This guest-post is brought to you by ColourfulWorld.

It is undeniable that plastics is our way of life. From food containers to industry parts, we rely heavily on the strength, durability and convenience of plastics. A world without plastics would be incomprehensible indeed. However, improper usage of plastics, especially those dealing with food and water, would mean potential health hazard to our body.

Image source: Univ. Cambridge.

Currently there are a total of 7 categories of plastics according to the resin identification code developed by the Society of Plastics Industry in 1988. How to identify what type of plastics you are using? Just turn your plastic items upside down and you will see an universal recycling symbol with a number (1 to 7) in the middle. If you can’t find any symbols and numbers, you can always use the interactive polymer identification chart.

It is important that we understand the concept of plastics formation and types of plastic (resin group and associated household products) possessing the potential health hazard if misused. Generally, the everyday consumer household products that we use such as water bottles, plates, bowls, cups, containers, water pipes etc. are formed using thermoplastic. A thermoplastic is a plastic that is influenced by temperature change. When heated sufficiently it will melt into liquid form and when cooled sufficiently, it will freeze into solid form. With this unique property, thermoplastics can be reshaped upon reheating. The following chart from University of Cambridge sums up the thermoplastics that we use daily:

Image source: Plastic sorting chart @ University of Cambridge.

The advantages of thermoplastics to the manufacturing and recycling industires are, at the same time the disadvantages to the consumers. Heat transfer through conduction (solid), convection (liquid and gas) and radiation (solar radiation consisting UV, visible light and IR) will provide the required energy to excite the plastic particles until the thermal energy is high enough for the particles to overcome their bonding energy, breaking away from the chain. Put in simple terms, sufficient ambient temperature, sunlight or a combination of both will cause thermoplastic to degrade progressively. Once degraded, the “loose” portion of plastic polymer will blend with food / water which is stored inside of the plastic container. These culprits are the cause of many known health issues such as genetic mutation, cancer and hormone disruption.

There are many ways to determine if the thermoplastics you use are degrading. If you detect tiny scratch marks, multiple hairy crack lines, dented / uneven surface due to heating, discolouration (decreased transparency, colour fade), on any part of the thermoplastic after multiple usage, chances are the thermoplastic is no longer fit for use. If you are daring enough, you can always go for the tasting / smelling method (for plain water only). If you don’t know the exact plastic taste and smell. Here’s a way to learn it. Boil the water and pour it into a plastic container, let it cool down for a few minutes then taste or smell it. Prevention is better than cure. Therefore, in order to use thermoplastic products safely, we should follow some rules of thumb:

1. Avoid exposing any containers (especially Type 3 PVC) under direct sunlight for long duration. This is to prevent solar UV from damaging the polymer chain.
2. Avoid exposing any containers in high temperature environment for long duration. The heat will breakdown the polymer chain.
3. Avoid using any containers to store hot water, especially boiling water. The logic is the same as rule no 2.
4. Avoid using polystyrene container at all times. Polystyrene is specially reactive towards fat. According to an article in Grinning Planet, the higher the fat content in food, the higher the rate of polystyrene migration into the food itself. Watch the following video and you will know how hazardous polystyrene is to our health.
5. Not all thermoplastics are microwave-safe so avoid using them in microwave oven even though the one you use is labelled “microwave-safe”. Further details can be found here.

Theoretically if you could keep the thermoplastics away from heat and solar radiation, the lifespan of thermoplastics will be prolonged. However due to complexity of condition where the thermoplastics are in constant contact with various kind of food,liquid and cleaning agent, various chemical reactions might take place accelerating the degradation of thermoplastic itself. If possible, replace all plastics with more environmental friendly matter such as ceramic, stainless steel or glass.

ColourfulWorld is a 24 year old confident and imaginative Leo who likes to explore almost everything in the world he is currently in. Being verbally and cerebrally quick, he often thinks too much and likes to break rules. Nevertheless, he understands that there is no limit to gain of knowledge and wisdom therefore he’s now actively seeking what he wants though sometimes procrastination could get the better of him.

This post is written for the “Save the Ocean” group-writing project.

It is very important to have a minister who is concerned about the environment in the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (in Malaysia) instead of somebody who holds the post because he was offered it, or somebody who is into it because it pays better. Similarly, in any environment-related NGOs such as the Malaysian Nature Society or the WWF, we need leaders who are proactive and who will protect the environment at all costs.

Here’s how you can ensure that the person you vote for will protect the environment (and the coasts):

• Learn who your representatives are (get to know them) and where they stand on key environment/ocean protection measures.
• Write or call your elected officials to tell them that your support will depend on their taking strong conservation position on issues relating to the environment.
• Attend an ocean conservation meeting or other gathering aimed at building an effective ocean constituency.

January 2008 is “Save the Ocean” month here at The Giving Hands. Click here for more information on how you too, can save our oceans, and remember to subscribe to The Giving Hands for your daily updates!

This post is written for the “Save the Ocean” group-writing project by Pearl, who has a background in science, business management and IT, lives in New Jersey, and blogs at Fresh Perspectives about blogging, social media, web 2.0 and self improvement.

I realized after picking my post topic what kind of mess I had gotten myself into. I say I got myself in a mess because it is not easy to write in one post all about wetlands. But I will try to cover as much as I can to make you understand why it is so important to support our wetlands.

In order for us to understand why we need to support our wetlands, it is essential to get familiar with some of the terms that all of us might hear and might even feel we know what they mean but still not consciously think of exactly how they influence our lives.

Wetland is an area of land that gets saturated by either the ground water or surface water and it contains hydrophilic plants, plants that only grow in the water or saturated soils where there is no sign of oxygen.

Image credit: Narew River National Park @ Ramsar

Rivers, lakes, ponds, marshes, temporary pools and even swamps, all are classified as wetlands and they form the most important parts of our ecosystem. Ecosystem is nothing but the system of interaction between living organisms with their non-living environment.

There are thousands of species of animals and plants, ranging from tiny microscopic forms to larger animals and trees that grow and only survive in the wetlands. So we can say that the wetlands, along with these species of plants and animals, help us in regulating the environment in many ways.

• Clean Drinking Water: Wetlands protect drinking water by filtering out chemicals, pollutants, and sediments that would otherwise clog and contaminate our waters.
• Critical Habitats: Wetlands provide critical habitats for a major portion of the state’s fish and wildlife, including endangered, commercial and recreational species.
• Flood Control: Wetlands soak up runoff from heavy rains and snow melts, providing natural flood control and also release flood waters during droughts.
• Medicines: most of the plants growing in wetlands and different species of animals have been used in homeopathic as well as modern medicines.

Healthy Wetlands, Healthy People

Image credit: World Wetlands Day 2008 @ The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.

Before 1980s, these values were not appreciated much by the governments across the world, and vast majority of wetlands were even termed as “wastelands”. As a result, people didn’t do anything to preserve these lands and due to dredge and fill activities for new development, drainage, pollution and sometimes even natural causes, millions of acres of wetlands get destroyed which result in erosion, flooding and sedimentation

So, protecting the remaining wetlands has become a critical priority of the world’s nations.

Image credit: World Wetlands Day 2008 @ The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.

In an effort to educate people and raise public awareness, February 2nd every year is celebrated as the World Wetlands Day. This day marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on 2 February 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the shores of the Caspian Sea. Each year since 1997, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and groups of citizens at all levels of the community have taken advantage of the opportunity to undertake actions aimed at raising public awareness of wetland values and benefits in general and the Ramsar Convention in particular.

From 1997 to 2007, the Convention’s Web site has posted reports from more than 95 countries of WWD activities of all sizes and shapes, from lectures and seminars, nature walks, children’s art contests, sampan races, and community clean-up days, to radio and television interviews and letters to newspapers, to the launch of new wetland policies, new Ramsar sites, and new programmes at the national level.

Government agencies and private citizens from all over the world have sent us their news, often with photographs, and these annual summaries and 900+ individual reports, with more than 1200 images, make an excellent archive of ideas for future celebrations.

- Source: Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

And On February 2, 2008, United States Embassies from South America to the Middle East will join their local communities to commemorate World Wetlands Day, an annual celebration of the vital importance of wetlands to the world’s ecological health and of efforts to conserve these invaluable habitats. The day marks the anniversary of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, signed February 2, 1971 in Ramsar, Iran.

- Source: U.S. Department of State

In order for us to continue to receive many benefits from our wetlands, it’s important to join the efforts initiated by the local communities and state in whichever way is possible. Some of these could be:

• Join local organizations that are involved in habitat conservation, research and public education.
• Volunteer your time in wetland conservation work started by local chapters of your nation’s wetland conservation work.
• Attend events organized by these organizations and get educated.
• Make donations towards research.

Here are some resources for further education and learning about wetlands and human health:

• Current State & Trends Assessment @ Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
• Wetlands Education
• A glossary of beach terms

January 2008 is “Save the Ocean” month here at The Giving Hands. Click here for more information on how you too, can save our oceans, and remember to subscribe to The Giving Hands for your daily updates!