Connection

//"How is reducing waste at school connected to other things?"//
**SYNTHESISE:**

May 23 /2011
By: Maité

**Culture of consumerism: ** Something that is causing a big level of waste is our culture of consumerism. Consumerism is encouraged by companies and the capitalist countries, because if we do not buy the economy of the country doesn’t grow and there would a lot of unemployment. Without water and food we can’t live that’s true, but they are saying that we need buy the newest model of cell phones to live well and be happy. This is not a natural demand but a created demand. Consumerism causes many more serious problems in the world like poverty, inequity, contamination, etc.

If we want to reduce the amount of paper and plastic waste, we need to make a change in our culture because we are buying many paper and plastic things that are really not necessary, like new notebooks each year, many, many toys, unhealthy food that comes is plastic packages, gossip magazines and we think we have to change these things to be in fashion.

Changing the culture of consumerism is not going to be easy because it a bad habit that many adults and teenagers have, but it would be easier if we start from now, with little children, teaching them to buy and use only necessary things that we need to live.

**Exploitation of resources: ** Papers and plastics are made from resources in this case, paper is made from trees and plastic is made out from petroleum. When you waste a big amount of paper or plastic you are wasting and also exploiting the resource paper or plastic comes from.

In the case of trees, although trees are a renewable resources, it takes between 30 and 100 years for a tree to grow to it’s full size. We are cutting down trees faster than we can replace them. It is calculated that each year every person uses paper equivalent to 2 trees. This wouldn’t happen if we used paper only for necessary things and if we planted and recycled more paper.

In the case of petroleum, it is not a renewable resource. At the rate that we are using it, we will probably run out in less than 100 years. We use petroleum not only to make plastic. About half of the exploited petroleum is used to fuel. The rest of the petroleum is used to make objects we use in our daily life. Plastic recyclable but if it is not recycled and just thrown away, it does not decompose like paper, it is photodegradable but it takes many, many years to degrade.


 * Damaging the wildlife: **

In the extraction of oil to make plastic sometimes there are accidents called oil spills, when oil spills occur most of the times sea animals like birds, otters, fishes etc, get trapped because oil begins to dry and animals die because they get stuck and can’t move or breathe.

Also, when people get rid of the plastic materials most of the time these plastic materials end up on beaches, landfills or in the middle of the ocean. People have thrown away so much plastic in these last years that they created a type of island called garbage patch that is located in the pacific ocean, sea animals have been affected because they confuse the plastic with their food and they get stuck in the plastic or swallow it and get sick. The plastic can also make them sick because when it begins to degrade it releases very harmful toxins into the water.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">When we cut trees to make paper we are taking the animal’s homes and destroying their habitat if we continue like this, many types of animals are going to become extinct. Many paper mills produce contamination and use large amounts of water, affecting the health and habitats of many animals.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">May 24, 2011 <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">By: Maite <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">[] <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Richard Robbins is worth quoting at length on the impact of consumption on the environment and on people. ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">“William Rees, an urban planner at the University of British Columbia, estimated that it requires four to six hectares of land to maintain the consumption level of the average person from a high-consumption country. The problem is that in 1990, worldwide there were only 1.7 hectares of ecologically productive land for each person. He concluded that the deficit is made up in core countries by drawing down the natural resources of their own countries and expropriating the resources, through trade, of peripheral countries. **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">In other words, someone has to pay for our consumption levels **. “[Emphasis Added] <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">… Our consumption of goods obviously is a function of our culture. Only by producing and selling things and services does capitalism in its present form work, and the more that is produced and the more that is purchased the more we have progress and prosperity. The single most important measure of economic growth is, after all, the gross national product (GNP), the sum total of goods and services produced by a given society in a given year. It is a measure of the success of a consumer society, obviously, to consume. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">However, the production, processing, and consumption, of commodities requires the extraction and use of natural resources (wood, ore, fossil fuels, and water); it requires the creation of factories and factory complexes whose operation creates toxic byproducts, while the use of commodities themselves (e.g. automobiles) creates pollutants and waste. Yet of the three factors environmentalists often point to as responsible for environmental pollution — population, technology, and consumption — consumption seems to get the least attention. One reason, no doubt, is that it may be the most difficult to change; our consumption patterns are so much a part of our lives that to change them would require a massive cultural overhaul, not to mention severe economic dislocation. A drop in demand for products, as economists note, brings on economic recession or even depression, along with massive unemployment. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">— <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Richard Robbins, Global Problem and the Culture of Capitalism, (Allyn and Bacon, 1999), pp. 209-210 <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">As hinted above, //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">within // the current economic system of “perpetual growth”, we risk being locked into a mode of development that is: <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Furthermore, as also hinted above, as consumption increases (in a wasteful way, which we shall see a bit later), the resource base has to expand to meet growth and related demands. If the resource base expands to other people’s lands, then those people don’t necessarily get to use those resources either. This is also quite bluntly captured in this following cartoon image: <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">© Anne Ward <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__[|Tiki Penguin]__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 24px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">A cycle of waste, disparities and poverty <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Poverty, land control and ownership, pollution and so on, are largely parts of economic and ideological systems too. As exemplified by the Lawrence Summers quote above, a “value” is placed on the environment, on life, on different cultures and so on. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">This is so ingrained into the cultures of the wealthy nations, that the thought of massive adjustment of lifestyles and economic systems to a more sustainable consumption seems too much to consider. Instead the system is continued and maintained. Built into the system itself are mechanisms that encourage this, without realizing the costs. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">For example, a population where health is generally getting worse may result in more sales of medicines or a growth in private healthcare and other knock-on industries. Instead of these always being seen as a cost, they are seen as providing more jobs and creating wealth, and as a result it counts towards GDP and other indicators of economic health! It then looks like the economy is dealing with this fine, without realizing that even more resources are used to support these jobs and industries that may not be needed in as much intensity. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">It is easy to blame consumers from wealthy countries as the sole cause of these problems elsewhere though. However, as mentioned in the initial pages on this section, much of this mass consumerism culture in the “north” has not been based solely on natural demand, but a //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">created // demand. That is, from large businesses and industry wanting to sell more products and make more profits. Politically this has also been encouraged as it helps create a more conforming populous satisfied by material needs. As an effect of this, as such businesses also strive to eliminate competition by becoming bigger and bigger, this has become more destructive than what we might actually realize, and on a wider scale. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Even as the United States began to feel the onset of a recession (due to crisis of overproduction) coming on in the middle of 2001, the economic and political leaders respond by attempting to encourage people to spend more. The <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Economist is worth quoting to highlight that: <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">SHOPPING: it’s long been one of America’s favourite pastimes, but more recently it has taken centre stage in the battle to prevent the world’s biggest economy from sliding into recession. As share prices have plunged along with profits, and layoffs have soared, it has sometimes seemed this year as if the American consumer’s addiction to retail therapy was incurable. That’s just as well, because consumer spending has been the main reason the economy has not dipped into recession this year. But now there are signs that even America’s heroic spendthrifts may be losing heart. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">— <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__[|Spend, spend, spend]__, The Economist, August 31st 2001 <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">This over-production and over-capacity (due to over-estimating the //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">expected // demands) partly due to “under” consumption leads to dominant companies attempting to consolidate losses and maintaining profits via things like mergers and layoffs etc. However, even in wealthier nations, it cannot be a guaranteed success. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Yet poor countries suffer immensely. For example, when the financial crisis hit Asia around 1997, at a time of enormous production, collapse meant that western corporations were able to pick up almost entire industries on the cheap. This helped destroy growing competition, as the situation was getting so competitive and fierce, that the best way (for those who can) to ride through this was to buy out others, merge or consolidate. While capital fled to the West and there was a temporary boom, as exemplified by the hi-tech sector in the U.S., overproduction was likely to catch up, as it seems to have now. Hence the West were consuming on “borrowed” time and resources from the poor. As Robbins said, “someone has to pay.” <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Another way then, for industries to continue growth and profitability etc, is to try and create demand. Markets may have to be created where there were none before. But, as a result, the following effects can occur: <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">destructive, in the long run, to the environment
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">a contributing factor to poverty around the world
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">a contributing factor to hunger amongst such immense wealth
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">and numerous other social and ecological problems
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Demands need to be created where there may have been none previously, or may be minimally.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Luxuries can therefore be encouraged to become necessities.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">The commodification of food, the impact of policies such as structural adjustment policies and conditionalities have led to mass production of the same commodities from many regions, mostly exported to the wealthy nations.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">But the huge “price war” leads to price depressions.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Mass consumption increases in the wealthy nations that receive these exports at cheap prices and demands are further increased.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Poor producers are further marginalized as the wealthy export producers use even more resources for the drive for further profits to meet this demand.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Additional requirements are made on the environment to produce even more.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Boom and bust cycles lead to various dynamics, such as
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">During booms, there is more consumption in wealthy areas, and from poorer areas there are more people migrating towards rich countries.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">During busts, further poverty, increasing anti-immigrant rhetoric, and in poor countries especially, pushing the already marginalized onto additional lands because the best lands are already owned and controlled. In worse cases, conflicts can also result.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">May 24, 2011 ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">By: Maite ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #810081; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__[]__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Environment ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span class="style1" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__[|What kind of impact does paper-making have on the environment?]__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span class="style1" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__[|What is the problem with the way wood fiber is often harvested?]__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span class="style1" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__[|What happens to the environment as a result of these unsustainable logging practices?]__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span class="style1" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__[|What are the specific effects that typical logging practices have on biodiversity?]__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span class="style1" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__[|How do forests store carbon dioxide, and how much of it do they keep out of the atmosphere?]__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span class="style1" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__[|What about the trees that many forestry companies plant to replace what they’ve logged?]__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span class="style1" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__[|How do you know if paper comes from forests that are sustainably managed?]__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span class="style1" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__[|What is the impact of paper-making itself?]__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span class="style1" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__[|What is harmful about the chlorine compounds used in bleaching pulp for papermaking?]__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span class="style1" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__[|Does paper manufacturing have to be as damaging to the environment as it currently is?]__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span class="style1" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__[|How can we as consumers help the environment when we use and buy paper?]__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">What kind of impact does paper-making have on the environment? ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span class="style1" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Negative environmental impacts occur at three stages in the life cycle of paper, beginning with the harvesting of trees for fiber, continuing with the processing of wood fiber into pulp for making paper, and finishing with the disposal of paper products at the end of their useful life. The above diagram illustrates this life cycle for an optimal context, in which virgin fiber comes from sustainably managed forests and recycling “closes the loop” by re-pulping old paper to manufacture new. Not only does this way of making paper save trees and forests, but it also reduces waste in landfills, thereby eliminating emissions of methane gas from decomposing paper. Click here to learn more about the benefits of <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__[|recycling]__ and of <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__[|sustainably managed forests]__. Unfortunately, this environmentally preferable scenario applies to only some of the paper products manufactured. An increasing but still small amount of virgin fiber comes from sustainably managed forests, and many grades of paper contain far less recycled content than they could. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">What is the problem with the way wood fiber is often harvested? ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span class="style1" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">As it exists today, the paper-making industry primarily depends upon virgin wood-based fibers to make the pulp that becomes sheets of paper. Much of the wood used comes from old growth and environmentally sensitive forests in all parts of the world – to give just two examples, the boreal forest in Northern Canada and tropical forests in Southeast Asia. In a number of countries like Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Russia, the logging that takes place is not only unsustainable but also carried out in areas where it is illegal to log. Once exported to other countries to be milled and manufactured into a variety of products, including paper, it is difficult to tell whether the wood was legally or illegally logged. . <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">What happens to the environment as a result of these unsustainable logging practices? ** <span class="style1" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Forests are critical protectors of biodiversity and of climate stability by virtue of the habitat they provide and the carbon they store. Logging companies typically fragment forests or destroy them altogether, often making use of devastating clear-cutting practices. These practices degrade the ecosystems which sustain diverse plants and animals, and are responsible for the release of millions of tons of stored carbon. In many less urbanized nations, forest destruction also displaces traditional peoples, whose lives and cultures are intertwined with local forest environments. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">What are the specific effects that typical logging practices have on biodiversity? ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span class="style1" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Unsustainable approaches to forestry destroy the delicate network of relationships between trees and other living organisms – plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria – in a particular habitat. The interplay of all of these elements is necessary to maintain a well-functioning ecosystem – that is, one which provides an adequate food supply and the conditions that allow its populations to reproduce successfully. Even something seemingly minor, like the construction of roads in previously roadless areas, can have damaging effects. Roads break up the continuity of forest habitats in ways that affect animals’ access to food and shelter, introduce areas of bright light incompatible with the native vegetation, and bring in outsider settlers, who may not have the knowledge to live sustainably in the forest environment. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">How do forests store carbon dioxide, and how much of it do they keep out of the atmosphere? ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span class="style1" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Carbon dioxide is taken in through leaves as part of photosynthesis, the process which produces the sugars that fuel the growth of trees. Excess oxygen is released through the leaves, and the carbon from the sugars becomes part of the tree's living tissue, called the cambium. During each period of growth, the old cambium forms a new ring of wood, thickening the trunk, and more carbon dioxide is taken in to form another layer of living tissue. Carbon is also stored in the earth, as dead leaves, branches, trees, and other vegetation partially decompose and create more topsoil.According to a 2006 report from the UN, forests store about 312 billion tons of carbon in their biomass alone. If you add to that the carbon in deadwood, litter, and forest soil, the figure increases to about 1.1 trillion tons! The UN assessment also shows that the destruction of forests adds almost 2.2 billion tons of carbon to the atmosphere each year, the equivalent of what the U.S. emits annually. Many climate experts believe that the preservation and restoration of forests offers one of the least expensive and best ways to fight against climate change. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span class="style1" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">" <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">What about the trees that many forestry companies plant to replace what they've logged? ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span class="style1" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Rather than truly restoring the native forest, these companies usually create monoculture plantations – that is, farms with only one species of tree. Typically, a non-native fast- growing tree species is chosen, diminishing the diversity that once existed. This type of plantation cannot support the plants and animals that once lived in the native forest, and doesn’t represent a true restoration of what was lost.Monoculture plantations, unlike natural forests, rely heavily on herbicides to eliminate any competitive growth. In addition, plantations rely on chemical-based fertilizers that can damage soil and groundwater. And finally, dead trees aren’t allowed to fall and decompose, completing the natural cycle that keeps soil fertile and sustains the life of other organisms. When the trees in a monoculture farm reach maturity, they’re all cut down at about the same time, and the process repeats itself. After another application of herbicide, more trees are replanted and additional fertilizer is applied, continuing the run-off of chemicals which harm local soils and water. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">How do you know if paper comes from forests that are sustainably managed? ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">The non-profit Forest Stewardship Council has established an international certification program, based on standards developed from the input of many interested parties such as forest managers and owners, consumers, environmental groups, scientists, indigenous peoples, and union representatives. The certification process not only looks at the forests themselves, but tracks each step in the supply path from the forest through pulp and paper manufacturing to distribution and sales. In this way, it is possible to be reasonably certain that a given product contains fiber that comes only from sustainably managed forests and hasn’t displaced indigenous peoples or destroyed their livelihoods. FSC paper carries their logo on its packaging. It is also important to look for other logos and information which assure that a product is environmentally preferable. They include the Green Seal, the Green-E, an indicator of post-consumer recycled content, and an indicator that the paper is processed chlorine free (PCF) for 100% recycled and totally chlorine free (TCF) for virgin fiber. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">What is the impact of paper-making itself? ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span class="style1" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">The pulp and paper industry is very energy intensive, requires extremely large amounts of water, and often entails the use of toxic chemicals, of which the most problematic are the chlorine compounds used in bleaching pulp to make bright white paper. Although many companies have become more energy efficient, and even generate some of their own power from the wood wastes associated with the manufacturing process, the U.S. government figures show that pulp and paper manufacturers are the fourth largest industrial emitters of greenhouse gases. <span class="style4" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__[|[3]]__ <span class="style1" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> Further, the pulp and paper industry releases about 212 million tons of hazardous substances into the air and water -- amounts comparable to the U.S. primary metal industry -- and is ranked as the third largest user of industrial water. <span class="style4" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__[|[4]]__ <span class="style1" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> These figures highlight the industry’s impact on our environment, despite improvements associated with requirements of the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts and with more general efficiency measures. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">What is harmful about the chlorine compounds used in bleaching pulp for papermaking? ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span class="style1" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Chlorine compounds are rated among the most hazardous industrial chemicals in large volume use, affecting both human health and the environment. <span class="style4" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__[|[5]]__ <span class="style1" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"> By themselves, they have been classified as suspected toxicants to the respiratory and reproductive systems as well as to developmental processes. Their use in the pulp bleaching process also results in the creation of harmful byproducts called “organochlorines,” which include dioxins and dioxin-like compounds. <span class="style4" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__[|[6]]__ <span class="style1" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">These substances are known to cause cancer and are suspected of causing developmental, reproductive, and immune system damage.Although industry has reduced its organochlorine discharges because of strengthened government standards, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) figures indicate that the pulp and paper industry ranks in the top three or four among U.S. manufacturing industries in the release of dioxin and dioxin-like compounds. If the industry completely replaced chlorine compounds with safer oxygen-based bleaching, then there would be no organochlorine byproducts, and wastewater from the bleaching process could be almost completely recovered and reused. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Does paper manufacturing have to be as damaging to the environment as it currently is? ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span class="style1" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">The industry could do more to reduce its damaging impacts by sourcing its wood fiber from sustainably managed forests, increasing its use of post-consumer recycled paper, improving the efficiency of its use of energy and water, and completely eliminating chlorine bleaching. In fact, a number of paper manufacturers in the U.S. are working to do just this. One example is provided by Mohawk Paper, a company which offers high quality printing and writing papers that have as much as 100% post-consumer recycled fiber, are processed chlorine free, and are preferentially sourced from FSC-certified forests, when virgin fiber is used. Additionally, savings from energy efficiency measures have allowed Mohawk to purchase wind power and finance renewable energy projects in the U.S. Finally, as a member of the US EPA Climate Leaders Program, Mohawk has inventoried its greenhouse gas emissions and is using that information to become a carbon neutral company, meaning that any CO2 emissions from its operations will be offset through the support of renewable energy and emissions reduction programs. For its achievements, Mohawk received the "Green Partner of the Year" award in 2007 from the EPA. If you want to learn more about other companies which manufacture and purchase environmentally preferable paper, <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__[|click here]__ to go to the websites of organizations which work with business and industry to improve their paper policies and list sources of environmentally preferable paper. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">How can we as consumers help the environment when we use and buy paper? ** <span class="style1" style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Our consumption and buying patterns can shape the world we live in, either for good or for bad. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__[|Click here]__ to learn more about what you can do. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">May 24/2011 <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">By: Maite <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #810081; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__[]__

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Carolyn Barryfor <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__[|National Geographic News]__

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">August 20, 2009

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Though <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__[|ocean]__ -borne plastic trash has a reputation as an indestructible, immortal environmental villain, scientists announced yesterday that some plastics actually decompose rapidly in the ocean. And, the researchers say, that's not a good thing.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">The team's new study is the first to show that degrading plastics are leaching potentially toxic chemicals such as <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__[|bisphenol A]__ into the seas, possibly threatening ocean animals, and us.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Scientists had previously thought plastics broke down only at very high temperatures and over hundreds of years.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">The researchers behind a new study, however, found that plastic breaks down at cooler temperatures than expected, and within a year of the trash hitting the water.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">The <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__[|Japan]__ -based team collected samples in waters from the <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__[|U.S.,] [|Europe]__, <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__[|India]__ , Japan, and elsewhere, lead researcher Katsuhiko Saido, a chemist with the College of Pharmacy at Nihon University in Japan, said via email.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">All the water samples were found to contain derivatives of polystyrene, a common plastic used in disposable cutlery, Styrofoam, and DVD cases, among other things, said Saido, who presented the findings at a meeting of the American Chemical Society in Washington, D.C., today.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Plastic, he said, should be considered a new source of chemical pollution in the ocean.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Cooking Up Plastic Soup in the Seas **

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">The toxic compounds the team found don't occur naturally in the ocean, and the researchers thought plastic was the culprit.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">The scientists later simulated the decomposition of polystyrene in the sea and found that it degraded at temperatures of 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius).

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Left behind in the water were the same compounds detected in the ocean samples, such as styrene trimer, a polystyrene by-product, and bisphenol A, a chemical used in hard plastics such as reusable water bottles and the linings of aluminum cans.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Bisphenol A (BPA) has been shown to interfere with the reproductive systems of animals, while styrene monomer is a suspected carcinogen.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">The pollutants are likely to be more concentrated in areas heavily littered with plastic debris, such as ocean vortices, which occur where currents meet.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">(Related: <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__[|"Giant Ocean-Trash Vortex Attracts Explorers."]__ )

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Plastic Breaks Down Fast **

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">About 44 percent of all seabirds eat plastic, apparently by mistake, sometimes with fatal effects. And 267 marine species are affected by plastic garbage—animals are known to swallow plastic bags, which resemble jellyfish in mid-ocean, for example—according to a 2008 study in the journal //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Environmental Research // by oceanographer and chemist Charles Moore, of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Now, it seems, they also face the invisible threat of toxic, plastic-derived chemicals.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Once Styrofoam, for example, breaks down, the tiny polystyrene components start to sink, because they're heavier than water, Moore said. "So it's likely that this styrene pollutant is prevalent throughout the water column and not just at the surface."

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Along with Moore, David Barnes, a marine ecologist from the British Antarctic Survey, doesn't think the Japanese team's lab results can be applied uniformly across the ocean, however. Water temperatures are typically much cooler than the 86 degrees Fahrenheit in the study, he said.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">"We're talking about, effectively, what happens in [zones] of tropical and some subtropical coasts. And there, [the] study may be very important," Barnes said.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Ocean as "Plastic Soup" **

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Plastic hits marine creatures with a double whammy, Moore said. Along with the toxic chemicals released from the breakdown of plastic, animals also take in other chemicals that the plastic has accumulated from outside sources in the water.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">"We knew ten years ago that plastic could be a million times more toxic than the seawater itself," because plastic items tend to accumulate a surface layer of chemicals from seawater, Moore said. "They're sponges."

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Moore worries about the plastic-derived chemicals' potential damage to wildlife. The chemicals can potentially cause cancer in humans, he said, and simpler life-forms "may be more susceptible then we are."

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Pollutants also become more concentrated as animals eat other contaminated animals—which could be bad news for us, the animals at the top of the food chain. (Read //<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">National Geographic // magazine's <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__[|"The Pollution Within."]__ )

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Moore estimates plastic debris—most of it smaller than a fifth of an inch (five millimeters)—is "dispersed over millions of square miles of ocean and miles' deep in the water column.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial Narrow','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">"The plastic soup we've made of the ocean is pretty universal—it's just a matter of degree," he said. "All these effects we're worried about are happening throughout the ocean as a unity."

May 24/2011 By: Maite

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #810081; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__[]__ <span style="background: white; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Starting July 1, most large grocery stores in the state of California will be legally required to <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__recycle plastic shopping bags__. In Europe, even stricter anti-plastic measures are gaining traction. Retailers in Modbury, England, for example, recently committed to an outright <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__plastic-bag ban__. News reports have cited a statistic that the ubiquitous receptacles take <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__500 years to break down__ in landfills. How do we know? <span style="background: white; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Actually, we don't. Plastic bags have only been around for about 50 years, so there's no firsthand evidence of their decomposition rate. To make long-term estimates of this sort, scientists often use respirometry tests. The experimenters place a solid waste sample—like a newspaper, banana peel, or plastic bag—in a vessel containing microbe-rich compost, then aerate the mixture. Over the course of several days, microorganisms assimilate the sample bit by bit and produce carbon dioxide; the resultant CO<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">2 level serves as an indicator of degradation. <span style="background: white; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">

<span style="background: white; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Respirometry tests work perfectly for newspapers and banana peels. (Newspapers take two to five months to biodegrade in a compost heap; banana peels take several days.) But when scientists test generic plastic bags, nothing happens—there's no CO<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">2 production and no decomposition. Why? The most common type of plastic shopping bag—the kind you get at supermarkets—is made of <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__polyethylene__, a man-made polymer that microorganisms don't recognize as food. <span style="background: white; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">So, where does the 500-year statistic come from? Although standard polyethylene bags don't biodegrade, they do photodegrade. When exposed to ultraviolet radiation from sunlight, polyethylene's polymer chains become brittle and start to crack. This suggests that plastic bags will eventually fragment into microscopic granules. As of yet, however, scientists aren't sure how many centuries it takes for the sun to work its magic. That's why certain news sources cite a <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__500-year estimate__ while others prefer a more conservative <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__1,000-year lifespan__. According to some plastics experts, all these figures are just another way of saying "a really, really long time." <span style="background: white; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Sometimes, even banana peels don't decompose once they reach the landfill. For sanitary reasons, modern landfills are lined on the bottom with clay and plastic to keep waste from escaping into the soil and are covered daily with a layer of earth to reduce odor. The landfill, then, acts like a trash tomb—the garbage within receives little air, water, or sunlight. This means that even readily degradable waste objects, including paper and food scraps, are more likely to <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__mummify__ than decompose.

May 24/2011 By:Maite <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #810081; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__[]__

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 19px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">A partial list of products made from Petroleum (144 of 6000 items) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">One 42-gallon barrel of oil creates 19.4 gallons of gasoline. The rest (over half) is used to make things like: <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Americans consume petroleum products at a rate of three-and-a-half gallons of oil and more than 250 cubic feet of natural gas per day each! But, as shown here petroleum is not just used for fuel.
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Solvents ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Diesel fuel  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Motor Oil  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Bearing Grease  ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Ink ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Floor Wax  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Ballpoint Pens  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Football Cleats  ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Upholstery ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Sweaters  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Boats  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Insecticides  ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Bicycle Tires ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Sports Car Bodies  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Nail Polish  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Fishing lures  ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Dresses ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Tires  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Golf Bags  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Perfumes  ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Cassettes ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Dishwasher parts  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Tool Boxes  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Shoe Polish  ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Motorcycle Helmet ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Caulking  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Petroleum Jelly  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Transparent Tape  ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">CD Player ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Faucet Washers  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Antiseptics  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Clothesline  ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Curtains ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Food Preservatives  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Basketballs  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Soap  ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Vitamin Capsules ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Antihistamines  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Purses  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Shoes  ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Dashboards ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Cortisone  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Deodorant  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Footballs  ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Putty ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Dyes  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Panty Hose  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Refrigerant  ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Percolators ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Life Jackets  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Rubbing Alcohol  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Linings  ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Skis ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">TV Cabinets  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Shag Rugs  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Electrician's Tape  ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Tool Racks ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Car Battery Cases  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Epoxy  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Paint  ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Mops ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Slacks  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Insect Repellent  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Oil Filters  ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Umbrellas ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Yarn  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Fertilizers  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Hair Coloring  ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Roofing ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Toilet Seats  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Fishing Rods  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Lipstick  ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Denture Adhesive ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Linoleum  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Ice Cube Trays  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Synthetic Rubber  ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Speakers ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Plastic Wood  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Electric Blankets  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Glycerin  ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Tennis Rackets ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Rubber Cement  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Fishing Boots  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Dice  ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Nylon Rope ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Candles  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Trash Bags  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">House Paint  ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Water Pipes ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Hand Lotion  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Roller Skates  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Surf Boards  ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Shampoo ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Wheels  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Paint Rollers  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Shower Curtains  ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Guitar Strings ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Luggage  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Aspirin  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Safety Glasses  ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Antifreeze ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Football Helmets  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Awnings  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Eyeglasses  ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Clothes ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Toothbrushes  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Ice Chests  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Footballs  ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Combs ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">CD's & DVD's  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Paint Brushes  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Detergents  ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Vaporizers ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Balloons  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Sun Glasses  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Tents  ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Heart Valves ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Crayons  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Parachutes  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Telephones  ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Enamel ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Pillows  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Dishes  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Cameras  ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Anesthetics ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Artificial Turf  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Artificial limbs  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Bandages  ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Dentures ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Model Cars  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Folding Doors  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Hair Curlers  ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Cold cream ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Movie film  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Soft Contact lenses  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Drinking Cups  ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Fan Belts ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Car Enamel  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Shaving Cream  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Ammonia  ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Refrigerators ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Golf Balls  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Toothpaste  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16.55pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Gasoline  ||

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">May 24/2011 <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">By: Maite <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #810081; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__[]__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">//How long does it take for most trees to grow to their full size?// <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">The time it takes for trees to grow to their full size depends on many things. In some tropical areas, trees may reach their full size in 30 years. In other areas, where it is colder, it can take hundreds of years. Different species grow at different rates. When trees are planted as a crop for harvest, "full size" is the size that is pleasing to customers. So, the answer to this question is ... it depends!

May 23/2011 By:Maite __ //(own ideas):// __

Plastic is also connected to wildlife damage because during the processof plastic that is made from oil,there are oil spills and animals get trapped and die.

Also when people get rid of the plastic materials some times this plastic materials end up in the ocean and sea animals confuss there food with the plastics.

When we explote the resource of paper in this case trees we take the homes to some animals.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">May 22 /2011 <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">Posted by: Maria Camila Orjuela <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">It is calculated that every people throw away 2 trees per year and this is an exploitation of resourses

Posted by:Maria camila
 * Tetra-pak:**

Tetra-pak is made of plastic, cardboard and aluminium

Plastic cames from: oil, natural gas, common salt and coal. Carboard comes from:

This info is connected to explotation of resources because when we use tetrapaks in excess and throw it away we are wasting the resourses where the tetra-pak comes

May 18 /2011 by:Maite Nahuel

Concequences of not reducing plastic:

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0000ff; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; vertical-align: auto;">__(book "wastes" from ccb school library)__ //__

Most plastics are made from petroleum or oil. This natural resource, also used for fuels such as petrol, is very valuable and limited used at today's rates, it may run out in less than 100 years.

This info is connected to explotatioin of resources because when we don't reduce the waste of plastic we are wasting the resource plastic is made of.

May 22/ 2011 by: Isabella ramirez

What is reduce paper and plastic use: <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: top;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">It means having a responsible consumption, means using the law of the three Rs. REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE unnecessary and irresponsible consumption of useful goods. Call it (paper, metal, glass, plastic etc.).

May 22/ 2011 by: Isabella Ramirez

what can we do to reduce paper and plastic waste?:

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: top;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Inventing new ways to reduce use of paper or plastic. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: top;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">The problem with plastic or paper begins by inappropriate use. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">By reducing consumption, reduce the pressure on forests and the amount of waste. If we recycle products that can be recycled we reduce waste and pollutants. We should offer various distribution initiatives to reduce use of paper, cardboard and plastic, such as biodegradable paper cups offer all customers, to reduce the use of common plastic cup. We should choose products with less packaging. Use paper on both sides. When retrieving cardboard boxes and sheets of recycled paper use contributes to fewer trees cut down, in charge of capturing carbon dioxide, methane and purify the air. By reusing 100 kilograms of paper saved the lives of at least 7 mature trees. <span style="background: #e6ecf9; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Separate waste you generate in organic, inorganic and health. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">You should consult your town or in your residential unit if they have a selection of waste. Favors to separate organic waste can be converted into compost and inorganic materials can be reused or recycled. Returnable containers prefer instead of disposables. Do not waste napkins, tissues, toilet paper or other paper. You can always choose glass containers instead of plastic, Tetra or Aluminum. Remember that there are companies dedicated to the purchase of recyclable materials such as newsprint, books, bottles, etc. Find out where you can take. Use cups instead of disposable cups when you go shopping and carry bags or baskets instead of disposable bags, these are made from petroleum, are not biodegradable and when recycled require high amounts of energy. If you can upgrade or repair computers rather than buying new ones.

May 17 /2011 <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">Posted by:Maite Nahuel <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">by=all the group <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"> **<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #ff0000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 18px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Connection: ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"> "How is reducing waste at school connected to other things?" <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"> -Contamination <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">-Exploitation of recourses <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">-Reusing <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">-Recycling <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">-Wildlife