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The environment is something that I care deeply about. Over the years humans have done a wonderful job of destroying what precious land we have left. Our planet deserves so much better. She provides us with a home, food, water, air etc. (I think you get the idea). I believe it is our responsibility, not only as Pagans, but as people to repay Her for all She has given us.
A link for my WOMEN vistors!
What Can I Do?
There are so many things that we can do to help. Most are not of any incovnvience to you, but some many result in a few lifestyle changes. What you do is up to you, but every little bit helps. I've put all my ideas into categories that correspond to particular living situations. I hope this makes everything a little bit easier to follow.
At Home
The first is RECYCLING. You wouldn't believe how many people don't do this. It is so simple... you don't even have to bring it anywhere. I can't speak for everywhere in the world, but Ontario is starting to take almost everything recyclable. Many of the traditional items include, cardboard, fine paper, glass, plastic and tin. There are some communities that will take small yogurt containers, dishwashing liquid bottles etc. All you need to do is call your local recycling company and they can tell you what they do and don't take. Most cities and towns will also pick up yard waste in the summer. You just need to by the Yard Paper bags that you can get at Canadian Tire or places like that and put your grass clippings and weeds in there.
The Kitchen
Another easy step is COMPOSTING. Again I can't speak for all municipalities, but where I live you can buy a composter from the city for $20.00, which is a great deal! Composting is easy too. All I do is keep an old ice cream bucket under the sink and anytime I have something to compost I throw it in there. When it gets full I bring it outside and rinse the bucket out before bringing it back in. Anything natural, coming from the Earth, can be composted... fruits, vegtables, egg shells... you get the picture. I wouldn't put meat in them because it tends to attract animals and critters.
The benefit to you?? The compost waste breaks down and you will have the richest, darkest soil on your street. If you don't garden, then you can give it to a neighbor or friend. It's really simple and can cut down on your garbage.
The Kitchen... And At Work
TUPPERWARE!! One of the best ways to cut down on your garbage is to use reuseable containers. If you don't want to spend tons of money on brand names, try the Glad containers they have out. They are extremely durable (you can put them in the microwave, freezer and diswasher), but they are cheap enough to lose or throw away!
There are some times that I use a Ziploc bag...so what do I do? I wash it and use it again. I can get at least 30 uses out of them and washing them is easy. I just take a sponge and when I'm doing the rest of the dishes I WASH the inside of my ZIPLOC BAG and turn it inside out to dry.
If you want to save money, don't even buy Ziploc bags. All you have to do is cut the top off the MILK BAGS. That's right... those milk bags that you usually throw away after the milk is empty are the perfect size for sandwiches and they clean just as easily as other bags.
Another way to help is to bring your own coffee mug (or TRAVEL MUG) with you to work. The women I work with have two cups of Tim Horton's coffee a day. There are three of them, which makes six cups. We are only one department on a whole university campus full of departments. Image the garbage that one town, one province, one country makes at coffee break each day.
The Bathroom
Many of the products that you and I use can harm the environment. Did you know that there are many BIODIGRADABLE products on the market. The problem is that most of these companies don't advertise that aspect of their product... which is why many people don't know about them. Herbal Essences is a great example. Their shampoo, conditioner, face wash and body wash are all not harmful to the environment. They also don't test their products on animals. Ivory soap is another good example. Ivory is pure soap, and pure soap is biodigradable.
The Laundry Room
You guessed it! There is also biodigradable laundry products on the market. The one I use is Simply Clean. Now I know that it's a bit more expensive, but it's well worth the extra cost. Vinegar is also a great subsitute for fabric softner. It is inexpensive and environmentally friendly.
Go The Extra Mile...
I know many people who aren't satisfied with the selection of environmentally friendly products that are on the market. So what do they do, you ask? They make their own. Greenpeace, has a wonderful page that gives you instructions on how to make your own laundray soap, fabric softner, dish soap, all-purpose cleaner etc. They are all easy, inexpensive and environmentally friendly. The link for Greenpeace is on my links page which can be accessed through the Homepage.
A step that I have taken recently is becoming a cyber activist at the Greenpeace website. Basicly you are an environmental activist through the use of the Internet. I've sent e-mails to companies and governments on issues that I think are important. If you want to become one as well the link is below... believe me it's worth it.
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