Belated Xmas wishes to you all from me.  I hope that you are enjoying the Christmas break.  I got really some quite good presents - a couple of really good books and some excellent Po Zu slippers.  I hope ‘Santa’ was equally as good to you.

I’ll get a review of all my goodies once things settle down, and I have had time to wear them in/read them!  Now on with preparing the lovely free range duck that we are having tonight!

Now the wearing of contact lenses is a problem area for me; not that I don’t like wearing them but the environmental impact of wearing them as opposed to glasses. As someone who uses daily disposable lenses I feel very guilty about the impact that I am creating both from the production of the lenses themselves and also the packaging. However I have chosen a supplier that does seem to use as less packaging as possible.

It is not that I am vain and won’t wear glasses it is just that contact lenses are far more practical for me and wearing glasses is often problematic for me. I do try to minimise the number of days I wear them, wearing glasses instead, however this is not always possible.

How do I find the balance between environmental responsibility and day to day practicality?

I would be interested to hear other peoples thoughts on this issue. Do you wear lenses? What is the lowest impact method - daily disposable, monthly? Have you found any site/resource detailing actual impact.

Pardon the pun but I think it is important not to lose sight over these small things!!

Hi all,

I have just added two more information articles on paper production and paper recycling.

Paper Production

Until the mid 19th century paper was produced mostly from recycled cotton cloth, linen or hemp fibers. With the increased demands of the Industrial Revolution and widespread desire for more books and writing materials, a cheaper alternative was sought for and found with wood pulp. A financially viable mechanical pulping machine was developed in Germany in the 1840’s and by the turn of the twentieth century various chemical means to pulp wood into paper fibers was developed. [...]

Benefits of Recycling Paper

Each year, the people of the United States uses no less than eighty-six million tons of paper, of which this country recycles only about nineteen million tons of this waste paper. If we were to recycle all of the remaining paper, we could recycle up to forty-six million tons. Recycling those forty-six million tons could save at least seven hundred eighty six million trees, or at least several forests worth. This would save the habitats of many endangered species.[...]

I wish it was not the case but I am certainly doing my bit for the environment tonight through not using the heating - not out of choice unfortunately as it is bloody freezing! Our central heating system has packed up and although I think I have isolated the issue I don’t have the materials to fix it, and even if I get them tomorrow I am not 100% sure it is going to work. Going to try it tomorrow anyway - don’t wnat an expensive service call out if it is a simple fix. If it does not work out it will be another cold night tomorrow!! Oh well a night of snuggling up and plenty of clothes (and I mean plenty!!!)

Hi all,

Just drawing your attention to two new articles I have posted on aluminium:

Aluminium Production:

As one of the lightest and most plentiful metals in the Earth’s surface, aluminum has become the premiere material for constructing beverage containers since its first use for this purpose in 1965. It is also one of the most environmentally and economically feasible products in use today for the purposes of recovering and recycling previously used aluminum containers and cans [...]

Recycling Alumimium:

It’s amazing just how much we could help clean up our environment if people would just recycle the aluminum cans they thoughtlessly throw into the trash a send to the landfills every single day. The American people throw away no less than thirty-five billion aluminum cans every single year! [...]