This week we celebrated Earth Day. Did you know that the idea for an Earth Day started in 1970 when Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson decided to institute a day that would highlight environmental issues and encourage conservation? That first year 20 million people across the country took to the streets to protest pollution and other environmental hazards. Today, Earth Day is celebrated in over 184 different countries.
Just because Earth Day itself has passed doesn’t mean you can’t still celebrate by venturing outside to enjoy the beautiful outdoors. Here are a few of my favorite spots around So Cal:
Kayaking in Newport Bay – Grab a few friends and head over to Newport Harbor. You can explore the peaceful quiet of the Back Bay or the bustling Harbor. It’s a great way to soak up the sun and it’s an awesome workout for the upper body. Southwind Kayak Center, conveniently located off of PCH and Bayside, rents single and doubles for as little as $14/hr. Visit Southwind Kayaks at http://www.southwindkayaks.com/
Top of the World – Many people already know Top of the World (aka Alta Laguna Park) in Laguna Beach is one of my favorite local hiking spots. There are countless trails ranging from moderate to strenuous and it is also a hotspot for mountain bikers. And there are awesome views of the Pacific and interior valley. Take lots of water and sunblock.
Alta Laguna Park
3299 Alta Laguna Blvd
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
(949) 853-9507
Anza Borrego – For those of you who want to venture a little further Anza Borrego State Park, in San Diego County, is well worth the drive. It has hundreds of miles of hiking and off roading trails. The desert flowers are beautiful in the spring. Visit http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=638
Poppy Preserve – Lancaster – April/May is the perfect time of year to check out the Poppy Preserve near Lancaster. Acres and acres of wild poppies spring up around this time of year. The park offers tons of easy trails where you can walk amongst the flowers. Sometimes it can be a little crowded with tourists but it is still a must see! Unfortunately, I just checked the web site and it seems the flowers bloomed early this year and most are already gone. But mark those calendars for next season and check out this truly beautiful spectacle.
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=627
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Go Green with Water
By Erica Roselius, MA, CPT
April is earth month and as we gear up to celebrate Earth Day on the 22nd, I thought I would take the time this month to talk about greening your workout routine. There are many simple ways to make your life and fitness routine friendlier for Mother Nature. This week we are going to focus on water:
The bottled water phenomenon has exploded in recent years. According to studies back in 2001, 1.5 million tons of plastic are used each year to bottle water. And in 2003, Americans spent $7 billion on water! And those numbers have probably increased since the studies were published.
The energy cost to manufacture bottled water is huge. It is estimated that 32-54 million barrels of oil were required to produce the amount of water consumed in America in 2007 alone. That’s 2000 times more than is needed to make tap water. Not to mention that 8 out of 10 plastic bottles end up in landfills, and it can take up to 1000 years before the bottles even begin to decompose.
Is bottled water really safer, healthier, purer?
A study by the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) showed that 25% or more of the 103 brands of bottled water tested was actually just tap water in a bottle. Sometimes it underwent further treatment to increase purity and sometimes it did not. The problem is that the FDA regulates bottled water, whereas the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) regulates tap water. The EPA has much stricter guidelines for contamination testing and control. For example, tap water must be tested multiple times/day, but bottled water must only be tested once/week. And the EPA requires the testing results for tap water be made available to the public. Bottled water manufacturers have no such requirements.
But what about taste?
Showtime television recently conducted a study on New York City residents. 73% actually preferred the taste of tap water over bottled water!
Drinking tap water saves money…
Bottled water costs between $1 – $4 per gallon, and 90% of the cost is in the bottle and the lid. Tap water is practically free!
How can you green your H2O routine?
There has been a lot of attention in the news lately about the safety of reusing bottles for drinking water. BPA-free plastic bottles are the best if you are going to use plastic. However, currently the best option is to use a reusable stainless steel or aluminum bottle. Unlike BPA-free plastics, they’re not made from petroleum products. Metal water bottles are more durable than plastic, and the FDA requires that aluminum bottles sold in America be lined to eliminate the possibility of metals leaching into the drinking water inside. Sigg bottles are popular, inexpensive and can be purchased at many retail locations.
If you are worried about contaminants in the tap water itself, experts suggest purchasing a good filter that can be placed over your tap to eliminate microbes. “Water filters remove more dangerous contaminants than any other purification method, and they are uniquely designed to work with municipally treated water,” says allaboutwater.org. And because they require no more energy than is required to move the water through the pipes in your home it is another step toward living green!
Sources:
All About Water, http://allaboutwater.org
Gaiam Life, http://life.gaiam.com
“The energy Footprint of Bottled Water,” Andrea Thompson, Live Science, http://www.livescience.com/environment/090318-bottled-water-energy.html, March 18, 2009
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