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Wynd Air Purifier

Meet Wynd – a small consumer air purifier and PM2.5 sensor.

We’ve been testing it out with the Sahara dust over the last few months and it has been reasonably accurate – following the trends in the particulate count predicted on the Windy app and those reported by the Met offices in Martinique, Guadeloup, and Puerto Rico.

For most of the past few months, we have had many days where Wynd has measured moderate to unhealthy levels of PM2.5 due to the increased dust.  Sahara dust can be an irritant to sensitive individuals or those with Asthma and other lung issues.

St maarten has a poorly managed garbage dump in the great salt pond, bordering it’s capital, Philipsburg. On the 7th of August 2018 the St Maarten garbage dump erupted into flames once again.  What made this fire unique was low winds, low levels of Sahara dust, and dry clear weather – all good circumstances for comparing the PM2.5 levels in various areas.

Screenshots from the Wynd app:

Wynd AQI score
9th August 2018.
Guana Bay / Sucker Garden Rd – SMMC Cay Hill – ACE Cole Bay. This is not standing in the actual cloud of smoke, but the scent of the acrid smoke is detectable.

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Fresh vs Frozen Berries: Which are Better for the Environment?

As part of #plasticfreeJuly we’ve been looking in detail at the environmental impact of the food we buy.  Reducing meat, dairy, and processed foods is a great way to reduce plastic consumption (and your carbon footprint) but not all fruit and veggies are available everywhere without excess single use plastic packaging.  Berries are renowned for their antioxidants but their fragile nature makes them an expensive treat financially and environmentally.  Fresh vs frozen berries and the environment: Could frozen produce be a better choice? Continue reading “Fresh vs Frozen Berries: Which are Better for the Environment?”

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Sargassum Mulch – Green SXM Pilot Compost Project: Week 7

The area in front of the compost bins is either muddy or dusty, with a few opportunistic weeds inbetween.  To help control this, we decided to add sargassum mulch.

Sargassum is best collected by hand just above the surf line – anything above is usually already smelly and full of flies and gnats.

As we were mulching a path, the sargassum wasn’t rinsed.  We applied it 6” thick, working in small patches as collecting seaweed is a heavy job!

Sargassum found in St Maarten
Sargassum found in St Maarten – used here as 6” of mulch.

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Green SXM Pilot Compost Project: Week 2 Recap & How to Grow Pineapples from Pineapple Tops

Temperatures have remained between 133 and 155 degrees Fahrenheit.  The composter is now just over half full.

Green SXM Pilot Compost Project: Week 1 Recap
Green SXM Pilot Compost Project: Week 2 Recap.  The pineapple tops from the restaurant waste have been saved to go in the garden.

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Hurricane Preparation Plan

Every family, business, and individual should have a hurricane preparation plan.  This can be broken down into things to do now, once under a hurricane watch, once under a hurricane warning, during the storm, and immediately after.  This advice is not extensive – remember to take your own unique situation into account.

Hurricane Preparation Plan
Hurricane Preparation Plan

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Basic Emergency Kit for Caribbean Living

A Basic Emergency Kit

Every home and business should have a basic emergency kit year round.  This includes drinking water, food, first aid, and communication.  In our opinion, this is not enough for hurricane season, but hurricanes are not the only disaster we should be preparing for.  We live in a region where earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, flash floods, fuel shortages, and communications issues are possible at any moment.

Being prepared in an emergency, and knowing how to respond, is invaluable.  It can help reduce the fear, anxiety, and losses that accompany disasters.  Write up your Hurricane Preparation Plan and Hurricane Preparation Kit list NOW, before a storm threatens.

Basic Emergency Kit
Basic Emergency Kit

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Green SXM Pilot Compost Project: Intro and Week 1

Green SXM Pilot Compost Project

The Green SXM Pilot Compost Project is an add-as-you-go pile designed and scaled to process the waste created in a restaurant that serves between 400-500 meals a week.  While the restaurant could provide more waste, we chose the 1 cubic meter limit because of the work required balancing the fruit and vegetable waste with enough carbon.  Also, 40-50 lbs of food waste every two days is just the right amount to mix in one standard size wheelbarrow.

Green SXM Pilot Compost Project: Week 1

Green SXM Pilot Compost Project: Week 1

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Hurricane Preparation Kit

Every home and business needs a hurricane preparation plan, a basic emergency kit, and a hurricane preparation kit.  The needs will vary from household to household, so start thinking NOW about what you might need.

While the forecast tracks were reasonably accurate during the 2017 season, the intensity forecasts were not.  A minor storm can become a major hurricane much faster than expected.  Don’t count on a small storm staying small.  It is better to be over prepared than under prepared.

Hurricane Preparation Kit Checklist
Hurricane Preparation Kit Checklist

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD PRINTABLE PDF

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Reef Safe Sunscreen

On May 1st 2018 Hawaii passed a historic bill banning the sale of sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate.  Both chemicals are known to cause coral bleaching.  Reef safe sunscreen and SPF protective clothing are readily available.

Coral reefs have three important economic impacts – protecting coasts from erosion, promoting a diverse and healthy ocean, and of course tourism.  Without coral, our life and livelihood will be severely challenged.

Save Our Coral Reefs! Reef Safe Sunscreen
Save Our Coral Reefs! Reef Safe Sunscreen – Image credit: Toby Hudson (Wikimedia Commons)

 

 

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