Acknowledging that industrial civilization is by definition unsustainable...

1.) acknowledge that industrial civilization is by definition
unsustainable, as the sole mechanism by which it propagates itself is
through the wholesale exploitation of natural resources, which are by no
means infinite.

2.) acknowledge that the key to truly sustainable living involves giving
up what we have come to accept as western culture, and adopting lifestyles
based more closely upon those of indigenous peoples who have/had managed
to live on this planet far longer than us without bringing upon the planet
anything remotely close to the degree of ecological devastation that we
have in such a comparatively short period of time.

3.) recognize that the next step is neither simple nor obvious. consume
less -- it takes prodigious amounts of raw materials and energy to
manufacture and distribute the useless crap you buy but don't really need.
finding ways to wean yourself off the grid also puts less money into the
pockets of the corporate overlords who own your soul. educate yourself and
educate others about the ways in which industrial civilization and ecocide
[i.e, devastation to oceans, forests, and of course animals, of which man
is only one of many] go hand in hand -- the only way to stop the
industrial processes that are killing the planet and killing people is to
get folks to stop and open their eyes and to turn away from the road we're
currently heading down.

4.) note that recycling your plastic bottles, becoming a vegan, and
placing your faith in barack obama simply isn't going to cut it. those
might be some swell things to do [well, two out of three anyway], but we
should all be asking ourselves some harder questions; e.g.: if global
warming is for real, wouldn't the most sensible thing to do be to stop
putting more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, effective immediately? if
modern industrial processes create so many toxic byproducts [dioxin, pcbs,
radioactive waste, etc., etc.], and we know that these substances,
released into the environment, inevitably make their way back into human
populations, where they poison us and give us cancer, why the hell can't
we bring ourselves to quit these industrial processes?

possibly thought-provoking reads:
'ishmael' by daniel quinn
anything written by derrick jensen
'confessions of an economic hit man' by john perkins

Submitted by ryan
krovvyx@gmail.com

It's always a shame when blogs get abandoned. Time to bring this one back!

Submitted by Eric

Household batteries (like AA, AAA, D, C, etc) can be recycled at the Jiffy
Lube across from the Library: 1602 E Colorado Blvd.

Stop throwing away your batteries! They are toxic waste! Countries like
Norway make this irresponsible behavior illegal!

Submitted by Jared

Recycling = extra money for food and gas.

Global Warming = biggest scam since edible chocolate underwear. Anyone who
isn't tottaly retarded would and should research planet conditions dating
all the way back to 1830 to see just how little we've damaged the planet.

However, I do believe in alternate fuel cars, not because of the global
warming scam, but just because its irratating that even though we have so
many tech advances, we can't figure out how to power a car with water and
use solar energy to power cities. In short, it's retarded we havent
stepped forward in our tech evolution.

Submitted by Spector
lone_paladin@hotmail.com

The school should put recycle cans like in Europe and some parts or
Mexico. They have three cans together: trash, recycle, compost.

Submitted by queta

Can the automotive program now train students to work on green[er]
vehicles like the Hybrid or Prius?

Submitted by Jared

http://www.plastc.blogspot.com
As part of Ms. O'Connor's class and in preparation for the event on Nov.
2, a blog has been created. the intention is to shed light on topics
pertaining to the introduction of plastic bags and their contained
chemicals into the environment, special attention is paid to the Marine
environment. Also check out the role plastics play in the economy not to
mention every person's wallet.
http://plastc.blogspot.com

Submitted by Erika, Hovig, Nishan

We shouldn't recycle plastics. Recycling is not a solution to a harmful
effect of plastic on our environment. The idea is to stop using plastics,
not just recycling. Moreover, only a few of the recycled plastics will be
turned into new products. The majority will end up in landfills. Is all
recycling work worth an organized landfill? Recycling is a business not a
"must do" because recycling plants are earning money off of collecting
recycled plastics and not actually melting all of the recycled plastics
down and trasforming into new products.

Submitted by Sung, Ken, Jason, Kingsley

test

Submitted by tester

Research Guide.

Whether you have a full-on research project or just want to be better
informed, take a look at the research guide, "Sustainable Resources and
the Green Movement".

http://www.pasadena.edu/library/guides/greenlight.htm

Submitted by Patty Johnson
pljohnson@pasadena.edu

Say No to GMOS...

Say no to GMOS. They contain genetic material from other organisms. They
initiate an immune response in rats. 70% of processed foods in our grocery
stores contain unlabeled GMO ingredients. Many GMO seeds are engineered to
resist glysophate, the active ingredient in Roundup. Crops such has
soybeans, cotton, and corn have been altered to become resistant to Round
Up and are in key ingredients of many food items. Glysophate is toxic to
human placental cells, fish, and non-GMO plants. Glyphosate has been
proven to enchance the cell division for the first stages of cancer. It
has also been noted to be a cause of Hodgkins lyphoma a kind of cancer.
Contact with glyphosate has also caused problems such as swelling of the
eyes and face. It has been found as a contaminent in rivers. Which creates
the potential to contaminate the surface and ground water we drink. Not
all hope is lost. The use of GMO seed is a prohibited method under the
Organic Foods Act of 1990. By eating organic foods, and petitioning your
representatives to label GMO foods, you can avoid supporting this
destructive industry.

Submitted by Jennifer, Tony, and Chris

Fish Farming

FRANKENFISH!!

Fish farming is not only bad for fish, it's also bad for humans. Fish
farming ponds contain chemicals, antibiotics and feces that are cause
health concerns like cancer, nervous system disorders, food poisoning and
brain degeneration just to name a few.

This contaminated fish farming water leaks into our groundwater which we
drink. Essentially we end up drinking all these chemicals/antibotics that
are used in fish farm waters.

China is the largest fish farmed exporters in the world. In the US, the
FDA does not inspect these imported fish.
Also, the FDA does not test for Mercury, which can cause brain damage and
memory loss.

There is no known "organic" fish coming from fish farming because of the
close quarters of fish, they are highly susceptible of sea lice requiring
the use of antibiotics and pesticides in all fish food.
Every time you eat farm fish, you are eating these antibiotics and
chemicals.

In short, whatever is good for the fish, is good for us.

Submitted by Alysa Pakkidis, Frances Cantos, Mathieu Aquino, Noah Puni,
and Matt Fisher

Water bottles

Move forward in a chance to change. Water bottles are such a wasteful
product and contaminate not only our planet but our bodies. An easy way to
help ourselves and the environment is buying a stainless steel canteen
that not only saves you money but saves the environment from landfills of
plastic.

Submitted by katy, rolondo, luis, janice, freddy, edith, andrew, ryan

Overgrazing cattle

Overgrazing cattle affects our water.

our project focuses on how much water is being used in overgrazing cattle
and how antibiotics in the hormones run off into rivers and streams and
contaminates our water.

Submitted by where's the beef?

Coca-Cola -- India

our project is about coca-cola and how it is harmful to the environment
and the depletion of groundwater in India.

Submitted by Sampson, Carlos, Tracie, Yumi

Water bottles

Our project reveals the facts behind water bottles and uncovers the myths
about tap water. We reveal environmental effects of plastic water bottle
use, the waste involved in creating water bottles, the benefits and
reasons one should use a water filter, the chemicals in tap and bottled
water, the regulation involved (EPA and FDA), and the economic benefits of
not using water bottles.

Submitted by The Truth About Water Bottles

Wasting Food and Water Implications

Throwing away food is an issue that not many take into consideration. In
order for fruits and vegetables to be grown, there are many ingredients
needed for successful crop growth, and water is no exception. When people
waste food they do not realize they're wasting water. When ever someone
throws out leftovers or old bananas in the trash you are essentially
allowing water go to waste. In the United States, 47% of consumers discard
spoiled food at least every two weeks and 70% of consumers dispose spoiled
food at least once a month. This not only affects your wallet but it also
affects the way we make use of the land and water that was required to
grow the food. The products that are frequently being thrown into the
garbage are salad bags, milk, vegetables, and fruits. We can all
contribute a small portion in attempt to fixing this issue. Some of the
things you can do as an individual is taking your leftovers home when you
eat out so they can be eaten later. Another thing is to refrigerate fruits
and vegetables so they can last a bit longer. If you have to buy produce
in big portions, know how much will be eaten, so you can avoid tossing
uneaten food.

Submitted by patrica, juan, jackie, linda
lindabaowang@yahoo.com

Soda and the environment

For our group assignment, we researched the effects of soda on the
environment and our bodies. We broke this down to what is found in soda,
high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and Bisphenol A (BPA).

HFCS is made up of corn and the process to produce corn syrup takes a toll
on the environment. First, inspectors inspect and clean the corn. Second,
they store corn in water for 40 hours to break down the starch and protein
bonds. Third, they remove the germs away from the kernal. Fourthly, they
separate the fiber, starch, and proteins. Lastly, they liquify the starch
and convert it into syrup. The process has taken 874,550 Million gallons
of water to process corn into corn syrup annually.

The nation now has nearly 80 million-acre fields of corn. When trees are
being cleared, we are destroying life for both insects and animals that
lived in that environment. It depletes the soil nutrients, and requires
more pesticides and fertilizer while weakening the topsoil. This gives us
the risk of developing different types of diseases and disorders because
it produces less nutritional crops.

The crop also demands more nitrogen fertilizer than any other crops. These
chemicals run off into ground water and make its way to the Gulf of mexico
through the Mississippi river, killing off marine life in a 12,000 square
mile area. Don't forget that it takes large amounts of oil to produce
pestisides and gas to produce nitrogen fertilizer.

Most animals we eat (such as cows, chicken, and pigs) are fed a corn diet
even though it can destroy their digestive system, and requiring farmers
to inject antibiotics to fight off infections and illnesses.

BPA, a chemical observed to have increased cancer growth cells, can leak
into the soda. Not only is this chemical leaking into the soda, the
plastics and aluminum that BPA align are photodegradable, leaving the
litter in the ocean to break down to pieces that fishes mistakenly eat.

Obesity has skyrocketed since the introduction of HFCS in the 1970s.
Obesity also increases the risks of cancer for many. Soda is highly
addictive and children can become undernourished and become stumpy and
cognitive skills don't develop properly. Too many sweets can also cause
diabetes.

So cutting back on soda will reduce the demand of corn and leave more land
for native plants to grow and less animals will be fed corn. Our health
will not suffer the risks that come along with HFCS and BPA. Our lands
will be less polluted with plastic bottles and aluminum cans.

Submitted by Soda Group
millie.phan@gmail.com

Leap Frog Green Summit

For the Leap Frog Green Summit, 6 women will convey the importance of
Organic Foods in regards to the Environment and most importantly, your
health.

Everyone is directly affected by Greenhouse emissions, Topsoil Erosion,
and Toxic run-off created in part by large-scale industrial farming. We
will provide a list of Local Farmer's Markets, Alkalizing/Acidifying
Foods, Organic/ Environmentally Friendly Recipes, as well as taste tests
between Inorganic and Organic Fruits and Vegetables.

We will create a Los Angeles based program called the "Eat Local
Challenge", inviting everyone to challenge themselves by cutting back on
industrial farmed produce as well as Inorganic and processed foods.

Hope to see everyone there!

November 2nd 10AM

-Allison, Erika, Rachel, Charlene, Sabrina, Ashley

Submitted by Allison Cervantes
allison.cervantes@gmail.com

Solar cooking

Solar Cooking Oven
Our group created a presentation about the benefits of using a solar cooker. We also talked
about how to create one.

Submitted by

Indigenous Foods

We are students of Pasadena City College who will be presenting the option
of foods indigenous to California this Sunday from 10:00 am to 2:30 pm at
the Leap Frog Festival hosted by PCC. Aloe, Butternut Squash, Agave,
California Buckwheat,Prickly Pear,and Autumn Golds are all eco-friendly
and healthy foods with medicinal properties native to California. Learn
more about how native foods to California are beneficial to us and our
environment.

Submitted by Chris, Emily, Nicole, Jason, Samantha, Bruce, and Francis

Trash!

We will be showing the people how we impact the world around us. For one
person, we saved one week of trash, and showed how much energy it takes to
make processed and how much energy it uses to make the packaging. What it
takes to package it as well as transport it. All the info to be presented
will show that eating localy will be better for us as a whole. by doing
this we show how much of an impact we have on the planet by just eating
fast food and higly processed food.

Submitted by Trashion Group

Feedlot animals research project

WHAT FEEDLOT ANIMALS ARE BEING FED AND HOW IT EFFECTS US AND THE
ENVIRONMENT PHYS. 37 MW 9-1230
O'CONNOR

Submitted by ALDO, MATT, VACHE, JOSHUA, LAUREN, ANTHONY

Recycling

My family has been trained to think recycling. We have a receptacle in the kitchen for non-cash recycling. Every week our "wheelie" recycle receptacle is full. Newspapers are kept in a separate place in a paper bag and put in the "wheelie" before it goes out.

When we remodeled our house 3 years ago we purchased a pull out trash device with a separate recycle bin behind it so aluminum cans, bottles and plastic bottles that can be returned for cash can be easily separated from the general trash. My children accompany me to the recycle center about every 1-2 months. They split the money from recycling and it goes into their savings accounts.

Submitted by Dona Mitoma
djmitoma@pasadena.edu

Best website on sustainability

Best website I've found to date on sustainability. Enjoy:

www.wbcsd.org

Submitted by PDM
ptdemaria@pasadena.edu