Trash Talk

June 24th, 2011
Mt. Everest Base Camp

Nearly 18,000 pounds.  That’s how much trash a team of 29 Nepali mountaineers brought down from Mount Everest this spring in a ground-breaking expedition.  According to the International Business Times, the group collected oxygen cylinders, tents, climbing gear and helicopter parts with the help of 75 yaks and 76 porters.   The trash on Everest has been an ongoing problem for years.  In 1990, the International Peace Climb, with local climber Wayne Baughman, was on the mountain in a monumental trash-collection project. At that time, the Nepal Mountaineering Association determined the mountain held about 60 tons of garbage.  The IB Times reports that it’s now thought that 120 tons of trash are left behind each year by climbers.

– Deb Acord

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Join the Movement

May 26th, 2011

Outdoor Nation Logo

It’s been called “the graying of the greens,” – members of outdoor and environmental groups are aging and younger people aren’t joining them.

A new youth-led movement aims to change that.  Outdoor Nation is hosting five multi-day summits in five cities this summer to address regional outdoor issues and engage more young people in the outdoors.

Denver is one of the cities – ON delegates from around the country will be there July 22-24. Delegates are still needed – interested 18- to 28-year-olds can apply at www.outdoornation.org   The 250 Denver delegates will develop action plans; the best idea will be given $10,000 to get it started.  Lodging, food and activities will be covered for each delegate.

-Deb Acord

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Plastic Bottle Facts

April 22nd, 2010

Today is Earth Day. It was started in 1970 to increase awareness of taking care of our environment. Reducing the use of plastic bottles or at least recycling them is one of the simplest ways to show the earth some love.

Below are some facts I saw above a plastic bottle recycling bin. The amount of plastic being used is staggering. The numbers are a few years old but I’d guess they’ve gotten worse.

  • In 2006, Americans drank about 167 bottles of water each, but only recycled an average of 36 bottles per person, which equals about 50 billion plastic bottles consumed, with only 23% begin recycled. That leaves 38 billion bottles in landfills.
  • According to the Beverage Marketing Corp. the average American consumed 1.6 gallons of bottled water in 1976. In 2006 each person consumed 28.3 gallons of bottled water.
  • In 2006 we spent $15 billion on bottled water. That’s more than we spent on iPods or movie tickets. We will spend $16 billion in 2007.
  • 31% of soda bottles were recycled in 2002, BUT we only recycled 11% of water bottles.
  • Bottled water costs between $1 and $4 per gallon and 90% of the cost is in the bottle, lid and label.
  • Plastic bottles go to the landfills and take 700 years before they start to decompose.
  • Manufacturing bottle water uses over 1.5 million barrels of oil per year. In one year, that’s enough oil to fuel 100,000 cars.
  • Amazing Recycled melts plastic and whips it in an electric mixer, making a foam. The foam is spun into fibers. They take the fibers, mix it with cotton and make white T-shirts that are 50% cotton/50% soda bottles.
  • It takes 14, 20-ounce PET bottles to produce on Extra Lart T-shirt.
  • Made from recycled plastic, the nails and screws in plastic lumber hold better than wood for at least 50 years.
  • In New Baltimore, NY, the first recycled-plastic bridge made from 68,000 recycled milk jugs mixed with fiberglass is strong enough to hold cars. Plastic Lumber Corp in Chicago supplied the plastic lumber for the 30-foot long bridge.
  • 8 out of 10 plastic water bottles become landfill waste.
  • Factoring in packaging and transportation, drinking bottled water costs up to five times more than putting gas in your car.
  • A one liter soda bottle can be recycled and manufactured as a ruler.
  • The filling for one sleeping bag could be made from 85 20-ounce soda bottles

UltraRob

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$209.95 on sale
 
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Earth Day Should be Every Day

April 22nd, 2009

Today is Earth Day and a day to focus on loving our earth. Big things tend to get the attention but everybody doing little things every day have a huge impact on the earth. Here a few simple things that make a huge difference over time.

  • Commute or run errands by bike
  • Don’t buy bottled water. The bottles use a huge amount of oil and many of them end up in landfills.
  • Use reusable shopping bags. If you need some motivation to switch, take a look at this video
  • Recycle and upcycle
  • Turn off water while brushing teeth
  • Use a programmable thermostat
  • Turn off lights when leaving a room
  • Switch at least your most used lights to CFL
  • Take a walk and pick up trash along the way

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Price: $219.95
 
Salomon X Alp Pro GTX Hiking Boots
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Regular Price: $280.00
$209.95 on sale
 
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Price: $38.73
 

Too Much Stuff

December 5th, 2007

Today Kent posted a link to the Story of Stuff website. It has a 20 minute video. It’s long but well worth watching. Most of the facts I basically knew already but it does a really good job of tying everything together and explaining what we’re doing to the planet.

I believe in cutting down my impact on the environment. I don’t totally buy into the green movement. It’s partly because it’s now become popular and companies are using it to market even more stuff. I also think there are so many simple things that can easily be done that get ignored because they aren’t something big and radical. A couple months ago I wrote about some ways to help the environment for Blog Action Day.

Of course we’re in the biggest stuff buying month of the year. I even have a cycling and outdoor gear search on this site. I also have a cycling and outdoor deals blog so you can buy even more stuff with the money you have. If you’re going to buy it, just make sure it’ll get used and then use it until it’s worn out instead of just out of fashion.

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$209.95 on sale
 
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Go Green, Save Money

October 15th, 2007

Today is the first annual Blog Action Day. The idea is that each year they’ll pick a topic for bloggers to write about. This year they pick the environment for the topic.

I started writing a post about the green movement a couple months ago before I knew about Blog Action Day. I never finished writing it. I started writing it after I’d seen yet another company using the green cause in its marketing. I no longer remember what it was for.

I recycle. My wife will throw an aluminum can in the trash because she just wants it out of the way and I’ll pull it out and put it in the recycle bin. I sometimes commute by bike although I should do it more often. My excuse is it isn’t far enough to count as good training but long enough that I need a shower. I feel bad driving my SUV and take our mini-van if my wife isn’t using it.

The thing that annoys me about green becoming popular is that now companies are using it in their marketing. There are very few cases where buying something is greener than not buying it. Just think about what you buy and just how much of it do you really need?

One thing that is green to buy is compact fluorescent light bulbs. Although they cost more, they last longer and save you a lot more than the extra cost. I have switched almost all of my bulbs to fluorescent. Some have said they aren’t better because they have mercury in them. Power plants spew out mercury when they burn coal so the electricity compact fluorescent bulbs save actually reduces the mercury. The best thing is to not throw them in the trash but to recycle them.

Another thing that is green to buy and save you money in the long run is a programmable thermostat. I like it cool when I sleep but warm when I get out of bed in the morning. We have the temperature automatically drop 5 degrees about the time we go to bed and then back to normal an hour before we get up. We used to drop the temperature during the day too but now that we have kids, Julie is normally home.

Some of the best ways to go green don’t cost and are easy to do. Things like recycling, water your lawn in morning or evening when it’s cooler, turn the water off when brushing your teeth and turn off lights. Oh, and if you don’t need it, don’t buy it.

Other Blog Action Day Posts

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