Waste Not Want Not
When we start to think about the resources that are used to make the things we use every day we know we are depleting the ecological balance of the earth. What we take out of the earth we return in the form of garbage. What we don't often think about is that we aren't just polluting the planet, we are also polluting the atmosphere as well. Here is a look at what our planet looks like from space.
Shocking to see
Have you ever stopped to think how much trash we have left in space? We hear about our ecological footprint but very little is mentioned in the mainstream media about what our space program has left behind. Recently, the news programs brought this to our awareness when In November a failed Russian Mars probe began falling back to the earth.Closer to home
There obviously isn't much we can do as individuals about the "space Junk" that is already there. Even if we were to become politically active there wouldn't be much we could do about future missions into space. What we can do is take care of the planet we inhabit.
I'm sure you have an idea how much trash we produce every week. If you haven't thought about it just look outside on garbage pick-up day. How full are the trash cans sitting at the curb? Now multiply that by every household in the country. Where do you think this will all end up? Yes, there are a few states left that are still relatively uninhabited, but not many. Are we entitled to continue to produce the amount of waste we currently do, resorting to shipping our trash to another state to deal with?
Now, think what might be in those garbage cans. How many chemicals, batteries, paint cans, and so on could be in our nation's garbage? We can do our part to slow down the growing wastes in the landfills by shopping smarter.
It's not just our garbage
To survive on this planet we need a few things, access to clean drinking water and healthy foods just being two of them. If we continue to flush old medications down our sewers, and spray our lawns with chemicals we are only harming ourselves. Everything we put on our lawns ends up in our water supply. Everything we flush down our sewers is potentially not going to be filtered out before entering back into the water supply. And what is in our water supply inevitably ends up being sprayed on the foods we eat and feed our families.Doing our part
There are a few things we can do at home that will help, if not the space junk, at least the landfill junk.- When shopping, look at the packaging. How much of this will end up in the landfill because we can't think of another use for it
- When buying cleaning products, look for non-toxic cleaners. If you shop at your local whole foods store or co-op you can buy many in containers you can refill, eliminating waste all together.
- Live simpler, re-use first. If you really do need something try first to find it used. When you buy gently used items, whether that be furniture, cars, or clothes you save them from ending up in the landfills/junkyards and you eliminate the use of natural resources to create a new product.
- Stop spraying chemicals on your lawns. Instead of maintaining the lawn on your entire property, try leaving part of the land wild, adding a garden, or plant native plants which will be attractive and reduce your time spend maintaining that perfect lawn.
- Look for non-toxic ways to treat pests and weeds. Here is a simple one I learned this past summer: to kill off unwanted weeds or stop a trail of ants from entering your house, use boiling water. You can pour the boiling water directly on the weed, or along the trail trail the ants follow. The weeds die and the ants become confused and lose their way into your home.
Create less waste at home
We only have one planet to live on. Let's be smart, take care of what we have. We will save money, time, and maybe find a healthier environment for all of us to live in. I used to say one person can't make much of a difference so why bother. Today I realize how wrong I was.One person can make a difference by setting an example. Think of it this way, if people are quick to try and have bigger and better just to have what they see others have, could they look at you and see another way that might suit them better? Change will only come when someone chooses to try.
The best way to make changes is to share what you are doing with others. I found a way to eliminate using wrapping paper during the holidays. I used left over fabric given to me for free to create my own re-useable gift bags. As a result I have been asked to make bags for family members so they can use them too. What have you done to eliminate waste from your household?
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