Captain Chesley Sullenberger is expected any moment at Starbucks at Blackhawk Plaza, and I wait there, half-expecting the American hero to zoom down from the heavens, like Superman. Nearby, four teenage girls share an after-school moment, three brandishing iPhones, and one, perhaps defining underprivileged youth in Blackhawk, making due with a plain old cell phone. A large painting of Lance Armstrong on one wall says "Man Becomes What He Thinks About." We are in the East Bay land of achievers.
Soon after Sully pulls up - driving a dark red Lexus - he makes it clear his house isn't in this gated community on the fancy side of the road. He's a plain guy who's lived in Danville for 15 years, with his wife, Lorrie, and their two daughters, Kate, 16, and Kelly, 14. "I am a man of routine," he writes in his new memoir, "and there's a precision to my life."
He's tall, slim, blue-eyed, white-mustached, recognizable. Would he like to sit in a corner, so people don't approach to greet him? No problem, he says, he'll deal with it. From Jan. 15, the day he landed US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River, to Oct. 7, the day before he was to fly to New York to begin a national tour for the book out today, "Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters," Sully has been dealing with it.
Furthermore, as demonstrated by the subtitle, he's been intent on using his newfound fame to promote his own code: Doing things well, doing them right, the way he did the day he used "a lifetime of knowledge to find a way to safety," his written description of the feat of flying those 150 passengers to safety.
If you had to wear a T-shirt describing yourself, would you rather it said "Competent" or "Hero"? I ask, midway through our conversation. He flicks aside the question: "I wouldn't wear the T-shirt." In fact, he's dressed in a plain knit shirt, no logo visible, no symbols except the ones on his Air Force Academy ring, no indication of his likes or dislikes or what he thinks is clever or amusing.
First time in the sky
He's 58 years old, and he grew up a shy boy in Denison, Texas. His dad was a dentist, his mom a first-grade teacher who took him along to a statewide PTA convention when he was 11. It was his first time in the sky, fulfilling a wish to fly he'd had since he was 5. At 16, he made his first solo flight, a thrilling moment, the point at which he knew "this would be my livelihood and my life."
Surely, that was about the rush, the power, the exhilaration of speed. So what kind of driver are you? I asked, gesturing to the car. "I'm a pretty conservative driver," he says. "I appreciate the risks. I work very hard to never be surprised. ... I pay attention."
Even at 16, he writes, "I realized that flying a plane meant not making mistakes." Although in conversation he admits he participated in a few non-plane-related youthful escapades - "an occasional skipping out" - "I wasn't a huge risk-taker. When I would take a risk, I would think about it beforehand. I had fun, but it wasn't with reckless abandon."
More than 40 years later, during which "I ate my vegetables, I did my homework," he is sure that the landing of Flight 1549 "didn't just happen. It was the result of decades of hard work."
Moral mantle
He's a guy who is most comfortable redirecting heaped praise to others, his flight crew for example. But he has also assumed a sort of moral mantle, and in keeping with the subtitle of his book, he's eager to share what he's learned about living, "the more general human issue," in his phrase, and in particular, work. "Finding one's passion as early as possible," is good for the individual, he says, but also "good for society," because it breeds professionals.
Does he apply his own high standards to colleagues? "I work with professionals who like me have dedicated their lives to their professions," said Sully. As to whether anything makes him blow his stack, he jumps beyond his professional life to his worldview: "Injustice, people getting hurt. That makes me mad, when the world isn't fair. ... But maybe that's just reality."
In the aftermath of Flight 1549, "I accepted a management pilot position," a promotion that means a "flexible schedule and also the opportunity to help with safety issues." When the plane lost power, for example, First Officer Jeff Skiles reached for a manual that provides emergency procedures. Those manuals once had tabbed pages that made applicable sections available instantly. Cost cuts eliminated the tabs; Sully's book describes Skiles taking a few seconds to find the right place.
Asked about this, Sully emphasizes that it's no big deal and that he wants to make it clear he's speaking for himself and not for his employer. "US Air is very safe," he says, his only concern "how to make it better." He had complained about those tabs before Flight 1549.
A union man
In keeping with his willingness to question authority, he's also been an outspoken union advocate. "One of the benefits of a union is that it levels the playing field. No one person can stand up to management. It's only through the union that collectively we can have a voice and express grievances that will reach management."
I express surprise at the strength of this assertion, in a time when unions are regularly dissed. Sully's ideal is "a culture at work where employees are valued as partners. There is a cost to every company when you don't have these cooperative relationships." Does he make these views known at US Airways Inc.? "Yes," he says. "I'm a known quantity."
Second only to the thanks of passengers, says Sully, what's touched him most since Jan. 15 has been "the words of our peers. ... They're proud of us and they thank us not only for the outcome, but in some small way helping to restore the lost respect this profession has had." One of the "unintended consequences" of the safety stats of airline travel is that no one thinks it's a big deal anymore. "I think this profession has lost some of its cachet."
Safety records have been so good that passengers have forgotten the challenges of flying "7 miles above the Earth's surface, at 80 percent of the speed of sound." Cheaper seats have led to reduced services, and "people are down on the whole thing. They've forgotten what's really at stake."
Capable person
A big part of the book is about people's response to the rescue, "what it was about this event that made so many people feel the way they do about the crew and me." Taking the long view - in an almost ministerial way, Sully gravitates to philosophical homilies - "people are searching for good news," trying to figure out whether "all the things we believed in were not true after all. There are a lot of distractions, but we still have people who are capable." With no bravado, Sully definitely puts himself into that category. But not (here's where I asked him about "competent" vs. "hero") a wearer of T-shirts.
He has heard from a huge number of people (10,000 e-mails, for instance). "This event caused them to reflect on their own lives," including a correspondent who told him "I had lost my faith, and you, sir, gave it back." And of course, there was an outpouring of commercial offers; he won't discuss particulars.
He turned them down, but "for 8 1/2 months, no one has ever said 'no' to me, including the president of the United States." President-elect Obama had invited Sully to his inauguration; Sully said he would go only accompanied by the rest of the Flight 1549 crew. And so they did.
"I'm on a sprint," he says of the respect with which he's regarded. "I don't want to overdo it and lose my voice prematurely." So he won't go on "Dancing With the Stars"? He breaks out laughing. "They haven't asked me. Besides, you wouldn't want to see me dance."
Family time
As to his celebrity vis-a-vis his family, "They're still teenagers," he says of his daughters. "They still like us most of the time." Their real wish, he says, is that he would be home more. His wife would like him to be less used up by the public when he is home.
As to the community, now that he is recognized, has he had to rethink the amount he leaves in tip jars? Sully has high regard for workers. "I tip really well," he says with a solemn smile.
Outside, as he poses patiently while his picture is shot by The Chronicle, a stranger whips out his cell phone and politely asks if he can take a picture, too. Sure.
"Celebrity must be hard," says the man. "It's my new job," says Sully.
_______________________
Leah Garchik - sfchronicle
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Water on Rocks
The plants were hidden in abandoned jars
Beneath obscene piles of rocks
Invisible by those of vacant stares
Except to one who knocks.
With careful tending, the plants grew tall
Giving thanks to those who care
Now the beauty is seen by all
The plants won first prize at the fair.
"Whose are these plants?", said pasersby,
I told them they were mine
Oh, no, said wrinkled faces sly,
You did not pay a dime.
The neighbors took the plants and ran
Dropping them along the way
I gathered them softly in a pan
To bloom another sunny day.
Beneath obscene piles of rocks
Invisible by those of vacant stares
Except to one who knocks.
With careful tending, the plants grew tall
Giving thanks to those who care
Now the beauty is seen by all
The plants won first prize at the fair.
"Whose are these plants?", said pasersby,
I told them they were mine
Oh, no, said wrinkled faces sly,
You did not pay a dime.
The neighbors took the plants and ran
Dropping them along the way
I gathered them softly in a pan
To bloom another sunny day.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Senator Edward Kennedy
Senator Kennedy was kind to me at a very difficult time in my life and I sincerely appreciate his attention to situations that might have resulted in unfortunate outcomes had I not been suppported by his attention to detail. There are others who I would like to thank also, and I think they knew who they are. In the meantime, I wish to thank the Kennedy family and their friends for kind thoughts and prayers too numerous to mention.
Senator Kennedy Senator Edward M. Kennedy died Tuesday, August 25 after a battle with brain cancer. Earlier this month his sister, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, passed away. Although Eunice Kennedy Shriver died, her spirit lives on. Of the nine children of Joseph and Rose Kennedy only Jean remains.
Following in the footsteps of his brothers President John F. Kennedy and Senator Robert F. Kennedy, Edward Kennedy made his mark in politics. Haunted by personal mistakes, he remained in the senate and continued to serve until his death.
In a statement released by President Obama said, "Our country has lost a great leader, who picked up the torch of his fallen brothers and became the greatest United States Senator of our time".
Thank you to a unique family who has contributed so much including Mrs. Victoria Kennedy, Jean Kennedy Smith, and all of the members of the Kennedy family.
In a statement released this morning President Obama said, "Our country has lost a great leader, who picked up the torch of his fallen brothers and became the greatest United States Senator of our time".
Thank you to a unique family who has contributed so much including Mrs. Victoria Kennedy, Jean Kennedy Smith, and all of the members of the Kennedy family.
Senator Kennedy Senator Edward M. Kennedy died Tuesday, August 25 after a battle with brain cancer. Earlier this month his sister, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, passed away. Although Eunice Kennedy Shriver died, her spirit lives on. Of the nine children of Joseph and Rose Kennedy only Jean remains.
Following in the footsteps of his brothers President John F. Kennedy and Senator Robert F. Kennedy, Edward Kennedy made his mark in politics. Haunted by personal mistakes, he remained in the senate and continued to serve until his death.
In a statement released by President Obama said, "Our country has lost a great leader, who picked up the torch of his fallen brothers and became the greatest United States Senator of our time".
Thank you to a unique family who has contributed so much including Mrs. Victoria Kennedy, Jean Kennedy Smith, and all of the members of the Kennedy family.
In a statement released this morning President Obama said, "Our country has lost a great leader, who picked up the torch of his fallen brothers and became the greatest United States Senator of our time".
Thank you to a unique family who has contributed so much including Mrs. Victoria Kennedy, Jean Kennedy Smith, and all of the members of the Kennedy family.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Supernova Discovered from 11 Billion Years Ago
PARIS (AFP) – Astronomers on Wednesday said they had found the farthest supernova ever detected, a giant star that ripped apart around 11 billion years ago.
A new technique enabled the cosmologists to make the find, which should help advance knowledge into these rare phenomena and their role in generating other stars, they said in a report published by the British journal Nature.
A supernova occurs when a massive star runs out of fuel, collapses in upon itself under the force of its own gravity to become a tiny, ultra-dense object called a neutron star.
The star then explodes, sending out a shock wave that reverberates around the galaxy.
The blast distributes elements that are heavier than oxygen, such as iron, calcium and silicon, and enriches the molecular clouds that over the aeons cluster together and form new star systems.
The ancient supernova was found after astronomers compared several years of images taken from a portion of the sky, enabling them to look for objects that changed in brightness over time.
The universe is believed to be 13.7 billion years old, so the supernova marks the death of one of earliest stars in creation.
The previous supernova record was an event that happened around six billion years ago.
A new technique enabled the cosmologists to make the find, which should help advance knowledge into these rare phenomena and their role in generating other stars, they said in a report published by the British journal Nature.
A supernova occurs when a massive star runs out of fuel, collapses in upon itself under the force of its own gravity to become a tiny, ultra-dense object called a neutron star.
The star then explodes, sending out a shock wave that reverberates around the galaxy.
The blast distributes elements that are heavier than oxygen, such as iron, calcium and silicon, and enriches the molecular clouds that over the aeons cluster together and form new star systems.
The ancient supernova was found after astronomers compared several years of images taken from a portion of the sky, enabling them to look for objects that changed in brightness over time.
The universe is believed to be 13.7 billion years old, so the supernova marks the death of one of earliest stars in creation.
The previous supernova record was an event that happened around six billion years ago.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Michael Jackson's Doctor Sought
From Times Online June 26, 2009
Los Angeles police are searching for Michael Jackson's personal physician today to question him after allegations that the star received a potentially fatal dose of the painkiller Demerol before his death.
News of the manhunt broke on the well-connected celebrity gossip website TMZ.com, which was the first to report the star's death, and came as an LA County coroner began an autopsy.
Earlier reports suggested that Jackson might have been given a large dose of the drug to help deal with pain after rehearsals for a series of 50 comeback concerts in London.
Los Angeles police spokeswoman Karen Rayner says that police had towed a BMW owned by one of the singer's doctors from Jackson’s house.
She said: “We have not been able to interview the doctor yet. His car was impounded because it may contain medications or other evidence that may assist the coroner in determining the cause of death.”
Ms Rayner added that the doctor was not under criminal investigation but coroner’s investigators wanted to contact him.
Jackson, 50, collapsed at his rented mansion in the Holmby Hills area of the city yesterday afternoon. Paramedics were called to the house at 12.21pm local time to respond to a "50-year-old male" who was "not breathing at all".
He was rushed to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, but doctors were unable to revive him and his death was confirmed at 2.26pm (10.26pm UK time).
Family members told TMZ that Jackson had received his daily shot of Demerol at 11.30am, but the dosage was "too much".
As thousands of shocked fans gathered outside the UCLA hospital, detectives from the LAPD's Robbery Homicide division conducted an initial search of his house at the behest of city police chief William Bratton before sealing it off as a crime scene.
Jackson's death had been confirmed by his brother Jermaine, who told reporters and TV crews at the hospital: "We believe he suffered a cardiac arrest at his home, however the cause of his death is unknown until the results of the autopsy are known."
He added: "The personal physician who was with him at the time attempted to resuscitate him."
The star's death shocked the world of music and entertainment and left millions of fans around the world shattered. Elizabeth Taylor, a close friend, was said to be "devastated" while the singer Madonna said: "I can't stop crying over the sad news."
By any reckoning, Jackson was the King of Pop, a former child star with the Jackson Five who went on to create the world's bestselling album with his 1982 release Thriller, which sold up to 57 million copies.
Among those paying tributes was Jackson's ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley, whose father Elvis Presley met a drug-induced death in 1977 at the age of 42. Ms Presley said that she was "sad and confused with every emotion possible" and "heartbroken" for the singer's three children.
Sir Paul McCartney described Jackson as a "massively talented boy-man with a gentle soul", while the British TV journalist Martin Bashir said the world had "lost the greatest entertainer it’s probably ever known".
Bashir's 2003 documentary Living with Michael Jackson was a PR disaster for the singer, who ended up facing child molestation charges after telling the reporter that sharing his bed with a boy was "a beautiful thing". Jackson was eventually acquitted in 2005 and Bashir said today that while his lifestyle had been unorthodox, "I don't believe it was criminal".
Last night Jackson's body was flown by helicopter to the coroner's office, where the autopsy began this morning, conducted by Dr Lakshmanan Sathyavagiswaran, who was the medical examiner during the OJ Simpson murder case and testified more recently in the trial of Phil Spector.
But officials warned that a final verdict would not be possible until toxicology test results are confirmed, which could take six to eight weeks.
On Wednesday night, Jackson had attended a rehearsal at LA's Staples Center arena - home to the LA Lakers basketball team - to prepare for his comeback dates at the O2.
Jackson was said to have missed all but two or three of 45 rehearsals for the show but Patrick Woodroffe, a lighting engineer working at the LA arena, said that he had finally recovered some of his old magic in the past few days.
He told the BBC: "He came on stage at 9 o’clock in the evening and we all looked at each other and there was something that said that he really had it.
"Last night particularly, he came on stage and he was electric. It was like he had been holding back and suddenly he was performing as one had remembered him in the past."
Brian Oxman, a Jackson family lawyer and spokesman, told CNN that Jackson had been struggling to cope with the after-effects of various performance injuries, including a damaged vertebra and a broken leg, which had been interrupting scheduled rehearsal for the London dates.
He went on to accuse those around Jackson of letting him slip into dependency on prescription drugs and painkillers.
"I can only tell you that this is not something which has been unexpected," Mr Oxman told CNN from the LA hospital as family members came to terms with the news from doctors.
"This family has been trying for months and months to take care of Michael Jackson. The people who have surrounded him have been enabling him: if you think that the case of Anna Nicole Smith was an abuse, it is nothing to what we have seen taking place in Michael Jackson's life."
He added: "I can tell you for sure that this is something I warned about. Where there is smoke there is fire."
Jackson’s reputation as a singer and moonwalking dancer was overshadowed in recent years by his increasingly abnormal appearance, and bizarre lifestyle, which included his friendship with a chimpanzee named Bubbles and a preference for the company of children.
He named his estate in the central California foothills Neverland Valley Ranch, in tribute to the J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan stories, and filled it with amusement park rides and a petting zoo.
Jackson was twice accused of molesting young boys and was charged in 2003 with child sexual abuse. He became even more reclusive following his 2005 acquittal and vowed that he would no longer live at Neverland.
Facing a battered reputation and mountain of debts that authoritative estimates put at up to half a billion dollars, Jackson had been forced to agree to the unprecedented residency at the O2.
Despite reports of Jackson’s ill-health, the promoters of the London shows, AEG Live, said in March that Jackson had passed a 4-1/2 hour physical examination with independent doctors.
Los Angeles police are searching for Michael Jackson's personal physician today to question him after allegations that the star received a potentially fatal dose of the painkiller Demerol before his death.
News of the manhunt broke on the well-connected celebrity gossip website TMZ.com, which was the first to report the star's death, and came as an LA County coroner began an autopsy.
Earlier reports suggested that Jackson might have been given a large dose of the drug to help deal with pain after rehearsals for a series of 50 comeback concerts in London.
Los Angeles police spokeswoman Karen Rayner says that police had towed a BMW owned by one of the singer's doctors from Jackson’s house.
She said: “We have not been able to interview the doctor yet. His car was impounded because it may contain medications or other evidence that may assist the coroner in determining the cause of death.”
Ms Rayner added that the doctor was not under criminal investigation but coroner’s investigators wanted to contact him.
Jackson, 50, collapsed at his rented mansion in the Holmby Hills area of the city yesterday afternoon. Paramedics were called to the house at 12.21pm local time to respond to a "50-year-old male" who was "not breathing at all".
He was rushed to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, but doctors were unable to revive him and his death was confirmed at 2.26pm (10.26pm UK time).
Family members told TMZ that Jackson had received his daily shot of Demerol at 11.30am, but the dosage was "too much".
As thousands of shocked fans gathered outside the UCLA hospital, detectives from the LAPD's Robbery Homicide division conducted an initial search of his house at the behest of city police chief William Bratton before sealing it off as a crime scene.
Jackson's death had been confirmed by his brother Jermaine, who told reporters and TV crews at the hospital: "We believe he suffered a cardiac arrest at his home, however the cause of his death is unknown until the results of the autopsy are known."
He added: "The personal physician who was with him at the time attempted to resuscitate him."
The star's death shocked the world of music and entertainment and left millions of fans around the world shattered. Elizabeth Taylor, a close friend, was said to be "devastated" while the singer Madonna said: "I can't stop crying over the sad news."
By any reckoning, Jackson was the King of Pop, a former child star with the Jackson Five who went on to create the world's bestselling album with his 1982 release Thriller, which sold up to 57 million copies.
Among those paying tributes was Jackson's ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley, whose father Elvis Presley met a drug-induced death in 1977 at the age of 42. Ms Presley said that she was "sad and confused with every emotion possible" and "heartbroken" for the singer's three children.
Sir Paul McCartney described Jackson as a "massively talented boy-man with a gentle soul", while the British TV journalist Martin Bashir said the world had "lost the greatest entertainer it’s probably ever known".
Bashir's 2003 documentary Living with Michael Jackson was a PR disaster for the singer, who ended up facing child molestation charges after telling the reporter that sharing his bed with a boy was "a beautiful thing". Jackson was eventually acquitted in 2005 and Bashir said today that while his lifestyle had been unorthodox, "I don't believe it was criminal".
Last night Jackson's body was flown by helicopter to the coroner's office, where the autopsy began this morning, conducted by Dr Lakshmanan Sathyavagiswaran, who was the medical examiner during the OJ Simpson murder case and testified more recently in the trial of Phil Spector.
But officials warned that a final verdict would not be possible until toxicology test results are confirmed, which could take six to eight weeks.
On Wednesday night, Jackson had attended a rehearsal at LA's Staples Center arena - home to the LA Lakers basketball team - to prepare for his comeback dates at the O2.
Jackson was said to have missed all but two or three of 45 rehearsals for the show but Patrick Woodroffe, a lighting engineer working at the LA arena, said that he had finally recovered some of his old magic in the past few days.
He told the BBC: "He came on stage at 9 o’clock in the evening and we all looked at each other and there was something that said that he really had it.
"Last night particularly, he came on stage and he was electric. It was like he had been holding back and suddenly he was performing as one had remembered him in the past."
Brian Oxman, a Jackson family lawyer and spokesman, told CNN that Jackson had been struggling to cope with the after-effects of various performance injuries, including a damaged vertebra and a broken leg, which had been interrupting scheduled rehearsal for the London dates.
He went on to accuse those around Jackson of letting him slip into dependency on prescription drugs and painkillers.
"I can only tell you that this is not something which has been unexpected," Mr Oxman told CNN from the LA hospital as family members came to terms with the news from doctors.
"This family has been trying for months and months to take care of Michael Jackson. The people who have surrounded him have been enabling him: if you think that the case of Anna Nicole Smith was an abuse, it is nothing to what we have seen taking place in Michael Jackson's life."
He added: "I can tell you for sure that this is something I warned about. Where there is smoke there is fire."
Jackson’s reputation as a singer and moonwalking dancer was overshadowed in recent years by his increasingly abnormal appearance, and bizarre lifestyle, which included his friendship with a chimpanzee named Bubbles and a preference for the company of children.
He named his estate in the central California foothills Neverland Valley Ranch, in tribute to the J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan stories, and filled it with amusement park rides and a petting zoo.
Jackson was twice accused of molesting young boys and was charged in 2003 with child sexual abuse. He became even more reclusive following his 2005 acquittal and vowed that he would no longer live at Neverland.
Facing a battered reputation and mountain of debts that authoritative estimates put at up to half a billion dollars, Jackson had been forced to agree to the unprecedented residency at the O2.
Despite reports of Jackson’s ill-health, the promoters of the London shows, AEG Live, said in March that Jackson had passed a 4-1/2 hour physical examination with independent doctors.
The Shocking Bridge
Culture shock is leaving Lombard Street in San Francisco on the Golden Gate Bus and arriving in Corte Madera in Marin County where people tell you things instead of asking questions.
If you are knitting something, before you arrive at the Golden Gate bridge, there might be a question from the passenger in the seat next to you such as "What is it?"
Once you arrive in Marin County, someone will probably say, "Oh, it's pretty, I like it!" Or someone might say "I'm from here", if they say anything at all.
If you continue on the bus to San Rafael from Larkspur or Corte Madera, there is mostly silence.
It is enlightening when someone tells me something instead of asking questions. Most often, while travelling, one can anticipate the questions of other passengers.
Perhaps the reason people in San Francisco ask questions and in Marin County people tell you things is because of the bridge from one culture to another.
If you are knitting something, before you arrive at the Golden Gate bridge, there might be a question from the passenger in the seat next to you such as "What is it?"
Once you arrive in Marin County, someone will probably say, "Oh, it's pretty, I like it!" Or someone might say "I'm from here", if they say anything at all.
If you continue on the bus to San Rafael from Larkspur or Corte Madera, there is mostly silence.
It is enlightening when someone tells me something instead of asking questions. Most often, while travelling, one can anticipate the questions of other passengers.
Perhaps the reason people in San Francisco ask questions and in Marin County people tell you things is because of the bridge from one culture to another.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Five Ways to Improve the Environment
FIVE WAYS TO IMPROVE THE ENVIRONMENT
1. Recharge your batteries
Batteries contain mercury and cadmium, major sources of hazardous contamination.
Use rechargeable batteries, recycle alkaline batteries.
2. Stamp out Styrofoam
Styrofoam is polystyrene foam made from the carcinogen benzene converted to styrene and then injected with gases.
Polystyrene form is non-biodegradable and is deadly to marine life. It floats on ocean surfaces, breaks up into pellets resembling food, styrofoam clogs the systems of turtles and other sealife, and its buoyancy keeps them from diving for food.
Avoid foam packaging in egg cartons, disposable picnic goods, etc. Ask for paper take-out plate at restaurants.
3. Recycle your motor oil
Used motor oil can contaminate drinking water supplies and create a poisonous oil stick. One quart of motor oil can pollute 250,000 gallons of drinking water.
You can avoid this by checking at gas station to be sure it will be recycled, inquire if there is an oil-changing outlet that recycles their oil for a small fee.
Most recycled oil is reprocessed for ships and industrial boilers. Millions of barrels of oil can be saved by refining motor oil.
4. Avoid incandescent light bulbs
Compact fluorescents last longer and use about 1/4 of the energy of an incandescent bulb. Substituting a compact fluorescent light for a traditional bulb will keep a half-ton of CO2 out of the atmosphere over the life of the bulb.
5. Hazardous toxins
Billions of dollars are spent every year on hazardous toxins. Oven cleaners, no-iron bed linens, air fresheners, mothballs, permanent ink pens, and baby powder may contain dangerous toxins.
Use baking soda instead of oven cleaner, herbal mixtures or vinegar with lemon juice and orange zest instead of air freshener, cedar chips instead of mothballs. Air fresheners may contain harmful chemicals like xylene, ethanol or naphthalene. Mothballs contain paradichlorobenzene.
1. Recharge your batteries
Batteries contain mercury and cadmium, major sources of hazardous contamination.
Use rechargeable batteries, recycle alkaline batteries.
2. Stamp out Styrofoam
Styrofoam is polystyrene foam made from the carcinogen benzene converted to styrene and then injected with gases.
Polystyrene form is non-biodegradable and is deadly to marine life. It floats on ocean surfaces, breaks up into pellets resembling food, styrofoam clogs the systems of turtles and other sealife, and its buoyancy keeps them from diving for food.
Avoid foam packaging in egg cartons, disposable picnic goods, etc. Ask for paper take-out plate at restaurants.
3. Recycle your motor oil
Used motor oil can contaminate drinking water supplies and create a poisonous oil stick. One quart of motor oil can pollute 250,000 gallons of drinking water.
You can avoid this by checking at gas station to be sure it will be recycled, inquire if there is an oil-changing outlet that recycles their oil for a small fee.
Most recycled oil is reprocessed for ships and industrial boilers. Millions of barrels of oil can be saved by refining motor oil.
4. Avoid incandescent light bulbs
Compact fluorescents last longer and use about 1/4 of the energy of an incandescent bulb. Substituting a compact fluorescent light for a traditional bulb will keep a half-ton of CO2 out of the atmosphere over the life of the bulb.
5. Hazardous toxins
Billions of dollars are spent every year on hazardous toxins. Oven cleaners, no-iron bed linens, air fresheners, mothballs, permanent ink pens, and baby powder may contain dangerous toxins.
Use baking soda instead of oven cleaner, herbal mixtures or vinegar with lemon juice and orange zest instead of air freshener, cedar chips instead of mothballs. Air fresheners may contain harmful chemicals like xylene, ethanol or naphthalene. Mothballs contain paradichlorobenzene.
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