Lifestyle
Educating School Districts About the Importance of Clean Transportation
(Family Features) Although most school districts have implemented technology that makes it easy to connect with teachers, you may still wonder how to create dialogue within your district about larger scale issues than your child’s homework assignments.
One example is sustainability, which is an issue many parents feel strongly about. Opening conversations with leaders in the school district can result in many kinds of eco-friendly changes, such as a greater commitment to recycling and teaching kids about the importance of protecting the environment. Transportation is another area where districts can make more sustainable choices, which can also save money over time.
School Districts
Most of the school buses on the road today run on diesel, which is known to cause respiratory issues like asthma and bronchitis. There are two primary energy alternatives to diesel for clean student transportation: propane and electric. While both can achieve clean transportation, the cost to do so is not equal.
Propane is a fraction of the cost for the initial bus purchase and infrastructure is affordable, scalable and available in communities across the country. What’s more, propane has a range of 400 miles, allowing a sizable vehicle like a bus to reliably travel long distances without stopping to refuel.
If you’d like to talk with your school district about reducing emissions in your community and saving money for your district’s budget, consider these tips:
Compile Information to Share
Your concerns are more likely to attract attention if you collect meaningful details and data to support your request. In addition to statistics and research that explain why your school district should reconsider traditional diesel transportation, you might also gather information on the district’s transportation expenses. You can make your points more relevant by learning about how other districts in your area are making sustainable choices like choosing propane buses.
Write a Letter to District Officials
Once you thoroughly research and organize the details most relevant to your community, you can begin to share it with others. One important step is a letter to the school district that documents your concerns and conveys the importance of clean, safe, healthy transportation for children. The key is to not only spell out the harm being caused, but also to provide a viable solution.
Educate District Officials
Once you’ve gone on record with a letter, you can work to educate leaders in the school district about clean energy buses. Often, a school board meeting is the most efficient way to open this dialogue because you can address the entire board at once. An added benefit is other members of the community who are deeply interested in school operations are likely to attend, and reporters covering the school district may also hear and report on your information, which can spread word to the larger community.
Call a Parent-Teacher Meeting
Working together, parents and teachers have a strong voice within the school system. A meeting among like-minded parents and teachers can be a forum for you to collectively develop a strategy for gathering further support for your cause, educating about the importance of the issue and ultimately driving change for your community.
Visit BetterOurBuses.com to find resources to talk to your school district about important matters like switching to propane school buses.
SOURCE:
Propane Education & Research Council
Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/ and embark on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.
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(Family Features) Taking good care of your skin all year long is essential, but even more so in the summer when the power of the sun is at its strongest. Healthy skin doesn’t require fancy moisturizers or expensive skin care products. You just need to adopt a few healthy habits.
For example, keeping your skin healthy and glowing starts from the inside out by eating and drinking healthy foods and beverages that nourish your body’s largest organ and promote healthy skin cells. Additionally, studies show certain foods, such as fresh, juicy grapes, may help protect healthy skin even when exposed to UV light, which is known to damage skin cells.
A study published in the journal “Antioxidants,” in which people consumed 2 1/4 cups of grapes every day for two weeks, showed increased resistance to sunburn and reduced markers of UV damage at the cellular level. This study reinforced previous and similar findings published in the “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.” Grapes are also a hydrating food with 82% water content; hydration is essential to healthy skin.
Along with snacking on fresh, delicious California grapes, consider these everyday ways you can keep your skin safe from the sun’s rays.
Seek Shade
Most experts recommend avoiding the sun at the height of the day, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when its rays are at full strength. That doesn’t mean you can’t be outside – just seek shade as often as possible while enjoying the warm summer air.
Prioritize Hydration
Drinking water and staying hydrated is important year-round, but especially when it’s hot and you’re more likely to lose water content through sweat. Keep your body full of moisture with simple and delicious Grape-Infused Waters. For a zesty kick, try Grape, Ginger and Lime that combines the sweetness of grapes with the zing of ginger and lime, or Grape, Lemon and Mint, offering a bright and invigorating blend of citrus and mint. Enter your Zen state with a mellow, spa-like sip from Grape, Cucumber and Mint.
For a cool, hydrating snack, try freezing grapes. Simply rinse, pat dry, remove from the stems and freeze for 2 hours in a single layer on a sheet pan. You can even enjoy them as flavorful ice cube replacements in these easy-to-prepare, flavorful beverages.
Layer Up
While you’re enjoying the sunshine, layer up with a generous application of 30 SPF or higher sunscreen every 1-2 hours. Wear lightweight, long-sleeve shirts; wide-brimmed hats; sunglasses; and other protective clothing to reduce sun exposure, which can lead to wrinkles, age spots and other health problems, including an increased risk of skin cancer.
Visit GrapesFromCalifornia.com for more delicious recipes and information on grapes and health.
A Trio of Grape-Infused Waters
Servings: 4 Grape, Ginger and Lime:- 1 heaping cup Grapes from California, muddled, plus additional for serving (optional)
- 5 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger, muddled
- 4 lime slices
- 4 cups water
- ice
- 1 heaping cup Grapes from California, muddled, plus additional for serving (optional)
- 3 lemon slices
- 3 large stems fresh mint
- 4 cups water
- ice
- 1 heaping cup Grapes from California, muddled (plus additional for serving (optional)
- 6-8 thin slices cucumber, halved
- 3 large stems fresh mint
- 4 cups water
- ice
- To make grape, ginger and lime water: In pitcher, place grapes, ginger and lime slices. Add water and stir well. Cover and chill overnight.
- Before serving, stir well and pour into ice-filled glasses, adding grapes to each glass, if desired.
- To make grape, lemon and mint water: In pitcher, place grapes, lemon slices and mint. Add water and stir well. Cover and chill overnight.
- Before serving, stir well and pour into ice-filled glasses, adding grapes to each glass, as desired.
- To make grape, cucumber and mint water: In pitcher, place grapes, cucumber and mint. Add water and stir well. Cover and chill overnight.
- Before serving, stir well and pour into ice-filled glasses, adding grapes to each glass, as desired.
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(Family Features) Pruning, or the practice of removing dead or diseased branches from flowering plants – including certain herbs, vegetables, shrubs, trees and flowers – allows them to focus their energy on new growth and blossoms, which can result in a more robust and abundant flowering season.
While the optimal time to prune is largely dependent on the type of plant and its blooming cycle, in general completing the chore shortly after first bloom can help shape plants, ensuring they grow in a desirable manner, and improve air circulation and light penetration, which help prevent fungal diseases.
Start by gathering the necessary tools, including sharp bypass pruners, loppers, a pruning saw and hedge shears, then consider these simple steps to begin pruning your plants:
- Inspect your plants and remove any dead, diseased or damaged branches.
- Find branches that cross or rub against each other and remove one of the crossing branches to allow the other to grow freely.
- Thin out the plant by removing any overcrowded branches.
- Shape the plant as desired, maintaining its natural form and structure.
Find more lawn and garden advice by visiting eLivingtoday.com.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
SOURCE:
eLivingtoday.com
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(Family Features) Senior year of high school is a time for big changes for most people, but for Emani McConnell-Brent, she did not expect it would include changes to her health. After being rushed to the emergency room with severe stomach pain, McConnell-Brent learned the problem was her kidneys and she was diagnosed with a kidney disease called focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS).
After her diagnosis, McConnell-Brent struggled to get the right medicines to treat her disease. She was encouraged to undergo a genetic test and discovered her FSGS was the result of APOL1-mediated kidney disease (AMKD), a rapidly progressive genetic kidney disease that can cause kidney failure. The diagnosis brought McConnell-Brent some relief, both physically and emotionally.
“Knowing it’s genetic and knowing I’m taking care of myself makes a big difference in my mental state,” said McConnell-Brent, now 21 and an ambassador for the American Kidney Fund.
Everyone has two copies of the apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1) gene – one from each parent – but Black Americans of West and Central African ancestry are more likely to have changes (variants or mutations) in their APOL1 gene that cause AMKD. This genetic form of kidney disease can develop even at a young age, in otherwise healthy people, and can advance faster than other kidney diseases.
An estimated 13% of Black Americans have the two APOL1 gene variants that are associated with AMKD. Those who have variants in both copies of the APOL1 gene have a 1 in 5 chance of developing kidney disease.
“A lot of people don’t even know about how prevalent the APOL1 gene is in the African American community,” McConnell-Brent said.
Early diagnosis of AMKD can keep your kidneys working longer, delaying the need for dialysis or a kidney transplant.
If you have kidney damage, symptoms may not occur until your kidneys are close to failing. As kidney damage worsens, one or more of these symptoms may occur:
- Protein in urine
- Swelling in legs or weight gain
- Feeling weak or tired
- High blood pressure
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