Change you Jeans, not your genes

In the book Cradle to Cradle, by William McDonough & Michael Braungart, they refer on page 42 how people's consumption patterns need rethinking. Those stylish jeans that are the latest fad, may actually do more harm to your body and the environment than your pocketbook. Mutagen-containing Indigo is usually used as a dye for these hottest new fashions. Be careful not to "sweat" the small stuff, it could kill you! If grown in a monocultural fashion, genetic bio diversity is depleted, the toxic properties of Indigo can further damage our ecology unwittingly. Perhaps other natural methods can be utilized to dye jeans, berries perhaps (black, blue, straw, who knows?). So while it may not be possible to change one's genes, it is certainly within the consumers power to exert pressure on the producer to change their jeans!

Field Observation 2: IVC

       It amazes me that this campus does not have a more coherent waste management program. So much for our government dollars at work! Perhaps this points to a greater need for personal responsibility, if we cannot rely on large institutions to do the right thing.  There's an old saying that absolute power corrupts absolutely. Perhaps this is a reminder.
     It appears that the source separation is performed fairly well, and if separate color-coded bins were provided, and instructions (English & Spanish) were provided to Maintenance and Operations, that a serviceable plan could be initiated.
     I did some preliminary research into Board  Meeting for SOCCD, for possible introduction of public discussion in the matter. Collaboration amongst students and faculty would be required to initiate a workable concept.

IVC Waste Audit 1

Evidently, my previous posting for this entry was deleted when my laptop decided to reboot. Bummer!
In short, I explained that I was not present at the physical audit a week ago Saturday due to an out-of-town commitment. I spoke glowingly of the detail to which the data were gathered, and lamented only that the only further quantification that could be made would be to physically separate the material into the 12 categories, weigh them, and/or quantify cubic space taken up. I believe this was beyond the purview of the assignment however.
It appears that the majority of the material is recyclable, except for a relatively small amount of putresibles, chemicals and textiles.

How to Win Friends and Influence People: Smile!

Smile! It's contagious and invaluable.
On page 72 of How to Win Friends and Influence People, there is a beautiful excerpt explaining nine characteristics of The value of a Smile at Christmas. The chapter ends by saying:
So if you want people to like you, Rule 2 is:
                                                         Smile
I try to use this practice in all my affairs.
It's remarkable how effective this simple technique is in fostering productive dialogue.
I am also reminded, for whatever reason, of something Albert Einstein once said, which is something to the effect of : "Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted".
It has been proven that making a frown requires many more muscles and energy to perform than a smile, so why not take it easy, and SMILE!

How To Win Friends and Influence People

In the book "How to Win Friends and Influence People", it is described how Abraham Lincoln was able to chose effective Generals and how he dealt with them. One of his favorite sayings was "Judge not, that ye be not judged." He learned that criticizing others was rarely effective in leading to a desired outcome, and that when his wife spoke harshly of the Southern people, Lincoln replied: "Don't criticize them; they are just what we would be under similar circumstances."

Paul's First Blog Log

Captain's Log, Earth Date Thursday January 19, 2012.

 As instructed, I have created this blog in an attempt to share the secrets of the Universe.
 I can neither confirm nor deny that I hold these answers. More later.