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Green Back to School: Getting Techie
The many faces of chlorine in paper.
Using chlorine bleach as a whitener in the paper-making process can result in the formation of harmful chemicals such as dioxins and furans, which are known to cause cancer in humans. From thumbs up to thumbs down, here are the details on various paper types:
- Processed chlorine-free (PCF) paper contains recycled content produced without elemental chlorine or chlorine derivatives, although some of the fiber may have originally been bleached with chlorine or chlorine derivatives; any virgin pulp added is TCF.
- Totally chlorine-free (TCF) is virgin paper created without chlorine or chlorine derivatives, using oxygen-based compounds to whiten paper instead.
- Elemental chlorine-free with extended or oxygen delignification (Enhanced ECF) is paper created with a process that removes more of the lignin from the wood before bleaching, which reduces the energy and chemical use during bleaching. The final stage uses chlorine dioxide. This is not to be confused with...
- Enhanced ECF with ozone or hydrogen peroxide, which, in addition to removing more of the lignin from the wood before bleaching, substitutes ozone or hydrogen peroxide for chlorine or chlorine dioxides as a brightening agent in the initial stages of the bleaching process. The final or near-final stage still uses chlorine dioxide.
- Elemental chlorine-free (Traditional ECF) paper replaces elemental chlorine with chlorine dioxide in the bleaching process.
Homemade Granola Bars Recipe
Most kids love granola bars, but the store bought kind are loaded with unnecessary fats and salt, and they are all wrapped individually. Here's an easy recipe for homemade.
3 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup sliced raw almonds
1/2 cup ground flaxseed (if you don't grind it, you can't digest it)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp canola oil
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp liquid honey
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)
- Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, combine oats, almonds, flaxseed and sunflower seeds and toast on acookie sheet for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and stir. Return to oven and toast for another 8 minutes. Remove from oven and regtun to large bowl.
- Add dried fruit and coconut to toasted oat mixture and mix throroughly.
- In a saucepan, combine oil and honey over medium heat and stir until mixed thoroughly and honey dissolves, 5 to 10 minutes. Add honey to oat mixture and mix thoroughly.
- In a small bowl, mix together eggs, vanilla and salt and add to oat mixture. Mix throughly.
- Grease a 9" x 13" baking dish and evenly spread granola mixture in pan. Press with the back of a spoon so that graola fills the pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips if using and press into granola.
- Bake at 350F for 20 to 25 minutes or util granola is golden brown in colour. Allow to cool for 25 minutes. Cut granola into bars and allow to set in the refrigerator, approximately 30 minutes. Extra bars should be store in the refrigerator.
Yields 18 bars.
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