NEWS / ARTICLES
Replace Harm with Harmony
by Robert Y. Southard
2nd Issue:
Hemp: not just for smoking anymore – Cheech and Chong,
listen up.
There has been an incredible development in the field of
plastics, but I’ll get to that shortly. In the meantime, here are a few ways to
conserve our natural assets:
q
Fix leaky faucets – at home and at work, a lot of water
can be wasted in a short
time
q
Use an aerator in your faucet, it adds air and it still
seems like the same amount of
water is coming out of the faucet
q
Replace regular light bulbs with fluorescents: they
last longer and use less energy
– only ¼ as much
as regular bulbs
q
Use a toilet dam in your toilet, it reduces water usage
immensely
q
Use shades on windows to reduce heat in the summer;
reduces electricity & a/c
motor usage
q
Recycle printer cartridges: there are envelopes at the
post office for small
cartridges, or some manufacturers, such as Hewlett
Packard make it easy to send a larger used cartridge for recycling in the
original box
q
Use recycled napkins at home, and encourage local
restaurants or your cafeteria at
work to do so,
it saves bleach, paper, and toxins
q
And now, last, but way not least: edible sandwich wrap.
Scientists have developed
edible wraps that you can enclose your sandwich in
to take to work, or wherever you’re going. They are basically a dehydrated form
of pureed fruits and vegetables shaped into a paper thin layer to wrap your
sandwich in. You not only keep your sandwich fresh, you get a serving of fruit
or vegetables and, no waste. The plastic sandwich bag that we’re all so
familiar with can last up to twenty years in a landfill. Edible wraps should be
available in stores by the end of the year.
1st Issue:
What can you
do to help restore balance on our planet? This column presents suggestions and
ways to lessen the impact we have on earth, some old and hopefully, some new.
We should also recognize that the earth will continue to exist in some form or
other, though we might not. Here are a few suggestions to get us started:
- Bring and use a cloth bag instead of plastic or paper (an
oldie, but goody).
-
If you can carry your purchases, don't take
a bag at all from the store.
-
Use both sides of the paper that you write,
print or copy on.
-
Don't make me say, "Recycle, recycle,
recycle." Separate your trash for pickup, at transfer stations and at
WORK.
-
Speaking of trash, Tara Nieves put together
a Trash-a-Thon at her school and through donations per bag of trash picked up,
removed an incredible amount of trash from her town, and bought many POLEs
(Thanks, Tara).
-
If you take a lunch to work or school, take
it in reusable containers.
-
Use a coffee mug instead of a cup at work
(Move your hand away from the styrofoam cup).
-
Walk or ride your bicycle instead of driving
for short trips when it is safe to do so.
I know there are many
other ways that we can live in harmony with the earth, rather than harm it.
E-mail your suggestions to me at bob@bostonmystery.com for inclusion in the
next update of this column. Thank you.
Replace
Harm with Harmony first appeared in Dream Change Magazine and will be
updated periodically on this website.