Posts Tagged ‘climate’

I was stunned to realize that there are some seemingly oblivious people out there who continue to believe that global warming is simply a normal shift in the tides of mother earth, and is not a potentially catastrophic event that is looming in the very near future “as we are being led to believe”. I’ve seen some of these people go so far as to explain all of this as some complex, multi-national government plot of some sort. You can’t debate with them. It’s impossible. They won’t even look at the science behind the issue. In fact, the science is totally wrong or is simply a lie. They refuse to see what’s set before them. They’re set in their position and cling to it with everything they have (I guess the same can be said about those of us who believe this to be a very serious reality). I can only hope that the disbelievers are in the minority and not the majority, so that the changes that MUST be made will be made in significant numbers and that those who disagree with blatant science will have minimal impact to the efforts the rest of us are making toward turning this problem around. Aside from all of that, even if they are right and it’s all a farce, aren’t the changes we are being asked to make positive ones regardless of the urgency being put behind them? Personally, I don’t understand the resistance to it all save to go back to the fact that humans resist change at a fundamental level for a myriad of reasons.

I’ve made some serious changes over the years to my lifestyle and the way I interact with the world as a whole. I drive a Prius. We do have a second car, which is less gas-saving, but still gets 39 miles to the gallon. We only drive that during the summer and only on excursions where it’s warranted and we use it sparingly! The Prius averages me 66 miles per gallon in town. Can’t beat that!

We’ve long ago started growing our own food. This summer I began planting in huge containers because it really helped me with controlling pets that seemed to enjoy the food before I got to enjoy it as I won’t use pesticides. We had delicious bumper crops of cucumbers, tomatoes, and Serrano peppers of which we were able to share with others. This fall we’ve planted potatoes in large pots, along with sweet and yellow onions, romaine and red leaf lettuces, and sugar snap peas. I also have this insane urge to turn the side of our house, which was a dog run before we bought the place, into a long, well-secured chicken coop so we can have our own, fresh eggs. Seriously, my idea of having farmers figure out how to breed small, goat-sized cows for the suburban homeowner to have as a pet still seems viable. Fresh milk anyone??

I’ve switched to using antibacterial soap that is completely organic and natural with NO triclosan (this gets into the water supply and is breeding resistance to antibacterial medications). I use Seventh Generation laundry soap, which is totally organic and biodegradable. I don’t use the heat function on the dishwasher. I recycle. I read labels. I cook from scratch wherever possible and limit prepared and/or chemically altered food ingestion. I buy locally grown food wherever possible. I watch where we go out to eat (fast food is a huge rarity rather than the norm). For example, there’s a place called Black Bear Diner here that just opened. Super yummy food, massive portions, very inexpensive. We ate there a couple of times and I thought, “oh great! we needed an affordable family restaurant that was good here!” But that was before they started leaving their nutritional information papers at the table shortly after opening. I took one look and couldn’t believe my eyes. THOUSANDS of calories in things that didn’t need to be that high. Over 3,000mg of sodium in 90% of their dishes on the menu!? I was stunned. Most people don’t even realize what they are taking into their bodies and don’t bother to take the time to become educated about it. Our demise is due in large part to our laziness when it comes to our health as individuals and as a species on this planet.

We are responsible for our own health and our bodies, and ultimately for our impact on the planet. That’s the bottom line. No one else can care about us and our families as much as we can. Did you know that the bottled water that the vast majority of us drink is extremely bad for us? Not because of the water, but because of the bottles that hold the water. The chemicals that are in the bottles leech into the water as it sits in storage. Of these chemicals is one that mimics the hormone estrogen. Not good. This goes for any plastic containers that we store food in. Look in your fridge. How many of your leftovers are stored in plastic? How much of them are eaten by you, your spouse, or more critically, your growing children?

Our advancements are amazing as a species. We are constantly coming up with new, exciting, and more convenient methods that seem to make life easier. But, as with everything in nature, there is a balance and things we enjoy can hold serious consequences. Look around. What do you suppose those are when it comes to our health and the rampant diseases that are prevalent in our society. Obesity, diabetes, cancer, rapid hormonal changes in our children… the list goes on.

Changing the way these things impact our lives is within our control, or at least the ability to lessen their impact is. The reality is that it means taking it slower, changing the way we interact with the world. Opt for health rather than convenience. Each of us can make a difference for ourselves, our families, and the world around us. We just have to start looking at the future impact and ultimately, I believe, we just have to care.