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5 Tips for Biking During the Winter



 

The weather is getting even chillier now and pedaling during this cold season is a bit more challenging for everyone. However, this definitely doesn’t mean that you should stop riding your bike! Here are 5 easy tips to help you ride more safely, smoothly, and comfortably during this time of year.

1. Use lights and reflectors when you’re biking since it gets dark earlier now and you will want to be seen at all times on the road. If you can get lights with blinking modes, that’s even better because they're more noticable.
2. Wear gloves when you’re biking in cooler temperatures to keep your hands from getting numb.
3. Wear ear protection when you’re biking to keep your ears warm under the protective helmet and gear you already have on.
4. Wear a neck gaiter, a fleece-like round piece of fabric that covers the neck to prevent it from being cold.
5. Wear layers of clothing when you’re biking because it’s essential in keeping the core warm.

Making just a few adjustments and following these 5 easy tips during the cold weather season will definitely help make riding a lot more comfortable this winter.

Source: Mother Nature Network

Make Your Thanksgiving Green

The holidays are officially upon us! But in this time of excess we can all do our part to make our celebrations a little more eco-friendlily. Here are some handy tips to trim down your Thanksgiving waste:

• When shopping for your Thanksgiving feast, use canvas or cloth shopping bags.
• Make sure to plan your shopping trips ahead to so you only have to make one trip which will save you gas and aggravation.
• Turn down your heater before guest arrive, the added body heat of your guests will keep everyone warm.
• Encourage your guests to walk or carpool.
• Make your own Thanksgiving decorations instead of buying them; you can make place cards out of leaves, center pieces out of pine cones, wreathes from twigs in your yards etc.
• After your party don't throw away those leftovers! Pack them into containers or send them home with your guests.

Now, leftovers are a wonderful part of Thanksgiving, but it's still a good idea to keep track of your portions. Here is a handy estimate of the amount of each food a single guest will consume

• Turkey- 1 pound
• Stuffing- ¼ pound
• Sweet potato casserole- ¼ pound
• Green beans- ¼ pound
• Cranberry relish- 3 tablespoons
• Pumpkin pie- 1/8 of a 9 inch pie

 

For more holiday conservation tips visit Earth911.com and UseLessStuff.com.

Photo source: Blogs.dixcdn.com

Animals in Everyday Products

Ending your consumption of meat doesn't necessarily mean that you are ending your consumption of animal products. According to the Ontario Farm Animal Council  "on average, 98% of an animal is used. From that 98%, about 55% (on average) of the animal is used for edible products and the remaining 45% for inedible by-products." Here are some common products that actually contain animal byproducts:

1. Plastic Bags: manufacturers  often use animal additives to improve material properties and to aid in processing

2. Car and Bike Tires: manufacturers sometimes use animal based stearic acid to help tires hold their shape, for a list of companies that use plant based alternatives click here

3. Glue in Woodwork and Musical Instruments: animal glue, created from boiling animal tissues, is commonly used to to fix musical instruments such as violins and pianos as well as for glue general woodworking

4. Biofuels: while sugar and corn are both used to make biofuel, within the last couple of years animal fat has been used to create beef and chicken biodiesel

5. Fireworks: the same component used in the tire industry, stearic acid, is present in the production of fireworks

6. Fabric Softener: some fabric softeners contains a substance (Dihydrogenated tallow dimethyl ammonium chloride) that comes from the cattle, sheep and horse industry

7. Shampoo & Conditioner: according to PETA there are upward of 20 components from animals that can be used in the production of shampoo and conditioner; these components can be either plant or animal based so the only way to be sure is to purchase a vegan brand

8. Toothpaste: the ingredient glycerin can be derived from either plants or animals

9. Sugar: some companies use purified ash from animal bones in filters to refine sugar, to avoid this you can either choose unrefined sugar or choose from the list PETA has complied here

 

For the full article and more detailed information visit Treehugger.com

Image from: Worldproutassembly.org

Green Skepticism

The push for more 'green' and ecologically friendly action today has given rise to a great deal of controversy over whether or not these measures are even really effective in the long run. So for all of you skeptics out there here are some common claims debunked:

- "Recycling wastes more energy than it saves": FALSE, transporting materials to be recycled does in fact use energy but in general, the energy used to manufacture new products from raw materials is at least ten times more than the energy consumed by curbside collection, recycling and transportation of recycled goods.

- "Natural cleaners don't disinfect": FALSE Natural cleaners are highly effective in the bathroom and kitchen, even when it comes to nasty food-borne bacteria like E. coli.

- "Plastics are safe in the microwaves": FALSE Common food-grade plastics, such as yogurt containers, margarine tubs or disposable plastic plates, are FDA-approved but have not been tested for use in microwaves. If they are microwaved, they may release harmful chemicals into food.

- "With China and India pumping out so much CO2, there's no reason for me to cut back mine.": FALSE While yes China and India do produce a considerable amount of CO2, it doesn't hold a lot of water to justify bad behavior with 'well they did it first'. We all learned in grade school that two wrongs don't make a right.

- "Over its life span, a hybrid is less eco-friendly than a Hummer H3": FALSE The study that made this claim underestimates the energy used in a hybrid's operation, which actually accounts for 80 to 90 percent of its lifetime energy (research weighed this energy use as less than 10 percent). Although the production of a Prius involves energy-intensive mining for the nickel in its battery, its highly efficient fuel economy will send it quickly whizzing by the H3 in terms of overall energy savings.

 

For more detailed debunking visit National Geographic's Green Guide.

Photo taken from Skeptical.com

Green Up Your Cup of Joe!

As a Berkeley student you likely have turned to a nice hot cup of coffee during a long night of studying or as a pick-me-up right before a big test. But what you might not know is that with your choice in coffee you can help to make the world a little more green. Here are some tips to help you green up your morning 'cuppa Joe' :

• Look for Organically Grown Coffee: Usually this means that the beans have been grown without the use of artificial pesticides and weed killers. This helps to minimize pollution from wastewater and fertilizers.
• Buy Fair Trade Certified Coffee: This is a sign that the coffee harvesters have been adequately paid and worked under humane conditions. Fair Trade Certified buying is ecologically responsible because there is a  link between the alleviation of poverty and the likelihood of conservation efforts. Farmers who are paid a fair wage are less likely to level native habitats in order to grow more crops.
• Purchase 'Shade Grown' Coffee: Coffee trees grown in the shade of larger tropical plants help to provide valuable habitats for wildlife and increase the biodiversity of these environments.
• Buy Locally Grown Coffee: Choosing to buy coffee that has been both grown and manufactured close to where you live helps to cut down on the emissions that result from long distance transpiration and distribution.

 

For the full article by Johnathon D. Colman visit Nature.org

Image from guardian.co.uk

 

Trick or Treat or Dark Chocolate?

 
 
Halloween is over and yet candy is everywhere. What type of candy will you hope to bum off your friends or co-workers? I’ll have dark chocolate, please.

In a recent study, researchers found that dark chocolate can help prevent damage from strokes. The Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism explains that the flavanols found in dark chocolate protect the body against heart disease and strokes. This new study found that dark chocolate can also provide protection after a stroke has already occurred. A specific chemical found in dark chocolate called epicatechin appears to do the trick. It works by activating certain chemicals in the brain that are known for brain cell protection so that once the stroke happens less damage occurs. The study explains that this is only true of dark chocolate and not milk chocolate though. If the percentage of cocoa in the chocolate is higher, the better it is.

So, for your post Halloween eats, dark chocolate seems like a nice treat that will do the trick!

Source: Tree Hugger

Still Using a Yoga Mat?

 

The New York Times style section recently reported that a small group of people who practice authentic Hatha yoga are opting to do yoga on the bare floor rather than on their sticky yoga mat. What was the reason? The small group argued that yoga mats are bad for the environment and less hygienic.

With yoga mats available almost everywhere, from the supermarkets to the beauty supply store, they’re very accessible to almost everyone. However, yoga mats are now over commercialized and many of the sticky yoga mats are riddled with toxic PVC. If practicing your sun salutation yoga pose on the bare floor doesn’t sound too appealing to you, there are still some yoga mats out there that are green and eco-friendly.

Whether you decide to use a yoga mat or not, keep on practicing yoga to maintain a healthy lifestyle!

Source: Tree Hugger