. A tweed bag or fabric bag not only lasts you 10x longer than plastic bags but also can be trendy and stronger. These come in all shapes and sizes to fit your needs and fashion requirements ;)

4 Most Dangerous Emissions

I went to the London Natural History Museum a few weeks ago and was impressed by the wealth of information available. Leaving the museum, I realised how complicated the world ecosystem was, is, and will be.

I want to share with you the 4 most dangerous emissions contributed by humans in today's society.

NOx
Real Name: Nitrogen Dioxide, Nitric Oxide, Nitrous Oxide Gases.
Source: Fossil fuels (oil, coal, gas) burned in power stations and car exhaust fumes
Release: NOx gases are released by burning fossil fuels. Some stay close to ground level while others dissolve in water vapour and move higher into the atmosphere.
Action and effect: The effects of NOx gases vary...
- In the atmosphere they transform into nitric acid, which can produce unnaturally acidic rain, damaging plants and buildings
- At low levels they react with sunlight to create ozone, which causes asthma and breathing problems

CFCs
Real Name: Chlorofluorocarbon gases.
Source: Refrigeration and air conditioning units. Propellants in aerosol cans, fast food containers and coffee cups, polymer foams in furniture and car seats.
Release: CFCs are released into the atmosphere from aerosol cans, leaks in old or discarded fridges and freezers, from industrial plants and from polymer foams as they age.
Action and effect:
CFCs have entered the upper atmosphere over the past 40 years. Here they react with the sunlight to create chlorine, which destroys the layer of ozone gas. Ozone depletion is thought to be responsible for ...
- reduced growth of plants and insects
- increased skin cancer and sunburn
- human allergic reactions to light

Pesticides
Real Name: Fungicide, herbicide, insecticide. There are around 450 pesticides licensed for use in the UK.
Source: Mostly agricultural, where they are used to prevent pest damage and improve crop yield.
Release: Pesticides can affect plants and animals when there are is over-spraying, water run-off, soil erosion or leaking of water from fields into groundwater.
Action and effect:
Pesticides are known to cause muscle cramps, diarrhea, shaking and blurred vision. Over the longer term they may affect the immune system, cause birth defects and genetic problems.

Effluent
Real Name: Effluent - the general name given waste products given from towns, industry or agriculture that enter rivers and streams in an untreated state.
Source: Most effluent spills come from 'point sources' - a specific factory, farm, sewage works or urban area.
Release: When accidental discharges occur, living systems downstream or in the sea can be devastated.
Action and effect:
- Chemical effluent can directly poison plants and animals.
- Organic effluent such as farm slurry or sewage waste is rapidly broken down by micro-organisms in the water causing their explosive growth. This causes a dramatic fall in oxygen levels, suffocating other living organisms. This is called eutrophication.


So, after reading these 4 explanations of the most dangerous emissions from human society today, how do you think we can manage, control or prevent?

Jar Wars

If you're a normal consumer like me, you probably purchase on average a product in a glass jar or bottle at least twice month.

What do you do with your glass jars and bottles? Do you throw them away in the bin? Do you recycle them?

Have you ever wondered what happens to these things once they are just 'thrown away'? Probably not. It doesn't usually phase normal consumers with what happens to their rubbish.

Here is one of many sites that explains what happens with our rubbish after we chuck it in the bin: http://store.wildernesscommittee.org/campaigns/historic/otherpub/reports/Vol08No05b/garbage


Glass is a resource.
I want to bring up glass jars/containers in my second post because I feel these are one of the most consumed products that can be easily re-used and recycled.

Personally, I re-use my glass in place of plastic Tupperware.
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Did you know glass is made of powdered limestone sand and sodium carbonate (i.e. sand)? Modern life cannot be possible without glass. It is the mirror you look at every morning, the windows in your car, the lightbulb in every room; holds your cold drinks; glass is around us everywhere.
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Why re-use glass jars, bottles and containers?!
* They would otherwise end up in landfills. It takes a glass bottle about 1 million years to break down in a landfill.
* The amount of energy and resources used to create glass bottles from recycled materials is less than the amount needed to create bottles from virgin materials. Less energy means less pollution.


Ideas:
You can use the smaller jars/containers to hold jam, sugar, tea bags, candle, jewellry, loose coins, pencil and stationary holder, use instead of a normal drinking glass, etc.
You can use medium sized jars/containers to hold coffee, oils, plants, flour, cookies and other baked goods, liquid soap, etc.
You can use large sized jars/containers to hold fresh water, pasta, rice, loose confectionary, juices and other consumables, leftovers, use as a household decoration (i.e. put seashells or potpourri), etc.

You can personalise it too and use it as a gift!



Think twice before you throw away your glass. If you are going to throw it away, please put it in the recycling bin so it can be melted and re-used by the city. Using recycled glass to make new glass saves money and reduces air pollution, such as fly ash and nitrogen oxides (NOX), that can be toxic to the environment.

First Post

Hi,

I'm starting this blog as a challenge from my friends - to start a blog before my next birthday.

What could I start a blog about? I already have a personal blog going!

So, I have decided to write about something that a) I'm interested in but not an expert in, b) Is somewhat interesting to general readers, b) Can benefit humankind, even if in a small way.

I've always been interested in what people can do to help this planet become and continue to be sustainable. How to keep nature beautiful.

Some may think that humans 'over consume' and thus consumerism is the root of all evil. Or that we're doomed to be short-sighted creatures and have no worries about the future's stake. Or one person's effort will not make stride. Or even perhaps the world will fix itself once the time comes around to do so. Whatever the belief is, we should have a duty of our own behaviour! So think twice before your chuck that KFC take-away box on the street!


Remember, I am no expert but I do hope to challenge the status quo.


I'm not sure what the theme of my homily today ought to be. Do I want to speak of the miracle of Our Lord's divine transformation? Not really, no. I don't want to talk about His divinity. I'd rather talk about His humanity. I mean, you know, how He lived His life, here on Earth. His *kindness*, His *tolerance*... Listen, here's what I think. I think that we can't go around... measuring our goodness by what we don't do. By what we deny ourselves, what we resist, and who we exclude. I think... we've got to measure goodness by what we *embrace*, what we create... and who we include. - Quote from the movie, Chocolat