Let's talk trash (seriously!)

 Today, Clean Air Cab's blog has the pleasure of having a guest writer from Arizona State University. Danielle Barrs is a junior in Earth and Environmental Studies with a minor in Sustainability. She just transferred to ASU this past August from a University in Montreal, Canada. Danielle was born in the United States but grew up in Canada, and in so doing, was blessed with dual citizenship. Her most recent accomplishment was volunteering for the World Wildlife Fund of Canada doing business outreach for Sweater Day and Earth Hour. She did a blog post concerning her volunteering experience that you can read here. Currently She is working with Environmental Health and Safety at ASU on a project called Green Labs/Green Offices which encourages labs and offices across campus to become "green certified" and more sustainable, through a checklist of accomplishments and regulations. Without further ado, I give you Danielle's thoughts on the plastic Island, recycling, and our part in it all...

We all know that ocean currents are responsible for climate change phenomena like El Nino and La Nina (well if you didn’t before, you do now), but did you know that it is also responsible for an island of floating debris in the middle of the Pacific Ocean called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? Of course, the currents can’t shoulder all of the responsibility, now can they? In the United State alone, approximately 65 lbs. of plastic per person is dumped into landfills every year, and only 5% of that ever gets recycled.

            The ocean is especially vulnerable to plastic pollution for many reasons. Because most plastic floats near the surface, it is often mistaken for food by birds and fish. Oceanographer Charles J. Moore recently discovered a fourth month old albatross chick (below) with a full stomach of cigarette lighters, bottle caps, and other trash on a Northwestern Hawaiian Island called Kure Atoll.

Also, plastic - like diamonds - are forever! Traditional plastics do not biodegrade, meaning organisms cannot break them down. Sunlight breaks the material down as far as specs of plastic dust, but it still persists in the environment.

            There are plenty of corporates that aren’t helping these types of environmental tragedies either. Just last month, Coca Cola was blamed for halting plans to ban the sale of plastic water bottles in the Grand Canyon, probably due to their role as a Dasani bottled water manufacturer and distributor. Need I bring up the Exxon-Valdez and BP Oil Spills or The Love Canal chemical waste dump?
            Are these events unfortunate? Yes. Are they irreversible? Maybe. Are they uncontrollable? No. The good news is, there are plenty of things that we as individuals can do on a daily basis to help control, regulate, and manage all kinds of environmental pollutants. Need some ideas? Well that’s what I’m here for!

1. Make smart consumer choices! Opt for a stainless steel canteen instead of the conventional plastic water bottle. For avid hikers, attach a carabiner to hook on to your bag for extra portability.

2. Join a great cause! Every September The World Wildlife Fund assembles The Great Shoreline Cleanup to encourage shoreline rehabilitation areas through annual litter cleanups.

3. Get involved with your school! Arizona State University has recently launched a Green Labs/Green Offices program aimed at encouraging labs and offices across campus to become "green certified" and more sustainable through a checklist of guidelines and accomplishments.

4. Give back! Treasures 4 Teachers is an organization that collects unwanted (but reusable) materials and makes them available to teachers at  little to no cost, relying on the generosity of the community to continue to do so.

5. Stay informed! Environmental blogs such as TreeHugger, Planet Forward, and EnviroLite provide great mediums to stay connected with environmental current events.

Become Part of the Solution.

Because We Love Youth, Books, and Christmas...

It always seems that the last month of the year is also the hardest. Pennies are pinched and budgets are tight while the holidays seamingly sneak up on us. Yet somehow, we manage to scrape up just enough money to have a little Holiday celebration; perhaps children are the reason as they emanate untainted joy at this time of year.

However, inevitably this year, some child somewhere will be unable to experience Christmas. This may be due to economic hardship that so many of us find ourselves in, or perhaps these children are homeless, or unclaimed and belong to no family~ orphans we call them, abandoned by society and those who gave them life. The term 'orphanage' seems so obsolete these days.

When I think of the word "ophanage" this is the kind of image I get in my head.

something old, of the past, nonexistent in my universe.....

However, they do exist.

In Arizona, we just like to slap another name on it to make it sound a little less bleary, and dark.

We use the word "shelter."

Yet, regardless of what it is called, it is our community's duty to reach out to these institutions and give the children in them hope and the means for a better life.

This year, we want to make a difference for the girls and boys at the Lighthouse Shelter in Phoenix ran by seven loving co-workers (monica, Rosie, Blanca, Anna, Ana, Andrea, and Avis) as well as Sheri Wang, who owns a nonprofit organization dedicated to changing lives. Clean Air Cab plans to volunteer at this year's Christmas party and we were hoping we could share the experience of bring joy to children with you. If you would like to make a donation to bring Christmas to this makeshift family, just read the list below and drop off any donations to the Clean Air Cab main office located at 1600 W. Main Street in Mesa, Arizona.

The Girls

Arayah, age two, wears size (3 years) and desperately wants a Little Tikes Princess Cozy Coupe

Ynica, age three, wears size (4) and hopes to find a Little Tikes Bumble Bee Buggy under the Tree

Monique, age 11 months, wears size (18mo) and would love a V Tech care and learn Teddy

Toryanna, age six, wears size (7) and wishes for a Girl Scooter for Christmas

Joline, age fourteen, wears size (small in juniors) and hopes to jam out to Yule-tide carols on a new I-pod.

The Boys

Kayden, age one, wears size (2) and yearns for a Little Tikes Go & Grow Lil Rollin Giraffe (ride-on)

Aaron, age five, wears size (4) and hopes to find K'Nex Mario Kart Brewser's Castle (Mario and Luigi at the starting line)

Andrew, age three, wears size (4) and would love to find a Fisher Price Grow with me Trike on Christmas

Derrick, age five, wears size (6) and wishes for the Leap Frog Leapster 2

Joziah, age three, wears size (4) and hopes for a Hot Wheels Criss Cross Crash Set

Xavier, age seven, wears size (10) and longs for an Air Hogs Hyperactives Radio Control Vehicle

Sean, age eight, wears a size (10) and wants a Nerf Vertex Nitron

Devin, age five, wears a size (6) and would be delighted to get a Racio flyer Lights & Sound Racer

Harley, age five, wears a size (6) and would be grateful to receive a Lego Harry Potter- The Knight Bus

Rico, age seven, wear a size (8) and wishes for a Lazer Stunt Chaser Dragon Fire

Devin, age four, wears a size (5) and longs for a Bayblade Metal Fusion Spiral Blitz, 2pk Earth Virgo



In addition to this Christmas project, we would also like to collect donations of books for the Extreme Library Makeover project in San Carlos as the non-profit organization Learning Through Literacy works with  tribal leaders and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. If you would like to find out more about Loving Through Literacy, click here... if you would like to read about the San Carlos Library project just click the link.

Every child in our community deserves access to the tools neccessary to receive the best of educations.

Be part of the Solution.

Feeding our Youth, at the Mesa Boys and Girls club

On October 28th, the Mesa Boys and Girl's Club contacted Clean Air Cab to see if we could possibly donate 30 turkeys and our time to give them a Thanksgiving dinner on November 22nd.

Despite the time crunch and the large amount of turkeys that we needed to provide for, members of Clean Air Cab's very own Green Team found a way.

The miracle came in the form of two women, Julie Renshaw and Tia Renshaw who are related to Glenn Thopsey, a hardworking man at Clean Air Cab.

 They provided the funds that allowed Clean Air Cab to obtain 30 turkeys.

 

Steve Lopez, the owner of Clean Air Cab, along with the individuals at Mesa Boys and Girls club cannot even begin to express their gratitude.

 Want to know what 30 turkeys looks like in a Prius?

so did we.... what do you think? 

Because I think that much turkey is a beautiful sight, and not just because I am a conisour of fine foods, or a meatatarian; it is because that food was donated for a good cause, for our youth, your children.

I cannot forget to mention our mascot was there.

This was Lily's first time volunteering, and as you can see...

she was exactly in her element.

Why did we chose to volunteer at the Mesa Boys and Girls Club?

because great futures start here.

interested in finding out more about this club? you can start by clicking

here.

now to the story of our service....

this is the feasting hall.

If we were vikings I would compare it to Valhalla;

but since we are not...

I will call it gym-converted-into-place-of-feasting

we were punctual. too punctual. We set up, and then forced them to give us another task

that task?

slicing pie into 200+ pieces

I doubt mass produces conveyer belts could work with the speed

or precision that we managed that night.

This is Tina.... Tina did not want her picture to be taken.

so I made sure she had a solo shot.

Tina, you deserve to be appreciated.

LOOK. Brianna's hand's are moving so swiftly, not even my hiteck

iphone could capture her movement.

I guess you could say we were SUPER-volunteers.

finally, we began the assembly line of food to be delivered to the children and their families.

People from all over the valley had come together to make this event happen.

As the families arrived and the food was laid out, it began to feel like Thanksgiving.

of course we mostly slaved away in the food area, but that is what good volunteers do right?

The lovely woman in the black shirt is Brittany. She is kind of a superstar...

especially when she hands out the turkey.

our mascot, and her lovely mommy

(who also happens to be the general manager at Clean Air Cab).

At this event, we had Clean Air Cab employees and friends alike,

joining in a cause to help the community.

When I see the hands on this sign,

I know that the future requires friendship, trust in a better tomorrow, and help from those around us.

This Thanksgiving, at Clean Air Cab, we are thankful to be part of the solution.

what are you thankful for?

Treasures 4 Teachers

Everyone talks about the problems with the education system in America, and on a more personal level, Arizona. Teachers are underpayed, budget cuts are a common occurance, and the lack of respect we have have for those who teach and inspire us is atrocious.

Here are some facts you might not have known about the education system:

On average, every year teachers in America spend $500 to $1,200 out of their own salaries on school supplies for their students, sometimes even as much as $4,000. How can students learn and become productive members of society without the basic essentials for learning like paper, pencils, and other extremely basic school supplies? In Arizona, over half of all K-8 students cannot afford lunch, much less basic educational tools and supplies.

• Students cannot succeed when they lack the basic tools for learning.
• Our school systems have shifted the burden of providing supplies to teachers.
• On average, Arizona schools budget less than .5 cents per student daily for supplies.

 This is why organizations such as Treasures 4 Teachers exists:

"To promote earth-friendly education and ensure that students and classrooms across Arizona have the tools for learning by transferring the community's surplus materials into the hands of educators and students, regardless of economic status."

Teachers are able to come here and get the supplies they need from donations by the community at an affordable price.

Teachers even had access to die-cuts and lamanation services.

the amount of goods is virtually unlimited.

If you would like to make a great find like we did, Treasures-4-Teachers is located at

1230 West Southern

suite 105

Tempe, Arizona 85282

This facility has the capacity to bring so much joy and learning to children aross Arizona.

There are knick-Knacks for projects, books, and various objects to be used for supplemental learning.

.... and there are those trinkets that are purely fun, like the make an estamation bottle.

However, this organization cannot supply itself. It is up to us to volunteer our resources and our time to put together items that teachers can use. Steve Lopez, the owner of Clean Air Cab, paired up with another member of the Green Team at Clean Air Cab to volunteer for this weeks project:

look Steve volunteering AND doing work, like a Boss- because... well.. he is the boss.

sorting bottle caps.

this bottle cap belongs to.... GRYFFINDOR!

just kidding. We sorted them by color and size; I just couldn't resist some Harry Potter humor.

Here is one of our fellow volunteerers; we would love to see more of you at opportunities like this.

interested? click here to learn how you can help with Treasures-4-Teachers. 

The work was tedious....

but the end result was well worth it.

We may have even had a little bit too much fun with bottle-cap eyes, and such. I always wanted Green eyes.....

I'm not sure exactly what beverage these caps belong to.... but the green background with a footprint on it reminded me of Clean Air Cab. We have zero carbon footprint because of the cars we use in our service and the fact that we offset emissions and plant trees. I'm going to be a little biased and say there were my favorite caps.

This is the lovely team at Treasures-4-Teachers who made it possible for us to serve.

Thank you for the opportunity!

need a list for things you could donate? just click here.

Some of you may be wondering... what exactly happens to all those bottle caps?

 Well, some of them make beautiful murals reflecting the work of great artists, like Van Gogh.

 Others become charming outdoor crafts.

  

 Or refridgerator magnets for Mother's Day...

Some, but not all, are used to teach students how to count, and how to recognize color. However, as you can see, they can also teach how to be artistic and use ingenuity. They teach our students to live responsibly, to recycle, and to respect our planet.

Why did we choose to help Treasures-4-Teachers?

Because a better Life begins with a better Education.

Clean Air Cab will be there every step of the way in order to become

 Part of the Solution.