BYU Environmental Experience

Friday, April 26, 2013

An Over Abundance of Trash - Recycled Sandals - Lloyd Sutton

One of the biggest problems our environment suffers from aesthetically is an overabundance of trash. Over the past several years, the EPA has made an effort to make changes to the regulations regarding municipal solid waste landfills. One of these changes in regulations is a clearer definition of what is “solid waste”. The EPA constantly struggles with finding ways to reduce land used for landfills even though the amount of trash produced continues to increase at an alarming rate. For my blog post, I wanted to do something to prove that there are alternate uses for nearly everything that we throw away. With a little bit of discovery, we could greatly reduce the amount of our garbage that ends up immediately in landfills after a single use. I brainstormed many ideas and had to essentially fill my room with miscellaneous trash before actually coming up with something useful that I could make. I spent a significant amount of time riding my bike around town and peeking in trash cans, looking for different types of garbage that I could use to make something substantial.

My proudest moment in completing this project was when I discovered that aside from the thread used to sew together part of the sandals, I could make the sandals completely out of recycled materials and convert even trash into the adhesive that holds the shoes together.

I hope that through this blog post I am able to cause people to think twice about the things they throw away. Some of the most common things that we readily dispose of could easily be converted into having alternative uses.

Recycled Sandals

Every year Americans produce enough truckloads of garbage that if each garbage truck were parked back to back, the line of trucks could extend halfway to the moon. While my insignificant project of making sandals completely out of recycled materials has relatively no impact on space saved in a landfill, it proves a point that there can be alternate uses to almost everything that we throw away. My initial plan was to make complete shoes, but I ran out of time with school deadlines to meet. So, I settled with sandals.

Garbage Utilized:

-Cardboard

-Plastic grocery bags

-Old bicycle tires

-Styrofoam & citrus oil

-An old towel

All materials needed can be found in any dumpster

My first several ideas failed (miserably) as I attempted using shredded newspaper to weave something that I could use as a fabric. Let's just say that weaving isn't my forte. With plastic grocery bags being the most annoying and ever present source of trash, I decided to try something using those. What I came up with, with the help of this blog, was fusing together plastic bags using an iron to make a flexible, somewhat durable material. I had experimented with other plastic bags and ended up making a shriveled, burnt, stinky plastic sheet before I found out the bags had to be made out of #4 plastic. After covering the bags in paper and ironing, they should be semi-flexible and look something like this:

I then cut the fused plastic bags into two inch wide straps and sewed the edges to make them look not-so-trashy.

Afterwards I cut out four soles that I traced from my own shoes from a cardboard box. I wrapped each of the soles in plastic from more grocery bags and shrunk the plastic to fit nicely over the cardboard by again using an iron, don't forget to have paper between the iron and plastic... (The plastic is to waterproof the cardboard so it doesn't get soggy when walking around in different weather). Then I took two of the soles for the tops of the sandals, cut out enough of the old towel to cover them, and sewed the towel onto them. The pieces now look like this:

The next part I was the most proud of, because even the adhesive to hold everything together is recycled. I found a video online that shows how to make glue using nothing but styrofoam and citrus oil. Check it out here. You can then take your old bike tire, cut off the beading around the outside, cut out the shape of your sole (you may need to improvise and cut several smaller pieces), and glue it to the bottom of your cardboard-wrapped-in-plastic sole to give you a little tread. Smother both soles in recycled glue, place your straps between them, and then clamp together until dry. BAM! Recycled sandals. I'll give you a dollar if you wear them in public.

BYU Foraging: From Fringe to Food - Neil Reed

My freshman year at BYU brought a number of things. Having only recently acquired a job, I had difficulty understanding what a dollar was worth. I began avoiding the purchase of food as much as I could. What began as initial stinginess in my first weeks turned into a lifestyle of searching out food I had decided must theoretically exist on campus. I was not mistaken in my assumptions. I was able to spend no more than eight dollars on food for both Fall and Winter semesters. While much of the food I acquired was simply from other people, I began paying attention to the huge profusion of plant life on BYU campus and was astounded at its volume and variety. Since my freshman year of college in 2007 I have continued to learn about foraging on BYU campus, adding to my knowledge and trying new plants as opportunities present themselves. I have largely kept this information to myself until now, when I realized my interest in foraging has been expanded by the principles I have learned in Environmental Law and Policy. Let me explain...

BYU Foraging: From Fringe to Food

As human beings, it is easy to forget our choices have consequences. This is especially true of our food. In a time where overproduction, outsourcing and international food imports are the norm, considering where our food comes from can be a difficult task. Many of the things we consume hail from distant sources-- corn from Iowa, quinoa from Bolivia, cane sugar from Brazil, bananas from Ecuador, mangoes from the Philippines, rice from Thailand, green peppers from Mexico, avocadoes and grapes from Chile. These all require energy to grow and transport. Are we aware of what it costs—financially and environmentally—to create these foods? Do we still connect with our food? Do we understand how it came to be on our table? As fewer and fewer people are involved in the production of the food they eat each year, food increasingly becomes more of an abstract concept and less a tangible reality.

This need not be the case. Countless edible species of plants grow worldwide, just a few of which are represented in the supermarket. Instead, numbers of these plants are to be found growing literally in our midst. Whether growing wild or used in landscaping, the volume and variety of food grown on BYU campus is something to consider—a quick count reveals over thirty. Unfortunately, with no knowledge of what they are and where to find them, they remain nameless and inaccessible. In an effort to bring them to public knowledge, I have created a Google map showing types and locations of edible plants on campus. I have also created an introductory guide to accompany this online tool. To create these tools, I have drawn upon the BYU Tree Tour pamphlet, various internet sources, Dr. Tom Smith of the PWS department, and my own experience foraging at BYU since 2007.

It is my hope that this information will provoke questions about the food we eat. Why do we eat the foods we do, and what societal, political and cultural factors influence these decisions? What does it mean to eat? Additionally, I invite you to try a new plant or recipe here.

BYU Foraging—An Introductory Guide

In an effort to provide a usable amount of relevant information, I have chosen to include basic information about each plant while providing links to recipes and additional information as is desired.

SAFETY NOTE: Do not consume plants you cannot positively identify.

Oak: Quercus robur, Q. rubra, Q. macrocarpa.

Acorns from oak trees have been utilized as a staple food by humans for thousands of years. Oaks are abundant on BYU campus and yield huge numbers of acorns in the fall. Acorns contain bitter chemicals called tannins that inhibit edibility. These can, however, be removed by soaking crushed acorns in water and changing the water daily until the water becomes clear. At this point they can be ground into flour, dried, and used to make pancakes, bread, cookies, etc. As these do not contain gluten, anticipate baked goods will be not hold together as well as products made with high gluten materials like wheat and rye.

Availability: Fall

Recipes More Info

Plums (Prunus domestica)

Plums are incredibly abundant on the hill south of the JSB. Pay attention to flowering trees in spring to better locate fruiting trees later. Many different varieties are found south of campus and all are edible. These are excellent fresh or used to make pies, tarts, puddings, or really anything with fresh fruit.

Availability: August—October

Recipes

Purple Leaf Plum Prunus cerasifera ‘Thundercloud’

A burgundy-leafed variety of flowering plum is a common landscaping plant on campus. Lining sidewalks and roads, it is easy to find and identify. Plums are the same color as the foliage, so they are easier to spot by looking for the shape of the fruit rather than the color.

Availability: June, July

Recipes

Oregon Grape—Mahonia aquifolium

Prickly, holly-like leaves with bluish-purple fruits that exude a dark crimson juice when crushed. Edible raw, tart fruit juice ideal for jelly-making.

Availability: July—October Recipes

Beech Trees—Fagus sylvatica; F. grandifolia

Beech trees are readily identified by their smooth, grayish bark and spreading, climbable branches. Their seeds can be consumed raw, roasted or ground and pressed to make a high-quality cooking oil. Beech nuts contain some of the same chemical compounds as walnuts, so those with walnut sensitivities or allergies may wish to avoid them.

Availability: Fall

Recipes

Hicks Yew—Taxus baccata ‘Hicks’

One of the most delicious fruits on campus, this is also the plant that requires the most caution when eating. All parts of the plant besides the fleshy, red seed covering are toxic. Don’t let this frighten you—these are an excellent source of food. BYU professor Tom Smith enjoys making pies with them.

Availability—Fall

Gingko Gingko Biloba

Readily identified by its smooth bark and fan-shaped leaves, this ancient plant yields smelly fruit with edible seeds that can be roasted and eaten.

Availability: Fall

Recipes: Recipes, More Recipes

Flowering Pear—Pyrus

calleryana ‘Bradford,’ ‘chanticlear’

Easily one of the most numerous trees on campus, Bradford and Chanticlear flowering pears bear white blossoms whose scent is often found objectionable. They do, however, bear hard, marble-sized fruits that can be consumed after they have bletted—that is, been frozen and rethawed to soften and sweeten the flesh. Utah winters address this quite adequately, and while Pyrus species bear fruit in fall, it is best consumed in winter. Pyrus tastes somewhat like the tropical fruit tamarind.

Availability: Winter

Pyrus fruit could be used successfully as part of a granola mixture.

Firethorn—Pyracantha

Generally formed into large hedges and covered with dense clusters of orange berries, firethorn berries are easy to spot. True to its name, firethorn branches have an abundance of (easily avoided) spines. Firethorn berries are edible but admittedly bland and mealy, but are apparently good in jelly. Let’s be honest, here—what isn’t?

Availability: Fall-Midwinter

Recipes

Hawthorn Craetaegus spp.

Hard, red fruits soften and shrivel in winter in cold, dry conditions, yielding a fruit reminiscent of Craisins.

Availability: Winter, Early Spring

Recipes

More Recipes

Even More Recipes

Dandelion—Taraxacum officinale

Much maligned by gardeners, landscapers, and homeowners, this invasive species is edible in its entirety—in fact, it was brought to the Americas by European migrants as a food source. Be careful to collect dandelions in areas not treated with pesticides.

I have used dandelions in salads and stir fries, and recipes for them abound online.

Availability: Spring, Summer

Recipes (included in hyperlinks):

http://siouxme.com/acorn.html

http://www.eattheweeds.com/acorns-the-inside-story/

http://honest-food.net/veggie-recipes/sweets-and-syrups/wild-plum-pie/

http://xtremehorticulture.blogspot.com/2012/06/make-jelly-from-fruit-of-your.html

http://soapycastiron.blogspot.com/2009/07/city-hippie-oregon-grape-jelly.html

http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes/miscellaneous/fetch-recipe.php?rid=misc-beech-mast-oil

www.suburbanforagers.com/2012/10/23/roasted-ginkgo-nut-recipe/

http://www.suburbanforagers.com/2012/10/18/how-to-identify-harvest-and-prepare-ginkgo-biloba-for-brain-health/

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/581076

http://www.greatbritishchefs.com/community/hawthorn-berry-recipes-foraging

http://www.eatweeds.co.uk/hawthorn-jelly-recipe

http://www.eattheweeds.com/the-crataegus-clan-food-poison-2/

http://www.eattheweeds.com/dandelions-hear-them-roar/

Is There A Better Way? - Overgrazing and Rangelands - Wes Davies

There is nothing wrong with asparagus, but it is not as attractive as ice cream, especially if there is no immediate competition for food. Overgrazed “ice cream” plants and under-grazed “asparagus” plants commonly occur in the same pasture under season long grazing conditions. Might I add that under-grazing can result in overgrown plants that will choke themselves to death over time, if not defoliated. A lot of money annually is pumped into restoration projects, fencing, research, and litigation because of overgrazed riparian areas that constantly get hammered by livestock doing what livestock do best; that is, eat the best grass first.

If we use our knowledge of herd animals to mimic the grazing ungulates of the past. Then livestock would be confined to herd and forced to constantly move across rangelands mimicking wild animals of the past. I am confident and the few land managers practicing this “management intensive” grazing style can attest that rangelands would improve drastically. Rather that burning overgrown forests and rangelands, which releases carbon into the atmosphere, we could manage forage in a way that gives grass plants the competitive advantage against shrubs and trees. Properly-grazed bunch grasses thrive, and can out compete other plants for resources. Since grass captures more moisture and carbon than trees and shrubs when in a thriving condition, not only would rangeland production improve but this may be the best hope we have to solving global warming.

The poster I made describes this in a visual way. Since I am a visual learner, I hope it will help some people understand these concepts better than I do.