Save Flightline Trails
FlightLine is an area in Carlsbad California that has been used and maintained by mountain bikers and trail runners for over two decades. The city of Carlsbad refers to the area as Carlsbad Oaks North. It was originaly set aside as wide open natural space to help mitigate impacts from all of the commercial development in the Palomar Airport Road office park development projects.
Flightline (Carlsbad Oaks North) is owned by San Diego County and is managed by the Center for Natural Lands Management (referred to from here on out as CNLM) which runs the land under the rules of a Conservation Easement. This easement doesn't allow bycicle use on public land. CNLM has recently been ordered by the county to close the entire area to public access.
RideFlightLine.com was built to help organize all of the community support to save the FlightLine trail system. The online petition was created to centralize our voice. The trail pictures page was created to inspire people who have not ridden the trails to support our cause. The Riders Blog was created to keep riders in touch and offer ideas to alternate riding areas until the FlightLine situation is resolved. The Progress Blog was created to keep everyone in the community informed of the progress we are making with all of their help. The support page was created as a page mountain bikers that wanted to help save the trails could go to and take action online.
The Truth About Bottled Water
1.5 million barrels of oil in the US alone are used to make water bottles from polyethylene terephthalate, 86% of which are landfilled or incinerated. Often it is shipped long distances, like the 1.4 million bottles of Finnish tap water sent 4,300 kilometers (2,700 miles) to Saudi Arabia, or the popular Fiji water found in the US and Canada. ''Even in areas where tap water is safe to drink, demand for bottled water is increasing--producing unnecessary garbage and consuming vast quantities of energy,'' said researcher Emily Arnold. ''Although in the industrial world bottled water is often no healthier than tap water, it can cost up to 10,000 times more.'' Tap water comes to us through an energy-efficient infrastructure whereas bottled water must be transported long distances--and nearly one-fourth of it across national borders--by boat, train, airplane, and truck. This ''involves burning massive quantities of fossil fuels,'' Arnold said. Its time to buy a Nalgene and refill it rather than tossing empties.
To fill in a little information I’ll ramble off topic a bit! First let’s be clear about this, in most modern communities tap water is often more ‘pure’ than bottled water. Indeed, in the USA tap water is regulated by the EPA, whereas the FDA look over the shoulder of bottled water suppliers, using less stringent criteria. As eMagazine points out “40 percent of bottled water began life as, well, tap water.” In the same comprehensive article, eMag note that the NRDC had 1,000 bottles of water tested, and discovered that a “third of the tested brands were found to contain contaminants such as arsenic and carcinogenic compounds in at least some samples at levels exceeding state or industry standards.” And in one study at Syracuse University, "... they found that one-fourth of bottled water had 10 times the bacterial count of tap water.” And who is selling us this bottled water in the first place? The same folk who enthuse about the joys of Aspartame maybe?
Support the Health Freedom Protection Act
Send a letter to your Representative asking them to support the Health Freedom Protection Act (H.R. 4282).
The FDA’s approval process for informational labeling of food-based health claims has been so slow and uncertain that very little meaningful health information
is making its way to food and dietary supplement consumers. In two years, only nine products have received approval to be labeled with qualified health claims, and no applications have yet been received by the FDA this year. A bill has been introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives that would give consumers access to truthful, non-misleading health information. The Health Freedom Protection Act, H.R. 4282, was introduced in the U.S. House on Wednesday, November 9th, 2005.
The purpose of this bill is to amend the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to ensure that: 1. Accurate health claims are not suppressed 2. Consumers are given truthful and full information about the science supporting the health-enhancing effects of foods and dietary supplements (including scientific evidence that foods, dietary supplements and dietary ingredients may provide benefits relating to the cure, mitigation, treatment and prevention of disease (not drug effects). 3. The FDA honors the intent of the Congress to not censor accurate health claims Passage of The Health Freedom Protection Act, H.R. 4282, would yield more health information on the foods and supplements we buy, potentially cutting our drug costs by educating us about natural alternatives. H.R. 4282 would not encourage companies to provide false hope but, on the contrary, would instead finally provide consumers more science-based information rather than less. H.R. 4282 would not weaken the FDA?s and FTC?s enforcement powers but would instead strengthen consumers? access to truthful, science-supported and non-misleading health information. H.R. 4282 would not take away anything but would instead give consumers the breadth and depth of information that is true to the spirit and intent of the laws which support and defend consumers? rights to science-supported health information.
>Send Letter
Patagonia Wetsuits
Not for the first time, Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia graces the cover of business magazine. It’s hard to ignore a company that’s been around for 30 something years, gives away pots of money to rowdy environment activists, drops best selling lines for greener ones, yet still makes $270 million USD a year. We glean from the article that Patagonia are working on a new wetsuit design. A non-petroleum neoprene made from crushed limestone with “a lining of recycled polyester and, of all things, organic wool.” And according to the Fortune piece, ”90 percent warmer than other wetsuits, as well as stretchier, stronger and naturally odor resistant.” Chouinard is quoted "We're getting [back] into the surf market, because it's never going to snow again, and the waves are going to get bigger and bigger." The neoprene outer is of 80% non-petroleum based ingredients. (Fortune Mag reckoned it was made with crushed limestone but the Patagonia site is coy on that aspect.) The inner lining is a chloride-free merino wool grid bonded to recycled polyester. Kneepads are PVC-free and are said to be more durable and grippier. Coming for both men and women in 2mm and 3mm versions, to span water temps from 48 to 65°F (9 to 18°C). Long and shortie styles, although limited availability just now.
On the greener of business he remarks, "I'm blown away by Wal-Mart. If Wal-Mart does one-tenth of what they say they're going to do, it will be incredible. And hopefully America will get a government that we need rather than one we deserve, that will put pressure on business to clean up its act. But the most powerful pressure will come from the consumer. Oh, my God, it's going to be really powerful."
How to safely remove a dent from your car with a hairdryer and
Someone asked me the other day the safest and easiest way to remove a dent from a car, and I couldn't think of anything that wouldn't consist of a hammer or mallet, odd shaped screw driver tools and a little bondo. If I told you that you could remove a dent with a hair dryer and can of air I bet you would think I was crazy. Well I thought the idea was a little weird myself until I saw this on Mercola and thought that it was worth writing about. What the body shop doesn't need you knowing, "How to safely remove a dent from your car with a hairdryer and a can or air."
Labels: Resourcful
