By Miriam Wilcox-Barsalou,on August 7th,2010%  Coronary artery disease affects millions of Americans. It occurs when Arteries are blocked or narrowed by cholesterol or plaque which reduces blood flow to the heart. It can lead to heart attacks. We currently have minimally invasive procedures to unblock these arteries. One of the methods is to install a stent. A stent is a tiny wire mesh tube expanded in the damaged artery using a balloon catheter. After stent installation the balloon is deflated and removed which restores blood flow. Some stents deliver drugs to the artery which reduce the scar tissue formation. A video of a stent . . . →Read More:Bioabsorbable Stents Will Save Lives By Miriam Wilcox-Barsalou,on August 3rd,2010%  Reusing plastic bottles to make objects that float in the sea seems popular this summer. The Plastiki catamaran,a boat made mostly of recycled and reused plastics,recently completed a voyage from San Fransisco to Sydney,Australia. Vancouver,British Columbia is currently home to a floating dining room. This raft-like structure floats on 1675 2-liter plastic cola bottles. It seats 12 in an elegant dining establishment. The School of Fish Foundation and the C Restaurant cater an elegant 6 course meal of sustainable seafood. It is a goal of the foundation that culinary schools should include sustainable seafood education . . . →Read More:Dining on Plastic Bottles By Miriam Wilcox-Barsalou,on August 2nd,2010% The Pepsi Refresh Project is a competition of ideas to help change the world. Pepsi will distribute over $1,300,000 every month to the ideas that receive the most votes. They actually have a separate category for ideas that will help the Gulf oil spill. Categories of entry are Art &Culture,Health,The Planet,Food &Shelter,Neighborhoods,and Education. And companies and individuals are entering looking for $5k,$25k,$50k and $250k. Participants can vote once every 24 hours. I wanted to feature a few of the ideas that are relevant to this blog. Currently in the Running . . . →Read More:Good ideas in the running for the Pepsi Refresh Project By Miriam Wilcox-Barsalou,on July 31st,2010%  Companies seeking to improving their commitment to the environment can do so without eliminating the convenience of their product for their consumers. Designing and re-designing products with a reduced impact in mind can reduce cost and improve the environment. Andrew Kim has created an example of smart design as part of a freshman midterm project. By eliminating Coca-Cola’s signature hourglass curves,a bottle is created that can be packed much more tightly in shipping containers. A cavity at the bottom of the bottle allows the bottles to be stacked one on top of the other. . . . →Read More:An example of Eco-Design By Miriam Wilcox-Barsalou,on July 23rd,2010%  People seem to have different reasons why they chose to drink out of plastic water bottles. For some,it’s a matter of convenience. A sudden dehydration when they are on the go. This is why I have issues with communities banning plastic water bottles. Without available water,will people have to drink high sugar drinks. (On a side note,this once happened to me in Las Vegas. While the water was in outdoor pools and fountains all around me,evaporating into the desert air,a bottle of water was hard to find and significantly more expensive than the beer.) . . . →Read More:Filter for Good By Miriam Wilcox-Barsalou,on April 22nd,2010% Disclaimer:My husband is a member of the Brooks ID (Inspire Daily) team. This means that he gets discounts on Brooks gear. This post has nothing to do with that small sponsorship and Brooks doesn’t even know (or probably care) that I’m writing it. If someone at Brooks does take notice of this blog posting,my husband is not involved in this blog post in any way. This Christmas,the only thing I asked for was a pair of trail running shoes. My husband,an ultramarathoner extraordinaire,purchased a pair of Brooks Cascadias for me. A pair of shoes . . . →Read More:These shoes have Biodegradable Soles | CreditsBlog design elements by Kate HadfieldUsed as non-profit generating blog TOU |
