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Mother EarthRisto said Apr 23, 2008, 7:51 AM: |
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I want to talk about our environment. Not just because Earth Day has passed, but because this may be our last chance to make a difference before Mother Earth is tipped out of balance. I'm not crying wolf, but I know our Earth isn't so healthy. Sure cycles of ice ages and polar ice melts are normal, but the difference this time around is the short window of time in which this is occurring. We're quite evolved in our sciences and we (humans) have made countless analyses on our direct impact to this planet. The polar ice caps are melting faster than ever before, and the ocean levels may be on the rise. What does this mean for me and what can I do to help? It means our young generation may be displaced by increases in the water levels. It means as the ocean temperatures rise, hurricanes may become more frequent, due to hurricanes gaining their energy directly from the heat of the ocean(s). What can I do? Consume less. You may have heard it before: reduce, reuse, recycle. Reduce: Walk instead of drive. Humans are very car-dependent, but can you walk instead? How about car-pool, or utilize public transportation? Plant a tree, even if you don't have property in which to plant a tree, support environmental groups that do plant trees. Carbon Offset is another option. Carbonfund.org is a leading not-for-profit organization that helps in this initiative. A natural resource that we can reduce the use of is water. Using less water isn't really that hard. Turn off the water when brushing your teeth, use less water in the shower. Some say take shorter showers, but also not have the water turned on “full blast”. Another thing to think about… water bottles. Each time we buy a bottle of water… after we drink the water (or whatever beverage), we still have the empty bottle left over. Recycling is an option, but how about using a home-water filter and reduce the use of the plastic bottles? The plastic starts to breakdown after 1,000 years on this Earth. And the beverage we've enjoyed is long forgotten about, but that plastic container still exists. Think about it. Reuse: Instead of throwing out an old computer or tv or phone or clothes or shoes or whatever; consider donating it to a local thrift store if it is still functional. The trash just ends up in a landfill. Somebody may be on a very tight budget and their means may include shopping at a thrift store. Got a plastic bag from your recent store purchase? Don't trash it, try to use it for something else. Trash can liner is a popular way to reuse it. Think of other things you can reuse. Recycle: Many recycling options exist nowadays, but what do you recycle and how often do you recycle? It's embarrassing to admit, but when I moved to Miami, there was a recycling bin. But after a while it disappeared, and I didn't even notice it. Until recently. Now condo management in the building I live in just recently returned that separate bin in which to recycle. Before everything would just go to the landfills. I was part of that non-recycling group. In Chicago recycling was abundant, not so here in Miami Beach. But *I* can make that difference. And I want to make that difference. And now I do make a difference. And it feels good. Here's a way to alleviate all those grocery store plastic bags: bring your own cloth bag(s). It's way stronger (even stronger than double or triple bagged) and and lasts a long time. I've been using the same ones for about 8 years and now they are showing signs of wear and tear… the stitching is starting to come undone. If you don't remember to bring cloth bags with you every time, it's ok. But try to implement substituting cloth bags for those obnoxious and environmentally hazardous plastic ones. If you do have a car, just keep them in your car, and at the grocery store there right there. But why just for the grocery store? Why not use that bag at Target and Walgreens, too? It may not feel like it makes *that* much of a difference, but it really does! You may choose to use paper bags, but isn't that wasteful, using one paper bag just to lug home your groceries? And when you're home you've still got that paper bag… which is derived from resources from our planet. Please try to go Cloth. This is not to instill guilt, it is showing some simple options we can do every day to make a difference on the planet in which we inhabit. Speaking about Stuff… check out this::: it talks about a cycle that's ingrained into us from our society, but we can unlearn it. And that's just where I am. I'm actually (finally) beginning to really appreciate what I've got, and not to replace or upgrade because there's something newer or better out there. Peace, Love & Recycling, =) chRisto |
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Re: Mother Earthrecyclefriend said May 30, 2008, 1:18 AM: |
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chRisto and others~ I full heartedly agree with this Mother Earth post started by chRisto. Also, one of the biggest things that I've noticed since moving to Australia is that Americans IN GENERAL (not all, and certainly not those of us on Gaia ;-)… right?) don't really seem to care about the environment and/or don't think they can make a difference. Here's an example based on my observations of the cloth bag scenario that chRisto brought up: Many, if not the majority, of people here (in Australia) use cloth bags at the stores. Many stores even offer reasonably priced, square bottomed, cloth bags (99 cents usually) near the check-out. Also, many stores, ie grocery stores, Borders, Australia's equivalent to Home Depot/Lowes, etc. actually either charge for plastic bags (2-3 cents/bag) and/or give a discount on your overall total if cloth bags are brought/used. I take my cloth bags, of course, to the stores. Like you suggested, I leave them in my car to ensure that I have them when making even an unexpected stop at a store. As soon as I empty the contents of the bag in the house, I immediately return them to the car (and one to my purse… just in case) so that they are there for the next trip; no excuses. This may sound as if I'm going a bit too far, but I also place used, but clean plastic produce bags back into the lot of cloth bags for my grocery trips. I can often use them 4, 5, 6 times before they tear and/or something wet and/or dirty gets put in them making them unusable. If I ever get one of those mesh bags that contain multiple produce items (ie sometimes potatoes, avocados, apples, oranges, etc)I save and use it for my future produce as it lasts lots longer! Many grocery stores in the USA now have a bin just inside the entrance to recycle both the plastic grocery bags and the produce bags if you just cannot get yourself to reuse them and/or take in cloth bags. Water is indeed a valuable resource. Here in Australia, is a very very very precious resource especially due to the 8 year drought that is widespread across most of the continent. Your suggestions of turning off the water when brushing teeth and shorter and/or less pressure showers is a good one. Unlike the USA, most Australians have a dual flush toilet button (a smaller flush for 'yellow'). In the USA, you could due a number of things to decrease toilet water use, ie bend the 'float' thing in the tank so that the water level stops before reaching the top, or place a large stone or brick (seal in zip lock type bags) in the tank to displace water. I've heard about a new toilet coming out that the sink water will be re-used in the toilet tank… I think it's one of the Asian countries… Japan perhaps? We use 100% biodegradable soap without phosphates, thus we also plug our tubs and are able to safely hand bucket bail the water out into the veggie/fruit garden and stressed trees. Not everyone is this insane, of course, but we live in a rental and the landlord hasn't gotten around to install a recycled grey water tank on the property (which btw is HUGE here in Australia). For those people that aren't 'into' their health enough to use safe soap on themselves or the earth, or simply cannot afford it, or 'into' bailing the tub or have enough money to install a greywater tank , even placing a bucket in the shower to catch the initial colder water is helpful. You can then use this single bucket of water on the plants outside or even to wash your hands or rinse the dishes. I've heard somewhere that if every home in the world had a single toilet (the size of the typical USA household toilet), that there would not be enough fresh water for drinking. Now I'm not sure if this is true or not, but it has made me think over the years about my unnecessary and/or wasteful water use. Also, another one of the ideas that chRisto brought up that I really like is the idea of re-using before recycling. Also, many people have the mindset that, 'Oh, I'm only one person. I cannot make a difference.' In my opinion, they of course, are simply misinformed. There is actually a commercial here in Australia that I saw when I first arrived almost 11 months ago, using that mindset/mentality. It goes something like this: The commercial starts off with one person saying that, but then putting something into the recycle bin anyway. Then you see the original person and a new person doing the same thing. This process keeps repeating till the whole screen is micro-sized with many, many people. The one person together with others made a huge difference. Together we can do it, but we have to start as the one in order to get the majority. Right? Are you on board with me and chRisto? We hope so!!!
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Re: Mother EarthPhoenix said Jun 2, 2008, 6:06 PM: |
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Hi Everyone! |
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