Tag: nature

Camping has long been a favorite pastime for outdoor enthusiasts. Not only is it a great way to escape the demands of day-to-day life, it is also a wonderful way to interact with friends and family too. But did you know that camping can also be good for your health? Yep, that’s right. Sitting around a campfire, sleeping under the stars, and immersing yourself in nature can have some surprising benefits to your well being. Here are just some of the ways that your next campout could prove beneficial.

Better Sleep

Many people say that one of the best parts of camping is sleeping outdoors in a tent. There are even those who feel that they get their best rest ever while on a camping trip. That might be because being outside helps to reset our circadian rhythms, which are often disrupted by artificial light sources and the screens from our electronic devices. Exposures to the natural day-night cycle while on a camping trip can put your internal clock back on schedule, however, which not only helps you sleep better in the wild but when you get back home too.

Good Exercise

You don’t typically think of camping as a great form of exercise, but it turns out you can burn a lot of calories while in the outdoors. Hiking to the campsite, setting up camp, preparing meals, collecting wood for the fire, and generally just staying active while outside will have you working up quite an appetite in no time at all. So even if you skip the gym for a day or two while you’re out camping, you shouldn’t stress about it too much. You’re still getting a decent workout.

Unplug, Literally

Our modern life is filled with all kinds of conveniences, including smartphones and tablets that help to keep us connected at all times. But those devices can also be a major distraction as well, keeping us from focusing on what is happening around us, and causing us to disconnect from the people we’re actually spending time with. Visit a remote camping site, however, and you may find that you don’t have any cell or data service at all. This will help to keep you more grounded and present, and give you a break from the stream of media content that constantly vies for our attention. You may be amazed at how freeing that can make you feel.

Get an Injection of Vitamin D

Of course, one of the best side effects of being outside is exposure to the sun, which results in increased production of vitamin D. This has all kinds of benefits for your health, including strengthening your bones and teeth, as well as improving your overall immune system. In fact, vitamin D has been shown to be effective in fighting certain types of cancer, staving off type 1 diabetes, and preventing multiple sclerosis. Who would have thought that a little sunshine could be so good for us?

Don’t Worry, Be Happy

Another benefit of spending time outside is the dramatic impact that it can have on your mood. Not only does camping help to lower your stress levels, it’ll also stimulate the production of serotonin, a chemical within your body that naturally makes you feel happier. Better yet, those feeling tend to continue for a while, even after you’ve gone home. That means that some of the benefits of a good camping trip will continue to pay dividends for days afterwards.

Camping is Social

Few things in life can make you happier and more satisfied than spending time with friends and family. Camping is the perfect excuse for doing just that, as few things are as social as preparing meals together, relaxing around the campfire, and sharing a tent after a busy day. If you’re looking to bond with the important people in your life, camping is a healthy way to accomplish that goal. And when you head home, chances are that close connection will continue.
At the end of the day, camping is just another good excuse to get outside, which almost always leads to some positive health benefits for both the body and mind.  So why not dust off your tent, dig out your sleeping bag, and plan a camping trip of your own soon?

Water has become a precious resource throughout the arid west. Many parts of the country are feeling the repercussions of building cities and planting huge swaths of farmland in the middle of the desert. This coupled with the impact of a warming planet has meant that water is becoming even more scarce. As a result, doing the rain dance in states like Colorado, California, and Arizona has become more important than ever. But when the skies do open up and provide the moisture that these drought-ravaged areas have been praying for, who actually gets to keep it?

Capturing Rain With Rain Barrels in California

California has been in a major drought. In fact, its driest years on record have been between the years of 2011 and 2014. In an effort to reduce residential water use and conserve the state’s precious resources, the state launched a rain barrel rebate program for homeowners to reuse rainwater at home. The idea is to encourage residents to recapture and reuse rainwater for home gardens rather than turn to the hose. (Although in recent years, the complete lack of rain has made rain barrels somewhat useless. Thus, homeowners are encouraged to go one step further and rip out their water-intensive lawns for another cash rebate.)

Simple catchment systems replenish aquifers and reduce water bills. Not to mention that outdoor water use accounts for30 percent of the average potable water use nationally.

After the Storm In Colorado

While rain barrels are encouraged for conservation purposes in California, rainwater collection is actually illegal in Colorado. Colorado just experienced the wettest May in recorded history, a welcomed event considering the state’s drought issues. But even though the rain actually fell in Colorado, nearly18 other states and even the country of Mexico will get the majority of the water. Colorado is only entitled to one-third of its rainwater and the other two-thirds will flow out of the state. That’s why collecting rainwater using rain barrels is a crime in the state.

This spring Colorado legislators tried to enact a law that would legalize rainwater collection. The law would allow each Colorado resident to collect650 gallons of water per year using two 55 gallon water tanks. To give you a better idea, that’s how much water the average American uses in a week. While the bill had bipartisan support, it ran into problems as a result of century-old water claims. Some ranchers see rain collection as stripping them of the water they’re entitled to downstream. In Colorado, just because water flows through your property via a stream or onto your property through rainfall, it doesn’t mean you own it.

Once it Hits the Ground in Oregon

In Oregon, residents are partially allowed to collect rain.Oregonians can collect water from artificial impervious surfaces including rooftops, parking lots, and barrels, but once rainwater touches the ground, it becomes the property of the state. One man faced 30 days in jail and a $1,500 fine for digging three ponds on his property that were used to collect rain. According to state authorities, since the rain actually hit the ground, the state owns it, so building ponds to collect it is, in fact, a form of stealing.

Check With Your Local Water Authorities

At the federal level, rainwater collection is still encouraged, though you should check with your state water authority to make sure it’s legal. Some states like Utah, for example, require that you get a permit to collect water and in some cases, residents are only allowed to collect a certain amount. While it may seem like water that lands on your property is your property, sometimes this isn’t the case. So if you don’t want to end up paying a fine, check your local laws. But once you know it’s legal, consider giving it a try. Rainwater collection is effective even in states that don’t traditionally have drought problems. For example, agricultural states like Georgia, have growing populations that use up water supplies. rainwater can be collected during the rainy season and used when it’s most needed during the hotter, drier months of the year.

When it comes to owning the rain, it depends on where you live. But rain collection is just one more tool in a conservationist’s toolbox. Water reuse should never be used as a substitute for good old fashioned conservation techniques like choosing drought tolerant plants in your backyard and turning lawns into edible gardens.

Sales of organic products have increased by a whopping 20 percent in the past decade making it the fastest growing agricultural sector. Consumers are motivated to buy organic because they want to reduce their exposure to pesticide residue, hormones, and antibiotics. But organic produce isn’t just good for your health, it’s also good for the health and well-being of the farmer that produces your food and the planet.

A Farmer’s Pesticide Exposure

While consumers come into contact with pesticide residue found on fruits and vegetables, farmers and farm workers are exposed to the actual pesticides. With more than 17,000 pesticide products (including consumer products) on the market today, it’s become unrealistic for the Environmental Protection Agency to test all of them. In fact, the agency only tests one percent of chemicals in commerce today.

Most recently, two former farm workers sued Monsanto claiming that its signature weed killer Roundup caused their cancers. Enrique Rubio, who was a farm worker in Oregon, Texas, and California claimed that exposure to Roundup caused his bone cancer. He filed a lawsuit alleging that spraying fields with the herbicide was a substantial and contributing factor to his cancer diagnosis in 1995. Judi Fitzgerald filed a lawsuit in the federal court of New York claiming that exposure to Roundup during the 1990s caused her leukemia over a decade later.

Protecting Soil and Water Quality

While in the short term farmers may think that depending on a chemical regimen to grow crops is easier, over time, heavy use of pesticides can damage the soil and environment. For example, many genetically modified seeds like Roundup Ready corn, soy, and cotton have become resistant to the herbicide Roundup. As a result, farmers dump inordinate amounts of it on their crops. In fact, according to the EPA, in the past two decades, use has increased by 7 million pounds.

While the crop itself may survive the onslaught of pesticides, the biodiversity surrounding the crops does not and the soil itself becomes a dead zone. Once the soil becomes overly depleted, the food produced on the land also suffers. For example, fruits and vegetables can become depleted of vitamins and minerals. What’s more, pesticides seep down into ground water as well as into lakes and streams. Whether as a result of pesticide drift or runoff, these chemicals can pollute water supplies. Pesticides cause the growth of toxic algae blooms, which can also cause water contamination and, in some cases, even cut off drinking water supplies to certain areas.

Organic Farming Is More Profitable

Organic farming is also better for farmers financially. A new study, published in Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), found that organic farming is 22 to 35 percent more profitable than conventional farming. Not only does organic farming demand a higher price tag from consumers who value both the health and environmental benefits of better food, it doesn’t require expensive petroleum-based synthetic fertilizers.

Nitrogen fertilizers are the single biggest energy consumer, representing over 40 percent of the energy cost for a conventional farmer. These fertilizers require large amounts of petroleum to produce and transport. In the end, the average net return for organic farmers is $558 per acre per year versus $190 per acre per year for conventional farmers. And after all that input, the crop yields are basically the same.

If the actual societal price of conventional farming was included in the consumer price, (for example, the cost of cleaning up polluted water systems and crop subsidies), then the cost of conventional farming would be a whole lot higher, but those farmers would still be unlikely to see the majority of the profits.

Organic produce has a positive impact on society from producer to consumer. It requires fewer pesticides which means farmers aren’t exposed to poisons that can be detrimental to their health both immediately and later on in life. It also means that farmers actually get to farm, using age-old methods like cover crops, beneficial insects, and crop rotation to maintain soil biodiversity.

Traditional farming methods are something of an art form and they deserve a fair wage. Once farmers do the work to transition their farm to organic, they deserve to be compensated for the effort–especially when it means we get to enjoy the delicious and healthful products from all of their hard work.

The Amazon is the world’s largest rain forest and is known as “The Lungs of the World.” It provides 20 percent of the world’s oxygen and is home to nearly half of all the species of animals on earth. It’s a pretty important piece of this little planet. 

Unfortunately, over the years, people have become accustomed to hearing bad news about the Amazon. News about clear cutting and deforestation and endangered animals. 

However, now there’s reason to feel hopeful about the rain forest. Since 2004, deforestation has been reduced by around 80 percent. During 2004 alone, 27,400 square kilometers of rainforest were cleared. Last year, only 4,800 square kilometers were cleared. 

A pretty dramatic drop, huh?

The progress is almost entirely the result of Brazil’s measures to curb deforestation. First, the country increased the number of protected rain forest areas. They were mostly designated as national parks or indigenous lands. 

Businesses also had a lot to do with the turnaround.

Cattle ranching and soybean farming were two of the biggest clear-cutting culprits. After years of negative press about the practice and its effects, Cargill and McDonald’s (the two biggest buyers of Brazilian soybeans) refused to purchase any soybeans that were grown on cleared Amazon land. In 2006, that led to a countrywide moratorium of the practice. 

Protected lands and moratoriums are nothing without oversight, though. That’s why the Brazilian Space Agency launched a satellite in 2004 to ensure protected areas were staying protected and lands weren’t being cleared for farming. The satellite is able to track changes in forest cover in real time, which allows authorities to identify areas where illegal logging or farming is taking place. 

Speaking of enforcement…

The government also raised fines for violators and started heavily patrolling roads that lead into the rain forest. These measures have allowed authorities to effectively police an area that’s more than 5 million square kilometers.

Deforestation is still happening in the Amazon but, at the very least, Brazil has been a shining example of what a government can accomplish with real political will and resources. 

In a historic move, Hawaii became the first state in the nation to ban plastic bags at grocery stores. 

The green initiative was passed in 2012, and the measure went into effect on July 1. The goal of the law is to reduce marine litter around the islands. 

Interestingly, the ban was instituted by Hawaii’s four counties, rather than at the state level. Honolulu County, located on the island of Oahu, became the final region in the state to take action. Now, stores on the islands are prohibited from handing out plastic bags at checkout. 

Well, almost. 

Unfortunately, there’s a glaring loophole in the ban that allows stores to hand out “reusable” plastic bags. Some retailers, including Wal-Mart, are distributing thicker plastic bags marked as “reusable.” Many environmental advocates are dismayed by what they perceive as an oversight in crafting the law.  

“That’s more plastic that they have to use to make the bag which is more of a finite resource. It’s oil. Plastic is made out of oil. They also pose just as much of a risk to our marine creatures,” Kahi Pacarro, executive director of Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii, told Hawaii News Now. 

There are other exceptions, as well. Restaurants will still be allowed to use plastic bags to transport delivery and carryout orders. Pharmacies and dry cleaners can continue to use plastic bags, too. 

The ban is still an incredible step in the right direction. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that Americans threw away 3.4 million tons worth of plastic bags and wrapping in 2012. It’s that sort of waste that has resulted in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a concentration of debris twice the size of the continental United States located between California and Hawaii.  

“At this point, now we got something in. So now we’ve worked together, proven that we can do it together. Now let’s take the next step and close these loopholes,” Pacarro told Hawaii News Now. 

Small changes can lead to something bigger, though. If more states start to follow Hawaii’s example, real reductions in plastic waste could be possible. 

Imagine if the United States was run entirely on clean, renewable energy. This could someday soon be a reality. A study by a Stanford University professor Mark Z. Jacobson, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford, and his colleagues, has outlined how each of the 50 states can make the transition to renewable energy by 2050.

According to the plan there would be significant upfront costs, but over time the costs would be roughly equal to the existing price of the fossil fuel infrastructure, maintenance and production.

Making the switch to renewable energy would significantly reduce air pollution, which has been linked to the deaths of approximately 63,000 Americans each year. Renewable energy would also eliminate greenhouse gases produced by fossil fuel.

Three cities have already paved the way by showing that the transition to renewable energy can be a reality.

Burlington, Vermont

Burlington, Vermont is the first large U.S. city to run entirely on renewable energy. With the switch to renewables, Burlington residents are only using renewable resources when they power up their electronics.

Their electricity now comes from solar, wind, hydroelectric and biomass sources. Vermont has a statewide goal of getting 90 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2050, including electricity, heating, and transportation.

Greensburg, Kansas

Greensburg, Kansas is a city that truly lives by the motto “If you take care of the land it will take care of you”. In 2007, Greensburg, Kansas was hit by a monstrous tornado that killed 13 people and injured more than 60 others. Over 95 percent of the structures in the town were demolished. As the citizens began to rebuild they were determined to build a better infrastructure and developed a long-term recovery plan which included 100% renewable electricity. They have achieved that goal and more, making Greensburg, Kansas “America’s greenest little town.”

Aspen, Colorado

Aspen, Colorado is the third US city to receive all of its power from renewable sources. The city is gathering much of its energy from wind and hydroelectric, with a smaller portion coming from solar and geothermal. Aspen had been using about 75 to 80 percent renewable energy and finally committed to 100% renewables in August, 2015. The city receives its wind energy from wind farms in Nebraska and South Dakota.

As Scientists continue to warn us to stop using fossil fuels and start using 100% renewable energy, these three cities are leading to charge. Other global cities and towns are also positioned to become leaders in the clean energy field in the near future. There’s no question that the shift towards renewable energy has begun and it’s exciting to see where it will ultimately go as many more join the movement.

We’ve all been there.

You make your weekly, or perhaps monthly, trip to the grocery store and stock up on food. But you misjudge just how much you need and what you’ll actually eat. Then you’re put in the position of throwing away food that was perfectly good a week ago. Food you paid good money for. 

This is more common than you think. Each year, Americans waste an estimated 40 percent of food they’ve purchased. Family households are responsible for a significant portion of that waste. One study estimates that it’s the equivalent of throwing away $165 million a year. 

There’s a solution, but it might sound counterintuitive: Shop more. 

Victoria Ligon, a researcher at the University of Arizona, said most Americans only worry about how to limit food waste once they’ve already gone shopping. However, Ligon believes people need think more about potential waste before they go shopping–not after. 

In her research, Ligon tracked shopping and food preparation patterns, interviewed participants, and followed food diaries to gain greater insight into the mind of shoppers. It became evident that Americans aren’t shopping frequently enough. 

Americans tend to be price sensitive when it comes to food. That leads to many people buying groceries infrequently in bulk at stores such as Wal-Mart, Costco, and Sam’s Club. In other words, we’re just looking for the best deal.

Consequently, shoppers over-buy because they don’t tend to think about the cost of wasted food while shopping. A study by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) noted that food has become relatively cheap and available. So much so that many shoppers don’t think it’s a big deal if a little gets thrown out.

The $165 million figure indicates that it’s a very big deal, though. 

If you really want to eliminate waste, look to Europe. Across the pond, they have a market culture rather than a supermarket culture. People tend to shop for groceries every day or every other day.

Instead of stockpiling food that will potentially go bad, buy only what you’re going to eat that night or the next day. Go to the grocery store and see what looks good. Find produce that’s fresh and in-season. Swing buy the meat department and see what’s on sale. Typically, meat gets marked down significantly as it approaches its sell by date. That means savings for you!

The biggest obstacle to this sort of shopping is the perceived hassle. Why make five to seven trips to the store when I can make one? Well, stopping by the store for a few things is a lot different than lugging a cart around for an hour or more. If you’re only grabbing a few things, each trip should be relatively painless. 

Granted, this assumes you actually have time to spare before or after work each day. If you do, try changing your shopping routine for a week.

You may never step foot in a warehouse-style store again. 

Everyone has an opinion about obesity in America–from parents to cable-news talking heads to health officials. They repeatedly point to familiar culprits: processed junk food, sugary sodas, video games, an increase in the number office jobs, and, of course, portion size.

However, there’s one variable that is rarely mentioned in the conversation, and it’s all around us.

Our communities.

During the 1950s and 1960s middle class white families moved from more diverse urban areas to the suburbs and exurbs. It was called “white flight,” and it helped shape the suburban landscapes that are so familiar today. Communities started to favor branching, “hierarchical” layouts instead of the organic and grid systems of older cities.

It resulted in homogenous communities with houses surrounded by enormous pristine lawns. Neighborhoods and subdivisions bunched together via cul-de-sacs. Soon, a car was a necessity to access the basic amenities of the community.

I grew up in one of these suburbs.

I never thought of it as an especially bad place to grow up. There was little crime and any danger was primarily of my own making. There were good schools. There were ponds to skate on during the winter and baseball fields to play on during the summer. It has only occurred to me as an adult how difficult it would be to live there without a car.

Taking a trip on foot to the nearest grocery store from my childhood home wouldn’t be impossible, but it would be time-consuming, difficult, and tiring. The same goes for many other businesses and services. My reexamination illustrated something.

While cul-de-sacs and subdivisions might be great for secluded personal kingdoms, they might not be great for your health.

Norman Garrick and Wesley Marshall are assistant professors of engineering at the Universities of Connecticut and Colorado and they believe the issue is worth examining. Marshall told The Atlantic in extreme cases, “Older, denser, connected cities were killing three times fewer people than sparser, tree-like cities on an annual basis.”

Naturally, they assumed people walk and bike more in dense cities that are easy to navigate. However, Garrick, Marshall, and Daniel Piatkowski, of Savannah State University, wanted to delve into street networks and health.

Their study, which looked at 24 California cities, reported that cities with compact street networks (i.e., more intersections) were healthier. These communities showed lower levels of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

An earlier study by the RAND Corporation showed similar results. Even after controlling for factors such as age, economic status, and race researchers found that people in areas with a high degree of suburban sprawl were more likely to have health problems such as high blood pressure, arthritis, and breathing difficulties.

Roland Sturm, a RAND Health economist, said of the study, “We know from previous studies that suburban sprawl reduces the time people spend walking and increases the time they spend sitting in cars, and that is associated with higher obesity rates. This probably plays an important role in the health effects we observe.”

However, not everyone is convinced that cities lead to more walking and biking.

Timothy Wojan and Karen Hamrick, of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, authored a new study focusing on “active commuters,” those who either walk or bike to work. They examined the prevalence of these active commuters in more compact cities versus sprawling suburbs. Controlling for age, gender, race, ethnicity, education, and occupation, Wojan and Hamrick ran a regression analysis of the link between active commuting and fitness in each place.

Their results ran contrary to the other studies. Wojan and Hamrick found that urban residents weren’t significantly more active than suburban residents. They posit that this is because only a fraction of people in both places actually walk or ride a bike to work. That being said, they did find a correlation between active commuters and decreased body mass index (BMI). The few people that do walk or bike to work have markedly lower BMIs, which could indicate better overall health.

According to data from the United State Census Bureau, the number of people who bike to work increased from 488,000 in 2000 to 786,000 in 2012. That equates to roughly a 60 percent increase. The increase might seem impressive, but cyclists still make up only 0.6 of all commuters. Census Bureau data also showed that 2.8 percent of the population walks to work. That adds up to 3.4 percent of the population who either walk or bike to work.

This is a poor showing compared to European countries where biking is part of everyday life. In the Netherlands, 31 percent of people commute by bike every day and 99 percent of people own a bike.

In Denmark, 24 percent of people commute by bike every day and 90 percent of people own a bike. Furthermore, the country spends around $10 million a year on biking infrastructure, and only 29 percent of people own cars. Although there might not be a direct correlation, it’s probably worth noting that obesity rates in countries like the Netherlands and Denmark are significantly lower than in the U.S.

Granted, these are countries with a fraction of the population of the U.S., and they are also home to old, compact cities. Still, there seems to be an enthusiasm toward biking that is missing here. Biking advocates are hopeful for the future, though.

“In recent years, many communities have taken steps to support more transportation options, such as bicycling and walking,” Brian McKenzie, a Census Bureau sociologist said. “For example, many cities have invested in bike share programs, bike lanes and more pedestrian-friendly streets.”

It’s clear that more of us need to be walking and biking to work in this country. The health benefits are too obvious to ignore at this point. The only way that will happen is with strong encouragement and support of policy changes (bike lanes, traffic calming measures, etc.) at a local level.

So next time you walk out the door, ask yourself: Do I have to drive?

In 2009, a Georgia-based homeless shelter started an initiative that has changed hundreds of lives. Metro Atlanta Task Force began constructing and cultivating a rooftop garden to cut costs on food and to introduce valuable life skills to their residents. The beauty behind their program is that the residents themselves were helping harvest delicious natural foods, while learning the fundamentals of gardening. Many of the residents were once in living situations like you and me, but a negative turn of events left them jobless and consequently homeless with not a lot to take pride in, and that’s how this brilliant idea came to fruition. 

Metro Atlanta Task Force has a troubled reputation with local politicians threatening expulsion and gentrification. However, when you take a peek on top of their building it’s a gardener’s paradise. It’s not “just a fad,” but has become a way of life for these residents. 

The project began in 2006 and now consists of more than 80 raised garden beds. Task Force began developing the concept of a rooftop garden from the architectural aspect to how they would certify their residents who ultimately would put in the time and hours. In 2009, they received a very small grant from Emory University which took their dreams and shaped them into a reality. During the building process, Metro Atlantic Task Force received multiple awards from the city due to their space utilization and the quality of their vegetation. These colorful beds house tomatoes, carrots, watermelon, collard greens, and more. 

When they finally opened their roof up in 2009 the residents were overjoyed. They were able to yield crops that appear on their plates every single day, plus the certification from their labors help them become hired at local greeneries propelling them towards a place of their own, once again. The first harvest yielded fifty-five pounds of veggies. Over the year’s they’ve gotten a surge of bees, which has assisted them in creating their own beehives for honey. As their success has spread there has been the talk of expansion to their neighboring building. Blueprints are being drawn up and the directors are thrilled at the impending opportunity. Not only will they have an even larger expansive of vegetation but this means that there’s a new certification project for the residents as well (Vice).

Anita Beaty, executive director of the Metro Atlanta Task Force, shared with Vice their success: “Everything we do is a learning experience and job training for our residents. Part of the conventional way homelessness has been addressed has been to emphasize fixing people instead of the conditions that cause poverty. Homeless people are assumed to be full of deficits. But homelessness is not a blood type; it is the experience of extreme poverty and the experience of people who are chronically excluded from housing. For the garden expansion, like all of our programs, we will use and certify resident labor. Through this, residents get the experience necessary for employment, as well as certification and practical experience.” 

More than 400 men, women, and children reside in the shelter and have all helped in the development of the garden in one way or another. Not only are they learning practical lessons, like how to properly fertilize a plant, but they are also building confidence. Homelessness is something that’s filled with shame and sadness, but here they are able to rediscover who they are and avoid being identified by what they are lacking in – a home. Gardening is a magnificent form of self-healing and therapy. 

Resident gardener, Romeon Mack, describes gardening like this: “Life can get you down. Nobody wants to be homeless. Being up here, away from everything, really helps you reflect on what you did before in life…this is our real world…at least till we get out. It’s not just the food, man… Dealing with plants is like dealing with people. You have to have other means than fighting. Plants and people both piss you off…[but] you can’t just rip it up or knock it down. Same way you can’t just hit somebody…You learn stuff up here…and you leave a better person. [Gardening], it’s a process. It’s life. It’s just like life” (Vice).

Preparing the residents for a better future is achieved in more ways than one. Although urban rooftop gardens are hip and seem to be something the more sophisticated take time to do, in this situation it’s a very real means for attaining a new lifestyle. They’re able to find themselves again and see themselves in a new and glowing light. Although homelessness and crime riddle this area of Georgia, current residents and employees are hopeful that there will gradually be a shift towards more positive outcomes. They hope the local government will realize the predicament low-income families are placed in and make moves to provide more realistic funding and opportunities for this sector of the city. Take time to read more about this great initiative and think of how you could implement something like this near you. (Real Farmacy).

Blue bins line the street as I step out the door for work. My neighbors so diligently recycle, and, consequently, I had felt the peer pressure and began to do it myself. At first it turned into my second trashcan. Things I was a little unsure of I’d toss in there because, why not? I mean if it looks recyclable it probably is…right? However, I recently tried to get rid of my broken Swiffer. It’s plastic, and plastic is recyclable, but to my dismay they completely refused my trash deposits for the week. I didn’t understand, maybe it was a glitch, but everyone else had their trash cans already stowed away for the week. Little did I know that there were strict and specific rules for recycling. As I became more informed I felt vaguely annoyed that I wasn’t able to recycle everything that was biodegradable, it seemed like such a waste. However, recycling organizations were emphatic if not overly persistent that this was the only way considering most recycling plants have switched sorting over to machines. Okay, okay I’ll give them that.

But you know what’s an even bigger shame? How so many recyclable materials are scrapped because they haven’t properly been thrown away or emptied. Or, god forbid, someone had attempted to sneak in unrecyclable material…just for fun? Why intentionally put something in a recycling bin that you know isn’t going to fly with the recycling department? So, let’s all set down our hypodermic needles and take a seat. Below I’ve listed a few sweet and salty tips on what you can and can’t do while recycling (Washington Post).

Remove That Pizza Box

Yeah, you read that right. No. Pizza. Boxes. Allowed. When I first read this my mind was blown. Kaboom! Well, the reason behind why is pretty incredible. Evidently, food is one of the greatest foes to the recycling industry, specifically for paper products. Paper is recycled by having water mixed with it eventually turning it into a nice wet slurry. Now let’s go back to elementary school, or even back to your dinner last night. Water and oil don’t mix, just take a look at your vinaigrette if you’re still unconvinced. I’m assuming you see the issue. Grease from pizza boxes (oil) prevents the slurry from forming causing chunks of cardboard to be floating around the slurry. This is not great news for recycling manufacturers. Even though many of your pizza boxes claim to be recyclable, technically they are before the pizza is placed within, just use a rule of thumb and trash it the traditional way (Recyclebank). 

Clearly, just because something is technically recyclable doesn’t mean it fits America’s recycling qualifications. Take for example Christmas tree lights, can you imagine what a tangly mess that can make for a recycling machine? Unfortunately, recycling processes are still being developed so until they’ve become perfect follow the rules! 

Avoid Helping

Although this is a bit tongue in cheek it’s also true. Recycling plants do NOT want you bagging your recyclables. They have to rip apart every bag to inspect the items making sure they don’t contain prohibited contents that will damage the machinery further down the conveyer belt. Also, those bags have a tendency to get all caught up in the machinery, clogging the machinery, and forcing employees to shut down the system for hours while they handpick bags from the machine’s levers. A lot of times team members don’t have time to sift through each bag so perfectly recyclable material may just be tossed into a landfill to avoid slowing down the recycling process (Washington Post). 

No Need To Quench Your Thirst

I typically followed the practice of making sure all my water bottles, soda cans, and containers were liquid free. I’ve gone so far as to rummage in my recycling bin because I accidentally threw away a half empty soda. But did you know a few drops of liquid inside a bottle is actually a great thing? When your plastic bottles are going down the long conveyor belt there’s a lot of motion and wind. There are quite a few times where a bottle may go zooming across the room because it’s so light and has nothing weighing it down. When your bottles finally get underneath the crushers and balers all of the excess liquid will instantly be dispersed, proving no problem with their usability. 

Go The Extra Mile

Sometimes recycling is your extra mile. Although it seems simple enough, all of those extra seconds you spend sorting and tossing add up. Recycling is crazy good for our environment. You’re taking those renewable resources and recycling them for another round of use. We’re constantly making more and more “things” from raw materials and eventually those items are going to become scarce, like trees. 

Let’s say that recycling has become old hat for you. How can you go the extra mile? Well, check to see if you have recycling plants nearby that offer sorting bins. Make the extra effort to head that way and toss your sorted glass, metals, paper, and electronics. This will help expedite the recycling process and avoid any unknown mishaps on your part.

Give Back 

Composting is about to make a huge surge becoming equivalent in popularity with recycling. Environmentalists are saying that the organic material rotting in landfills are producing the third biggest source of methane gas. If this keeps occurring at the same or an increasing rate, it will eventually play a part in global warming. Instead of raking and tossing your grass clippings and leaves place them in a compost. Eventually, this will turn into nutrient-rich soil that’s perfect for your garden activities. You can feel proud that you not only created your own fertilizer, but that you most likely saved money on store bought fertilizers, as well. 

Recycling is a little more complex than just tossing your plastic bottles into a bin, but if you take two minutes out of your day to become informed you’ll be doing yourself and your children a great service by respecting the earth and treating it well.