Allie
GKT Blog

Food, Inc.

09/02/2009 05:17
allie
Anyone who has seen the documentary Food, Inc. will have their view on the way they eat changed forever. This movie shows just how much the food businesses and the preparation of food has become more like an industry, with the cruel way the food is prepared and they dangers it now poses. The big businesses are in for quantity, not quality, as they raise animals in ways that are unhealthy for them and designed to make them fat, quickly. However, it is cheaper and easier for the company, and that is all that matters to the food producers.
    There was some frightening footage of the areas where animals are raised. The chicken houses are packed in with barely any room to move around, and floors covered in their own filth. They are not healthy, and are bred to be fat in a shorter amount of time. Footage of a factory had meat being passed through conveyor belts and put through machinery like any other manufactured product. This film was very enlightening, and I specifically was surprised to learn at the number of different products made of corn. There were some very sad and scary stories that were documented. One woman lost her young son to a disease borne out of an improperly made food product and cross-contamination. She has gone on a fight to pass a bill that will make food safer.
    Everyone can make a difference. By choosing carefully what you buy, you can cast a vote for local, organic and sustainable food. These are like a survey, and makes a note to the manufacturers of what the people want. Shop at the local farmer's market. Read labels so you know what you are getting in your food, and find out where it is coming from. For more tips and information, visit Takepart.com. You can also sign a petition for the Child Nutrition Act, which helps bring nutrition into schools. As a high school student, I can attest that the normal school lunches are not very healthy. If there was nutritional, energizing food in cafeterias, who knows what effects it could have on the students and their performance in school? Know what you are eating and fight for change!

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Pizza Box of the Future!

08/09/2009 19:50
allie
I stumbled across this
gbox
video on a podcast called The Best of YouTube. Number 428 is the Green Box! There is a company called Eco Incorporated, and their first product is the Green Box. Not only is this pizza box made of 100% recycled and recyclable corrugated cardboard, it is also handy for more than holding a pizza. If you tear the top off along two perforations, you can create four serving plates, ideal for the family unit to carry around or bring anywhere. The bottom, with just a couple of tears along the sides, is transformed into a convenient storage container for leftovers. Check out Eco Inc.'s website here. It has a link on the website to the video.

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Corn Pens & Buying NOTHING

05/25/2009 08:48
allie
So here's just something I thought was really cool. There is a completely biodegradable pen MADE OF CORN. How awesome is that? It's exactly like a regular pen with blue ink, and mine is actually green (color-wise)! And this pen will disintegrate in about 12 months after being discarded. What an awesome option for when you need a pen, because this isn't that much harder to get a hold of than a regular pen. I found this on a website that makes a lot of green products, some made of PLA, an alternative to plastic that is just as durable, but is biodegradable and MADE FROM CORN, which makes it extra awesome. You can use it for cups, cutlery, trash bags, combs, razors and more, and it only takes 30-45 days to compost. To find out more, check out this website: 2wplastic.com.

P3270024

So I was listening to this Harry Potter podcast the other day (I know, I'm such a nerd!), and I heard this story about these two guys who are going to try to go two months (I think) without buying anything new. Obviously, there are a few exceptions, like they're allowed to buy food or other necessary/emergency items. But the basic idea is for them to go a little bit to an extreme in order for them to appreciate more what they do have. I thought this was a really cool way to learn to cut back on unnecessary items and be more eco-friendly, because we live in a consumer culture, and really, it isn't necessary for us to buy every new thing we see on t.v. This was a cool way to put things into perspective.

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