America’s Freedom of the Press Not the Gold Standard Anymore October 20, 2010

Infrastructure

America’s freedom of the press was a beacon of light, the shining example the rest of the world aspired to attain. In recent years, America has slipped to a tie for 24th place with the Czech Republic, according to Freedom House.

What has changed in America? Has the war on terror taken a toll on First Amendment freedoms, or is it more complicated?

Craig Aaron and Josh Stearns raised this precise issue in their article “Is America Still a Beacon for Press Freedom?” in The Huffington Post, October 27, 2008. An issue brought to light is media consolidation. Media consolidation, according to Aaron and Stearns, is in direct conflict with press freedom. The fewer news sources, the more profit driven the industry gets, the more press freedom suffers.

The Society of Professional Journalists released a statement about the restrictions by BP and The Department of Homeland Security in coverage of the Gulf oil disaster.

Videos of illegal arrests of journalist are prevalent on YouTube, like this arrest of a reporter for ABC affiliate KVIA::

This is the arrest of Amy Goodman in St. Paul during the Republican National Convention

In the 2009 poll, by the First Amendment Center, 39 percent of Americans say the press “has too much freedom to do what it wants,”  an increase over the last few years.

A shield law would protect journalists from prosecution for keeping their sources confidential.  Would a shield law be enough to reverse the current course of eroding press freedoms? Do we need to educate the public better about why freedom of the press is crucial? What role do journalists take in the current attitudes?

Tiffany Coggins

Is Print Journalism Dying or Dead? September 22, 2010

People pluck their best black outfit and lay it on the bed, the driver readies the hearse, and the mourners practice their songs of solace. They grieve for the death of print journalism as if rigor mortis had set in.

Eric Alterman wrote in his article, Out of Print, for The New Yorker, about the issues wreaking havoc with the newspaper industry such as loss of readers, advertisers and market value. Maybe the typical daily newspaper is dead, but democracy needs news gatherers, like print journalists. CNN ran a segment on this subject.

Harbingers of death sang every time a new medium, or era, of journalism began. Yet, journalism survived. Newspaper Death Watch reports the downward decline of newspapers while documenting the new age of journalism. Even documentary film maker, Michael Moore, added his opinion into the discussion by blaming capitalism. 

Media tells print journalism students they are entering an obsolete field, yet those students are still applying for the degree. Students must prepare for the future of print journalism by supplementing their education. Universities need to change curriculum to meet the students needs like Columbia University has done.  They have to expect change, and adapt. If students took minors that made use of online and social media, they could bridge the gap between traditional newspapers and citizen journalist bloggers.

Change scares people and industries. What do you think? Will newspapers go the way of cave drawings? Can they exist solely online?

Subscribers August 31, 2010

Hello subscribers to Green Girl Inc.  I now have a “Subscribe” button and RSS on the new Green Girl Inc. blog website.  I hope you will keep subscribing to Green Girl Inc at my beautiful new site.

Today Is My Last Here! August 30, 2010

Today is my last day to post on my greengirlinc.wordpress.com site.  My fantastic webmaster Jessica Harrison from Capture Life has combined my Green Girl Inc. website with my Green Girl Inc. blog to create one site.  The new Green Girl Inc. website is in a blog format.  I think it looks wonderful!  I hope you think so too.  Please follow the link to Green Girl Inc..

Speaking of Blood Suckers August 25, 2010

Actually this has nothing to do with mosquitoes, but it does have to do with blood.  This is not my usual green blog, but a request to help the American Red Cross.  I recently got a phone call from them encouraging me to give blood.  I plan on doing it very soon.  The blood supplies in the nation are dangerously low now, typical for the end of the summer.  Please, take some time to donate blood, especially if you are O-, the universal donor type.  The life you save could be your own or a loved ones.  Please call the American Red Cross and schedule a donation time.  Call 1-800-733-2767.  You can also go to the Red Cross website and find your local donation center.  Red Cross – Donating Blood

To Deet or Not August 20, 2010

I know, it’s late in the summer, but what are you using on your skin to keep mosquitoes at bay?  Hopefully it’s not Deet.  I realize in extreme cases you almost don’t have a choice, but for most of us, herbal repellents are a better choice.  There are a myriad of ingredients that repel mosquitoes that aren’t toxic pesticides.  We use a garlic spray for our yard.  We live in the woods where the mosquitoes are thick, and really love how I taste.  Other ingredients to apply on your skin are: lemongrass, lavender, geranium, citronella, thyme, eucalyptus, tea tree, peppermint, clove, cedar,  marigold,  rosemary, neem, lemon eucalyptus and marjoram.  That is a long list. Some of these ingredients are more effective and some are less.  Many commercial, herbal repellents are out there.  I’ve found a variety at local stores, and there are more to choose from online.  You can even make your own repellent. Tutorials and recipes are  all over the Internet. The downside of most herbal repellents is that you need to reapply often, every hour or so.

If you are in a jungle or some Northwoods location where you have to bring out the big gun of Deet, make sure you don’t put it on your skin.  Your skin is like a sponge, and toxins you put on it can be absorbed.  Another chemical repellent is Picaridin.  Again this is a chemical, but it supposed to be less toxic than Deet, and just as effective.  One of the most effective herbal-based repellents is the oil of lemon eucalyptus.  It is one of the repellents recommended by the CDC and the EPA.

Best of luck battling those little suckers!

Wikipedia-Insect repellent

I Want REAL Sugar in My Soda August 14, 2010

So, I’ve had a hard time finding sodas with cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup.  Yes, I’ve been on a bit of a rant lately with the HFCS.  I know, soda is not good for me, even with cane sugar, but once-in-a-while it’s a yummy treat.  I’ve always like Jones Soda, but there are some other sodas out there with cane sugar.  Jelly Belly (yes the Jelly Bean maker), Boylan, Hansens, Burghoff Root Beer, Goose Island, Stewart’s, Henry Weinhard’s, and the list goes on.  In Eau Claire I have not been able to find Jone’s for a while, but I finally found it at Hahn’s Market, 3045 North Hastings Way (Hwy 53).  They also had some of the above mentioned sugar cane sodas.  Cadeaux, 312 S. Barstow, carries Jelly Belly and some other sodas.  If anyone knows of other stores in the Chippewa Valley area, please post them in the comments section.  Even if you don’t live in the Chippewa Valley, feel free to post where (store and town) you find sugar cane sodas.  Thanks! I have also posted an online source for cane sugar sodas called Beverages Direct.  Drink up!

Hahn’s Market

Cadeaux

Beverages Direct

Eco School Supples and More August 12, 2010

It’s that time of year, back-to-school.  I know, we have mixed feelings about this time of year.  Most kids are groaning, and parents are secretly cheering (one can only take the sibling bickering or hear “I’m bored” so many times).  So how do you plan on greening your children’s school year?  There are things you can do to reduce their carbon footprint.  How about starting with how your kids get to school.  Many people drive their kids to school every day.  Now, sometimes this is necessary, when there are circumstances like a ridiculously early bus, no public transportation where you live, or heavy instruments that need hauling.  In those instances it’s best if you can at least car-pool.

What else can you do?  If your kids take their own lunch, then a waste-free lunch is the way to go.  Numerous companies both online and in physical retail sites have water bottles, lunch bags, lunch boxes, cloth napkins, sporks, GoToobs, reusable lunch containers and reusable non-plastic lunch pouches.  A great place to look in your town is at your local natural foods store or co-op.  If you can’t find what you need in town then I have a list of online stores where you can find what you need.

So, transportation and lunch are covered, what else?  How about the all important school supplies?  Try to replace the typical non-recycled or petroleum-based supplies with recycled content and non-petro based products.  Here is a list of products: recycled content notebooks, upcycled wrapper folders and notebooks, upcycled wrapper pencil pouches, recycled plastic pencil boxes,  recycled denim or newspaper pencils, stapleless staplers, recycled plastic scissors, solar calculators, soy or bees-wax based crayons, solar backpacks or messenger bags, recycled PET backpacks, well, you are starting to get the idea.  Maybe you can’t afford to buy all these items, but maybe you can get a few.

If nothing else, stop wasting your money and poisoning your home with cheap, disposable PVC backpacks.   A few years ago I made the switch to good quality backpacks for my kids.  PVC or polyvinyl chloride off-gasses for years and contributes to poor indoor air quality.  Think about your child having this toxic substance strapped to their back.  Plus, most of those cheap backpacks fall apart halfway through the school year and then sit in landfulls (yes, I meant landfulls) for a millennium.

The following is a list of websites and resources to help you green back-to-school.

The Ultimate Green Store

Reuseit

Posh Pouches

Kids Konserve

TerraCycle

Life Without Plastic

eBags-Recycled Backpacks

Green Peace-How to Find and Avoid Toxin Vinyl (PVC) in Your Home

The Nature Conservancy-Enviro Tips

Reuseit and A Waste-Free Lunch August 10, 2010

Reuseit is running a summer sale for supplies for a waste-free lunch.  Not only that, but you can vote for your favorite school to receive a $500 donation from Reuseit to use towards lunch gear.  You can leave a comment to have your school in the running on Reuseit’s Blog or go to the Reuseit Facebook Page.

Reuseit believes in giving back.  They are a 1% For The Planet Member.  This is the perfect time to green your child’s lunch routine, and possibly help out their classroom or school.  It is also a perfect time to green your own lunch routine.  Some of the items in their waste-free lunch supplies can be used for waste-free take-out.  So, go shopping, and stop leaving a trail of trash when you go to lunch or get take-out food.

Reuseit Store

I am a Reuseit Ambassador, and believe in the company.  I do use their products.

Changes Coming to Green Girl Inc.’s Blog August 9, 2010

Green Girl Inc.’s blog is going to be moving soon.  I’m combining my website and my blog into one site.  I hope you will come along for the ride.