With some of the international attention that is being given to the Pope’s Encyclical regarding global warming, I think we’re going to start hearing some great pro’s and con’s regarding his words to the world. Whether Christian, Orthodox, Jewish, Muslim, Taoist, Buddhist, Agnostic or any other belief or dis-belief on this earth, I believe it’s a long over-due call by someone wielding power to say, “This has got to stop!” It’s not all about today or tomorrow, but rather the generations that will be following us long after our deaths.
I believe I mentioned a book that I’ve been reading called, “Man’s Greatest Fear”, wherein the author speaks of so much change as well as destruction of the earth in just these past several generations not to mention the centuries before. Fear, greed, power, and control are just some of the evils that have caused the earth to now start showing great and visible effects of the decades of abuse. Everybody has an opinion on who’s to blame for these effects, but few want to sit at the same table and say, “We’ve got to come together and in a big way start doing something about the state of our environment.
With the FDA now finally coming out and banning trans fats after all the years they’ve been allowed to be consumed likely knowing the long term health problems caused by their consumption. I’m not being naughty in saying how shocked I am in seeing how many overweight young people I see on a daily basis. In the old days, being heavy was something that was reserved for those men and women over 50 and approaching their retirement years. I just remembered something I actually ran into while out in the back yard of a home I was showing. It was a clothesline! How many people have clotheslines anymore? People now say, “We don’t have time to hang out clothes.” I say, “Make time.” They’ll say, “I can’t hang clothes out during the winter or when it’s raining. I say, “String a set of clotheslines in the basement or get a wooden clothes dryer.” One of my favorite smells is the smell of clothesline dried fabrics. Little things that we can do to save energy and waste all add up if we start creating community habits from growing vegetable gardens to making every effort to keep the air conditioners off as much as possible.
People acclimate to temperatures as well as new forms of living. Why do people have to wash their hands with hot water? Cold water and soap works just as well. Why do people have to have their home lit up like Christmas trees when they’re seated in one room? Lamps and light switches can be turned off as easily as they’re turned on. Look at the energy and water wasted with automatic dishwashers. Great family debates are conducted while doing dishes. I read something today that spoke about buying local and it made sense. Most cities still have local retailers. It’s best to patronize merchants in our community not just to keep our commerce alive, but it’s also good for our environment due to reduced travel time. This is even more true when it comes to farmers markets where one finds added benefits of freshness, flavor and likely less chemicals used in growing them.
I know this may sound silly but I believe it’s time for everyone to take a note pad and pen and start writing down all the energy saving and environmentally friendly things we can do in every way to make our own footprints in the creation of a more earth-friendly community. Don’t you think it would be a good partner with the Blue Zone Project?
