It's the little things. . .

Hello friends. Welcome back to my blog. It's a rainy Friday here in the city and like all of us I'm waiting for that first day that I can step out the door into spring and not have to wear my winter parka. In the meantime I've decided to look at the small things that make a rainy day great and not so great for our environment. Let's begin by looking at the positives. Since childhood we have been taught that rain makes the flowers grow, quenches the thirst of animals, and creates beautiful rainbows. All of this is true and reason to celebrate the water that falls so lovingly from the sky, but what happens when we don't do our part here on solid ground? The results can be shocking and sometimes deadly.

Living in a city like New York it's easy to see the results of pollution. Walking down the streets I am always amazed that people can throw garbage on the ground, (next to a drain I might add), while being steps away from a garbage can. In my opinion this is the ultimate definition of laziness. When we decided to throw our trash on the ground, we are also choosing to drink trash. When rain water pushes trash into drains it eventually travels into our waterways. The effect can be detrimental to the livelihood of animals in our rivers and oceans, not to mention our drinking water. Pollution run off can cause bacteria to spread and create harmful toxins that can seep into our pores while showering, or be directly digested into our system through drinking a glass of water. So next time you decide to grab a piece of gum and disregard that very small wrapping onto the ground, think of the children and animals that might be ingesting your wrapper when it breaks down in our water ways and estuaries. Throwing trash where it belongs is a very small action that results in a big step forward to the health of our planet. It's that easy!

Now for an update. I mentioned in my last blog that I would keep my readers up to date on how my quest at creating a greener lifestyle was coming. I realize my first blog was yesterday, but so much can happen in a day. I've already saved energy by turning the TV off all day long. Yeesh! It was so hard not to watch my shows, but I also was able to get so much more accomplished in my life in a very short time span. I spent an evening with my beautiful friend Annie, laughing and enjoying the night with Yoga and wine. It was great to catch-up and not allow TV to be a substitute for real human interaction.

I've also started my goal in organic farming (well fire escape garden). I purchased organic seeds from WholeFoods and am well on my way to growing my own lettuce and squash. I'm nervous because I don't have the greenest thumb known to man, but how will I ever learn if I don't try. I will share in my ups and downs of organic city "farming" with all of you and welcome any advice from natural green thumb people.

Well, it looks as though laundry is calling and today will be the first day of my anti dryer campaign. Seeing as how it's raining outside it looks as though the "line" will be my shower rod. Not only will I be conserving energy that is zapped every time I run a load of clothes through the dryer, but I will also be getting some extra exercise in today. In his book,  LIVING GREEN: A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO SIMPLE SUSTAINABILITY, Greg Horn has this to say about laundry time:

"Laundry products are a major source of water pollution and contains chemicals that can cause health problems, such as skin, lung and eye irritations and allergies. One big culprit is petrochemical-based fragrances used in many of these products. Laundry soap also contains surfactants (which damage the surface tension of water) that enter our waterways. Standard bleach contains concentrated chlorine, a broad-spectrum antimicrobial. Dryer sheets can contain chloroform, camphor and ethyl acetate, which appear on the EPA's hazardous waste list. Several companies, such as Ecover and Seventh Generation, carry alternative laundry products that get your clothes just as clean without chemical residues and without the environmental negatives".

Wow! A lot to take in and a little scary. But making small changes, like switching from harsh detergents to environmentally safe options like Seventh Generation and Borax, can make huge differences in your health and the health of the environment. Borax is way cheaper than conventional laundry detergent and is all natural.  Remember the skin is like a sponge and can digest anything that it comes into contact with it. So start thinking of going green as an investment in your health. It's all about making small everyday changes.

That wraps up this Friday's blog. If you're looking to stay in this weekend and watch TV, why not put that television's energy to good use and have a Environmental Movie Night. There are some amazing nature and eco documentaries that you can watch on Netflix or head to the library and check one out (just remember walking or biking there makes the earth very happy).

Here is a list of some of my favorites:

AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH
THE COVE
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC: WHALE CRISIS
ZERO IMPACT MAN
FOOD INC.
SUPER SIZE ME
BURNING THE FUTURE: COAL IN AMERICA
TAPPED
THE END OF THE LINE
THE 11TH HOUR
MARCH OF THE PENGUINS
KING CORN

Get the kids involved this week too! Kids are the future of this planet. No age is too small to start teaching about conservation and sustainability. Try creating a fun chart that they can decorate showing the days that they conserved water by turning it off when brushing their teeth, or flipping off the lights in their room when they're done playing. You can also visit your local greenhouse this week and go on a nature scavenger hunt to try to find all the insects and plants that awaken and travel out of their homes when spring arrives.

Here is a list of kid friendly eco books and movies that can get them in the mood to take action.

DVD's
MARCH OF THE PENGUINS
CLIMATE OF CHANGE
HAPPY FEET
WALL E
ANIMAL PLANET'S SHARK WEEK
BLUE EARTH
DISNEY'S OCEANS

BOOKS
THE EARTH BOOK   Todd Parr
WHY SHOULD I RECYCLE? Susan Merideth
BIG EARTH, LITTLE ME  Thom Wiley
RECYCLE  Gail Gibbons
THE EVERYTHING KIDS' ENVIRONMENT BOOK Sheri Amsel
THE THREE R'S: REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE  Nuria Roca



Enjoy this weekend. Step outside no matter the weather and look up, breath deep, and enjoy the moment.

Happy Saving!

Laura


"Let's talk trash. . .Only we humans make waste that nature can't digest"- Charles Moore