Your Questions About Green Living

Do You Like This New “Hipster” Trend?

To sum it all up in a basic sense, a “Hipster” is a witty smartass who is against anything popular or mainstream. As far as style goes, it usually consist of plaid, certain glasses, side-swept hair, tight jeans, and converse or some type of non-label clothing. Small assets to the Hipster personality is usually drinking a lot of coffee, listening to bands no ones heard of, hating bands that everyones heard of, being sarcastic and smart, riding bicycles instead of driving, some are eco–friendly, most are very skinny.

If you disagree with the above, then go fuck yourself.

What do you think of the new trend?

BQ: Is this where all the “Emo” kids went when they got to college?
http://www.wikihow.com/Be-a-Hipster

Leather and a hybrid don’t get along?

This is not a question. I’m just letting all you greenies out there to know that leather is very bad for the environment. Cattle as you may know emit methane, which is like over 20 times more toxic than carbon dioxide. Millions of tons of grain are fed to cattle. Pesticides are constantly sprayed on crops to feed the cows. And transport trucks for transporting the food and the cows themselves to slaughterhouses are big polluters. Also pesticides are constantly tested on animals (rats, rabbits, dogs, fish, and more) every day. As more animals die, the laboratory people order more animals, which causes pollution. If any of you own a hyrid or any car or piece of clothing in general that is made of leather, please think about the animals and the environment. Fabric is 100% more eco–friendly than leather and billions of gallons of water would be saved if “green” people or people in general switched to buying products other than leather and fur. Thank you.
Also, if you buy leather or fur, you are encouraging the company to order more leather and fur. More animals would be killed and methane emited and so on. Don’t buy them, please!

What do you think of this so far?

Here is a part of chapter one of one of my books that I have just started writing today.
The prologue:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AmSOb3c9GENj1k2YCGtN6.nsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20110121181349AAE1rw0

This chapter isn’t finished and it’s just a draft.

Pain strikes through my body as I slip on the wet concrete floor, seeing the warning sign only now. My cheeks redden as my butt hits the ground and I blank out for a second or two, confused. Looking around me, I hear the laughter erupt from the food court. Basically every pair of eyes is on me, some filled with sympathy, others a pang of jealousy while more people have a hideous amount of amusement on their faces.
Hearing the thud of footsteps, a sturdy hand is reached out, the person wanting me to take it. Gazing upward, I gape. This can’t be happening! August, one of the most cutest, caring but dorky guys that was in my year raises an eyebrow, his arm just hanging in front of him.
Taking his hand, hoping that I am not too heavy, I feel the weight of him pulling me up. Positioning my feet steadily on the dampened ground, I look around the mall to be relieved that only a few people are still interested. The crowd has left just as quickly as if they had just finished watching a dumb movie. “Are you alright?” August’s corn-silk hair falls perfectly just shy of his neck, covering only the tips of his ears. There’s no doubt that my friend and I check him out from time to time but for me, I have a different guy on my mind.
August’s parents were hippies back in the day, and I guess you can say that they still are. His Dad has waist-long wavy brown hair and wears tie-dye t-shirts, he works in an eco–friendly business along with his wife. “Um, yeah, I’m fine,” my face grows hotter by the second. He smiles, nodding thoughtfully and crosses his arms against his peace sign cotton shirt. His parents only allow him to wear colourful, hippie style clothing. I can’t say that I hate the way he dresses but August doesn’t care what people are thinking about him, even if it’s good things.
“That’s good,” he shifts to his other leg, careful not to step on his flared light blue jeans and he has to take a step.
“Yeah,” I say checking my phone to play time, then meeting his gaze. “Well, I-I should get going,” he nods. “I’m in kinda a hurry.”
As if seeing my hurried lie, he says, “OK,” and looks away, scratching his arm. “I’ll see you around, maybe.”
Nodding, I leave and smile briefly to myself. there’s no doubt in stating that it was awkward, but his lack of failing to look cute made me forget about the embarrassing incident that happened before hand. Rushing to Mandy’s Mother’s car, I apologise for being late and hope that her Mother isn’t too angry with me. I’m usually late when it involves my best friend’s Mum. It’s as if I have some unknown thing against her.
Mandy just smiles at me as she tells her Mum for probably the seven billions times as to where Quinn lives. I’ve been friends with Mandy since we were six, and have been hanging out with Mandy, Quinn and the gang since the end of tenth grade. Ms. Rhine grunts when Mandy tells her where, “That driveway is so hard to get into. Can she wait outside?”
“She is, Mum.” Mandy and I smile, knowing that Quinn always waits outside her gate ever since Ms. Rhine’s car smashed into the neighbour’s fence.

Essay about educational and career goals. Can you read and correct my essay, please?

The instruction is for me to write a 500 word essay outlining my career and educational goals, and my choice of a certain degree program.

ESSAY:

My life-long career goal is to become a physical therapist, someone capable of restoring, maintaining, and promoting overall fitness and health in accident victims and individuals with disabling conditions. While my educational goal is aimed at studying to become a physical therapist, I would also like to express my passion for science (especially biology) and computers. I plan to, first, obtain a bachelor’s degree in biotechnology, and then enter and succeed in a refined physical therapy programme. I may even want to make use of my bachelor’s degree and work in a laboratory before studying towards obtaining a degree in physical therapy. It would be a worthwhile experience and broaden my horizons so that I will not be limited to just one career.

I chose biotechnology because it utilizes the sciences of biology, chemistry, physics, engineering computers and information technology to develop tools and products that hold great promise and concern. It has made a great impact on medicine, the environment, edibles, clothing and agriculture, and with its advances, we are on the path of a wonderful journey.

Biotechnology has enabled humans to expand their understanding of the biosphere by journeying into space and exploring the depths of the ocean. We have not only been able to look at the surrounding universe and the depths below with the advancement of tools and techniques, but we also have been able to live there. Organisms that can be used to control or cure certain diseases can be genetically modified and High Yielding Variety (HYV) seeds have been developed due to biotechnology. With newer discoveries in this field, better and more eco–friendly fertilizers, manures, pesticides, weedicides and insecticides are being developed. Biotechnology can show us the way to a new, renewable source of energy!

I chose physical therapy because it also utilizes biology, chemistry and physics. It is through that programme, I can be in a profession where I will not have to sit at the desk all day and have the chance to make meaningful differences in the lives of people. Physical therapists get to interact with their patients one-on-one, helping them stretch and do a variety of therapy exercises. They teach people how to walk and use their bodies again, cope with a chronic disease such as multiple sclerosis, and reduce pain.

Jobs are available to physical therapists in a variety of health-care settings, including hospitals, rehabilitation centers, home health care and private practices. Physical therapists are in demand as people are getting older and physical disabilities are increasing. Also, physical therapists earn a good salary. This will make it easy for me to get a job that pays well by the time I complete my studies.

[445 words]

I’m considering making the switch to cloth diapers for my 6 month old son- pro’s vs. con’s? maybe a web-link?

I’ve always thought I might prefer cloth diapers to disposable.
But where I live, disposable is the “norm” (I don’t know anyone who cloth diapers) so I never really put as much consideration as I wish I would have.

This past couple months I’ve been thinking about making the switch, I’ve done alittle reading, though not nearly enough to make an informed decision. It doesn’t help that since I don’t know anything about cloth diapering to begin with, I feel clueless as to how it works.
I’m having trouble finding a good website for information on cloth diapering vs. disposable, so if someone could provide a link, that would be much appreciated.

In all honesties, my reason for wanting to cloth diaper is really rather silly: I think that they look cuter than disposable diapers.

Besides that, I’m not a very eco–friendly person. I do take public transportation and I recycle when given the opportunity but that’s about it.
I will admit, these past 5 1/2 months, I feel alittle guilty everytime I throw my son’s diaper in the trash because I know that’s just going to take forever to decompose. Its the same guilty feeling I get when I throw away styrofoam cups.

It wasn’t until I started doing some reading that I found out there could be other benefits.
Is it true that cloth diapers retain the feeling of “wetness” more than disposables and can sometimes help in the potty training process?
(I know that’s a couple years off, but it would be a nice factor to help me convince my hubby to make the switch.)

How about when you’re out in public?
When at home I imagine you could just put the dirty cloth diapers in a plastic bin outside your back door, but when out in public, what do you do? Do you use disposable when out or do you carry the dirty diaper around with you?

How about how clothing fits? Is it true that cloth diapers are more bulky than disposable? does this make it difficult to snap the crotch of onesies or put pants on your infant?

My husband is not at all interested in cloth diapering. Apparently his mother tried it with him and had nothing but bad things to say about it. So I will need to find some arguement to help my case when I ask my husband to make the switch.

I’m unsure the financial difference- and that would be a major factor in our decision to switch or not to switch.

Another major factor: we don’t currently have a washer and drier, and instead use the laundrymat on weekends. There are cloth diapering services in our area, though I’m unsure how those work or what the costs are.
We will most likely have our own washer and drier when we move to Korea in January. (my husband is military)

So if anyone has any personal experience with cloth vs. disposable diapers, please let me know.