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The Products I Still Have Today

Amthrax — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 03:39:14 +0000

I suspect many former IBOs have had such a bad experience with their System that when they leave the business, they want to have nothing to do with Amway/Quixtar, even if they may have liked the products. Count me as one of those people, but I'm not stupid to throw away everything. Tools were an easy choice because their value became zero upon leaving the business. Everything I kept continues to hold value for me to this day.

Without further ado, here's a list of things I still have from my time in the Amway/Quixtar business:

Amway Queen Cookware: I must say that the cookware lasts a long-time and continues to work very well. It is very pricey, however, and I don't know how it compares to the mid-range to high-end cookware you can get outside of the business.
Amway/Rubbermaid Food Containers: These are great for storing dried goods in the cupboard and food to be frozen or refrigerated in the fridge. The only downside is that you can't use the tops in the microwave. They provide a couple microwaveable tops, but I'm constantly misplacing them, so I usually just put a paper towel or saran wrap on top.
Amway/Wedgewood Plates: The plates I continue to use the most often. One of them has a chip on it, but otherwise, they're fine.
Amway/Oneida Flatware: The quality of the forks, spoons, and knives is pretty high. We've had no problems with them, and they look like they'll last for many more years.
Amway Cooking Knife Set: The paring knife and 6-inch knife have chips on them, which have reduced their effectiveness over the years. The bread knife still functions well. I haven't used the larger 8-inch knife all that much. I have another knife set from J.A. Henckels which I've been using more and more lately.
Oreck Vacuum Cleaner: Probably my worst purchasing decision from the business. I'm constantly having to clean out the rollers of hair and other debris. I need to replace this with a Dyson.
Whiteboard and stand: Repurposed from showing the plan, the whiteboard now holds my weekly to do list.

Evidently, my kitchen is still stocked with a lot of product! It's interesting to note, however, that many of them were produced in partnership with an well-known outside company like Oneida, Wedgewood or Rubbermaid. For water filtration, I use a Brita filter instead of the Amway one (the product before the eSpring). Finally, I get my snacks, personal hygiene products, cleaning supplies, vitamins and other consumables from CostCo or the supermarket.

Ex-IBOs, do you have anything left from the product side of the business?

A Brief Visit to the World of Todd P

Monica — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 20:25:48 +0000

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Crystal Antlers at the Yard, July 2008"][/caption]

Greetings from Brooklyn!

Several years ago, I was wandering around Williamsburg when I found a crude, photocopied flyer that lead me to an all-day festival of underground music held in a parking lot. I hardly remember the bands except for the Rogers Sisters but all of the bands were pretty intense and edgy and the crowd was thoroughly stoked. So, what was this scene? The show wasn’t advertised ... you had to be in the know. And efforts to find out more were less than successful. A year or so later, I read something about parking lot shows and some guy named Todd P aka Todd Patrick who produces them. And, he’s got a mailing list and a website. And in 2008, this mystery ain’t a mystery anymore. *Very* middle-aged and cranky, I’m *very* selective about shows. When I heard a week or two ago that Brooklyn’s own Oneida were playing an all-day Todd P fest on July 12, only six blocks from my house at the former home of the Issue Project Room, I couldn’t resist. The venue is next to the Gowanus Canal on the grounds of a former cement factory

As I crossed the Canal and entering The Yard, I heard the Knyfe Hyts who I’d characterize as stoner death metal. The next band made more of an impression. The Crystal Antlers are from L.A. and they play a fairly unique kind of heavy psychedelic metal rock with some lyrical pop elements. The lead singer has a pretty likeable voice but the best part was their overall live act. The percussionist just played a set of cymbals but he played those cymbals as if he was having the grandest day of his life. Check them out—A Thousand Eyes is an especially catchy mix of the heavy and the pop. There are a few videos from the show on YouTube. Here's one ... The last band I heard that I liked as much was Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound, also from Cali and also most pleasantly heavy.

Some of the other bands were twitchy neo-no-wave or neo-new-wave and my other-half and I split for a few hours returning in time for Oneida’s triumphant headlining set. How many other bands are largely instrumental and so beloved? It’s the mix of the groove and the drone. Everyone got down ... Krautrock lives! Viva Damo!

Orgy of loneliness

truthwalker — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:38:10 +0000

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Beautiful, isn't it."][/caption]

I am often accused of being controversial for the fun of it. Sometimes, I am. However, often as not, I am just writing from the heart and my heart is, I guess, full of controversy. If you are so offended by controversy that you cannot read something controversial to the end, please don't read this, because I don't want to deal with the questions and responses of people who only read half. Also, if you don't want to know about what I was thinking and doing in regards to sex when I was a teen, again, stop reading, because I am going to be totally honest.

I began looking at online pornography around the age of 12 or so. Pornography is a available with many themes, and one that intrigued me was orgy themed pornography. Orgy is a French loan word, which came to France via the Latin orgia, meaning secret rites or secret revels. (For the not so literate, a revel is big party.) The idea here is a big party where secret rites are practiced. I'm not clear on the etymology (story of the meaning of a word) but orgy came in English to almost exclusively mean "a bunch of people having sex with each other all at once".

I wasn't only attracted to the representation of orgy in pornography, I was attracted to the very idea of it, the concept of it. This concerned me. As a young teen growing up in a very stereotypically Christian environment I had (obviously) the attendent sexual obsession, but also the attendent homophobia. Half the people at an orgy were male. Though the men at an orgy were having sex with women, to be in a room where other men were having sex, even with women, seemed gay. Homosexuality held absolutely no appeal whatsoever, but orgies seemed appealing. I struggled to answer why.

Around the same time, I took an interest in cults. I read everything I could get my hands on about cults, particularly ones that included sexual deviancy. I think I did this because I considered the my desire for pornography, masturbation, sex, and particularly orgy to be a sin in and off it self. (A position, I might add, that the church agrees with.) To look at porn and to masturbate were, in my mind, bad enough. That I desired to do these things and to have sex with my female friends, and particularly desired to be having sex in a room full of other people having sex, was appalling to me. I felt incredibly ashamed. So, I guess it was natural that I looked for a group of people where everyone was like me, where my desires were not a deviancy to be ashamed off, but a communal value, perhaps, even a virtue.

When I discovered the record of the Oneida Community, it seemed that I had discovered paradise. The Oneida Community was group of "Bible Communists" who lived in upstate New York. They believed a lot fascinating things, but the ones of note here are their sexual practices. Unlike many cults which have achieved infamy for their sexual oddity, the Oneida's were not primary a "sex cult", they were a real religious group which positively effected the world around them. It just so happened they had some unique sexual practices.

The foundation of these practices, was called Complex Marriage. Complex marriage was a theory. In theory, every one in the commune was married to everyone else in the commune. Everyone shared in parenting. Sex was seen as both physical and spiritual. They saw nothing sinful in sex as long it was practiced in their unique way. They were not unaware of the procreative aspects of sex, and this figured into their social norms. They considered the ability to prevent ejaculation as spiritual discipline. For this reason, young men were paired with post-menopausal women until they had mastered this control. Men and women who were capable of prolonged and mutually enjoyable sexual encounters were considered spiritually mature. Immature believers were paired with them until they learned the lessons, at which point they would also begin to rotate through the commune to spread "love". Each member had about 3 pairings a week. All children were planned, wanted, and raised by all.

To me this sounded like the most wonderful state of human affairs on earth. Of course, it didn't last. The values got corrupted and church leaders got the most nubile and young with whom they were not "spiritually disciplined" and had many babies, not all of which were wanted by the whole community. Aside becoming selfish lovers, they also became selfish about those lovers. Demanding that the laity share, the clergy refused to share their treasured few.

When I was 18, and looking to move out, I looked at several "swingers' clubs". For the naive among you, a swingers club is often much more than a place where people interested in anonymous sex can meet (that's what singles bars are for). Swinger's clubs have rules. Often everyone gets together once a week. In some clubs you can't refuse anyone who asks, in others, there are certain formalities of asking. Some clubs require that sex take place in front of all other guests. Some require that it does not. The point is, all of them have certain rules and methods of operation to prevent a sex cult from forming. By "cult" I mean they struggle to make sure that everyone relates as equals, and no one had undo force on any other person, to ensure total consent.

None of them were attractive, and coming to undertand why helped me put two and two together. The reason that orgy themed pornagraphy had interested me in spite of myself, the reason that the Oneida Community had seemed to call to me so much, the reason that the swingers clubs had so little appeal, was all the same: What I wanted was the intimacy. The reason that orgy as a lifestyle intrigued me was the idea of being so loved. To love a community of people, so much, and have that love be returned, to love the women so much that I could make love to any of them, and to love the men so much that I would share the women I loved with them was what I wanted... In short, I wanted to be loved. Not just by an individual, but loved by a whole group.

I wanted it, but I was a conservative Christian. To me to turn my back on the values of Christianity was a death sentenence. Once I even took one step on that road, the full consequences would be taken. I didn't really want to get into some freaky sex, I wanted to be loved. I wanted, however, a love the church could not give me. The church cannot love you for who you are, since you are at worst a sinner and at best a "saint who sins". If who you are isn't spiritual, then loving that part of you is sin. They can love the part of you that prays, but not the part that works on trucks. However if you pray and evanglize, then they can love the part of you that prays as well as the part of you that works for a living. They must love you because Jesus does. I didn't want to be loved out of duty or obligation, I wanted to be loved because I was unique and special. My love of science is as much a part of who I am as my love of my wife and daughter. I wanted to belong to a community that loved ALL of me, not just the spiritual parts.

As many of you know, when I was 18 I very seriously considered going to Philadelphia and starting a sex cult. I never thought that this would be right or healthy. In fact, even as I considered it, I thought that it would be corrosive to my very soul. Ethylene glycol was an early antifreeze. It is so like sugar that it even tastes sweet. It brakes down into the blood just like sugar, cell by cell. Then it goes to fuel the muscles just like sugar. Then it metabolizes into poison, this poison is filtered out by the kidneys. They stop working, and you die. Sex is so like real intimacy that its easy to confuse the two. Then at some critical point in your life where you need intimacy to make it, all you have is sex, and a part of you dies. I knew thats what would happen to me. But I was so desperately lonely and hungry to be loved by a community of people, that I almost accepted the second best to nothing at all. I didn't care about the personal cost, I just wanted to be wanted, not because Jesus said so, but purely because of what I have to offer.

I didn't go start a sex cult, I tried, instead, another avenue. I thought maybe I should go into "ministry". I went to bible college, I tried campus groups, eventually, I even joined a wild eyed charismatic church who talked big about the coming revolution and change at any cost. Let me make clear here. My point is NOT is not about sex. My point is that I was so desperate to be loved by a group of people that I would have used sex. I would have done anything, I would have even given my life. And so desperate was this desire, that knowing full well I counldn't get it with sex, I was almost willing to to use sex just to feel like I had it when I did not.

None of it worked. No mater what I did, I couldn't be loved for what I have to offer, I had to be loved for who I knew, Jesus. I couldn't be loved for what I could do right now, I had to be loved for what I could do in some distant future. And finally, and most painfully of all, I could not be loved for what I loved (science, skeptisicm, and rationality). The community that I wanted so much was not available in the chuch.

Of late, I have been spending a lot of time in the company of athiests, agnostics, and skeptics. For the first time in my life, I am loved by a group not because I am pimping Christ, not out of duty, and not because I have potential. I am loved for what I am, and greatest of all, the things that are most important to me: critcal thought, freedom, and truth, are something that people admire about me instead of tolerate. That which I am, is loved and respected instead of channeled into things which "support the cause".

The desire that I have had since adolesnce to be loved by a group for who I am is finally fufilled. The Oneida Ideal suddenly has no appeal for me as I get what I need from people who respect me. I don't to compromise who I am to be loved, I can simply be myself and people seek me out. That which the church denied to me for 25 years I have found in the rebels of the church. I have that "one thing" and I won't ever go back.

All in the Family with the Oneida Dentist

greenbaydentist — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 15:40:28 +0000

A perfect situation is when your dentist knows what to do for each person in the family. He needs to be able to do the right thing for mother and father as well as the kids. Grandparents too. The Oneida dentist is blessed with the skills and would use his sound judgment to make the right call every time.

It might be that your kid's teeth have gone crooked. If you want them fixed, the Oneida dentist would be able to install some invisible, Invisalign braces.

Then you have dad wanting to repair his chipped tooth. Or if mom needs to whiten yellowed teeth, a Oneida dentist would have no hesitation in installing some veneers to cover up any chipped teeth and make them look whiter.

And if grandma and grandpa need dentures, a crown or a bridge, the Oneida dentist knows how to use implants to treat you in a number of ways.

Your whole family is well served.

I enjoy blogging. And the enjoyment is doubled when you have interesting things to discuss in your blog. I find an Oneida dental office quite appealing. Since I am an insider, I can get the lowdown on the most recent techniques and methods that dentists I know are doing now. As soon as I learn about these innovations I go and talk about them in my blog so that I can update you. Go and have a look at my blog CosmeticDentistInGreenBay.org. And benefit from my friends in dentistry who can give you an offer you can't resist - a $59 consultation that includes X-rays in some cases and cleanings. I highly recommend you to stop by and benefit from the information you can find there. And I will have a new post here before long.

New York's Alright, If You Like Saxophones

salsaandchips — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 04:25:58 +0000

It's funny, for all the shows that come through New York, especially Williamsburg and Green Point, I feel like there's never anything I really want to go to. Maybe its because some of the bands that I really like don't play NYC because its too big of a market, and the bands that are big enough to play here play really big venues so that's not fun either. Then, all of a sudden, there's a weekend like this that just can't be denied. I've counted 9 shows this weekend that I'd like to be at. I'll probably make 3, maybe 4, but 9 shows.

This is the weekend I've been waiting for. Beautiful summer weather. Long days. Enough money in my bank account that I can afford to spend like $25 on drinking. I've got one of my favorite bands playing a reunion show that I haven't seen in almost 5 years (Hot Water Music). I've got a couple bands that I'm really stoked on right now (No Age, Crystal Antlers) coming through. I've got some old favorites (Dillinger Four, Alkaline Trio, Circle Jerks) coming through. I've got my buddies Phil and Sean in town for the F Yeah Fest. I've got two amazing free, outdoor shows (No Age at Southstreet Seaport and The Breeders at McCarren Pool).

Needless to say, I'm amped. So amped that I made a spreadsheet schedule and a playlist to get everybody stoked on this weekend.

If you're wondering where I'll be...

Friday night I'm going to try and make the No Age show, but we'll see what happens. Saturday I'll be at F Yeah Fest until 945 then I'm going over to Terminal 5 to catch Hot Water Music, then its down to Pianos for the F Yeah Fest after party. Sunday I'll probably catch the F Yeah Fest in Brooklyn. Chances are I'll be too hungover for anything else.

Click on the image below to open a big fancy one...

You can check out the schedule I've put together below, and click here to listen to the playlist.

Have a stellar weekend.

BEST SHOW WEEKEND EVER IN BROOKLYN!

jenchoi — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:33:18 +0000

All of your wildest dreams have come true: IT'S THE BEST SHOW WEEKEND EVER!

As we nurse our hang overs and mop up mysterious puddles of "stuff" off our kitchen floors, let's take time to peer into the future and prepare ourselves for Brooklyn, July 12th-13th.

Just when you thought Allston for our nation's birthday was nuts, check this out:

Saturday July 12th -NOON- @ THE YARD

:: MID SUMMER OUTDOOR PARTY
:: in conjunction w/ Impose & Crashin' In
:: 2 stages!

: ONEIDA
:: HIGH PLACES
::: TITUS ANDRONICUS
:::: Shy Child
::::: Chinese Stars
:::::: Ponytail
::::::: Telepathe
:::::::: Vivian Girls
::::::::: Abe Vigoda
:::::::::: Knyfe Hyts
::::::::::: Ninja Sonik
:::::::::::: Soft Circle
::::::::::::: Soiled Mattress and the Springs
:::::::::::::: Chairlift
::::::::::::::: more tba + secret special suprise guests...probably No Age

[ THE YARD ] ---> OUTSIDE!!!
400 Carroll St btwn Bond St & Nevins St | Gowanus, Brooklyn
F/G-Carroll St, M/R-Union St | --> NOON <-- | $10 | ALL AGES

Saturday July 12th - late! -10PM- @ HARKET MOTEL

|| CUT OFF YOUR HANDS
|||| Bear Hands

[ HARKET MOTEL ]
1142 Myrtle @ Bdwy | Bushwick, Brooklyn
JMZ - Myrtle, L - Jefferson, G - Myrtle-Willoughby | doors 8pm | $tba | all ages

Sunday July 13th - 2PM -@ McCAREN POOL (jellynyc.com)

-The Breeders

--Matt & Kim

---The Whip

----DJ Frankie Chan

[McCARREN POOL}

780 Lorimer Street
Brooklyn, New York, USA

L to Lorimer I All Ages I FREE!

Sunday July 13th @ CLUB EXIT

:: FÜCK YEAH FEST TOUR 2008

:: THE CIRCLE JERKS
:::: Dillinger Four
:::::: Matt & Kim
:::::::: Team Robespeirre
:::::::::: Monotonix
:::::::::::: Japanther
:::::::::::::: + more special guest

PHOTOS: Terrastock Day 3 - Oneida, Wooden Shjips, Tara Jane O'Neil, Bardo Pond, Grails, Motorpsycho, Sapat,

Cory — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 19:01:08 +0000

Oneida opened Saturday morning's festivities around noon to a packed house, playing what I can only imagine to have been several hints at the upcoming album, Preteen Weaponry, to be released later this summer. Saturday was the day to be at Terrastock, with an incredible line-up, one band after the next with no breaks. Following Oneida, was Wooden Shjips, who, while they played a great set, had quite a bit of technical difficulty with the sound people, a problem that plagued more of the festival than it should have. In fact, during the Tara Jane O'Neil set (along with many others), the sound people left, leaving her to DIY it all, with the help of a member of the audience. The only other problem I had with the festival is that while I understand it's a niche audience, to my untrained ear for pyschrock, a few of the bands sounded just a little too similar for my taste, which is likely to be the reason that I didn't see what everyone else sees in Bardo Pond or Motorpsycho. In contrast, Grails put on one of the best shows of the weekend, which was hard to do indoors. Oneida had an incredible drummer, but to see the way the drummer from Grails hammered his drum kit, at times using sticks, at times using his beer bottle, and later his guitar and foot...there's simply no comparison. Whether he was on drums or guitar, he commanded and controlled the crowd, the stage, and everything in between. Lastly, after years of distance, local townsmen Sapat played an incredibly fun set. While setting up, one of the members remarked that although it was going to be strange all playing in front of such a large crowd again, if they just each played their own thing incredibly, as they usually do, it would have to sound good. And it did.

The best set of the night though, is reserved for another post...

**MORE PHOTOS**

Oneida

Wooden Shjips

Tara Jane O'Neil

Kinski

Bardo Pond

Grails

MotorPsycho

Sapat

Terrastock Saturday -- live reports!

Ned Raggett — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 12:47:51 +0000

As with the previous two days, live reports as they happen, photos in the Flickr stream -- I am taking a few more photos on my regular camera but I won't have those uploaded until after I'm back home. [EDIT: and now that all the photos are up and tagged and all, I'll add some plus direct links back to appropriate band websites; however, my initial impressions will stand as they are.]

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Oneida -- now I will freely admit that Oneida have always just sort of been there for me, and that they have press packs prone to hyperbole. However they are starting off what's been called 'earplug day' on the right note with a tight-as-hell feedback/chant/organ/drum drone rampage assault, so credit to them! From there into a more rambling flow of sonic ooze that's as superheavy as they claim. Pleasant surprise of the day already and I thought this was going to be the weak spot!

Wooden Shjips -- these guys have been on my 'I should listen to them, shouldn't I' list for about a year so this was long overdue. Less full-on revelatory than I might have guessed but still solid; if anything it's a kind of good time stoner rock band, with all the reverb on the vocals and effects and all well suited for a warm afternoon like this one. Very glad I'm not standing in the sub right now, actually.

Tara Jane O'Neil -- had a chance to see Tara Jane a few times recently, including a brilliant collaborative set at Halleluwah last year. This performance is solo, so far, but no less entrancing. The combination of a slightly keening folk edge with thick electronics via guitar and pedals is both familiar and distinct -- her work sounds most of all like herself, a clear style all hers.

Kinski -- it's Kinski. I really can't add anymore to what I've already said over the moons. Biker shoegaze. Clean white line fever acid trips. Tight as fuck sprawl and splay. Once again, YEARRRRRRRRGH!!!!! And THEN Kawabata joins them along with one of Oneida's keyboardists. From there, insanity.

MV+EE with the Golden Road -- well I might poke my nose in later but right now there's a mostly acoustic jam/improv going on between R. Keenan Lawler, Mike Tamburo, Jesse of Tanakh, Sharron Kraus and most of United Bible Studies. And it's great! (And that's the photo above.)

Bardo Pond -- Kawabata guests again! Right from the start this time. Like Kinski, Bardo Pond pretty much refuse to suck, and so another stellar set of heavily stoned zone drones that are as ever agog with their own majesty.

Grails -- another 'well I've certainly heard a lot about them' band. But where Wooden Shjips were quite good, these guys hit the spot for me more. Their own signifiers are just as familiar -- layers of sitar drones, blasting drums, a soupçon of murky lyrics and feedback, not to mention plenty of ratchet-it-up further arrangements that take for granted that there is no such thing as too loud. Thrilling at its best, and it is damned hard to follow Bardo. Good work!

Motorpsycho -- and again, another band that will not suck, period. On go the fog machines, out come the black shirts and once more, space biker oblivion, but with tunes! And some slippery way around melodies in general. I just let myself go with it at this point.

Sapat -- an agglomeration of a band. Very much a positive. There are eight million instruments onstage and half as many people. Puts me in equal mind of the Starving Weirdos and the Gone Orchestra. Twisted blues, singing saws as voices and vice versa. Hordes of screaming fans! They're local heroes and play like it. Even a dirge that's a triumph.

Mono -- so great but at this point my brain was full. Epic shoegaze Mogwai beauty. And there you go.

Kohoutek -- only saw a quick snippet, was great, and goodnight.

Earth Healing, EPA Earth Day Challenge: Erie, PA residents protect Lake Erie by turning in medicines at Pennsylvania Sea Grant collection

yoopernewsman — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 08:52:47 +0000

[blip.tv ?posts_id=1011604&dest=26868]

View of Erie, Pennsylvania from Presque Isle
Photo by Pat Noble, WikiProject Erie

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Pennsylvania Sea Grant Keep Unwanted Medicine out of Lake Erie Medicine Collection Day in Erie, Pennsylvania on April 26, 2008
All medicine collection photos in this story are by Anna McCartney, Erie Times-News in Education

---

Erie, Pennsylvania residents turn in about 600 pounds worth of medicine and personal care products, over 73,000 pills at the April 2008 Sea Grant Pharmaceutical collection during EPA Great Lakes 2008 Earth Day Challenge

(Erie, Pennsylvania) - Erie, Pennsylvania area residents dropped off about 600 pounds worth of medicine and personal care products on Saturday, April 26, 2008 during the Pennsylvania Sea Grant pharmaceutical collection.

Showing their love for Lake Erie, residents brought in over 73,000 pills and a large amount of controlled substances like narcotic pain medication, according to Sara Grisè, Pennsylvania Sea Grant coastal outreach specialist.

The collection was held at the Cruise Boat Terminal Building behind the Memorial Library named for Dr. Raymond Blasco in Erie, Pennsylvania.

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Keep Unwanted Medicine out of Lake Erie Medicine Collection results:

87 participants

Collected 120 gallons of materials

5 of the 120 gallons were controlled substances

About 600 pounds worth of medicine and personal care products

Controlled category II:

1,031 pills

130 milliliters of liquids

Controlled category III, IV, V:

1,397 pills

1,180 milliliters of liquids

Controlled Unidentified:

1,410 pills

102 milliliters of liquids

4 pieces of gum

6 towelettes
---
Controlled total: 3,839 pills

Non-Controlled total: 69,232 pills

Personal Care products: 384
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The Keep Unwanted Medicine out of Lake Erie Medicine Collection Day was held as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Great Lakes 2008 Earth Day Challenge.

The challenge involved over 100 pharmaceutical and electronic waste collections in hundreds of communities across eight states in the Great Lakes Basin.

Ohio EPA Map of polluted Lake Erie in 1970s

Across America, the reputation of Lake Erie - especially in the 1960s and 1970s - was that of an extremely polluted and even dead lake.

By all accounts, residents and officials have done a great job restoring Lake Erie - where fishing, boating and swimming are popular.

Lake Erie photo (above) courtesy Jim's Photos Unixdoctor

View of Lake Erie from Cranch Park in Erie, PA
Photo by Pat Noble, WikiProject Erie

EPA Graphic

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The EPA Lake Erie Lakewide Management Plan has been a big force in the recovery of Lake Erie.

EPA/Bay City Times/Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab Photo

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In recent years, officials have been fighting the Zebra Muscle problem in Lake Erie. It's been a love/hate relationship as the muscles have done good and bad things to the lake.

One goal of the pharmaceutical collection was to prevent medicine s from being discharged into Lake Erie and to make sure the drugs don't end up in other surrounding lakes and streams.

Goal of medicine collection is to protect rivers, lakes and streams like Cascade Creek in Erie, PA
Photo by Pat Noble, WikiProject Erie

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Many wastewater treatment plants around the world are not designed to remove the cocktail of chemicals after the drugs are flushed or dumped down the drain - and the drugs can leach out of landfills into the groundwater.

Pictured above are Erie Police Dept. officers. Law enforcement officers are required by federal law at collections of controlled substances

Students and pharmacists from the LECOM School of Pharmacy counted and sorted drugs during the medicine collection

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Some of the unsung heros at pharmaceuticals collections are the police and pharmacists - without whom the collections would not be possible.
At all locations, including Erie, Law enforcement and pharmacists were on hand to accept the pharmaceuticals.

Based on experience, organizers discovered the turnout was bigger when residents don't have to preregister.

Of the 87 residents participating in the collection, 61 did not preregister.

Sara Grisè, Pennsylvania Sea Grant coastal outreach specialist (pictured above on the right; and Marti Martz, also a Pennsylvania Sea Grant coastal outreach specialist, and many others worked hard to make the collection a success.

Over 70,000 pills were turned as Erie, PA area residents showed their love for Lake Erie by participating in the Keep Unwanted Medicine out of Lake Erie Medicine Collection Day

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And similar to the other collections, most Erie participants were older adults as 89 percent were over the age of 46.

Assisting in the proper disposal of the medicines was ECS & R - Environmental Coordination Services and Recycling in Cochranton, Pennsylvania.

Medicine Collection Sponsors:

The organizers of the Erie collection included Pennsylvania Sea Grant, the City of Erie, Lake Erie-Allegheny Earth Force, LECOM school of Pharmacy, and Erie Times-News in Education.

Organizers partnered with the WJET-TV Channel 24 Erie Green Campaign.

WSEE TV provided their news story for use in a video about the collection.

The Pennsylvania Sea Grant received a grant from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Great Lakes map highlighting Lake Erie by Lawrence W. Ellerbruch, Northern Michigan University

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The goal of the EPA Great Lakes 2008 Earth Day Challenge was the collecting and recycling of one million pounds of electronics (e-Waste) plus the collection and proper disposal of one million pills. The EPA says those goals were exceeded by 400 to 500 percent.

The Earth Healing Initiative assisted some challenge organizers by offering interfaith liaisons to volunteer and encourage members of local churches and temples to participate in the Earth Day related events in their area.

This video on the projects connected to the Great Lakes 2008 Earth Day Challenge was made possible by a grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency in collaboration with the EPA's Region 5 office in Chicago, the EPA Great Lakes national Program Office also in Chicago in cooperation with the non-profit Interfaith Earth Healing Initiative in Marquette, MI.

The EHI involves American Indian tribes and a coalition of churches, synagogues and other faith traditions joining together to heal, protect and defend the environment.
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For more info contact:

Sara Grisè
Pennsylvania Sea Grant
814-217-9011

Unwanted Medications
301 Peninsula Drive, Suite 3
Erie, PA

Marti Martz
Coastal Outreach Specialist
Pennsylvania Sea Grant
814-217-9015
814-217-9021 (fax)
---
Erie collection organizers received assistance from EPA Region 3 (with assistance from Region 5), Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

Organizers thank following organizations who were part of the team that make the collection program a success:
---
Related websites:
---

Community Health Net
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Environmental Coordination Services and Recycling (ECS&R)
Erie County Environmental Coalition
Erie Center on Health and Aging
Erie County Health Department
Erie Housing Authority
Erie Port Authority
Erie Wastewater Treatment Facility
Local Pharmacies
Greater Erie Community Action Committee (GECAC)
Hamot Medical Center
Lake Erie Sierra Club
Local Senior centers
Pennsylvania Lake Erie Watershed Association
Presque Isle Audubon
State Board of Pharmacy
USDEA local agent
Visiting Nurses Association
WJET-TV 24 Erie Green Campaign

Pennsylvania Sea Grant:
http://www.pserie.psu.edu/seagrant/seagindex.htm

In November 2006, Sara Grisè joined Pennsylvania Sea Grant as a Coastal Outreach Specialist:
http://www.pserie.psu.edu/seagrant/about/grise.htm
---
EPA Region 5 Office in Chicago, Illinois
http://www.epa.gov/region5
---

ECS&R - Environmental Coordination Services & Recycling
3237 US Highway 19
Cochranton, PA
16314

814-425-7773
814-425-3201 (fax)

ECS&R 24 hour emergency response call:

877-902-2452

email:
info@ecsr.net

http://www.ecsr.net/
http://www.ecsr.net/environmental.html
---

WJET-TV 24 Erie Green Campaign:
http://yourerie.com/
http://yourerie.com/content/green
---

WSEE TV Erie. PA
http://www.wsee.tv/
http://www.wsee.tv/news.php
http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=WSEE01
---

City of Erie
http://ci.erie.pa.us/

City of Erie flag/seal are courtesy the English Wikipedia Graphics Lab & Cronholm144

Erie Police Dept.
http://ci.erie.pa.us/Departments/PoliceDepartment/tabid/72/Default.aspx
---
Lake Erie-Allegheny Earth Force
http://www.earthforce.org/section/offices/lea
http://www.earthforce.org/section/offices/lea/leasuccess_stories

http://www.earthforce.org/section/offices/lea/leacontact_us
http://www.earthforce.org/section/offices/lea/leaschools
http://www.earthforce.org/
---

LECOM School of Pharmacy in Erie, PA

Photo by Pat Noble, WikiProject Erie

LECOM school of Pharmacy
http://www.lecom.edu/school_pharmacy.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LECOM
---

Erie Times-News newspaper building in Erie, PA

Photo by Pat Noble, WikiProject Erie

Erie Times-News in Education
http://www.goerie.com/
http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=ETN
Erie Times-News front page April 23, 2008
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erie_Times-News
---

Erie, PA photos by Pat Noble

Erie, Pennsylvania - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erie

Erie photos courtesy Pat Noble aka Pnoble805, a member of WikiProject Erie
Photos include Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry monument, Liberty Park's Pepsi Amphitheater, Times-News building, skyline of Erie, Pennsylvania as seen from Presque Isle, Cranch Park, west branch of Cascade Creek under a small bridge at Frontier Park, and the LECOM medical school.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Pnoble805
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Pnoble805#My_work_on_WikiProject_Erie

City of Erie flag/seal are courtesy the English Wikipedia Graphics Lab & Cronholm144
---
Lake Erie Photos courtesy Jim's Photos Unixdoctor
http://www.unixdoctor.com/gallery/niagara/Lake_Erie_02
http://www.unixdoctor.com/gallery/albums.php
---
Lake Erie map graphic courtesy Lawrence W. Ellerbruch, Northern Michigan University
http://ellerbruch.nmu.edu/classes/cs255f03/cs255students/ateraves/P6/tutorial2.html
---
Shallow Lake Erie photo courtesy Environment Canada:
http://www.ec.gc.ca/
---
Lake Erie polluted photo courtesy Ohio EPA
http://www.epa.state.oh.us/oleo/reports/leqi/leqi2004/pollutionsources/Pollutionsourcespic.jpg
http://www.epa.state.oh.us/
---

EPA: Lake Erie Management Plan reports:

http://www.epa.gov/greatlakes/erie.html
http://www.epa.gov/lakeerie/index.html
---
EPA - Zebra Mussels photo info:
http://www.epa.gov/grtlakes/image/viz_iss4.html
Zebra mussels washed up on beach, Lake Erie
Bay City Times (courtesy Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab)
---
White House Office of Drug Control Policy:
http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/
---

Interfaith Earth Healing Initiative
http://www.earthhealinginitiative.org/

Call:
906-401-0109
---

Cedar Tree Institute
http://www.cedartreeinstitute.org/
---

Earth 911:
http://earth911.org/
http://earth911.org/blog/2008
---

Interfaith graphics by Justice St. Rain (Baha'i Community)
Interfaith Resources - Special Ideas website:
http://www.interfaithresources.com/

Justice St. Rain
1-800-326-1197 (toll free)
1-847-733-3559 (wk)

Interfaith Resources
P.O. Box 9
511 Diamond Rd
Heltonville, IN
47436

Photos of the April 2008 pharmaceutical collection in Erie, Pennsylvania

Photos by Anna McCartney, Erie Times-News in Education

Earth Healing: Syracuse, NY residents turn in TVs to Onondaga County Resource Recover Agency

yoopernewsman — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 05:06:49 +0000

[blip.tv ?posts_id=985294&dest=26868]

Syracuse, NY residents show their respect for Great Lakes including love for Lake Erie by turning over 9 tons of old TVs to be recycled by the Onondaga County Resource Recover Agency

Syracuse skyline photo by Joe Grimes, Wikipedia

---

(Syracuse, New York) - A leader in electronic waste recycling projects in the northeast is the Onondaga County Resource Recover Agency (OCRRA) in Syracuse, NY.

The agency held a TV collection on Saturday, April 19 in the Alliance Bank Stadium parking lot as part of the EPA Great Lakes 2008 Earth Day Challenge.

The Onondaga County Resource Recover Agency received an EPA grant to help offset costs of the recycling project.

It was one of over 100 projects involved in the challenge across eight states in the Great Lakes Basin.

Organizers keep traffic flowing smoothly as 964 vehicles arrived with old TVs.

The event took in 1,551 old television sets weighing 97,080 pounds, according to Andrew Radin, Director of Recycling and Waste Reduction for the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency.

That means nearly 9 tons of old TVs from central New York were recycled.

Syracuse State Tower building photo by Joe Grimes

Syracuse Franklin Park photo by Kai Brinker, Newkai is a member of WikiProject Syracuse, New York

Syracuse Jerry Rescue Monument photo by Paul Malo

---

The agency also holds ongoing e-waste collections at the Community Collection Center also know as 3-C - located at 6085 Court Street - in Syracuse, NY.

The electronics collection dates and times are:
Tuesdays from 4pm to 8pm;
Thursdays from 8am to noon;
and Saturdays from 9am to 1 p.m.

There is no charge to drop off household e-waste and other items at the collection center including old computers plus related equipment and fluorescent bulbs, household batteries, cell phones, smoke detectors, tabletop copiers, DVD players, electronic game consoles like Nintendo, and Xbox, fax machines, phones, VCRs and stereos including speakers.

The agency is developing a plan to accept TVs at the center.

Over 60,000 pounds has been turned in at the Community Collection Center so far this year.

Business waste in not accepted.

The center also accepts books - covers must be removed.

In a unique twist - the agency is helping the hungry - by asking residents dropping off items to be recycled to also bring canned food and other non perishables for Food Bank of Central New York.

The Onondaga County Resource Recover Agency is known as OCRRA for short using its initials.

Since 2002, OCRRA has collected over 1,000 tons of e-waste from the community for recycling

OCRRA has numerous environment projects that benefit the Syracuse area including its Blue Bin It campaign.

Blue Bin It is based on the well-know blue bins that are popular in recycling projects across the country.

OCRRA has a series of radio spots promoting its blue bin it campaign.

(See Blue Bin It Radio ads in this video)

The EHI involves American Indian tribes and a coalition of churches, synagogues and other faith traditions joining together to heal, protect and defend the environment.

Im Greg Peterson and youre watching Earth Healing TV
---
Related Links:
---

Onondaga County Resource Recover Agency (OCRRA) recycling page
http://www.ocrra.org/recycling_c3.asp
---
Contact:
Onondaga County Resource Recover Agency (OCRRA) in Syracuse, NY
Andrew J. Radin
Director of Recycling and Waste Reduction
Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency (OCRRA)

315-453-2866
315-295-0726
---

The Food Bank of Central New York
http://www.foodbankcny.org/
Portrait of Hunger:
http://www.foodbankcny.org/default.aspx?PageID=752
---

Onondaga Creek running through the Franklin Square area

Syracuse on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syracuse,_New_York
---

Syracuse skyline photo by Joe Grimes
Syracuse skyline wide shot photo by Joe Grimes
Syracuse State Tower building photo by Joe Grimes

Onondaga Creek running through the Franklin Square area

Syracuse skyline photo by Kai Brinker, Newkai is a member of WikiProject Syracuse, New York

Syracuse Franklin Park photo by Kai Brinker, Newkai is a member of WikiProject Syracuse, New York

Syracuse Jerry Rescue Monument photo by Paul Malo

EPA Region 5 Office in Chicago, Illinois
http://www.epa.gov/region5
---

Interfaith Earth Healing Initiative
http://www.EarthHealingInitiative.org

Call:
906-401-0109
---

Cedar Tree Institute
http://www.CedarTreeInstitute.org
---

Interfaith graphics by Justice St. Rain (Baha'i Community) of Interfaith Resources - Special Ideas website:
http://www.interfaithresources.com

Justice St. Rain
1-800-326-1197 (toll free)
1-847-733-3559 (wk)

Interfaith Resources
P.O. Box 9
511 Diamond Rd
Heltonville, IN
47436

---

More photos from OCRRA TV Collection:

Earth Healing: EPA funds June 21 RSVP e-waste collection in Hancock, MI

yoopernewsman — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 21:42:20 +0000

[blip.tv ?posts_id=976417&dest=26868]

Western U.P. electronic waste collections set: June 21 in Houghton and Keweenaw counties; July 12 in Baraga County; dates for other areas TBA

The Western Upper Peninsula Electronics Recycling Program, a project of the Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), provides households with an environmentally and economically sound solution to disposing of electronic waste.

Residents of Baraga, Gogebic, Houghton, Keweenaw, and Ontonagon Counties, who have generated electronic waste in their household, may bring their items to e-waste collection sites on the specified collection dates in their area.

The initiative received grants and/or other assistance from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The northern Michigan collection is connected to the EPA Great Lakes 2008 Earth Day Challenge that involves over 100 projects in eight states across the Great Lakes Basin.

More than a dozen previous collections since 2005 have garnered nearly 48 tons of e-waste from over 850 participants.
---
2005: 8 collections, 26.5 tons
2006: 4 collections, 15 tons
2007: 1 collection, 6.25 tons
---
Commonly called e-waste, electronics waste includes old and broken computers, cell phones, TVs and other items found in many homes.

The collection for Houghton and Keweenaw counties will be on June 21 from 9 am to noon at the health department offices in Hancock.

An e-waste collection will be held in Baraga County on July 12 from 10 a.m. to noon at a site to be announced.

Collection events for other Copper Country counties will be announced in the future.

The cost to drop off e-waste is 10 cents per pound.

The Western Upper Peninsula Electronics Recycling Program will accept a wide range of e-waste during collection events including cell phones, computer and related equipment like laptops, monitors, towers aka central processing units, printers, scanners, keyboards and computer mice

Other e-waste accepted includes stereo equipment, televisions, VCR and DVD players, copiers, cordless telephones, fax machines, fluorescent light bulbs that are 4 to 8 feet in length, microwave ovens and batteries including alkaline, nickel cadmium, lead acid, lithium, mercury.

Organizers said it estimated that between 1997 and 2007, nearly 500 million personal computers will became obsolete. That's almost 2 computers for every person living in the United States.

TV's and computer monitors contain an average of 4 pounds of lead, as well as other toxins.

According to Closing the Circle News, the manufacture of one computer consumes 529 pounds of fossil fuels, 49 pounds of chemicals, and 3,307 pounds of water.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency projects that nationwide nearly 250 million computers will become obsolete in the next five years.

For additional information contact the Western Upper Peninsula Electronics Recycling Program or RSVP at 906-482-7382.

The EHI involves American Indian tribes and a coalition of churches, synagogues and other faith traditions joining together to heal, protect and defend the environment.

Im Greg Peterson and youre watching Earth Healing TV
---
Related websites:
---

Western Upper Peninsula District Health Department:
http://www.wupdhd.org
---
e-waste info:
http://www.wupdhd.org/rsvp/e-waste.html
---
RSVP:
http://www.wupdhd.org/rsvp/index.html
---
Contact info:
Western Upper Peninsula District Health Department and the Retired & Senior Volunteer Program
540 Depot Street
Hancock, MI
49930

Barbara Maronen
906-482-7382
---
EPA Region 5 Office in Chicago, Illinois
http://www.epa.gov/region5
---

Interfaith Earth Healing Initiative
http://www.EarthHealingInitiative.org

906-401-0109
---

Cedar Tree Institute
http://www.CedarTreeInstitute.org
---

Interfaith graphics by Justice St. Rain (Baha'i Community) of Interfaith Resources - Special Ideas website:
http://www.interfaithresources.com

Justice St. Rain
1-800-326-1197 (toll free)
1-847-733-3559 (wk)

Interfaith Resources
P.O. Box 9
511 Diamond Rd
Heltonville, IN
47436

EPA Great Lakes Challenge continues: Kalamazoo April 21 pharmaceutical collection for SW Michigan

yoopernewsman — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 20:51:36 +0000

[blip.tv ?posts_id=972876&dest=26868]

Free, special collection for old prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals for residents of southwest Michigan set for June 21, 2008 in Kalamazoo County

Residents of the Kalamazoo area and all of southwest Michigan can to their part to protect the Great Lakes during a free public pharmaceutical collection later this month.

Old and unwanted medicines and personal care products will be accepted on Saturday, June 21, from 9 a.m.-1:00 p.m. at the Loy Norrix High School, 606 E. Kilgore (off Lovers Lane) in Kalamazoo.

The pharmaceutical collection is sponsored by Kalamazoo County Health and Community Services, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that provided a grant for the project.

The collection is connected to the EPA Great Lakes 2008 Earth Day Challenge that involves over 100 projects in eight states across the Great Lakes Basin.

Southwest Michigan residents can rid their home of unwanted prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals plus personal care products.

For example - items that will be accepted include:

Prescription medication, such as antibiotics, birth control, and insulin (but no sharps or syringes)

Medication samples and over-the-counter medication, such as ibuprofen, aspirin, cold medicine

Personal care products, such as medicated ointments, lotions, and shampoos

Veterinary medications

Items that will not be accepted include:

Medical waste like sharps and syringes

Products containing mercury like thermometers
---
The collection is free to all households in southwest Michigan.

Organizers say the collection is important to protect Lake Michigan and other lakes and streams - like Arcadia Creek.

The reason - an investigation by the Associated Press found a wide variety of pharmaceuticals, including antibiotics, mood stabilizers and hormones, in the drinking water of 41 million Americans.

Most medications pass untreated through wastewater treatment plants because those facilities are not designed to remove the chemicals.

That means the pharmaceuticals are discharged into local rivers or groundwater.

For more information call 269-373-5211

Or visit the EPA and Kalamazoo County websites at these addresses:
http://www.epa.gov/ppcp
http://www.kalcounty.com/hcs

Again - a free pharmaceutical collection for residents of the Kalamazoo area and southwest Michigan will be held on Saturday, June 21 from 9 a.m.-1:00 p.m. at the Loy Norrix High School at 606 E. Kilgore (off Lovers Lane) in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

The pharmaceutical collection is sponsored by Kalamazoo County Health and Community Services, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The Earth Healing Initiative assisted challenge organizers by offering interfaith liaisons to volunteer and encourage members of local churches and temples to participate in the Earth Day related events in their area.

This video on the projects connected to the Great Lakes 2008 Earth Day Challenge was made possible by a grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency in collaboration with the EPA's Region 5 office in Chicago the EPA Great Lakes national Program Office also in Chicago in cooperation with the non-profit Interfaith Earth Healing Initiative in Marquette, MI.

The EHI involves American Indian tribes and a coalition of churches, synagogues and other faith traditions joining together to heal, protect and defend the environment.

Im Greg Peterson and youre watching Earth healing TV
---
Related Links & Information:
---

Kalamazoo County Health and Community Services
http://www.kalcounty.com/hcs

Kalamazoo County Environmental Health Bureau
http://www.kalcounty.com/eh/index.htm

Kalamazoo County homepage:
http://www.kalcounty.com
---
EPA - Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs)
http://www.epa.gov/ppcp
---
EPA Region 5 Office in Chicago, Illinois
http://www.epa.gov/region5
---

Interfaith Earth Healing Initiative
http://www.EarthHealingInitiative.org

906-401-0109
---
Cedar Tree Institute
http://www.CedarTreeInstitute.org
---
Kalamazoo - Southwest Michigan First
http://www.southwestmichiganfirst.com/index.cfm
Maps:
http://www.southwestmichiganfirst.com/pdf/Kalamazoo%20Region.pdf
http://www.southwestmichiganfirst.com/pdf/Kalamazoo%20County1.pdf
---
Kalamazoo Downtown Central City website:
http://www.central-city.net
http://www.central-city.net/festivalsite?mth=festivalsite&subc=festplanning
---

Kalamazoo Wikimedia:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Kalamazoo%2C_Michigan
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Kalamazoo.jpg
---
Kalamazoo River:
www.kalamazooriver.net
---

Loy Norrix High School:
http://www.kalamazoopublicschools.com/education/school/school.php?sectionid=24
http://www.kalamazoopublicschools.com/education/school/schoolmap.php?sectiondetailid=279&sc_id=1210344809
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loy_Norrix
---

Interfaith graphics by Justice St. Rain (Baha'i Community) of Interfaith Resources - Special Ideas website:
http://www.interfaithresources.com

Justice St. Rain
1-800-326-1197 (toll free)
1-847-733-3559 (wk)

Interfaith Resources
P.O. Box 9
511 Diamond Rd
Heltonville, IN
47436
-------
Kalamazoo County Environmental Health Bureau
3299 Gull Road
Kalamazoo, Michigan 49048
269-373-5210
---

Interfaith Earth Healing Initiative & EPA Great Lakes challenge: Creating interfaith environment initiatives in your city

yoopernewsman — Wed, 28 May 2008 00:53:24 +0000

[blip.tv ?posts_id=947471&dest=26868]

(Marquette, Michigan) - The founder of two interfaith environment groups is often asked by people around the globe to explain the best way to start an effective similar interfaith group in their own community.

Along the shores of Lake Superior, creating similar interfaith environmental groups was discussed by leaders of the Earth Healing Initiative and the Upper Peninsula Earth Keeper Initiative, both based in Marquette, Michigan.

The non-profit Earth Healing Initiative provided interfaith volunteers and participants top numerous cities during the EPA Great Lakes 2008 Earth Day Challenge.

The challenge involved the recycling of millions of pounds of electronics and the proper disposal of millions of pills and other pharmaceuticals in April 2008 during over 100 projects across eight states that make up the Great Lakes Basin.

This warm and calm day in May 2008 produced the tiniest of ripples in an unusually calm Lake Superior as wildlife heralded spring in the background. The serene setting was perfect to discuss interfaith environment work and how it can be created in others areas of the world.

Earth Healing founder Rev. Jon Magnuson co-founded the Earth Keeper Initiative that started when nine northern Michigan faith leaders signed the Earth keeper Covenant in 2004.

The bishops and other faith leaders pledged to reach out to Native Americans and actively participate in interfaith environment projects.

This video includes the thoughts of Rev. Jon Magnuson, director of Lutheran Campus Ministry (LCM) at Northern Michigan University (NMU) in Marquette, MI; and Rev. Tesshin Paul Lehmberg, head priest of Lake Superior Zendo, a Marquette Zen Buddhist temple; and Lutheran Bishop Thomas A. Skrenes of the Northern Great Lakes Synod (NGLS) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

Rev. Lehmberg and Bishop Skrenes were among the nine original signers of the Earth keeper Covenant.

The non-profit Cedar Tree Institute (CTI) co-founded the interfaith Earth Keeper Initiative in Michigan's Upper Peninsula that works closely with ten faith traditions on a wide range of environment projects that include college students, at-risk teens, American Indian tribes and others.

Rev. Magnuson is the executive director of the CTI.
.
The CTI Interfaith Earth Healing Initiative is developing a relationship with the same faith communities in northern Michigan and others across the Great lakes.

The faith communities include Roman Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, United Methodist Church, Unitarian Universalist, Baha'i, Jewish, The Religious Society of Friends (commonly known as the Quakers) and Zen Buddhist.

This video on the projects connected to the Great Lakes 2008 Earth Day Challenge was made possible by a grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency in collaboration with the EPA's Region 5 office in Chicago the EPA Great Lakes national Program Office - also in Chicago - in cooperation with the non-profit interfaith Earth Healing Initiative in Marquette, Michigan.

The Earth Healing Initiative involves American Indian tribes and "a coalition of churches synagogues and other faith traditions joining together to heal protect and defend the environment" said Rev. Magnuson, Earth Healing founder.

The next project during the summer of 2008 involves encouraging bee and butterfly pollenization through means that include creating habitat thanks to help from at-risk teens and American Indian tribes. The pollen project is important because billions of bees have died prematurely across the country and the problem has become alarming in the Midwest. More on this project in the near future.
---
Supers:

Rev. Tesshin Paul Lehmberg
Head Priest
Lake Superior Zendo
Zen Buddhist Temple

Rev. Jon Magnuson
Lutheran Campus Ministry
Northern Michigan University
Marquette, Michigan

Bishop Thomas A. Skrenes
Northern Great Lakes Synod
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

---
Related Links:
---

Interfaith Earth Healing Initiative
http://www.EarthHealingInitiative.org

906-401-0109
---

EPA Region 5 Office in Chicago, Illinois
http://www.epa.gov/region5
---

Cedar Tree Institute
http://www.CedarTreeInstitute.org
---
The Lake Superior Interfaith Communication Network
http://www.lakesuperiorinterfaith.com
---

ELCA Northern Great Lakes Synod
http://www.nglsynod.org
---
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
8765 W. Higgins Road
Chicago, IL
60631

1-800-638-3522
(aka 1-800-NET-ELCA)

1-773-380-2700
Fax: 1-773-380-1465
---

ELCA Website:
http://www.elca.org
Ecumenical:
http://www.elca.org/ecumenical
---

Earth 911:
http://earth911.org/blog/2008
---

Interfaith graphics by Justice St. Rain (Baha'i Community) of Interfaith Resources - Special Ideas website:
http://www.interfaithresources.com

Justice St. Rain
1-800-326-1197 (toll free)
1-847-733-3559 (wk)

Interfaith Resources
P.O. Box 9
511 Diamond Rd
Heltonville, IN
47436
---

Interfaith Earth Healing Initiative & EPA Great Lakes Challenge praised by Bishop Thomas Skrenes: "Every day is Earth Day"

yoopernewsman — Mon, 26 May 2008 21:48:02 +0000

[blip.tv ?posts_id=944031&dest=26868]

EPA Great Lakes 2008 Earth Day Challenge: Lutheran Bishop Thomas A. Skrenes says - "We are all environmentalists" & "Every day is Earth Day"

Lutheran Bishop Thomas A. Skrenes praises interfaith success of the EPA Great Lakes 2008 Earth Day Challenge

(Marquette, Michigan) - A Lutheran Bishop who has participated in interfaith Earth Day recycling projects for four years in a row said.

"Celebrate - what a great day Earth Day has been 2008," said Lutheran Bishop Thomas A. Skrenes of the Northern Great Lakes Synod (NGLS) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). "The Earth Healing Initiative has been a great success this year."

"Congratulations Earth Healers - you've done it, it has been a success," Bishop Skrenes said. "The EPA Great Lakes 2008 Earth Day Challenge has been a great success."

"Computers have been recycled, pharmaceuticals have been brought together for proper disposal," Skrenes said. "We are hearing reports from all over the Midwest about wonderful things that are happening."

"Pharmacological waste - more than a million pills - and all kinds of poundage of equipment and computer materials that are surplus that will not pollute the beautiful Great Lakes over the next years because of the success of this challenge."

"Congratulations to those members of the faith communities and others who have been a part of this," Skrenes said. "It has been a great day, a great week, a great Earth day 2008."

"What a great opportunity it has been to be part of the ecumenical work and interfaith work of assisting others to see the environmental concerns set before us," said Bishop Skrenes of Marquette, Michigan.

"We are all environmentalists," Skrenes said. "Everybody is an environmentalist because all of us want clean air to breathe, all of us want clean drinking water. We all enjoy the outdoors and nature."

"So every single one of us - no matter our political understandings are - no matter where we are on the liberal and conservative line - no matter what we think of any of the big issues facing the world today - all of us can agree that it is in all of our interests."

The interfaith protecting of the environment "is an honoring of the God that made us, that we can be part of this movement to preserve to reuse to recycle - to make a difference," Skrenes said.

"We call that the environmental movement," Skrenes said. "Sometimes all kinds of political forces connect to that but yet all of us agree that we can all certainly conserve and save and bring back - and then give to the next generation what has been given to us."

With hundreds of thousands of people participating across eight states in the Midwest and Northeast, Bishop Skrenes said interfaith environment projects like the EPA Great Lakes 2008 Earth Day Challenge will help ensure a better future for all humans.

"It is a sign of great significance that people can join hands and work together," Skrenes said. "So celebrate - it is a good day for the environment and it is a good day for all of us together."

Bishop Skrenes thanked the EPA, faith communities and "people of goodwill throughout the upper Midwest who have been a part of this work."

"Thanks to the Environmental Protection Agency for their help and assistance in all of this work," Bishop Skrenes said. "The EPA Great Lakes 2008 Earth Day Challenge has been a part of the lives and will be a part of the future of this whole area."

"It is a wonderful opportunity to begin to look at what it is that we hold in common," Skrenes said. "What we hold in common is this wonderful Great Lakes basin."

"This is a wonderful place with lakes and streams and forests everywhere in the Midwest, and the great plains and the great fields," Skrenes said. "We have been a part of saving some of this and making a difference - that's what it is all about making a difference."

"The faith communities do that each and every day in so many ways, this is just one more way. People of faith have bonded together and are working together to make a difference in the world."

"When we are working together as different believing communities great things can happen," Skrenes said.

"Sometimes we become so focused on what divides us, what disconnects us, what separates us - and there are important things that sometimes do that - but yet we can all have loyalty and allegiance to this world that has been our home and this part of the world that we have been blessed with by God."

"God has given us the privilege of living here in the midst of these lakes and in the midst of all of this beautiful nature," Skrenes said.

"When people of faith, whether they be of Christian traditions or of other traditions, gather together to work on what connects us. One of those things that connects us is respect and awe for the creation that surrounds us."

"We are part of a movement together in these early years of the Twenty-first (21st) Century to save what has been given to us by the generations before us and what God has provided to us," Skrenes said.

"When you can have people of all traditions working together - wonderful things can happen. People joining hands and making things happen. A spectacular success was this initiative. Thanks be to God for that - and thanks be to all the people that made this possible."

Bishop Skrenes is one of the original nine faith leaders who signed the Earth Keeper Covenant in Michigan's Upper Peninsula in 2004 that lead to many interfaith projects

Background: Earth Healing Initiative and the Michigan Earth Keeper Initiative

The Cedar Tree Institute (CTI) co-founded the interfaith Earth Keeper Initiative in Michigan's Upper Peninsula that works closely with ten faith traditions on a wide range of environment projects that include college students, at-risk teens, American Indian tribes and others.
.
The CTI Interfaith Earth Healing Initiative is developing the same relationship with the same faith communities in northern Michigan and others across the Great lakes.

Springtime, Earth Day, the Great Lakes challenge and similar events are a renewal, Skrenes said.

"Now in the springtime - what a better time of year there is than spring I can not imagine. Springtime when the trees are just blossoming and the flowers are coming up and the spring rains - to be reminded of what a great God we have who has provided all this to us."

"So it is our privilege then to do this ministry to do this work together. "Every day is Earth Day - every day is an environmental concern day," Skrenes said.
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Related Links:
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Interfaith Earth Healing Initiative
http://www.EarthHealingInitiative.org

906-401-0109
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EPA Region 5 Office in Chicago, Illinois
http://www.epa.gov/region5
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Cedar Tree Institute
http://www.CedarTreeInstitute.org
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The Lake Superior Interfaith Communication Network
http://www.lakesuperiorinterfaith.com
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ELCA Northern Great Lakes Synod
http://www.nglsynod.org
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Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
8765 W. Higgins Road
Chicago, IL
60631

1-800-638-3522
(aka 1-800-NET-ELCA)

1-773-380-2700
Fax: 1-773-380-1465
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ELCA Website:
http://www.elca.org
Ecumenical:
http://www.elca.org/ecumenical
---

Earth 911:
http://earth911.org/blog/2008
---

Interfaith graphics by Justice St. Rain (Baha'i Community) of Interfaith Resources - Special Ideas website:
http://www.interfaithresources.com

Justice St. Rain
1-800-326-1197 (toll free)
1-847-733-3559 (wk)

Interfaith Resources
P.O. Box 9
511 Diamond Rd
Heltonville, IN
47436
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Earth Healing: E-waste, pharmaceutical collections like EPA Great Lakes 2008 Earth Day Challenge protect ground & drinking water

yoopernewsman — Sat, 24 May 2008 22:36:15 +0000

[blip.tv ?posts_id=939670&dest=26868]

The EPA Great Lakes 2008 Earth Day Challenge removed a huge amount of electronic waste and pharmaceuticals from eight states.

The goal of the EPA Great Lakes 2008 Earth Day Challenge was the collecting and recycling of one million pounds of electronics (e-Waste) plus the collection and proper disposal of one million pills.

These goals were exceeded many times over.
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A few examples:
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In Milwaukee: 32 tons of electronic waste and 3.5 tons of pharmaceuticals were turned in.
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At the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin near Green Bay: Approx. 4 tons of e-waste was collected plus thousands of pounds of other trash cleaned from reservation

Tribal members turned in ver 23 pounds of medicines including 100 bottles of pills, more than 25 computers and dozens of related components like hard drives, printers, keyboards and speakers; televisions, radios, DVD players, 12 cell phones and over 100 small batteries.
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In Traverse City: Over 28,750 pounds (over 12.5 tons) of computers and other e-waste was collected.
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The electronic waste is recycled, and the pharmaceuticals are incinerated in state-of-the-art EPA -license facilities.

So why is this important?

The old and broken electronics - like computers, cell phones and TVs - contain heavy metals that can leach into the groundwater if dumped into landfills.

The unused pharmaceuticals can end up in your drinking water if they are flushed or poured down the drain.
Thats because most wastewater treatment facilities are not designed to remove chemicals from these pharmaceuticals including hormones, narcotics, seizure medication and many more - that end up back in your drinking water.

In an April 2008 press conference in Milwaukee - EPA and other officials explained why the Great Lakes Challenge and similar projects are important to protect the environment and your health.

Pharmaceutical chemicals are sent back out into the Great Lakes, rivers and other places were people recreate and are the intakes for drinking water.

Studies show that the chemicals are appearing in the nations drinking water in small amounts - the long term effects are not known - however they have been linked to mutations in fish and other wildlife.

Also - these medicines can be stolen, diverted or accidently ingested by children - if they languish in your medicine cabinet.

Around the country many e-waste and pharmaceutical take back programs have been developed by governments and local businesses.
Please check with your local officials to find out details for your area.
Because every day should be Earth Day.

This video on the projects connected to the Great Lakes 2008 Earth Day Challenge was made possible by a grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency in collaboration with the EPA's Region 5 office in Chicago the EPA Great Lakes national Program Office also in Chicago in cooperation with the non-profit Interfaith Earth Healing Initiative in Marquette, MI.

The EHI involves American Indian tribes and "a coalition of churches synagogues and other faith traditions joining together to heal protect and defend the environment," said EHI founder Rev Jon Magnuson of Marquette Michigan.

Im Greg Peterson and youre watching Earth Healing TV
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Supers:

Bill Graffin
Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District

Voice of:
Dr. Susan E. Boehme
EPA Coastal Sediment Specialist
Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant

EPA Milwaukee Medicine Collection Photos/Video by Dr. Susan Boehme

EPA Milwaukee e-waste video by John Perrecone

Bharat Mathur
EPA deputy regional administrator
EPA Region 5 Office in Chicago

Tom Barrett
Milwaukee Mayor

Rick Meyers
City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works
DPW Recycling Manager
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EPA Region 5 Office in Chicago, Illinois
http://www.epa.gov/region5
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EPA Region 5 Office in Chicago, Illinois
Bharat Mathur, EPA Deputy Regional Administrator

312-886-3000
mathur.bharat@epa.gov

http://www.epa.gov/region5/aboutr5/organization.htm
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For more information on the electronics collection contact:
City of Milwaukee Dept of Public Works
Rick Meyers, Recycling Manager
414-286-2334
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Milwaukee Dept. Of Public Works:
http://www.mpw.net

Milwaukee DPW e-Waste event page:
http://www.mpw.net/Pages/escrap.html

City of Milwaukee e-Waste event flyer:
http://www.mpw.net/docs/escrap_flyer.pdf

City of Milwaukee e-Waste advertisement
http://www.mpw.net/docs/escrap_ad.pdf
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Medicine collection sponsor/contact:
Milwaukee Metro Sewerage District
260 West Seeboth St.
Milwaukee, WI 53204

Steve Jacquart, Milwaukee Metro Sewerage District
414-225-2138 (wk)
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Milwaukee Metro Sewerage District:
http://www.mmsd.com

Milorganite - How do we make this stuff?
http://www.mmsd.com/news/detail.cfm?id=114
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Milwaukee pdf flyer - scroll down pdf to bottom to see mini-version:
http://www.mmsd.com/images/programs/MedicineCollection_041908.pdf
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Traverse City, Michigan
April 26, 2008

Sponsor/Contact: Grand Traverse County Resource Recovery

Kim Duane Elliott
231-995-6075
kelliott@grandtraverse.org

Type of Event: e-Waste

Goodwill Industries, Sam's Club and Grand Traverse County Resource Recovery held a free Computer Recycling Collection.

Tons of home and business computer equipment and peripherals were dropped of to a donation truck at Sam's Club, 2401 US Hwy 31 S, Traverse City on Saturday, April 26, 2008.

websites:

Grand Traverse County Resource Recovery:
http://www.co.grand-traverse.mi.us/departments/resource_recovery.htm

Recycle Smart Brochure-pdf:
http://www.co.grand-traverse.mi.us/AssetFactory.aspx?did=2359
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Related information/websites:
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Interfaith Earth Healing Initiative:
http://www.EarthHealingInitiative.org
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Milwaukee Earth Healing Initiative page:
http://www.earthhealinginitiative.org/milwaukee.html
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Final EPA Flow of the River blog post:
http://flowoftheriver.epa.gov/greatlakeschallenge/2008/05/so-long-and-tha.html
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Media News Wire:
http://media-newswire.com/release_1064289.html
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Freedom Ring Blog - Milwaukee:
http://freedomeden.blogspot.com/2008/04/milwaukees-great-lakes-2008-earth-day.html
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EPA #1 results press release:
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/fa96ab2aafc467688525743a003c9efa?OpenDocument
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EPA says challenge a big success: Goals met and exceeded
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/epas-great-lakes-earth-day,367679.shtml
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Interfaith graphics by Justice St. Rain (Baha'i Community) of Interfaith Resources - Special Ideas website:
http://www.interfaithresources.com

Justice St. Rain
1-800-326-1197 (toll free)
1-847-733-3559 (wk)

Interfaith Resources
P.O. Box 9
511 Diamond Rd
Heltonville, IN
47436
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Project sites included locations in eight states:

Illinois:
Alton, Beecher, Bellwood, Bolingbrook, Carol Stream, Channahon, Chicago, Elk Grove Village, Elmhurst, Glenview, Joliet, Lockport, Lombard, Mount Prospect, Northbrook, Park Ridge, Romeoville, Shorewood, Villa Park, West Chicago, Wheaton, Woodstock

Indiana:
Columbia City, Hammond, Knox, LaPorte, Fort Wayne, Rushville, Valparaiso

Michigan:
Bay City (two events), Benton Harbor, Bloomfield Hills, Dearborn Heights, East Lansing, Farmington Hills, Goodells, Grand Rapids (two events) Harbor Springs, Lansing, Midland, Monroe, Royal Oaks, Sault Ste. Marie, Southfield, Traverse City

Minnesota:
Blaine, Brooklyn Park, Duluth, Eagan, Eden Prairie, Madison, Maple Grove, New Ulm, Saint Cloud, Shakopee, St. Louis Park, St. Paul

New York:
Brockport, Buffalo, Fredonia, Rochester (two events), Syracuse (two events).

Ohio:
Cleveland, Grove City, Kent, Perrysburg, Sandusky, Springfield, Toledo, Warren

Pennsylvania:
Erie, Lancaster

Wisconsin:
Appleton, Brillion, Chilton, Crandon, Green Bay, Keshena (Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin and College of Menominee Nation), Manitowoc, Milwaukee, New Holstein, Oshkosh, Plover (two events), Racine, Superior, Waupaca.
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A special thanks to the residents of Milwaukee who proved they love their city, Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes.

Also, we appreciate the support of the city of Milwaukee DPW and MMSD event partners without whom the collection would not have been possible:

E-scrap collection sponsors:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, city of Milwaukee Department of Public Works (DPW), Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful, the Italian Community Center, Midwest Computer Recyclers and WISN TV.

Medicine collection sponsors:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Milwaukee Police, Milwaukee Brewers, City of Milwaukee, Aurora Pharmacy, Columbia St. Mary's, City of Racine, Racine Police Department, Burlington Police Department, Western Racine County Health Department, Caledonia/Mt. Pleasant Health Department, Ozaukee County Public Health Department, Ozaukee County Sheriff's Department, Milwaukee Area Technical College, Village of Saukville, Washington County, Washington County Sheriff's Department, and City of West Bend Sewer Utility.