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Tuesday, 15 June 2010 |
These days I’m feeling a little helpless about the big oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. What can I do to help? As I thought about it, I realized that every little thing that I do to decrease the dependence on fossil fuels would help. Here are some things that I am doing.
Buying as much locally grown food and products as possible. I'm asking the grocery stores to tell me where the food is grown that I am buying. As more and more of us ask them, they will have to respond to the consumers. By buying food grown closer to us we cut down on the miles that it has to be brought and the gas that is used to bring it. Because it doesn’t travel so far, it tastes better.... it can be picked riper. Do you know that in Atlanta there are many organic farmer's markets? There are two, one on Wednesday and one on Saturday, in our little town of Decatur. Explore where you live to see if you can find food that is grown close to home.
I walk or ride my bike whenever I can. Our town is a totally friendly town as far as walking is concerned and becoming more and more friendly to cyclists.
I take reusable bags into the store. I keep them on the seat next to me so that I see them when I get out of the car. I keep accumulating more reusable bags, so, I’ve decided that I’m going to carry extra ones into the store, sometimes, to give to someone who doesn’t have one with them. I have seen the statistics about how much oil it saves to not use plastic bags and it’s astounding. Between 500 billion and a trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide each year.
Cut down on plastic bottles for water. I take my own reusable bottle, either safe plastic or metal. There are all kinds to choose from... some of them very fashionable. This website is one place that you can explore alternatives. http://www.reusablebags.com/
I help my health as well as the environment by taking my lunch or picnics in reusable containers. My daughter has gone so far as to take a reusable container to the restaurant to take home left overs... now, we’re not all going to be that good, but, I hadn’t thought of it before she did it. You can carry your own silver wear and cloth napkins to use in place of disposables. Sometimes it’s a little cumbersome, but, things are getting more fun all the time. I would love to hear back from you what you have tried.
It might not seem like much, but, when millions of us change the way we do things it will make big changes.
Come and learn how to cook more at home and do things to take good care of you and your family. I'm teaching classes this summer. Check out the list on this site. Be well and take good care of yourselves.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 15 June 2010 )
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