Pro Active Remix Recycling Video

Adding on a new goal...

Besides my dislike of washing bags, I guess every thing is pretty dandy.
I mean not using new paper, is a bit easier than I thought it would be, especially since I have a lot of hand outs with blank backs so I can just use those to write on.

Because non of my challenges are actually challenging for me any more, I have added a new challenge. I will be trying to pursue this challenge as much as I can when ever I can.

I have decided I am going to try and use the least water possible. My mom always used to yell at me for wasting water or using too much of it. Finally I have a space in which I can actually experiment with different ways, and not be told that its moms way or the high way.

For example when I do the dishes I take the biggest dish and rinse the dishes I put into the dishwasher above it so it will fill up. Once I am done putting the dishes that can be put into the dish washer, into the dishwasher. (What a sentence, eh?) I then use the water in the bigger dish to not only wet the sponge but also to soak the dishes that need o be done by hand. after I am done washing the dishes, I empty the big dish and rinse the other dishes above it again. Usually the water in the big dish will be clean water by the time I am done rinsing so rinsing the big dish out only takes a little running water.

Good luck to me on my new goal for life :)

Bag + oily stuff= like stubbing your toe

The last few days of my environmental challenge have been slightly trying.

Not so much in the recycling department, the lights department, or the department for not using disposable bottles... I guess you could say I am a natural at those things.
However, when it came to washing the zip-lock bags, even though at first it was an easy task, for some reason the bags started to get more and more greasy... Not from me. Every time I washed the bags I made sure they were squeaky clean. I actually think I can blame my father rightly for once. I don't exactly know what he is using in his sandwiches besides mustard and mayo (blech) but somehow he has managed to put more and more greasy bags into the sink lately.

Maybe he is just using more mayo and mustard lately... I don't know, but it is making my job really tedious. It is hard enough, sometimes to get sauce or mustard or mayo, etc, off of a container. Add in the "you have to move the bag around your hand because it isn't solid" and you get a disaster...
I learned this through washing the bags... I was kind of in a hurry but I couldn't get the bag squeaky clean like I normally can. I figured at first that maybe after you wash a bag a certain number of times the "squeaky-ness" goes away. The thought was a rather gross one but, it is what it is.
I decided that I was just going to let it dry and see how it felt/looked then. The next day when I went to go do the dishes again, I was putting the dishes away, and I touched it... It was still greasy. I could feel the grease sliding around under my finger tips... and I could feel my face changing expression in disgust.

I was down to two options, either the bag had been used to an unusable state, or I just had to put some elbow-grease into washing it now that it was older (not that it needed any more greasy-ness haha)

Refusing to give up on my goal and admit that maybe it was time to let the bag go to waste, I spent a good five to ten minutes figuring out how to get it clean in the most efficient and non wasteful way.
Eventually I succeeded, and now I can't say I look forward to washing the bags.

I came to the conclusion that washing greasy bags is like stubbing your toe. And because I don't exactly look forward to washing the bags I ask my self this motivating question:Would I stub my toe, willingly, to save the world?

Would you? ... I guess my answer is always yes because I end up washing the bags despite my loathing of it.

HAH

For the last few days nothing new has really come up. I have been doing a good job at keeping up with all my goals.

I have been recycling everything/anything I can. I have been re-using paper, though I was originally just typing things up. But my computer decided not to work with word, so I am kind of mad with that. I haven't used any disposable bottle that I haven't reused over and over again. maybe I should just stop using plastic bottles ( new ones) all together... Today I did run into a little
bump. I was going to wash the dishes, ans as usual there was a zip-lock bag. This time however, it was greasy... That was not fun, but I did not give up. I tackled the bag with hot water and a soapy clothe... With some patience I cleaned up the bag nicely. Now it is just sitting in the strainer, drying.

Today was also a fun day when it came to lights and extra electricity. I got to dance around the house while vacuuming. I was turning off and on and off lights. I feel like it was rather counter productive. it tends to take more energy to start something, than if it were just running all teh time. If I were to just keep all the lights off, like at school, the energy would be worth it. But at home, when your dad turns on and off and on all the light as he passes, it tends to be a little harder.

So far so good! Keep up the good work !!! '

-Tamisha

ALRIGHTY... come on.

Since yesterday I haven't done any thing really note worthy. I haven't used any disposable bottles, I have recycled everything, I I haven't used any new paper, and I washed all my zip-lock bags and left them out for drying and re-using. I have been very good at turning off the lights, as always.

Separate from my actual goals, which wouldn't make for a very interesting post anyway, today in class there was a post that was pointed out by Mrs. Plath. It was about how this project is meaningless, lifeless, and a waste of time because it isn't doing anything.
Now, truthfully I don't actually enjoy blogging, and no offense to my wonderful teachers, but I do not like the assignments for this project. HOWEVER, the project its self is a wonderful idea.
Yes, there are only about 40 ( probably less) people doing it but it is a start.

What I don't think this person realized is that as much as this is school work, and school work is a drag, it is something else. We are deciding to start in a smaller part of our community to make little changes, take on a new habit. Such as turning off the lights we don't need.

I believe that even if we are not making a significant impact right off the bat, we are still starting to take a step toward it. Great things that changed views and were good were not always big and explosive moves. Some of the great things that happen or happened in our world started off as small things.

And worse case scenario- all this ended up being is a couple of weeks we did this. We don't span out and nobody joins, and yes we forget about ever doing it a week later. You know what?

WE DID SOMETHING FOR TWO WEEKS.Maybe it won't show in the big statistics and graphs , but WE know we did something. That yes however small our impact was, there was still an impact.

Hence "Low- impact"? Hello?

Any way, I know I for one, am definitely going to remember what I did for these two weeks.
I know that I will continue doing at least four out of all five of the goals that I and my division set for me.
And I hope the person finds some use in these last few weeks and in this project.

Until next time friends :)
Good luck! ^^

-Tamisha F. Cutler

I'm ALREADY having a hard time... -_-"

It just so happens that I lost yesterdays post. I guess I didn't post it, even though I was quite sure that I did. Oh well. I will just make up for it in today's post...

For the last two days I have run into some complications when it came to fulfilling my own goals. On Tuesday when I went to go and print something, I had a minor freak-out session. (Thank god for the presence of Mrs. Plath) I realized one of my personal goals was not to use any new paper, and very little of the used paper. I had to print some pictures out for my presentation... but all the paper in the printer was new paper.... WHAT WAS I GOING TO DO?!?!?!? O__O

Well, like I said in the brackets above, thank you lordy for my wonderful, quick-thinking, problem-solving, English teacher.
"Why don't you just put recycled paper in the printer?" She said. ...O_o ... -___-
"...Oh," I stopped and wondered why I hadn't thought of that. "What a good idea! Thank you!" I smiled.
Go figure that it took me a lot of patience and a few minutes to be able to print out the pictures, which I had carefully manipulated so they all fit onto one page. When I did print the pictures out finally, I turned the page around to see the already covered back, to relish in the ingeniousness that saved my goal and my presentation... but nothing was on the back! I nearly fell I was so shocked. As I was freaking out about it, A couple of girls were like, "Oh was that you who put the paper in there?" HAHAHA... stupid technology, if I had been quicker I would have been able to save my goal. I am still trying to work with my goal, and as for Wednesday, I did a good job.

Since the incident on Monday with my near-usage of a disposable bottle, I haven't used more than the one I keep re-using. So I am doing well in this part of my goal. The other goals, recycling every thing possible and washing my zip-lock bags, have been going well since the beginning. Which is very encouraging. I just hope this paper incident won't haunt me for the next two weeks.

Speaking of going well, with our division wide goal, turning off any electric using machines or lights that I can turn off - do so, it is going nicely. Even at school (even though we had to explain it to Mr. Garbanater) we have been keeping up the good work.

Nice job people! Good luck people! Good luck me!

-Tamisha F. Cutler

The Start

Yesterday as a class, we launched the "Low Impact" project. We will be working on this project for 2 weeks as a division (aka 11th and 12th grade). After the 2 weeks are up and the seniors have left school we as juniors will be proposing a "low impact" project to the entire school.
Yesterday as we sat at the park, we were all asked to find four things we could give up for two weeks. I chose not to use disposable plastic bottles, to not throw away plastic zip-lock bags, not to use or buy any new paper (and use as little as possible of what I have at home), and last but not least I chose to make sure to recycle what ever I could.
So far, I have washed the zip lock bags my dad used for lunch yesterday. It was rather annoying because they were a little greasy and it was hard to get off. Luckily I only had two bags to wash. As for recycling I did well, what ever I could recycle (cans, bottled, paper) that my dad and I actually use I did. I managed not to use much paper yesterday either. I mean in classes today (science and Spanish) I was given new pieces of paper, but I don't know if I can avoid that. I know that for any of my other classes I can just ask the teachers to send me the papers. I will see if I can do that for science and Spanish too. When it came to not using any disposable bottles, I did well at home last night. Besides the cherry coke my dad brought home I didn't use any bottles. And I plan on using the cherry coke bottle when I am done for a water bottle. I did very well today, for the most part any way. As I got my lunch I grabbed a chocolate milk and as I was going to open it, I remembered what my goals were. I jumped up and put the milk back, smiling while Mr. Small gave me a very strange look. I told him I can't use any disposable bottles. He offered me a paper cup water. I looked at him, smiled and said "no thanks, I will just drink from the fountain."
Yesterday at the park, we decided what we would be doing as a group challenge. We decided on using as little electricity/ lights as possible. As soon as it turned 3:00 one kid in my crew jumped up and turned the hallway lights off, then proceeded to turn off the class room lights. At home I have a habit of turning off all the lights I am not using any way so this was not exactly a "challenge" for me. When I came to school I noticed the only rooms using lights were my science and Spanish class.
I think so far we are off to a good start, I know I am. Good luck Div 3! Good luck me!
-Tamisha F. Cutler