Naturally Human Nature

Few years ago, I read about an ingredient in shampoos and soaps that is harmful to the human body.  This ingredient, sodium lauryl sulfate, makes the lather in shampoos and soaps.  Since that time, I tried finding other shampoos that does not have this ingredient.  Unfortunately, all of the shampoos I've looked into have it.

But last year, I was introduced to  a company that manufactures natural/ organic beauty products.  During the Mindanao Bloggers Summit 2012, one of the speakers, Ms. Anna Oposa, talked about her being an ambassador of the Human Heart Nature company, being an advocate for sustainable lifestyle.  So, when I got home, I checked the website of Human Heart Nature. 

After reading their profile, I fell in love with the company.   :-)

So, I ordered one shampoo and body wash (2-in-1 kind of shampoo).  Just to try how their product works on me.   I was satisfied with the shampoo.  As well as with the body wash.  So, I ordered other products - conditioner, another kind of shampoo, toner and lip balm.  I now use the shampoo and body wash as a body wash only, hehehe.   I am not the type who wears lipstick or even lip gloss or lip balm because it dries my lips.  So ironic, isn't it?  So, I don't really use them, unless necessary.  But when I tried the Human Nature's lip balm, I was really amazed that it didn't dry my lips.  By the way, I ordered the Choco Fudge flavor, hehehe.  And with the Human Nature toner, my face don't anymore feel itchy. 

 The first bottle I ordered has the rosemary scent.  I like the peppermint better.

 I also tried their moisturizing shampoo (no body wash).  I like this better than the strengthening shampoo. :-)  

 I have finally found the toner that really suits the skin on my face.  After using it for a few weeks, one time I intentionally did not put toner on my face.  Just to check its effect.  I was amazed to know that without the toner, my face didn't feel itchy.  Unlike the Eskinol toner that I have been using before.   So, I will have to stick to this one.  Love it!

The choco fudge lip balm.  I like it better than the other lip balms or lip gloss I've used before.  With the other lip balms, my lips would get dry and flaky and to the point that my skin would peel.  Which is painful.  With this one, it doesn't anymore. 

This is the box that contained my orders.  :-)

Now, I have four reasons to like Human Nature products and to continue using them.   

1.  Pro-Philippines -  as much as possible, they see to it that the raw materials they use for their products are or can be produced in the Philippines.  So, they don't anymore have to import them.  This is helping the Philippine economy.

2.   Pro-Poor   -  they prioritize in employing those in the Gawad Kalinga villages.   They help generate employment in the Philippines.

3.   Pro-Environment   -  since their products are all natural, it doesn't harm the environment.  

4.   I am satisfied with the products that I have used so far.   By using natural products, I am able to lessen body contact with harmful chemicals.   This is my way of helping the environment.  Another one of my take on sustainable lifestyle.  :-D

I again made another order just this week. I will be receiving it tomorrow.  I am going to try their other products like the lotion, deodorant, facial wash and shaving oil (for my husband, hehe).   :-)  

Earth Hour : An Irony?

From 8:30 to 9:30 tonight, the world celebrated Earth Hour.  Earth Hour is scheduled on the last Saturday of every March.  This activity started in 2007 in Australia and became global a year after with millions participating from different parts of the world.  Earth Hour aims to create awareness on the effects of climate change and and to help save the environment from pollution, particularly carbon emission. 

So, during Earth Hour, people from all over the world switch off their lights - house and commercial establishments - to show support in saving the environment.  And in turn, candles are burned to light up the area.

Some photos (below) I got from the different websites show people participating Earth Hour.   More than a hundred countries is already participating in this activity.

(Image Source : http://www.wwf.org.ph/earthhour/2012/02/earth-hour-2012-dares-pinoys-to-save-the-planet/)

(Image Source : http://www.mindanews.com/photo-of-the-day/2011/03/27/earth-hour/)

(Image Source : http://bicoltoday.com/?p=5172)

(Image Source : http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Earth+Hour+circles+globe/4509335/story.html)

The Earth Hour activity is really a good move to help create awareness in saving the environment.  However, I found, the way it is celebrated, to be a bit ironic.  You switch off the lights (bulbs or tubes) and replace it with candles, lots of candles.  And I find this ironic, because candles also have carbon emissions.  According to Stubborn Mule,  a small candle lighted in an hour burns at least 2.5 grams of candlewax which contains about 2 grams of carbon that produces 7 grams of carbon emissions.  Burning candles could be acceptable if you would only light 1 or 2 in an area.  However, based on the photos above, so many candles in total are being burned by participants in every area.  If hundreds of millions participated during Earth Hour, then assuming we have a one-is-to-one ratio of person to candle, people who participated in Earth Hour using candles would have already burned hundreds of millions of candles too.  Now, I don't think that would help the environment.

Since Earth Hour's celebration became global, I never had once participated in it.  Well, I think I don't need to.  It's only one hour.  While what I practice already at home is more than an hour.  In 2009, me and my husband changed all our fluorescent tubes and incandescent bulbs at home to compact fluorescent lamps (CFL).  From 40 watts and 20 watts lights, we now use only 10 watts and 5 watts.  Aside from helping the environment, we definitely saved on our electricity bills - 50% decrease!  And in 2010, we bought 2 LED bulbs, 5 watts and 3 watts, to replace two 10 watts CFL.  We have two 5-watt bulb in our bedroom.  The second bulb is only switched-on when there is a need to read something.  So, basically, we only use a 5-watt bulb (LED) in our bedroom at night.  In the office at work, I turn off my monitor whenever I would not be using my computer for at least 15 minutes.

For Iligan City, if the people, most particularly the government officials, are serious in helping the environment, I suggest they do the following :

1.  Be sure to switch off the street lights during the day.   It definitely is useless to leave it switched on.  

2.  Replace sodium bulb and mercury bulb street lights with LED street light. A comparison between sodium bulb and LED lamp street lights in terms of cost and carbon emissions can be found here.

3.  Replace all fluorescent tubes and incandescent bulbs with CFL or LED in all government offices. 

4.  Redesign existing government buildings (like the city hall) that would allow natural light to enter the building during daytime so that only a minimal number of light bulbs will be needed. 

5.  Redesign electrical wiring lay-out so that separate switches would be used for lights in different areas.  This way, when only one employee is in the office, the lights in his office area will only be the one switched on.   At present, and what has been used for many years, there is only one or two switches in an office.  Thereby having the all the lights turned-on even when only an area of the office is in use.

6.  Remove all TV appliances in government offices.  They definitely are not necessary.  And it only becomes another factor for employees to not be doing their work.  

So far this is what I can think of.  With these, aside from helping the environment, it would greatly save a lot on electricity cost.  And the savings on electric bill by the government can be used to implement other important programs. 

And by the way, this year's Earth Hour challenge theme is "I Will If You Will".  Well, I don't buy this.   For me it should be  "To Save the Earth, I am Doing This.  What About You?".  And my philosophy is "I will do this even if you will not".   Because when one does some good things beneficial to the environment without waiting for the others to do something, and if everyone will have the same philosophy, then the Earth would be a better and cleaner place to live in.  :-) 

PS.  As the people around the world are celebrating Earth Hour, I am writing this blogpost with only a 5-watt LED bulb switched on in my room and a 5-watt CFL lamp in the porch switched on till morning.  By the way, the LED bulbs we bought last 2010 are still not yet replaced, and it's already almost 2 years.  :-D

Youth of Today : Your Time to Shine

I have lived in Iligan City all my life. 37 years.  And as the years went on, there is one problem in the community that until now have not yet been really fully acted upon.  Maybe a few attempts but was never really sustained.  Guess what this problem is?

GARBAGE.

There are piled and days-old garbage on the streets and other open places in the city.  Plus the open dump site located at Barangay Santiago is just within the vicinity of the residential area.   The garbage can be found not only on land but also in the creeks and rivers.  The drainage system in the city streets have been clogged with garbage particularly plastics. 

Improper disposal of garbage poses three problems :

1.   The garbage is an eyesore.  The city definitely is not clean to look at.
2.   Air Pollution.   The foul smell of the wastes in the open dump site can reach even to the neighboring barangays, as far as 1 kilometer.  
3.   Damage to the environment and the marine life.  This, I think, is the biggest effect of improper garbage disposal because it not only affects the people in the community but also the animals and nature itself.  And when nature strikes back, everything else is affected.

So what do I do with this?

Well, I have my own share of proper garbage disposal implemented at home.  And I don't throw away my garbage in the streets.  If every individual will do his share of practicing proper disposal of his garbage, we could probably see a change.

But Iligan City is already a big city.   With a 300,000 plus population.  I think not all could practice proper disposal of waste.   Even the city government is having difficulty in implementing proper garbage disposal.  Without the help of every citizen in the community, this problem could not be solved.

Then what do we do about it?

Individuals have to form groups in order to implement a project.  And I think the biggest bulk of the population is the youth.  It's probably high time that the youth of Iligan City come together and make a difference in helping solve issues in the community today.  I chose the youth for they are high spirited, idealistic.  They could easily brainstorm on ideas.  And not only that.  They are very active.  When they have ideas, I know they also want their ideas transform into reality.  The youth today are pro-active individuals.   Just like how they helped in the relief operations to the victims of Typhoon Sendong.   The volunteers are mostly from the youth sector.  Gone are the days of rallies and demonstrations .   If the youth were able to do it with Sendong, then they could also do it with Garbage.   :-)

Through the Iligan Bloggers Society, Inc.,  I came across a program of UNILAB called Unilab Ideas Positive.  They are now on their third year and this time, they will hold it nationwide.  So, Mindanao is already included and that means Iligan City too.  Yehey!  They have gone nationwide because changing one community alone could not change the Philippines.  The change has to be in every community.  

Unilab Ideas Positive is a social marketing clinic and competition-in-one.  The program provides a venue for college students to share their innovative and sustainable ideas which will help address the health and wellness concerns of the community.  Not only that.  The students also get to implement their ideas!  Isn't that great?

From among the entries nationwide, fifteen (15) teams will be chosen, three (3) teams each from Metro Manila, South Luzon, North Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

Unilab Ideas Positive will provide the 15 teams with a 3-day social marketing boot-camp where they can learn and understand social marketing approaches and a seed money worth P100,000.00 (each team) to help them implement their social marketing program within 6 months.  Wow. This sure is a chance of a lifetime.   Aside from these, 3 teams will be chosen as winners.  The Grand Prize winner will receive among others a P50,000.00 cash prize for the groups members and P10,000.00 honorarium for the group mentor/faculty coach.  By the way, did I mention that a team will be composed only of 5 members?  If your team gets to win the Grand Prize, you will each have P10,000.00 on top of the other prizes.   For the mechanics on how to join this competition is here.

Hmmm.. If only I am still in college, I would definitely join the Unilab Positive Ideas competition.

But, for me though, the prizes at stake are only secondary.  What's more important is the youth's willingness and eagerness to make a positive change in their community.   As Dr. Jose Rizal have once said, "Ang kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan." (The youth is the hope of the country.)  Now, it's high time for the youth of today to make truth into what Rizal said.

To the youth of Iligan, let's make Iligan City a better place not only for the visitors, but for us, the residents.  :-)

"Interested college students can join by teaming up and registering at www.unilabideaspositive.com. Deadline for submission of entries is on April 16."

My Take on Sustainable Lifestyle

I have always liked to do things that could lessen the impact on the environment.

http://www.recyclereminders.com/safety-signs/recycling-signs-labels/recycle-sign/saf-sku-s-2986.aspx

I have from time to time, reuse plastic bags I get from groceries and wet markets.  I do my best to dispose of the kitchen wastes properly.   But I never to do it consistently for the past years.   I still make lapses.  Maybe due to tiredness. 

However, after the Mindanao Bloggers Summit 2011 was conducted last month here in Iligan City organized by Iligan Bloggers Society, Inc., I felt I now have the obligation to really do my share in helping protect the environment. 

For a start, Pat and I, have, I think 2 years ago, replaced all our fluorescent tubes (40 and 20 watts) with the compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) in 5 watts to 10 watts only.   Aside from being eco-friendly, we have definitely saved a lot on electric bills.     :-)

I have already consistently segregated the non-biodegrable from biodegrable wastes.  I will find time in December to build a compost pit in our backyard so that I won't have to put the biodegrable wastes in the garbage truck. 

I'll get serious with my gardening.  I will consistently take care of the plants I planted in the pots.  The pepper (atsal).   The tomatoes.  The eggplant.  As well as the flowers. And I'll add more.  I've always wanted to have herbs in a pot.  I prefer to use fresh herbs than the dried ones.

I am yet to start using cloth bags, instead of plastic bags, to put the things I buy in the market.  I always forget to bring one along...hehehe

Learn to find ways of making use of the old things at home which are taking up spaces.   For one, my sister and I will make a project of reusing Pat's torn pants into sling bags.  I have kept, I think, about 6 pants.  We will start this project in December.  

I sell tissue paper in the office.  I have found some articles in the internet on how to reuse the cardboard that holds the tissue in a roll.  I will then start collecting these cardboards and make good use of it. 

Me and the IBS members will be doing a tree growing project next month.  We are supposed to do this before the summit.  But with the hectic preparation for the summit, our time could not permit it.  So, we have scheduled it in December, together with the Masonic brothers of Pat.  We intend to maintain it till the trees grow big.

I have to again take care of my eating habits and the food I eat.  But, I have to say, I have not anymore used monosodium glutamate (MSG) in the food I cook for six years now.  I only get to consume MSG whenever I eat out.  And I have not drunk softdrinks, iced teas and juices for many years also. 

Have to get back to exercising again.  I used to dance for an hour every weekend.  But with the new routine I have during weekends, I forgot to dance.   I'll have to make time again to keep in shape.

I will continue to blog about my take on sustainable lifestyle so that I will have kind of a monitoring on how far I am in my quest to a sustainable lifestyle.  :-)