Green going
Giving back. Many of us are aware and socially responsible these days and we try and help the community in any which way we can. I have had thoughts about how the term 'Giving Back' should be applicable to the environment as well, we sure receive a lot from it! From the time we are born till we meet our fate, we are associated with the elements. After all, we are made of stellar matter! We have all evolved,very much at that, since the birth of mankind. Today we are at a place where we can enjoy a comfortable life with so may modern discoveries and inventions that can make our life easier. Our worries have surely shifted from how to procure food and defend our lives on an everyday basis to how to pay our bill and switch to a more rewarding job! What we are a part of is a breed of intelligent people that think and are informed. We know that all of this comes with an impact on the enviorment. Some processes that are an essential part of the present society press changes that can sometimes alter certain aspect/s of MOtherNATure (referred to as MoNat henceforth). But,as I said before, we are still well aware of it all. With so much information available all around us and with media (all kinds-print,television,internet etc) being so omnipresent,it's almost a crime to be ignorant. There is a very large group of people who try to reverse these changes by adapting simple changes in their lives. As this group grows, so does the difference their efforts are making on restoring some balance. I strongly believe even the littlest environmentally conscious things we do can make some difference which is why our family is trying to incorporate some practical alternatives to the regular,used-to methods and
materials that we come across and use in our daily lives. I'd like to mention some of the tings we do (I am sure many of you do some/all of these things too which is great!)
Our trash collection company provides a separate can (the GreenOne)for materials that can be recycled (Kudos to them, its always better when it happens at a higher level!) we have a list up on our fridge that is a quick ref to wat things can go into the GO. So as soon as we think we are done with something thats on the list, we toss it into the GO making no mistake here.
We try and use reusable cloth bags instead of plastic when we do our groceries. There are days when we forget,but we still eliminate so much plastic when we dont use them.
We are trying to switch to local and organic produce. That way, we are supporting the local farmers and reducing the hauling costs and fuel. We are saving on pest/insecticides. Our perk is that we get fresher,healthier food! The downside as we see of this is that its a little more expensive than the produce we buy at our grocery chain. For those of you who want to consider buying organic but dont want to go over your budget, here's a link which gives you a list of fruits and vegetables that are most and least contaminated. You can just opt to buy the most contaminated ones organic. http://www.organic.org/articles/showarticle/article-214
Waste not want not. I am working hard on assessing how much of what we need so we dont end up buying too much of anything. The goal is to throw away lesser.
I turn cardboard boxes and food grade plastic containers that some snacks come in into storage. Example: I wrapped colorful pages of an old newspaper around a cardboard shipping box and made it a newspaper holder.
My mom has a small garden where she grows container plants. She uses vegetable peel as food for plants.
The tap water we get here is somewhat hard and high on an unpalatable,chlorine like taste. Instead of getting bottled drinking water,we chose to use a filtered jug which is serving us great.
I saw a great tip on a tv show. The fur that comes loose from your pet when he is brushed can be left at a place where birds/other outside animals can use it to insulate their nests and keep their young ones warm!
There's a great documentary titled 'No Impact Man' that takes you through the life of a family who have decided to leave no damage behind them. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1280011/
I think what they have done/ are doing is extremely commendable,hats off to them! But personally I feel that some things are less practical for a lot of us.
MoNat thanks you when you try to give back to the environment and that can be your picker-upper if you'd want it to be. I invite you all to share your experiences/suggestions to what practical changes we can make in our lives that can help us preserve this beautiful,beautiful planet in it's full glory!
