Worms in the Kitchen
One worm by itself doesn't scare me. A whole mass of writhing worms is a little disconcerting. If I'm going to be truly "green" in my lifestyle, however, it may be necessary to employ the McFearless aspect -- for the good of the earth.
Check this out!
This all started on my most recent plane trip from Texas to California. Allowing my mind to wander, I dwelt on what I could see from my window seat, and was breath-taken. The beauty of the terrain below changed various times as we went from the flat, green land of Texas to dry deserts and then mountains. I can't begin to describe to you my amazement at all the shapes and colors, parallel, contrasting, complementing one another. Between my window and the ground below hovered various clouds, some white and wispy, others bubbly and chunky, sometimes at a far distance and other times blended together in diverse collections.
Flying back the other way, our plane jutted out over the Pacific and made our turnaround above the island I was privileged to sail to a couple of summers ago, Catalina Island. I saw the gorgeous ocean and the mysterious, unpopulated expanse of blue water made my heart rise in my throat temporarily (oceans have always made me nervous for their unknowability). Small pockets of land on the island are humbly populated; the vast majority of the terrain is still in its natural, respectable habitat.
I couldn't believe the beauty of the land below me! It is just our mundane, everyday existence, designed impeccably with so much variation and satisfying themes. I could imagine that this small part of the universe must have pleased my Creator to make, and I realized that it is just one of His ventures. Then I began to ask myself, how does it make Him feel to see what we are doing to His creation with the powers He has given us? And a further question: how are we depriving ourselves by the ways we treat the earth around us?
Never been much of a hippie or tree-hugger myself, mostly because I don't really have the time to care. Now the "green initiative" is always in the news and modern politics, and of course our waste problems -- not to mention human laziness -- provided the foundation of Pixar's recent movie, Wall*e (which I loved). I am determined to research and discover how to improve my lifestyle in order to best protect, preserve, and flourish creation. This will be awkward at first, and I'm sure to make several mistakes, but that won't stop me. It will seem to some like my efforts will make so little impact, but I believe if we find fun and meaningful ways to change our habits, then our habits will become contagious, and the grassroots can become the norm as we continually repopulate the earth with little children who learn a new way of normal.
All that being said, I am considering efficient and fun methods of recycling and composting in my little apartment, with the hopeful result of reducing my waste by 90%! I have been doing a lot of internet research and have also found out about some books that I might check out from the library. If any of you have a greener lifestyle than mine already, please share with me! I'd love to learn about your journey and what has worked for you and your families and what hasn't.
Check this out!
This all started on my most recent plane trip from Texas to California. Allowing my mind to wander, I dwelt on what I could see from my window seat, and was breath-taken. The beauty of the terrain below changed various times as we went from the flat, green land of Texas to dry deserts and then mountains. I can't begin to describe to you my amazement at all the shapes and colors, parallel, contrasting, complementing one another. Between my window and the ground below hovered various clouds, some white and wispy, others bubbly and chunky, sometimes at a far distance and other times blended together in diverse collections.
Flying back the other way, our plane jutted out over the Pacific and made our turnaround above the island I was privileged to sail to a couple of summers ago, Catalina Island. I saw the gorgeous ocean and the mysterious, unpopulated expanse of blue water made my heart rise in my throat temporarily (oceans have always made me nervous for their unknowability). Small pockets of land on the island are humbly populated; the vast majority of the terrain is still in its natural, respectable habitat.
I couldn't believe the beauty of the land below me! It is just our mundane, everyday existence, designed impeccably with so much variation and satisfying themes. I could imagine that this small part of the universe must have pleased my Creator to make, and I realized that it is just one of His ventures. Then I began to ask myself, how does it make Him feel to see what we are doing to His creation with the powers He has given us? And a further question: how are we depriving ourselves by the ways we treat the earth around us?
Never been much of a hippie or tree-hugger myself, mostly because I don't really have the time to care. Now the "green initiative" is always in the news and modern politics, and of course our waste problems -- not to mention human laziness -- provided the foundation of Pixar's recent movie, Wall*e (which I loved). I am determined to research and discover how to improve my lifestyle in order to best protect, preserve, and flourish creation. This will be awkward at first, and I'm sure to make several mistakes, but that won't stop me. It will seem to some like my efforts will make so little impact, but I believe if we find fun and meaningful ways to change our habits, then our habits will become contagious, and the grassroots can become the norm as we continually repopulate the earth with little children who learn a new way of normal.
All that being said, I am considering efficient and fun methods of recycling and composting in my little apartment, with the hopeful result of reducing my waste by 90%! I have been doing a lot of internet research and have also found out about some books that I might check out from the library. If any of you have a greener lifestyle than mine already, please share with me! I'd love to learn about your journey and what has worked for you and your families and what hasn't.
Comments
1. Reduce, reuse, recycle!
2. Unplug appliances (TV, computer, cell phone charger) if you aren't using them explicitly.
3. Buy a reusable grocery bag for less than $5 at most places. I have three from Whole Foods that I use for groceries, picnics, shopping, etc.
4. Get a water pitcher with a filter or a faucet mount. Plastic water bottles, even though the companies boast using less plastic, are still bad for the environment and most go in dumps, not towards recycling.
5. Use ziploc containers or other plastic storage containers to tote sandwiches, chips, cookies, etc. instead of plastic bags.
6. Open windows and use natural light as much as possible.
7. Take your own mug to Starbucks. You can save the cups and save 10 cents on your drink!
8. M. Mcgough above said to reuse the disposable metal cupcake tins - I use silicone ones so you don't need tins or paper liners. And they will last forever.
9. Read my 40-page research paper on the Prius and its environmental effects.
:)