Recycling with Glad : Take a Stronger Stand Against Waste!!!

I inadvertently ran across an ad which shocked me (in a good way.)  It was an advertisement for Glad bags that I saw while catching up on my The Voice watching!
As the ad intrigued me, I decided to do a little bit of digging to see what this "One Bag" party (spoken of in the advertisement) is all about.  Apparently, Glad has a "One-Bag-Challenge," wherein they encourage parties (of any sort, even tailgating parties with thousands of people present!) to reduce waste, by using washable rather than disposable, thinking plants instead of cut flowers, and empowering your guests in the recycling by involving them more directly.
Information and education can go a LOOOONG way toward increasing the effectiveness and impact our response.  Anyway, the Glad website leads you directly to the source and gives all kinds of details and information about hosting a One-Bag event and more.   There is also a lot of videos available on this website for viewing, if you are interested.  Check it out guys, and get your recycling on!  There is no better time than now.  And here is an updated (and very short and sweet) guide on recycling as well!

Until next time, think green and stay positive!

Love, Meagan

Air pollution: How does it affect you?

Air pollution affects everyone, no matter if you live in Kansas, Chicago, or China.  People can live days without water, weeks without food, but only a few short minutes without breathable air.  In other words, we could not be more dependent on oxygen than we are, and thus we MUST make a concerted effort, as individuals and as human beings, to do something about this problem before it is too late.

According to the EPA, every human being breathes around 3,000 gallons of air each and every day of our lives.  Breathing contaminated air can make us very sick.  "Breathing polluted air can make your eyes and nose burn. It can irritate your throat and make breathing difficult. In fact, pollutants like tiny airborne particles and groundlevel ozone can trigger respiratory problems, especially for people with asthma. Today, nearly 30 million adults and children in the United States have been diagnosed with asthma. Asthma sufferers can be severely affected by air pollution. Air pollution can also aggravate health problems for the elderly and others with heart or respiratory diseases."  ("Why Should You Be Concerned about Air Pollution?" EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2013.)

Here is another great article about the Environmental Effects of Air Pollution: on humans, animals, and our environment, if you would like to check it out and learn more!

There are many simple things every single one of us can do to truly effect change and make a difference in cleaning our air up.

• Conserve energy by turning off lights and appliances when leaving the room or not in use.
• Recycle anything and everything you can!  It conserves energy and reduces production emissions, according to EPA.  Here is some info on what recycles and what doesn't.
• Plant deciduous trees around your home to provide shade in summer and allow light in winter. 
• Wash clothes with warm or cold water instead of hot.
• Lower the thermostat on your water heater to 120 degrees.
• Buy ENERGY STAR products.  They are environmentally friendly.  For more information, visit www.energystar.gov or call 1-888-STAR-YES.
• Choose efficient, low-polluting models of vehicles.  Visit this site for some ideas on green vehicles.
• Shop with a canvas bag instead of plastic.
• Plan your trips ahead of time to save gasoline.
• In the summertime, fill gas tank during cooler evening hours to cut down on evaporation. Avoid spilling gas and don't "top off" the tank. Replace gas tank cap tightly.
• Avoid waiting in long drive-thru lines, for example, at fast-food restaurants or banks. Park your car and go in.
• When possible, use public transportation, walk, or ride a bike.

For some more ideas on reducing pollution, check out this page and this page.  Also, do some of your own research!  There is no shortage of information out there on the worldwide web, for those who would like to learn. 

Most of all, keep thinking about ways you can improve your life and impact our environment in a positive way.  Let's make our world a beautiful place to live for our children and their children!



Until next time, think green and stay positive!

Love, Meagan

Clean up the River Trash Roundup

Just saw this Awesome link on Facebook for the Annual Trash Roundup along the Arkansas River.  Sounds like an awesome event... this is something my family and I have been discussing doing (helping to clean up the trash in Wichita) for awhile now.  It seems like an absolutely wonderful time to get involved; to see the community brought together, doing something positive as a unit, for all of Wichita to enjoy.  And who hasn't driven past the river (at any point in Wichita) and thought it could use some cleaning up.  Well, here is your opportunity to get on board, take action, and make a difference, right here in your little corner of the world.  Plus, free t-shirts and food... after all, who doesn't like free stuff?! :)  Anyway, can't wait to see everyone there!

Until next time, think green and stay positive!
Love, Meagan

The obesity epidemic: Let's Talk about it!



Ted Talks are a great way to connect to the global world and some of the best scientists and most innovative thinkers.  There is an incredible amount of information and so many of the videos available on the site are so inspiring and motivational.  This video is a talk given by Jamie Oliver, a chef turned activist.  He has big plans to change the way the world looks at food.  In this talk, Jamie talks about how obesity has became one of the largest problems affecting the world today, and discusses the reasons why this change has occurred. He talks about the consequences to the environment, some of them quite surprising, as well as to our bodies. He also identifies some common sense solutions to decrease the negative impact of highly processed foods.  Have a listen below.

The next video is also a very inspiring talk given at a Ted Conference, by Ann Cooper, the head of nutrition for Berkeley, California schools.  She has got some really great and completely do-able ideas for school lunches.  I definitely think this video is worth a listen. 

Last but not least, here are numbers of some local influential people to get you started on your advocacy... make some calls, contact people, get conversations about these issues started!  The only way we can begin to fix these problems is by speaking with people from all walks of life, spreading the truth and starting to work together to come up with solutions that work for all of us. 

Wichita, KS Public Schools, Nutrition Services, Food Production Center, (316)973-2160.  You can also email at: nutrition@usd259.net.  The Director of Nutrition Services is Vicki Hoffman.

Derby, KS Public Schools, Food Services, Main Number: (316)788-8400; Contact person: Martha Lawson (316)8419, mlawson@usd260.net

Haysville, KS Public Schools, Food Services, (316)554-2219; Gina Lee is the Director.  Her email address is: ginalee@usd261.com.

Maize, KS Public Schools, Food and Nutrition, (316)722-0900.  Director is Julie Shrewsbury.  You can use this link to contact them via email.

Mulvane, KS Public Schools, Food Services, (316)777-0442; Richard Hampton is the Director.  You can reach him via email here: rhampton@usd263.com.

Well that's all for now, friends.  Until next time, think green and stay positive!
Love, Meagan :)