Brummet's Conscious Blog

-- Battery Recycling -- Sadly only 28% of Canadians are recycling less than 20% of the batteries consumed in the country – despite education campaigns and ample collection sites.  According to an article I read recently from the Recycling Product Newsletter : “ One mg of mercury is enough to make all the fish in a 20 acre lake inedible for a full year. With almost 11 mg of mercury in the average button cell, alkaline battery, RMC says Canadians' awareness of the implications of improper disposal is in stark contrast to the realities of the situation ”.    RawMaterials.com offers battery recycling collection boxes, prepaid shipping, for businesses to collect in-house batteries – and also their customers/clients.  They also offer similar collection systems for fluorescent and CFL bulbs and thermometers. According to their site the average home consumes 1.2 pounds of cell batteries per year, and while only 1% of landfill waste is batter...

 -- Review -- I just received word that another review went out on the Towards Understanding book of poetry... which has recently been revised and now has 125 poems. This first edition that the review was based on talks about an "intense relationship" and what I meant by this is that I clung to the "love" I felt because I felt so unlovable, so unworthy - and so grateful that someone loved me as I was... even though I knew it was an unhealthy relationship. But this was just a small part of the topics covered in the book - you'll find that the poetry walks the reader through the healing process one goes through when dealing with a broken home life, the discovery of "self" and learning that I have a purpose in this life, that my life has some value. The book closes with this theme, offering a glimpse into the new journey I was entering into at the age of 25 or so.  http://hangingoffthewire.blogspot.com/2011/11/towards-understanding.html I ...

 -- Green Building Materials -- I received an interesting article (which you can read below) that speaks about the benefits of using stainless steel in construction... and this intrigued me enough to do a quick Internet search on the topic. According to The Stainless Steel Information Center ( www.ssina.com ) this material is one of the most environmentally friendly materials - is corrosion resistant and durable,  has high-recycled content and recapture rates, while providing long service life and reduce resource use. The site goes on to state: "Stainless steel is 100% recyclable into the same product with no reduction in quality. The metal’s high scrap value and recyclability ensures that it is diverted from landfills and recaptured for use in new stainless steel. A recent international study by the ISSF determined that about 92% of the stainless steel used in architecture, building and construction applications is recaptured and recycled at the end of servic...

-- Special Note to our Readers :) -- I've been receiving a lot of emails as of late - asking about the Referral Corner, a regular posting (about once per week) published here on the blog where we celebrate mostly non-profit, and non-religious, organizations that are doing incredible work across the planet... So in hopes of clearing up the confusion... I've decided to clarify (above) what the Referral Corner is about ... which is really a way of spreading the word about recommended resources that I think our audience here would be interested in learning of. The last two postings can be found at: http://consciousdiscussions.blogspot.com/2011/11/safety-at-home-at-work-on-road-more.html and : http://consciousdiscussions.blogspot.com/2011/11/helfpul-resources.html We are always looking for new resources and non-profits to share with our audience, so if you know of a fantastic organization - you are welcome to send the information our way and if it suits ...

-- Conscious Discussions Talk Radio -- Today's episode features another Best of 2007 - Vol #9 - offering two wonderful experts, one from Texas (US) and the other from BC (Canada)... on the topic of Literacy. Learn about the importance of literacy organizations and some of the incredible opportunities they offer for their communities. Join us live at 10-11 AM Pacific and drop in the live chat room, if you are able. Or access the archived episode at your convenience later on. Just click on this link below: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/consciousdiscussions/2011/11/29/best-of-2007-vol-9 -- Newsletter -- YES ! it is time for another issue of the Brummet's Muse Newsletter. We took a bit of a hiatus for a couple of months allowing us to relocate to another community and set up the office here. The newsletter is due for release on Dec 1st... so if you haven't joined in the mailing list, you are welcome to do so via our site:  www.brummet.ca :) Fin...

 -- World of Writing Interview -- It is time for another World of Writing interview... this time we have children's author, Diane Robinson... a resident of Alberta, Canada. Her debut work is a children’s chapter book - Sir Princess Petra - being published by Tate Publishing in Oklahoma. Check it out at: tatepublishing.com Q: How would a good friend describe you? Diane: My friend would first say that I definitely think and live outside the box. That would explain my creative nature. Then she would say that I live happy and am a true friend.  That I care deeply about the world: the poor and starving people, the environment and the abuse of Mother Nature, and cruelty to animals. She would say the last part because I’m always hitting up my friends for a donation to my current cause. Q: What are your long-range and short-range goals and objectives? How do you plan to accomplish your goals? Diane: My short-range and long-range goals have bee...

-- Referral Corner -- Safety is huge - and we have to start here at home. What is your plan of action should something happen to your home? Do your family members know where to find you? Where will the family meet, should the home not be a safe place to be? Do you have a working fire alarm? How about a carbon monoxide detector? Do you have a first aid kit in the home and one in the car... and if applicable, in with your outdoor equipment (camping gear, skiing gear...)? These are just some of the basics for all of us to make sure we have in place. I came across two really good sites that can help people prepare: www.fiprecan.ca - find fact-sheets for parents, kids, schools and seniors on how to prevent common causes of fire www.safety-council.org - offers information on how to make the home and office a safe place to be, but also offers road safety tips.  Check these out - you won't be sorry that you took the time to do so! Find Dave and Lillian B...