The Environment or a Chaffed Ass?
A friend directed us to an interesting article in the
guardian.co.uk Posted on February 26, 2009. It turns out that American's Love for a soft tissue to wipe there buttocks with is worse for the environment than their love for driving gas guzzling Hummers.
According to
Suzanne Goldenberg, US environment correspondent
guardian.co.uk,"The tenderness of the delicate American buttock is causing more environmental devastation than the country's love of gas-guzzling cars, fast food or McMansions, according to green campaigners. At fault, they say, is the US public's insistence on extra-soft, quilted and multi-ply products when they use the bathroom."
She goes on to quote Allen Hershkowitz, a senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defence Council"This is a product that we use for less than three seconds and the ecological consequences of manufacturing it from trees is enormous," he goes on to say, "Future generations are going to look at the way we make toilet paper as one of the greatest excesses of our age. Making toilet paper from virgin woodis a lot worse than driving Hummers in terms of global warming pollution." Making toilet paper has a significant impact because of chemicals used in pulp manufacture and cutting down forests."
Susan also points out that Paper manufacturers such as Kimberly-Clark have identified luxury brands such as three-ply tissues or tissues infused with hand lotion as the fastest-growing market share in a highly competitive industry. Its latest television advertisements show a woman caressing tissue infused with hand lotion.
The
New York Times reported a 40% rise in sales of luxury brands of toilet paper in 2008. Paper companies are anxious to keep those percentages up, even as the recession bites. And Reuters reported that Kimberly-Clark spent $25m in its third quarter on advertising to persuade Americans against trusting their bottoms to cheaper brands.
But Kimberly-Clark, which touts its green credentials on its website, rejects the idea that it is pushing destructive products on an unwitting American public.
Americans already consume vastly more paper than any other country — about three times more per person than the average European, and 100 times more than the average person in China.
Barely a third of the paper products sold in America are from recycled sources — most of it comes from virgin forests.
"I really do think it is overwhelmingly an American phenomenom," said Hershkowitz. "People just don't understand that softness equals ecological destruction."
Source & images Courtesy of guardian.co.uk
Check out More Articles by Suzanne GoldenbergLabels: News, Resourcful
posted by MILO @ 10:11 AM
Rose Bowl Weekend
If you don't know what
Rose bowl weekend means and you sell vintage clothing for a living, then you better pay attention. Each Month on the second Sunday of the month hundreds of vintage dealers gather together in a crowded parking lot next to the Rose Bowl to unload their freshest vintage finds for the month. Everyone from the migrant family bringing clothing up south of the border, to the antique denim collector from El Paso gather in the foothills of Pasadena to take part in this event. You will see dealers just selling vintage rock tee's, some selling vintage leather goods, and another one selling retro frocks from the 50's. If you have never been the best way to describe is it to picture the parking lot at your local university packed with vintage clothing. It is hands down the largest collection of vintage clothing in one given place at one given time, and it happens every month. Buyers from all around the world know about the famous
Rose bowl and come to stock their stores with sleek vintage finds.
The
Rose Bowl Flea Market opens to the Public at 7 am, but all the real deals are done before the sun even rises. If you plan on coming out for the event then it is good to have a little local knowledge. Most serious buyers purchase tickets to be vendors. This way they can shop while the vendors are putting out their latest finds. It also gives the buyers an opportunity to view the goods before the public shows up for their afternoon Sunday Stroll.
It has been said that the everything that happens in the vintage clothing industry starts and ends at the Rose Bowl. Prices in the industry go up and down depending on the demand of the buyers at this gathering. Not only does it predict what happens in the vintage industry, but it also has an effect on the fashion industry as a whole. Many designers use the Rose Bowl to source the goods that they will knock off for next season. They may not want to admit it, but you will find designers from Urban Outfitters to Calvin Klein Jeans strolling through mounds of clothing for their inspiration.
The Japanese Buyers on the other hand are some of the most interesting sites to partake in at the Rose Bowl. Many of them are digging through cars at 4am with flashlights mounted to their forehead long before vendors have the opportunity to get their product out. They don't always buy allot, but they do have a well tuned eye for what they are looking for. They are often purchasing vintage that will take a minimum of five years before little hipster thrift finders in the UK or States will dare wear it in public. This in part keeps the industry thriving expanding the market each year as to what is considered vintage.
If you are a hand picker, or have limited market as to what you can sell than the Rose Bowl is the place for you to start. You will get an opportunity to learn how the industry works and meet allot of other buyers just like you from all around the world. Hey you just might even find those impossible to locate 1984 Van Halen Rock tee or Fry boots from the sixties that you are looking for.
Labels: News, Resourcful
posted by MILO @ 11:45 AM
Coffee Ground Printer
Most people enjoy a cup coffee every morning to get them going. If you are
composting your coffee grounds you are already off to a good start. But what else could we do with those coffee grounds you might ask? The folks over at RITI found just the thing with their invention of the
RITI Coffee Printer. Yes indeed, they have found an ingenious way to turn your old coffee grounds into a sustainable source of ink for your printer. Too good to sound true you might think, who would think that coffee stains could be considered useful?
According to the description page at
Greater Green Goods all you have to do is the following:
Use:
1. Insert a paper in the middle of the printer
2. Put the coffee or tea dregs into the ink case on the top of the printer
3. Move the ink case left and right as you draw on a paper
4. When the print finishes, pull out the paper from the printer and wash the ink case
Pretty darn Cool.
Labels: News, Resourcful
posted by MILO @ 8:16 AM
