Save the world, one animal at a time.

Help Save Animals And Their Habitat! 101 things you can do!

In Your Home
1. Recycle everything you can: newspapers, cans, glass, aluminum foil and pans, motor oil, scrap metal etc. In the Portland area, your recyclables get picked up at your curb.
2. Investigate local recycling centers that take items your garbage hauler doesn't (scrap paper, plastics, appliances, etc.).
3. Save your kitchen scraps for the compost pile.
4. Try to use phosphate-free laundry and dish soaps.
5. Avoid the use of household pesticides. Fly swatters work very well.
6. Clean your windows with vinegar and water instead of chemical products.
7. Use cold water in the washer unless it's necessary to use warm or hot.
8. Use washable rags, not paper towels, for cleaning up spills and other household chores.
9. Crumpled-up newspapers are great for washing windows.
10. Use cloth diapers. The plastic in disposable diapers doesn't break down in landfills.
11. Use cloth, not paper, napkins.
12. Don't put hazardous substances down your drain or in your trash (paint thinner, furniture polish, etc.). Dispose of them on designated hazardous waste collection days.
13. Don't use electrical appliances for things you can easily do by hand.
14. Re-use brown paper bags and grocery plastic bags (recyclable) to line your trash can or waste basket. Re-use bread bags, butter tubs, etc.
15. Use re-usable containers to store foods:not plastic wraps and foil.
16. Write to companies that send unwanted junk mail:ask them to take you off their list.
17. Save your coat hangers and return them to the cleaners.
18. Take unwanted, re-usable items to a charitable organization or thrift shop.
19. Don't leave water running needlessly.
20. Install a water saving shower head.
21. Set your water heater at 130 degrees.
22. Have your water heater insulated free of charge by your utility company.
23. Turn the heat down and wear a sweater.
24. Lower your house temperature by one degree per hour for every hour you'll be away or asleep.
25. Turn the lights off when you're out of the room. Ditto with the TV.
26. Get a free energy audit from your utility company.
27. Burn only seasoned wood in your wood stove or fireplace.
28. Start a compost pile.
29. Plant shrubs and trees in your backyard that provide food and shelter for birds and other creatures.
30. Feed the birds.
31. Put up bird houses and baths.
32. Pull weeds instead of using herbicides.
33. Learn about natural insect controls as alternatives to pesticides.
34. Landscape with plants that aren't prone to insect and fungus problems.
35. Ignore caterpillars and most native leaf chewing insects. Let birds and insect predators take care of them.
36. Use beer traps for slugs instead of baiting with poisons.
37. Use organic fertilizers:good ol' manure helps condition your soil and fertilizes at the same time.
38. If you use pesticides, herbicides or fungicides, don't throw leftovers in trash, down your drain or into a storm sewer. Dispose of them on a hazardous waste collection day.
39. Compost your leaves and yard debris or take them to a yard debris recycler. Burning them creates air pollution and putting them out with the trash is a waste of landfill space.
40. Use mulch to conserve water in your garden.
41. Plant things that don't require so much water.
42. Take extra plastic and rubber pots back to the nursery.
43. Large expanses of lawn are not good habitat for other creatures, plus they usually must be maintained with chemicals and extensive watering. Dig up some of your grass and plant native shrubs or trees instead.
44. Plant short, dense shrubs close to your home's foundation to help insulate against cold.
45. Sign up for a renewable power option from your local utility company. On Vacation
46. Turn down the heat and turn off the water heater before you go.
47. Carry re-usable cups, dishes and flatware
48. Make sure your plastic trash doesn't end up in the ocean.
49. Don't pick flowers or collect wild creatures for pets:leave animals and plants where you find them.
50. Don't buy souvenirs made from wild animals.
51. Watch out for wildlife:give consideration to all living things you see crossing the road.
52. Build smaller camp fires.
In Your Car
53. Drive sensibly:don't waste gas.
54. Keep your car tuned up.
55. Carpool. (Call 227-7665 for information)
56. Use public transit.
57. Ride your bike or walk instead.
58. Buy a more gas efficient car.
59. Recycle your engine oil.
60. Keep your tires properly inflated to save gas.
61. Recycle your old tires.
62. Keep your wheels in alignment to save your tires.
63. Don't litter.
At Your Business
64. Start an office recycling program for office and computer paper, cardboard, etc.
65. Use scrap paper for informal notes to yourself and others.
66. Print things on recycled paper.
67. Print or copy on both sides of the paper.
68. Use smaller paper for smaller memos.
69. Re-use manila envelopes and file folders.
70. Hide the throw-away cups and train people to bring their mugs to meetings.
71. Route things around the office or post non-urgent communications rather than making multiple copies.
72. Use the stairs instead of the elevator.
73. Office building landscape doesn't have to be sterile lawns and bedding plants. Plant trees and shrubs the birds will like.
74. Put a bird feeder outside your office window. It's a great conversation piece.
When You're Shopping
75. Don't buy food or household products in plastic or Styrofoam containers if there's an alternative (milk and egg cartons, vegetable oils, butter tubs, etc.) They can't be recycled and they don't break down in the environment.
76. Don't buy "disposable" anything. Paper plates and towels, Styrofoam cups, etc. are extravagant wastes of the world's resources.
77. If you must buy disposables:buy paper products rather than plastics, rather than Styrofoam. The manufacture of Styrofoam depletes the ozone layer.
78. Buy durable products and keep them a little longer. Cheap furniture, clothes and appliances often have short life spans.
79. Check the energy rating on major appliances you buy.
80. Read labels and buy the least toxic product available for cleaning, pest control and other jobs.
81. Put your parcels into one big sack instead of collecting several small ones.
82. Don't buy things with excess packaging (individually wrapped cheese slices, apples on a paper tray wrapped with cellophane, etc.)
83. Buy in bulk: reduce pollution that comes from the manufacture and disposal of many small packages.
84. Ask questions:don't buy products that are hazardous to the environment or that were manufactured at the expense of important animal habitat.
85. Buy locally grown food and locally made products when possible.
86. Don't buy products that come from endangered animals.
87. Don't keep "exotic pets".
Personal Efforts
88. Join a conservation organization.
89. Volunteer your time to conservation projects.
90. Give money to worthy conservation/environmental causes.
91. Check your lifestyle:think about the effects of your daily actions on the environment.
92. Take advantage of the Non-Game Wildlife check-off on your tax form.
93. Vote for candidates that share your sentiments.
94. Read books and articles on wildlife and environmental issues.
95. Watch nature programs on TV.
96. Subscribe to conservation or environmental publications. Purchase them as gifts for others.
97. Convert by example:encourage other people to save resources, too.
98. Tease, cajole, or persuade your family, friends and neighbors for not recycling, not being energy conscious, etc.
99. Complain to merchants about excess packaging, use of plastics, etc. Write letters to companies. Patronize merchants who are environmentally conscious.
100. Write your legislators when you have an opinion about pending legislation on environmental, land use and other issues.
101. Teach children to respect nature and the environment. Take them on a hike, help them plant a tree or build a bird house, buy them a nature book or subscription to a wildlife magazine.

Buy now, pay later!

I was given a coupon for a free sandwich at Subway today and I was very excited. However, I failed to read the size 2 font at the bottom of the coupon that stated, "Must see the Chase representitive outside and completely participate in order to recieve free sandwich." As I steped up to a thirty-something looking, well-dressed man, I realized he was a henchman of the devil. "Are you here for the free sandwich? Fill these out." I look down to see not one, but three seperate credit card applications. I sit down with the applications in hand, and ponder the benefits for one free sandwich combo meal, which is worth 5 dollars, vs a lifetime of debt. I decided that the free combo meal was not worth, a. my time, b. my credit, and c. my soul. I walked back to the man in black and handed my unfinished applications back to him, "Sorry, it's actually not worth my time or credit history to apply for 3 different credit cards." As I walked away I think I saw a little tear form in the corner of his eye as he saw one soul escape his clutches. However, it was short lived as college students poured in the door and grabbed the applications, just so they could get one free sandwich.

Learning strategies

Jesus christ. I am sitting in the most bullshit class that I have ever been forced to take. I have been whiling my time away with internet and instant message... and it still is unbearable. This is the last freakin day and I can't wait for it to be over. Out of spite she sprung a fairly intensive quiz, complete with a study guide, at the last minute after canceling it the week before. Then she changed the format and made it into a bunch of essay questions rather than multiple choice. I just want to start screaming and yelling and thrashing around on the floor.

Why did I have the desire to speed through 6 years of school without a break? I have not had a summer off of school since high school, and I am really starting to feel its effects! As I sit here and contemplete not doing two major assignments and skipping class tomorrow in honor of my birthday, I realize that I should have taken a year off to relax. I have my eyes focused on spring break, 16 more days!

Incompetence

When I registered for our Spring classes, I found some inconsistancies with my printed schedule and the times she gave us. As you may rememeber our cohort leaders gave us that calendar with our future classes listed with the dates and times on it. Luckily, the lit people had their special methods class on Wed., directly after our other Wed. class. Than Leah sent out the email with the "correct" times and our class was listed as on Thursday. This messes up quite a few plans for people who have already thought out their term. However, I found that online the date shows it is indeed on Wednesday!

So I've been fighting with Leah about the correct times of the special methods class, as we have been give conflicting information, conflicting times and conflicting messages about it. I went to talk to Leah about it and got some of the confusing stuff about other classes straightened out, (did anyone else get signed up for LING 110? Yeah, they fixed that), and she told me that if the date is in Banner, the PSU webpage where we register for classes, then it is probably right.

But then she essentially retracted what she told me in a group email to the listserve, stating that the days in her original email were indeed correct. I decided to go to the Continuing Education office, where I incidently work at, and talked to a person who I figured woudl know what was going on. She gave me the email of our instructor and we both agreed that the instructor would be privy to what day the class was on since it affected her in a big way. The instructor replied and confirmed the date that was showing up on the my schedule was the correct date.
However, you may have noticed that Leah sent out an email approximetly 15 minutes after I sent mine out.

"I know you are trying to be helpful but in point of fact, the instructor apparently has not been apprised of the actual time and day of her class. The schedule I sent is confirmed and accurate."

I rechecked my online schedule and lo and behold, the date has been changed back to Thursday. Words cannot describe how utterly pissed off and jerked around I feel. Not only am I angry at Leah, but at the entire program for being so disorganized. At this point in time, after experiencing what Pat's class has been like up til yesterday, and the trying to work out assignments that do not seem to be easily doable in our schools, I WOULD NOT recommend anyone to join this cohort!

Now I know that by tomorrow I will have cooled off and will probably want to retract that statement, but I just want to know if anyone else ever feels like maybe we aren't getting everything we need to be successful due to the fact that this is the first time this program is being offered?
Alright, I am finished begin pissed off.

Children...

Firstly, sometimes I wonder why people have children. In a society that is dependent on new cars, new clothes, new friends, new toys every 6 months, how is it that children have gotten so popular? People have such a hard time staying with the same partner for mor than a few weeks/months/years, what are they going to do with a person who is going to be attatched to them for an indeterminable amout of time?

Secondly, why is it that parents think because they raised a child to adulthood they own all rights to it? Relinquish control! No one likes to be controlled.

Damn, there was a point to this earlier, but now it's gone..

The life of a student worker

Having a student job is both a blessing and curse. I get to sit around, act busy and surf the internet all day, all while being paid. On the downside, I sit all day and do nothing. I have approximetely 200 pages of reading due on Monday, and yet I spent all day chatting and checking myspace. Occasionally I do get some work done... But as I am now only working one day a week at the office, I really should be getting a lot of stuff done each shift. When I first got this job I did work all the time. I never stopped going. I wanted them to be impressed and glad to have me around. Then I realized I made minimum wage, and that none of the other students ever did any work.

So, I gave up. I moved my workspace to a secluded cubicle in the back, and hid out. Today I did have my pile of work all organized next to me today, but distractions kept popping up, and none of it got done. Too bad I won't be there for two weeks now.. I guess I'll just have to get it in gear eventually. Or just quit and leave a bunch of stuff for the next student worker.

To begin...

So I decided to go with the pink background. Don't ask why. I normally would rather gouge my eyes out than associate with pink. I am not typical girly-girl who decks herself out in pink, but I have had this strange attraction to pink for awhile now... I think it all started with the black and pink fashion trend. The first few times I saw it I liked it. Black is my favorite anti-color, and adding a bit of actual color to my wardrobe would do me some good. However, then it started popping up EVERYWHERE. Not only were the hipsters wearing it, the pseudo-punks, the mallrats, the club kids, everyone had something pink and black. Hot Topic now shone with the illumination of the holy pink and black combination. I knew it was a terribly dated trend when I heard a 20-something female say that her wedding colors were pink and black. How much of an airhead is she going to feel in 10 years, maybe even sooner, when she looks at her stupid, trendy pink and black wedding. I for one, would laugh and then throw myself off a tall object.

Sadly, during it's early days, I did get it on the trend and I bought a pink and black shirt. Fortunately for my ego, it resides in the bottom of one of my drawers. Maybe someday I'll pull it out again...

So, aside from my tangent, here is my blog.