Attached Mama
Environmental Issues




There are so many "environmental issues" out there today - many people get bogged down in the sheer volume of problems we need to deal with. They get so bogged down they sometimes just turn a deaf ear to the problems, thinking someone else will take care of them. Or they think the problem's really not that bad...But the problems are that bad. We've already harmed this planet in inexcusable and unchangeable ways. I'm particularly hard on those of us in the United Stated. We have 20% of the world's population yet use 80% of the world's natural resources. We have blackouts because our guzzling demand for electricity is outstripping the supply. So do we cut back? Nooo, we just build new power plants. This makes no sense to me. We all need to step back and take a hard look at this planet. How has it changed, and what can we do, if anything, to change it back?

It's hard to look at the big problems, too. Most of us are parents who have a lot of things to "worry" about. And we're not going to be able to do much about the massive problems; not on a large scale anyway. And that's the key. We have to look at small ways we can all contribute to "saving the planet". We have to evaluate the ways in which we're hurting the planet and change those ways. That's what I'm in the process of doing. With small kids, I'm not going to be able to go chain myself to a tree for months. I have to do what I can do, right here and now. If everyone made just a few small changes, how quickly that would add up to huge change!

One of the best ways to start is by recycling. Many of us have recycling service set up in our communities which makes it so easy. A recycling truck comes down the street behind the trash truck and picks up the items to be recycled. All that takes is throwing your aluminum cans into a designated "box" instead of your trash can and taking that box to the curb with your trash for the week. We have that in my community, but it's amazing to see how few people actually recycle, and we're paying for it each month! When it's made that simple, there is just no excuse not to recycle. Perhaps you don't have this option in your community - get it started!! This kind of thing is spreading throughout the US (not sure about other countries, but I'd love to hear some international examples!) and could be started in any community. Check with your local officials to find out what would need to be in place. If that's not an option for you, find out where your local recycling center is and just make a monthly trip. That may be a hassle, but no one said helping the earth was going to be easy! If you're really feeling like an upstart, you could have your friends and neighbors start recycling and "carpool" the trip to the recycling center. Each week a different person would have the honor. There are so many ways to get into recycling, and it's a great lesson for the kids. After all, children do as they see...if they see you caring for the earth, they will do the same.

Buy products that have been recycled or that use a high percentage of post-consumer recycled product. These types of items are becoming easier and easier to find as interest increases. And recycling doesn't only mean pop cans and newspapers. Don't just throw things away, find new uses for them. Remember the saying is "reduce, reuse and recycle". Make things last as long as they can or if they're of no use to you, give them away to someone who might need them. I don't remember the last time I threw an article of clothes in the trash. Everything goes to thrift shops or shelters or even consignment shops. You really have to start looking at all your possessions in a new light.

This brings us to our next topic. And it's a trashy one! How many bags of trash do you kick to the curb each week? If it's more than a couple, you need a trash overhaul! The landfills in this country are simply overflowing. We are a "throw-away" society. To cut back on our trash, we starting looking at packaging - why buy a box of cereal (that includes box and bag inside) when you can just buy a bag, and cheaper at that. Then you only have one bag to throw away. Why get all those plastic or paper bags at the store when you can take your own canvas shopping bags. Buy in bulk when you can - this also cuts down on throw-away packaging. Use re-useable items for those you'd normally throw away - washable towels instead of paper towels, linen napkins instead of paper ones, cloth diapers instead of disposables. Remember, nothing "disposable" really is. You may not see it again, but it's on this planet for a very long time. Again, determine if there's anything you're throwing away that someone else might want. Is there anything you might be able to use for another purpose. Have a compost bin for your fruit, veggie and organic remains. You have to take a good hard look at your trash - what makes up the greatest percentage of what you're throwing away and how can you cut back on that?

Reduce emissions of harmful vapors. Carpool when you can, walk or ride a bike if your destination is close by, use a push mower instead of a gas mower (studies have shown that mowers and other gas lawn tools release a very high percentage of emissions because they're not made to be very fuel efficient), when you're shopping for a car make sure you're aware of the gas mileage (the better gas mileage, the fewer emissions released into the air). Granted, you might not be able to do all these things, but like I said, small changes really add up. And these emissions are the ones that are harming the atmosphere and causing global warming and allowing more harmful UV rays to reach the earth's surface. And for anyone who still thinks global warming isn't happening just because it's not physically warming up, the ice caps are melting and the sea level is rising - these are the indicators of global warming, not what temperature it is outside on any given day.




Green Living
Simple Living / Natural Living

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