Donating Medications

Many states have recently begun creating recycle programs for unused medications for people in need. Iowa's is below. To find your state try a search in Google for the name of your state followed by donating medication, used medication, or something along those lines.

Also below are links for donating opened medication to those in need overseas.

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The Iowa Prescription Drug Corporation, a not for profit organization
http://www.iowapdc.org/
http://www.iowapdc.org/Downloads/FAQs.pdf
http://www.iowapdc.org/Downloads/Discount%20Card%20List%20Disease%20Class%201-21-08.pdf

There are many projects that accept opened medication for use overseas. This is one that will pay the postage.

The Starfish Project
http://www.thestarfishproject.org/
http://www.thestarfishproject.org/donate.cfm
http://www.thestarfishproject.org/resources.cfm

A great resource page

http://www.thestarfishproject.org/resourcelib/file/Non-ARV%20Formulary.pdf

Another organization that accepts medicine and medical equipment

Child Family Health International
http://www.cfhi.org/recover.php4 http://www.cfhi.org/cfhi_cms/lib/htmlarea/uploaded/File/Recover_small.pdf

What Are We Doing to Stop Toxic Exposure?

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Here is an article that addresses a few studies and the amounts of toxic chemicals in people and pets.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/18/toxic-cats-and-dogs/

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Great Lakes sport fish unsafe to eat, report says

. "Many types of popular sport fish found in the Great Lakes are so heavily contaminated by industrial chemicals such as dioxins, PCBs and methyl mercury that they are unfit for human consumption ..." . Please see:
The Globe or Detroit News articles on the subject.

Preventing Plastic Suicide

Here are a few things you can do to help prevent plastic and toxic chemicals from entering our environment. There are many more things you can do as well.

Will you help? prevent plastic waste from hurting or killing your children and ancestors? Only you ( every one of us ) can make any kind headway but we need to all do it consciously and everyday. This is a serious problem and if we don't act to prevent it, all of our future children will suffer, and we all must do it together and do it now and every day!


"1.) Bring your own cloth or recycled grocery bags to the store.
2.) Keep litter, leaves, and debris out of street gutters and storm drains.
3.) Sweep sidewalks, don’t hose them.
4.) Use natural pest killers in your garden, such as ladybugs, decollate snails, or praying mantis eggs. Use pesticides sparingly.
5.) Dispose of used oil, antifreeze, paints, and other household chemicals at a hazardous waste facility, not in storm drains.
6.) Keep vehicles well maintained. Clean up spilled brake fluid, oil, grease, and antifreeze that your car might produce.
7.) Wash your car on the lawn so that the water sinks in the ground. Use environmentally friendly cleaners.
8.) Purchase household detergents and cleaners that are low in phosphorous to reduce the amount of nutrients discharged into our lakes, streams and coastal waters.
9.) Buy in bulk. Re-use when possible. Reduce consumption by avoiding excessively packaged products.
10.) HOUSEHOLD CHALLENGE: create a 100% recyclable grocery list. Imagine all of your household waste going into the recycle bin!"
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~ list taken from plasticsareforever.org - http://plasticsareforever.org/?page_id=7~

Drowning in Plastic

"Every bit of plastic ever made is still with us—and it’s wreaking havoc on the ocean" ~ Monterey County Weekly

http://www.montereycountyweekly.com/issues/Issue.06-14-2007/cover/Article.cover_story/print

How far do we need to look to find people in need?

Please read through ALL the answers in the answer section ( after you click the link scroll down a little ways to see the answers ). I think it will change your perspective on things.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/?qid=20060707070604AAzr1lB

Trash Can Treasure

Joe bent over and rummaged through a mire of stained paper, putrid cans and bottles. The cool crisp air captured his breath as he exhaled, the vapor forming small puffs that lingered in front of him. He stood for a moment and with gloved hands that sprouted bare fingers from well worn holes, he tugged the frayed collar of his fading jungle camouflage jacket tighter around his neck. Reaching in again, he shuffled more paper aside and hastily pulled a crumpled paper sack from the dumpster. Joe opened it eagerly and found the treasure he desired most. A half eaten burger and at least ten french fries, lay frozen in the bottom of the bag.

Eagerly, he pulled the sandwich from the bag. His empty stomach growled, anticipating the treasure. As he placed the bounty to his lips a slight movement caught his eye to the side of the trash bin. Lottie lay there, legs pulled tightly against herself, half covered in newspaper and cardboard. She was huddling, her arms wrapped around her knees, as she tried to keep out the cold that penetrated her soiled knit hat and torn cotton coat. She looked at him and mustered what strength she had left to smile at an old friend. Joe, despite his own stomach aching, now felt his heart ache even more knowing she was far worse off than he. Slowly he crouched beside her and brushed back the matted hair from her face. She reached up and held his arm softly with gnarled stiff fingers as he broke the food into small pieces, placing each one in her toothless mouth until the sack was empty.

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