Final Blog of the semester

I have had an amazing time this semester getting to know everyone and being involved in a wonderfully informative class that I will be talking away so much knowledge from. Being a Interior Design major, taking Environmental Biology will most definitely be important to me when I become LEED certified and will give me the ability to help my clients pick out the best environmentally sound way to finish there renovation or design.
The final project, I would have to say, was my favorite part of the semester..aside from all the great biking excursions ;)
Creating the 'I Heart BIKE' design will hopefully generate curiosity and awareness, and be used for fundraisers and other community projects to come is a really great feeling!
Thanks everyone for helping in the whole process, and a special thanks to Kristen for sticking it out with me!!
Hope to see you girls in the future!!
Heather

Mulberries on the Greenway

I don't usually share mulberry tree locations with just anyone, since I want them all for myself.  I usually get funny looks as I'm climbing around the trees shoving fruit into my mouth. 

Not many people know that there is a lot of edible food right along sidewalks and city streets.  My two favorites that I have found in Winston Salem are these trees that you can make tea out of their flowers (after you dry them), and mulberries.  Yesterday while on the Salem Creek Greenway I found the mother-load of all mulberries.  No fewer than 20 trees, both black and white (I prefer black).  There is a broken limb over the green bridge on the way to the greenway and it is filled with ripe fruit.  So you are asking what the heck is a mulberry, well it looks kind of like a blackberry but is smaller and grows in a tree.  They are not usually as sweet, but they are really good.  I've made mulberry jam and pie before, when I was lucky enough to have a tree in my backyard.  Here is an upclose look at them if you are feeling adventurous.

Remember this week is National Bike to Work week! Bike On!

Guess What?! May is Bike Month!

Hello everyone!

A recent Media Article that I read on http://vienna.patch.com/articles/bike-to-work-week-begins

Explained that May is Bike Month. It was really cool to ready this article because I also recently heard a couple having a conversation at breakfast about how they planned on biking to work.

The article explains that ," May 16 marks the start of Bike to Work Week, a celebration that will culminate in Bike to Work Day on May 20th."

I also really liked how the author explained the benefits of biking to work, "Aside from the mental and physical health benefits, cycling to work can save you money. I’m guessing you've probably noticed that gas prices are climbing. Do the math and think about how many gallons and dollars you can

save by riding to work, even a few times a month. Now also think about how often you find yourself stuck in one of our many traffic jams where you sit and fume about not getting anywhere. On a bike, you rarely have to contend with such snarls, since you can generally navigate your way around them more easily than in a car.

Finally, not to preach, but we could all stand to tread a little more lightly on the planet, and use a smaller share of the Earth’s resources. Bikes don’t really pollute, and their carbon footprint is pretty darned small."

Last Week...I'm writing a little late.

Hey! So it's been a crazy, hectic 2 weeks in my life. But last week, I swam 4 times! It was great. It felt amazing--As a former competitive swimmer, being back in the water consistently is a nice way to relieve stress. I also ran twice.

ALSO....

I have really enjoyed the project in the class! It has been so much fun working with everyone, and I thoroughly enjoyed the "market" research we did with MyPlate. I thought the program was great, but had lots of potential for improvement. Working with Matt was very informative. I enjoyed this aspect of the class much more than I had originally thought.

Two Media Articles

Here is the link to the story I shared about blocking out the sun. Sorry it took me a while to post this one: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/04/geoengineering-sun-blocking_n_844324.html
And here's the one on the eco-city planned for Tinanjin, China: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/13/tianjin-eco-city_n_806972.html

28 day Veg Boot Camp

Hi All,

I read an article on vegetariantimes.com about a new 28 day healthy eating challenge.  I thought this fit very nicely into the topics we have discussed in class.  Remember back when we went over ecological footprints?  If you recall eating meat free can reduce your carbon footprint!

So why not reduce both your ecological footprint and your waistline?  Are you feeling adventurous?  With the end of the semester, you will be freed from limiting dining hall options, so this challenge may actually be realistic.  Give it a try and let us all know how it goes!  Link here

Sustainable Living

Hey everyone!

Sorry that I couldn't be in class on Wednesday. I heard that Desiree' gave a great guest lecture:)

My article for the week was on Sustainable Living. The link to the article is here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wel

lness/sustainable-living-gurus-guide-to-

life/2011/03/23/AFR8iQqC_story.html

The article mainly talked about a man named Jeffery Hollender. He is one of the co-founders of Seventh Generation which is one of the earliest brands of environmentally friendly and socially responsible household products.

Hollender just wrote a new book called Planet Home, where he addresses many aspects of sustainable living. The book "details everything from eco-friendly condoms to fair-trade coffee while also serving as a call to arms to adapt a higher consciousness about sustainable living. His message is this: “What you do at home can impact the world around you, and the world around you can impact what you do at home.”

I thought it was really interesting how a person would create a wholeistic approach of sustainable living. I like the idea that it is a life style and not just something you do.

In an interview with the Washington Post, Hollender even touched on the issue that we have discussed in class.

If someone can do only one green thing in their home, what should it be?

Buy less stuff! It is more important to buy less stuff than to buy green stuff. We as a society consume way too much, and the planet simply can’t bear the impacts. Try this: Go for 30 days and, other than food, toothpaste and gasoline, don’t buy anything new. You’ll see how addicting consumption is. Buying less stuff is something that everyone can participate in, whether you’re 8 or 80.

This answer was also interesting to me.

What have you discovered about cleaning products that would surprise people?

The dangerous effects of the chemicals in these products that we don’t think about, like chlorine, can be shocking. When you mix a chlorine-based cleaner with an ammonia-based cleaner, it produces a gas that will quickly send you to the hospital and possibly kill you. Products are way overpowered for the job they have to do, but we want immediate results so we pull out the heavy guns and don’t pay attention to the collateral damage. It’s like having a bazooka to kill a fly!

See you in class,

Sarah

Food for Thought...

Upcycling Everywhere

My media article this week is taken from the Tehran Times. The writer shares several ideas on reusing grocery packaging. I learned so much from this article. For example, I had never thought of sticking glass bottles in my garden to collect heat and warm my plants. What a great idea! I hope everyone finds some useful tips here.

http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=240000

Gas Extraction Standard Revised

My article this week was about the revised gas extraction standards proposed this week. The article states that Obama increased production of gas as a long term energy strategy but hopes not to have a safety and regulation breakdown. A panel was assembled to assess how to make the gas cleaner and safer, safety and environmental policies were put in place. Obama then outlined the strategy and new rules to make the bussiness safer as well. The practice would be done by hydraulic fracturing which is the infusion of high pressured fluid into a formation of underground gas pockets. Even though this could be safer it does have dangers such as the possible chemicals involved which would damage and pollute the water supply and soil, the article says things are being implemented to reduce this danger. The articlesays the republicans are against this because hydaulic fraturing would be wasteful because the EPA already regulates it. Neverthe less plans are going forward because of the benefit like generating new jobs and potential environmental benefits of the natural gas.