ecodeaf

"Going Green": How is it conveyed in ASL?

2009-11-18T17:13:00.000-05:00

----> GOING GREEN <----

Larry Gray posits an interesting question in his vlog, creating space to discuss how we convey the idea of "going green" in ASL.

He writes:

This particular vlog inquires about the sign, GREEN, which is generally understood for the color. However, we have used it to also mean being environmentally-conscious. I pose a question which I'm sure the Deaf community would like to discuss.

Let us know what you think!

Freecycle Your Stuff!

2009-11-10T17:40:00.004-05:00

OFFER stuff thats been sitting in your attic for too many years. Post a WANTED ad for materials that you need for your art project. RECEIVE or TAKE stuff off other people's hands. Keep trash out of landfills, free up space in your storage area, and save $$. It doesn't get better than FREECYCLE. Check their website for freecycle listservs in your area. www.freecycle.org

Just for Babies

2009-11-10T16:46:00.002-05:00

I found this cool baby teether at Whole Foods the other day.. made of corn starch, biodegradable and best of all- no weird chemicals!

Yoga Classes in NYC... offered in ASL!

2009-11-05T23:51:00.004-05:00

For those who live in or near the NYC area and are interested in Iyengar yoga, there are several Yoga classes offered in ASL. Jen Kagan, a certified Iyengar teacher, who teaches in ASL explains about the method that she teaches: "We learn most through visual access therefore all poses and actions are demonstrated and sequenced in such a way that students gain better understanding of themselves."

YOGA CLASSES are offered on:
Mondays 6-7:15
@ Three Jewels, Union Square

Wed 6-7:30
@ La Guardia Community College

There are some video descriptions of yoga and recent photos of ASL Yoga Retreat on her website (Click on the Yoga in ASL links).
Thanks to Jen Kagan for informing EcoDeaf about this!

http://www.jenkagan.net/

Photos from jenkagan.net.

Article: I Live Without Cash – And I Manage Just Fine.

2009-11-02T13:42:00.008-05:00

"Armed with a caravan, solar laptop and toothpaste made from washed-up cuttlefish bones, Mark Boyle gave up using cash."
Read more here

Can you give up cash and live in the wild?

Read the article, share comments, and discuss!

Less Waste to Zero Waste

2009-10-20T09:54:00.003-04:00

New York Times, October 20, 2009

At Yellowstone National Park, the clear soda cups and white utensils are not your typical cafe-counter garbage. Made of plant-based plastics, they dissolve magically when heated for more than a few minutes.

Multimedia
Slide Show
Zero Waste
Graphic
Brimming Landfills
At Ecco, a popular restaurant in Atlanta, waiters no longer scrape food scraps into the trash bin. Uneaten morsels are dumped into five-gallon pails and taken to a compost heap out back.
And at eight of its North American plants, Honda is recycling so diligently that the factories have gotten rid of their trash Dumpsters altogether.
Across the nation, an antigarbage strategy known as “zero waste” is moving from the fringes to the mainstream, taking hold in school cafeterias, national parks, restaurants, stadiums and corporations.
The movement is simple in concept if not always in execution: Produce less waste. Shun polystyrene foam containers or any other packaging that is not biodegradable. Recycle or compost whatever you can.
Though born of idealism, the zero-waste philosophy is now propelled by sobering realities, like the growing difficulty of securing permits for new landfills and an awareness that organic decay in landfills releases methane that helps warm the earth’s atmosphere.
“Nobody wants a landfill sited anywhere near them, including in rural areas,” said Jon D. Johnston, a materials management branch chief for the Environmental Protection Agencywho is helping to lead the zero-waste movement in the Southeast. “We’ve come to this realization that landfill is valuable and we can’t bury things that don’t need to be buried.”
For the full article, click here.

Becoming an eco-conscious ASL Teacher

2009-10-10T12:03:00.001-04:00

One of the best things about ASL in the academic environment is that it requires less paper. Becoming an ASL teacher has helped me realize how eco-friendly this type of class can become...

By using ASL in the classroom...

-We reduce the use of paper and ink...
-We reduce noise pollution...
-We bring a sense of community with our ASL stories...
-And... we can use the language to bring knowledge about ecosystem and ecological conservatism to our future generations. Earlier this year, for example, the Gallaudet National Essay, Art, and ASL contest theme was "Going Green: What I'm Doing to Help Save the Environment" and deaf students from all over the nation participated in the ASL contest, signing their eco-messages.

Since becoming an ASL teacher, I've discovered that it is pretty easy to modify the classroom and teaching environment into a eco-one. Here are some examples of what I've done:

Instead of copying papers or printing text to give to students, I have them read their instructions on the projector screen and answer in ASL.
Instead of giving paper quizzes, I have them sign the answers (which I think makes them think constructively and remember more) on VoiceThread, a web-based interactive classroom where students comments are recorded into video through their iSight/webcam on their Macbook.
Most of the classroom decorations were gathered from other classroom's discarded pile of last year's decorations. My hallway passes are laminated so students use it over and over.
And the paper ones I must use, I reuse as scrap paper.
If I must print, I figure out how to double-side print things.
And, I try to bike to work everyday... being an eco-conscious and health-conscious role model for the students and staff. Many of my students have told me they thought it was "super cool" that I biked to work, which boosted my eco-ego. I love how eco-supportive our young generation is.

But... We also live in a world that's becoming more and more dominated by technology- I cringe just thinking about the amount of energy that my projector use to operate. The lights that we use in the classroom. The TV we use to watch ASL videos. The student's laptops. But I remind myself that these laptops are made by the eco-conscious Apple, and can be recycled into new ones. Can't always win with everything, but at least I try to use less energy.

And, the coolest thing?
A teacher found my email address through the EcoDeaf bio/profiles and encouraged me to apply for this job-- had EcoDeaf not existed, I would probably not have been so lucky to get a job like this one. Not only has EcoDeaf served as an information center for the ASL community, it brings people of similiar interests many opportunities!
Thank you, EcoDeaf!

One World, Two Hands

2009-10-07T17:31:00.002-04:00

Found this fabulous ASL song about our Earth on YouTube -

ASL Signer: Jesse Jones III

Background Signers: Julie Fisher & Bethany Hooten

English to ASL translation: Bethany Hooten

Camera Operator/Editor: Eric Calbert

New Pizza Box

2009-10-06T22:48:00.005-04:00

Pizza Box of the Future

Remember Raychelle's November 2007 vlog about bringing her own pan when picking up pizza orders? Pizza Goes in Pans not Boxes!

Thanks to Vee Koz, we see that there is another way to reduce waste when eating pizza!

Pizza Box of the Future

Pizza Box Of The Future
Introducing an environmentally friendly pizza box. Do you think this will ever catch on in the USA? I don't think so!

Regular Beef or Organic Beef?

2009-10-06T18:35:00.003-04:00

Any thoughts on this "Growth Hormone Free Beef" commercial? I'm just thankful I'm a vegetarian :) But yes, that's how cattle, chickens, pigs, are treated - with growth hormones - capitalism at it's best.

Title: Birth
Director: Jeff Aron Lable
Production Company: Go Film
Contact: jlable@gmail.com
Producer: Marcus Cano
Director of Photography: Damian Acevedo
Client/Product: Naturalmarket.com/Hormone-free beef

My First Experience in Foraging for Edible Mushrooms

2009-10-02T08:52:00.022-04:00

Unidentified Mushrooms
Exploring the mushroom pile.

On Wednesday afternoon of September 30th 2009, it was my very first experience foraging for edible mushrooms with a friend who has experience in identifying different fungi. On the night before our mushroom hunt, my friend Potter gave me a batch of hen of the woods mushrooms (Grifola frondosa) also known as maitake to bring home and cook for dinner.

My very first question was, "How do you know if this mushroom is not poison?" Potter assured me that maitake mushrooms are not poison. He showed me the the information in the book entitled The Mushroom Book : How to Identify, Gather and Cook Wild Mushrooms and Other Fungi written by Thomas Laessoe, Anne Del Conte, and Gary Lincoff.

So, I went home and cooked maitake mushrooms.

I battered maitake mushrooms in olive oil, salt, and a lot of pepper.

I prepared food for stir fry: Cabbage, hot pepper, green pepper, onion, ginger, and fried maitake mushrooms. I wish I had some fresh garlic cloves at that time.

This is what my dinner looked like after I finished cooking it.
It was so delicious!

After I cooked and ate wild maitake mushrooms discovered by Potter, I felt the spirits of ancestors awakening within me. It was the new sense of connection with Earth that I never felt before. I looked forward to foraging for edible mushrooms.

In the next day, I picked up Potter and we went to the Forest Lawn Cemetery and Richardson Complex in the city of Buffalo. The Forest Lawn Cemetery is a famous graveyard site in Western New York. A well known singer named Ricky James is buried there. Tourists from around the world visit the Forest Lawn to see his tombstone. The Forest Lawn Cemetery is known as the "old soil" which means their ground is virtually untouched for hundreds of years. We gathered some thyme from the ground while we hunted for mushrooms. We found maitake mushrooms, the same kind that I cooked on the night before, growing next to an oak tree. Potter was delighted that it weighed about five pounds. We put it in a bag and hunted for more mushrooms. We found several more mushrooms at the Forest Lawn Cemetery.

Then we went to the Richardson Complex ground that is not too far away from the cemetery. Richardson Complex is an abandoned "asylum for the insane" located right by Buffalo Psychiatric Center and Buffalo State College. Again, the ground around the buildings is very old so mushrooms are found everywhere. We gathered a few more mushrooms there. I also saw a ginkgo tree for the first time. I was really astonished when I saw a ginkgo tree growing in Buffalo because I thought they only grow in the land of China. I was told that Ginkgo fruits can be harvested in the beginning of the winter season. We foraged for mushrooms in the total of two and a half hours. I was really amazed to see how many mushrooms we found in such a little time. Potter brought home many mushrooms that we gathered to be studied and identified in his lab.

Here is a couple pictures of different mushrooms below. Some of the mushrooms in this post are not yet identified by Potter. Once I learn the names of the unidentified mushrooms, I will come back to this post and name them.

Hen of the Woods (Maitake) Mushrooms.
Found at the Forest Lawn Cementary

Unidentitifed mushrooms
Found at the Richardson Complex site.

Disclaimers and Warnings:

If you do not have an experience in foraging for edible mushrooms, please do not attempt to eat any of it until you consult a mushroom expert. Some mushrooms are poisonous that can make you very sick, hallucinate, or die from eating it.

If you are very interested in foraging for edible mushrooms, please find a mushroom expert in your area to go on a few field trips together before going on your own. Most mushroom experts do spore testings and rely on books for references to identify their fungi before consuming them. On the other hand, if you are planning not to consume any wild mushrooms, it is fun to drift around to discover mushroom piles and take pictures of them. It is a fun hobby to get down to Earth and appreciate what the nature has to offer.

I am very interested to hear about your experience in foraging for wild mushrooms if you have a tale to share.

Namaste!

Written by Anthony Brucato

Cruelty Doesn't Fly!

2009-09-21T11:27:00.003-04:00

'Cruelty Doesn't Fly'—Learn More at PETA.org.

Wearing a pair of leather shoes? Got the animal fur coat on? Holding a purse made out of snake skins? You might want to think twice about what you are doing to the animals and our environment before you buy more leather and fur products.

Why leather products are bad for the environment?
Read Leather and Environmental Issues

How not to buy leather products?
Read the Buyer Guide on not buying leather

Still not convinced?
Read Eight Reasons To Say No to Leather

Thank you
Peta, Green Living Tips, Environmental Defense, and GenGreenLife
for posting the outstanding video and articles on the internet!!

Thank you Kenny for sharing the video and Katherine for sharing the articles with us. Your contributions are greatly appreciated. By the way, if any of you out there have interesting videos or articles to share, please send an e-mail to us and we'll put it up. It's nice to receive supports and tips from the community when the EcoDeaf staff and contributors are busy with work and school.

Namaste!

The Social Life of Chickens

2009-09-15T08:46:00.011-04:00

When you look at a group of chickens at the farm, what do you see about them? Are chickens "impassive by nature" or do they have social life like human beings? Do chickens develop their self-identity, personality, and behaviors?

Karen Davis, PhD and her chickens

Read the article
"Social Life of Chickens and the Mental States I Believe They Have and Need in Order to Participate in the Social Relationships I Have Observed,"
written by Karen Davis, PhD.

After reading Karen Davis's article, does it make you wonder about how chickens are treated and killed for food? Do meat eaters regard chickens as inferiors compared to other animals because it seems they are brainless birds clucking around with nothing else better to do. If people stop putting chickens in small cages to be slaughtered for food, would more people realize chickens have personalities and social behaviors like human beings?

Would it be better for the environment if human beings develop symbiotic relationship with chickens? Would less chickens be killed for food? What can we benefit from raising chickens not just only for food? Read Robin Ripley's Eight Benefits of Raising Backyard Chickens.

Robin Ripley even agrees with Karen Davis that every chicken has a personality. What about you? Feel free to leave a comment.

Thank you Katherine for sharing Karen Davis's article with us.

Are Cruises Eco-Friendly?

2009-08-31T17:16:00.008-04:00

I try to be as eco-conscious about my decisions as much as possible.... when offered to go on a 9-day cruise in the Caribbean, I hesitantly accepted, wondering about the ramifications of that kind of travel on the environment.

We stayed on Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas boat. The huge boat is 9 years old, weights 137 tons, is 1,000 feet long, and 137 feet wide. It holds 3,840 guests, and 1,214 workers. The boat cruises at an average of 25 mph. The boat sails constantly with new groups of guests constantly, all year long. Imagine a moving city/hotel that holds 5,000 people every week of the year = 270,000 people x 9 years = 2,430,000 million people.

Boy, was I pleasantly surprised. I realize now that huge cruise ships must find ways to reduce their amount of trash because it saves them money, hence, making the cruise more eco-conscious for all of us, perhaps more than airlines and hotels.

My bed sheets were never taken out/washed the entire 9-day stay. My used towels, left on the racks, were simply re-folded and put back on the rack (I know because I put a tiny make-up smudge on one corner on purpose).

Here is a photo-journal of all the good eco-things (and some bad) about the cruise I went on.

The showerhead was low-flow, and the warmest setting for the shower was mildly warm. I couldn't increase it to a hot temperature (I love hot showers, so this was a nice way to detract me from taking hot showers!). I also know the ship can provide hot temperatures because in the spa, I used their shower, and it was hot! Wonder why.
This shampoo/conditioner dispenser was excellent, much better than the tiny bottles they put in your hotel room every day. I used this everyday.

Those signs were in every room, every bathroom and peppered on various locations on the ship.

I could control the temperature in my room. Of course we put it at the lowest possible setting, but the air conditioning in the cruise liner was too strong (yes I froze), and the cold air still seeped in our room regardless of that setting. I was told that people remedy this by opening their balcony window to let the outside air in (which is obviously just making the air conditioner run even more). I think this is probably the biggest pet peeve I have about cruises - their freezing temperatures!!!! Royal Caribbean, take note!
Their trash cans in the rooms are NOT lined with plastic bags.
The bathroom trash can, again, NOT lined with a plastic bag. Nice! When I had my period (yes I got it on the cruise, ugh), there were paper bags specifically for discarding pads and tampons that said "100% recyclable" and "biodegradable". Hmm. Too bad, I forgot to bring my Sea Sponges!!! So I bought tampons from the cruise shop - double UGH).

I didn't take a picture of my laundry bag (they washed my clothes) and returned it in a paper bag (not plastic). The original laundry bag was plastic, though....

All of their lights are LED bulbs that put out less heat and require significantly less energy.
Recycling bins can be found on each floor.
Unfortunately, their milk comes in paper cartons (better than plastic, regardless). I also was disappointed the condiments were all individual sized (ketchup, mustard, relish, syrup, butter, and so on). There should be bulk canisters for these things. Also, water is provided in dispensing tanks, so there were no plastic bottles anywhere. You could purchase them from the ship, but of course they were tad too expensive (thank goodness), and I didn't see anyone drinking from them or leaving them around.
All of the utensils, dishes and napkins were metal, plastic/ceramic or cloth. I only found one small section of the ship that provided paper napkins (and it was hard to find).

A small half-page article in a thick magazine by the Royal Caribbean cruise for the 2009-2010 year mentions their endeavors in being eco-conscious. They mention that all their windows have tinging materials that filter out almost all UV rays which saves air conditioning (if only they'd turn down their air conditioning setting!). Their dishwashers, laundry equipment, ice makers are all water-conserving and energy efficient. The newer ships all have better hull shapes and improved propeller systems which save energy and fuel.

What do you think? Do those little things cancel out the amount of carbon emissions the ship emits? I wish I took a photo of the gray-black billowing smoke from the top of the ship. Does the moving ship make a negative, irreparable impact on the ecosystems underneath?

(not a photo of a Royal Carribean ship, it's a photo I found on the internet)

I've read that it's better to cruise than to fly, because of the low MPH (the lower MPH you go, the more fuel you save over time) and I've never met a plane that could carry 5,000 passengers, board them, feed them, and take them to 4 islands over 9 days. What do you think?

p.s. This blogging style, "photo-journals" - I borrowed from Beth Terry, blogger at Fake Plastic Fish. I love her blog posts, check her out!

Great Sage Restaurant: Come!!!

2009-08-27T11:58:00.004-04:00

GREAT SAGE Restaurant

Candace McCullough invites you all to:

Come join us for a great vegan dinner at the delicious Great Sage restaurant in Clarksville, MD.

***Call ahead with your credit card info to reserve a seat under Candace McCullough's name. Reservations can be canceled 3 days in advance at no charge***

Great Sage is proud to announce...
Locally Grown Gourmet Vegan Dinner!

Monday, September 14th at 7pm

$45 per person plus tax and gratuity

Come enjoy a locally farmed, delicious, five course meal at our Conscious Corner business Great Sage Restaurant. There will be a spotlight on the importance of organic, local farms and produce along with a guest speaker.

Seating is very limited so be sure to make reservation today!!

THE MENU:

Amuse
Heirloom Tomato Terrine
with Maché and aged Balsamic

1st Course
Roasted Baby Beet Salad with Bi-colored Corn, Baby Dragon Lettuce, and
Pistachio Vinaigrette

2nd Course
Local Shitake Risotto with Roasted Leeks,
Wilted Spinach, and Summer Squash

3rd Course
Purple Bell Pepper stuffed with Baby Maroon Carrots and Quinoa-Herb Salsa
Intermezzo
Raspberry Snow

Dessert
Blackberry Compote
with White Chocolate-Peach Mousse

2009-08-21T18:02:00.003-04:00

RAW SPIRIT FESTIVAL

www.rawspiritfest.com

DATES: Saturday and Sunday, August 29 to 30

TIME: 8 AM to Midnight

PLACE: Patuxent River 4-H Center at Upper Marlboro, Maryland

There will be presentations, music, education on natural health, sacred exercises, meditation, poetry, dancing, creative children's program, raw food demonstration (all day long) and much more.

INTERPRETING SERVICE: There will be around 10 interpreters throughout the event at pre-arranged sites :-)

REGISTRATION FEES:
$69 for one day pass
$99 for a weekend pass or $115 at the door

Kids' Rates:
Age 0 - 4: FREE
5 - 11: $59 for a weekend pass
5 - 11: $49 for a single day pass

Please email
Rev. Patricia McDaniel at: freelancespirit43@yahoo.com
and
May Wille at: maywille@yahoo.com
AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
that you have registered for the festival and also whether you opt for the weekend or which day you plan to go with your single day pass.

MEALS AND FOOD:
Meals can be purchased at the restaurant courts.
Fresh organic fruits and vegetables are available at the farmers market. delicious desserts and scrumptious smoothies can be bought at the vendor booths.

Children are welcome.
Bring your children to experience the creative and inspirational program provided each hour during the day and evening!
Preschool children need to be attended by one parent at all times!

SEE YOU THERE :-) HAVE FUN :-)

News: Mexico City bans stores from distributing plastic bags

2009-08-21T12:11:00.003-04:00

Story Highlights

Mexico City is Western Hemisphere's second large metro area to ban the bags
Move comes as leading environmentalists call for global ban
U.N. agency: Plastic bags are second-most common form of litter
Bags a major threat to ocean wildlife, U.N. agency says

Read the article here

Anthony's comment:

I remember reading an article about the city of San Fransisco banning the distribution of plastic bags few years ago. I was delighted to hear that news. I was hoping that more American cities would follow San Fransisco's anti-plastic bag model but apparently not as far as I know. Reading the article about Mexico City made me happy that more foreign cities are adopting the similar policy and encouraging their stores to distribute only bio-degradable bags. Encourage your American stores to ban regular plastic bags and start distributing bio-degradable bags. We can do it!

Thank you, CNN, for sharing the news.

Eco-Movie: Earthlings

2009-07-07T08:15:00.001-04:00

Synopsis:

"EARTHLINGS is an award-winning documentary film about the suffering of animals for food, fashion, pets, entertainment and medical research. Considered the most persuasive documentary ever made, EARTHLINGS is nicknamed “the Vegan maker” for its sensitive footage shot at animal shelters, pet stores, puppy mills, factory farms, slaughterhouses, the leather and fur trades, sporting events, circuses and research labs. The film is narrated by Academy Award® nominee Joaquin Phoenix and features music by platinum-selling recording artist Moby. Initially ignored by distributors, today EARTHLINGS is considered the definitive animal rights film by organizations around the world. “Of all the films I have ever made, this is the one that gets people talking the most,” said Phoenix. “For every one person who sees EARTHLINGS, they will tell three.”

The film Earthlings contains
images of graphic violence to animals.
Viewer discretion is advised.

Source:
www. Earthlings.com

Thank you Katherine, an Ecodeaf member, for recommending the film.

Creating Art and being Eco-Friendly

2009-07-02T18:08:00.007-04:00

As I have integrated eco-living into my life, I have faced an interesting dilemma in how to be earth-friendly as I create art.

I recently created New Year's cards, something that I have never done before, and I felt inclined to do so because I was trying out a new art technique. Of course, I wanted to share these cards with friends and I opted to do it the old-fashioned way to revive the lost art of letter writing. I sent them out via snail mail.

To compensate for creating carbon footprints by having them copied and sent out, I had them copied on 100% recycled paper. I did not feel satisfied with how I was trying to offset my footprint, but they went out in the mail nevertheless. I hope when recipients were ready to discard their card (I'd be flattered if they wanted to keep them tacked to the fridge), it went into their recycle bin or is shredded and put in the compost bin.

I've questioned myself about how an artist can be "green" without sacrificing quality, or paying lots of money. I deal with that question as I work with oil paint, turpentine, and other art materials laced with ingredients impossible to spell.

Do I switch to art materials created with natural ingredients? What may be the best way to dispose of them or to switch over to natural ingredients without losing quality? Over the next couple of months, I will try to find out more about this and how I can feel content both with what I create, and how I dispose of waste products, and I will post what I find.

If any of you have insight on this - feel free to share!

Volunteer Registration is Open for the 2009 DC Green Festival!

2009-07-02T10:01:00.011-04:00

Washington, DC Green Festival
October 10-11, 2009
WDC Convention Center

REGISTER TO VOLUNTEER:

www.greenfestivalvolunteers.org/dc

*Please note: if you volunteered last year you will have to re-register for an account on our website. You may use the same account information from the previous year, but you must re-register because all accounts are cleared from the system each year. Thank you!

The sixth year of the DC Green Festival is shaping up to be amazing! We invite you to volunteer with us this year and help make the Green Festival another success!

Green Festival relies on the support of over 1,000 volunteers! Volunteers not only receive great benefits, like free admission, an exclusive organic cotton staff t-shirt, and free memberships-volunteers become a part of a huge community of people that utilize civic involvement to make an impact on social and environmental justice. Join the Green Festivals volunteer team and you’ll really make a difference!

Volunteers must complete one 4.5-5 hour shift, but are encouraged to volunteer for two or three shifts. Volunteers receive free admission to the event for both days, an exclusive staff organic cotton t-shirt, optional free one-year membership to Global Exchange and Green America, and 10% off at the Global Exchange and Green Festivals Stores!

If you have a group that would like to volunteer, please contact Alesha Reardon, volunteer@greenfestivals.org, to arrange for a group time slot. Group slots tend to fill up quickly, so please consider contacting us early!

Please note that our age restrictions have changed this year. We are only allowing volunteers 14 or older to volunteer. Volunteers between the ages 14-16 must volunteer with an adult. If you have any questions or concerns, please email
volunteer@greenfestivals.org

Join us on Facebook! We now have a DC Green Festival volunteer page on Facebook-join us year round as we collaborate, communicate and organize: www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=59392583472

If you have any questions about volunteering, or are interested in joining our pre-event volunteer Street Team to help get the word out about the festival and volunteering please contact Alesha Reardon at volunteer@greenfestivals.org

Looking forward to my fourth DC Green Festival and working with all of you!

Green regards,

Alesha Reardon
National Volunteer Director
volunteer@greenfestivals.org

Still not sure about volunteering?
Read about Anthony's positive Green Festival 2008 volunteer experience here

EcoShowering

2009-06-29T07:19:00.003-04:00

From Sixwise.com:

When you step into your hot shower, you are inadvertently exposing your body to a slew of toxins that can damage your health, inside and out.

These toxins stem from a chemical that is added to the water supply on purpose, ironically to kill bacteria. The chemical is chlorine, and it's added to all public water supplies to kill disease-causing bacteria in the transport pipes and the water itself.

By taking a hot shower you end up absorbing over 600 percent more chlorine and other chemicals than you would from drinking the same un-filtered water all day!

Click here to go directly to the Sixwise.com Source

------------------------------

From Raychelle:

The good news is that chlorine and other chemicals can be easily removed from your family's shower with many, many different types of filters currently on the market. Just google showerhead filters and/or tub filters and you'll find plenty, quite possibly at your local home store.

Click here to check my showerhead filter and my tub filter.

Old EcoDeaf posts:

Bottled Water vs. Tap Water

More Tidbits on Water

Do You Really Know What's in Your Water?

Eco-Product Review: Water Crock

Water Bottles: Water Disaster

2009-06-28T09:18:00.002-04:00

Click the below link to view a PowerPoint about Water Bottles and how very dangerous they are for us as humans and for earth.

Water Bottles: Water Disaster

Many thanks for the tip from the Living Food Farm Health Talk newsletter, produced by a deaf family who owns an organic farm in Minnesota.

Humane Meats, Milk & Eggs

2009-06-16T09:23:00.003-04:00

If "humane meats, milk & eggs" is new to you, basically humane foods means the animals were raised with freedom of movement, sunlight, grass and so on. The basic right of every human.

Most animals nowadays are put in cages where their feet grow fused with the metal cages on bottom of their cages, they never walk or run, see the sun and they're given many chemical shots to make them grow faster and fatter. They get their food through a hose that sprays on their face. Then when they need to be taken out to be killed for food, their legs are cut off from the cage (remember their feet grew into the cage platform). There are a lot more disgusting things about this scenario, such as how all the cages are piled on top of each other, so when one defecates or urinates, it goes all the way down on top of other animals. This is a horrible way to live and die.

How do we as powerful consumers put a stop to that? Buy meats, milk and eggs that say:

GOOD Start

“Cage free”

“Free range”

“Grass fed”

Even BETTER

“Free range”

“Pasture raised”

“USDA organic”

The BEST Options

“American Humane Certified”

“Animal Welfare Approved”

“Certified Humane”

To read more about humane foods or animal-friendly foods, click here.

Many thanks for the tip from the Living Food Farm Health Talk newsletter, produced by a deaf family who owns an organic farm in Minnesota.

Real People Use Reel Lawn Mower

2009-06-15T08:55:00.003-04:00

Yup, this is the reel deal! Forget gasoline! No more stinky hands from pouring gas into the gas tank of the lawn mower. Forget cranking up the engine. Forget the nasty smell as you burn gas. Forget disturbing the peace with excessive noises coming from the lawn mower.

See how the dude in the video push the reel lawn mower in bare feet? Reel lawn mowers are relatively safer than gas-powered lawn mower. When you stop pushing the reel lawn mower, the blades stop spinning abruptly. It does not continue spinning for another three minutes or so like with the gas-powered lawn mower.

I love using reel lawn mower! I save gas money every time I use it! I do not have to take a trip to the gas station to fill up the gas tank, so I curb emissions from not driving my car! I like pushing the reel lawn mower in bare feet so that I can feel Earth as I do the job. I reckon it sure is the reel deal!!

Go Green! Get a Reel Lawn Mower!

DISCLAIMER:
To be safe, wear sneakers while cutting the grass with a lawn mower at all times.

Thank you sarafranchesca for sharing this video with the world.
Much Eco-preciated!

Namaste!

Book Review: Planetwalker

2009-06-04T10:48:00.000-04:00

Feel like reading an inspirational book over the summer?

Read Planetwalker.

Planetwalker is a life story about John Francis, PhD who gave up his car to walk around for the next 22 years. After John witnessed the oil spill in the ocean not too far from his hometown, he became disgusted with the increasing negative impacts on the environment from modern human endeavors which caused him to drop out of the petroleum society. He saw how birds and fishes were soaked in oil and how local people were rescuing them from death. Without a car, he walked across the town to see his doctor. He walked to the bar to see his friends. Before long, he trekked across North America and South America by feet.

Eventually, people in his town realized John was walking everywhere with a banjo and they thought he was crazy. Some people offered him car rides and he refused. John became tired of arguing with people about why he would not ride the car again when he knew their arguments would not go anywhere at all, so he became silent for 17 years. He looked up to ancient thinkers and philosophers on the reasons to stay silent and followed their ways. To communicate without voicing, he pantomimed with people. Then, he became familiar with Indian Sign Language, Signed Exact English, and American Sign Language. (Right on, John!)

When John Francis walked across the country from the west coast to the east coast, he stopped at universities to pick up his degrees. He met many interesting people including deaf folks and sign language interpreters along the way. For instance, King Jordan from Gallaudet University was mentioned in the book. Besides meeting inspirational people, he experienced eye-opening and life threatening moments while footing across America.

How did he survive while walking across the desert or through a blizzard? How did he communicate when giving a speech to a classroom of people? Did he have sign language interpreters with him during presentations? Did he start talking again? Did he ride the ambulance after he was hit by a car? What did he actually do to convince the federal government and petroleum companies to look at the consequences and costs of oil spills then do something about it? And what is he doing right now?

Find out and read the book my friends!

Thank you, John Francis, for sharing your life journey through your book.

Much Eco-preciated!
NAMASTE!

book review written by an EcoDeaf Contributer, Anthony Brucato