Random Facts I Like

I don’t have a ton of time to write today because I work on Thursdays.  However, I love true random science facts.  I used to make a list of true facts about physiology or biology when I taught.  I would give it to my students on the first day.  They had to decide if the statements were true or false (all true of course).  They could talk amongst a small group (to get to know each other) to help decide.  The facts were things like “the average adult humans skin is the same size as a queen size bed comforter.”  It really peaked their interest and led to some great discussions about what they would be learning about that year.  In the mean time, while I have been on my “mommy break”.  I still love crazy facts that grab people’s attention about science.

Here’s a few I have found that may be of relevance to this blog (or not.  A couple I just think are really strange.):

The dot above the “i” is called a “tittle”. (Hee, Hee! I love that word)

98 tons of buried historic plant material are used to make 1 gallon of gasoline.

About 100 people choke on ballpoint pens every year.  (Take that pen/pen cap out of your mouth right now!)

Animals can naturally explode.

The Earth is not really round.  It’s an ellipse.

Each square inch of human skin contains 19 million cells, 60 hairs, 90 oil glands, 19 feet of blood vessels, 625 sweat glands, and millions of bacteria.

Tomatos are the most popular food worldwide.

The strongest muscle in your body is your tongue.

A taste bud is replaced every 10 days (I attribute that to my bi-weekly change of taste about anything).

And sorry Big Binder…Right handed people live longer than left handed people.

 

there’s many more facts but I have to go feed the masses over here now!

 

Sunday Environmentalists

 It’s Sunday and hey, in case you haven’t crawled out from under your rock for the past month, Earth Day is this Tuesday.  Can you believe it?  Wow! It really snuck up on us.  Not a word from the media.  I am really surprised that manufacturers haven’t jumped on the boat to support Earth Day and go “green”.  It’s such a great opportunity to reach out to their consumer base to help change the world with selfless ambition (Can ambition ever really be selfless?).  I am really surprised that people have missed the boat on this.

Touch the screen….is it dripping with sarcasm?

I have to say that I can NOT take it anymore.  I don’t even know what to write about on my green blog.  I am so overloaded with the same info over and over and over again.  Use reusable tote bags for shopping, switch your light bulbs, blah blah blah.  Does anybody have any new ideas? 

Everybody has gone “Green”.  Even Clorox.  How many Clorox “Green Works” commercials have you seen this past week?  Funny thing, Clorox, if you really are interested in saving the planet, why don’t you stop making things with bleach?  I am sure that they are just wanting to sweeten the honey after scarfing up Burt’s Bees.

How about Walmart?  I wonder if they gave their workers around the world some of the 1 million reusable shopping bags passed out this weekend so that they could carry their only belongings around because they can’t afford a home.  It’s great that they want to be viewed as Earth friendly…how about people friendly?  And is anyone checking to see how all these reusable shopping bags are produced?  I am sure that everybody is using 100% cotton or another organic fiber because it’s so cheap and would really enhance the profit margin.

I have a sneaking suspicion that there is a little bit of “green washing” going on around here. It’s driving me crazy.  Big Binder even told me she almost bought some Campbells soup because it said it was green.  You know how green it was?  The container was recyclable.  No kidding??  Soup cans…recyclable.  Now that’s a novel idea that no one has thought of before.  I am hitting my head on the top of my laptop screen right now.  Corporate America is so ridiculous to me.  Are there any “honest Abes” out there?  Are there any true idealists who will not bend to the almight dollar? 

 Hmmm…..how will we weed out the bad seeds?  Terrachoice offers a great little list as to how to spot some green washing.  There are other ways to detect who is a sell out and who is the real deal.  We will touch on those at a later time after my head is healed and my blood pressure has returned to normal.

Many are talking that “Earth Day is the new Christmas.”  Check out these 2 articles for examples:  here and here.  I am calling many of these corporations who tout “green” savings and Earth day specials as “Sunday Environmentalists”.  It’s a spin off of the “Sunday Christian“.  You know the people who go to church on Sunday but then go off and do random acts of sin without thought or concern throughout the week?  Well, these really smart corporations (and let’s face it, it is smart for their pocketbook) are one in the same with the environment.  For one day, they will give your reusable bags, show you billboards of the great green Earth with their logo on it, or hand you flyers with their latest sales on crap printed on recycled paper just to get you through their doors and purchase any item earth friendly or not.  Then come April 23 or maybe May 1, the tide will change for the next big sale.  Next thing you know, all the leftover ads and printed material screaming that they are saving the Earth are tossed out and discarded for Memorial Day specials.  And we begin again with the next biggest cause until Earth Day 2009.

My one hope for Earth Day this year (and yes, I did take an online personality test at www.personalityzone.com and it said I was a full fledged idealist.) is that people will at least stop and think.  Then everyone on earth will hold hands, sing songs, and begin to do something that is kind to our environment every day all year long.  I will then have to create a new term.  I am tossing around “MEEP: My Everyday Earth Partner”.  More on that to come.

So how do you make Earth Day, Every day?  Here is just one list of things you can easily do to really make a difference.  Take care my MEEPs!

 

March 22, 2008: World Water Day

It’s World Water Day!! 

Help raise awareness about our freshwater supply.  Pledge to become water wise in 2008!

 

Great Green Giveaways

For your weekend blogging pleasure, head on over to enter some great green giveaways.  These items are fab and they are all green.  Renew your wardrobe and your commitment to the environment this spring!

Mindful Momma has some very cute organic cottone onesies by baby greens organic clothing.  Enter by hopping over to this post.  Check out the Nami (wave) onesie and have your little one support clean water awareness.

Green Mom Finds is giving away an earth friendly tee by “tees for change”.  The tee states “Chase Dreams” and is too cute.  Maybe you can win the onesie and this to be a super green pair!  Enter by completing the entry form on this post.