To produce just 3 tonnes of Green PE, land equal to 1 football pitch of sugar cane is need. To meet today’s global polyethylene (PE) demand of 160 Million Tonnes, this equates to planting enough sugar cane to cover 53,333,333 football pitches, or planting enough sugar plantations the size of a football pitch, in a line stretching around the world 121 times. Is this sustainability?
They claim that the sugar cane absorbs CO2 and that their green PE Carbon foot print is therefore positive, but that would only be true if there was MORE sugar cane than the vegetation already there.
Is there any good reason to take arable land and water resources away from people around the world to produce bio-plastics and bio-fuels?
We don’t think so. Food prices are high enough already. 2009 to 2010 the global food prices inceased overall by 49% and from 2010 to 2010 increased 39% prices, increased even more the problem of the hunger around the world.
Interest in bio-based plastics derives from two mistakes – first that it reduces demand for oil, and second that the plastic is biodegradable in the open environment.
Polyethelyne (PE) and Polypropylene (PP) play a significant role in our lives but oil is not extracted to make plastic. It is extracted for fuel, and plastic is made from a by-product which used to be wasted. Plastic does not therefore increase the amount of oil extracted, and can in fact reduce it. This is because plastic has the same calorific value as the oil from which it was made. It should not be wasted by being sent to landfill, but should instead be sent to modern incinerators, where the calorific value can be captured and used to generate electricity without harmful emissions. This, of course, afterpassing through recycling until it is not possible to recover this plastic by recycling.
Bio-based plastics are not necessarily biodegradable in the open environment or at all, but there is a commercially viable solution for the Global Packaging Industry, by using low-cost oxo-biodegradable additives.
When the additive is added to PE or PP (whether derived from oil or sugar cane), it will break down the molecular structure, in the presence of oxygen. It turns ordinary plastic after its useful life into a material with a completely different molecular structure. At that stage it is no longer a plastic and has become a material which can be bio-assimilated in the open environment, in the same way as a leaf, therefore will significantly help resolve the increasing problem of Plastic Waste in the Environment, that blights our Countryside, blocks drains and pollutes our rivers and oceans .
Oxo-Biodegradable plastics can be made with recyclate and are also recyclable. They can be tested according to the test methods prescribed in ASTM 6954; UAE Standard 5009/2009 – and the recently published British Standard 8472, which provide tests for biodegradation in soil and simulate the real-world behaviour of plastic products which get into the environment and cannot realistically be collected.
Plastic of life cycle controlled – oxybiodegradable – is the best option to solve the problem of excess plastic that society uses, but only where it can not be use reusable bag, it is the best and most logical choice for packaging of goods retail.
Uuff what an weekend!!Had a great time at the Rude Health Show and met such lovely people including girls from UnBEElievable Health.
Louboutin loses case against Yves Saint Laurent’s red soles
Christian Louboutin loses case against Yves Saint
In the fashion industry, it seems one can’t trademark a colour – not even Christian Louboutin, who sells more than 240,000 pairs of red-soled shoes in the USA alone, per year.
”Because in the fashion industry colour serves ornamental and aesthetic functions vital to robust competition, the court finds that Louboutin is unlikely to be able to prove that its red outsole brand is entitled to trademark protection, even if it has gained enough public recognition in the market to have acquired secondary meaning,” wrote the judge in his ruling.
Thinking Red…mmm
Number of modular shoe designs pop up over the past couple of years, but none are quite as polished as the “Ze o Ze” by Israeli industrial designer Daniela Bekerman. Loosely translated as “this or that” in Hebrew, the Ze o Ze features a raft of components for swapping in and out at will. The result? A ballet slipper one day, a brogue-inspired lace-up another, and a Mary Jane kitten-heel pump the next—all from the same shoe!
No barefoot-shoe roundup would be complete without the Vibram Fivefinger, which is popular for good reason. In addition to uppers made from from renewable New Zealand merino wool, each shoe also includes a rubber sole made with 50 percent scrap material.
Originally,Repetto was make of dancing shoes.It was created in 1947 by Rose Repetto for her son Ronald Petit,a young clasical dancer whose feet hhutr after every rehearsal…A good couturier,Rose Repetto decided to design a shoe that would be more comforable.She then produced her first dancing shoes in a workshop near Paris’s national opera house.But Repetto’s finest hour came in 1956 thanks to Brigitte Bardot,who wore the “Cinderella” model in the film “And God … created woman.in 1970s,Serge Gainsbourg become an ambassador for make by wearing his famous white-laced “zizi”
Repetto originally designed for the famous dancer Zizi Jeanmarie.
Finally the legendary brand remade a model called “Michael Jackson” to pay tribute to the “Billie Jean” clip when the king of poop was already wearing them…
The season is upon us: time to bring those feet out of hiding, freshen up your pedicure, and slip into the flip-flops that have been languishing in the back of the closet since September. Former mainstays of the beach and the locker room, flip-flops have come into their own in the past few years, and can be seen everywhere from the runway to the White House.
Flip-flops originally had a specific purpose: protecting the bottom of your feet from hot sand or keeping them away from icky germs when showering at the gym or wandering around poolside. They were never meant to function as daily footwear, and the popular and cheap plastic-and-rubber type you pick up at the drugstore provide nothing in the way of support and stability.
Like anything else, flip-flops in moderation are fine. But here are a few reasons you might want to limit them to poolside or the beach this summer.
Arch enemies
Flip-flops almost always have flat soles, with no shaping to offer support for your arches. A lack of arch support can cause overpronation, which is a fancy podiatrist word for when your foot rolls inward when you walk, putting excessive pressure on the sole and inner part of your foot. Overpronation can result in a world of hurt, from bunions to tendonitis to shin splints. And if you’re not already flat-flooted, habitual flip-flop wearing could actually cause you to become so.
Protect and serve
Flip-flops barely cover your foot. This can lead to painfully sunburned tootsies, but more seriously cuts, insect bites, broken toes, and worse. Emergency room physicians see a rise in foot injuries during the summer from people doing yard work in flip-flops, walking the dog, playing frisbee, and plenty of other activities better conducted in more protective foot gear. If nothing else, you’re prone to blisters between your first and second toes, not to mention the propensity to stub your toes, leading to dislocations, broken bones, and even severing of the digits.
Falling for you
Flip-flops offer no support for your ankles or feet, and this can lead to injuries that might not have happened in sneakers. They come off your feet easily, causing you to trip, slip, or fall, and lack of protection and support make you more likely to injure more than your dignity in the resulting spill. Broken ankles, stress fractures, and ruptured tendons are just a few of the risks; flip-flop wearers should beware of driving, using escalators, and running, just to name a few activities that have led to serious injury.
Germ warfare
One team of researchers found more than 18,000 bacteria hanging out on just one pair of flip-flops, including germs that cause respiratory illness and serious skin infections. While it’s true that the soles of any shoe come in contact with a lot of gross stuff on a regular basis, think about how much of your foot is exposed in flip-flops — and how often you might touch them with your hands to keep them on your feet. Combine that with the greater likelihood of injury to the foot while wearing flip-flops, and you have germ-infested recipe for infection on your hands — or, in this case, on your feet.
Walk this way
Researchers at Auburn University found that wearing flip-flops changes the way you walk. While the difference is subtle, when you wear flip-flops regularly, it can lead to serious problems in your ankles, heels, and toes. You know how you scrunch your toes to keep your shoe on when you walk in flip-flops? That motion stretches the plantar fascia, the connective tissue that runs from your heel to your toes. Repetitive stress in this tissue can cause inflammation and pain in your toes and the bottom of your feet, along with heel spurs. Walking in flip flops also causes shorter strides and puts more force on your feet as they hit the ground. This also affects the way you move your hips and legs, and can result in hip and lower-back pain as well, potentially resulting in long-term damage.
Credit to Naked Health !!! Wave !!!
Athlete’s foot or foot fungus and toenail fungus affects people of all ages. It is itchy and ugly and can destroy your toenails. Here are six tips to keep your feet fungus-free and beautiful.
Foot fungus can be hard to treat — the best strategy is to keep your feet from getting fungus in the first place. Always wear flip-flops in places like public showers, locker rooms, and pools (walking on your tip-toes across the locker room floor won’t protect you). Don’t share towels, shower sponges, shoes, or socks. Wash your socks in hot water every time you wear them.
Keep your feet dry. You should wash your feet everyday, including between the toes (you know you don’t). Then dry your feet completely, including between the toes (you know you don’t); you can even use a hair dryer before putting on your socks. If you have sweaty feet, consider using a foot antiperspirant to minimize wetness. Wear loose fitting, synthetic socks that allow your feet to breathe and wick moisture away.
Apply an antifungal foot cream to your feet and toes everyday. Any over the counter antifungal cream will work; I recommend generic clotrimazole cream because its effective and a lot less expensive than other antifungals. If you don’t like applying cream, then try antifungal foot sprays such as Tinactin® (tolnaftate) or antifungal foot powders such as Desenex® (miconaozle).
The best treatment for nail fungus is oral antifungal pills. However, pills, such as Lamisil® (terbenifine) or Nizoral® (ketoconazole), can have serious side effects and require blood tests to monitor for complications. Combining oral antifugals with a topical antifungal cream everyday gives you the best chance of a cure. If you want to treat toenail fungus at home, then consider applying Vicks VapoRub® to your nails everyday. You can also try soaking your feet in a solution of one part Listerine with one part white vinegar. The alcohols in the Vicks VapoRub® and in the Listerine® might help eliminate the fungus. A third option is to try applying tea tree oil to your nails everyday. None of these home remedies are likely to cure toenail fungus, but they can help improve the appearance of your nails and are relatively harmless. Unfortunately, if your toenails are completely infected with fungus, there is less than 50% chance you will have a complete, long-lasting cure. Even with the strongest antifungal treatments available, only 50-70% of people clear their toenails; and those who are cured become reinfected 50% of the time!
Keep your toenails clean and trimmed short. You can scrape the crumbly material from under your nails, but do it gently. Vigorous scraping won’t clean out nail fungus and will cause your nail to lift off your toe or to fall off all together. Remember to wash your hands after every time you touch your feet or nails and to clean your toenail clipper and nail files with alcohol before using them again.
If you have successfully eliminated your foot fungus or toenail fungus, remember that you still are at risk of getting the fungus again. Consider getting new sneakers, sandals and socks, and apply an antifungal foot cream or powder to your feet everyday to prevent a regrowth of fungus on your now fungus-free feet.
Post written by Jeffrey Benabio, MD.
Malaria mosquitoes utilize CO2 from exhaled air to localize humans from afar. In the vicinity of their preferred host, they alter their course towards the human feet. Researcher Remco Suer discovered how female malaria mosquitoes use foot odors in the last meters to guide them to their favoured biting place. Suer, who is defending his doctoral thesis May 9 at Wageningen University, part of Wageningen UR, sees possibilities to disrupt the host seeking behaviour of the malaria mosquito.
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