Please welcome today’s guest poster, Mickey. Mickey is a park ranger at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, and as an avid mountaineer, he is well acquainted with wild places.
We focus a lot around here on the things that each of us can do to be better citizens of the planet, to live in a way that doesn’t exhaust the earth, air and water on which we depend, and maybe to reverse some of the damage that we’ve already caused. I guess we do this because it’s what we can do and it’s our responsibility.
But what is it we’re trying to save? Our own welfare, for sure, but believe it or not that isn’t reason enough for some of us; after all, our planet will likely limp along just fine at least until after I expire. So what, through our explicit actions, can we save right now that isn’t expressed in pollutant parts-per-million, tenths-of-a-degree temperature increases, or rates of glacial melt?
Wilderness. The earth as we once knew it. The earth as we still know it, if only in our imaginations.
Earthfirst has an amazing chart showing what our ozone layer would look like now and in the not-so-distant future if we hadn’t banned CFCs in the 80’s and 90’s.
I know it’s really easy to feel like it’s hopeless, like maybe we can’t save the world from climate change or even make that big of a difference, but eco-legistation does matter. Vote, write to your congresspeople, and major companies. Support grassroots organizations. Encourage those around you to do the same. The decisions we make now have a huge impact on our future.
I carry a titanium backpacking spork around in my purse. I know that sounds kind of weird, but it saves me from using disposable utensils when I eat out, and it’s so light, I never even notice that I’m carrying it.
Before the Industrail Revolution it was common for guests to be expected to bring their own utensils with them when invited to dine, because utensils were expensive, labor intensive items, and most people didn’t own extra sets. Now, when it’s possible to buy a set of 1,000 plastic utensils for under $20, people don’t even think about bringing their own.
But think of the plastic waste that can be saved by slipping a fork from home in your purse on the way out the door. You don’t need anything fancy. Grab one from your kitchen drawer, or if you’re worried about loosing a piece of a set, pick up a few spare utensils the next time you hit a discount store, thrift shop, or yard sale. It’s simple a simple way to cut down waste, and it’s always nicer to eat with real utensils anyway.
For Mother’s Day last weekend, I bought my mom a reusable Nalgene bottle. I told her I thought she could use it to take water to work with her, instead of drinking plastic bottled water. She seemed to like it, so I pushed it one step further and said my next goal was to get her and my dad to stop using paper plates at home. To that, she just gave an exasperated sigh.
I think we can all agree that when you feel strongly about something, it’s hard not to encourage others to see things the way you do. This is true of religion, politics, and many other things that spark impassioned debate. For me, it’s hard not to call out the people I’m close to when I see them doing something blatantly non-green. (I’m too non-confrontational to strike up similar conversations with complete strangers, but sometimes I want to.) For example, my parents use paper plates all the time, and it drives me crazy. What’s a tree-hugging daughter to do?
It’s the same with some of my friends. I bite my tongue when I see them using disposable plastic forks at lunch, or throw something in the trash that could easily be recycled. Which brings me to my question for you, wise readers: What is the right way to inform someone of the environmental errors of their ways? Obviously, we should not yell at people or belittle them; that would just harm your relationship and probably not result in the person changing their habits. But is there a way to encourage someone to live greener without sounding like a know-it-all or a loony hippie?
Obviously, none of us can have zero impact on the environment (unless you’re this guy), so those of us who care about the planet choose different ways to lessen our footprint. We do what we can, but none of us are perfect. That said, sometimes all it takes is a word of encouragement to get someone to realize they could be doing more.
What do you do when someone close to you is not living green? Do you confront them? If so, what’s the best way to do it?
Beth Terry, aka Fake Plastic Fish is one of the most amazing eco-friendly bloggers out there. Her crusade to eliminate plastic use in her personal life and encourage the rest of us to take at a good hard look at our own plastic use is an inspiration. She got Brita to take back the filter, and now she’s working to chat with Oprah about the ways we can all go above and beyond to fight plastic waste. And, to top it all off, she’s funny, and honest, and finds a way to spread her message without being preachy. What’s not to love?
Recently I was introduced via the Stuff You Should Know podcast (check it out; it’s awesome) to the idea of guerilla gardening, which I think is really interesting. Basically, guerilla gardening is the practice of taking a tiny bit of control over the environment by planting seeds in places that don’t belong to you, introducing plant life to abandoned lots, random piles of dirt, and the like. (Not to be confused with gorilla gardening, which I suppose is the art of growing gorillas. Or having gorillas do your gardening for you. But that’s an entirely different post.) Read more…
These days, we hear a lot about people living outside their means. Most of the time, this refers to people spending more money than they bring in, and I think we can all agree this is a dangerous cycle that needs to stop. But there’s another kind of debt that is arguably even worse, and unfortunately, it can’t be bailed out.
A country officially moves into ecological debt each year when it has used up all the resources it can produce in one year, effectively rendering it dependent on other countries for food and energy. As of this past Sunday — Easter Sunday — the United Kingdom is officially in ecological debt, and we’re just a third of the way through this year. As you can imagine, as populations and consumption grow and increased pressure is put on ecosystems, this date — also called Earth Overshoot Day — moves further and further up the calendar each year. For the UK, it was July 9 in 1961 and May 14 by 1981. Last year, the United States made it to September 23 before declaring it Ecological Debt Day. In 2007, it was October 6 (which happens to be my birthday, woo-hoo.) I couldn’t find a prediction for 2009, but I’d bet good money it’ll be well before September 23.
It would be great if we could all set an environmental budget for ourselves and stick to it, just like we (should) all make a financial budget. Unfortunately, measuring your individual impact on the environment isn’t as easy as balancing your checkbook. You have to take into consideration the types of food you eat, the fossil fuels you use to power your home and car, the things you buy, the waste you create, how you dispose of it, and the countless other little dents we all put in our environment every day. It’s going to take a major lifestyle change for the majority of people, not to mention some serious government involvement, if we want to push our Ecological Debt Day back towards the end of the year where it belongs.
What do you think? What are some ways we can set environmental budgets for ourselves and others?
With hemp, you can build the body of a car and then use the oil from the seeds for fuel. You can build a house that requires no extra heating or cooling capabilities. You can also process hemp into textiles for clothes, and protein and essential fatty acids for nutrition. What can’t hemp do? Well, it can’t help anyone get high.
Our economy and our environment really need a win right now. Hemp is a product that requires few resources and no pesticides to produce. And can be grown with a “less than zero carbon footprint” meaning that it absorbs more carbon than it requires in production.
We purchase hemp for industrial use from other countries, when we could, with simple law changes, produce it here in the United States, to help support American agriculture and our economy.
Please contact your representative to let them know that you support the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2009, HR 1866, and you’d like them to support the act as well.
“It is unfortunate that the federal government has stood in the way of American farmers, including many who are struggling to make ends meet, from competing in the global industrial hemp market,” said Paul, adding that some of the Founding Fathers who grew hemp themselves “would surely find that federal restrictions on farmers growing a safe and profitable crop on their own land are inconsistent with the constitutional guarantee of a limited, restrained federal government.”
Currently, hemp can be imported from other countries and used to make products here in the United States, but while U.S. farming regulations technically allow for the growing of hemp by special permit, the restrictions imposed on the crop make growing it here technically impossible and financially nonviable.
Restrictions on growing hemp in the U.S. are, in my humble opinion, simply stupid. And no, I’m not a pot smoker. I’m a U.S. citizen who is concerned about our economy, the current state of agriculture in the country, as well as energy, pesticide, and land usage. Hemp is easy to grow in many climates and in less than optimal soil, it requires less water to grow than cotton, is naturally pest resistant, and can be used for everything from food products to textiles. And, in the case of textiles, it produces a product that is superior in strength and durability when compared to cotton.
And, contrary to popular misconception, industrial hemp would not produce a high even if you did smoke it. The levels of THC are minimal. So, no matter what your views on marijuana are, you should be pro-hemp. Unless, of course, you’re a lobbyist for the cotton industry . . .
In support of this bill, I’ll be talking about hemp all week and highlighting wonderful products made from hemp. Stick around. Check out the article I wrote on hemp in 2007 for more information, and visit VoteHemp.com’s action page to learn about ways you can support HR 1866.
I carry a titanium backpacking spork around in my purse. I know that sounds kind of weird, but it saves me from using disposable utensils when I eat out, and it’s so light, I never even notice that I’m carrying it.
Before the Industrail Revolution it was common for guests to be expected to bring their own utensils with them when invited to dine, because utensils were expensive, labor intensive items, and most people didn’t own extra sets. Now, when it’s possible to buy a set of 1,000 plastic utensils for under $20, people don’t even think about bringing their own.
But think of the plastic waste that can be saved by slipping a fork from home in your purse on the way out the door. You don’t need anything fancy. Grab one from your kitchen drawer, or if you’re worried about loosing a piece of a set, pick up a few spare utensils the next time you hit a discount store, thrift shop, or yard sale. It’s simple a simple way to cut down waste, and it’s always nicer to eat with real utensils anyway.
