Unplug!

So for Environmental Science class we have to choose a day to unplug all electronics and use as little or no electricity as possible…

Hmm… didn’t go so great. Living in a household of eight (yes, we’re Mexican), it was very difficult to get people to listen to me. Apparently they can’t live without TV and I couldn’t be without a toaster and blender; I love pb&j’s and fruit smoothies plus I couldn’t skip out on breakfast. I’m sure I could come up with ways of eating that do not involve electronics but it would take a lot of time and planning to do so. Even though my family did horrible at this little project, I don’t think I did too bad.

I don’t normally watch TV to begin with and we don’t have a working AC system so that helps a lot in reducing energy consumption. I did unplug all electronics but they were eventually plugged back in when they were needed which was not good. I also turned off my phone which wasn’t difficult at all but a whole week would kill me. As far as transportation goes we couldn’t depend on buses because here in Riverside County they are not reliable so my mom and I at least carpooled to work. At home we’re pretty good at turning off lights when not needed so that wasn’t a problem and we always get on each others case if we waste energy in that way. When it comes to showers, most of us are pretty fast and don’t waste too much water but three of us take about 40 minutes! I was able to take a 20 minute shower but I can’t do that all the time. When we wash clothes, we usually use cold water unless it’s white clothes or my dad’s work clothes and I usually hang dry my clothes because the colored clothing fades less and is less likely to get ruined. My sister and sister in law do this too but with a family of 8 it’s not possible to hang dry it all.

Doing all these things for 24 hours made me realize how much we depend on electronics and that it is a lot harder than I thought to let go of these luxuries but, not impossible. Some things I think I wouldn’t let go of are my lap top and printer because I need to do homework but I can minimize how much I use it, not that I use it long anyway. I also wouldn’t be able to go without a cell phone. I depend on my phone to have my family pick me up sometimes from either school or work and so sometimes the times vary. Also, I have class late so I don’t want to be out after dark without a cell phone. I see it as a means of protection; if something happens or I have car trouble I can call for help.

There are many things I can keep doing from now on. One thing is to try my best to take shorter showers. I will keep using cold water to wash my clothes and hang dry them too. I can still avoid TV and unplug all electronics even if we have to keep plugging them back in when needed.

Tap vs. Bottled Water

My home’s tap water comes from three different sources. I live in Moreno Valley and these sources are the State Water Project, the Colorado River and groundwater.
The Water State Project begins at Oroville Dam on the Feather River and ends at Lake Perris near Riverside. It includes 22 dams and reservoirs, a Delta pumping plant and a 444-mile-long aqueduct that carries water from the Delta to southern California, through the San Joaquin Valley. This is the major source of water supply for most of southern California. The project is operated by the California Department of Water Resources and is then imported as surface water by The Henry J. Mills Filtration Plant.

The Colorado River passes through seven states, many Indian reservations and Mexico. Most of this waster goes toward irrigating crops in the southeastern corner of the California, but the Colorado also is an important source of water for urban southern California. This river is 1,440 miles long and its water supply is distributed by Metropolitan Water District of Southern California through its Colorado River Aqueduct. They are a wholesale agency and serve 18 million customers.

Groundwater does not come from underground lakes like many people think. It comes from underground water that fills in spaces between sand, gravel, silt and clay in water-bearing formations known as aquifers. Groundwater makes up for 30 percent of California’s annual water supply and up to 60 percent in drought years. The groundwater used for my area specifically comes from the Sunnymead Well which is blended with the Mills Well.

Our water company is Eastern Municipal Water District Water Co. and they rank in the 23rd percentile of the National Average. On a scale from 1 to 10, 1 being drinkable and 10 being outstanding, the water in my area ranked at 2.3.

The following is from a chart I found on:http://www.homefacts.com/waterquality/California/Riverside-County/Riverside/Eastern-Municipal-Water-District.html
… Of the chemicals tested for, 21 were found. This chart lists those chemicals and potential health effects. The ones in red are above health guidelines.

Tetrachloroethylene
Biochemical or Cellular Level Changes, Cancer, Developmental/Reproductive Toxicity, Ecotoxicology, Endocrine Disruption, Irritation, Neurotoxicity, Occupational Hazards, Organ System Toxicity, Persistence and bioaccumulation

Bromodichloromethane

Cancer

Bromoform

Cancer, Ecotoxicology, Neurotoxicity, Occupational Hazards, Organ System Toxicity, Persistence and bioaccumulation

Dibromochloromethane

Cancer

Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)

Cancer

Dichloroacetic acid

Cancer, Developmental/Reproductive Toxicity, Ecotoxicology, Irritation, Miscellaneous, Neurotoxicity, Occupational Hazards, Organ System Toxicity, Persistence and bioaccumulation

Total haloacetic acids (HAAs)

Cancer

Chloroform

Biochemical or Cellular Level Changes, Cancer, Developmental/Reproductive Toxicity, Ecotoxicology, Endocrine Disruption, Irritation, Multiple, additive exposure sources, Neurotoxicity, Occupational Hazards, Organ System Toxicity, Persistence and bioaccumulation

Alpha particle activity

No Known Health Effects

Arsenic (total)

Allergies/Immunotoxicity, Biochemical or Cellular Level Changes, Cancer, Ecotoxicology, Endocrine Disruption, Multiple, additive exposure sources, Neurotoxicity, Occupational Hazards, Organ System Toxicity, Persistence and bioaccumulation

Perchlorate

Impairs thyroid gland function

Radium-228

Organ System Toxicity

Nitrate

Organ System Toxicity

Trichloroacetic acid

Cancer, Ecotoxicology, Irritation, Miscellaneous, Occupational Hazards, Organ System Toxicity, Persistence and bioaccumulation

Dibromoacetic acid

Cancer

Monobromoacetic acid

Cancer, Ecotoxicology, Miscellaneous, Occupational Hazards, Organ System Toxicity

Monochloroacetic acid

Cancer, Ecotoxicology, Irritation, Miscellaneous, Occupational Hazards, Organ System Toxicity, Persistence and bioaccumulation

Nitrate & nitrite

Organ System Toxicity

Barium (total)

Biochemical or Cellular Level Changes, Cancer, Developmental/Reproductive Toxicity, Ecotoxicology, Neurotoxicity, Occupational Hazards, Organ System Toxicity, Persistence and bioaccumulation

Combined Uranium (pCi/L)

Cancer, Ecotoxicology, Occupational Hazards, Organ System Toxicity, Persistence and bioaccumulation

Gross beta particle activity (pCi/L)

No Known Health Effects

After doing all this research on my home’s tap water and seeing that it ranks 23^rd place out of all of California, it can’t be as bad as I dread, right? :/ Honestly, it doesn’t sound so safe but when compared to water in other places it doesn’t seem so bad although that shouldn’t be of any comfort. The federal agency that is in charge of tap water is the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) so I go on their website and find my area. It turns out my area doesn’t have their water report on the EPA’s file. Aren’t all areas supposed to report to the EPA??? Should I worry?

For bottled water, the federal agency in charge of regulations is the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GOA), the FDA’s and EPA’s standard of quality regulations for water are almost the same except for one major difference. This difference is DEHP; it is an organic compound used in the manufacturing of polyvinyl chloride plastics. DEHP is known as an endocrine disruptor, in other words, it is known to interfere with the hormone system in animals and humans. The FDA does not have the authority to require bottlers to use certified laboratories for water quality tests or to report test results, even if violations of the standards are found. Labeling of bottled water under federal and state requirements are similar to those for food but still, the information provided to consumers is less than what the EPA requires of public water systems. Not only does bottled water affect us the consumers but it also affects the environment. GAO found that 3/4 of water bottles produced in the U.S. in 2006 were not recycled and just thrown away to landfills. Also, the U.S. energy demand for bottled water is much more energy intensive than the production of public drinking water.

After so much research, I think I’ll just stick to tap water. Not only does it pass stricter requirements but also avoids nasty chemicals from plastic. Tap water always has reports available for look up whereas bottled water doesn’t. Another main reason to avoid bottled water is to minimize the amount of pollution and wasted energy. Yes, bottled water is at times more convenient but in the end it’s not worth the repercussions.

Works Cited

http://www.emwd.org/water_service/ccr_2001.html

http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-09-610

http://www.water-ed.org/watersources/region.asp?rid=8

http://www.homefacts.com/waterquality/California/Riverside-County/Riverside/Eastern-Municipal-Water-District.html

Peanut Butter!

I eat this stuff almost everyday... I love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches! I thought it'd be interesting to research peanut butter because if it's bad for me I'll know to eat less of it and if it's good for me, even better =)

So... "the #1 choice of choosy mom's" includes the following ingredients:

*roasted peanuts and sugar

*molasses = A By-product, a secondary product deriving from a manufacturing process.

*fully hydrogenated vegetable oils = Hydrogenation is the chemical process in which liquid vegetable oil is turned into solid fat.When liquid vegetable oil is fully hydrogenated, almost no trans fats remain. The resulting fat is a solid, hard, waxy consistency, even at room temperature. Full hydrogenation increases the amount of saturated fat, although much of it is in the form of stearic acid, which is converted by the body to oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat, which doesn't raise levels of bad cholesterol. This makes fully hydrogenated fats less harmful than partially hydrogenated fats.

*mono- and diglycerides = Monoglycerides and diglycerides allow a food processor to mix oil and water in a process known as emulsification. This very useful property makes monoglycerides and diglycerides a common food additive to extend shelf life. At high temperatures, triglycerides are capable of rearranging into monoglycerides and diglycerides.

Earth Resources

Everything we see, eat, drink, buy, use, put on or just consume in general is in one way or another derived from earth resources. The following is a list of things I use or consume on an average day:

A) Food and drink: water, oatmeal, soy milk, cheese, cranberry grape juice, tamales, orange, apple, quesadilla, rice, potatoes, cereal

B) Housing and other buildings: wood, drywall, cement, paint

C) Transportation and roads: asphalt, metal, granite, sand, petroleum, plastic

D) Clothing: polyester, cotton, nylon, plastic, rubber

E) School supplies: pens, pencils, erasers, paper, wood, lead, ink, rubber

F) Personal care products: shampoo, conditioner, bar soap, loofah, cocoa butter, shea butter, mineral powder, mineral blush, eyeliner, brow pencil, mascara

G) Other: blow dryer, computer, scanner, permanent marker, hand sanitizer, printer, register, cell phones, plastic bags, banners, fridge, microwave, sink, other electronics

One of the products that I am researching is my mineral makeup. I wanted to know how it’s made, and how harmful it can be to the environment and, of course, myself. My specific type of makeup is made by MicaBella or Mica Beauty Cosmetics; they make mineral cosmetics like powder foundation as well as eyeshadows. They also make Bella Pierre which are slightly different tones. The item I am researching is the powder foundation. It is made of Mica, Sericite, black iron oxide, red iron oxide and yellow iron oxide. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Sericite is a scaly variety of muscovite having a silky luster and occurring in various metamorphic rocks. And what does it look like? that rock in the picture below…

According to TechCera, the leading supplier of high-grade sericite mica , “Sericite mica is an inert, stable and inorganic technical raw material. It is commonly utilized as a filler that is prized for its physically smooth properties in industrial applications and in the case of cosmetic grade sericite for cosmetic applications, feels silky to touch and provides an optical shimmer and luster to your product”. Sericite mica has been used as a base for mineral make up instead of talc so that it doesn’t clog pores. It is also used as an economic alternative for welding materials such as titanium dioxide and is used to make welding rods.

The next ingredient in the mineral makeup is black iron oxide also known as Magnetite. It is a natural iron oxide magnet. Magnetite is the most magnetic of all the minerals on Earth.

Red iron oxide which is also known as Hematite is an important ore of iron and its blood red color (in the powdered form) is used as a pigment. Crystals of Hematite are considered rare and are sought after by collectors. Hematite is the most important source of iron ore in the world.

 
Like red iron oxide, yellow iron oxide is also used as pigment.

I didn’t find much information on whether or not these minerals are mined but I’m assuming so and if this is true, mining is very harmful to the environment no matter how carefully it is done. The effects on the skin seem to be good and this makeup unlike many others does not clog pores which prevents the formation of acne which is surprising because I really expected to find something bad in the composition of it. Makeup in general is not really a “need” but more of a “want”. I have acne scars so I really like this makeup because it has good coverage and it doesn’t make me break out which is why so many people buy it. So although mineral make up may be good for our skin, it may not be so good for the environment and that includes animals and whole ecosystems. Instead of using makeup at all I should look into solutions to get rid of my acne which would make me not need makeup so much and it would help the environment.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sericite 

http://www.techcera.com/sericite-mica.html

http://www.groundmicapowder.com/support/Sericite%20Mica%20Used%20in%20Welding%20Material.pdf

http://www.rockstone.biz/minerals/red-iron-oxide.php

http://www.reade.com/products/35-oxides-metallic-powders/302-magnetite-fe3o4-black-iron-oxide-iron-ii-iii-oxide-ferrous-ferric-oxide-ferro-ferric-oxide-ferric-ferrous-oxide-mil-i-275b-cas-1309-38-2-black-iron-sand-magnetite-sand-beach-magnetite-sand-satetsu-magnetic-black-magnetic-iron-ore-magnetic-oxide-super

Biography

I was named after my mother, Araceli Ramos but my friends and family call me Shelly. I was born in Orange, spent my childhood in San Jose and moved to Moreno Valley my sophomore year so, I have been all over northern and southern California. I am the oldest of four siblings and responsible for setting an example, though I’m not the best at it, but I try.  My family thinks I’m crazy because I do things that most people we know don’t do.  I don’t eat meat (which surprises people because I’m Mexican and Mexicans are “supposed to” eat meat), I don’t drink soda, I’m known as a tree hugger because I tell everyone not to litter or use plastic bags when we go grocery shopping, and I’ll do almost anything to help my loved ones crack a smile. Regardless of how weird I may seem to my family, we are all very close.

Some people may think I’m a bit blunt and argumentative at times; I think I’m just trying to be honest because it’s easier than lying and yes, I do argue but only because I’m passionate about certain issues that matter to me. Several of them are environmental issues, things that have to do with immigrants, undocumented students, minorities, nutrition, feminism, peoples’ well-being, etc.; because I am so interested in these issues and others, I find myself volunteering for all sorts of causes and non-profit organizations, which I enjoy very much. I love helping people.

Currently, I am pursuing a career in math and so I am a math major but I am beginning to realize that I am more passionate about environmental and nutritional issues than I am about numbers. I was talking to my Puente counselor one day and she told me that I needed one more science class to transfer, along with other classes. She recommended that I take Bio 36 because she knows that I like being “eco-friendly” and it would be good for me to learn more about the environment. So I took her advice and here I am in Environmental Science class. One thing I would like to know more about is how I can promote a greener environment.

Something interesting I have learned in class...

In chapter 1, I learned that there are renewable and non-renewable natural resources. Of those resources, it is the non-renewable resources that we need to worry about because they are being depleted faster than they can be replenished due to our excess use. Some examples of these are coal, minerals and fossil fuels. It is a pitty that many people think, "If I don't use or pollute it, someone else will." This is known as Tragedy of the Commons and is the basic idea that unrestricted use of a resource dooms that resource to overexploitation. In the U.S. alone, we use 25% of the earth's natural resources which, clearly, we are not 25% of the earth's population.

http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/6628