Bike Sharing is a program that has taken off in Denver and Chicago. B-Cycle Stations have bikes for rent! The Stations are typically set up in convenient areas around town. You walk up to the Station, swipe your credit-card or B-cycle card if you've purchased one, a bike unlocks electronically from the Station and you bike away. When you're done riding, find another Station, roll the bike into an available spot and wait until it has been securely returned! http://www.bcycle.com/
I think this is a great opportunity for Madison! And we have an opportunity right now to become B-Cycle's second largest program in the country!
The City Council will be considering this program at its February 1st Meeting!
Please contact your City Council Representative and tell them you support this program!
Here's the link to search for your Representative. http://www.cityofmadison.com/council/findAddress.cfm
http://www.isthmus.com/daily/article.php?article=31982
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Chromium-6 in My City Well
Madison WI Water Utility began testing for Chromium 6 after an environmental group claimed it found this possible carcinogen in our drinking water. The city of Madison's tests found it too. Chromium-6 is the same chemical compound found within the water of Hinkley California which was brought to everyone's attention by the involvement of Erin Brockovich and of course the movie staring Julia Roberts.
Hinkley California's levels peaked greater than those found in our wells, but I'm still concerned! The current EPA standard for total Chromium is .1mg but they do not yet have guidelines for Chromium-6 specifically.
There were 12 samples tested from four wells in the Madison area. All of them tested positive for Chromium 6. The well that supplies all of my drinking water at home tested with the highest levels of Chromium-6.
Our well has 2.11 ug/l of total chromium and 1.73 ug/l Chromium-6 which converts to 0.00211 mg/l total chromium and 0.00173 mg/l chromium-6. So if you trust the EPA's current assessment of safe drinking water (total chromium levels of 0.1 mg/l) our wells should be fine.
According to Wikipedia, however, the Average levels of Chromium-6 in Hinkley were recorded as 1.19 ug/l with a peak of 3.09 ug/l. That average of 1.19 ug/l is less than the amount my well contains.
Also, if the wells are safe according to EPA standard, why has this been in the news? I guess the answer may be because EPA is currently drafting new guidelines for chromium 6 and they are expected to be released within months. It is an expectation that the EPA will be tightening drinking water standards.
I'm interested to see what the EPA comes up for as a standard for Chromium-6 and I'm currently looking at water filtration systems that remove it. I don't want to start drinking bottled water at home because it's such a waste of resources but I also want to make sure that I'm protecting my health.
It looks like the best water filters that I've found so far that remove Chromium-6 are going to run a couple hundred dollars. This is not exactly what I had planned on purchasing with a portion of my tax return...however I believe it's worth it.
I'm still reading "The Body Toxic" and I feel a greater desire to be pay attention to these issues more closely as they affect my health and the health of my neighbors!
This issue also ties into my New-Years resolution to try and be a more informed consumer. As a consumer of Madison tap water from Well number 14...I'm trying to stay informed.
However, I must admit that all of this converting parts-per-million and parts-per-billion to ug/l to mg/l is completely draining me!
Friday, January 14, 2011
Friday, January 7, 2011
My New Years Intention
It's the new year! Time to make a resolution or set an intention on how I'd like to live, love and interact in 2011. One of my New Years Intentions is to become a more informed consumer. I feel like I've made giant improvements in the way that I eat by doing some research to find out where my food comes from and making better decisions. Our household is currently purchasing 80-90% organic or local in the grocery store. I feel great with the choices I have been making when it comes to the food I put into my body. I stopped eating meat at the age of 13 but just this last year I've started adding some fish to my diet to improve my Omega 3 and Protein consumption and I'm feeling great! We've been purchasing most of our fish at the Willy Street Coop and we've recently made the switch to sustainably caught canned tuna for sandwiches and salads.
Mike asked me the other day if I could tell a difference between the Wild Planet canned tuna http://www.wildplanetfoods.com/ versus the standard and cheaper StarKist brand.
I noted that I just feel better eating the Wild Planet version and it does taste and look better too! I think it's definitely worth the extra $2 a can. I will continue to do my research on other grocery products through the new year, however, now that I have the focus and knowledge to make better choices in the grocery store, I think it's time for me to move onto other consumable products!
Questions I intend to ask myself this year:
What are the ingredients in my shampoo, conditioner, lotion, makeup, and toothpaste? Are any of these known carcinogens or do they mimic hormones like estrogen?
What exactly does that non-stick pan have in/on it?
What are the ingredients in my cleaning products?
What about the saran wrap?
Do I need all of this plastic in my house?
Where were these clothes made? And by whom?
I've been wanting to do a sweep of my cosmetics and lotions for a while and switch to more natural products. The more natural products are of course a bit more expensive than the name-brands from Proctor & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson so I need a push. Also, I've always wanted to be more informed about the clothing choices I make to ensure that I'm not supported sweat-shop labor.
To get myself pumped up enough to put some serious energy into this endeavor I have picked up the book "The Body Toxic" by Nena Baker.
I just started reading it last night. The book digs into how the hazardous chemistry of everyday things, from our carpet, office chair, television, lotions, seat-belts and water bottles potentially threaten our health and well-being. Mike picked up the book last night when he saw it and said sarcastically, "Well that looks uplifting". I laughed! Truth...this is not uplifting. Luckily, I'm not looking for a feel-good story here, but rather some information that will outrage me enough to take some personal action. There are hundreds of chemicals in each one of us. We were born with some of them as they traveled through the umbilical cord while we developed in the womb and others we've accumulated. Scientists who are currently studying this phenomenon call it the Chemical Body Burden. Even those born after the DDT pesticide was banned may have DDT in their system as grasses and other products sprayed with DDT were consumed by animals and the animals held onto these chemicals for a period of time in their system, later those animals were consumed by humans who held onto these chemicals for a period of time and those humans had babies who may be born with trace levels of DDT. Are these trace amounts harmful to us? What about when we add this trace amount of DDT to trace amounts of 100s of other chemicals? It appears that we all have this Chemical Body Burden, I only want to learn how to make better choices to reduce mine.
Here's a link and video clip that have helped with my determination to fulfill my intention.
http://storyofstuff.org/cosmetics/
If you don't want to go down this road with me...I understand. However, I'm charging full speed ahead to a place full of more natural products and less synthetic chemicals...at least this is my intention!
Happy New Year!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Get Rid of the Old and Do some Good
Madison Children's Museum needs some items that you might just be throwing away or recycling this week. Have any CDs or CD cases you were thinking about tossing? How about a couple shoe boxes, bubble wrap or ribbon from the holidays? Do you collect sea-shells when you go on vacation only to realize you have no place to put them when you get home? Drop them off at the Museum and they'll be used for educational purposes, plus you will keep these items out of the landfill!
From their Website:
From their Website:
Wish List
Art Studio
To keep in line with our Sustainability Initiative, Madison Children’s Museum tries to use as much recycled and nature-based materials as possible in art projects. Please help us by collecting the following things at home.
For our recycling station: Cardboard tubes, yogurt/plastic containers, water bottles and caps, plastic and paper bags, egg cartons, spools, corks, film canisters, used CDs/CD cases, paper, yarn scraps, ribbon, string, twine, twist ties, fabrics, plastic containers, packing peanuts, bubble wrap, electrical or craft wire, dowels, craft tiles, shoe boxes, small cardboard boxes, and carpet squares.
For our nature-based station: Pine cones, cotton, hemp strings, pieces of wood, pebbles, river stones, dried fall leaves, dried flowers, acorns, sticks, twigs, vines, empty eggshells, sea shells, volcanic rocks, starfish, and seeds.
Materials not accepted include: Anything glass, pill bottles, computer and television monitors, and anything potentially dangerous to children.
If you have items to donate to the museum, please leave them at the front desk on your next visit.
Visitor Services
Items needed: Child’s wheelchair, weighted blankets. Please call 608.256.6445, ext. 149, to arrange for drop-off of your donation.
Rooftop Ramble
Items needed: Apparel for the Cultural Coat Closet (coats, wraps, footwear, and accessories from many cultures, countries, and climates throughout the world); good-quality juicer; hand-crank ice cream maker; flip-lid canning jars; acrylic specimens (animals, insects, plants, flowers); antique egg collecting basket; nature collections; fossil and rock collections; kid-size cooking implements (wooden spoons, bowls, small cast iron frying pans and pots); enamel cups, plates, pitchers, and bowls; small-sized silverware; magnifying glasses; heirloom/rare seeds; and books about chickens or pigeons.
Please drop off at the front desk or call 608.256.6445, ext. 142.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Sunday Paper
Dear Sentry Grocery Store at Hilldale,No I do not want a free Sunday Newspaper. Please stop asking.
That is all.
Kind Regards,
Melanie
(On average, a year's worth of newspaper (one paper per day) produces 550 pounds (250 kilograms) of waste paper. An average New York Times Sunday edition produces 8 million pounds (3.6 million kilograms) of waste paper.)
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