Presence without the presents

The gift of freedom ...

http://plasticmanners.wordpress.com/2010/12/17/presence-without-the-presents/

10 uses for a People Towel

Back in the day, my Grandmother always carried a hankie.  We used it for everything ... gathering eggs, a towel, a bandage for a boo-boo ... it even carried the flowers we picked.

Today - I still carry a hankie.  It's in my daily 'possibles bag'. 
But I also carry a People Towel!  They are fast drying and small.  Very handy! 

Here is a list of a few of the ways I've used my People Towel recently: 

1. a towel to dry your hands on! (duh)
2. a napkin (I sincerely hope you tell the folks in the drive-thru, no napkins please!)
3. a tissue (only if you might need something soft and absorbent for your nose)
4. a soft wrap for your Oakley sunglasses that you need to stuff in your Tote
5. a Koozie for your hot coffee cup
6. you are out for a hike, see a 'treasure', you can wrap it in your People Towel (stuff it in your pocket) for safekeeping
7. a wash-cloth (for when your son is rolling in the grass and his arms itch)
8. You are out to dinner, and your daughter says, 'Mom - the seat is wet (bus-boy-dude just wiped it down) Sha-zam - People towel to the rescue!
9. a Lego holder, when you son needs to sort his stash in the truck
10. Skittles container, when your son uses 3 quarters to get more than a handful out of the machine. *sigh* it happens


There is a reason why I have more than 1 People Towel ... and always a couple in the wash. :D

Please comment and share your People Towel adventures!

Buy yours today - http://www.peopletowels.com/

8 Facts you didn't know about water

Being part of the solution ...

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/10/8-facts-you-didnt-know-about-water.php

AMAZING Dolphins!

Can you imagine being caught in a Dolphin stampede? 

Apparently this is Garden Cove, Placentia Bay, Newfoundland ...

They had to keep cutting the motor in the boat for fear of striking a dolphin.

What a beautiful sight!

Fourth Orca Dies At SeaWorld This Year

6 October 2010

A 25 year old female orca called Kalina died at SeaWorld Orlando on Monday. Kalina is the fourth orca to die at SeaWorld parks this year – a shameful record that highlights the difficulty of keeping these remarkable animals in captivity.

Kalina was the first orca born in captivity.

http://www.wdcs.org/news.php?select=827

Sumar the Orca, dies ...

One of the problems for orcas in captivity is that they tend to die young. So it was sad, but not surprising, to hear of the death of 12-year old Sumar at SeaWorld San Diego earlier this week.

http://orcaaware.com/

Join the Green My Lunchbox campaign!

Help to eliminate 1 million pounds of waste by being one of the 15,000 families who pledge to pack a waste-free lunch.

http://www.greenmylunchbox.com/

Your Daily Groove – Life Without Debt?

by Steve McAllister on August 10, 2010

“Debt, n. An ingenious substitute for the chain and whip of the slave-driver.” – Ambrose Bierce

Although the concept of credit has been sold, and continues to be sold, as one of the bastions of American freedom, it is an unfortunate fact that the opposite is true. In this culture of materialism, we are given the liberty to possess whatever stuff we want as long as we agree to the interest, fees, and monthly installments, at the end of which our initial purchase is often already in a landfill or replaced with the latest upgrade. And yet we toil, stress, and clamor to make our payments and stay on the creditor’s good side lest he deny us more credit for which we can toil, stress, and clamor. It is a sad reflection upon us that many consider this “the American way.”


But what if we were to redefine our freedom? What if, instead of considering our freedom as the opportunity to possess whatever we want, we consider the freedom to not possess it? What if we could learn to appreciate things where they are and not have to bring them into our lives? What if we shirked the responsibility of ownership and opted for the liberty of unattachment? What if we forsook our penchant for materialism in order to free ourselves from the chains of debt?

Could our economy still thrive without all of the stuff?

10 reasons why plastic bags blow!

This article was posted on Aug 05 2010 by Plastic Pollution Coalition


By Lisa Kaas Boyle, Esq.


http://plasticpollutioncoalition.org/2010/08/10-reasons-why-single-use-plastic-bags-blow/

In the U.S., water is a luxury.

By Lynn Hasselberger

on Jul 6, 2010

Clean Water in Abundance Thanks to a Special Organization

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2010/07/clean-water-in-abundance-possible-or-not/

Incredible ... a worthy read

Outside Magazine, July 2010

The Killer in the Pool
Last February, when a 12,000-pound orca named Tilikum dragged his SeaWorld trainer into the pool and drowned her, it was the third time the big killer whale had been involved in a death. Many observers wondered why the animal was still working. But some experts, knowing the psychological toll of a life spent in captivity, have posed a darker question: Was it human error, or can a killer whale choose to kill?

By Tim Zimmermann

http://outside.away.com/outside/culture/201007/killer-whale-behavior-trainer-death-seaworld.html

10 products to never buy Generic

I agree with most ... especially the cheese! Okay, the beer too ...

http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/07/19/10-products-to-never-buy-generic/

American's hooked on plastic

Only 7.1 percent of our plastic waste was recycled in 2008, according to the latest data from the Environmental Protection Agency.


By weight, that means that out of 30.05 million tons of plastic waste generated that year, nearly 28 million tons ended up in the trash heap. That's the equivalent of 366,000 Boeing 737s, according to calculations by Waste Management.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38173694/ns/business-oil_and_energy/

The excessive waste produced by consumption of bottled beverages!

Fantastic article - the rest of the USA should follow!!

San Francisco Mayor bans soft drinks on city property ... awesome. 

http://www.care2.com/causes/real-food/blog/san-francisco-mayor-bans-soft-drinks/

Be Green - Step 1

Step 1 - STOP buying plastic bottles!


Immediately. No more. Seriously.


When you leave your house, will you want a drink of water before returning? 
Most likely, YES.  Then take it with you!


- Buy a Klean Kanteen or a Nalgene bottle ... or something safe and carry it with you!
- Do NOT use a plastic water bottle and keep refilling it.  These plastic bottles are full of BPA and will continue to leak poisons into your water.
- Americans throw out 38 billion empty water bottles a year, more than $1 million worth of plastic. 
(Fast Company, December 2007)

Be Green - Step 2

Step 2 - STOP using plastic bags from the grocery store!


Spend the 50 cents and buy one.  Seriously.
No more plastic bags.


Toss a few recycle bags in your vehicle ... they will be there for those quick stops at the Grocery store, or Walgreen's, or Hallmark ... or wherever you shop.  AND USE THEM.


- Worldwide, human beings use more than 1 trillion plastic shopping bags in a year
- Every reusable bag bought or distributed prevents about 400 plastic bags from being used. (Surf Rider Foundation)
- Every 13 plastic bags saved equals enough petroleum to drive a car one mile. (Surf Rider Foundation)

Be Green - Step 3

Step 3 - STOP using paper towels everywhere you go!

Immediately.  No more.  Seriously.

Buy a People Towel and carry it ... and re-use it!

Many moons ago people carried a hankie - get back to it!

The use of disposable paper towels is having a devastative impact on the environment.  

- to make 1 ton of paper towels, 17 trees and 20,000 gallons of water are polluted

- everyday, over 3,000 tons of paper towel waste is produced in the US alone

- decomposing paper towels produce methane gas, a leading cause of global warming

- the average person uses 2,400-3,000 paper towels at work, in a given year