“We Must Create a ‘World That is Worthy of Our Children” President Obama
The long-awaited Paris climate talks have begun today. What can we all do in solidarity with countries trying to hammer out a sustainable way to move forward for our earth? As I continue my series “31 days of less waste” I challenge you to NOT let your car idle this winter or ever. Idling your car or truck is such a waste of energy and terrible for air quality!
From Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day, household waste increases by more than 25%. Added food waste, shopping bags, packaging, wrapping paper, bows and ribbons all adds up to an additional 1 million tons a week to our landfills. (Source: EPA)
We can all do something about this tremendous influx of trash and I will be posting ideas for 31 days on how to reduce trash and waste:
I have a refrigerator full of leftovers, and I am determined to creatively use everything in the next few days. I have made enchiladas, burritos, and soup today. Luckily, I have drop off compost available near my house where I can bring bones and food that can’t be back yard composted. Below is from the Minnesota Pollution Control:
 Of all the stuff we throw away in Minnesota almost 18 percent is food.
Wasted food represents wasted demand for water, land, and fuel. A more concrete way of thinking about this, however, is money: A family of four can save more than $30 a week by making changes in how they shop, prepare, and store food. What would you do with $30 a week? Whatever your answer, here is the how-to, with extra tips for holiday parties and meal planning. Most importantly, make a commitment–right now–to try one of these techniques in the kitchen this year. Which one will it be? Before the meal
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After the meal
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From the Washington Post:
It was Earth’s warmest October ever recorded and it wasn’t even close. The record-shattering month was right in step with most of the preceding months in 2015 — which is positioned to easily rank as the warmest year on record.
New data from the Japan Meteorological Agency and NASA show that the planet obliterated October records established just last year. October 2015 out-baked October 2014 by 0.34 degrees (0.19 Celsius) and 0.32 degrees (0.18 Celsius) in JMA and NASA’s analyses, respectively
And the warming continues. The first half of November 2015, temperatures were 11 to 12 degrees above normal in Minnesota and Wisconsin!
“A strategy needs to be something that can be sustained!” President Obama on fighting ISIS
How are we as a society failing our twenty-some year old young men? The shooters in San Bernardino were living the life the men I talk about below wanted. Where can we find a life of hope and purpose for these young men? How can they be encouraged to connect to the world around them?
This is a blog I wrote after the Paris terror attack:
Today I am writing about the young men I met on a recent trip, and I am calling on the wealthy, big corporations, the United Nations, and the World Bank to help them by creating jobs.
My husband and I have just returned from Albania, Kosovo, and Macedonia. In the past few years we have also travelled independently to Serbia, Bosnia, Romania and other Eastern European countries. These countries are democracies, but are still struggling after Soviet domination for many years. The message we hear from the frustrated twenty-some men is, “We have NO hope!” These English-speaking locals approach us as we wait for buses, ride ferries, trains, or are looking at a map on the street. Unemployment is very high and most we talk to are unemployed or a few are in a low wage jobs. They have no confidence in their governments, and feel hopeless about their futures They say they have to pay bribes to get jobs, and to get into the military. Some of these young men are Muslims, and some are Orthodox Christians. They think the only solution is to move to Western Europe, Canada or the United States. What is upsetting is the place and time and people change in these discussions, but their message stays the same! I need to leave to find a better life!
Their frustrations are so enormous that it frightens me they will take any avenue to escape their situation. Clearly, the answer is not with their governments. Kosovo can’t account for all the funds NATO has given them to rebuild from their recent war.
The solution needs to exist inside their own countries. If companies are looking to expand, don’t forget Eastern Europe. Large corporations expanding and creating jobs in these countries could make a big difference! The men we speak to appear to be educated and have good communication skills, and say they are willing to work hard.
It is such a waste of human energy to have energetic minds struggling for a future! The roots of terrorism are very complicated and my ideas are simplistic, but how can these individuals feel they are important, that their lives matter, and that they can contribute worthwhile things to society? What are some sustainable jobs and industries NGOs or private business can start or create in Eastern Europe?
Much needs to be done, but as I ride buses through the countryside these are the things that could be win-win for Europe and the entire world:
Below is a solar water heater:
http://infodev.org/publications/green-industries
http://undesadspd.org/Youth.aspx
You ask me, “Where are the girls and women?” I can’t answer that question. Sometimes on the street you see a hundred men to one woman. Some women do have jobs, and girls are going to school, but overall this is a place where the men seem to dominate.
November 15 is America Recycles Day! I am pleased how recycling has changed and awareness has increased over the past 2 years. With the advent of the big blue one-sort containers many more people and communities are participating. Even parks are adding containers to collect recyclables!
Of course with more recycling comes new problems. Plastic bags are terrible problem when placed with your recyclables. NEVER put plastic bags in your one-sort container. See the story below:
http://americarecyclesday.org/
https://health4earth.com/recycling-garbage-is-a-terrrible-thing-to-waste/
I am taking a different twist on America Recycles Day. Reuse is a higher step up from recycling. How can you reduce your plastic use? Plastic bag and bottle manufacturers make millions of dollars in profits from a product that is harmful to our waterways and wildlife. They need to take responsibility for the terrible waste they have created. How can you reuse your bags and refill some of those plastic bottles for reuse?
3. Use your own refillable water bottle.
4. Easiest of all: Bring your own reusable shopping bags shopping with you!
http://americarecyclesday.org/
https://health4earth.com/recycling-garbage-is-a-terrrible-thing-to-waste/
http://www.earth911.com/home-garden/top-5-items-recycle-bathroom/#
If you have any doubt whether President Obama should have rejected the Keystone pipeline, watch the video below showing what has happened in Canada in the area of the tar sands. Bill Nye takes us on a helicopter ride to see the tar sands. It follows Bill Nye’s segment on rising water in Florida.
“Ultimately, if we’re gonna prevent large parts of this Earth from becoming not only inhospitable but uninhabitable in our lifetimes, we’re gonna have to keep some fossil fuels in the ground rather than burn them and release more dangerous pollution into the sky.” President Obama
Fall Clean Up: Remember your curbs and gutters to protect our lakes and waterways. !
Did you know that just five bags of leaves and organic debris from streets and sidewalks could contain one pound of phosphorus? Over time, this can lead to the growth of hundreds of pounds of algae.
Cleaning up our curbs and gutters will prevent the highly nutrient-rich leaves and debris from entering rivers, lakes, and streams, and reduces pollution at the source, and improves water quality in our community. Fight water pollution in the street near your home today.
What to do?
— Sweep up leaves, sediment, trash and recyclable materials on our streets.
— Clean out storm drains.
Plastic bag floating in Lake Ochid
I was traveling through Eastern Europe when I read on Ecowatch.com that Macedonia had banned plastic bags. Macedonia was our next stop and I couldn’t wait to see if it made a litter difference.
As we took the bus into Skopje, Macedonia we saw people carrying purchases in plastic. We were disappointed. I interviewed 3 people that could speak English. They claim an effort had been made to ban plastic bags, but “It didn’t work !’ They say the bags they now use are eco friendly. They couldn’t explain what that meant. No one was paying a fee for the plastic bags, and I never saw a paper bag. Macedonia is a poor country with high unemployment and a terrible litter problem. Before a bag ban could work an enormous amount of public education would be needed. I don’t think the economics of store owners nor the public is ready for such a big project to be successful .
Thousands of plastic bottles were floating down the Vardar River to the Aegean Sea.
Could this be an eco bag ?
As I have said before on these pages, the manufacturers of plastic need to be responsible for the recycling and clean up of their products. Many countries don’t have the resources to do what is right for our earth, even though it should be a top priority.
Bottled in Macedonia
I hope environmental groups will take Macedonia off their bag ban list. Being accurate is so important.
Kosovo
My husband and I are independent travelers in Eastern Europe. We are currently in Kosovo, a country rebuilding from a war that ended June, 1999. Rebuilding is taking place everywhere.
Yesterday two men couldn’t stop telling us how awful the war had been for them. They had rebuilt their homes with their own hands without humanitarian aid. According to them, Kosovo couldn’t account for how they had spent the funds, corruption?
Many buildings and houses are unfinished.
Many power outages and generators running. See power poles :
I love the promenades and many walk on them.
War is lose lose. Unfortunately, there are too many childish men playing with toys of which they don’t perceive the consequences. Not only does war kill innocent people, destroy families and waste valuable resources, it is so hard on our earth. I wish good luck to the people of Kosovo and hope they can elect leaders they trust and are free from corruption.
Peace
It’s our world, please keep her safe. I love this song:
http://ecowatch.com/2015/09/08/love-song-to-the-earth/
And Pope Francis sings his love song to the earth: “Climate change is a problem which can no longer be left to a future generation!”
Health4earth 