Monday, March 25, 2013

Why Should You Care?


     Why should you care about the environment?  When Zoo CREW first started with our Action Campaign each and every one of us had to ask ourselves why others should care about the environment. For the members of Zoo CREW we care about animals and our love of animals is enough for use to make changes in our own lives. But with the start of this project we were faced with the fact that for everyone we talk to a simple love of animals might not be enough.

     The truth is that we as humans need the environment to survive. There’s no way around it and there is no way to live without it. Butterflies are being negatively affected because of climate change they simply can’t deal with the extreme fluctuations in temperature year to year and the unpredictable season schedule.  Many of the fruits and vegetables that you eat each and every day are pollinated by butterflies and solely by butterflies. Without butterflies we would not have many of the fruits and vegetables we rely on.

     The simplest reason to care about the environment is because it’s our world and we need it. There is only one earth, one atmosphere, and so much of non-renewable resources. Once things are gone they are gone and there’s no getting them back. Humanity is at a fork in the road, we can go right and save the earth or go left and continue on the detrimental road we are on and decide not to care.

     Everyone has to decide why they should care about the environment. Is it because you love the earth, want to save money in the long run, or simplify love animals. Find a reason why you should care, because whether you like it or not this is everyone’s earth. So I’m giving everyone the challenge not just everyone reading this blog but everyone in the world, to find a reason to care about our earth and help save it.

    Zoo CREW has a reason to care done you?

Gabby 

If you enjoy our blogs and want more information on how to be environmentally friendly I encourage you to follow us on our various social media websites:

 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZooCREWCampaign
Instagram: zoocrewcampaign 

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Green Spring Cleaning



Today is the first official day of spring, even though it might not feel like it out side. For those of you out there who like me are an OCD cleaner and turns the start of spring into a full weekend if not week of non-stop cleaning. Then you are currently prepping and supply shopping. Unlike springs in the past my goal for this spring is to make my spring cleaning as environmentally friendly as possible.  This should be a goal for everyone not just for their spring cleaning but for everyday cleaning as well. Here are 2 simple tips for green cleaning that everyone can apply to there daily cleaning as well as spring cleaning.

Paper Towel vs. Cloth Towels:

Whether paper towels or cloth towels are more eco-friendly has been a debate among the world of going green. Some say cloth towels are about the same as paper towels because they have to be washed. But what it comes down to is how you use cloth towels. The average house hold washes clothes about once or twice a week depending on the house hold size. The goal of cloth towels is not to wash them as soon as they get dirty but to was them when you wash cloths, simply adding them to the towels that you normally wash.  For my household of four we can go through a roll of paper towel in about a week or two so using cloth towels saves not only money but trees. 

Green cleaners:

Green cleaning products generally fall into two category’s store brought and homemade. There are many green and organic cleaning products that can be brought right in your own grocery store.  When looking in stores for cleaners that won’t harm the environment make sure that the cleaner you pick is non-toxic, lacks man made fragrances, is biodegradable, and that the container that it is in is recyclable. Now in day organic and green cleaners cost about as much normal cleaners so you’re not spending more money that you normally spend. Many cleaning products can be made using products found right in your own home. Vinegar, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide are the basis for many homemade cleaners. Recipes can be found online for a wide range of homemade cleaners.



Don’t forget that this Saturday at 8:30 PM is Earth Hour. Turn you lights and electronics off for one hour in order to help the environment. For more information: http://zoocrewcampaign.blogspot.com/

Gabby

If you enjoy our blogs and want more information on how to be environmentally friendly I encourage you to follow us on our various social media websites:

 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZooCREWCampaign
Instagram: zoocrewcampaign


Monday, March 18, 2013

Earth Hour



Do you know what earth hour is? Don’t feel bad if you don’t, most people have never heard of it before. Earth Hour is a yearly event organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). During Earth Hour people no matter where they are around the world or what they are doing turn off their lights and don’t use electricity for one hour.  This year Earth Hour takes place on March 23 (this Saturday) at 8:30. You’re not being asked to spend money, travel to a location, or make a life changing commitment. All you have to do to take part is turn off all of you electronics and anything that uses electricity for 1 hour.  To be honest at first I did not know what earth hour was and when I did find out I questioned whether I would be able to commit. But I asked myself what’s stopping me from taking part? The fact that I want to go on Facebook or that I want to watch TV? Facebook and TV will always be there for whenever I want it. But the Earth and environment is only here for as long as people keep it here. We rely on the earth for our entire life and I think we can spare an hour to take care of it in return.

Member of the Zoo CREW Campaign have taken the pledge to take part in Earth Hour and we encourage you to take part too. Because this is not only our earth it’s yours too.

For more information about Earth Day visit: http://earthhour.org/node?direct=true

Gabby 

If you enjoy our blogs and want more information on how to be environmentally friendly I encourage you to follow us on our various social media websites:

Instagram: zoocrewcampaign

Friday, March 15, 2013

Words are as Powerful as Action


     Helping the environment and being eco-friendly is not just about your actions. It’s not just about recycling, being green, carpooling, and saving water. Spreading the word about climate change and standing up for the environment is just as important as the actions in your everyday live. Most people don’t know what climate change is or how they can combat it. For each and every person that knows about climate change and going green you have a duty not only to take action in your own lives but to get others to take action in their lives. You don’t have to start a Facebook page or hold a rally; it’s as simple as talking to those around you.

     Spread the word about climate change and saving energy. Talk to your family about how their everyday actions can make a difference. For younger kids it can be as simple as telling them to remember to turn the lights out when they leave a room because it helps save animals. For older kids and teens you might direct them to read these blogs as a way to get a deeper understanding of how their actions affect the environment. Spreading the word can be as simple as talking to the moms in your parenting group about organic baby food and cloth dippers.  The more people that know about what is going on in the environment the more the environment is saved.

Zoo CREW has made the choice to spread the word about climate change, will you?

Gabby

If you enjoy our blogs and want more information on how to be environmentally friendly I encourage you to follow us on our various social media websites:

 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZooCREWCampaign
Instagram: zoocrewcampaign

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Adjust your Input to Increase your Reusable Output in order to Decrease your Loss


 Going green can be broken down into input, reusable output, and loss. This problem sound like a math class, that most likely because I came up with this idea in math class. One of the most unique parts about being in Zoo CREW is that you learn to look at completely unrelated topics and relate them to animals and the environment

     Input is everything that you do, buy, or bring into your house. It’s the organic cleaning supplies and recycled water battles you buy; it’s also when you use ecofriendly light bulbs and car pool. Likewise it is also not using ecofriendly light bulbs, it’s the litter you drop in the street, and the times you decide not to recycle. The goal of being environmentally friendly is to keep you input as green as possible that means using recycled products, recycling, and buying organic food and products.

     Reusable output is everything that comes from your actions that does not negatively affect the environment. It’s the litter that does not go into a landfill; it’s the energy that you save, and the things that you recycle. Reusable output is everything that can return to input and be used over. Not all of your output is reusable; the output that is not reusable is considered loss. Loss is just that, the parts of the output that once they are used they are not use again. Loss is the CO2 admissions that are leaked into the air. It’s the bottles that are in landfills that are not going to be reused. It’s the environments that are loss and animals that are left without a home.

     So you might be asking yourself what all this means? The goal of being environmentally friendly is to adjust your input so that that it increases your reusable output and decreases your loss. Recycle cans so that they can be made into more cans. Use reusable battles so that there is no loss at all. You can also make things fun for the entire household by creating the challenge of trying to have no loss for a whole day. It won’t be easy but it’s not impossible and you might learn something new in the process. Remember make your input so that reusable output is high and loss is low. Always remember to be ecofriendly and do you part for the environment.

Gabby

If you enjoy our blogs and want more information on how to be environmentally friendly I encourage you to follow us on our various social media websites:

 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZooCREWCampaign 
Instagram: zoocrewcampaign


Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Recycling Basics


When the average person is asked how they are eco-friendly in their own life, in most cases there first answer would be that they recycle. In most cities recycling is mandatory and residents that do not recycle can be fined. Just because residents are forced to recycle or recycle by their own choice does not mean they are recycling properly. Like many others I follow the recycling basics all paper and plastic goes in the recycling bin, but like many other households on trash day there is no telling what’s in the recycling bin. Pizza boxes, egg cartons, tissues, and even the occasional bag of food make their way into my households recycling bin. Just because a household recycles does not mean they recycle properly, if recycling is not done properly then recycling can do more harm than good. If one piece of paper that has food oils on it gets into a batch of paper that is being processed and turned into recycled paper products it could ruin the whole batch and send it to the dump.  Sometimes it can be hard to remember what can and can’t be recycled but here is the basic 411 about recycling.

Recycling Yes and No’s:

Yes:  Soda cans, paint cans, glass jars and glass, battles can all be recycled. What many do not know is that aerosol cans also be recycled.  
No: Aluminum foil, paperclips, light bulbs, window glass.

Yes: All basic paper like newspaper, printing paper, magazines, and cardboard.
No: any type of paper product that you use to wipe your hands or face with, anything that has a wax coating and anything that has food liquids or oils on it.

Plastics can be a little more complex. Depending on your city some plastics can or can’t be recycled, so make shore to check you city guide line. Per Philadelphia guidelines.
Yes: All plastic #1-#7, #6 as long as it is not Styrofoam.  
No: Styrofoam, plastic bags, PVC pipe, and packing peanuts.

Always remember:
1. No container plastic, paper, or cardboard can be recycled if it as food liquids or oils on it.

2. The one major exception to all of these rules is Pizza boxes. The bottom of a pizza box cannot be recycled but if the top does not have oils from the pizza then is can be ripped off and recycled.

3. Check you city’s recycling guidelines there are always new products that are being added to the recycling list. 

Helping the environment not only helps the animals that live in it but it helps the humans that live in it too. Remember to always be eco-friendly in everything that you do and for more information visit our social media sites. 

Gabby

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Presentation Update!

Today Ajah and Yesenia have presented their power-point about climate change for the first time! We have presented to Young Scholars Charter School to a group of very eager middle school students. We have talked about how climate change affects polar bears, butterflies, and even us. Towards the end of the presentation, we had a short fun trivia game. The students have answered all the questions with confidence. With every answer they gave, we have rewarded them with kit-kat (a sustainable palm oil candy).  This showed us that we have gotten our message across successfully, to further inform people about how their everyday actions affect polar bears and butterflies and how easy it is to establish ways to help. 

Within the next week, we will be doing our second presentation at Memphis Street Academy. Wish us luck in this process of promoting ways to help polar bears and butterflies and ways to help stop climate change.

Yesenia