Today was Blog Action Day! Anybody that wanted to participate could do so by (registering if you wanted) posting about the environment; whether an issue, observation, resource, artwork, media, etc. Another "action" encouraged on the website was to donate to a local or online charity/organization involved in helping the environment. I personally thought this was very cool, and so I wanted to make a quick post today (the last hour of the day in fact) to contribute to such a wonderfully
natural cause.
I just wanted to list some ways I have tried to be more
green, so to speak. I encourage you to way beyond what I am doing, or on the flipside, take this environmental lifestyle slowly at your own pace. I have in the past and even now tried to find ways to avoid using our cars to travel because of the pollution put into the air, the fuel it uses up, and not to mention the lack of exercise and interaction with people in the community (even more, when you are alone in the car). I understand that the car is nice when you want to go to the grocery store or you have to carry more than a few small things at a long distance. But here are some alternatives or options to this dilemma:
- Taking the bus
- Carpooling
- Growing some of your own food (veggies, fruits, etc.)
- Buying local (farmer's markets)
- Walking...it has been done!
If it is just one or two items needed for a meal, you might try asking your neighbors to borrow something, PLUS! you get to interact and meet (possibly new) people and it gives you the opportunity to talk to them again when you are returning the item.
But my all-time favorite is riding the bike! So many possibilities arise that just need a bike and that the bike ride brings into your life. For instance:
- Good Exercise
- A better appreciation for God's creation
- Socializing with other people (who'd-a-thunk!)
- Not using up any fuel or energy (besides your own, but it renews itself!)
- Fresh Air
- Guess what else...IT'S FUN!
- and many other reasons...
Other ways me and my family have tried to contribute...
- Reducing
- Not consuming as much...this is a hard one for most people, it can be fun to buy new stuff or more stuff.
- If you don't need it or can't afford it, then don't buy it!
- Another approach is to wait a certain amount of time, like a week and still see if you need it or want it.
- It is ok to buy stuff, even if just for pleasure, but try to think of the benefits that it will bring not only to you, but to your family, community, and maybe even the world.
- Try not to over-consume
- Make a list, plan, etc. and maybe even prioritize it to level of need/want/unnecessary
- Reusing
- Can it be reused in any way? Then use it again!
- Be creative with reusing things that don't need to be replaced, especially if not right away.
- Donate, give, share or let some one else borrow something that you may not be able to use but someone else can use it.
- Is it broken? FIX IT...don't know how? ASK SOMEONE!
- Recycling (this should be your last resort if the first two options are impossible...)
- If the item is dirty or messy, do your best to wash/clean it and then put it in the recycle bin
- Look for the
symbol on the item - If your not sure if it can be recycled, then check the Internet or other resources to verify.
- Here is a list and official website on the "recycle products shopping list":
| Aluminum cans | Newspapers |
| Cereal boxes | Paper towels |
| Egg cartons | Carpeting |
| Motor oil | Car bumpers |
| Nails | Anything made from steel |
| Trash bags | Glass containers |
| Comic books | Laundry detergent bottles |
Some last minute methods...
-
Compost- Turn off or if possible, don't use electricity
- Turn the device off completely
-
Surge protector switches-
CFL light bulbs-
Organic products-
Electric or less consuming gas operated vehicles- SO many other ways, look on the internet!
I am now tired from a long first day at work (Aeropostale) and now I am going to sleep.
Thank You for reading.
I am a subscriber of TreeHugger's newsletter and thought this was insane...Clocking in at around 405 years, Ming was plucked off the seafloor near Iceland's north coast by a team of researchers from Wales' Bangor University.
Leopard is coming out tomorrow folks and its gonna be sweet! Here is a link for the new features...LINK!!!
I was going through some photos on my mac this morning and came upon this one from the weekend that the Overflow played in the main service...I miss you guys down there.
The U.S. is getting a little greener...here is a section of the article:
I saw this in an email from TreeHugger about a 2 Mile Challenge...basically asking people if they are within two miles of their destination, whether it is work, a coffee shop, etc. that they ride their bike to it. It is interesting, and they different challenges and utilize Google Maps to plan out your two mile radius from your home. Interesting, eh?
Folding Bikes...Crazy!
Yes, I have a Spider-Man Mug....and I am proud of it!
For those of who aren't fluent in Spanish (or don't know how to use an online translator), that means my parents are back home from their trip to Smogvil...I mean Riverside. They had a great time seeing friends and family from down south and visiting the park one last time. You can read about it on mom's blog.
And I also put the audio plugin that's on Jon's blog onto mine...I have a version of All Creatures playing right now...it is in the top right corner.
So this morning my mother, dog, and self took a walk to the mall (and WaMu) to drop off my job applications to American Eagle and Aeropostale. What is sweet is that these two stores are literally right across from each other inside. So anyway, I walked into Aeropostale to hand my app to a girl working there, she proceeded with asking me some questions and I ended up getting a job interview that afternoon! So I left the store and was going to proceed to A.E. with my other app and looked inside my bag to find, it was absent...so I went home and found that it was at home (almost like an act of God saying, "Micah, you should work at Aeropostale!"). I went to the interview that afternoon and everything went well, and I now have an orientation/training gig with Aero on Thursday morning! So needless to say I had a pretty good day. I took this picture on the way home from the first trip and loved Katie-Bug's tongue...she was kinda tired after our venture as you cant tell.
Here are some neat websites to check out for green education, tips, and products to help out the environment and contribute to the Kingdom of God. You might have heard of these:
My mother has entered the world of blogging! So go welcome her and make her feel at home in the world of Blogopolis. And my father is on his way to blogging as well. I will try to keep you up-to-date!
