Texas Sized Polluter

I found a very interesting and appalling article today that I would like to share with y'all. Here are a few highlights:

"Were the Lonestar State to secede from the union it would be the world's eighth-largest emitter of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, just behind Canada, with 630 million metric tons spewed into the atmosphere in 2005, according to new figures released this week by the U.S. government's Energy Information Administration...

As the nation's leading producer of energy, and with more cattle and oil refineries than any other state, it is essentially America's power plant, gas pump and beef basket. Yes, all those cows play a part. While many environmentalists focus on the methane (another greenhouse gas) produced by cows, the raising of cattle also contributes to CO2 emissions (the burning of fuel to transport cattle and meat, etc.). A study released last summer by Japanese scientists showed that production of just 1 kilogram of beef results in more CO2 emissions than going for a three-hour drive while leaving all the lights on at home...

But it's not just industry and agriculture that give Texas such an outsize carbon footprint. Texans epitomize America's penchant for overconsumption, so much so that they've even coined their own phrase for superlarge portions: Texas-sized. The state's 23.5 million residents use nearly 3,000 more kilowatt-hours of electricity every year than the average American and a higher percentage of them drive large, gas-guzzling vehicles. Of the 20 million registered vehicles in Texas, one in four is a pickup truck. Of the 245 million vehicles registered in the United States, only 16 percent are pickups, according to the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. Last year light trucks made up 61 percent of all new vehicles (both personal and commercial) sold in Texas, compared to just over half of total vehicle sales in the country.

Nearly a third of Texas's carbon emissions come from transportation. With so much wide-open space, Texas hasn't needed the kind of urban planning that promotes density. Rather, it is a state of far-flung towns and cities, connected by highways and with practically no mass transit. Air quality has suffered as a result; by some estimates more than half of all Texans live in areas where the air is unsafe to breathe, as defined by the EPA's Clean Air Act. "

If you'd like to read more, check it out in this Newsweek Article. God bless Texas.

Dryer Sheets Toxic?

Yesterday when I was home for lunch, I heard Asher coughing and ran to see what was the matter. He had a dryer sheet in his mouth. I remember reading somewhere in all the handouts we got about puppy health that dryer sheets are toxic to dogs, so I grabbed it out of his mouth right away. Then I went online to check to see how toxic they really are, and if anything further needed to be done. What I found out was shocking to me (though it shouldn't be).

Dryer sheets have been known to cause kidney failure in dogs who ingested them. Yikes! But the really scary part... dryer sheets are chock-full of harsh chemicals, that are toxic not only to dogs, but humans! (And not just if you eat them). Dryer sheets and fabric softeners are full of chemicals and perfumes that are made to stick to your laundry... which means when you wear clothes that were dried with dryer sheets, you have all kinds of harmful chemicals being absorbed into your body and wafting up into the air you're breathing. Is the extra softness really worth it? No. Not to me.

Here are some common chemicals found in dryer sheets and fabric softeners:

• Benzyl acetate: Linked to pancreatic cancer
• Benzyl Alcohol: Upper respiratory tract irritant
• Ethanol: On the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Hazardous Waste list and can cause central nervous system disorders
• Limonene: Known carcinogen
• A-Terpineol: Can cause respiratory problems, including fatal edema, and central nervous system damage
• Ethyl Acetate: A narcotic on the EPA's Hazardous Waste list
• Camphor: Causes central nervous system disorders
• Chloroform: Neurotoxic, anesthetic and carcinogenic
• Linalool: A narcotic that causes central nervous system disorders
• Pentane: A chemical known to be harmful if inhaled

Sound scary to you? It should. Now, if you know me, you know that I am very concerned about the environment and prefer to buy "green" whenever possible. But being "green" is not only good for the environment, it's good for your personal health. Case in point: don't use dryer sheets. Less harmful chemicals in the environment, less harmful chemicals in your body.

What if you can't be without that static-free "spring-fresh" smell and soft feel? There are alternatives! Instead of using dryer sheets or fabric softeners you can:

• Add 1/4 cup white vinegar to the wash cycle or 1/4 cup baking soda to the rinse cycle (but if you use vinegar, don’t also use bleach as this can be a toxic combo).
• Opt out of the dryer and hang dry your garments on clothes lines or drying racks. Or dry your clothes until they are lightly damp, then hang to dry.
• Make your own or purchase lavender sachets to throw in the dryer.
• Buy eco-friendly laundry detergents, fabric softeners and dyer sheets, such as Seventh Generation or Method (my personal favorite... sold at Target!).

I was relieved after reading this information that I already use non-toxic Method fabric softener. And I will be disposing of my remaining dryer sheets... I'm not risking the chance of them being eaten by our little puppy! I hope this information is helpful to you as well... but don't just take my word for it... look into it yourself and see if you like what you find.

Sources: SixWise.com, greenlivingtips.com, amystodghill.greenoptions.com

Lunar Eclipse

Here are two images of tonight's lunar eclipse as shot through the picture window in my living room. Since the outside air temp was about -15 degrees, that was the best that I could do. Luckily, my window faces east, and I was able to get some pictures of the moon before it rose too high into the sky. I took pictures from about 8:15 to about 9:15 tonight, and I could see how quickly the moon was rising. In the first picture, I believe the bright spot on the left is Saturn. The next full lunar eclipse is not set to happen until December 2010, so hopefully you were able to catch a glimpse of it tonight! And how awesome is it that there were clear skies!

Friday Sparkles and Scrapes

Sparkles
It's Friday and I'm looking ahead to a three day weekend!
I've had 3 awesome lia sophia shows this month
Eating at KHB last night... now that's classy!

Scrapes
Freezing my butt off 5 days a week every week (summer too!)
No HR dept at my work
It can't still be this cold, can it? Why do I live here again?

Mardi Gras

Last night was my first attempt at a Mardi Gras Event. I had a "brilliant" idea to have this fun party at the church I work at... to promote our Jazz Service, to have fellowship, to learn about volunteer opportunities, and to be a fundraiser for the upcoming Katrina Mission Trip. We had a decent turn-out and we ate losts of pancakes (regular, chocolate chip & sweet potato) and had some traditional King's Cake. People made their own masks and got to wear strings of beads and we even made some money for the trip. So far it was the best Mardi Gras party I've been to (and it happens to be the only one as well!)