RealTown's RealTalk

RE: Vision for America

To Lora and Lindy,

Lora you mentioned reusing the same plastic bottles and refilling them. A better solution is to get the stainless steel bottles like the Swiss made Sigg. Stainless steel doesn't hold bacteria or absorb smells etc and you can clean them and refill them. Sigg has a screw off top that can be clipped to any thing. They have them at Whole Foods hear in Chicago or sport store suppliers. We have a Brita pitcher at home and we fill them with that filtered water. We got some baby bottle cleaning brushes and that is what we use to clean them. Works great.

Lindy you mentioned that plastic bags mostly biodegrade into tiny pieces. I was listening to a program on NPR. Two science guys(can not remember their names) were talking about how that is a really bad thing. They went out on a raft they built out of recycled stuff to see this big whirlpool of garbage that is off of the coast of California(about a 1000 miles or so)in the Pacific Ocean where another Ocean current meets creating this garbage whirlpool. Which is the size of the state of Texas.
Very interesting story but getting away from my point. What happens is those bags make there way into the ocean and break down. Then small fish think it is food like plankton and eat it then the bigger fish eat it and so on up the food chain. They found that when they cut open the fish they were filled with the stuff. Now they have concerns about it being in the fat of the fish we eat. Just like the old problem with DDT. Those bags are petroleum products. Just like the the bad plastic bottles #7 If that is the wrong number I am sorry. Anyway they were saying it could be a problem. They are not sure yet if there will be health problems down the road but the gentleman said they would not eat the fish themselves. And they were pretty hungry out there. I believe they were out there for a couple of months. The research is just beginning on this. It raises concerns to me.

I am not going to say that all plastics are bad but the bag and bottle thing for sure is.
Also my father who was a firefighter said that when a house burns usually it is not the fire that kills the people it is the smoke. He also pointed out that when all those plastics burn it is toxic. So he was against codes changing here in Chicago to let piping be made out of PVC etc.
Makes you look at your Tupperware in a different light. Anyway just wanted to pass this on and put in my two cents.

Elizabeth Muscare, Broker Associate, CNE, CRS, e-PRO
Rooney Realty Ltd.
2301 W. Belmont
Chicago, IL 60618
773-281-1119 ext 106
773-751-5250 fax
773-333-0017 pager
Elizabeth@ElizabethMuscare.com
www.ElizabethMuscare.com

Interesting article;. Thanks!
Please excuse the subject change, but is anyone else agressively pursuing the unique (and really cool) campaigns that can affect real estate transactions? I've learned so much about what we can do, from incorporating energy efficiency upgrades within the standard FHA mortgage (resale homes), to offering better consultation of existing green attributes (or lack therof) during the showing process.

But, I definitely feel like the Lone Ranger out here. Tips? Experiences?

Thanks in advance!

David Balfour, RE/MAX Elite
EcoBrokerCertified®
Murfreesboro, TN 37128
www.MyAgentDavid.com