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Beyond the bag: Other plastics being banned

May 24, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Lonely Whale, a UK Marketing Company, took over Seattle in 2017 for its “Strawless in Seattle” campaign and this summer (effective July 2018) Seattle will be the largest metropolitan city to ban the single-use plastic straw. Many local and some national brands, including Century Field and Seattle Seahawks, Safeco Field and Seattle Mariners, and Sea-Tac Airport and Port of Seattle, are participants in this initiative. Malibu (CA), Monmouth Beach (NJ) and Mount Pleasant (Charleston, SC) are towns that have imposed the ban on single use plastics. San Francisco is also looking into this. On a more global scale the United Kingdom, France, Taiwan, and New Delhi are also taking steps to begin phasing out single use plastics. Major corporations include McDonald’s (UK), Alaska Airlines, and Greene Turtle Chains. Will your town or business be next?

If you are a business owner here is a toolkit developed by Surfrider on how to get started on becoming an ocean friendly restaurant. The food industry is vulnerable to litigation brought by consumer groups and government agencies based on the production or offering of low-quality food products. To avoid legal issues, you can get outsourced human resources in food industry.

They will take action if you – as a concerned citizen – ask. Here are some ways to politely refuse a straw. Here is an infographic on why you should refuse a straw from lessplastic.com.

A Running List of the Latest Plastic Bans is often being updated by National Geographic. 

Filed Under: Conservation, Marine Debris, Ocean, Ocean Conservation, Places Tagged With: ,

February 3rd: International Strawfree Day

February 1, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Thanks to Inland Ocean Coalition for sharing this information about this upcoming Saturday:

“Join the movement on February 3rd for International Strawfree Day! Every day the United States uses 500 million straws, enough to encircle the earth 2.5 times! The global total is undoubtedly much larger. Please do your part and say no to straws this International Strawfree Day (and all other days too!).

This is what individuals can do:

  1. The next time you’re at a restaurant, simply say, “No straw, please.”
  2. If you want to use a straw, bring a reusable one with you.
  3. Encourage your favorite restaurants to join the movement.
  4. Spread the word to your friends and family.

If you want to get involved in pushing for more systemic change, you can join our Suck the Straws Out campaign, a collaborative effort with other nonprofits, restaurants, and communities (including in Colorado, Connecticut, New York, Illinois and Arizona) to encourage businesses to say no to plastic straws and to only offer paper or reusable alternatives upon request. Click the link below for more information and to get involved in the campaign!”

Share your story of saying no to the straws with this #suckthestrawsout hashtag.

 

Healthy Eating Tips for Seniors

Key Takeaways

  • Healthy eating begins with you!
  • Giving your body the right nutrients and maintaining a healthy weight can help you stay active and independent.
  • You’ll also spend less time and money at the doctor. This is especially true if you have a chronic condition, such as diabetes or heart disease.

The definition of healthy eating does change a little as you age. For example, as you grow older, your metabolism slows down, so you need fewer calories than before. Your body also needs more of certain nutrients. That means it’s more important than ever to choose foods that give you the best nutritional value. Visit https://www.firstpost.com/health/ikaria-lean-belly-juice-reviews-weight-loss-facts-from-real-customers-experiences-10635011.html.

Explore the materials below to get tips on how to find the best foods for your body and your budget.

Tips for Picking Healthy Food as You Get Older

Here are 6 tips to help you find the best foods for your body and your budget.

1. Know what a healthy plate looks like

You might remember the food pyramid, but the USDA recently unveiled a simpler way to help people see what they should eat each day. It’s called MyPlate. The simple graphic shows exactly how the five food groups should stack up on your plate. These are the building blocks for a healthy diet.

2. Look for important nutrients

Make sure you eat a variety of foods to get all the nutrients you need. Your plate should look like a rainbow—bright, colored foods are always the best choice! A healthy meal should include:

  • Lean protein (lean meats, seafood, eggs, beans)
  • Fruits and vegetables (think orange, red, green, and purple)
  • Whole grains (brown rice, whole wheat pasta)
  • Low-fat dairy (milk and its alternatives)

Remember to choose foods that are high in fiber and low in sodium or salt. Also, look for Vitamin D, an important mineral as we age.

3. Read the Nutrition Facts label

The healthiest foods are whole foods. These are often found on the perimeter of the grocery store in the produce, meat, and dairy sections. When you do eat packaged foods, be a smart shopper! Read the labels to find items that are lower in fat, added sugars, and sodium.

4. Use recommended servings

To maintain your weight, you must eat the right amount of food for your age and body. The American Heart Association provides recommended daily servings for adults aged 60+.

5. Stay hydrated

Water is an important nutrient too! Don’t let yourself get dehydrated—drink small amounts of fluids consistently throughout the day. Tea, coffee, and water are your best choices. Keep fluids with sugar and salt at a minimum, unless your doctor has suggested otherwise.

6. Stretch your food budget

Want to get the biggest nutritional bang for your buck? The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can help you afford healthy food when you need it. Over 4 million older Americans use SNAP to buy food, and the average senior receives $113 each month. Visit BenefitsCheckUp.org/getSNAP to see if the program can help you.

Filed Under: Conservation, Marine Debris, Ocean, Ocean Conservation Tagged With: , , ,

Action Project Ideas: In the Kitchen (1 of 5)

November 5, 2017 by Leave a Comment

One idea I had when I started this website almost ten years ago was that I wanted to make science simple and accessible. I hope I have created a place where questions on anything from barnacles to whales can be answered in a knowledgeable no-nonsense or overly jargon tone. My secondary goal has also been to create awareness about ocean-related issues which would lead into actions. Maybe you like watching movies and visiting the shore and understand that there is concern for the ecosystem.

What I have now for the month of November is a series of posts on quick and useful actions you can take in the kitchen, bath, laundry, garage, during the holidays, and around your community to change behaviors and lessen your impact. Each one features products that are tried, true, and tested but I am not being paid. Please read, share, and feel free to comment if you have other strategies.

  1. Better Life mopping: My mom is coming next week so it’s time to get serious with the floors. This stuff is magic on hardwoods and even helped get rid of some scuffs from the move (when I switched furniture six or seven times) and my dog’s paw prints. The company is based in Missouri and founded by some folks that realized floors should be clean once they had kids. They’re so right. Even though my kids aren’t crawling I’m less miserable playing on the floor with them. Join their mailing list for good deals. It’s so worth it.
  2. Use glass instead of plastic: Food storage and drinks can easily be switched out to glass. Spend some time scoring second-hand stores and lot’s of glass containers are cheap. Honestly, it’s bloody difficult to be #plasticfree or #zerowaste. I like the approach by Kathryn Kellogg in that she’s Going Zero Waste since it’s virtually impossible to be waste free. Limiting plastic isn’t just a good idea to reduce marine debris in the ocean but it potentially cause a correlation with your endocrine system.
  3. Buy bulk: Along the same lines as the using glass it’s an easy transition to quite using the plastic bags for produce and buy bulk. I have not used the plastic bags for produce in years and usually have a kid or two in tow at the store so the stuff is all over the belt. The people are pretty used to it and I have never once heard a cashier say, “what’s wrong with you? Why didn’t you use the bags for these?” It’s one of those crazy things that we accept but we’d be fine without. Packaging makes up 30% of our waste.
  4. Make your own cleaning supplies.
  5. Switch to fair trade coffee. Start with one fair trade product and work through others by checking out these helpful resources.
  6. Skip the paper towel and try the cellulose clothes. Just try them if you see them. Lots of places sell them and you won’t be out of paper towels again. Cause … you’ll never need them. This is what we are currently moving on from in our house.
  7. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs. You’ll save money and it’s a huge reduction in energy use.
  8. Make sure your wood stove is up to date and clean. Did you know you can install a wood stove inside a fireplace?

All of the Action Project Ideas:

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Filed Under: Conservation, Environmental Education, Inspiration, Marine Debris, Ocean Conservation Tagged With: , , , , , ,