Sunday, May 13, 2012

Whats in your fridge?

Whats in your fridge thats good, and whats in your fridge that isn't? Find out in this educational video.

Watering your plants

This is me teaching you how to water your plants properly without soaking them too much and killing them.

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

End result for the volunteering job!

So after we volunteered at millenium park with other groups, we took one big group picture! I was so happy that we actually went through with this and it took a lot out of our day, but it was worth it. Everyone in the environment, is.

Aquaponics system!

In biology we were required to make an aquaponics system to show what we learned about it. This is ours. It may not look on key, but it's the future of gardening since global warming has rendered some areas useless! Learn to make one and it's very simple to keep going!

Volunteering with group UMAD!

This is the time when we volunteered with team UMAD! We all helped clean-up downtown millenium park! This provided that we all had images and different ideas to all add to this idea! I really liked this idea so I helped out! What have you done lately?

Monday, May 7, 2012

Green CTA Hybrid Busses

If you live in Chicago, you may have noticed that many of our city's buses are toting the words "clean air hybrid bus". Starting in 2007, Chicago initiated the use of 20 hybrid busses, and by 2009 the CTA was running more than 200. Compared to the old diesel busses, the CTA's hybrids have a 20% greater fuel efficiency, meaning that less money is spent on fuel and they can go farther with lower amounts of gas. Around when Chicago received their first electric busses, San Francisco did the same. They now have the 3rd largest hybrid bus fleet in the nation. Through running hybrid buses instead of diesel ones, the cost of fuel that needs to be paid by the city is lowered, and the amount of running time for the buses increases. It just goes to show that more and more people are trying to do their part in helping the environment. Sources:
http://www.transitchicago.com/goinggreen/vehicles.aspx
http://www.sfmta.com/cms/mfleet/hybrids.htm

Hybrid Car Rankings 2012

If you're looking into buying a hybrid car, the most important thing to do is to look for valuable reviews and customer insight to help you pick your vehicle. These days, there are endless options for buying a hybrid car to fit any setting, whether you live in the city or suburbia. With great fuel economy potential, environmental benefits and good performance, hybrids might seem like the ideal car. However it's important to view all the cars on the market that you're interested in. Therefore, it might be worth your time to take a look at this list: http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/rankings/Hybrid-Cars/. Here you will find critical reviews of the best cars on the market, as well as rankings based on performance, interior, exterior and safety.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

The Food Truck Revolution

Ask any food lover and they'll all say the same thing: the biggest up and coming food trend is the food truck. Similar to an ice cream truck, these original menus-on-wheels are nothing short of delicious and convenient. One of the best things about them is that they're also local, so you can find a food truck at any time of day wherever you are; food trucks can be found in any major city, from Atlanta to Washington D.C. They sell everything from tamales to cupcakes to health food, making them an option for any  meal component you're in the mood for. See which trucks are near you at the truck tracker, right here: http://roaminghunger.com/

Green City Market

Here in Illinois, the farmers market season is readily approaching, as are the regular shoppers. But one market, the Green City Market, is truly unlike the others. According to the website, it's Chicago's only real "green" farmers market, setting the standard for other farmers markets around the nation. You can find all kinds of delicious, locally grown produce there year 'round. Also, each stand's owner will hold no bars on educating you about how their food is grown, where it's grown and what it's grown with, meaning that you always know the exact origins of your food. However, the recent plus is, they just started their outdoor season! Not every day do you find such a perfect opportunity to combine great, natural food with lovely, natural surroundings. So pay a visit to their website today to learn more: http://www.greencitymarket.org/

Festivals: Go Green Outdoors

Summer is almost here, and every avid music fan knows what that means! Yes! FESTIVALS! The highlight of many-a-summer, festivals are a beacon of joy for everyone from fangirls to groupies to people who just want to go out and have a good time outside in the sun. Coachella has come and gone, but now for Chicago locals, Lollapalooza 2012 is right around the corner! With performances from groups like the Black Keys and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, along with some dubstep sets, who could resist buying a pass or two? Or maybe three? Or, if you're really in the spending mood, buy a VIP ticket. No matter what tickets you get, though, it's a great reason to go outside and hang out for a day; turn off all the lights and leave the car at home! Sounds like a great summer day to me!
Find more info on this year's lolla at http://www.lollapalooza.com/

Big Belly Solar

Hey readers!
As many of you who live in Chicago may have noticed, there are now solar compactor trash cans downtown! These eco friendly bins harness the power of the sun to compress trash and help recycle plastic and metals. These waste baskets "reduce collection frequency by 80%, [free] up resources, [slash] fuel costs and [increase] recycling opportunities". Each standard "BigBelly Solar"trash can holds five times the amount of waste that a standard garbage can does, making trips to the bins by waste management to pick up the trash a lot less frequent, and therefore slashing the pollution that is caused by the machines. So, next time you have an empty Starbucks cup that you don't know what to do with, look for a BigBelly Solar waste collector.
You can find out more at http://bigbellysolar.com/

Monday, April 30, 2012

Mighty Wallet: A Green Place to Store Your Green

If you're looking for a new, eco-friendly, and inexpensive wallet, you might want to pay a visit to www.mightywallets.com. There you will find uniquely designed wallets to fit every taste made of an innovative substance called Tyvek, which is a single, folded sheet of microfiber that has been bent to form a wallet. Also, 25% of the wallet is made of recycled plastic. And, naturally, 25% of the wallets themselves are also recyclable. The wallets are made in a lower-energy facility, which helps reduce Mighty Wallet's carbon footprint. Tyvek is also non-toxic and ph neutral, and only SGS certified, environmentally friendly inks. This is as good as it gets, and at only 15 dollars a pop, what do you have to lose?

Sunday, April 29, 2012

50 Ways; an Online List of Ways to Help the Environment

Wondering what you can do to help the environment in a simple, convenient way? Well, now you have a solution. A production of Wire & Twine, "50 Ways" is a cool online list of 50 quick things that you can do to help the environment, and your wallet. Better yet, they're simple things that won't cost you anything significant in terms of time commitment. To see the list, visit here: http://www.50waystohelp.com/

Threadless Tees: Go Green, Look Awesome

Want an easy, non-expensive way to go green? If so, take a look at the site (or store) of t-shirt company Threadless. Not only is Threadless a place to get "awesomely awesome" tees, tanks and sweatshirts, but they also sell ridiculously cool-looking re-useable tote bags, among other items ranging from iPhone cases to scarves to backpacks. What could possibly be better?
As a business that operates locally inside the Chicagoland area with a warehouse down by the Madhouse and a sole store in Lakeview, their tees and other merch are produced solely to the amount required by the demands of the people, meaning that they can minimize waste through only manufacturing as much merchandise as they need. They also hold local design competitions, which people of all ages can participate in. The winning design in typically featured on a T-shirt, and the more successful designs can even make it onto the tote or messenger  bags. Threadless is, as a whole, a great way to support local business and reduce waste by buying a super-cool reusable bag.
You can visit their web page at http://www.threadless.com/

What Teens Are Doing to Reach Out!

All around the nation, there is an ever-increasing aspect of growing environmental awareness - especially among teenagers - that is encouraging people and families to take "green" action, especially in places such as homes and schools. Most people know that there are really simple things you can do to "go green"; you can change to fluorescent lightbulbs, buy a hybrid vehicle, or - even better - start riding your bike or taking public transportation instead of driving to places such as your work or the supermarket. But some teenagers are coming up with unique and inspirational ideas to help their communities go green. One 3 person group of Chicago teenagers have taken items such as trash bags and aluminum cans and have made dresses and shirts out of them as well as trendy accessories. What's even cooler? An elementary school is sponsoring the project, allowing them to use their auditorium and facilities to put on the show. Another group of 4 teenagers have organized a 3-part series of beach cleanups around Chicago, inspiring over 30 people to help clean up Chicago's shoreline. Steve Jobs once noted that "the [people] who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do." So what are you waiting for?

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Chicago Farmers Markets

Finally, Spring seems to be here to stay! With trees throughout the city bursting into full bloom and flower buds poking their heads out of the ground, one can not help but think how they can spend more time outdoors during the - in my opinion, best - but shortest season of the year. A great way to get out and around during the season are the Chicago Farmer's Markets. With over 70 vendors in places such as Beverly, Lincoln Park and Bucktown, there is almost certainly a farmers market near you. Although many vendors sell fresh produce among all other things, certain vendors will actually supply meals, such as fresh crepes, smoothies, burgers and even ice creams. You can find dates and other information through the official Chicago Farmers Markets website at: http://www.explorechicago.org/ key word "farmers markets".

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Going Green in a Beautiful Way

As a girl, I love using makeup to enhance my natural features as well as cool gadgets to help speed up my daily routines. But more than once has the question of "how does all this packaging and energy waste impact the environment?" crossed my mind. Sadly, it's hard to find eco-friendly packaging and products at your run-of-the-mill Walgreens or CVS. Luckily, Seventeen magazine has responded to many-a-reader's plea to produce a small slide show of beauty products that zero in on minimizing waste in addition to energy use. This compilation of yummy looking lipglosses, colorful eyeshadows and smooth foundations is enough to make any girl drool. Bonus! You'll even find affordable gift ideas in there, too.
Here's the link: http://www.seventeen.com/beauty/tips/eco-beauty-products?click=main_sr#slide-1

Enjoy, Ladies!
-Kat

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Working together with more teams!

We worked together with another group to create a safe environment in which we can clean up glass, paper bags, plastic bags, wrappers, and assorted scattered plastics. This gave us both a way to see the other side in working together and getting extra training.

Reactions to Cleaning the Beach.

This is the amazing reaction to doing something great in your community. It's fun and you feel satisfied immediately after! I think that if people would keep on doing this in their community, it can be really cool!   I brought along my brother and my friend and we all did this and they thought it was really fun, and cool!

Beach Clean-up

This is what we did to clean up at 12th Street Beach in Chicago. Everything that you do in the environment can help in a big way. If more people can do this once in a while, the world would be a much safer place for animals and humans too.

Monday, April 9, 2012

Chicago B-cycle Bike Share


Bike sharing has arrived in Chicago!  Chicago B-cycle, operated by Bike and Roll Chicago, offers residents and visitors an entirely new, and green, way of exploring of the city.  With B-cycle, Chicago joins Denver, Colorado; Montreal, Canada; and cities throughout Europe in offering bike-sharing to the public. 

Chicago B-cycle is designed to make all your short excursions fun and healthy. Simply check out a B-cycle when you need one, and return it to any open station when you arrive at your destination. It's quick, easy, affordable, and kind to the environment!

Chicago B-cycle bikes awaiting riders at the John Hancock Center B Station

With both monthly and day pass options available, riders can easily check out a bike at one of six convenient 'B-stations' located in and around downtown.

B-cycling is not only good for the environment, but it is good for you too!

Expensive and bad for the environment!

Haven't you ever heard about these high gas prices? They are sky rocketing and as far as we can see, it's really expensive! Why not try something more eco friendly? Like biking to school? Or walking? Gas is as expensive as it is harmful to the environment and lets be honest, who wants to spend the extra cash?

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Learn to Barter to Help Reduce Waste!

Bartering, believe it or not, is a great way to help the environment! Bartering websites, allow you to trade for items instead of spending money. It cuts back on waste, since instead of throwing out what you don't need, and buying new things, you can give the old to someone who wants it... in exchange for something new that you want!




Bartering websites are gaining popularity all over Canada, with members exchanging everything from books, movies and furniture, to negotiating apartment swaps for low-cost family vacations. With sections for business bartering between companies, vehicle trade and services like music lessons and hairdressing, you can trade out the old for new without having to spend a dime. Check out www.u-exchange.com andwww.transcanadabarter.com for more information. 

Friday, April 6, 2012

Eco-Friendly Activities



Summer is almost here, and these are some fun, eco-friendly activities to start thinking about!
Ride a bike: The first way to make your summer more earth friendly  is to ride your bike more often. This is good way to cut down on pollution and a  great way to stay looking great. Riding your bike may not be ideal  all-day-everyday but when popping over to a friends house or making a quick run  to the market why not hop on that bike that has been collecting dust. If you’re  your new to town or want to join a new club, check out bicycling clubs in your  area. It’s a great way to meet new people and explore town!
Camping: Camping is a cheap and eco-friendly activity that is  great for all ages. It allows you to enjoy nature and spend quality time with  friends and family. It can be as rugged or as modern as you like but if you want  to be really eco friendly go for the rugged camping site. These will have little  to no electricity and will truly test your survival skills. While camping, be  sure to go on a hike, swim or just sit around the camp fire sharing scary  stories.
Plant an organic garden: Eating organic is easy when it’s in your  own backyard. If you are interested in planting a vegetable or fruit garden head  over to your local food co-op or farmers market and start planting your own  food. This is a great way to cut down on all those unmentionable chemicals in  our fruits and vegetables we see today. It is also a great way to get the whole  family involved. If you have kids or know little kids have them help you, it’s  an activity they will be sure to enjoy.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Crafting a Green World!

http://craftingagreenworld.com/

This website is really cool. It's basically about being able to do fun things at an eco-friendly level! I think that you should visit this website and try out some things! Especially the vegan treats. They taste really great and have a good eco standard to them!

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Healthy Spring Eating!

The sun is out and the weather is warming up; spring is finally coming! With a new season comes new clothing, a new semester and bursting buds on the trees as well as sprouts on the ground. In order to celebrate the season of new life, why not try a new, healthier diet as well? If you're looking for a lovely, colorful dish to cook up in a pinch, this easy orecchiette (otherwise known as "belly-button" or "ear" pasta) recipe takes just over 30 minutes to make. 

All you need is one bunch of broccoli, pistachios, parmigiano-reggiano cheese, some ricotta and, obviously, orecchiette. With 22 grams of protein and delicious greens, this pasta dish is sure to satisfy. You can find the whole recipe here. 
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/anne-burrell/orecchiette-with-broccoli-rabe-pesto-recipe/index.html
Photo Courtesy of the Food Network. 

Friday, March 16, 2012

Interesting Ways to be Eco-Friendly

The green technology industry is booming, there is everything from recyclable earrings to a banana coffin!
Here are some very interesting products, that are also good for the environment.



Eco-friendly Burial



A Colorado company sells caskets made from banana sheaves, bamboo or pandanus that decomposes together with the body as a way of promoting ecologically-friendly burials. The so-called Ecoffin, short for eco-friendly coffins, of Ecoffins USA takes six months to two years to biodegrade. The company's  director, Joanna Passarelli, said the Ecoffins is better for the environment than cremating bodies. 


Eco-friendly Remote Control



This unique creation is called the Sony Conductor TV Remote. It's a wand shape kind of remote that needed to be swayed side to side to power it on and the green LED light fire up to indicate its power level. To start navigating, one can wave the conductor left and right to change your TV set's volume, up and down to change channels and in a circular motion to switch your TV set on or off. Sounds really tiring to me. 

Eco-friendly Moss Carpet


They say walking on fresh grass increases your blood circulation. This is a reason to get going to the nearest park, remove your expensive Jimmy Choo's and prance around. The Moss Carpet, created by Nguyen La Chanh, looks at getting the grass to your feet, and that too in your loo! Made from imputrescible foam called plastazote, the mat includes ball moss, island moss and forest moss. The humidity of the bathroom ensures that the mosses thrive. And that's why you need to place it there and not anywhere else. Little gnomes not included. 

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Mindful Metropolis

http://www.mindfulmetropolis.com/ is a website that helps being communities together across the city of Chicago in eco-friendly and conscious ways that bring people out of their houses and help them become an active part of their community. Their goal is to find sustainable ways to enjoy and build on each individual community in the city. They work with the arts, design and green culture by bringing citizens together through various activities. They serve as an inspiration for hundreds of people across Chicago. 
"We are eco-active, enviro-sensitive and socially involved. We are connecting Chicago’s conscious community. WE ARE MINDFUL METROPOLIS" Mindful Metropolis says on their "about" page.
If you live in the city and are searching for ways to reach out in your neighborhood or the Windy City as a whole, you can check out their page which is linked to at the beginning of this blog post. 
If you want to be active, be inspired, or to go out and do something, you can start with this amazing page. 

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Chicago Flower and Garden Show

For Chicago natives who may be reading this or for out-of-towners who are planning a spring break getaway to the Windy City, the beautiful Chicago Flower and Garden Show is up and running at Navy Pier! Over 100 flower vendors, a flower fashion show and 25 (or more) vibrant gardens will be featured there until the 18th of March. There are also various seminars that you alone or with a group can attend on topics such as how to create a rooftop garden and how to plant in an urban environment. There are also potting parties which tend to be a lot of fun! 
Tablescapes will also be featured at this year's Flower and Garden Show. Eye-catching flower arrangements from Chicago's hottest clubs, restaurants, hotels and other indoor attractions. Watch Chicago's most celebrated florists work in their best environment! The Flower Show is by far one of the best ways to celebrate spring. Loads of fun and flowers await at this year at the Chicago Flower and Garden Show! 
Visit http://www.chicagoflower.com/ for pricing. You get a $2 discount on tickets when you buy online! Otherwise, they're available at the Navy Pier Box Office. 

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Tips on being more Eco-Friendly

This is an interesting, and relate-able tip, because our clothing has so many buttons :)




Use Eco-Friendly Buttons!

Tree Buttons:
TreeButtons are hand-crafted wood buttons that are made from cross sections of Cherry, Birch, Oak, Maple and Apple tree branches. The buttons are dried in a kiln, retaining around 6 to 10% of their moisture so that they don’t warp or crack.
The buttons are hand-finished with sandpaper, and then preserved with an exotic nut oil to leave a smooth and fashionable eco-friendly button. Using wood-based buttons avoids the need for any plastic-based buttons and is a completely sustainable product.











You can see all these tips, and more at: http://www.dailyecotips.com/

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Chicago Weather is Crazy, and it's All. Our. Fault.



This picture was taken from the Chicago snowstorm last year.





The varying heights of city buildings increase the lifting of air over urban areas.
As this rising air is carried downwind of the city, it cools, condenses and forms clouds. These clouds can often become rain producers for suburban and rural areas downwind of a city's center. Chicago of course, is no exception. In fact, increase is due to the fact that Chicago leaves one of the largest carbon footprints on earth, and it's our fault. We can reduce this though, but being more conservative with our electricity, power, and even building size! So next time you are complaining about the weather being crazy, remember, it might just be your fault!

Friday, March 9, 2012

Video on Water Conservation!

Here's a short video I made on water conservation. Sorry for calling both the dish-washer and the washing machine the washing machine! Sorry if it confused anyone; that's just how I say it. Sorry!

Monday, March 5, 2012

Nike Reuse a Shoe: The Cool Way To Recycle Shoes!


http://www.nikereuseashoe.com/
      The project linked above is a cool idea by nike started in 1990 called "Reuse-A-Shoe". The goal of the project is to take shoes and separate the 3 main parts of the shoe and use those parts to build tracks for running, tennis courts, and basketball courts. EVERY part of the shoe is used! This is Nike's way of using the 3 "R"s (Reducing, Reusing and Recycling) in their business. Bring your tennis shoes to any big. even flagship, Nike store in your city or town in able to be a part of this project!
     Sports fan or not, Nike will take your shoes in ANY condition to be recycled! If your space is cluttered by old shoes with holes in them or that are worn out, this is a perfect way to get rid of them INSTEAD of throwing them away. In order to find a store, you can use the Nike Store Locator right here!
http://www.nike.com/nikeos/p/nike/en_US/storelocator
Please consider this awesome project, instead of sending your old shoes to landfills by throwing them away. Thank you so much for reading and please tune back in later for another post!

Sunday, March 4, 2012

How to plant trees!

http://www.kidsface.org/pages/plant.html

Planting trees are very important because it excretes oxygen which helps us humans live! It's very important for life as we know it and this link will teach you how to do it. I personally think that planting a tree would be great and fun also!

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Global Warming


Air pollution is very bad for our earth and it's inhabitants, humans. Air pollution can cause lung problems and even kill people with asthma. Not only that, but it still furthering an environmental problem called global warming. Global warming is caused by the abundance of Co2 in the air caused by air pollution. This co2 makes it so that when the sun releases sun rays, it's kept in. Because of this, the earth will continue to heat up. For info on to help go to http://environment.about.com/od/globalwarming/tp/globalwarmtips.htm

Monday, February 27, 2012

Why plant plants?

Some people ask why plant plants? Well theres a simple answer to that, imagine the world without oxygen. How would we live? How could other animals live? And why does earth have oxygen but other planets dont? Vegetation creates oxygen. Say if we cut down all the plants in the world and still had pollution in the air from coal plants, what would happen? We need to have oxygen to support all of human life, and that helps us by planting plants. Plus, who's to say that the plants don't look nice? They look great and can help clean air stimulation.

Saturday, February 25, 2012

How to save water!


You might say that you don't need to conserve water because theres so much, right? Thats definitely true, but what about how many people live on this earth? Roughly, 7 million. It's not even about the amount of water, it's about how we can clean it. We as humans, are running out of resources to clean water. This is bad because if we can't conserve clean water, we will not have enough for our grandchildren or great grandchildren of future generations. We need to keep our clean water for millions of years. There are some helpful tips that are great ways to save water!

1) Cut 2 minutes on a shower! It's not too much to ask? Right?

2) When you brush your teeth, turn off the water after you wet your toothbrush!

3) Don't take baths! They contain at least 3 gallons of water and it wastes a lot!

4) Check pipes for leaks! One careless error can waste water without you even knowing it.

5) Save bottles of water in the fridge! So you can drink water without wasting it later.

For more information go to: http://eartheasy.com/live_water_saving.htm

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Healthy food vs. unhealthy food

This is Healthy food vs. unhealthy food. As you can see, the unhealthy food is crossed out. Why? Well, because every part of the unhealthy meal is bad for you. For instance, the bread contains carbohydrates, but it's more than you should take in and wheat bread is a better substitute. The meat on the sandwich is fed corn, which is most of our diet today. That over consumption of corn is terrible for us and can cause obesity. The fries, have grease and salt, which is more salt then we should normally take in. The grease contains bad fats and it can get you sick. The drink, contains high fructose corn syrup which has corn in it as well, but it can cause high levels of obesity. The sugar can cause diabetes. The fruit though, it has complex sugars and it helps your body generate energy so you stay awake and fresh throughout the day. Which side do you choose?

How to compost and Why?


This video shows how to compost and why you should do it. The reasons are especially numerous, but I said some basic tips to help get you started. Remember, one decision can most definitely change everything. Good luck!

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Find a way to help!

http://planetsave.com/2010/02/23/how-to-help-the-environment/

This is a great site to help you out. If you want to help the environment, check out a few ways to start from this website, and work up from there. The first thing you need to do is advise an idea, research, and plan. Once this is done, you can work up from there! If you feel skeptical about what you want to do, maybe research is a little bit more until you are feeling great about it.
http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/save-earth-top-ten.htm

The environment is just like any living thing, it needs to sustain and strive. This link has a couple of things you can do to help the environment. These things needs to be done, or else it may be too late later. There are a few things that could be done everyday, that can help us keep our green resources for future generations.

Volunteering for Kids

*These people are helping out kids in need of toys. How does this help the community do you ask? Well, these people are making a difference in the ways kids live. This difference can encourage people to do things in their community and help kids stand up. 

Welcome!

Welcome to Mishaykat! We are a team of students that are determined to find solutions to the problems our environment has.