As it is springtime, there is no better way to exercise mindfulness than through a beautiful floral gift. Inspired by Scandinavian influencer and TikTok icon, Matilda Djerf, flowers are a simple way to brighten a physical space as well as one’s personal mind space. The wellness activity of using fresh cut flowers to brighten a room is proven to increase serotonin levels and lift spirits. When we purchase a bouquet of flowers, there is a conscious understanding in the activity that a traditional display of affection is being shown toward ourselves. That is, when we give ourselves an intentional present for the purpose of relaxation, we can experience true happiness. Having a living plant to take care of and nurture is a tangible illustration of the tender caretaking of our minds in wellness activities. The visual of the flowers creates a perfect metaphor for growth, strength, and new life born in light.

The author, Thomas Starr King, writes that “the spirit of a person’s life is ever shedding some power, just as a flower is steadily bestowing fragrance upon the air.” Flowers are vastly unique, presenting distinct fragrances and color patterns that shine in a room like a kaleidoscope of magic. There is a reason that brides are traditionally decorated with flowers; or tombstones are adorned with loved ones’ favorite roses. Flowers are the wondrous universal language gap. When we don’t have enough words to express sympathy, adoration, and gratefulness, the gift of a flower conveys all. Each petal and stem work together to create a harmonious symphony of beauty, boosting up the minds and smiles of all who are nearby.

Flowers are a powerful mindful tool to add towards a wellness practice. Whether it be for yourself or shared with family and friends, the gift of a flower secures anxieties and stress like no other, encouraging our minds to breathe in the sunlight and watch as peace and beauty prosper.

Whether you’re planning to hike, picnic, or barbecue, today’s gadgets can help you save money and energy, sustainably. In America, the average carbon footprint for each person is 16 tons, but buying from a trusted source and reducing overall consumption is a great way to make an individual impact. Not sure where to start? A non-profit that helps to verify trusted sources for consumers is B Lab, an organization that certifies companies with a “B Corp Certification”. A company awarded the B Corp Certification must follow three criteria; they “demonstrate high social and environmental performance,” remain “accountable to all stakeholders, not just shareholders,” and exhibit “transparency by allowing information about their performance” x. A certification that verifies a corporation’s care for its employees and consumers and follows a structure of sustainability before profits. We can follow that structure in our own purchases.

For our picnic and barbecue lovers, look to switching to reusable plates and utensils or save your extra food in a reusable food-storage wrap. Using beeswax instead of plastic reduces your carbon footprint and saves you money, as the washable wraps last for a year. Plus, before you throw them away, you can use your old food storage as a fire starter for your next barbecue. 

Into summer activities with more movement? Off-set your carbon footprint while moving with a backpack made from the plastic in our oceans. The plastics used in the backpacks were ocean-bound, mostly taken from the 1000 lakes that contribute 80% of ocean plastic. Solgaard sells packs in hopes of reducing our impact now and into the future, saving 229 plastic bottles from entering the ocean with any product. So, while you hike up your next trail using your solar-powered, plastic-saving backpack to charge your phone and keep your water cold, you can feel the weight of your carbon impact lifted from your back(pack). 

While a third of Americans enjoy hikes, half start their day with a cup of coffee y. Yet, as we start each day with coffee, coffee production actually emits more carbon than processing chickens, regardless of the following activities. Our solution: Overview Coffee. With regenerative agriculture, Overview prioritizes the health of the soil while maintaining high standards for animal welfare and worker fairness. Or well priced, Peace Coffee is a B Corp Certified company with a variety of coffee flavors.

Don’t need these products? Great, reducing our consumption is an excellent step towards sustainability, but when you do need your next pool floaty or a s’more stick, buy from a company you can trust. So, while you enjoy the outdoors or the indoors, you can know you’re helping to sustain our hikes and picnics and beach days for now and the future. 

References 

https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/certification/

https://dealsonhealth.net/coffee-statistics/

Contacts: Kathleen Sullivan, 919-945-7106, ksullivan@selcnc.org

Tasha Durrett, 571-405-1101, tdurrett@selcva.org

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — This month the North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings upheld the state’s decision allowing Smithfield-owned hog operations to use giant pits of untreated hog feces and urine to produce gas while spraying the harmful waste on surrounding areas, which continues a long history of water pollution and harm to the families – disproportionately Black, Latino, and Native American – living nearby.

The four permits authorize hog operations to use a dangerous and polluting lagoon and sprayfield system for their hog waste; the process of producing and collecting gas from the waste lagoons can actually make the waste more polluting. Ammonia emissions from open hog waste pits in Duplin and Sampson Counties are already responsible for scores of premature deaths every year, according to a study published by the National Academy of Sciences.

“While we are disappointed in the decision, our organization remains committed to pursuing clean water, clean air, and environmental justice for residents of eastern North Carolina that have borne the burden of pollution from these hog operations for decades,” said Maggie Galka, vice chair of the board for Environmental Justice Community Action Network (EJCAN).

“These hog operations pollute our waterways and put people nearby and downstream at risk, and we are disappointed to see what amounts to a green-light for this industry’s continued pollution,” said Kemp Burdette, the Cape Fear Riverkeeper.

“Smithfield is using cleaner, more modern technology in other states to produce gas while reducing pollution, and North Carolina’s communities are entitled to the same protections,” said Blakely Hildebrand, attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center. “Smithfield must stop its pollution and continued environmental injustices rather than consistently using the cheapest, most harmful methods to handle hog sewage in North Carolina.  The law requires it.”

Earlier this year, on behalf of the Environmental Justice Community Action Network and Cape Fear River Watch, SELC challenged the four state permits saying DEQ violated state law when the agency failed to require less harmful alternatives for producing gas from hog waste and failed to address cumulative effects of water pollution from these and other industrial hog operations and agricultural operations in the Cape Fear River Basin. In issuing this permit, DEQ violated its responsibility to prevent water pollution, and, instead, entrenches it without requiring better waste management to protect North Carolina’s waterways and communities.

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The Southern Environmental Law Center is one of the nation’s most powerful defenders of the environment, rooted in the South. With a long track record, SELC takes on the toughest environmental challenges in court, in government, and in our communities to protect our region’s air, water, climate, wildlife, lands, and people. Nonprofit and nonpartisan, the organization has a staff of 170, including 90 attorneys, and is headquartered in Charlottesville, Va., with offices in Asheville, Atlanta, Birmingham, Chapel Hill, Charleston, Nashville, Richmond, and Washington, D.C.

southernenvironment.org

If you would rather not receive future communications from Southern Environmental Law Center, let us know by clicking here.

Southern Environmental Law Center, 1 Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60601 United States

Amy Blalock, Public Affairs Manager

919.560.4123 x11253 | 919.475.7735 (mobile)

Amy.Blalock@DurhamNC.gov

Visit DurhamCreekWeek.org for Opportunities to Serve, Learn & Explore

DURHAM, N.C. – Residents interested in discovering and protecting Durham’s local waterways should mark their calendars now to celebrate the 12^th annual Creek Week later this month.

Creek Week, set for March 14-21, offers activities to help people of all ages and abilities learn more about creeks, rivers, and lakes as well as how to keep them healthy. Throughout the week, residents will have a chance to join litter cleanups, explore nature, or go on a paddling adventure. Residents can also join in from home by playing Creek Week Bingo, reading books listed on the educational resource guide, and pledging to stop using plastic straws for a month.

“Creek Week brings together community partners to focus attention on discovering and cleaning up local waterways,” said Laura Smith of the Public Works Department. “It’s inspiring when we come together to tackle the combined impact of litter and pollution.”  

Creek Week has been celebrated in the third week of March each year in Durham since 2009, with 3,409 volunteers collecting 163,783 pounds of litter to date. To join litter cleanup events and find out more details on other activities in store to celebrate Creek Week, visit http://www.durhamcreekweek.org.

For additional information, contact Public Education Coordinator Laura Smith with the City’s Public Works Department at (919) 560-4326, ext. 30235 or by email. 

About the Public Works Department Stormwater and GIS Services Division

The Stormwater and GIS Services Division with the City of Durham Public Works Department is guided by the City’s Strategic Plan goals of stewardship of the City’s physical and environmental assets and innovative and high-performing organization. Activities include storm drainage design and plans review; inspecting and maintaining City-owned drainage systems; enforcing stormwater ordinances and regulations; education and outreach; stream monitoring, restoration, and watershed master planning; maintaining multiple layers of the City’s geographic information; and stormwater billing. To learn more, visit the division’s webpage and follow on Facebook and Twitter.

About Keep Durham Beautiful
Keep Durham Beautiful is a nonprofit, volunteer organization working in partnership with the City of Durham General Services Department and Durham County to encourage residents, businesses, and community organizations to protect the environment and enhance the appearance of Durham through cleanup events, beautification projects, waste reduction, and educational activities. To learn more, visit the website and follow on Facebook, Instagram, flickr, and Twitter.

When I think of science, I think of medicine, space, beakers, and the biology class in school I hardly passed. But it’s so much more than that – science is such a profound instrument we need today. Obviously, there are so many varies types of science, that it’s hard to keep track of what new breakthrough has recently come to pass. What we need to remember with science breakthroughs is that it doesn’t happen overnight. It could take years to experiment and perfect something, but even then, there could be kinks that need to be banged out.

My favorite discovery happened last year, and I think it’s something that will really make a difference in our oceans in 2019. A company called Ocean Cleanup created a device that is supposed to remove fifty tons of plastic from the Great Pacific Ocean. How do we have that much plastic?

All the marine life we love so much is dying every day because of it, and if we keep going the way we are going, you are not going to see the beautiful sight of dolphins swimming close to shore when you’re on vacation, sipping your coffee on the balcony. That’s my favorite part of going to the beach!

This device is revolutionary. It could really change the health of our massive oceans. As human beings, it’s important that we go to the doctor and remain healthy, but our oceans don’t have that option. We are their doctors; the people that it counts on to make it better. The device, like the volleyball in Cast Away, is nicknamed Wilson. Pretty ironic, considering the Wilson drifted off to sea too. Uh, spoiler alert.

Wilson is around 2,000 feet long with a 10-foot skirt hanging below it. In September, 2018, it was sent off to sea in the Pacific, since that part of the ocean has the biggest waste patch, to help clean up garbage for the next five years. How did it come to be? A brilliant teenager named Boyan Slat devoted his mind and life to figure out how to help the ocean and came up with this system! He received millions of dollars in non-profit funding, and scientists helped him create Wilson. It works with the natural currents and waves of the ocean, gathering the plastic, but it also pushes the water against the net, allowing fish or any other marine life to be pushed under the ten-foot net, allowing them to just keep swimming.

Sounds great, right? But like all science experiments, sometimes it fails. They found that Wilson wasn’t holding as much plastic as it was supposed to. Apparently, the U-shape device is designed to be pushed with the wind and waves, so it can move faster than the plastic floating; therefore, trapping the plastic effectively so trash boats can come and remove the waste. But the system is moving too slowly, allowing plastic to escape and drift back out in the beautiful abyss. Scientists are working hard to figure out why it isn’t working and have towed it back.

They knew that the first go around that there would be some hiccups. This is something that has never been done before, so the only way to know if it works is to test it.

It is still in the beginning stages while the scientists work out the kinks. A big part of 2019 will be concentrated on making the ocean healthy again. Either with Wilson, or another company called 4Ocean. They do something a little different. With every bracelet that’s purchased (which is made from the plastic they collect from the sea), a pound of trash is removed by hand.

Here’s to Wilson, 40cean, and any other amazing company making the ocean healthy again for 2019! Cheers! Let’s keep swimming.

The only safe way to look directly at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun is through special-purpose solar filters, such as “eclipse glasses” (example shown at left) or hand-held solar viewers. Homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not safe for looking at the sun; they transmit thousands of times too much sunlight. Refer to the American Astronomical Society (AAS) Reputable Vendors of Solar Filters & Viewers (link is external) page for a list of manufacturers and authorized dealers of eclipse glasses and handheld solar viewers verified to be compliant with the ISO 12312-2 international safety standard for such products.

• Always inspect your solar filter before use; if scratched or damaged, discard it. Read and follow any instructions printed on or packaged with the filter.
• Always supervise children using solar filters.
• Stand still and cover your eyes with your eclipse glasses or solar viewer before looking up at the bright sun. After looking at the sun, turn away and remove your filter — do not remove it while looking at the sun.
• Do not look at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun through an unfiltered camera, telescope, binoculars, or other optical device.
• Similarly, do not look at the sun through a camera, a telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device while using your eclipse glasses or hand-held solar viewer — the concentrated solar rays will damage the filter and enter your eye(s), causing serious injury.
• Seek expert advice from an astronomer before using a solar filter with a camera, a telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device. Note that solar filters must be attached to the front of any telescope, binoculars, camera lens, or other optics.
• If you are within the path of totality (https://go.nasa.gov/2pC0lhe (link is external)), remove your solar filter only when the moon completely covers the sun’s bright face and it suddenly gets quite dark. Experience totality, then, as soon as the bright sun begins to reappear, replace your solar viewer to look at the remaining partial phases.
• Outside the path of totality, you must always use a safe solar filter to view the sun directly.
• If you normally wear eyeglasses, keep them on. Put your eclipse glasses on over them, or hold your handheld viewer in front of them.

Note: If your eclipse glasses or viewers are compliant with the ISO 12312-2 safety standard, you may look at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed Sun through them for as long as you wish. Furthermore, if the filters aren’t scratched, punctured, or torn, you may reuse them indefinitely. Some glasses/viewers are printed with warnings stating that you shouldn’t look through them for more than 3 minutes at a time and that you should discard them if they are more than 3 years old. Such warnings are outdated and do not apply to eclipse viewers compliant with the ISO 12312-2 standard adopted in 2015. To make sure you get (or got) your eclipse glasses/viewers from a supplier of ISO-compliant products, see the American Astronomical Society (AAS) Reputable Vendors of Solar Filters & Viewers (link is external) page.

An alternative method for safe viewing of the partially eclipsed sun is pinhole projection (link is external). For example, cross the outstretched, slightly open fingers of one hand over the outstretched, slightly open fingers of the other, creating a waffle pattern. With your back to the sun, look at your hands’ shadow on the ground. The little spaces between your fingers will project a grid of small images on the ground, showing the sun as a crescent during the partial phases of the eclipse. Or just look at the shadow of a leafy tree during the partial eclipse; you’ll see the ground dappled with crescent Suns projected by the tiny spaces between the leaves.

A solar eclipse is one of nature’s grandest spectacles. By following these simple rules, you can safely enjoy the view and be rewarded with memories to last a lifetime. More information:

This document does not constitute medical advice. Readers with questions should contact a qualified eye-care professional.

Additional Safety Information

An eclipse is a rare and striking phenomenon you won’t want to miss, but you must carefully follow safety procedures. Don’t let the requisite warnings scare you away from witnessing this singular spectacle! You can experience the eclipse safely, but it is vital that you protect your eyes at all times with the proper solar filters. No matter what recommended technique you use, do not stare continuously at the sun. Take breaks and give your eyes a rest! Do not use sunglasses: they don’t offer your eyes sufficient protection. The only acceptable glasses are safe viewers designed for looking at the sun and solar eclipses. One excellent resource on how to determine if your viewers are safe can be found here:  https://eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety/iso-certification (link is external)

Viewing with Protection — Experts suggests that one widely available filter for safe solar viewing is welders glass of sufficiently high number. The only ones that are safe for direct viewing of the Sun with your eyes are those of Shade 12 or higher. These are much darker than the filters used for most kinds of welding. If you have an old welder’s helmet around the house and are thinking of using it to view the Sun, make sure you know the filter’s shade number. If it’s less than 12 (and it probably is), don’t even think about using it to look at the Sun. Many people find the Sun too bright even in a Shade 12 filter, and some find the Sun too dim in a Shade 14 filter — but Shade 13 filters are uncommon and can be hard to find. The AAS Reputable Vendors of Solar Filters & Viewers page (link is external) doesn’t list any suppliers of welder’s filters, only suppliers of special-purpose filters made for viewing the Sun.To find out more about eyewear and handheld viewers go to https://eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety/eyewear-viewers (link is external).

Telescopes with Solar Filters – Eclipses are best viewed directly when magnified, which means a telescope with a solar filter or solar telescopes. These will give you a magnified view that will clearly show the progress of an eclipse. Never look through a telescope without a solar filter on the large end of the scope. And never use small solar filters that attach to the eyepiece (as found in some older, cheaper telescopes.) https://eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety/optics-filters (link is external)

Pinhole and Related Projection Methods (link is external) — Pinhole projectors and other projection techniques are a safe, indirect viewing technique for observing an image of the sun. These provide a popular way for viewing solar eclipses. One viewing technique is to project an image of the sun onto a white surface with a projecting telescope. This is explained further here: http://www.astrosociety.org/education/publications/tnl/05/stars2.html (link is external)

The Exploratorium demonstrates how to view a planet in transit or an eclipse safely by projecting the image with binoculars: http://www.exploratorium.edu/transit/how.html (link is external).  There are commercially available projection telescopes as well.

Besides eye protection during solar eclipse viewing, one needs to pay attention to their personal needs and surrounding.  Below are some additional safety tips for eclipse observers before, during and after the August 21, 2017 solar eclipse.

Graphics-Only Solar Eclipse Safety Flyer

Car Safety
Planning to Drive the Eclipse (link is external)
https://www.ready.gov/car (link is external)

Camping Health and Safety
https://www.cdc.gov/family/camping/ (link is external)
http://www.recreation.gov/recFacilityActivitiesHomeAction.do?goto=camping.htm&activities=9 (link is external)

Heat and Children in Cars 
http://www.safercar.gov/parents/InandAroundtheCar/heatstroke.htm (link is external)
http://www.safercar.gov/parents/InandAroundtheCar/heat-involved.html (link is external)

Federal Emergency Management Agency (link is external) – Are You Ready
Food and Water Safety (link is external)
Hazards to Outdoors Workers (link is external)
Heat and Hydration (link is external)
Hiking Safety (link is external)
Large Crowds Safety (link is external)
Personal Safety (link is external) – At Home, On the Street, While Traveling
Sun Safety: (link is external) Save Your Skin

SOURCE:National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Johnson Pressure Wash, Inc. came to be back in 2003. Initially opening as an auto detailer, the business decided to change course when a customer inquired about the pressure washer reaching high enough to clean a house. Luckily, the pressure washer did reach and the rest, as they say, is history.

With more than 10 years of quality service under their belt, what really sets JPW apart from other similar services are the environmentally conscious practices they employ. By using environmentally safe pressure washing for residential and commercial areas, JPW is able to keep the community clean while also keeping the planet safe. In fact, JPW’s excellent and unique service garnered them the 2015 Angie’s List Super Service Award.

Johnson Pressure Wash is not only environmentally conscious, but they also care a lot about the people within the community. As members of both the Raleigh and Garner Chamber of Commerce, JPW understands how important it is to be involved with the community. That is why they offer free estimates as well as discounts for the military, veterans, and seniors over 65. The support that Johnson Pressure Wash shows is that they are willing and able to satisfy the needs of such a rich and diverse community.

Operating by the motto, “Quality you can see – Professional service you can trust”, Johnson Pressure Wash aims to provide, not only a thorough pressure wash service but also a deep property cleaning that rejuvenates and restores any area! So the next time you notice your fence looking a little grimy or your deck looking worse for wear, don’t hesitate to reach out to Johnson Pressure Wash for a pressure wash that requires no pressure!

Contact Johnson Pressure Wash to schedule your free estimate!  

919-925-2473 or visit www.pressurewashing-raleigh.com