Author Archives: Wendy Bateman

Posted on by • 0 Comments

Ryan’s Recycling Company

In 2012 at the age of 3, Ryan Hickman went along with his dad to the local recycling center.

Ryan decided at this young age that he wanted to start a business “Ryan’s Recycling Company”.

Today Ryan has customers all over Orange County, CA and he has a passion to recycle that is amazing.

His goal is to recycle to keep cans and bottles from reaching the ocean where its harmful to the environment.

In 2016, Ryan’s recycling story went viral and he was featured on hundreds of web sites and radio stations around the planet.

Ryan has appeared on many TV shows and hundreds of affiliate news stations around the world.

People ask all the time what kind of items that Ryan recycles. Ryan collects plastic and glass beverage bottles as well as aluminum cans. Ryan and his parents take them in by the truckload every few weeks to the local redemption center where they are unloaded, sorted and weighed.

To date Ryan’s Recycling has recycled 251K cans and bottles; 56K pounds recycled and $4817 donated to Pacific Marine Mammal Center.

Ryan has a passion for recycling and cleaning up the planet. Thanks to all of his supporters around the planet, there is a big difference in the amount of recyclable beverage containers that aren’t making it back to the landfill or into the gutters and ocean where they harm animals and the environment.

Ryan Hickman has been recognized for his efforts from the Daughters of the American Revolution, The mayor and City Council of San Juan Capistrano and from DE Planet.

Ryan is only 7 years old and runs his own Recycling Company to save the earth. You can never be too young to care about the Earth and make a difference.

Since launching his company, Ryan has recycled 49,000 pounds of waste, 200,000 cans and bottles and has donated over $1,600 to charity. His leftover profits, an impressive $10,000 have been deposited straight into his college savings account.

Imagine what would happen if everyone recycled? The world would look a lot different.

Home

Posted on by • 0 Comments

Girl Guides is Getting a 21st Century Makeover

Girl Guides to get badges for coding and app making in 21st century makeover.

Girl Guides has been known to challenge outdated gender stereotypes by offering (even decades ago) girl guides the opportunity to learn about being an air mechanic or electrician.

Girl Guiding has announced a major revamp or its “badges” programme; the different activities that guides take part in, in a bid to bring them up to date for today’s young women and girls.

The charity is asking the public to use social media to suggest the badges they would create using the hashtag #Badge goals. The idea will be considered during the development of the final badges.

So far, around 15,000 girls have been involved in putting forward and testing ideas such as app design, blogging, chemist, be yourself, festival goer, space, costume design, entrepreneurship, upcycling and speaking out.

The new activities and badges will be set around 6 themes; skills for my future, have adventures, be well, know myself, express myself and take action, and the programme will first be launched in summer 2018.

As a young girl I was a girl guide and fondly remember the organization as a great way to learn and grow with others my own age. When my daughter was in girl guides, I became a Girl Guide leader. I am excited to learn that Girl Guides are revolutionising the programme.

It is about making sure they appeal to as many girls and young women as possible, and making sure they are as relevant as possible.

Traditional activities such as exploring, camping and hiking remain popular, but there is a growing demand to include hi-tech games like geocaching, where GPS technology is used to create an outdoor treasure-hunt trail.

The last time the Girl Guide programme was overhauled was in 1968, and since then either ‘individual badges’ have been introduced or changes have focussed on one age group at a time.

Girl Guiding has always changed as the lives of girls have changed since it was founded over a century ago, introducing ground breaking badges for girls from the start such as Air Mechanic in the 1910s and Electrician in the 1930s.

The charity aims to attract new members from all backgrounds with the refreshed offer so even more girls can benefit.

Girl Guides to get badges for coding and app making in 21st century makeover

Posted on by • 0 Comments

Haskap Berries

A Northern Ontario farm family hopes a fruit that’s grown in almost every province in Canada but few Canadians have ever heard of let alone tasted, will capture consumer’s imagination and taste buds when they debut in stores later this summer.

The little known haskap fruit, also known as blue honeysuckle, is an indigo coloured berry that tastes like a cross between blueberries raspberries and Saskatoon berries.

They are native to mostly the northern countries of the Northern hemisphere.

The plants are perfectly suited for colder climates, with some breeds able to withstand temperatures of -45 degrees Celsius.

The haskap berry is popular in Europe and Asia, yet still relatively unknown in Canada.

Haskap berries might be the next superfood. The berries are higher in antioxidants than blueberries.

Haskap, meaning ‘little present on the end of a branch’ is the name given by the Japanese.

The haskap berry is incredibly versatile. It has the capacity to be a wine, but it also has the capacity to be a health food supplement, because of its antioxidants.

Haskapa in Nova Scotia, has created juice, jams and condiments with haskap berries and infuses other products with the fruit including maple syrup, gin and vodka. They also make body scrub, bath salt, lip gloss and soap containing the haskap and plan to introduce powder for juice and wine in the next few months.

Haskapa is working with Dalhousie’s University agricultural experts in Truro, N.S. to optimize processing techniques to maximize the bioactive content of the products.

Haskap berries are dark blue, oval or cylindrical and about 2.5 cm long and have a hint of elderberry, black currant or grape, and a tartness.

The plants are being grown in most provinces now, with more than two million sold.

Gardeners have adopted the deciduous shrub for its ease of growth and attractiveness in the garden.

http://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/sudbury-area-farm-family-hopes-little-known-haskap-berry-will-catch-on-1.3501511?cid=SocialFlow%3Afacebook%3Anational

Posted on by • 0 Comments

Carrot Rewards: New Smartphone App

Ontario gives $1.5 million to app that rewards healthy behavior.

Ontario has joined three other Canadian governments in funding a smartphone app that gives users points for popular consumer reward programs in exchange for engaging with government-approved messages about wellness.

Ontario recently announced it is spending $1.5 million on the Carrot Rewards smartphone app, which tracks user’s steps and offers quizzes and tips on topics including healthy living, personal finances and the environment.

When users reach their step goal or complete a quiz on home budgeting, for example, they’ll receive points in their account for the reward program of their choice: Aeroplan, Petro-Points, MORE Rewards, or Cineplex’s Scene.

Carrot Rewards became available to Ontarians in February and the company says it has about 200,000 active users in the province today.

Andreas Souvaliotis, CEO of Carrot Insights, said the app launched with a focus of health, but the company and its partner governments quickly realized it was effective at modifying behavior in other areas as well, and expanded to a more general focus on wellness that includes personal finance and the environment.

Eleanor McMahon, Ontario’s Minister of Sports said her government intends to use Carrot Rewards to help people make good choices that lead to healthier lives.

The information distributed through the app originates with the governments, but charities that work with the company, The Heart and Stroke Foundation, YMCA, and Diabetes Canada, help make the content more authentic

The goal is to give people an incentive to act and think differently.

Downloading the Carrots Reward program works by sending users healthy challenges and rewarding them with points in their favorite rewards program.

The primary way users acquire points is by meeting their daily step goals, which is why the app is only available on smart phones or devices with built in pedometers.

In addition, users can choose to complete quizzes to earn even more points on top of their daily step goals. These quizzes largely test users on subjects like healthy eating, active living, etc.

http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/ontario-gives-1-5m-to-app-that-rewards-healthy-behaviour-1.3492881

Posted on by • 0 Comments

Five Tips to Prevent Freezer Burn

Freezer burn is the outcome of frozen food losing its moisture as a result of poor wrapping.

When food is frozen as a method of preservation thousands and thousands of water molecules within the steak form ice crystals. These water molecules prefer the most hospitable environment, the coldest place in your freezer. The molecules migrate from the steak to the coldest place they can find, which is often the side of your freezer. The loss of these water molecules causes the steak to become dehydrated. The end result is freezer burn.

Five useful tips to make sure you never have to deal with freezer burn again.

  1. Wrap your freezer-bound food twice, with as little air as possible. First wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then in a freezer bag, squeezing out as much air as you can.
  2. Keep your cold storage well organized. That way, you don’t have to keep the door open for 5 minutes every time you look for something, avoiding temperature fluctuations as much as possible. Self—defrosting models of freezers ae worse for freezer burn.
  3. Do not put hot foods directly in the freezer, let them cool first.
  4. Keep your freezer full, but not too full. At about three-quarters capacity, the freezer is most efficient at maintaining its cool. Pack it more, and the air won’t circulate properly. The more you have in your freezer, the easier it is (and less energy it takes) to keep food cold, since the frozen food itself actually chills its fellow food. Even if you don’t have enough stuff to fill your freezer, fill some plastic bottles or jugs with water (about 75% full) and put them in freezer to fill the space.
  5. Invest in a vacuum-sealer. It sucks out all the air around the food before freezing, which makes a big difference in longevity.

Although colour, texture and taste all suffer when freezer burn strikes, it does not render the food inedible, it’s still perfectly safe.

To rescue freezer burnt provisions, try concealing it in flavorful mixed dishes with lots of liquids.

http://www.foodnetwork.ca/kitchen-basics/blog/5-tips-to-prevent-freezer-burn/?cid=sf95276894+sf95276894&sf95276894=1

Posted on by • 2 Comments

Avani “Eco Bags”

This grocery bag won’t hurt animals, it actually feeds them.

People around the world use and discard more than a trillion plastic bags each year. A significant percentage of these bags end up littered across ecosystems, especially oceans, where they converge in enormous gyres that disrupt and harm marine life. Many countries have recognized that the environmental costs of plastic bags are simply too much to pay for the convenience and have imposed bans or fees on their use.

Now, thanks to a company in the Philippine’s called Avani, an environmentally friendly solution could be coming to a store near you.

The team at Avani realized that most biodegradable bags on the market were misleading, they broke down into small pieces that were harmful to animals and contaminating to the water.

Scientists at Avani worked to construct a truly sustainable and safe alternative. They landed upon the cassava root, which is native to the country. In a mixture with vegetable oil, Avani was able to develop bags that were legitimately biodegradable, they rapidly dissolved in warm water and also safe for animals to eat.

So if a bag made it into the water, a fish or turtle could munch on it and be nourished.

The bags are called “Eco Bags” and, ultimately, Avani wants to create a range of products to compete with and supplant plastic, takeout containers, disposable cups and plates.

Avani isn’t the only company trying to create a world without plastic. For example, a company called Ecovative uses mushroom spores to create sturdy, yet biodegradable, packaging for shipping and storage. Ultimately, the company wants to eliminate plastic and even paper from the global supply chain.

Avani Eco Bags are the perfect solution to the single use plastic bag problem. They look, feel and perform like plastic but are made from cassava root and all natural resins, making them 100% compostable unlike other biodegradable alternatives.

These bags are food safe and harmless to animal consumption, they biodegrade within 90 days adding biomass to the compost. Eco Bags can be recycled with paper and have various applications; bio-based shopping bags, poly-bags, garbage bags, and general packaging.

These Eco Bags might be what takes down plastic.

https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/this-plastic-bag-wont-hurt-animals-it-actually-fee/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_content=global&utm_ca

Posted on by • 0 Comments

Carpenter Hospice

Carpenter Hospice is a home in the heart of Burlington that offers both residential based care to people in the last stages of their lives, and community-based programs for people dealing with grief or a life-limiting illness.

Carpenter Hospice allows residents to spend their final days together with loved ones in an environment that is peaceful, comfortable and meaningful. It is staffed by a dedicated team of professionals and volunteers who provide compassionate palliative care to meet residents every need and ensure that each moment matters.

Carpenter Hospice has been an integral part of Burlington since 2002 thanks to the generosity of the community and it’s committed to providing support services for those going through life’s transitions.

Carpenter Hospice offer compassionate, non-judgemental support to individuals and families experiencing loss. Their goal is to provide a safe, caring and compassionate environment to allow individuals to express their feelings and move towards healing.

Program offerings include:

  • One on one support for residents and their family members
  • One on one grief support
  • One on one support for individuals living with a life-limiting diagnosis, and/or their caregiver
  • 8 week spousal loss support groups
  • Monthly drop in bereavement support groups
  • Celebration of Life services in May and December
  • Ongoing support through information mailings and access to the library
  • Educational workshops

Palliative care is a 24/7 job, whether in the home or in a hospice.

The residential care area has 10 beds, all in private rooms and has nursing and personal support staff available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Music therapy is available for residents and their loved ones during the week.

They view each person as having unique hopes, fear, anger, expectation and desires. Their caregivers collaborate in interprofessional teams to provide compassionate supportive, palliative, end of life care, which is client-centered, holistic and culturally sensitive.

At Carpenter Hospice, they offer all of their services and programs at no cost to their residents, program participants and their families.

https://www.thecarpenterhospice.com/

Posted on by • 0 Comments

Green Wave Developed Underwater 3D Farming

A fisherman built a hurricane-proof farm underwater.  The model pioneered by non-profit Green Wave, has drawn interest worldwide.

Green Wave has helped set up 10 farms in less than two years, and will soon test farms in California, hoping to have 25 farms of up to 20 acres (8 hectares) each in place by next year.

After two hurricanes in a row wiped out the crop of oysters Bren Smith a fisherman decided to take his ocean farm among Connecticut’s Thimble Islands “3D”, and says the model could help boost food security.

Firmly locked in place with hurricane-proof anchors, horizontal ropes sunk below the surface of the sea form the layered framework of Smiths 3D ocean farm.

The easily assembled underwater farms prove a magnet for fish and help regenerate reefs, and if a hurricane threatens, they can be quickly packed up or simply sunk lower.

With low capital costs and minimum skill requirement, ocean farming can use a “nail salon model of the sea” to grow fast.

Farmers who cannot afford land are now eyeing ocean plots, which cost around $20,000 plus a boat to set up in the US, and can net up to $150,000 a year.

Streamers of kelp grown downwards while scallops hang in nets and mussels in special socks, with oysters sitting in cages below. Clams grow under the mud on the sea floor.

Underwater farmers went 3D and started growing a whole mix of species, but only species that you don’t have to feed, that are zero input. So no fresh water, no fertiliser, no fee, which makes it the most affordable food to grow.

So far the 3D concept, pioneered by Smith’s non-profit Green Wave has drawn interest from would be farmers around the US, as well as in Brazil, Chile, Britain, Trinidad and South Africa.

This is actually trying to address serious issues of food security and economic opportunity kelp is so fast growing and has wide uses, from food to cosmetics, animal fodder and fertilisers.

https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/ocean-farmer-hatches-nail-salon-of-the-sea-plan-to/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=global&ut

Posted on by • 0 Comments

Advertising Junk Food

With childhood obesity rates on the rise, Health Canada is taking aim at junk food ads that target children.

Childhood obesity rates in Canada have tripled since 1980, and today, nearly one third of Canadians aged 6-17 is overweight or obese.

Ottawa will be consulting the public as well as industry and health groups during a 45 day consultation period before introducing legislation to restrict, or perhaps even ban, the marketing of junk food to young people.

Tighter rules on advertising junk food to kids will likely impact Canadian’s health, it could also influence social and traditional media, such as television, as well as sports sponsorships.

In Canada, only Quebec has restrictions on the marketing of food to children.

A new report by the Heart and Stroke Foundation says that 90% of online food and beverage ads viewed by youths are for unhealthy products high in fat, sugar and salt, such as desserts, snacks, cereals and sodas, promoting calls to create federal bans on such advertising.

Experts estimate that over the span of a year, Canadian children between the ages of 2 to 11 view more than 25 million online food and beverage ads.

Parents blame such marketing for the so-called ‘nag factor’ where children pester their parents to buy products they see online and on television.

According to the Heart and Stroke Foundations report over the past 70 years, processed food purchases have doubled and now account for 60% of family food purchases. One quarter of children ages 5-19, moreover, reported consuming sugary drinks every day while less than half of youths aged 12-19 eat the minimum recommendation of five daily servings of fruit and vegetables. Canadian children and youth, meanwhile spend almost 8 hours a day in front of television screens and other social media.

http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/health-canada-takes-aim-at-junk-food-ads-targeting-kids-1.3453159

Posted on by • 0 Comments

2020 Tokyo Olympics

The International Olympic Committee recently announced a net increase of 15 new events for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

IOC announced plans to make 2020 Olympics more youthful and urban. More emphasis is also being put on introducing more events for female competitors.

Mixed relays in athletics and swimming will make their debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics with men and women competing against each other in 4x400m on the track and 4x100m free style in the pool.

The International Olympic Committee is attempting to shrug off its stuffy image and connect with a younger audience by also introducing three on three basketball and freestyle BMX.

Other new additions announced include sport climbing and skate boarding.

A mixed team relay was also added in triathlon, along with mixed team events in judo and archery and a mixed double competition in table tennis.

While 15 new events were added for the Games, there will be a reduction of 285 athletes, including 105 in track and field.

A total of 48.8% of the Tokyo 2020 quotas will be female, a record, compared with 46.1% at Rio 2016.

With the introduction of women’s canoe for 2020, canoe kayak will achieve gender equity.

Other events confirmed to be included are surfing, baseball and softball, and karate added in the Tokyo program.

In total, there will be 18 mixed events in 2020. Compared to just nine last year. Sporting federations will be allowed to blend male and female athletes in table tennis, cycling, judo, archery and fencing.

If all goes according to plan, visitors to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games will be awestruck before the sporting contests even begin.

Attendees will be shuttles around the city by self-driving taxis. They’ll enter a newly built national stadium with the swipe of a pass, get verified by facial recognition software and be guided to their seats in one of the 10 languages on a smartphone app. They may gaze up at the night sky from anywhere in Tokyo to see an artificial meteor shower show unfolding 50 miles above their hands.

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/summer/3-on-3-basketball-to-be-part-of-tokyo-olympics-1.4153400