the great pacific garbage patch

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You can also check out this documentary on The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, on VBS.tv (the first three, of eleven, are currently online.) video one | video two | video three

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And here's an interesting observation, from one viewer:

"My first thought after watching was “I am NEVER using plastic again!”. But seriously folks, that is not an easy thing to do. The computer I’m typing on right now is made of plastic. My glasses have plastic in the frames. I’m not sure it would even be possible to replace everything in my life that is made with plastic (my car, for example). While I applaud the efforts of bloggers like Fake Plastic Fish and Life Less Plastic the sad reality is that this problem – the toxic plastic garbage wasteland of the North Pacific gyre – is not going to go away because a few of us choose to use stainless steel tupperware or cloth grocery bags. The problem is not only global (want another freaky thought? there are four other oceanic Gyres on Earth…) , but goes to the very nature of our society and its dependence on a material that is non-biodegradable and unmanageable as waste. It’s bad enough that we Westerners created this stuff and then became totally dependent on it, but now we are exporting our disposable plastic lifestyle to countries that lack curbside recycling and waste management facilities.

But even if we were to recycle every piece of plastic manufactured there would still be the issue of garbage (ever seen what happens to the area around a McDonalds restaurant, despite the presence of multiple waste bins?). There’s also those darned nurdles – the tiny plastic pellets that are melted down and then coloured and moulded into the final product – which escape from train cars and truck beds, blowing in the wind like dust, and collecting all over the earth’s surface including the oceans.

I think what needs to happen is we need to make this issue so well-known that people raise enough of a stink about it to prompt some change. People need to start viewing plastic the same way we view non-dolphin friendly tuna. Our society needs to invent/find materials to replace plastic that can be disposed of responsibly and which do not pose such a threat to life on this planet.

In the meantime, I’m going to do my bit by trying to cut all unnecessary plastic out of my life (starting with my shampoo). I have written in the past about being plastic bag free; Google around and you’ll come up with many more suggestions and tips. And if you feel overwhelmed, as I did when I first watched that documentary, just take a deep breath and say to yourself “One step at a time”… Spread the word, and hopefully one day the ecological horror show that is Garbage Island will become simply one more embarrassing episode of human history that we somehow managed to survive without going extinct.
- Rural Aspirations"

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In one great note that made me happy this weekend, I've discovered that there are a few cashiers at Target that now, even if I don't pull out my reusable tote/don't have it with me at that moment the cashier will not place the item in a bag, but simply put it on the counter while I finish checking out. (Sometimes I forget it, rarely; but sometimes. In those cases though, I ALWAYS carry the item out bagless. Always.) They actually recognize me as the "reusable tote guy!" and I don't even have to yell out quickly "I have my own bag!" anymore! Yes, see, you can teach old cashiers new tricks (or even young cashiers, or middle-age cashiers, or...!)

eco challenge - water bottles

Alright! It's taken me a bit of time to get around to really discussing water bottles! You know, those easy to carry, grab and go bottles of water that always cost more than a soda at your local convenience store. (And I'm not saying you should be buying soda/pop whatever you call it in your part of the world; but rather what IS up with bottled water costing more than soda? I mean, it's uh, water... craziness.) Anyway, I've hated bottled water for a while now. It's just SUCH a waste. You know, I'm not even sure if the convenience store bottled water is as much of a waste (since you know every once in a while you need a water, and tada, it's easy to get!) but moreso, it's all those bulk packages of bottled water people buy for their homes. Oh, I have a friend that does this. Every week, she'll buy like a crate load of these things, and I cringe as she puts them in the refrigerator. OR or, you know, when people buy the short stubby bottles of water. Not even the regular size. "Hey oh yeah, now I have to drink twice as many to get the water I need, but they're so much easier to carry, cause I'm buying them by the freakin' boat load!" Oh, don't get me started.

Ever heard of a water filter, friend? Oh yes, it's so very easy. They make them in pitchers, so your water can always be cold in the fridge. And they make them to snap onto your water faucet, for quick access. I have one at home, and it's great! In fact, I secretly don't think you even need to replace the filter as often as they suggest. I haven't replaced mine in FO'ever, and you know, it still tastes so much better than straight from the tap water! Seriously!

"Ugh, it's so much work to fill up the pitcher when it gets empty." Oh, is it? As much work as lugging those bottled water bulk packages from Walmart, is it? (Cause really, not only are you buying bulk bottled water, but you're buying it from Walmart. Are you TRYING to kill me here?) Whew... whew. Slow down, Nathan. You're getting all worked up. Ha ha!

Did you know:

+ Americans send about 38 billion water bottles a year to landfills.

+ It takes 1.5 million barrels of oil to make those bottles, making the environmental impact of plastic bottle waste truly staggering.

+ Plastic water bottles can take 1,000 years to biodegrade.

+ Nine out of 10 water bottles end up as garbage or litter, and that means 30 million per day. A small percentage actually end up going into recycling bins.

Ok. So I have a confession to make. At work we get bottled water (single serving) as payment for one of the websites we designed a while back. Tit for tat, I suppose. And I drink a lot of hot tea. SO (oh, this is painful to admit) we don't have a filter at work on the faucet, our water is pretty nasty tasting, so I'll just use the bottled water to heat up in my mug for tea each day. Usually, two to three bottles. Ugh. And everytime I do it, I cringe. Whew. I feel so much better! Three thousand Hail Mary's and I'll be fine. (But, these bottles DO end up going into the recycling container each and every time. I'm not THAT evil. No, really, I'm not.)

BUT, here's the thing. We've ran out of water (long story, we have another office, they took it all, supposedly "not knowing" we didn't have anymore; so now we have to wait for another shipment.) I tried the faucet water in my tea yesterday, and about gagged. Gah! So I was going to go out and buy a big bottle of water from the store, a jug; and use that. But then at home last night, a light blinked on in my head! (At first I thought it meant I had a brain tumor and should run and call the doctor! Then I realized it was just an idea! Yay!) I have this big metal thermos that I've had for ages, and literally have never used. I always end up using thermos's for coffee and such, and they always end up smelling nasty after a while inside (and I wash them out, I swear!?!) BUT, what if each morning I fill up the thermos with filtered tap water from my home, and bring it to work to use in my tea. No more bottled water waste at work for me, and I still get my filtered water! Yes!

So, this is one of my new eco challenges for 2009! As you can see from the (ghastly) pic above, it's from a Brita ad campaign discussing how much oil (and don't we all have issues with oil in the US right now!) is used to make bottled water. And to buy a faucet filter (or pitcher) for your home instead. I used to have a pitcher, also. But I find the filter a much easier solution. Yes, the refill filters are a bit pricey, but like I said, I think they last a lot longer than they want you to believe. Just test it out! So, this year, how about you do a bottled water challenge yourself? They even make these great aluminum bottles that you can buy and refill with water (and they're cool looking, too!) Hip, fashionable, and environment saving! You go, girl! And boy!

Are you a bottled water waster? Is it time for a change? (Uh, if the first answer is yes, then the second answer is YES!) Will you give it a try? Are you feeling bottled water guilt? Tell us your story! You'll feel better, I promise!

(You can find these adorable aluminum water bottles at Macy's! For a mere $9.99! How much money will you be saving instead of buying all those plastic water bottles every week! And making Mother Earth happy, too!)

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Here's an interesting article on the ups and downs of bottled water:

"Message in a Bottle: Despite the Hype, Bottled Water is Neither CLEANER nor GREENER Than Tap Water
By Brian Howard

“You drink tap water? Are you crazy?” asks a 21-year-old radio producer from the Chicago area. “I only drink bottled water.” In a trendy nightclub in New York City, the bartender tells guests they can only be served bottled water, which costs $5 for each tiny half-pint container. One outraged clubber is stopped by the restroom attendant as she tries to refill the bottle from the tap. “You can’t do that,” says the attendant. “New York’s tap water isn’t safe.”

Whether a consumer is shopping in a supermarket or a health food store, working out in a fitness center, eating in a restaurant or grabbing some quick refreshment on the go, he or she will likely be tempted to buy bottled water. The product comes in an ever-growing variety of sizes and shapes, including one bottle that looks like a drop of water with a golden cap. Some fine hotels now offer the services of “water sommeliers” to advise diners on which water to drink with different courses.

A widening spectrum of bottled water types are crowding the market, including spring, mineral, purified, distilled, carbonated, oxygenated, caffeinated and vitamin-enriched, as well as flavors, such as lemon or strawberry, and specific brands aimed at children. Bottled water bars have sprung up in the hipper districts, from Paris to Los Angeles.

The message is clear: Bottled water is “good” water, as opposed to that nasty, unsafe stuff that comes out of the tap. But in most cases tap water adheres to stricter purity standards than bottled water, whose source—far from a mountain spring—can be wells underneath industrial facilities. Indeed, 40 percent of bottled water began life as, well, tap water.

A 2001 World Wildlife Fund (WWF) study confirmed the widespread belief that consumers associate bottled water with social status and healthy living. Their perceptions trump their objectivity, because even some people who claim to have switched to bottled water “for the taste” can’t tell the difference: When Good Morning America conducted a taste test of its studio audience, New York City tap water was chosen as the heavy favorite over the oxygenated water 02, Poland Spring and Evian. Many of the “facts” that bottled water drinkers swear by are erroneous. Rachele Kuzma, a Rutgers student, says she drinks bottled water at school because “it’s healthier” and “doesn’t have fluoride,” although much of it does have fluoride.

Bottled water is so ubiquitous that people can hardly ask for water anywhere without being handed a bottle. But what is the cost to society and the environment?"

Go here to read the rest!

the bigger, the better

method luster Quill writes in asking (hey, I sound just like a radio announcer!):

"Last week I accompanied my parents to Costco, partly in search of Method goodies. Unfortunately, all I found was two scents of hand wash, neither of which I favor (I'm very picky) but I have never seen this size of container before! I was boggled, the things are huge. I took two (bad) photos just to send to you--have you seen these anywhere? They're teardrops, but ginormous, with carrying handles on top. One photo has my hand as a size comparison, and I don't have small hands."

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You know, I love these bottles! They're like the Sasquatch of method products! Whenever you see a photo of them, it's always some bad, blurry, dark image. Luckily for us, as I'd posted here on method lust back in July, Marvo over on The Impulsive Buy did a complete review of those gigantic-sized bottles, complete with a clear photo, and uhm, a very unsettling video. So if you haven't seen these bottles, and want to know more about them, check this out!

study: some water bottles linked to diabetes

Here at method lust, I like to not only bring you the latest and greatest from our favorite company in the ENTIRE world, method (you guessed that one, didn't you?) But I also like to bring you (did I finish that first sentence? I don't think I actually did. My English teachers would be SO disappointed in me. I mean, how many, incorrect, commas do I use in my posts, anyway? Like, a lot.) Uhm, ok, I like to also bring you environmental and health news, cause hey, that's what method is ALSO all about! And I did mention a while back (part of the plastic bag + paper towel challenge. AH, you thought I'd forgotten about that one, didn't you? Didn't you? Yes, you did.) Bottled water. Those single serving bottles! But alas, I'll hold off on that one. This one is possibly slightly more serious.

"by Lauren Cox - ABC News Medical Unit
An ubiquitous ingredient in plastics has been linked to diabetes and heart disease in adults, according to a study being released today, heightening concerns about the widespread use of the chemical BPA.

A new study has found a link between BPA, a chemical found in some water bottles, and medical disorders, such as diabetes.

Otherwise known as bisphenol A, BPA is the chemical once studied as a synthetic form of estrogen, but more recently known to leach out of some plastic water bottles and baby bottles, and that is found in all kinds of plastic products.

"We're talking about pacifiers, sippy cups, spoons, the bath toys, the chew toys ... everything," said Sommer Poquette, mother of two toddlers and author of the blog Green and Clean Mom.

"It's hard to get a BPA-free product," said Poquette.

The concerns of people like Poquette will likely be heightened by a study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association in which researchers found a connection between BPA and diabetes and heart disease in adults. Scientists reviewed the health of 1,455 American adults and found that people with higher concentrations of BPA in their urine were slightly more likely to have heart disease and diabetes.

The researchers also estimate that most Americans are exposed to a higher level of BPA each day than the current Environmental Protection Agency recommendation.

In an accompanying editorial, Frederick S. vom Saal and John Peterson Myers take the government to task, asking the United States and Europe to follow Canada's lead and regulate BPA.

"The FDA and the European Food Safety Authority have chosen to ignore warnings from expert panels and other government agencies and have continued to declare BPA 'safe,'" wrote the authors.

The release of the study comes on the same day that the Food and Drug Administration's Science Board will have an open meeting about BPA.

Stephanie Kwisnek, a spokeswoman for the FDA, said the meeting is being held "in part, to listen to comment from the public." However, members of the medical profession and the public are already at odds over what to do with the information.

Avoid BPA, Label BPA, or Just Study It

"If this does not close the door on the use of BPA in consumer products, I don't know what will," said Dr. John Spangler, professor of family and community medicine at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Until now, Spangler said the most well-known research done on BPA confirmed that the chemical could damage rats and monkeys. But those studies could only hint at danger in people, since humans may process BPA differently than animals.

On that current evidence, the FDA decided in April of this year to not label BPA as dangerous.

"At this time, FDA is not recommending that anyone discontinue using products that contain BPA while the agency continues its safety assessment process," Kwisnek said.

While today's JAMA study was one of the largest BPA studies done in humans, it could only provide convincing circumstantial evidence that, where high levels of BPA lurked, so do diabetes and poor heart health. The study's authors wrote that their work could not definitively prove that BPA had a part in causing the diseases.

For some scientists, that's not enough to convince them that governments should begin regulating BPA in products.

"This type of research is valuable to point to potential toxins in the environment -- only further studies will confirm if this is a concern or not," said Dr. Gordon Ewy, chief of cardiology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson, Ariz.

However, Spangler and other doctors don't agree with the cautious watch and wait approach when it comes to chemicals.

"There has always been an argument, similar to the tobacco companies' arguments, that a link between this product and adverse health outcomes 'has not been proven,'" Spangler said.

Stanford University School of Medicine professor of health research and policy, Dr. John Farquhar, agreed.

"Cigarette use was not proven to be harmful through evidence gained via a randomized clinical trial -- the gold standard for proof in clinical medicine," said Farquhar. "But through numerous associative studies that were complemented by animal and cell culture studies.

"In issues of human safety, an agent which can be avoided and which has no redeeming features is 'guilty until proven otherwise,'" he said.

For many moms in Poquette's circle, that hint of danger was enough.

"It was actually a few years ago. My father told me not to use the plastic Advent baby bottles," said Poquette. "At first, I didn't believe him ... but you have to do some research and make some decisions of what is going to work for your family."

Once Poquette decided to avoid BPA, she discovered a trip to the grocery store became a lot more complicated. Manufacturers don't have to label goods that contain BPA unless the FDA requires it.

Labeling Danger

"I don't think you're going to get everything out, but you can take steps," said Poquette.

Step number one: Check with online advocates. Poquette recommends reading TheSoftLanding.com for information on products with BPA. Or, people at the store can just text the product into the Z-Recommends texting service and quickly learn whether a product contains BPA.

Step number two: Just eliminate products that are likely to have BPA.
"We have definitely have limited what we drink out of," Poquette said. Now, her family uses glass and stainless steel water bottles. "We just try to limit the canned food that we do buy and just eat as fresh as possible."

Regardless of whether the FDA will decide to regulate BPA, doctors say the practice of avoiding foods that come in plastic containers or plastic-lined cans may have even more important health implications than BPA exposure.

"Unfortunately, in this country, I don't think BPAs in food containers pose a fraction of the threat to heart health as most of the food products that they contain," said Dr. Daniel Edmundowicz, director of Cardiovascular Medicine at UPMC Passavant Hospital in Pittsburg, Pa.

"Said another way -- I think the BPAs in a container of butter pose less risk than than butter itself," Edmundowicz said."