More reasons not to use plastic bags

Thought this link was worth sharing, as each article offers some great information why not to use plastic bags.
Enjoy!

http://www.factorydirectpromos.com/blog/give-the-gift-of-a-plastic-free-world-this-holiday-and-join-the-plastic-bag-ban-movement

Plastic bags blow

Everyone knows that plastic bags blow.  Well I thought everyone knew, but seeing as how people still produce, sell, and distribute plastic bags, maybe everyone does not know.  So maybe it warrants a short discussion.

I think when we discuss plastic bags, so as not to bore people to tears, we can ignore the obvious environmental impact they present at the start of this chat.  Maybe a better approach is to think about the overall costs of the bags, not just on the planet but on people too.  Perhaps there is a reason they are so cheap, and can be given out at your local whatever shop.  But just because something is cheap does not mean it does not have a price, monetary, human, environmental, or otherwise.  I think that is fair to say if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.  There is always a price that someone pays, whether that me cheap labor or negative environmental influences.  And this is where I think the real lesson is for us, not always so intelligent humans, because it appears that we are sometimes slow learners.  The price we pay may not always be charged immediately, but it does not mean some nasty collector won't eventually come around.  And I think the collector is here.  The planet, as well as the animals and the people of this planet, are asking to stop using plastic bags, it is just not worth it anymore. 

We cannot get rid of these bags, and now we, as well as other life on this planet, are starting to pay for the extra baggage.  The bags clog our water systems, they pollute animal and plant life.  And for what, so you could bring a few things home from the grocery store, which could have just as easily been placed in a reusable bag.

It is actually quite funny to me, because when I was growing up (not so long ago) the grocery stores that my family frequented charged for plastic, and so to eliminate this extra cost we took our own bags.  Maybe that is why it is such a natural concept to me, take your own bags.  And honestly I get far less funky looks these days when I very politely say no thanks to plastic, wherever they may be doling it out.  

My environmental message can generally be summed up in a few short words (yeah right like whatever I say is ever short).  And that is not everything has to be easy and convenient, which is what is promised to us with a disposable lifestyle.  In fact the lies of disposable lifestyles are finally being revealed, and we should now know that simply taking any sort of reusable bag to ANYWHERE, not just grocery shops, is much better and dare I say smarter, than taking one of those pesky and always lingering plastic bags.  And guess what else, it really is just as easy and sometimes even more convenient. So haha take that plastic bags.   

Why do we need all this extra baggage?  Answer is we DON'T!  If you are like me I am sure you have enough baggage already.  So let’s applaud all those many cities that are banning plastic.  I am so proud of all the work you are doing for the citizens not only of your city, but also the planet.  I would gladly live in any one of those cities.  So please remember that it is easy to say no to plastic when it is offered, because let’s face it, plastic blows!  http://www.factorydirectpromos.com/plastic-bag-bans

The Leaves

After that last post about wanting/using/needing less stuff there was an article that appeared re: the same subject matter (http://www.becomingminimalist.com/escaping-excessive-consumerism/).  What is funny about all this, is when you really start to think about it, you can apply a minimalist attitude to just about anything.  And although this is not much of a stretch, here is my thought for the day, apply this attitude to leaves.  Seriously I wrote about this last year, do not bag your leaves, it is pointless.  If you live in a part of the world where the leaves are falling now, don't bag them in plastic, use them (make those leaves work for you).  Saving the plastic bags would make you an awesome minimalist , at least in the plastic bag department, and that is huge. Any areas where you can cut back is awesome. 

I have been relived this year, because for every yard that I have seen bags and bags of leaves sitting in waiting for pick up I have also seen at least one yard using the leaves (but just fyi I would be even more happy if we could just eradicate this silly habit all together, then we could tackle bigger items, like I do not know maybe something like ending world hunger).  Raking fallen leaves into natural areas or sucking them up with an electric blower converted into a outdoor vacuum are great alternatives to plastic.  The other option is also just to leave a few on the leaves on the ground to act as mulch for your yard.  Bottom line is you do not need the plastic bags.  

I get that I probably preaching to the choir here (please read my blog :), not too desperate) and anyone that still uses plastic to dispose of leaves would most likely not be reading this blog.  But maybe it is your neighbor that is using plastic, and maybe you can have a friendly conversation about the benefits of not putting the leaves into plastic bags, and the time, energy, and money that could be saved by not doing so.  Maybe you write to your city council, or whatever sort of local government you have, and request that leaves do not have to be bagged to be collected, but maybe just left in piles at the curb (I know they do this in some places).  It is just a thought, and I am allowed to dream right.  I mean I see this advert on the television the other night for these stretchy bin bags that are supposed to keep more plastic out of the landfill.  Well this is another way to keep plastic out of the landfill and more money in your pocket.  Seems like such a dur! concept to me.  But it is helpful for me to see this sort of stuff, like leaves in plastic bags or stupid television commercials, because it offers a gentle reminder that others might need some gentle reminders.  Quick tangent before I end the post.  I was participated in a recycling volunteer event this weekend, and I was shocked by the number of people who still refused to recycle or were unaware of what you could recycle.  Anyway lets help people who don't know.  Lets spread the word that less is more, recycling is cool, and leaves do not belong in plastic.  Be a minimalist  save the planet.

No more stuff please

So for the last few weeks I have really been struggling with this blog.  I was not able to figure out why until I saw a friends Facebook post the other morning.  All the post said was about giving up all her clothes except for 7 complete outfits, because that is what she needs.  And that is when it struck me, my problem is that I do not want stuff any more and I guess I feel that I am becoming a bit repetitive and less creative about ways to write about this.  Let me be very clear here I have not been cured of capitalism (no such luck), and maybe that is a bad term because I am not trying to be super political.  But I am not so easily bought any more, and I want to get people to think about that, less really can be more.  I should have figured all this out when I read that minimalist article (see link below) a few weeks ago, but lets face it I am a little slow on the uptake sometimes.  Anyway I have discovered that all of this relates to my ideas of environmentalism.  There is no real advantage, for you as individual or the environment as whole, to need more stuff.  The planet cannot sustain that sort of life anyway.  A little fact that I read a while back (so may be some mis-wording here) stated that if everyone on the planet were to live as the average American did we would need at least 3 planet Earths to support those lives.  There is a huge difference between need and want, which sometimes is less apparent when there are TV adverts telling you that you need something that really you only want.  It winds up that we take more from the environment to produce more junk for ourselves that essentially will have an end life at some point in time.  And lets be honest the end life is pollution in a landfill.
The other side to this, besides the obvious environmental connections, is the humanitarian one.  I do not see on a regular basis (and maybe I should) that people all over the planet survive on very little every day, far less than what I already have.  I have everything I need and then some, but what do I need with all the some.  I guess that as I am getting older I do see more truth in the fact that more stuff you own the more your stuff starts to own you, and I do not want to be owned by anything let alone stuff.
I sometimes feel very alone in these thoughts as it is hard to convince some family and friends of these more minimal (could never call myself a true minimalist) ideals.  To quote the great wonderful and always inspiring hero of mine, John Lennon, Imagine (just for one second) no possessions, for so many now that is almost an impossible thought and for so many more that is a reality.  I can think it though, and I love that thought. Less stuff to clean, to pay for, to deal with, and less to throw away.  The environment would be so grateful.  And as the planet explodes a huge human population we need to think about less in order to help more.  This is not even about making a level playing field but just remembering that when you take away all the stuff, we all NEED (not want) the exact same things.  So try and grow your own garden, throw away and buy less stuff, want less, give more, buy second hand, do not take plastic bags, do not be bought so easily, do not live beyond your means or your planets means, remember others, have some leftover love (hey it all counts dudes).  Be smart and caring, and know that this is not crazy (at least that is what the voices in my head tell me).

http://www.treehugger.com/culture/simple-living-expert-takes-happy-minimalism-extreme.html

Broken Record

Well here I am again about to blow your mind with some awesome words of wisdom, don't litter!  I know I must sound like a very simple out dated broken record by now, but it is true don't litter, and you can stop litter by reading this post (oh listen to me).  To me I always thought that littering was weird,  because throwing something on the ground just never occurred as option when going through my normal thought processes.  But still it happens, and sometimes it happens unintentionally, at it is those times that I am actually referencing.  Well OK you got me, this is post is not just about littering, but rather the ways we can cut back to prevent littering from even having a chance to happen (see broken record, there is such an obvious theme on this blog).  OK let me make a clear thought here.  Recently came home from a trip.  On this trip we visited an aquarium.  At the aquarium we heard a talk about an albatross, during the talk the speaker referenced the amount of plastic that pollutes the oceans where these birds hunt and how much has been found inside the birds that researchers have recovered.  It is sort of the license plate in a shark scenario.  Anyway long story short they asked all those in the audience who used their own shopping bags, and a good amount raised their hands. Felt good, lots of planet saving people in the mix.  Then they asked who used those shopping bags for more than grocery shopping and the number of hands got smaller (mine was still up, fear not I am that dork that raises her hand proudly might even offer a little wave in the hand and ooohoooh).  Then they asked how many people used reusable straws.  Well at this point I think it was my proud hand an one other.  That was bitter sweet (love being able to raise my hand  just wish more hands had been up).  I have been told that my words, ideas, actions whatever I write about are not enough to be considered a real or valuable part of helping create sustainable choices.  Well here is where I disagree.  Any action that you do to protect your planet and the life on it counts, and will add up fast if enough people start practicing.  There are so many who decide to do nothing.  Nothing is easy, I get that trust me.  But small actions do help, and they are an easy way to start doing something over nothing.  No one on this blog is asking you to live in the tree tops foraging for nuts and berries only.  So for those who scoff at me, go right on ahead.  Maybe I will not convince anyone to get rid of electricity (I still have it) or even buy a reusable straw, but guess what you don't need one.  Maybe what I may help with is convincing people just not to take those plastic straws offered in the first place.  Because really that is all it is, just thinking about your actions.  Those actions always have outcomes, good or bad.  So yes I get that going out to eat is not environmentally friendly, but there are ways to help cut down on negative factors.  Watch this going to loop back to the littering (intentional and unintentional) thing now like magic (or maybe just really bad writing).  So when you do not take that straw, or that styrofoam container, or that plastic shopping bag, you will not have to throw it away, which means it will not fly off the back of the garbage truck, and then it will not end up in a water system, which means a bird, fish, or any other type of animal will not eat or get tangled up in it.  So do not litter, say no to those straws and bags.  Save yourself the energy of having to dispose of something that could end up as littler, and feel better that you helped a bird and your planet.  Your conscious and your Mother (i know cheesey Earth reference) will thank you.  Think about all that trash that is created and where it goes, on purpose and on accident.  Then when you say no to a straw, at least you can say you did something rather than nothing.  So please don't suck, say no to straws.

5 Tips to Reduce Toxic Chemicals in Your Child's Life

I would like to take a moment here to say how important I think guests posts are to the blogging community.  I know that even I get tired of reading myself sometimes, even though I always agree with me :).  That is why I feel it is important to hear other perspectives and ideas.  I also wanted to make this blog more of a community rather than a soapbox for me to preach from all the time.  So with all that said I would like to introduce someone who has been a great help to me in more ways than one, Shane Shirley Smith, the author of the guest post below (http://shaneshirleysmith.com/).  Enjoy!

Want More Help Protecting Your Children from Toxic Chemicals?
These days, thanks to the efforts of green bloggers like Charlotte and organizations I work with like Safer Chemicals Healthy Families, parents are getting a much needed wake up call about the toxic chemicals in their children's lives.  Parents are starting to understand the fact that harmful, toxic chemicals are lurking in the consumer products they purchase and use every single day.

Fortunately, it is becoming common knowledge to moms and dads alike that 80,000 potentially harmful chemicals are used in their consumer goods in the United States, while only a handful of those chemicals have ever been tested by our government for safety.   

Feeling Confused And Wonder How to Protect Your Kids from Toxic Chemicals? 
Although parent's are more aware of the toxic dangers lurking in their children's lives than ever before, many are still confused as to exactly how to reduce their children's exposure.  Right now, without the government's protection, it is up to us to get informed and get the information we need to keep our kids safe from the chemicals in the products we buy. To help sort through the confusion, here are 5 tips to reduce toxic chemicals in your child's life.

5 Tips to Protect Your Children From Toxic Chemicals  
Even though it is impossible to eliminate all of the toxic chemicals and their resulting health risks from your children's lives, this July and beyond, you can declare your child's independence from toxic chemicals by following these 5 tips.

1. Reduce Your Children's Exposure to Bisphenol-A (BPA) - BPA, found in many plastics and consumer products, is one of the most widely used chemicals of all time.  It is probably circulating through your body right now as it was found to be present in 93% of 2,517 Americans age 6 and over, tested by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and it is found in the cord blood of newborns.  Researchers have linked developmental exposure to BPA to reproductive harm, increased cancer susceptibility, and abnormalities in brain development and fat metabolism.  A 2011 study in Environmental Health Perspectives says that even some consumer products listed as BPA free, still leach hormone like chemicals so to protect your children, choose as many stainless steel and glass containers as possible.  Try also to reduce their intake of canned foods and drinks as BPA is still used in the lining of many cans. Since BPA is also prevalent in many cash register receipts made from thermal paper, never let your children handle them.
2. Buy Organic as Much as Possible - When we talk about foods, organic refers to the way that agricultural products are grown and processed.  In addition to meeting other strict requirements, organic foods are grown without the use of synthetic pesticides and petroleum-based fertilizers which have been linked to cancer, immune system suppression, miscarriages, Parkisnson's disease and neurological illness -  not to mention massive pollution and environmental decay.  Please also remember that it is not only organic foods that you should strive to purchase.  Look for organics in every area of your consumer purchases.  For example, non-organic personal care, products like shampoo and dental floss, may contain Perfluorinated Compounds (PFC's ) which have been linked to cancer.  And non-organic mattresses, baby products like car seats and furniture may contain toxic flame retardants (PBDEs) which have been linked to neurological and thyroid damage and may cause birth defects. 
3. Keep an Eye On Toy Recalls - Believe it or not, heavy metals like lead are still being found in children's toys, jewelry, art supplies, clothing, shoes and even candy.  Lead exposure causes health problems, especially for young children.  Lead exposure can affect children's  developing brains and nervous systems making them suffer from shorter attention spans and making it more difficult for them to learn and read than their unaffected peers. It is important to keep an eye out for the latest recalls due to lead on the Consumer Product Safety Commissions (CPSC) website.  You can even sign up for recall updates to be sent directly to your inbox. 
   
4. Get Rid of Indoor Air Fresheners - Amazingly enough, even though they cost a small fortune, the use of indoor air fresheners is on the rise.  Unfortunately though, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), "household products like air fresheners, release pollutants more or less continuously."  Plus many air fresheners,  including those advertised as “all natural” or “unscented", contain phthalates which are hazardous, endcrine disrupting chemicals known to cause hormonal abnormalities, birth defects, and reproductive problems. A 2010 report by the President's Cancer Panel [http://www.shaneshirleysmith.com/2011/02/why-41-of-americans-will-be-diagnosed.html] acknowledged that low doses of endocrine disruptors have health effects that contribute to the development of cancer.  NRDC’s (Natural resources Defense Council) independent testing of 14 common air fresheners, none of which listed phthalates as an ingredient, uncovered these chemicals in 86 percent (12 of 14) of the products tested.
5. Take a Stand and Call on Congress to pass the Safe Chemicals Act - If this list makes you nervous, it i time to do more than reduce exposure and worry.  There is more that you can do to protect not only your children but children throughout the country.  Contact your Senators and let them know that it is time for a new Federal law to protect American children and their families from toxic chemicals.  Safer Chemicals Healthy Families makes it really easy and it literally takes less than 2 minutes to make a difference to help change the future health of American families.  Do it now and continue to check back in to Safer Chemicals Healthy Families for updates on how close we are to making this important change for the health of our future.

Our future depends on our knowledge and actions. What choices will you make today that will change your health and the health of our world tomorrow? Together we CAN find the path that will lead us to a greener, healthier future. - Shane D. Shirley-Smith

Connect with Shane on Google+

P.S.- People always ask me where I get my organic food and personal care products and I love to tell them about The Green PolkaDot Box! Backed by the Organic Consumer's Association and EnvironmentalBooty.com, you can easily buy NonGMO organic groceries, including Harvest Fresh Organic produce, at wholesale pricing online.  It's like a Sam's club but focused on products for green, healthy living! You can even shop by dietary restrictions like gluten free, vegan or diabetic and it all comes right to your front door. Enjoy!

Sources: http://www.shaneshirleysmith.com/2011/02/why-41-of-americans-will-be-diagnosed.html
http://www.shaneshirleysmith.com/2011/03/how-to-live-greener-healthier-bpa-free.html
http://naturalsociety.com/organic-conventional-food-differences/
http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/fetchArticle.action?articleURI=info%3Adoi%2F10.1289%2Fehp.1003220
Safer Chemicals Healthy Families
Organic Trade Association
http://www.unacceptablelevels.com/

Waste, yuck!

First off I would like to apologize for having been away.  Unfortunately I have no exciting excuse for my absence, nothing fun to report just been very uninspired in the writing department (and I am sure the world sighs a collective sigh of relief, wow burn :)).  It is just that the voices in my head that tell me what to do have been quite dormant, and therefore my life and writing has been quite dull.  As I am sure everyone's is when the voices in their head stop telling them what to do.  Oh that is just me, ok whatever.  Well the voices are back, and they are screaming right now.  They are screaming about waste.  There is nothing nice about that word, waste it is just horrible.  I must admit I am not exempt from being forced to use that word in my own vocabulary about my own actions.  Waste has come to the forefront of my attention because I noticed that in my own house it was happening quite a lot.  Mostly when it came to food.  I think I have mentioned this before, but everyone in this particular household is very picky regarding food.  The only ones who are not are the dogs (we have so much to learn from our tiny four legged friends).  Anyway it is food waste in particular that made me look into the compost, trash, disposal question that I had been pondering for so long (I mean we are talking hours here).  And just as I suspected my hypothesis was correct, I am a scientific genius, composting is the best way to dispose of organic food waste.
Now let me be clear on two things here.  1, I am not condoning waste, especially food waste and using composting as my scapegoat.  Trust me when I say that I am working on ways to reduce the amount of waste that happens in this house.  Not an easy task, but is one that is manageable.  2, my composting skills were diminishing since we moved we lost our composting bin.  But alas I discovered that a structure is not necessary when composting.  A pile of organic material works just fine (http://www.composting101.com/how-it-works.html)
So anyway to make a long story short, I am back and composting at full force.  We are making food portions smaller on the plates or certain ones that were not always able to finish.  As always were are saving leftovers.  But mostly we are trying to be more aware of our actions, especially around food.  It is easy to forget just how precious food is and there should never be any excuse to waste it.
Now just quickly back to the trash vs. disposal issue.  I was did some light research and found that food waste going to the landfill is a big contributor of green house gas emissions.  I also found that putting food waste down a disposal in the sink creates more work for your local water treatment plant.  Which also has an environmental price (great article http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/the_green_lantern/2008/09/should_we_dispose_of_disposals.html).  So bottom line do not waste food.  Buy and eat only what you need.  Better yet if you can, grow as much as you able, then buy, and then eat what you need.  Every little bit helps.  And side note my tomatoes are way better than the ones from the store, just saying.  But if you do have any organic material leftover compost it rather than tossing it.  And if you can't compost feed the birds with some of it and look up to see if your home city has a way to compost.  Oh and if they don't maybe start one.  No I am not being bossy I just planting little ideas, because that is what the voices are telling me.
Second side note, there have been two things happen to me recently that did make me feel good, at least on the taking less plastic/styrofoam front.  One incident happened at a local Greek fest that we went to.  I will say the festival is a lot of fun, but the real pull for me is the food.  Beside the super delicious baklava, there are these little doughnuts call loukoumades.  Basically they are like crack, because they are so good that you cannot eat just one, but there is no way in Hades (hope that is Greek and not Roman) that they are good for you.  Anyway they were serving these doughnuts in styrofoam, but I asked the people behind the counter if I could  have my order placed in my own reusable container, and instead of getting the  strange looks or just the big fat NO's that I normally get, they were super happy to oblige.  I was thrilled.  Then later on in the week I was in the drug store that our family frequents, and the lady behind the counter remembered me and remembered that I prefer to put the items in my own bag rather than a plastic one.  Anyway these are pretty small actions but they made a huge difference to me.  It is ok to say no to plastic, to take your own container.  People may look funny at you know but I guarantee one day it will be the norm, or maybe even mandatory.  You can still enjoy yourself and reduce your impact at the same time.  They do not have to be separate.  In fact it should be encouraged.  That should do it for me today.  Hope everyone is well.