Share & Voice: Green Uses for Vodka

Image from thedailygreen.com

I was poking around this Daily Green website to find some interesting recipes for green cleaning products and stumbled upon a heading that read "10 Weird Uses for Vodka" so I had to check it out.  I found it really interesting and useful, although very random, and it brought to my attention a few easier ways to live a greener lifestyle.

Here are the 10 Uses (in no particular order)

Treat Poison Ivy
Freshen Laundry
Shine Your Fixtures
Preserve Flowers
Repel Insects
Soothe Jellyfish Stings
Get Great Shiny Hair
Clean Away Mold
Make a Soothing Lavender Tincture
Ease a Toothache

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 2: Weekly Update

1. What was your SMART goal? How did you do in achieving your SMART goal?

• My SMART goal: I will eat at least 4 servings (1/2 cup) of fruits or vegetables (or a mix) every day for the next 10 weeks. 
• I nearly achieved my goal throughout the first week, I managed to hit a couple of snags throughout the weekend.

2. Address successes & challenges. What strategies helped you to be successful? What challenges did you face? How did you deal with them?

• At the beginning of the week I went grocery shopping and purchased a good amount of fresh fruits and vegetables so I would have them readily accessible throughout the week.
• I varied the different types of fruits and vegetables I ate throughout the week so I would not be overwhelmed with one thing so early on in my change.
• Challenges: This weekend I ran out of fruit and with my girlfriend being up for the weekend I never made an attempt to run and get more.  So Saturday and Sunday I fell about 2 servings short of my goal.

3. What feelings did you experience? When did you feel them?

• I felt a lot better after only a few days of eating fresh fruits and vegetables.  I felt less full throughout the day, I found myself with less of an urge to snack, and I had more energy.

4. What did you learn this week?

• I learned that this goal is very attainable for myself, I just have to stick to my plan and be committed.  I cannot find myself falling outside of the pattern I have developed and by making fruits and vegetables easily available when I am at home will make this goal much more attainable.

5. What are your plans for next week? Will you continue with the change as is? Will you modify to make it more achievable or more challenging?

• My challenges for this upcoming week will be about the same as the last.  I will be going home for Wisconsin gun hunting, so I will have fruits and vegetables easily available  at my parents house.  The one problem that I might run into is the amount of time I will be spending in the woods and short amount of time I will have for meals.  I am going to pack fruits in my vehicle and make those my first priority of a snack through the nine day deer hunting season ahead.

Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 2 hosted by Amy@Amy in the Rain

Share & Voice: Obey Clothing

Image from Google Images

I was looking at the tags of some clothing I purchased the other day and I came across something really neat.  I have purchased Obey Clothing for quite a while and never realized that proceeds from the clothing go directly to the Obey Awareness program.  This program supports emerging issues and all profits generated from the item sold go directly to supporting these causes.  Some of the causes supported include: Surfrider, Haiti, Adopt-a-Pet, Hope Campaign, 180 degrees South, 11th Hour, and Rock the Vote.

Advocacy Project: Healthy People/THOMAS

1. The area of Healthy People 2010 that I have chosen to focus on for Advocacy Project is Environmental Health

Screenshot from healthypeople.gov

8-2. Increase use of alternative modes of transportation to reduce motor vehicle emissions and improve the Nation’s air quality.
      8-2b. Trips made by walking

Screenshot from healthypeople.gov

Thus far through this sub-objective (8-2b.) is  about 59% complete, and progress is continuing to me made towards the target goal. Shown in the product quotient chart

2.

Progress:  Tracking data is available and progress has been made for alternative forms of transportation regarding walking. Also the number of trips made by walking is steadily increasing.

Disparities: No real disparities were highlighted for the transportation of the environmental aspect of Healthy People 2010.

Opportunities & Challenges:  The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has been making a continuing attempt to improve outdoor air quality.  As part of this effort they are targeting whole industries or sources of this pollution, such as power plants and motorized vehicles.  The three key air pollutants they are targeting are nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and mercury. As well as aiming to reduce smog, acid rain, fine particles, visibility impairment, and mercury deposition.

Emerging Issues:  The first major issue surrounding air measuring progress for this objective is the weather. The weather may vary quite a bit and short term statistics my not account for the weather change. The second issues is that not all counties have monitoring stations and cannot accurately account for the amount of air pollution in a specific area.

3.

Bill From: Thomas

H.R.2724
Title: National Transportation Objectives Act of 2009
Sponsor: Rep Holt, Rush D. [NJ-12] (introduced 6/4/2009)   Cosponsors (32)
Latest Major Action: 6/5/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials

Recommended Vote:
Vote 'YES' for the "National Transportation Objectives Act" to promote energy efficiency and clean outdoor air.

My Political Representative:
Ron J. Kind (D)
Eau Claire Office
131 S. Barstow St.
Suite 301
Eau Claire, WI 54701
Hours: 8:30am - 5:00pm
(715) 831-9214
Fax: (715) 831-9272