Recycling; not the final solution.

Recycling; not the final solution.
Originally uploaded by Quantum Physics

I care deeply about the environment. Every light bulb in my house is a compact fluorescent. I turn off lights and other appliances when not in use. I avoid buying foods in plastic containers. I think before I buy. I drive a hybrid car. I try to buy local foods whenever possible and available. I try to live a sustainable life but have far to go. I've been recycling everything I possibly can for the past 20+ years; I try to do my part.
This past summer while on a photographic journey to the Smoky Mountains I decided to take a detour through a town that I had never visited before, Sylva North Carolina. As I approached the mountain town I was greeted by the unmistakable smell of a paper mill. I was both saddened and disappointed as a thick pillar of smoke filled the otherwise pristine mountain sky. At first I was angered thinking I was approaching another paper mill exploiting the Western North Carolina Forest like the paper mill located in Canton ( farm3.static.flickr.com/2386/2275651095_bbba08e3cb.jpg ). However the mill I was about to photograph was the Jackson Paper Company ( www.jacksonpaper-nc.com/ ) a paper recycling facility. Located along a tributary of the Tuckaseegee River I found that the Jackson Paper is a recycle paper mill, turning used paper and cardboard into new paper products. While I'm sure operations like this reduce the amount of trees used in the production of their products they are certainly not without their environmental impact. This encounter with the realities of recycling has imprinted on me the need to follow the "Three R's" (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) more effectively placing priority on them with emphasis on Reduce and Reuse.

Official Food, Inc. Movie Site - Hungry For Change? - Trailer and Photos

Official Food, Inc. Movie Site - Hungry For Change? - Trailer and Photos

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Going Green in 2008!

The Southern Video Blog is going green in 2008. I have several new videos planned for 2008 and beyond all with a green theme and directed toward the environment and global warming. I'll take a look at hybrid vehicles and alternative means of transportation. I'll visit an organic farm and see how buying local produce can help to reduce your carbon footprint. I'll search out people that have choosen green lifestyles and show you ways that you can live a more environmentally friendly life. Stay tuned to the Southern Video Blog and GO GREEN!

Photo: Toyota Prius in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Atlanta Pollution

Known as the connector in Atlanta. Interstates 75 and 85 run together through downtown Atlanta with as many as 16 lanes of traffic making it one of the widest motorways in the world. The traffic flow is never less than 250,000 vehicles per day and on heavy traffic days carries more that 320,000. Much of this excessive traffic is due to the lack of a substantial mass transit system. Atlanta does have MARTA (Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority) which includes buses and a rail system but it does not reach far enough into the suburbs to make it a reasonable alternative way to commute for most people. On more than 40 days between May and September in metro Atlanta, particularly during hot, dry summers, air pollution in the region may build to levels that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency deems unsafe for humans. One recent study predicted that 1 out of every 1500 cases of lung cancer in the area is due to these poor conditions . This photo was taken around 9pm one Friday evening.

Trashed

We're taking a walk into the woods in the Black Mountains of North Carolina. This walk into the forest turns into a lesson on respecting the environment.
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Straight Stick 101

This is my first post since August, I apologize to my loyal viewers but promise to resume posting on a more regular basis.
Everyone that has driven a manual transmission car or truck remembers their first day. Here is my nephew and I as I attempt to teach him the skills he needs to be a Master of the Straight Stick.
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Music by 4 Bolt Main under a Creative Commons License

Gregory Bald

We had been planning on hiking to the top of Gregory Bald in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Finally last month we made the 11 mile round trip hike. Here is a vlog from that outing.
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Music by None of the Above Bluegrass under a Creative Commons License

Blueberries

Today we are picking this healthiest of fruits...Mmmmm blueberries.
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Music by The Ball Sisters under a Creative Commons License

Live Bait

We're on the road in North Carolina. We stop for gas at a convenience store in the country and find this...
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Music by Forest View Express under a Creative Commons License

Caribbean Reds (Part 2)

This is Part 2 of the Caribbean Reds series. The first vlog was back in April of me planting the seedlings in soil packs. Now we are transfering the plants into planters in my yard. When done I'll have some of the hottest peppers available anywhere.
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Music by Swampman Jams under a Creative Commons License