Personal care
Into: Food and drink 
How do we choose foods ? Impact on the environment
There is no substitute for a healthy diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, cereals and grains, nuts and seeds, dairy products, lean meat and fish.
Consumers should aim to consume the following in order to obtain the nutrients needed for a balanced diet:
plenty of bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and cereals – going for the wholegrain varieties when possible
plenty of fruit and vegetables
some milk, cheese and yoghurt
some meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of (...) Read more
Food
,
Food
,
Personal care
Into: Looking good Sustainable personal hygiene Products of personal hygiene
The array of personal cleaning products is endless. It includes towels, soap, shampoo, razors, moisturizers, creams, lotions, emollients, cotton swaps, talcum powder, oils and balms and many, many more.
Shampoo, Body Shampoo, Liquid and Solid Soap products are a common part of everyday life, however, there are a range of environmental and human health characteristics that you should be aware of when making personal choices. Research has suggested that shampoos, shower gels and other (...) Read more
Biodiversity
,
Water pollution
,
Personal care
Into: Looking good Sustainable personal hygiene Waste disposal in relation to personal hygiene
Today we live in a throw-away society which is strongly influenced by consumerism, over-consumption and excessive production of short-lived or disposable items.
We’re using an increasing number of one-use products such as plastic razors, cups, paper towels, wipes, nappies, plastic bags, paper napkins and sanitary towels. These products usually cost more in the long-run because they involve the consumption of more resources and energy than their reusable alternatives.
It takes about six (...) Read more
Biodiversity
,
Inorganic
,
Personal care
Into: Looking good Sustainable Beauty and Body Care Beauty care
The beauty and cosmetic industry in Ireland is estimated to be worth over €1 billion annually.
Using cosmetic products is generally accepted to be safe for consumers. However, you should be mindful of certain risks.
The most common injury from cosmetics is from scratching the eye with a mascara wand. Eye infections can result if the scratches go untreated. Sharing make-up can also lead to serious problems. Cosmetic brushes and sponges pick up bacteria from the skin. Washing your hands (...) Read more
Personal care
Into: Looking good Sustainable Beauty and Body Care Sustainable Wellness and Fitness
Any regular exercise is a good way to stay in shape.
The benefits of a well-planned exercise routine will not only help you replace fat with muscle, it will help you gain strength and flexibility. Exercise plays a role in improving bone strength and lowering blood pressure.
Whether you are a professional athlete or just enjoy exercising, setting a goal for your exercise plan will help you achieve maximum results. Remember to make your goal challenging but be realistic. Be sure to plan a (...) Read more
Exercise
,
Personal care
Into: Looking good Introduction Cultural and social understanding of ’looking good’
Looking good is usually defined by our personal appearance which is based on how we groom and dress ourselves. This is generally instrumental in other people forming opinions about us. It’s obvious therefore that care and attention should be given to how we look in order to make the best impression.
Many studies have shown that the better we appear the better impression we leave on people who we meet in day to day life as well as the better we feel about ourselves. This is an aspect to (...) Read more
Personal care
Into: Looking good Introduction Being Sustainable when looking good
One of the by-products of the looking good industry which is not often considered by consumers is the impact to the environment that the production and use of all these products is having
On a day to day level we use many litres of water – both hot and cold – and often unnecessarily in order to keep ourselves looking good.
As well as that there are many different impacts on the environment from the production and use of products that we use to make ourselves look good. There is the (...) Read more
Personal care
,
Clothes
Into: Looking good What to wear? Sustainable Style and Clothing
Your own style is about expressing personality and values in appearance, not about consumption on the latest fashions.
Style is far more important than fashion as it’s personal and not based on seasonal trends or the voice of a select few.
Style can be anything from knowing how to put just the right pieces together to accepting that not all fads and fashions will work on your body — and not forcing them.
Understanding what works with not only your body, but your personality and persona (...) Read more
Personal care
,
Clothes
Into: Looking good Sustainable personal hygiene Products of personal hygiene
Buying one type of multi-surface cleaner for all household jobs is generally preferable to using various so-called specialist products, because at least there is only one type of chemical cocktail for your home to contend with.
The chemicals strategy is a strategy intended to reform the regulation of chemicals. It was devised because some household cleaners may contain toxic chemicals, such as those which build up in body tissue and the environment. Behind the heavily-marketed ’whiter (...) Read more
Biodiversity
,
Personal care
Into: Looking good Introduction Cultural and social understanding of ’looking good’
The definition of looking good is ‘having qualities that delight the eye’ and ‘having a pleasing or attractive appearance’
What one person may consider a good looking or attractive may not be found attractive or please another. Therefore, looking good is subjective to your own personal likes and dislikes. This explains the phrase ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’. Depending on your culture different things will be considered attractive by your society or culture. Some cultures will (...) Read more
Personal care
Into: Looking good Introduction Cultural and social understanding of ’looking good’
Looking good can influence people to behave in several different ways. The desire to look good and be socially accepted can lead people to spend vast quantities of time and money in the quest to become more attractive.
There are whole industries based around looking good. These range from fashion, cosmetics, advertising, and even plastic surgery. How these industries operate can influence our behaviour on the products that we buy, the clothes that we wear and what our culture comes to (...) Read more
Personal care
,
Clothes
Into: Looking good Introduction Cultural and social understanding of ’looking good’
Our definition of what looks good changes down through the years. The clothes that we thought were fashionable and attractive in the 1960s are not considered attractive today.
Perhaps the reason for these changes is because what people see and how they react to their reflection in a mirror will vary according to many different factors. Your sex, age, ethnic group, sexual orientation, mood, eating habits, what you watch on TV, what magazines you read, you’re marital status and what kind (...) Read more
Personal care
Into: Looking good Introduction Cultural and social understanding of ’looking good’
As society changes, technology advances and the economy develops generational differences emerge in what looks good or is fashionable
Take the example of the female body. In the 1940s it was widely accepted that the ideal body for a woman was round and curvy – hence the term ‘hour-glass figure’. However today, due to an increased portrayal of thin being beautiful, the ideal body type for a woman is thin and skinny – being a ‘size zero’. These standards of beauty have in fact become harder (...) Read more
Personal care
,
Clothes
Into: Looking good Introduction Cultural and social understanding of ’looking good’
In ancient times, till up to the early 1900’s, the nature of our ancestor’s hygiene habits did little to resemble the cleaning routines that most of us perform daily today.
Cleaning clothes during this time was never a truly essential chore. People were used to the smell, grime, and dirt and the cleaning that did occur would only be a quick rinse in a river. Bathing evolved in the Middle Ages into a more thorough, and comfortable affair and advanced further with the emergence of soap (...) Read more
Personal care
Into: Looking good Introduction Being Sustainable when looking good
There are not just environmental impacts associated with looking good, there are social impacts to consider as well.
Clothing as a form social communication can be important as a means of conveying information about the wearer’s social role, standing and character. Brands are often used as tools in communicating this information. When a person doesn’t conform to standard norms of looking good they may find it harder to be accepted by their community and wider (...) Read more
Personal care
,
Clothes
,
Clothes
Into: Looking good Introduction Being Sustainable when looking good
Today, the drive to look good has created an industry worth many billions of euros annually.
This is partly due to the fact that modern society has created an association with looking good and money. Many people will determine whether you look good by the amount of money that you have spent on the process. This has a personal economic impact because you may not really be able to afford to spend large sums of money of clothes, hair, make-up and jewellery. At the same time there is an (...) Read more
Personal care
,
Clothes
Into: Looking good Introduction Being Sustainable when looking good
We have seen in the past where looking good can have health risks for the consumer.
The basic thinking in cosmetic safety is that an ingredient must not damage human health when applied under normal or foreseeable conditions of use. However, sometimes, it is only after health has been damaged that the true effects of an ingredient will be understood. There are currently over 1,300 ingredients that are banned in the European Union. At some point in their lives many people will decide to (...) Read more
Personal care
Into: Looking good Sustainable personal hygiene Sustainable water usage
Hygiene and cleanliness is extremely important when partaking in land or water-based sports.
Unclean environments are more likely to harbour germs and infections which can be particularly dangerous when coupled with activities likely to cause punctures, scratches, cuts, abrasions, or other injuries to the skin. In Gymnasiums, health clubs, and spas you should wash hands when entering and before leaving the building. Alcohol gel may be used as an effective and convenient alternative to (...) Read more
Water
,
Exercise
,
Personal care
Into: Looking good Sustainable personal hygiene Sustainable water usage
It is estimated that we use on average about 50 litres of water to wash our clothes in a standard washing machine.
Clothes washing now accounts for about 15 percent (2) of the water that we use on our homes, so by reducing wastage in this area we can make significant water savings. You can use less water on your washing by familiarising yourself with your washing machine’s cycle options. Some settings provide the same cleaning power as a normal cycle, but with less water and energy. (...) Read more
Water
,
Personal care
,
Appliances
Into: Looking good Sustainable Beauty and Body Care Beauty care
There are many make-up options available for consumers that are genuinely concerned with the products’ impact on the environment.
When you’re considering the purchase of any product, give a bit thought to the package it comes in. Many companies are starting to colour aspects of their corporate policy with sustainable practices—you can now find organic lipstick packaged in biodegradable containers.
Consider the benefits of using less cosmetics and eco-friendly makeup? Mineral make-up is a (...) Read more
Personal care
Into: Looking good Sustainable Beauty and Body Care Sustainable Wellness and Fitness
Most of us now understand how important it is to stay fit and healthy and do our part to make the earth a better, cleaner place to live. Did you know that it is possible to do both?
The ultimate environmentally friendly workout is walking. Leave your car in the garage for short trips. Driving just two miles spews out one kilogram of air choking carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Walking the same distance instead uses 150 calories and adds no carbon to the atmosphere. And obviously, (...) Read more
Food
,
Exercise
,
Personal care
Into: Looking good Sustainable Beauty and Body Care Sustainable Wellness and Fitness
A sauna can be a real treat.
There are two main types of sauna. The first type is the traditional Finnish sauna. This kind of sauna can be placed easily in the house even with a small space. One of the Finnish saunas that are commonly used in this modern day is a steam sauna. The steam sauna is created by splashing water on heated rocks producing steam. The steam that was produced during the treatment makes the sauna user sweat hard causing the impurities being released from the body. For (...) Read more
Personal care
Into: Looking good Sustainable Beauty and Body Care Sustainable Wellness and Fitness
Swimming pools and the Environment
Environmentally friendly is not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of your local swimming pool.
Up to 1 in 5 swimming pools leak. A small leak in a pool cause the loss of 700 gallons of water per day. It’s not just the amount of water that initially is put in a pool that’s a problem, an uncovered pool with dimensions of 18 feet x 36 feet can lose around 7,000 gallons of water a year just through evaporation depending on where you live. To (...) Read more
Water
,
Personal care
Into: Looking good What to wear? Sustainable Style and Clothing
Eco-fashion is about making clothes that take into account the environment, the health of consumers and the working conditions of people in the fashion industry.
Eco-fashion is about making clothes that take into account the environment, the health of consumers and the working conditions of people in the fashion industry.
Eco-fashion clothes:
Are made using organic raw materials, such as cotton grown without pesticides and silk made by worms fed on organic trees. Don’t involve the use (...) Read more
Personal care
,
Clothes
Into: Looking good What to wear? Sustainable Style and Clothing
To reduce clothing waste and to recyle clothes consider ‘swishing’.
Swishing is what happens when a group of fashion conscious people get together and decide to swap their unwanted garment and accessories for another ‘swishers’ items.
Dublin’s Shebeen Chic, 4 Great George’s St, have swishing parties every Saturday afternoon.
Also try myfashionfair.com which is a website where members can buy, sell, or swap designer labels.
If you don’t want to swish, donate your unwanted to clothes to a (...) Read more
Biodiversity
,
Personal care
,
Clothes
,
Clothes
Into: Looking good Sustainable Beauty and Body Care Sustainable Wellness and Fitness
Dropping a pants size is not only one of the best things you can do for your personal health, it’s also one of the most effective ways to help stop global warming and the overuse of precious resources.
Experts estimate that overweight individuals eat about 40 percent more calories than their lean counterparts. Since food production accounts for over 20 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, a heavy population uses a significantly heftier carbon footprint than a thin one.
Fats, red meat (...) Read more
Exercise
,
Personal care
Into: At home Living with my family Practical Examples
Water is involved in the workings of every cell in our body. It is essential for human life. It is a component of blood and plays a vital role in the transport of nutrients to their required destination. It helps regulate body temperature through perspiration.
Not drinking enough fluids can lead to dehydration. Signs of mild dehydration include: headache, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and reduced performance during exercise. Maintaining adequate hydration is thought to reduce the (...) Read more
Personal care
Into: At home Maintaining and Keeping a Home Biodegradability of detergents
We are only beginning to see the impact of chemical substances found in consumer products, but chemicals which are found in air, water, food, and soil are often blamed for allergies, hormonal problems, infertility, cancer, ozone layer damage, and water pollution.
For a chemical to harm human health it first has to come in contact with or enter the body, it has to be at a sufficiently high dose and it must stay in the body or the target organ for a sufficiently long time to cause damage. (...) Read more
Water pollution
,
Personal care
Into: At home Maintaining and Keeping a Home Biodegradability of detergents
Information on the composition of various products and chemicals is available on the internet and from books and reports. Much of this information is complex and often contradictory leading to confusion about what to believe.
However it is up to us as consumers to become more aware of the products we buy and use in our homes. We can choose to purchase eco-labelled products and put pressure on the Government to ensure we are given the right to know about chemicals in the products we buy.
A (...) Read more
Personal care
Into: At home Maintaining and Keeping a Home Biodegradability of detergents
EU policy charged with protecting the environment and consumers from hazardous chemicals is complex and there are difficulties associated with chemical regulation.
Although research and testing is continuously carried out to investigate the safety and effects of everyday cleaning products there is still a lack of knowledge about some substances.
Chemicals are generally tested and classified one by one and thousands are in use without previous assessment.
Under REACH legislation, when (...) Read more
Inorganic
,
Personal care
Into: Getting there Walking and Biking Walking
Walking can make a great impact on our environment.
Walking used to be considered just a pass-time or an exercise for the older, more fragile members of society. Not any more. Walking is now considered to be an expression of environmental awareness and energy conservation.
There was a time, not long ago, when almost everyone would drive everywhere they needed to go. Today, with the skyrocketing cost of fuel and the obvious effects of global warming, more and more people are taking to (...) Read more
Personal care
Into: Getting there Walking and Biking Walking
Walking is a great, natural way to achieve daily physical activity.
If you want to live healthier longer, start now with daily walking or exercise. Walkers have less incidence of cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and other killer diseases. They live longer and get mental health and spiritual benefits. Find out about the many health benefits of walking.
A moderate level of physical activity, such as walking 30 minutes a day, lengthened life by 1.3 years and added 1.1 more years (...) Read more
Exercise
,
Personal care
Into: Getting there Walking and Biking Cycling
Bicycles are as good for the air we breathe as they are for our bodies; and the have other environmental benefits too.
The bicycle is one of the greatest environmental discoveries ever invented.
Riding a bicycle is a reasonable way to live a little closer to the world norm. For instance:
On a bicycle you take up little space, burn no petrol and produce no waste, and a bike can travel 1,600 kilometres (960 miles) on the equivalent energy of a gallon of petrol. Between 70 and 100 (...) Read more
Exercise
,
Personal care
Into: Getting there Walking and Biking Cycling
Like other forms of aerobic exercise, cycling has many physical and mental health benefits. It’s a great way to keep fit and lose weight, helping you to burn between 350 and 700 calories an hour, depending on how hard you pedal.
As well as increasing your general fitness levels, cycling will help you build leg strength, balance and coordination which become increasingly important to maintaining mobility as you get older. It is also gentler on the joints than higher impact sports such as (...) Read more
Exercise
,
Personal care
Into: Getting there Walking and Biking Cycling
Once you’ve decided to make cycling part of your everyday routine, you’ll need to choose a bike if you don’t already have one. Many bicycle shops have a good range of both new and used bikes, so you should be able to find something to suit both your budget and your taste. If you don’t know exactly what you are looking for, it’s probably a good idea to vist a few bike shops and get some expert advice before making a decision. Many bike shops offer a free service a few months after purchase, so be (...) Read more
Exercise
,
Personal care
Into: Getting there Walking and Biking Cycling
Once you’ve started cycling, regular bicycle maintenance is crucial both for safety and efficiency. An unsafe bike is a liability both to you and to those you come into contact with.
Most bike shops will carry out services for a fee, so if you are not at all mechanically minded, this may be an option for you. For those at the other end of the scale, larger bike shops may be able to let you know of bike maintenance courses in your area. However, you won’t need a course just to check the (...) Read more
Exercise
,
Personal care
Into: Getting there Walking and Biking Cycling
Safety is a concern for many cyclists, but there are plenty of ways to keep yourself safe while on your bike.
Helmets
Helmets are strongly recommended by the Road Safety Authority, but are not mandatory in Ireland. Cycling lobbyists have spoken out against mandatory helmets, stating that their effectiveness is often exaggerated and that they are not designed to protect against serious injury if a cyclist is hit by a car or truck. However, there is evidence that bicycle helmets can reduce (...) Read more
Exercise
,
Personal care
Into: Getting there Children and Mobility Journey to and from School
The Department of Education and Science provides subsidised school transport for post-primary students who are eligible for the school transport scheme.
Bus Éireann runs the service and the Department of Education and Science decides the fares for each school year.
The school bus service will only be provided where there are at least 7 eligible pupils in an area that can be economically serviced by a bus route. Dublin Bus operates a special fare for post-primary students living in Dublin. (...) Read more
Personal care
,
Children’s wellbeing
Into: Concepts Sustainability Introduction The present
One of the most basic concepts of economics is want vs. need.
What are they exactly?
A need is something you have to have, something you can’t do without.
A good example is food. If you don’t eat, you won’t survive for long. Many people have gone days without eating, but they eventually ate a lot of food. You might not need a whole lot of food, but you do need to eat.
A want is something you would like to have. It is not absolutely necessary, but it would be a good thing to have.
A good (...) Read more
Food
,
Personal care
Into: Teacher’s corner Lesson Plans Looking good
Ask students to secretly cast a ballot for the celebrity they would most like to meet. Collect ballots, and read aloud some of the choices. Note that all of the individuals named are attractive people. Discuss whether an attractive appearance simply "happens" or whether these celebrities have proper hygiene habits, including washing their hair, bathing, and so on. Note that personal hygiene is especially important for teens, whose bodies are undergoing changes that can result in, among (...) Read more
>12
,
Personal care
