Earth Day Realism : We are in this together

Hugging a Ponderosa Pine

Tomorrow is "Earth Day" and I really wish more people would give a damn.

(Begin rant) Recently I worked with a nurse (I'm an RN) who used THREE large plastic to-go containers from the cafeteria in one shift instead of a ceramic plate and metal fork and now they are sitting in the trash with no second thoughts. Many employees do this multiple times a day! The cafeteria here also does not recycle. There is no option to toss your empty soda cans or plastic iced tea bottles away at the trash station. I've also started noticing a trend between people who drink soda (yuck) and who don't recycle their cans. I become irate viewing these behaviors. It is bad enough how much waste our small, rural, 30-bed hospital produces. I can't even imagine the vast amounts produced from large scale ones (like when I did my clinicals in Pittsburgh which is a medical care mecca) not to mention the restaurants in the entire world, shipping materials, and the millions of families that do not recycle as well as the production of more low-quality items for our greedy consumption. It breaks my heart and I wish I could scream. In my head, I do (end rant).

WHY DON'T PEOPLE GIVE A SHIT??? It drives me absolutely bonkers and I don't know what to do about it. When I tend to say something, it comes out wrong like I am attacking and what good does that do? I can only lead by example, and I am trying to set that bar higher every day. http://storyofstuff.org/

Tomorrow, on my day off, one of my "to-do's" is to organize the recycing from our old house that we have brought to the new one, so that we can transport it in our vehicle some 20 miles away to the recycling center in Taos since our community does not offer pick-up service. We bring it into town about every 2 months, and the amount of materials that the two of us produce alone, is way.too.much. We have to buy specialty items online since we are in a remote location and it is difficult to go shopping. That produces a lot of cardboard and excess waste. We don't use canned food much anymore-I'm trying to avoid that is it contains chemicals that can pre-dispose you to an array of toxins, but we do drink beer, and buy food sold in plastic. I bring reusable shopping bags to the store, and recycle all other plastic that I can since now larger grocery retailers provide this awesome service, but I am disheartened by the many families I see, with their food carts filled with processed foods, using plastic bags. My cousin Jessica so awesomely fought for banning the use of plastic bags in Brookline in Boston, MA and was successful. California is also working to ban. But we need more! Yeah, yeah, we need to educate the masses. How about enforcing strict codes and laws?

I also realize the argument that a lot of water goes into cleaning recyceables and that some are transported across the ocean to get processed, increasing the carbon foot print. I also realize that even producing more compostable plastics (this seems to be the best solution as these products will eventually break down) increases the corn produced in the country, which depletes the soil, and also takes a long time to break down. But its a start. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/environmental-impact-of-corn-based-plastics/

A Few Earth-friendly Tips:

• Get a water tower if your local water is filled with fluoride and heavy endocrine receptor-binding toxins & fill your BPA container and drink your heart out (64 oz a day, at least!) 
• Grow your own vegetables using non-GMO seeds and plants and organic fertilizer or buy locally grown goods and bring your own containers and used produce bags.
• Buy higher-quality, organic foods and eat less of them. Splurge once in a while.
• Recycle paper and unsubscribe to unnecessary publications.
• Use earth-friendly cleaning products.  
• Don't litter and stand up to those who do. 
• Eat your leftovers and don't let your food go to waste.
• Volunteer your time on an organic farm and get veggies in return
• Don't fraternize businesses that practice poor environmental business standards. 
• Ride your bike or take public transportation more often. Walk. 
• Reuse common materials. Find uses for more uncommon ones (ie. plastic lettuce container can be used again for germinating seeds. It acts like a mini-greenhouse)
• Go vegetarian, or "flexitarian" where you eat only high-quality, local meats
• Get chickens, and feed them your kitchen scraps.
• Bring your own coffee mug to your favorite local coffee bar
• Compost: free, nitrogen-rich soil from your organic waste!
• Build an Earthship, like my good friends Sierra and Jeff (but please don't move here) : 

I will continue my quest to become more sustainable, and encourage other people to care more about our environment. Believe me, I'm no saint but at least I feel the guilt. Daily. I believe completely selfish not to care, and that the people who raise their children this way, to shop at Walmart because it is "cheaper" (for them, not the farmers or workers who get paid ziltch or put independent, non-corporate companies out of business), to mindlessly toss away containers that will be sitting in our landfills for thousands of years, poisoning our ground water and planet need a serious wake up call! You'll bet your ass my kiddos will be educated on this matter, OR ELSE! :)

Environmental responsibility is EVERY BODY's responsibility, and maybe someday, there will be a law enforcing more sustainable practices; if not on a universal level than at least directed at our dear US of A. I would gladly support it and if this kind of secular socialism is what we need. Our world would be a better place; its not just a hope that the hippies have.

Let's all work a little harder this year and try to change our habits and behaviors. Our world as we know it requires change. We MUST be that change.

Happy Earth Day from Me to You and Thank you for Reading. If I have offended anyone, I'm #sorrynotsorry

Much Love,

Betsy