tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35288637902655497482024-03-13T03:26:56.675-07:00Save the World FridaysSave the World Fridayshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03022009341581262484noreply@blogger.comBlogger92125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528863790265549748.post-76605032713421124032012-03-26T17:25:00.000-07:002012-03-26T17:25:11.510-07:00CSA boxes!hey guys, so it seems like as of now, we're not sure that we are going to make San Diego High a CSA pick-up point. It would be great if we could, but it is nearing the end of the year, and we still have Earth Fair and loads of other things to focus on right now.<br />
<br />
I did some poking around the website to see where some other pick-up points are. As it turns out, there's loads of options. At least one in almost every neighborhood around the city. There's a neat little map with dozens of dropped pins—you should <a href="http://www.suziesfarm.com/index.php?/site/sanDiegoCSA/">take a look</a> yourself.<br />
<br />
<br />
I think that, even if we don't do this as a club, anyone who's interested should consider signing up for one elsewhere. It's still all the same environmental benefits, and I'd be glad to throw up some recipes and whatnot for the potentially strange and exciting produce!<br />
<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528863790265549748.post-29608235400280607062012-03-14T20:55:00.004-07:002012-03-14T20:59:11.236-07:00Thrift stores!Hi everyone! As Jimmy mentioned a couple posts earlier, we're organizing an environmental week. There's a document on the FB group for STWF (let me know if you need to be added!) for song suggestions so be sure to take a look at that if you haven't already.<br />
<br />
For environmental week's Thursday the theme is "Thrifty Thursday" where we'll be encouraging everyone to wear their finds from thrift stores in order for a) people to see what cool things you can find at thrift stores and b) to also remove the stigma of owning previously used items. So, hopefully a) environmental week gets approved and b) you participate! However, even if those things don't happen, you should still check out a thrift store soon because you can always find fun (and CHEAP) things there.<br />
<br />
Some locations:<br />
<br />
<u>Thrift Trader</u><br />
3939 Iowa St<br />
(between Lincoln Ave & University Ave)<br />
San Diego, CA 92104<br />
<br />
<u>Goodwill</u><br />
939 16th St<br />
(between Broadway & E St)<br />
San Diego, CA 92101<br />
<br />
<u>Buffalo Exchange</u><br />
3862 5th Ave<br />
(between Robinson Ave & University Ave)<br />
San Diego, CA 92103<br />
<u><br />
</u><br />
<u>Flashbacks</u><br />
3847 5th Ave<br />
(between Robinson Ave & University Ave)<br />
San Diego, CA 92103<br />
<u><br />
Frock You Vintage Clothing</u><br />
4121 Park Blvd<br />
(between Howard Ave & Polk Ave)<br />
San Diego, CA 92103<br />
<br />
Thrift stores don't only have clothes--they often have DVDs, CDs (I found a copy of <i>Disintegration </i>by the Cure once), books, games (found a complete set of Harry Potter clue!) etc. You really never know what you'll find there.<br />
<br />
Post in the comments about the best and/or most outlandish thing you've found at a thrift store!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528863790265549748.post-15597826573361951412012-03-12T18:38:00.000-07:002012-03-12T18:39:22.332-07:00recycling?hey dudes! Your friendly neighborhood blogger is here to post about one of our favorite ways to save the world: recycling!<br />
<br />
After a club member mentioned a new recycling rule at a recent meeting, I tried to look it up for confirmation and further information so I could make it more public. It was mentioned that waxed containers, like most milk cartons, could now be recycled. This, of course, was excellent news, as these paper-based containers surely contribute to a large amount of waste. Also, any increase in "recyclability" is almost bound to be a good thing, right? <br />
<br />
Well, I can't seem to find any information to back this up. I don't want to doubt its verity because it sounds <i>awesome</i>, but I'm also hesitant to tout a statement that I cannot back up. As of now, the city of San Diego accepts the following items:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RJXosTaa80w/T16jQo7CDuI/AAAAAAAAAEM/kvayDVjvays/s1600/yes.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RJXosTaa80w/T16jQo7CDuI/AAAAAAAAAEM/kvayDVjvays/s400/yes.tiff" width="383" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<br />
Cool, right? I didn't know about aerosol cans! Anyway, this includes the summer 2011 allowance of the last two sections pictured. (By the way, this all comes straight from the city's website).<br />
<br />
However, this is what it has for "no's":<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tQnWbn-wvow/T16kSNtYFCI/AAAAAAAAAEU/HSDLdmjeKVg/s1600/no.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="338" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tQnWbn-wvow/T16kSNtYFCI/AAAAAAAAAEU/HSDLdmjeKVg/s400/no.tiff" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
As you can see, our waxed buddies are at the top of the list. The point of this post is this: if you can find any information on/proof of this new rule, please post it here or bring it up at a meeting. We'd love to hear about, and we'd be super thankful.<br />
<br />
Happy recycling!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528863790265549748.post-19848785182903808912012-03-09T16:35:00.001-08:002012-03-09T16:35:48.047-08:00MARCH 9 MEETINGHello there fellow <i>environmentalists</i>. We're planning an Environmental Week at our school, but we are waiting on approval! I, Jimmy, will check on that next week. When I get approval, I'll post about it here. And I'll tell everyone at the meeting.<br />
<br />
In the meanwhile, we're working on some other stuff. We're trying to make our school a drop-off spot for one those local produce basket things (CSA, Community Supported Agriculture), and for that we need ten people to commit to ordering them. They're pretty good, delicious foods and whatnot. We'll have more information on that in the future.<br />
<br />
In a similar vein, we want to start growing vegetables and plants inside the school. Lauren will be bringing tomatoes, and everyone else is encouraged to bring other plants to grow (good stuff includes succulents, basil, rosemary, peas maybe, etc.).<br />
<br />
<i>Next week</i> we are meeting at the IS Garden to do some cleanin' up. See you there!Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17223567209314190424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528863790265549748.post-58255251459858694192012-02-14T06:00:00.000-08:002012-02-14T06:00:01.840-08:00How Do I Love Thee? (List 1)<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.adessoshop.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/IMG_0696-393x393.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. </div><br />
<ol><li>I love thee on my sandwiches. You are much better than mayonnaise. (Seriously!)</li>
<li>I love thee with pita chips. </li>
<li>I love thee with tortilla chips. </li>
<li>I love thee with pita bread. </li>
<li>I love thee with crackers.</li>
<li>I love thee cold. </li>
<li>I love thee, with everything. </li>
</ol><div>As you can tell, my love for hummus is quite uncontrollable. My favorites are pesto and lemon cilantro, which you can purchase at your local farmer's markets and Fresh & Easy respectively. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Feel free to share your favorite flavor and/or how you eat hummus with in a comment! </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528863790265549748.post-55176655064636551112012-02-13T16:46:00.000-08:002012-02-13T16:46:18.508-08:00valentine's day is tomorrow,<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.recipegirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Chocolate-Chip-Cookie-Dough-Truffles-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://www.recipegirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Chocolate-Chip-Cookie-Dough-Truffles-5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
the day of chocolate. I just wanted to take another second of your time to mention the global impact of products that we consume. However! This is not all gloom and doom. I try not to be. I have a wonderful sunny disposition, I think.<br />
<br />
Kidding aside, there's a reason you can purchase pounds and pounds of chocolate for a few dollars. It's because the cost of making this bargain chocolate is externalised, often in the form of child labour and other awful things.<br />
<br />
Luckily, there's a wonderful little label that says "fair trade" that helps you discern whether or not bad things are involved in the production of your chocolate. Yeah, it's more expensive, but I like to think of it as a more "honest" price. Chocolate, like coffee and other foreign commodities, is expensive. That's why it's a decadent treat. Also luckily, the whole "green" thing is quite trendy. That means that you can find tasty fair trade/organic chocolate in a bunch of different varieties at a bunch of different places. <br />
<br />
So yeah, be responsible chocolate purchasers this holiday!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528863790265549748.post-3719077266481384882012-02-06T15:37:00.000-08:002012-02-06T15:37:57.282-08:00environmental week!hey guys, so just giving an update on last week's meeting!<br />
<br />
<br />
We're pretty certain that ASB will grant us a full week dedicated to environmental awareness, and we'll be putting in a formal request for the use of the quad for lunchtime activities shortly. They won't be until April, but we wanted to figure it all out as soon as possible. By this Friday, we were hoping that everyone who took responsibility for one of the days of the week will give the entire club a brief presentation on their ideas for the activity (related to their theme, of course). The themes are as follows:<br />
<br />
<br />
Meatless Monday — encouraging the incorporation of less meats and more sustainably farmed produce into our diets as a way of being conscious consumers (Lauren)<br />
Trashy Tuesday — all about recycling and reducing waste (Jiem and Aliyah, I believe)<br />
Water Conservation Wednesday — pretty much like it sounds, conserving that water, wooo (Katra)<br />
Thrifty Thursday — encouraging reusing as well as the consumption of already used clothing as an alternative to new (Lorelay)<br />
Save the World On Fridays — about the club, our mission, and helping out in small ways! (Nicola)<br />
<br />
Of course, each person who took responsibility for the activities is likely to interpret these in slightly different ways. I just wanted to give the basic idea. Feel free to seek out club members that you saw volunteer for the theme days and offer to help and/or bounce ideas off of them. No one wants to or would be able to do it alone!<br />
<br />
As an added note, we will also be selling water bottles at lunch all week and I'm sure a sign-up will circulate as we get closer to April.<br />
<br />
Thanks everyone, and don't forget about your pitches on Friday!<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528863790265549748.post-35300656869773787592012-02-02T18:19:00.000-08:002012-02-02T18:20:30.825-08:00Conserve energy!<img src="http://weknowmemes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/how-would-you-feel-if-someone-just-turned-you-on.jpg" /> <br />
<br />
This showed up on my Facebook ticket thing and it caught my eye. This could be a fun art project--do you think we could get away with putting this up?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528863790265549748.post-3234970334243370342012-01-30T17:44:00.000-08:002012-01-30T17:44:32.815-08:00thank you Katra!All right, so I just wanted to take a second and thank our wonderful and fabulous member Katra for a couple recent contributions to the club.<br />
<br />
Firstly, a friend mentioned today that she used to bring her lunch items in disposable packaging, but after the urging of our good friend Katra converted to tupperware. Three cheers for reducing waste! And I'm assuming that it was done very politely and pleasantly.<br />
<br />
Secondly, Katra was responsible for ordering our new stainless steel water bottles, and we thank her for that contribution as well. They're still in Mr. Steussy's room as far as I know, so get them while they're hot! I know we'll be setting up and organising lunch sales soon.<br />
<br />
Thirdly, we now have a new little poster that mentions the water bottles and the STWF t-shirts that Katra designed. Jimmy got clearance with ASB to post them wherever, so you should be seeing them multiply in the next few days.<br />
<br />
I just thought it'd be nice to give a blog-five to a member that helped out a lot recently. Keep up the good work, everyone, and we'll see you on Friday!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528863790265549748.post-61951465794701516052012-01-28T23:37:00.000-08:002012-01-28T23:37:25.268-08:00Andy Rooney on Water Bottles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/S7LqsAnhrR4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
"<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">What people will remember about Andy Rooney are things like this: He’d open a can of mixed nuts on</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;"><em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">60 Minutes</em></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">and separate the various nuts by type, and then he’d count how many of each nut were in the can. What made this so interesting (at least to me) was not the metaphor this act represented; what was interesting was that there was no metaphor at all. It wasn’t a veiled sociological commentary or a criticism of advertising or a meditation on consumerism. It wasn’t about anything, except the contents of the can. This, I suspect, is why Rooney’s seemingly banal essays were so infuriating to a certain kind of person: We have come to assume that whenever a media personality talks about something basic, he or she is actually trying to explain something complex. The idea that someone on television would just sit at his desk and complain about mixed nuts and have it only be about the ostensive subject — without a larger meaning and without a defined purpose — seemed facile and ridiculous. But isn’t it equally ridiculous to assume trivial thoughts are only worth considering when we pretend they represent something else? As a self-defined atheist, Rooney would have never pretended that filtering peanuts could help us understand the nature of existence; he was wholly resigned to the fact that we couldn’t even understand the nature of peanuts."</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">-Chuck Klosterman</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">Andy Rooney 1919-2011</span>Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17223567209314190424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528863790265549748.post-4886853345634164442012-01-25T23:28:00.000-08:002012-01-25T23:29:04.395-08:00Cool video!Hi everyone,<br />
<br />
I hope the end of the semester hasn't been too brutal for anyone, and as you are all cramming for finals and putting finishing touches on papers/projects/what-have-you, here's a short video to take a break with:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/25/animation-charts-131-years-of-global-warming/?ref=science">CLICK</a><br />
<br />
NASA apparently had some time on its hands and they produced the video to show modern global warming and how the temperatures have changed/risen from 1880 to 2010. It's a neat little thing. It'd be interesting to analyze the causes of the fluctuations between 1880 and 2010. If you have any ideas, feel free to toss them down in a comment. (I'm assuming there are a couple of Industrial Revolutions in there...)<br />
<br />
Hope all is going well! Best of luck finishing up this fall semester.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528863790265549748.post-67507347433430801772012-01-16T23:01:00.000-08:002012-01-16T23:01:25.914-08:00JANUARY 13 MEETINGHey guys!<br />
<br />
Sorry I haven't posted lately. My computer had to go for repairs and Senior year's been keeping me real busy. Just wanted to record and remind you of a couple things:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>The bottles! They have come in, and we'll be selling them soon. We need to fill out a form first, but now we have the bottles to sell, it's super cool.</li>
<li>Speaking of bottles: the flyers you made. Remember them? You can post them up wherever. We don't need permission. So go for it.</li>
<li>T-Shirts! We still have a bunch! Buy one, they look (and feel) really neat. They're organic cotton! And, um, yeah. Oh: if you have one, make sure to wear it! I like the idea of wearing it on Fridays, as it creates more of a presence in the school.</li>
<li>Environmental week! We still need to figure it all out. I'll keep you updated on that.</li>
</ul>
<div>
So yeah. There's the stuff. Just part of my ongoing mission to provide transparency for student governments. Yeeeeeeeahppo.</div>Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17223567209314190424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528863790265549748.post-53346428276655428852012-01-09T16:05:00.000-08:002012-01-09T16:07:06.096-08:00composting!I am almost absolutely sure that somewhere on this blog is a post about composting. We're all tree-hugging hippies, right? It comes with the territory.<br />
<br />
But I figure that sometimes redundancy doesn't hurt, especially when we've just been handed this new, shiny 2012 that's just begging for new projects and resolutions. If you've already thought about giving composting a go, here's some information that could help you along the way. If you haven't, then maybe this will cause you to consider it? Who knows.<br />
<br />
Anyway, I got this information off of the conveniently-named howtocompost.org. I'm sure the website (and the internet in general, really) is full of helpful tips, but I thought their "top ten tips" would be a neat way to get us off the ground.<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Gather all grass clippings and green yard waste but be sure to mix
with the "brown" materials like leaves and shredded paper to add carbon.
You will need both, but if you only add grass clippings your pile will
compact and start to stink.</li>
<br />
<li>Do not compost meats or pet droppings. Stick with food scraps and yard waste only.</li>
<br />
<li>Avoid all pesticides and/or herbicide treated material. </li>
<br />
<li>If you add weeds to your pile make sure your pile is good
and hot. It should be steaming hot, not just warm otherwise it may not
kill the seeds.</li>
<br />
<li>Turn your pile as often as you can. Each time you turn it will speed up the process. </li>
<br />
<li>Keep your compost damp but not wet. As you add material to
your pile make sure that each layer is moist as it is added. During the
summer your pile will dry out and the composting process will slow down.</li>
<br />
<li>Got too much material to compost? Make a second or third
pile. Stop adding material to a pile that is under way and start a new
pile. This will ensure you get a chance to use the compost this season.</li>
<br />
<li>Add compost to your garden a few weeks before you plant.
Let the compost have a chance to work into the soil. Try to mix it in
and let it sit before you plant.</li>
<br />
<li>Worms and most bugs are okay. No need to go crazy trying to keep bugs out of your compost.</li>
<br />
<li>Since the compost process works best at
temperature between 120 and 150 degrees composting in the warmer months
is easier to do, if this is your first attempt at composting best to try
in the summer. </li>
</ol>
<br />
And there we have it! Good luck to you if you're trying out this new endeavour!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528863790265549748.post-17945928974949385382011-12-18T10:38:00.000-08:002011-12-18T10:38:15.137-08:00Winter BreakI hope you all have a good winter break. We spent our last meeting of 2011 making snow globes out of jars and knickknacks. Some people have been requesting the directions for making the snow globes, so here we are:<br />
<br />
http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/12/how-to-make-a-homemade-snow-globe/<br />
<br />
It's a pretty good how-to, I'd say. In January we'll resume initiatives and important club work, but for now, get lots of sleep, be kind to others and the environment, and enjoy your break!Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17223567209314190424noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528863790265549748.post-82793899976399301332011-12-14T21:21:00.000-08:002011-12-14T21:23:03.000-08:00Snow globes!<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.ourbestbites.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/snow-globe-21.jpg" /></div><br />
Don't forget to bring materials in to make snow globes this Friday. Also, t-shirts--buy 'em and wear 'em!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528863790265549748.post-38530021665136313772011-12-12T18:43:00.000-08:002011-12-12T18:43:54.752-08:00the holidays!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.greengop.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/christmas-tree-farm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.greengop.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/christmas-tree-farm.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
I know that not everyone celebrates Christmas, but for those who do, there are some environmentally aligned decisions that everyone makes every year. For example, Mr. Steussy recently posed the question of artificial vs. fresh tree. That is, which one is more "green"? There are problems with each, and it's up to the individual to decide which option they are more comfortable with.<br />
<br />
Our wonderful member Nicola mentioned at either last Friday's meeting or the one before that there was such a thing as a replantable Christmas tree. They're called <a href="http://www.christmastree.org/environment.cfm">"Real Christmas Trees"</a>. The link takes you to the National Christmas Tree Association's website, where you can find more information. This seems to solve at least part of the problem of cutting down live trees annually while not resorting to the production of plastic. I think it's pretty neat.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lw0s8rh5Gu1qlkl6xo1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lw0s8rh5Gu1qlkl6xo1_500.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
The other (and more creative) option is to build some kind of recyclable/renewable Christmas tree. The one above is made from books, which I kind of think is the coolest thing ever.<br />
<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528863790265549748.post-88838495938701282332011-12-07T16:56:00.000-08:002011-12-07T17:00:06.384-08:00Just say no!As I'm a senior right now, college is on my mind a lot. One thing that occurred to me is that nowadays, you don't wait for a fat envelope anymore (although, I'm sure there are exceptions), but you refresh some random webpage to the point of exhaustion. One college kindly informed me "we will provide some admissions decisions only online, not via regular mail. You may request that a copy of your decision letter be mailed to you after you receive it online", which I think is fantastic. This college, in particular, I have no complaints about, but there are some others who are... much less committed to saving the world.<br />
<br />
<div>Ever since that fateful day when I took the PSAT as a sophomore and unwittingly said I'd be open to receiving mailings from Collegeboard and their partner colleges (or however the phrasing is that allows them to sell your names to colleges) I've been absolutely bombarded with mailings for colleges that I'm not interested in (seriously, Milwaukee Engineering? I'm looking to be an English major.) and pricey summer programs. So, I think the time may have passed for the PSAT-takers for this year, but if you ever have the choice of opting in for Collegeboard's mailings:</div><div><br />
</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://netdna.copyblogger.com/images/just_say_no.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">Unless, of course, you actually want your inbox and mailbox to be cluttered wastelands (or if you want to read the 100+ brochures of obscure colleges). </div></div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div><div>And, on a slightly-related side note, the same motto (JUST SAY NO!) can be applied to plastic. Be sure to write your letters! </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528863790265549748.post-83857150078622802362011-12-05T18:16:00.000-08:002011-12-13T19:58:15.407-08:00seasonal cooking pt. deux<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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well, okay, that's a bit of a misnomer. Baking and cooking are technically two different things. This is a recipe for some chewy ginger cookies that seem nice and appropriate for the holiday season.<br />
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There are three different "types" of ginger in this recipe, which, paired with the dark brown sugar, molasses, and other spices give these little cookies a lot more depth than they look like they'd have. They're delicious, trust me. The cookies that this recipe is for are vegan, but feel free to substitute dairy products if that's what you'd like (although the nice thing about these is that they don't have "bad" cholesterol). <br />
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ingredients (use organic/fair trade/sustainable wherever possible!):<br />
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2 1/2 cups of unbleached all-purpose flour<br />
2 1/2 teaspoons of ground ginger<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda<br />
1/2 teaspoons of freshly grated nutmeg<br />
a few pinches of kosher salt (kosher does make a difference, promise)<br />
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper (I know, weird, just trust me)<br />
3/4 cup of firmly packed dark brown sugar<br />
3/4 cup of canola oil<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons of Ener-G egg replacer<br />
2 tablespoons of filtered water<br />
1/2 cup of blackstrap molasses<br />
2 teaspoons of peeled, freshly grated ginger<br />
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract<br />
1/2 cup finely chopped crystallised ginger<br />
about 1/2 cup of raw (turbinado) sugar<br />
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directions:<br />
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"prep" all of the ingredients: grate the nutmeg, peel and grate the fresh ginger, chop the crystallised ginger, and mix the water with the egg replacer powder (again, this is the "vegan version") until it's smooth and creamy.<br />
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(the crystallised ginger, all nicely chopped by my lovely assistant James Curry)<br />
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after all of that is taken care of, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. <br />
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now, mix the flour, ground ginger, baking soda, nutmeg, salt and pepper in a large bowl.<br />
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in a separate bowl, mix the canola oil and brown sugar until it's all nice and combined. Add the egg replacer mixture, vanilla, grated ginger and molasses to the wet mixture. Again, make it all nice and smooth.<br />
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add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until juuuuust combined. Don't overmix! It supposedly does bad things! Now, add the crystallised ginger and mix it around. It should be pretty thick, gooey, and dark.<br />
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the crystallised stuff gets you pretty sticky, as my lovely assistant found out.<br />
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all right, now you've got to take out a couple baking trays and get ready for the fun part. Put the turbinado sugar into a shallow bowl. Take little glops of the dough about 1 tablespoon in volume. Roll it gently in the sugar and place on the baking tray.<br />
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Do that until it's all used up.<br />
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Space them about 1 1/2 inches apart on the trays, and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. You can tell when they're done if the edges are a bit firm and the centers are cracked.<br />
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let 'em cool for about five minutes until you transfer them to another plate or rack.<br />
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mae thought the dough was pretty tasty, at least.<br />
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don't worry, I sanitised afterwards.<br />
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well, that's it! happy ginger-ing!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528863790265549748.post-26329096723651921962011-12-03T09:25:00.001-08:002011-12-03T09:36:10.709-08:00DECEMBER 2 MEETINGHello everyone! I hope you had a good week back from break. Here's the stuff we talked about at yesterday's meeting:<br />
<ul>
<li>Bottles! Katra is in charge of ordering the aluminum water bottles, and she should have it done by our next meeting. <i>Also</i> write your letters to Mrs. Roberson about the reduction of plastic water bottles. Her email is <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><b>jroberson@sandi.net</b>. We need those sent!</span></li>
<li>T-Shirts! They have been ordered, and they need to be sold! If you ordered one, go ahead and buy one, they're pretty neat.</li>
<li>ASB! There's a meeting coming up at the end of December, but I will speak to them before then about our concerns and requests.</li>
<li>Gardens? That's possibly our next initiative. We'll have to decide on the details, though: what kind of garden we want, where we want it, and what kind of plants we want to grow. My own two cents: I think that whatever it is we do, we need to take into consideration the environmental impact/benefits of such a garden.</li>
</ul>
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So yes, that's it! Yesterday was a rather brisk meeting. Now that we have our goals for the water bottle initiative figured out, we must complete the process of actually achieving those goals. So, play your part, and have a great weekend!</div>Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17223567209314190424noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528863790265549748.post-40718607605881048602011-12-01T21:40:00.000-08:002011-12-01T21:40:51.621-08:00Sustainability 101?This past Tuesday, Mr. Steussy brought to my attention the new major on sustainability launched at SDSU. Upon further research, I found out that sustainability is available in schools across that nation, notably Western New England University, Arizona State University and Columbia University (yeah, the one in the Ivy League).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ip3TQjxY6W8/TthkJIU9wfI/AAAAAAAAACs/W3YyZLNNK0s/s1600/8770231-low-memorial-library-at-columbia-university-with-the-statue-of-alma-mater-new-york-city-photo-taken-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ip3TQjxY6W8/TthkJIU9wfI/AAAAAAAAACs/W3YyZLNNK0s/s320/8770231-low-memorial-library-at-columbia-university-with-the-statue-of-alma-mater-new-york-city-photo-taken-.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Yep, this one.</span></div><br />
I was rather intrigued by the type of classes offered along with this major. I mean, I always thought that sustainability and environmentalism couldn't be taught. Being green is a lifestyle choice, not an academic endeavor, right?<br />
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I found that choosing sustainability as a major requires one to choose from a list of classes including "<b>Challenges of Social Development</b>", "<b>Climate Solutions</b>" and "<b>Survey of Legal and Policy Methods for Sustainable Development</b>". For a more comprehensive list, click <a href="http://www.earth.columbia.edu/articles/view/2650">here</a>.<br />
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So what do you guys think? Would you consider declaring sustainability as your major? How do you think programs like these affect our cause?<br />
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Remember guys,<br />
THE POWER IS YOURS!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528863790265549748.post-76657228213654215462011-12-01T19:43:00.000-08:002011-12-01T20:14:08.047-08:00California: The Golden State's nature becoming as rare as it's name<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XDnb9Dg_FKE/TthQccMfIWI/AAAAAAAAABs/kkBJf_6So8o/s1600/dying_trees_t620.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XDnb9Dg_FKE/TthQccMfIWI/AAAAAAAAABs/kkBJf_6So8o/s320/dying_trees_t620.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5681379379463004514" /></a><br /><br />I came across a very concerning issue today, CA's nature is losing almost all of its natural spawning ground. Here is an excerpt from the article by sign-on San Diego journalist Mike Lee:<br /><br /> "The studies show that common trees are fading from their current ranges, premium wine grape varieties are under siege [...]the hub of the state’s water system faces increasing risks[...]"<br /><br />The new changes in CA's climate and weather(most of which is believed to be cause global warming) is said to be causing the local wildlife change as well. <br /><br /> "[...]Marine creatures are shifting locales[...]and — surprisingly — birds in the state are getting bigger as the weather warms.<br /><br />Coming across this article makes me think that we should further expand our efforts to get a ban on water bottles, along with a bicycle movement, at San Diego High. <br /><br />If you you would like to read more into this please visit http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/nov/20/grapes-birds-trees-fish-respond-climate/Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05933860213114786187noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528863790265549748.post-72213961384138802832011-11-29T17:46:00.000-08:002011-11-29T17:51:19.837-08:00North Park Library's "Garden"Happy happy Tuesday!<br />
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I mentioned at a meeting maybe a month ago about how the library I volunteer at is starting to grow some vegetables indoors. I snagged a couple of pictures (see below) today in case anyone was wondering about the set-up and is possibly looking into doing something similar.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If anyone is in fact looking into doing this and wants more information, let me know and I can give you the contact information of the staff member who's behind this! She's quite friendly, and has an environmental non-profit organization. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528863790265549748.post-39164927142573436872011-11-28T19:11:00.000-08:002011-11-28T19:14:57.816-08:00passes!hey guys, I hope your break was the best it possibly could have been and your return to school at least somewhat painless!<br /><br />I wanted to remind you to stop by Mr. Steussy's room at some point before Friday's meeting to pick up your pass to the 1100 building during lunch. I have absolutely no way of knowing how long this new policy will be in effect for, so please do your best to hand on to the passes, as they're meant to be reused every week.<br /><br />Just a bit of housekeeping to (try to) keep us all on track. See you Friday, hopefully with a few more letters, research, or poster designs!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528863790265549748.post-23993919956020196802011-11-19T10:57:00.000-08:002011-11-19T11:16:28.971-08:00NOVEMBER 18 MEETING<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qoantdz3NPc/TsgAVVitUwI/AAAAAAAABJQ/-gL09WT9is8/s1600/images.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a>The most important thing for all club members to do is to <b>write their letters to Mrs. Roberson</b>! Her email is jroberson@sandi.net. Be very kind in your letters—she's our new principal and we want her <i>help</i> in being able to change the water bottle policy in our school. Very few letters have been written so far... so write, write, write!<div><div><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qoantdz3NPc/TsgAVVitUwI/AAAAAAAABJQ/-gL09WT9is8/s200/images.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676787696860484354" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 143px; height: 107px; " /></span><div>We also discussed ASB issues. Primarily, we want an environmental week for our school (similar to "spirit weeks" and preferably around Earth Day). Just as importantly, we want to discuss the issue of unnecessary waste in school events—namely, the releasing of huge amounts of balloons into the air at various school functions. I will personally communicate with ASB about these issues. Again, we want their help in these issues, and I will mention alternatives for the balloons that we have discussed in our class.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Our T-Shirts are coming along, I suppose we're still waiting for our bike rack, and we're <a href="http://savetheworldfridays.blogspot.com/2011/11/bad-news-bad-news-bad-news.html">considering donating to wildlife organizations</a>. I'll end this post with another detail about the water bottle initiative: we're ordering reusable water bottles to sell in school. It's possible to put designs on them. Do we want a SAVE THE WORLD FRIDAYS logo, or do we want something different? Do want Jiem's BOTTLENOSE SAYS "BOTTLES? NO!"? Do we want REFILL NOT LANDFILL? Do we want nothing at all? These are questions for the ages. What I want to know, is who will be responsible for ordering the bottles? Will it be our treasurer? is that how it usually works</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, that was a good meeting. Have a good Thanksgiving break! I'll see you all in a week.</div>Jimmyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17223567209314190424noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3528863790265549748.post-64095896853683799262011-11-17T19:14:00.000-08:002011-11-17T19:14:57.979-08:00Putting it into action: ThanksgivingBoy, do I love Turkey Day. Just family, friends and FOOD. YUM! Right? <div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AFiuD771mMw/TsXJ8VrNTPI/AAAAAAAAACk/RjxW_UXfE5w/s1600/tumblr_luia0e5kxc1r5ptv1o1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AFiuD771mMw/TsXJ8VrNTPI/AAAAAAAAACk/RjxW_UXfE5w/s320/tumblr_luia0e5kxc1r5ptv1o1_500.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The pie guys. The pie.</span></div><div><br />
</div><div>Also, I just love that one week off from school. But just because we get a vacation doesn't mean you should take a break from being environmentally conscious! Here at STWF, we've been talking about ways to lead a green lifestyle, so why not put all those ideas in action? Here are links and ideas for being an Earth Defender during Thanksgiving:</div><div><br />
</div><div><ul><li>Getting ingredients for Thanksgiving dinner? Let's go to a <a href="http://savetheworldfridays.blogspot.com/2011/11/farmers-markets-documentary.html">Farmers' Market!</a></li>
<li>Want some seasonal recipes? Here's an <a href="http://savetheworldfridays.blogspot.com/2011/11/cooking-seasonally.html">autumn bisque!</a> </li>
<li>Don't be a cold turkey! Instead of cranking up that heater, why not go our for a game of football or <a href="http://savetheworldfridays.blogspot.com/2011/11/winter-is-approaching.html">just grab a fashionable sweater? </a></li>
</ul>Have any more tips for surviving Thanksgiving and coming out green? Leave them in the comments below!</div><div><br />
</div><div>Remember guys, </div><div>THE POWER IS YOURS!</div><div><br />
</div><div>PS: Bring the posters ideas and the letters for the meeting tomorrow! </div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1