TED talks are well known by many. These are short presentations, available on YouTube, by experts in a wide variety of fields. TED has developed a webpage and newsletter focusing on climate change. The newsletter is filled with links to information on climate change, including tips for individuals and discussions on climate policy. The most recent newsletter contains links to information such as tips to reduce food waste, a list of books on climate change, vegan recipes, a video on Uruguay’s use of renewable energy (98% of their electricity), and solutions to reducing the impact of the fast fashion clothing industry. I always find useful information in this newsletter. Consider signing up for it at https://countdown.ted.com/.
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The average American generates almost five pounds of trash per day, which is about three times the global average. Although some of it gets recycled, most of it ends up in landfills. Not only are the materials wasted, but any organic (food, paper, yard waste, etc.) materials in the landfill create methane gas as they decompose. The attached article discusses ways to reduce the waste you discard. And, as the article points out, ”lowering the amount of waste you create doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing pursuit…Find changes that work for you and you'll be more likely to stick with them.” Every little bit helps.
https://www.npr.org/2023/11/06/1199885874/low-waste-practices Many products used for personal care or household cleaning contain large amounts of water and are packaged in plastic bottles. The labels for many of these products list the first ingredient as water. This requires the use of more fuel to transport the water in the products and promotes the use and disposal of single-use plastics. A good way to decrease your environmental impact is to reduce your purchases of products that primarily contain water and are contained in single-use plastic containers. More of these environmentally friendly products are available than ever before; however, it might take some experimenting and research to find those that work for you. Choosing environmentally friendly ingredients is also important. I’ll have more information on that in a later post. For now, here are some ideas to tackle reducing your use of products that are mostly water and are packaged in single use bottles.
This is an old post, modified a bit to add new thoughts, because I like its message. Think about the circumstances around you when you consider the sustainability choices you make. Changing circumstances may affect which is the more sustainable choice. If you are lucky enough to live where there are four distinct seasons (can you tell I like changes in weather?) or even two distinct seasons, the way you do everyday tasks can change with the season. I’m sure you can think of lots of ideas, but here are some thoughts:
Although many cities are either banning plastic grocery bags or restricting their use, there are still many plastic bags and plastic film items in our lives. Many of these can be recycled. Companies such as Trex turn them into other products, making the recyclable bags useful. However, if the bags and plastic film are not recycled correctly, an entire batch of used bags can be contaminated and must be thrown away. Don't put them in the regular mixed stream recycling bins with everything else. The attached article does a great job of explaining which plastic bag and film items can be recycled and how to do it. Of course, it’s always better to avoid using these items, but our world is still built around them, so recycling is the next best thing.
https://earth911.com/how-to-recycle/plastic-bag-and-plastic-film-recycling-for-beginners This is a good article with ideas for individual actions to reduce climate change. Many you have heard before, but they are gathered together in an article that also contains many links to additional information. Some of these ideas are suited for homeowners, others are doable if you’re renting, and others are general guidance for any stage of life. Take a look and see what would work for you.
https://www.npr.org/2023/10/08/1202152408/climate-change-action Most of us don’t think about the labels on items we recycle. I found an interesting article that explains when a label should probably be removed from a plastic item before it is recycled. In some recycling processes, some types of label materials will be separated during the process, while other types of labels become a contaminant to the recycled material stream. Too much contamination leads to a less valuable recycled material stream or in some cases a batch with too much contamination is rejected and must be landfilled. The article provides more detail on how to determine if a label should be removed when possible.
https://earth911.com/home-garden/recycling-quandary-what-about-labels-on-plastic A recent Washington Post article discussed bug zappers, those electric bug killers that many use in their yards. Advertisements say they kill mosquitos, but scientists say bug zappers work well on beneficial insects but not on mosquitos. Colorado State University’s extension service says that no controlled scientific study has shown that these devices reduce mosquito biting rates outdoors. Widespread use of these bug zappers may be hastening the decline of beneficial insect populations that feed a lot of other critters and pollinate plants. Instead of using a bug zapper, which uses electricity and kills beneficial insects, look for other ways to avoid mosquito bites. This article is behind a paywall for many people, but here are some highlights.
I just finished reading a book called Thanks a Thousand, whose author embarked on a project to say “thank you” to representatives of the various professions and industries involved in producing his morning cup of coffee. His journey includes, among many others, the farmers who grow the coffee, the warehouses that store the coffee, the coffee roaster, the cup manufacturer, the trucks that move the coffee beans from the farm to the various steps in the process, the mill that produces the steel to make the trucks, and the people who ensure that the tap water to brew the coffee is safe and easily available, and the companies that provide the electricity. His goal was to reach 1000 people, but he could easily have contacted many thousands more before running out of connections. Applying this concept to sustainability illustrates the mostly hidden resources used to provide us with all the items we use, even the simple ones. When we discard an unused, still functional, or disposable item, we are essentially also discarding the resources used to provide us with that item. Sustainable lifestyles include an awareness of the bigger picture and the effect of the choices we make. Use it up, wear it out, make it do, repurpose it, or sell or give it to someone who can use it. Recycling is important but most things still cannot be recycled.
Those who live far from oceans may not give much thought to coral reefs. However, coral reefs are very important to the health of the ocean, as well as providing many benefits to people. The article at the link below describes ways that coral reefs are beneficial. The article doesn’t cover how to protect coral reefs, but here are a few ideas from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration:
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