We are now a few months into the Gulf oil disaster and despite the millions of gallons of oil floating around, the beaches along Florida’s panhandle have avoided major environmental impacts but the economic impact is still a major concern as vacationers stay home. So how is Florida keeping their beaches clean?

Dawn Moliterno, Executive Director of South Walton Beaches, said, "There’s a lot of opportunities for people to enjoy these beaches and some of the things we're doing is definitely helping.  We have several machines which help skim and clean the beaches as needed.  No beaches have closed in Walton County and the only beach closed in Florida is Pennsacola Beach.  What happens is, you have several agencies on the ground, DEP, Coastguard and EPA. They're out here everyday monitoring and checking these 26 miles of coastline to make sure they are in good order.  If they have an issue then a health advisory is put out, which means there might be tar balls but after two clean high tides, they are easily removed.”

Moliterno said the businesses in Fort Walton are giving great deals right now to persuade tourists to come visit.   She said, “They are providing discounts by adding value and doing random acts of kindness for our guests so they know just how much we appreciate that they came down and supported the beaches and communities that thrive on their business.  We need to continue to travel and we guarantee the greatest experience they can have.”

For more information about the oil spill and Florida beaches, go to  www.beachesofsouthwalton.com

13,057 PASSENGERS DUMPED THE PUMP WITH LEXTRAN

Lexington, KY—On Thursday, June 17th, LexTran joined thousands of other public transportation systems across the nation by participating in national Dump the Pump Day. Free rides enticed many to take a ride on a LexTran bus, with passenger counts for the day reaching 13,057.

“Depending on whether or not school is in session, we transport between 7,500 and 10,000 passengers on a typical day,” stated Rocky Burke, LexTran General Manager. “I was extremely pleased to see the number of people that took advantage of the free fare day. I just hope some of the folks that tried the bus on Dump the Pump Day will continue riding with us.”

LexTran offered “Go Green & Dump the Pump” stickers to passengers and encouraged them to participate in a Facebook photo contest. The winner, Joseph Vargas, received a free monthly pass to encourage continued ridership.

National Dump the Pump Day is sponsored by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and began in 2006 when high gas prices forced many to re-evaluate their mode of transportation. The national day has continued, emphasizing awareness of the environmental and money-saving benefits of using public transportation.

For more information contact Jill Barnett, Director of Community Affairs, at 255-7756.

 

Couple Raises Money For Their Wedding Through Aluminum Can Recycling

Last Ton of Cans to be Picked at their Home This Week

Pittsburgh, PA – June 22, 2010 – With their wedding just over a month away, a couple in Spokane, WA has a special reason to celebrate. Thanks to help from Alcoa and people around the country, Peter Geyer and Andrea Parrish now have the money they need to pay for their wedding – all raised through recycling aluminum cans. The couple has collected 400,000 cans, worth about $3,800. The last of the aluminum cans – about 73,000 in all -- will be picked up from their home by United Recycling Services on June 24, who donated the remaining number of cans the couple needed to reach their goal.

“We are happy to help Peter and Andrea reach their goal,” said Paul Gauron of United Recycling Services. “Recycling cans is a great marriage of protecting the environment and earning some cash.”

When Peter and Andrea agreed to marry, they knew they needed to raise the money to make their July wedding plans a reality. So they tapped into their desire to protect the environment, and started a campaign to recycle aluminum cans to pay for the ceremony. Alcoa made a big impact on their goal by donating 150,000 – or 4,500 pounds – of cans.

"Alcoa's contribution put us past the halfway mark at the time, and we were just blown away," said Andrea Parrish. "Since then, people around the world have lent a hand and we've met our goal sooner than we had expected. We are so excited about our wedding in July!"

We’ve made the switch to energy-efficient light bulbs, hybrid cars and from plastic grocery bags to reusable cloth bags.  We’ve been concerned with making our carbon footprint smaller but what about decreasing your pets carbon paw print? 

Veterinarian, Dr. Ruth MacPete, said, “For dog owners, I would recommend that people switch from regular plastic bags to a recycled biodegradable poop bag, which are easy to find.  With cats, I recommend that people switch from clay litter to an all-natural biodegradable litter.”  

A few other ways to cut out waste is by purchasing pet products, including toys and beds, that are made from recycled goods and sustainable material, such as hemp.

For more information on how to green up your furry friends, visit www.worldsbestcatliter.com.